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[GHScorpiosRule]

Desperation in Death is coming out in two weeks (September 6), not next week. And this is why I LOVE Nora, except I disagree about MY complaint of Not Enough Roarke.😛

Quote

Desperation In Death comes out shortly. As always, I enjoyed spending time ( a lot on this side of the page!) in that world, with the characters who inhabit it. And hope you will, too.

Whenever we announce a new In Death, there’s excitement and speculation. There’s also—inevitably—a continuing complaint from some readers.

It goes something like this:

The last book (or books) disappointed me/ wasn’t up to par because —name a favorite reoccurring character or characters —wasn’t in it/them or wasn’t in it/them enough.

It’s difficult to address or explain the reasons for this in a two sentence reply on Facebook, so I decided to address and explain here.

First: Trust me.

If you’re invested and attached to these characters, it’s because I created them. I know them—and yes, gentle reader, even better than you because they came from me.

It’s my job to write the best book I can. To do that, I have to respect and honor the story, and the people in it. It’s simply not possible to craft the best book I can if I try to shoehorn every character—even your personal favorites—into every single book in the series.

When a recurring characters shows up, it’s because it fits the story, the scene, the tone, the purpose. When they don’t show up, they didn’t fit.

It’s my job to craft the story.

Trust me to do my job.

If I wrote thinking: I have to squeeze Mavis into this, and Bella, and Louise and Charles, and Nadine, Feeney, and so on, the story would suffer for it. I’m not going to do that. Not ever.

Let me add an aside. I absolutely love writing scenes with Bella. I find her a joy, and find more joy in seeing Mavis’s evolution as a mom. But the books aren’t about Bella, Mavis and motherhood, or Eve’s often baffled reaction to both.

When they do come in, it’s for a purpose. To further the story, to lighten or darken the mood, to provide information, to interact in a way that makes sense in the storyline.

I’ll add in the In Death world very little time spans between stories—much, much less time than the six months span in which they’re published. How would it make sense for Lt. Eve Dallas to interact with all the recurring characters every few days when she’s pretty busy investigating murders? It just doesn’t.

Connected to the above complaint is: There wasn’t enough Roarke—which I firmly believe a good portion of readers expressing this actually mean: Not enough sex with Roarke. (Hard to blame you!)

But the same reasons apply. I’m not going to shoehorn sex scenes in either. They, like any scene, either flow into the story, for a purpose, or they don’t. Also, Roarke’s pretty busy running his empire, and while I have crafted ways—that make sense to me—to have him on the page, contributing to the investigation, even just as a sounding board—he and Eve have their separate careers and duties to them.

Roarke doesn’t work at Central, or in the field. He’s evolved into a consultant—officially—because it made sense, and opened a way to give him more page time, and added to his understanding of and respect for what Eve does.

There are books in the series where nearly everyone finds a way onto the page—for a purpose. And there are books where hardly anyone outside the main characters show up. Because they don’t fit in that storyline.

Trust me to know when they fit, when they don’t.

Since I’m devoting a blog to this, let me address a couple more questions/hopes.

I have no idea—none at this time—if/when Baxter will enter into a serious relationship. I have no idea—none at this time—if/when Morris will find another love. The purpose of the series is clear in the name. In Death. It’s about a cop investigating murder. Each time, every time. That comes first. The primary purpose is not to hook up every character in a romantic relationship.

The secondary purpose is, absolutely, the connections—emotional connections, the evolution of long-standing characters, and/or the introduction of new ones. But the purpose is not romantic relationships for all. And for me, and I do know them, many of the characters are perfectly content with their lives as they stand.

I had no thought to write Nadine into a serious relationship. Until Apprentice In Death. It flowed out—from the scene where Jake first appeared because it fit, it made sense, and Jake’s character worked. The chemistry worked, a nice surprise for me.

The same thing may happen for one of the other characters in an upcoming book—as yet unwritten—or it may not. Ever.

And yes, Mavis is still pregnant, and will be for several more books. That’s how the timeline of the series works, it’s the way I structured it a couple decades ago. Decades for you and me, about three years for the characters in that world.

