The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I would like to do the 12 + 2 challenge for this year.

Here is a list of my books:

1. An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
Mystery and Thriller

2. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
Mystery and Thriller

3. The Martian by Andy Weir Completed 16/01/16 Rating 4 stars
Thriller

4. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Mystery

5. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin Completed 19/02/16 Rating 3 stars
Mystery, Crime and Thriller

6. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Completed 5/05/16 Rating 5 stars
Mystery and Thriller

7. Misery by Stephen King Completed 23/10/16 Rating 4 stars
Mystery, Crime and Thriller

8. Weaveworld by Clive Barker
Thriller

9. Along Came a Spider by James Patterson
Mystery, Crime and Thriller

10. The Testament by John Grisham
Mystery, Crime and Thriller

11. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton Completed 11/01/16 Rating 4 stars
Mystery

12. Vluchtgedrag by Loes den Hollander
Thriller (Dutch)

+2

1. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson Completed 18/10/16 Rating 4 stars
Mystery

2. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Completed 29/05/16 Rating 4 stars
Mystery, Crime and Thriller

7/12

A nice mix of books, Amanda. I've read and enjoyed of a few of your selections; Jekyll and Hyde, Weaveworld, Misery, Rebecca (excellent) and Knots and crosses (super series). I hope you enjoy them all.

Thanks Bill. I'm rather intrigued by Weaveworld. I've never read Clive Barker before. As I'm Scottish and lived in Edinburgh for a year, I feel it's about time I started reading Inspector Rebus :)

I've watched both of the Rebus TV series, with John Hannah and Ken Stott playing Rebus. Both good, although I think I preferred Ken Stott.

I've never seen either of them. Terrible eh?! I'm currently enjoying the BBC series of Sherlock Holmes with Benedict Cumberbatch. Arthur Conan Doyle, another Edinburgh writer I haven't read yet. I have seen the house where he was born and been on the photo with the statue of Sherlock Holmes. But I need to read his books too!

I knew Robert Louis Stevenson was Scottish. Just checked and it turns out he was also born in Edinburgh!

Looks like a good list. An Officer and a Spy was a favorite of mine. It was an interesting blend of historical fiction and mystery.

Thanks Yvonne. Looking forward to that one too. I read Fatherland by the same author last year and really enjoyed it.

Finished The House at Riverton by Kate Morton today. 1/12

It is the story of Grace who was a servant in the House at Riverton. She is now in her nineties and reflecting on her life at the house. Family secrets and a suicide are intertwined with the goings on in the servants' quarters and the upbringing of the three children of the house. The First World War also adds to the drama. If you like a good story with identifiable characters, then this is the book for you. The pace picks up towards the end which calls for an interesting and exciting read. I gave it 4 stars.

My second book completed is The Martian by Andy Weir. I finished it on 16/1/16.
I have to admit space, science fiction, it's not the genre I would normally choose. However, Matt Damon is in the film and I think he's a great actor so when a group read for The Martian was announced, I thought, right I'm going for it. The first five chapters were very technical and I wondered if I was going to survive but then the story kicked in and it wasn't just Mark Watney's (the astronaut) logbook. The background is that Mark has been left for dead on Mars by his crew but he is actually alive. His character is likeable, he makes a lot of jokes and tries to make the best of the situation. The ultimate question is, will he ever get rescued? While he encounters many difficulties, as a reader I was willing him not to give up hope. Next stop the film!
I rated The Martian with 4 stars.

I plan to read The Martian this year. Thanks for the comments. I'm glad you liked.

Let me know how you get on.

I've read The Martian in January & once I got past all the numbers in the beginning it really sucked me in. Haven't watched the movie yet, but plan to soon.

Hi Stephanie, I've heard of people giving up in the first part. If the whole book would have been like that, I would have struggled. Thankfully the story developed and I really enjoyed it. I still haven't seen the film yet. It's on my To Do list!

3. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin

This is the first book in the Inspector Rebus series which is set in Edinburgh. Ian Rankin has become famous because of this series although he has written stand-alone novels such as Watchman.
Rebus is a policeman who is investigating the abduction and murders of two girls. His own personal life is very much under the spotlight. He is ex-SAS, drinks too much and is estranged from his wife. Then messages begin to appear: knots made of rope and crosses made of matches. Will Rebus be able to decipher these messages and catch the killer?
As it is based in Edinburgh and I have lived there, I thought it was about time I started writing Rebus. I enjoyed it and would like to continue reading the series. It's not just about the crime but also about the characters which adds to the story. I'm sure we will see Rebus develop as the stories continue.
Something which thrilled me was that a cinema I worked in when I was a student was mentioned in the book (The ABC in Lothian Road). I didn't see that coming!
Read 19/2/16 Rating 3 stars

It's a great series, Amanda. I've read about the first 7 or 8 so far.

I'm looking forward to reading another one. I think I'll try to work my way through them in sequence.

That's the best way.

