As the summer of 2012 is ending, and as I am getting this new Mystery Book Fan site up and going, I thought I would see how many of this summer’s mystery books I can remember reading!
In no particular order:
I decided to read the whole Harry Bosch canon. I had previously read only a few of them and wanted to go through it all. So these are the ones I got through this summer:
- The Black Echo
- The Black Ice
- The Concrete Blonde
- The Last Coyote
Also read:
- Headhunters by Jo Nebsbø – I didn’t realize that it was NOT a Harry Hole story. I read The Devil’s Star in the spring and really enjoyed it. On that basis I recommended to the Library Mystery Book Club a Harry Hole story for later next winter. Headhunters was a tad weird, to say the least. It’s a noir version of a caper told in first person by a very troubled guy.
- Love You More by Lisa Gardner. This features her serial character D. D. Warren, as Boston homocide detective. This book had a unique story-telling device in which chapters alternate between the narrator which focuses on the detection by D. D. Warren and “the first person” played by an individual who could be either victim or cold-blooded killer… you find out the truth gradually as the plot unfolds. I am curious to find out whether Gardner uses the same device in other books of the same series, or not.
- The Case of the Runaway Corpse by Erle Stanley Gardner. Just had to revisit Perry and Della, old friends from my youth.
- Miracle Cure by Harlan Coben is one of Coben’s earlier stand-alone books. Not as good as some of the later ones, like Tell No One. Interesting plot that revolves around finding a cure for Aids and surrounding political controversies.
The Library Mystery Book Club will be reading an Elvis Cole book later this year. Since Robert Crais’s books are new to me, I decided to jump in and read Books #1 and #2 before the Club reads Book #3 together.
- The Monkey’s Raincoat – I couldn’t help note the similarities between Cole and Spenser; Joe Pike and Hawk. The tendency toward the humorous quip (by Spenser and Cole); the planned violent attack on the mob-related enemies; and the helpless victim that is rescued as Spenser so often does as well. More on the comparison another time. Maybe I was thinking about it having just read…
- Painted Ladies by Robert Parker. Say what you will about Parker’s rapid writing, brief results, and formulaic writing… I have always loved his ability to give me a lot of enjoyment through really fun dialog. One of these days I might just re-read the whole series.
More books from this summer included the June-July-August books for the Library Mystery Book Club:
- Outwitting Trolls by William Tapply – This was Tapply’s last book before his untimely death. The club enjoyed the book but generally felt it was not one of his best.
- The Frumious Bandersnatch by Ed McBain – Not a big McBain fan myself. For one small thing, I don’t like the lack of a “real” setting. The “any city” descriptions don’t work for me.
- The 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie – Didn’t feel that Agatha played fair with me, her reader, when it came to the revelation of the true murderer. Scores from club members ranged from mid 90s down to mid 60s.
A few more mysteries this summer included:
- The Bee Balm Murders by Cynthia Riggs. Generally enjoy the Martha’s Vineyard setting and the quirky modern day Miss Marple who is Victoria Trumbull. This 90-some years-old sleuth gets about with more energy than Miss Marple, however.
- Worth Dying For by Lee Child. Gotta keep up with Reacher! Also got to go back and read a few of the earliest books in the series and I’m done… ’til the next one comes out.
I may have forgotten a few more.
Last summer I treated myself to reading the entire Mickey Haller canon, and watching the Lincoln Lawyer with Dick and John–friends from the club. This summer I have been reading, or re-reading–with great pleasure, Boston’s own Robert B. Parker. Last week I happened to pass the Museum of Fine Arts on Huntington Avenue. There, at the front entrance, is the statue Appeal to the Great Spirit, which I have loved since first seeing it in 1961. For Parker fans, there is an additional reason for loving it, as his detective, Spencer, carves a wood copy of it in several of his early novels. In, I believe his third novel, Spencer introduces us to his Code (he is a bit of a vigilante). There is a part of the Code I ardently adhere to. It is” “when in doubt, cook something and eat it.” And then down it with good beer–maybe something from the Cape Ann Brewing Co.? Parker became famous for his sparse writing and terrific dialogue but please do not overlook his earlier efforts as they set down elements of Spencer’s character that make him so fascinating: his carving, cooking, his relationship with Susan Silverman, and his love of good beer. Did I mention, his love of good beer?
Thanks for that comment Mike! When I finish with all the Bosch novels, I may just do exactly the same – go back and read the Spenser series from the beginning. It’s great fun, isn’t it? I’m afraid it will have to be red wine though!