Some people may just be tired of the series, find themselves burnt out on it. That happens, and it’s okay. Some cycle through disappointment in a book or a couple in a row because they didn’t get to see their favorite(s) play a part.

I can only say to that: Trust me. They’ll be back when they have something to add to the story.

Again, I hope you enjoy Desperation In Death. And can happily tell you, Mavis, Leonardo and Bella all appear in this one. Because they fit.

Nora

The only thing I want to know about Detective David Baxter is what he looks like. He is the one cop that Nora/JD Robb never provided a description of.

And that she doesn't get all butthurt if readers are burned out.

I LOVE her line about how not everyone has to be hooked up romantically. And while I love Morris, frankly I don't think about when he'll fall in love again. And this should probably go in the unpopular thread, but I don't give any bluedilly fucks about Mavis, her pregnancies, or Bella.

(all emphasis mine)

Edited August 24, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule
Release Date Correction

[Haleth]

11 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

Sometimes a movie does a fantastic job with the adaptation like “The Princess Bride”.  Changes were made but it worked brilliantly.

Inconceivable!

(Sorry)

[Rushmoras]

Some days ago completed Shogun Part II. Got to say, I was surprised that the author just pretty much steam-rolled at the end and just like that ended the main plot. I was thinking maybe there's another book, but no, Shogun has over a thousand pages and that's it. Huh.

Now, started reading Japanese manga. Started with Dragon Ball, since I watched the series as a kid (even GT). Got to say, that the writing style is far more favorable to me than what I read from DC comics, or maybe I'm just not a fan of super-hero comic-books. It has one singular plot and it follows it throughout the issues. And that's a big plus in my books.

[dubbel zout]

I'm reading The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides, and it's great. It's a murder mystery–psychological thriller, and I'm completely hooked.

[blackwing]

I finished The One Impossible Labyrinth by Matthew Reilly, which is the epic conclusion to the seven book long Jack West Jr. series that started with Seven Ancient Wonders.  West is basically an adventurer who goes on these improbable quests to save the world from ancient doom and destruction and the evildoers hoping to harness that power.

If you like action-adventure and haven't read anything by Reilly, please do.  His books read like movie scripts and the incredible sets and constructs and plots and puzzles and games are just amazingly creative and fun.

I also read Kingdom of Bones by James Rollins.  This is the latest Sigma Force book.  Usually I find everything by Rollins to be very gripping, but for some reason, this latest one didn't enthrall me as much.

[Haleth]

16 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I'm reading The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides, and it's great. It's a murder mystery–psychological thriller, and I'm completely hooked.

I'm sorry to say that I hated this book.  My pet peeve is a main character who continually makes stupid choices.

But I hope you enjoy it! 😄

[dubbel zout]

I finished this last night and was disappointed. I was supposed to be surprised, and I wasn't, really. (Being vague so as not to spoil others who might want to read it.)

The author did post-grad work in psychotherapy (but didn't finish) and it clearly shows in the details—that I did like.

[SusieQ]

9 hours ago, Haleth said:

I'm sorry to say that I hated this book.  My pet peeve is a main character who continually makes stupid choices.

But I hope you enjoy it! 😄

Also hated it. My peeve is that the twist was based on a big mislead. I love a twist, but not when you cheat.

[Luckylyn]

I just finished the romance The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun.  Romantic Dev is a producer on the long running reality show Ever After and cynical Charlie is the current season’s Prince Charming.  Charlie is a tech millionaire whose reputation needs some improvement so he can get back into his own company which he was pushed out of.  The public sees successful handsome Charlie and it isn’t publicly known how socially awkward he is or how he’s come to believe love isn’t possible for him.  As Dev works with Charlie to help him relax more Charlie starts to realize he’s more interested in his producer than he is in any of the women vying to the chance to be Charlie’s princess.  Dev’s job and Charlie’s reputation are on the line.   I like that it’s a slow burn and that a strong friendship forms before the romance really gets going.  I like that the obstacles between the characters have weight.  Both Dev and Charlie have things they need to work through to find their happy ending.

[truthaboutluv]

On 8/25/2022 at 4:45 PM, SusieQ said:

Also hated it. My peeve is that the twist was based on a big mislead. I love a twist, but not when you cheat.