This book is not in my list but as it is of the mystery genre, I thought it would add it in here.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

This is the Costa Book of the Year for 2015. The Lie Tree is a tree which grows according to how great the lies are that it is fed. In exchange the fruit can be eaten to show visions of truth. Faith, the main character in the book, believes that her father's death was not suicide and uses the tree to try to establish what really happened. It has been categorized as a children's book but I didn't feel that this was the case at all. It is not a coincidence that this book has been chosen as the Costa Book of the Year beating all other books, including those aimed at adult readers.
Read 24/03/16 Rating 4 stars

This book is also not in my list but is worth adding here.

Mystery, Crime and Thriller

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis

This is a Danish thriller about a little boy found barely alive in a suitcase. Where has he come from and what is he doing there? We follow different characters, quite a lot one after the other, so you need to get your head around who is who. Once you've worked it out, the story flows. If you love thrillers, you know they can just take hold and you need to finish them. I devoured this book. It won the Harald Mogensen award for best Danish thriller in 2009 and was shortlisted for the Scandinavian Glass Key award for crime fiction. Through its popularity it has spawned a series: there are another three Nina Borg books.
Read 12/04/16 Rating 4 stars

4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

This book blew me away. Beautiful descriptive passages, mystery and intrigue and the story of a marriage, the second for Maxim de Winter, his first being to the enigmatic Rebecca. The young and naive second Mrs. de Winter after a whirlwind romance marries Maxim and moves to the secluded Manderley. There signs of Rebecca are everywhere including her devoted servant, the sinister Mrs. Danvers. The second Mrs. de Winter struggling with the constant reminders of perfect Rebecca seeks to find out what really happened to her...
Read 5/05/16 Rating 5 stars

Amanda wrote: "4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

This book blew me away. Beautiful descriptive passages, mystery and intrigue and the story of a marriage, the second for Maxim de Win..."

It was a favourite of mine as well. Loved it.

Looking forward to reading more of Daphne du Maurier. Bill, have you read any of her other books?

Amanda wrote: "Looking forward to reading more of Daphne du Maurier. Bill, have you read any of her other books?"

, which I've read two or three times and , an excellent collection of short stories. I hope to read in the near future.

5. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

This is the first story in the Rizzoli and Isles series. There have been murders and one of the victims who escaped is left clues by what seems to be a copycat killer. Full of tension, it kept me on the edge of my seat. Looking forward to reading more of this series.
Read 29/05/16 Rating 4 stars

Another mystery I've read not in my list.

The Comfort of Saturdays by Alexander McCall Smith

Isabel Dalhousie is an amateur sleuth. She never actually means to investigate matters but they keep landing in her lap. This is the fifth book in the series. Another great series from Alexander McCall Smith set in Edinburgh where philosophy, a delicatessen and music all plays a part.
Read 29/09/16 Rating 4 stars

I've never read that series. I've enjoyed his No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books and keep looking at the Philosophy Club books. I guess I'll have to try them as well.

More to add to your TBR, Bill! The 44 Scotland series are also really good although they're not mysteries.

Amanda wrote: "More to add to your TBR, Bill! The 44 Scotland series are also really good although they're not mysteries."

Now cut that out! The missus already thinks I have too many books crowding our shelves.. ;)

Laughs out Loud :)

Liz has had me on semi book buying ban for years. Kindle and library books are ok, but others are limited. I donate to library/friends periodically.

Hi Thomas! I confess to buying books a lot but I have managed to cut it down a bit. I get books for my birthday and Christmas, I go to library sales and warehouse sales. I don't have a Kindle so still buy paperbacks. While I'm clearing my shelves, I'm also filling them back up. When I've read them, I pass them on to friends or there's a place at the train station where you can donate them. I only keep very special ones. This year I also got two big batches from friends who were clearing out. I think I need to be more restrained...

Hi Amanda. My wife and I love our kindles. When we travel, we never run out of books.

I haven't made the switch to Kindle - still a traditionalist at heart - but lots of my reading friends keep trying to convince me.

I'm a traditionalist too, Amanda. I have enough paper copies of books to last me a few years, so don't really have to make the switch...

6. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

As I was aware of the story, it took the edge off it a little bit. I can imagine if you have not read any spoilers and have no clue whatsoever, that it's a very thrilling read. Having said that, I thought the way the tension was built kept me turning the pages and that's why I've given it the rating I have. It's my first book by Robert Louis Stevenson. Looking forward to reading Treasure Island in 2017!
Completed 18/10/16 Rating 4 stars

7. Misery by Stephen King

This was my first Stephen King. I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat so I thought I would go for one I knew. I saw the film of this with Kathy Bates which is superb. Reading it takes it to a new level. This woman is crazy and it chilled me to the bones. I got completely sucked in to the story. I was half-expecting to have nightmares about it. It certainly has intrigued me about reading more Stephen King because he certainly is a great storyteller but I think I'll have to read him in the height of summer as I don't think I can cope being scared on these dark nights...
Completed 23/10/16 Rating 4 stars

You have a good list of books. I have read several on it. I too enjoyed The House of Riverton. Good mixture of mystery & historical fiction.

Thanks Britney