Absolute Certainty by Rose Connors was published in 2002, and won the Mary Higgins Clark Award in 2003. Connors went on to write three more legal dramas, ceasing in 2005. This book appealed to me because (1) I like “legal thrillers” (or courtroom dramas, lawyer-mysteries, etc), (2) It takes place on Cape Cod where I lived while in high school, and (3) it was a new-to-me author in this genre. … Continue reading
Nevada Barr is know for her well-done, 19-book mystery series featuring Anna Pigeon, a park ranger working in various U.S. National Parks. These are serious books that are a blend of cozy and police procedural, although some characters are a bit quirky. I was recently attracted to Barr’s standalone book, What Rose Forgot, after reading the blurb on Goodreads: In New York Times bestselling author Nevada Barr’s gripping standalone, Rose … Continue reading
SPOILER ALERT THROUGHOUT – SORRY. I did not enjoy this book personally, and although it was thoroughly enjoyed by other members of the Mystery Book Club – all of whom I respect and appreciate – I would not recommend this book to others. Basically, what follows are the reasons I disliked it. It was hard to get into it in the first 3 chapters (96 pages). Very slow beginning. By … Continue reading
Like it or not, new cars are filled with computers which make them vulnerable to a remote controlled car crash. Cars are loaded with electronic control units which can be hacked. Wifi, blue tooth, and other access points can allow a car to be controlled remotely. As I pointed out in the December 30th (2016) Mystery Book Club meeting, two recent books include fictional accounts of murder in which the assassin crashes the victim’s car … Continue reading
Gerry Boyle, author of a dozen mystery books, is the guest speaker at an open meeting on Thursday evening, January 28, at 6:30 pm at the Manchester Public Library (MA!). Boyle will speak briefly about his own background as a journalist and how those experiences shaped his mystery novels. His chief character is Jack McMorrow, a fictional reporter who has settled in central Maine after several years in New York … Continue reading
I read the The 500 in three sittings: Thursday evening, Friday afternoon, and Friday evening. Apart from going to the Mystery book club meeting and sleeping, it was continuous. So, yep, it was a page-turner. It is a book that is similar to The Firm (Grisham) and Paranoia (Finder) but instead of the lead character becoming enmeshed in a law firm or a high tech company, it is a lobbying … Continue reading
What do you see in the famous illustration on the right: The vase or the two faces? It depends, right? So it was today as I reflected on The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, the book by Dorothy Gilman that our mystery book club read for February and that we met to discuss today. While I am a mystery book fan and a lover of thrillers and police procedurals, my wife is … Continue reading
The Manchester Public Library Mystery Book Lovers Club met today and discussed Open Season by Mayor Archer. Open Season (1988) is Mayor’s first book in his Joe Gunther series based in Brattleboro, VT. Since then Mayor has completed 23 Gunther stories. Apparently it’s open season for the former members of a jury that served on the murder trial of Kimberly Harris several years ago. One is shot and killed, another … Continue reading
There are not too many mystery books where the author is writing for adults but the central character is a 13 year old boy. But The Last Child by John Hart departs from the norm in other ways as well for it is more than a mystery, it has an underlying theme. Moreover the theme is not the dangers of nuclear terrorism or corporate conspiracies (thrillers) or that crime doesn’t … Continue reading
Just finished reading Guardian of Lies by Steve Martini. I chose the book because I am a fan of Martini’s writing and of Paul Madriani, the lawyer who is featured in many of Martini’s books. I am trying to think just what it is that made me dislike the book even though I could not turn the pages fast enough all the way to the very end of the book. … Continue reading
LET'S PLAY CLUE: Was it MBC Leader Dick Goutal, in the garden, using the poisonous plant, Black Henbane?