Completely agree. That was my issue with it as well and it ruined the entire novel for me. It just felt like cheap ploy for a "shocking twist," with little regard to whether or not it made narrative sense. 

[tres bien]

I finally read The Midnight Library.  Sadly I didn't like it.  I also read Matt Haig's The Dead Father's Club. It's fun and clever

[OtterMommy]

7 hours ago, tres bien said:

I finally read The Midnight Library.  Sadly I didn't like it.  I also read Matt Haig's The Dead Father's Club. It's fun and clever

I didn't like The Midnight LIbrary either.  Everyone I know loved it, but I just couldn't get on board.

[Haleth]

I hated The Midnight Library too. Another book with an annoying protagonist.  

[DearEvette]

Well I finished Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews.

It was typical Andrews -- pretty kick-ass and lots of plot and action momentum.  Lighter on character development.  We  get introduced to what feels like at least two significant characters who feel too big just to be walk on players in this final book.  One of the new characters reminds me a LOT of Hugh D'Ambray from their Kate Daniels series.

So this makes me feel like they are doing set up for Arabella's trilogy.  Even going so far as finding her a match that really works for her.

One thing  found I a little out of character though...

In the final book of Nevada's trilogy, they take their house trial and one of Arabella's tasks to is do a simple math equation to prove she can still reason while she is using her magic.  (I always love that scene because it shows her counting on her fingers and toes while Catalina is in the audience scoffing "It's baby math!' and one of the judges says 'This is what we get for teaching the common core." LOL)  Anway,.....In this book, Arabella is the family's financial whiz.  So unless she took some finance courses in the intervening years and got good at math it seems weird to know this of her.

Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot.  I felt pulled along in its wake in a good way.  It answered two big questions from the previous series -- not quite sure how I feel about the answers, tbh.

[Luckylyn]

I just finished Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs .  Supernatural people are going missing and dead bodies are turning up. Mercy and Adam’s pack are being blamed. I thought the resolution was clever but abrupt as far as how Mercy handled the disposal of an ancient artifact.  

Spoiler

Choosing to trust Zee over Tilly was I think an obvious choice despite the book reminding us of how ruthless Zee can be .  A reminder Mercy needed because he’s her friend but she shouldn’t forget what he could be capable of.  I thought making her giving him the Soul Taker into a bargain forcing him to destroy it because the fae must honor bargains was smart.   There was just no way Mercy could choose to make a deal with Tilly for the soul taker  because she’s too unpredictable.  Still refusing Tilly will probably have horrible consequences.  They made a point of having Tilly refuse to acknowledge Mercy’s presence at the end making it clear there’s a grudge festering.

 I love the world of this series.  There were some hints at stories to come because Mercy’s decision regarding a the artifact will probably have consequences.  Also there’re hints of something being up with Samuel that I am guessing is going to be dealt with in the next Alpha and Omega book.   I really am curious about what’s going on with Samuel.

[DearEvette]

3 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

I just finished Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs .  Supernatural people are going missing and dead bodies are turning up. Mercy and Adam’s pack are being blamed. I thought the resolution was clever but abrupt as far as how Mercy handled the disposal of an ancient artifact.  

I just finished this one as well. 

I agree I thought the resolution was clever and yes did feel abrupt.

I liked the stuff with Sherwood Post.

I liked all the great Mercy and Adam teamwork.

And I really liked the main story of the danger of the artifact and the history of itself.

I also liked the stuff with Zee and like how that resolved as well.

I will say of all the paranormal beings in the Mercyverse, the vampires are my least favorite. The Fae are endlessly fascinating in their many iterations and all their dangerous toys, the witches are flat out scary, and the wolves are like a big, dysfunctional family with a lot of great drama both tragic and comic. But the vampires… I just dunno what it is about them that don’t work for me.  So while I liked the story overall I was pretty meh on the vampire stuff.

The only other thing that I thought was a little off was the Warren issue. I read a review where someone said they thought the issue with Warren felt bait-and-switchy.  And I kinda agree.  In the end I liked how that resolved as well.  But the way it kinda built up and seemed like it was going felt very tonally different from what was actually the issue.  Weird.

Finally, I liked how Mercy has no idea what is going on with Samuel yet.  And Briggs did a cool thing with the conversation with Samuel where if you read Wild Sign (the last Alpha and Omega book) then you know what his cryptic comments refer to.  But if you didn't or don't read that series, then she doesn't spoil it for you and you will find out when Mercy finds out.

[Luckylyn]

6 hours ago, DearEvette said:

I just finished this one as well. 

I agree I thought the resolution was clever and yes did feel abrupt.

I liked the stuff with Sherwood Post.

I liked all the great Mercy and Adam teamwork.

And I really liked the main story of the danger of the artifact and the history of itself.

I also liked the stuff with Zee and like how that resolved as well.

I will say of all the paranormal beings in the Mercyverse, the vampires are my least favorite. The Fae are endlessly fascinating in their many iterations and all their dangerous toys, the witches are flat out scary, and the wolves are like a big, dysfunctional family with a lot of great drama both tragic and comic. But the vampires… I just dunno what it is about them that don’t work for me.  So while I liked the story overall I was pretty meh on the vampire stuff.

The only other thing that I thought was a little off was the Warren issue. I read a review where someone said they thought the issue with Warren felt bait-and-switchy.  And I kinda agree.  In the end I liked how that resolved as well.  But the way it kinda built up and seemed like it was going felt very tonally different from what was actually the issue.  Weird.

Finally, I liked how Mercy has no idea what is going on with Samuel yet.  And Briggs did a cool thing with the conversation with Samuel where if you read Wild Sign (the last Alpha and Omega book) then you know what his cryptic comments refer to.  But if you didn't or don't read that series, then she doesn't spoil it for you and you will find out when Mercy finds out.

I read Wild Sign but missed the connection.  So thanks for clearing it up.

 I agree the Warren stuff did feel manipulative.  I was really worrying something serious was wrong.  Still the resolution was humorous and sweet.  The build up made it more than it should have been. 

Spoiler

I was concerned something was wrong with Kyle like he was sick.  Or maybe Warren found the engagement ring Mercy helped Kyle pick out and he was going to break up with Kyle over fear of commitment.  I was amused that Kyle accidentally spelled Warren’s car to make it overly protective of him.  I didn’t see that coming at all.  It was sweet how determined Warren was to avoid hurting Kyle that he kept the car even though it was aggravating him so much.

 The Sherwood reveal was interesting.   I’m really curious how the group dynamics will be impacted especially with Warren and Darryl.  That was just glossed over and we didn’t get to see the pack as a group react.  But it’s an ongoing story so it makes sense that everything isn’t perfectly wrapped up.

[GaT]

12 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

I just finished Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs .  Supernatural people are going missing and dead bodies are turning up. Mercy and Adam’s pack are being blamed. I thought the resolution was clever but abrupt as far as how Mercy handled the disposal of an ancient artifact.  

  Hide contents

Choosing to trust Zee over Tilly was I think an obvious choice despite the book reminding us of how ruthless Zee can be .  A reminder Mercy needed because he’s her friend but she shouldn’t forget what he could be capable of.  I thought making her giving him the Soul Taker into a bargain forcing him to destroy it because the fae must honor bargains was smart.   There was just no way Mercy could choose to make a deal with Tilly for the soul taker  because she’s too unpredictable.  Still refusing Tilly will probably have horrible consequences.  They made a point of having Tilly refuse to acknowledge Mercy’s presence at the end making it clear there’s a grudge festering.

 I love the world of this series.  There were some hints at stories to come because Mercy’s decision regarding a the artifact will probably have consequences.  Also there’re hints of something being up with Samuel that I am guessing is going to be dealt with in the next Alpha and Omega book.   I really am curious about what’s going on with Samuel.

I just finished it too, & honestly, was kind of bored. It felt like a lot of filler to me, this was all stuff we've read already, & I'm tired of some of these characters. Same plot, different situation.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I just finished reading I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.

I'm definitely going to think twice before talking smack about my own mom in the future. No one should have to go through what McCurdy went through.

If nothing else, at least "the Creator" has finally been revealed for the pervy monster that he is.

[Haleth]

I read Apples Don't Fall (Lianne Moriarty) this week.  I liked it.  The solution to the mystery was a bit of a cop out, but mostly it was kind of fun.  A beachy read.  The whole family is nutty. 

[Luckylyn]

I just finished Project Duchess by Sabrina Jeffries. When Duke Grey’s mother becomes a widow for the third time, he reunites with her and his half-siblings for his step father’s funeral.  Beatrice is the cousin of Grey’s brother Sheridan who his mother has taken on as a project.  The hope is help Beatrice debut in London and get a husband because her family has not provided for her financially.  Both Grey and Beatrice suffered traumas in their past that make trust difficult for them.  As they grow closer, Sheridan’s suspicions about how his father died present an obstacle to their romance.   This was okay but I found I was more interested in the side characters than the leads.  The question of the suspicious death is not fully resolved and gets more complicated at the end.  I’m genuinely curious about what exactly is going on and so will probably continue with the series eventually.

[cherrypj]

Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is amazing. Full stop. 

[truthaboutluv]

8 hours ago, cherrypj said:

Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is amazing. Full stop. 

Good to know, as this one is high on my TBR list. 

I'm still working my way through Catherine House and I have to say, not getting the hype so far. I'm 2/3 of the way through and nothing's really happening. The main character is simply either drunk, in a spiral of self-loathing, talking about or actually sleeping with someone - oh sorry, "fucking someone" as the author seems very obsessed with using that expression. 

I thought 

Spoiler

Baby's death would be the catalyst for whatever dark mystery the main character would discover but 3-4 chapters after and other than a passing mention or two, it's like Baby's death was merely a blimp. 

[Hanahope]

I started reading The 1619 Project.  I have to say, it is such a different point of view of history, with definitely more information that I ever learned in school, it really makes me think.  I am not surprised that there are facts not widely taught about certain events.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Started Desperation in Death last night.

I read the blurb, and am still confused why this case will have Eve “losing control” or whatever it said. Just a couple chapters in and the bad guys really must think Eve has STUPID on her forehead, the way they dumped the body.

If Eve needs to be talked down, I hope that means a lot of back and forth with Roarke!

Whaaat???

[GaT]

I'm getting to the end of Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire, # 16 in the October Daye series, & I'm not enjoying it that much. First, I feel like we've done this plot before, like maybe 15 times before, but it also has something I hate

Spoiler

an omnipotent seeming villain. I really, really hate that trope. She's already killed one child, & I'm sure more deaths are coming. Eventually, I'm sure Toby will kill her, but I found out that this book ends on a cliffhanger, so I'm sure the whole thing will carry over to the next book, but that will be at least a year away.

Just making it hard to slog through to the end.

[Ohiopirate02]

28 minutes ago, GaT said:

I'm getting to the end of Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire, # 16 in the October Daye series, & I'm not enjoying it that much. First, I feel like we've done this plot before, like maybe 15 times before, but it also has something I hate

  Hide contents

an omnipotent seeming villain. I really, really hate that trope. She's already killed one child, & I'm sure more deaths are coming. Eventually, I'm sure Toby will kill her, but I found out that this book ends on a cliffhanger, so I'm sure the whole thing will carry over to the next book, but that will be at least a year away.

Just making it hard to slog through to the end.

I read this one over the weekend, it is definitely a set-up book for the next arc.  I find myself not being able to definitively say I hated it because it will all depend on what happens in future books, but it also feels like Seanan has found a way to expand the Tobyverse in the main books.  

I will still be purchasing book #17 next year.  

[blackwing]

I finished Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson.  The narrator owns a bookstore that specialises in mysteries.  Some time back, he had written a blog that picked eight books that he thought of as the "perfect murder" because they were nearly unsolveable.  Now, apparently someone is going around killing people and using this list as inspiration to recreate or pay homage to these fictional crimes.  The FBI shows up at his door to question him, and it becomes apparent that he may or may not be involved a bit more than we are led to believe.

I thought this book was enjoyable, creative and interesting.  I'm going to check out Swanson's other books.

I also finished Emperor: The Field of Swords, Conn Iggulden's third book in his series about Julius Caesar.  This one mostly concerns his campaign in Gaul and the battle for power back in Rome.  It was a good read.  Reading about the Gallic Wars took me back to high school Latin.  Do any schools still teach it?  My kid's high school teaches Russian, Hebrew, Chinese and German, but not Latin.  Shame.  I kept waiting for Caesar to dictate to his scribe, "All of Gaul is divided into three parts", but he did not.  I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed about that!

[GaT]

27 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I finished Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson.  The narrator owns a bookstore that specialises in mysteries.  Some time back, he had written a blog that picked eight books that he thought of as the "perfect murder" because they were nearly unsolveable.  Now, apparently someone is going around killing people and using this list as inspiration to recreate or pay homage to these fictional crimes.  The FBI shows up at his door to question him, and it becomes apparent that he may or may not be involved a bit more than we are led to believe.

I thought this book was enjoyable, creative and interesting.  I'm going to check out Swanson's other books.

Sounds interesting, I'm going t check it out, thanks

[EtheltoTillie]

I posted on Eight Perfect Murders a while back.  I found it entertaining but then it lost me at the ending.  I think a lot of his other books are very similar.  I tried starting another and gave up. 

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I posted on Eight Perfect Murders a while back.  I found it entertaining but then it lost me at the ending.  I think a lot of his other books are very similar.  I tried starting another and gave up. 

Agreed, after a promising start, an underwhelming ending.

Currently 200 pp deep in the 800 pager Tombland by CJ Sansom.  Catharine Parr has just died and the Lady Elizabeth has hired lawyer/hunchback Matthew Shardlake to investigate a murder in Norwich in Lady Elizabeth's late mother's family, the Boleyns. A blurb on the back cover proclaims "The Middle Ages were murder." I think that sums it up nicely.  I will definitely need a light-hearted, breezy, cozy after this.

Edited September 8, 2022 by sugarbaker design

[blackwing]

16 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I posted on Eight Perfect Murders a while back.  I found it entertaining but then it lost me at the ending.  I think a lot of his other books are very similar.  I tried starting another and gave up. 

Tried finding your post and maybe it has been purged or was on a predecessor site.  But yeah, the ending was a bit underwhelming and predictable. 

Spoiler

Especially since it had been heavily hinted at that he was involved with some of the murders since he mentioned "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" and how there was a trend in this kind of book to have an unreliable narrator.

I've determined that I really don't care for the unreliable narrator trope (like "The Woman in Cabin 10").  I don't know if this guy would be considered an unreliable narrator, but he was definitely trending towards that.

I was going to read some of Swanson's other books ("Every Vow You Break" and "Nine Lives") look interesting, but I am concerned if you say his other books are all similar.  Reminds me of Lucy Foley, who I decided I will not read again after the annoyance I felt about "The Paris Apartment".

14 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

Agreed, after a promising start, an underwhelming ending.

Currently 200 pp deep in the 800 pager Tombland by CJ Sansom.  Catharine Parr has just died and the Lady Elizabeth has hired lawyer/hunchback Matthew Shardlake to investigate a murder in Norwich in Lady Elizabeth's late mother's family, the Boleyns. A blurb on the back cover proclaims "The Middle Ages were murder." I think that sums it up nicely.  I will definitely need a light-hearted, breezy, cozy after this.

I've always wanted to read this CJ Sansom series since I am very interested in this time period.  May have to finally start!

[sugarbaker design]

22 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I've always wanted to read this CJ Sansom series since I am very interested in this time period.  May have to finally start!

Incentive:  Dissolution, the first in the series is less than half the pages of the latest installment, Tombland.  Sansom, like many authors, his books get more voluminous as he goes!

[GaT]

I'm reading Final Heir by Faith Hunter, the 15th & final book in the Jane Yellowrock series.  I'm going to miss this series. :-(

[Spartan Girl]

Just finished Ithaca by Clare North, a take on how Penelope kept the suitors in check before Odysseus came back. Hera is the narrator, and it’s pretty refreshing to get her point of view on things. 

[truthaboutluv]

So I completed Catherine House and my overall opinion is, "meh." Do not get the hype at all. Nothing happened for 3/4 of the book and when something did happen, it was so uneventful and anticlimactic that as the reader, I kind of just went, "eh, I guess."

It probably didn't help that the narrator was basically detached for most of the book save for the few times she talked about sleeping with someone. Definitely one of those books that left me baffled by all the hype. 

Edited September 11, 2022 by truthaboutluv

[GHScorpiosRule]

Good GOD. I thought reading Come Sundown by Nora was difficult to read because of the nature of the crime (original victim), but Desperation in Death is right up there. I want to just skim over all the “hard” parts, but I am forcing myself no to do that. Nora as pulled me in yet again. I don’t know how she manages to weave these kind of stories and now I can see why Eve is walking such a thin line and trying no to totally lose it.

But damned if I don’t miss those stories where Eve and Roarke got into fights a la Vengeance in Death, Judgment in Death.

I know what I’ll be reading next after I’m done.

Edited September 12, 2022 by GHScorpiosRule

[grommit2]

Finished my first David Ignatius book, "The Paladin" Pretty cool, especially if you have an affinity for CIA/FBI M O U S E!!!  (sorry, old joke).  Anyway this is nicely complex with bad guys inventing nasty stuff via artificial intelligence, neural nets, and good old evil intentions. The technology actually approaches the real state of technology.  Only these guys are using it for evil intentions (i.e. MONEY). 

[Minneapple]

I recently finished:

Karen McManus' new one, Nothing More to Tell. I really enjoyed it, almost more than One of Us is Lying. It had a very Veronica Mars vibe to it, and even references VM.

The Final Gambit, the conclusion of Jennifer Lynn Barnes' The Inheritance Games trilogy. From what I see online, a LOT of the discussion of these books revolves around (sigh) shipping. Sigh. At least it hasn't seemed to affect the ratings of the book much on sites like Goodreads and Amazon.

I am currently reading:

Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang. Promising start. Mysterious with a good atmosphere so far.

I have on my list:

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow  by Zoulfah Khatouh. I love how many Muslim authors we have now, particularly in YA. We hardly had any when I was growing up as a Muslim girl and devouring books as a tween/teen.

[AncientNewbie]

Just started Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, the third of four in her Locked Tomb sci fi-fantasy-horror-allthegoodstuff series. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

Finished Desperation in Death yesterday, and all I can say is at least Nora/JD didn't whiff the ending. So, so, sooooo satisfying.

That said, I wanted more fighting between Eve and Roarke over this.

Whaaat?

But she clearly forgot what Tibble looks like. He's always been described as this huge, hefty, muscled former street cop that weighs about 220 pounds, but here? She described him as "tall and lanky" when he showed up! Say what, now? That is SO the opposite of Chief Tibble-I always picture Yaphet Kotto when he shows up.

And because last week was the one year anniversary since I lost my grand-nephew fur baby, I've picked up Nora's The Search, for a re-read because DOGGIES! I love how Nora named Fiona's dogs (all labs-black, brown and yellow) Bogart, Peck (for Gregory!), and Newman (Paul!) and I really love Jaws! She's so very good at writing not just relationships, but dogs. That's because she's had them all her life and dedicated this book to the new ones she got when she wrote this, and the others that came before.

[isalicat]

On the happy recommendation of someone in this forum, I just finished the first in the Swedish series featuring the detective Patrik Hedstrom by Camilla Lackberg called The Ice Princess. Although the blurbs on the jacket cover seem to compare this author to Steig Larsson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series), this book was not anywhere near as dark or political as Larsson's work. But still a very good murder mystery, excellent characterizations and a wonderful new setting (a small fishing village on the Swedish coast that is almost deserted in winter, and becomes a teeming holiday resort in the summer months). The main character in this first book is a biographer and budding novelist, Erica Faulk, who is reacquainted with her childhood friend Patrik upon returning to town following the death of her parents, and they get involved in solving the murder of another childhood friend...I've already got the next book in the series on the way, and highly recommend this to anyone who likes Ann Cleeves, Donna Leon, Elizabeth George, etc. etc.

[Vanderboom]

I just finished The Boys by Katie Hafner. About 2/3 into it there's a Reveal that completely changes the context of everything that went before. I'm not sure how I feel about The Reveal, but the rest of the book concerns Ethan (the protagonist) coming to terms with it. Although he makes a start at dealing with his long-term issues, it doesn't seem as if he's going to really work on it. His overprotectiveness and childhood trauma still need to be dealt with.

It's definitely a good Book Club book because The Reveal is excellent fodder for discussion, but also serves as a distraction from the development of Ethan as a character. I really liked him until The Reveal; after that, I pitied him, but I couldn't really empathize with him.

Edited September 15, 2022 by Vanderboom

[Spartan Girl]

On 9/13/2022 at 1:25 PM, Minneapple said:

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow  by Zoulfah Khatouh. I love how many Muslim authors we have now, particularly in YA. We hardly had any when I was growing up as a Muslim girl and devouring books as a tween/teen.

I’m reading it right now! Only a few pages in, and it’s heartbreaking.

I also just finished The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, an updated version of Carrie, and I loved it. My only complaint though: 

Spoiler

Why the hell did the girl that dumped paint on her get to live? This is the first version of the story where the Chris Hargensen lives, and this one actually survives. I mean, she loses her arm, but she never owns up to wait she did and keeps playing the victim, so there’s no satisfaction to be had it in. Granted, that was probably the ending Jackson was going for: that there were no real winners in the tragedy, which was true of the original story as well. Still, at least kill off the one character who deserved it!

[OtterMommy]

I just finished The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson and absolutely loved it!  It's about an Indigenous woman who had been put in foster care (with non-native foster parents), eventually marries a white farmer, and then has to find her way back to her Indigenous community.  I was completely sucked in and I adored every minute of it.

[Minneapple]

I finished reading Babel by RF Kuang and it is a worthwhile read, though I wouldn’t mark it as good as the breathless Goodreads reviews have it. The research is top-notch and the information about languages and history is fascinating. However, the characters and their relationships suffer because of that. A lot of people have compared this to The Secret History, and it is like that with the dark academia setting. But I think the characters and relationships in The Secret History are better drawn and deeper. Also, the dialogue in Babel is bafflingly modern. Some of the discussions about race and gender sound like they are straight out of 2020, not 1840. 

[proserpina65]

On 9/7/2022 at 9:39 PM, sugarbaker design said:

A blurb on the back cover proclaims "The Middle Ages were murder."

I hate when people confuse the Tudor period with the Middle Ages.  It's the damned Renaissance.  (Not a criticism of the author, just of the blurb writer.)

[sugarbaker design]

20 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I hate when people confuse the Tudor period with the Middle Ages.  It's the damned Renaissance.  (Not a criticism of the author, just of the blurb writer.)

Thanks for the clarification.  The blurb writer was former NY Times Crime Fiction critic Marilyn Stasio.

I'm actually very close to the end of Tombland.  It was a brutal read, the last two hundred pages have been hard to read because of the carnage.  It's focusing on the rebellions during Edward VI's short reign.  With all the machinations, double-dealing and backstabbing, it was a pleasure having a decent, civil, advocate for justice Matthew Shardlake as narrator.

[Razzberry]

1 hour ago, sugarbaker design said:

Thanks for the clarification.  The blurb writer was former NY Times Crime Fiction critic Marilyn Stasio.

I'm actually very close to the end of Tombland.  It was a brutal read, the last two hundred pages have been hard to read because of the carnage.  It's focusing on the rebellions during Edward VI's short reign.  With all the machinations, double-dealing and backstabbing, it was a pleasure having a decent, civil, advocate for justice Matthew Shardlake as narrator.

This series sounds like something I'd enjoy.   Looking it up on Amazon, I see that two books of the series are on sale right now for $1.99,  Heartstone and Sovereign.    I may need to get both and wait for the rest.  ;)

[Luckylyn]

I just finished American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird.  It’s an engrossing in depth exploration of his life.  It’s shocking to the illegal tactics that were blatantly used to destroy him.  He was complicated.  He was revered by some, villainized by others.  He could be an amazing mentor but could arrogantly go on the attack.  He was brilliant but could do surprisingly foolish things.