Reviewed By Liz

Are you on the list? Be sure to tell us by the end of the day if you finished your six books. We will do the gift certificate drawing this weekend.

And, as a point of interest, I have included the books read, reviews, and links to reviews by the readers, where convenient. Because we all want to know, don’t we? However, the list isn’t pretty yet. I will fix links and add additional information if you send it to me.

Amjones1:

The first was Craig Johnson, which was Wonderful! I’m seeking out his other books. I’ve also finally read one of Bill Pronzini’s Nameless series, which I liked enough to go back and start at the beginning of the series. I read the first Lemony Snicket book because I wanted to find out what the fuss was about. I now understand why it is popular with the kids, but its not for me. I read the first Steve Hockensmith, which was wonderful also. Definitely a series I will keep reading. On the lighter side, I’ve just finished Wreath of Deception by Mary Ellen Hughes. It was OK, but I’m not sure I’m connected enough with the characters to continue the series. I also read One Hex of a Wedding by Yasmine Galenom.

Astripedarmchair:

From Doon With Death by Ruth Rendell
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James
The Door by Mary Roberts Rinehart
Death at Bishop’s Keep by Robin Paige
Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas

Bookgirl:

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
Volk’s Game by Brent Ghelfi
Fatal Laws by Jim Michael Hansen
The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw
Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson

Reviews on the blog: http://www.bookgirl.net/?p=654

CarolH:

I have heard many good comments about Margaret Frazer’s medieval mysteries, so decided to make her my first “new author” and am very glad I did. I read the first in the Sister Frevisse series, THE NOVICE’S TALE, and liked it so much I moved on to read the second in the series, THE SERVANT’S TALE, which has a very surprising, sad ending. Then on to the first in her new series, A PLAY OF ISAAC, which follows a group of players who were introduced in THE SERVANT’S TALE. I contacted the author through her website and immediately received two charming, friendly notes. I’m very glad I tried this new author and have already bought more books in both series.

My second book was NEFERTITI by Nick Drake, set in ancient Egypt. Lots of great description, but I found the plot a bit confusing.

My third book was HALF BROKEN THINGS by Morag Joss. Three “half broken” people find growth and happiness in an old mansion – but it is only temporary. Excellent!

I just finished DEADMAN’S SWITCH by Barbara Seranella, who is my fourth new-to-me mystery author. The main character, Charlotte Lyon, is a crisis manager who is dealing with a train derailment which has killed two people, including a famous actress. Danger threatens Charlotte as she discovers the derailment was not an accident. Charlotte is an interesting character, with her OCD and very quirky mother. Unfortunately, the author passed away earlier this year, so there will be no more books in this new series, but I plan to try her other books.

My fifth new author is Peter Temple, an Australian whose book THE BROKEN SHORE just won the British Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger Award, which is similar to our Edgar Award. After nearly dying, a city policeman is posted to a quiet seaside town, where he unexpectedly becomes involved in a murder investigation. This leads deeper and deeper into horrible crimes commited years in the past.
The book is darker than those I usually read, with profanity and lots of Aussie slang (for which a glossary is provided), but it is beautifully written and has a marvelous sense of place. I’ll look for Temple’s other books.

My sixth new author is Ariana Franklin, author of CITY OF SHADOWS. Sense of place in a book is important to me, and this book excells at giving the reader a feeling of what it must have been like to live in Berlin in the 1920′s and 30′s. Hyper-inflation after World War I led to poverty, desperation, and anger which in turn led to the rise of Hitler. The main characters are Russians who fled the revolution – including the young woman who may – or may not – be Anastasia, the youngest of the czar’s daughters. Very well written, and a real page turner. The one thing that disappointed me was the twist at the end – but others may not agree.

Cesca:

The Eyre Affair
When Day Breaks
Stealing With Style
Consigned to Death
Ill Wind
False Impression

Reviews can be found on the blog: http://bibliobiography.blogspot.com/

Dolcebelleza:

High Profile by Robert Parker
A Woman In The Dark by Dashiell Hammett
Come to Grief by Dick Francis,
Death of A Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Princess Burani by Kjell Eriksson
Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Reviews on the blog: http://www.dolcebellezza.blogspot.com/

Dorsalfan:

Beth Groundwater A Real Basket Case
Joseph Finder Company Man
Laura Lippman What the Dead KnoW
Rebecca Drake Don’t Be Afraid
D H Dublin Body Trace
Gayle Wilson Bogeyman

Famfatale:

I got a bit carried away. It seems that once started I just couldn’t stop. I read the following books by new-to-me authors since the challenge began. Killer Market by Margaret Maron, Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss (loved the local references in this one), The Mournful Teddy by John J. Lamb, Curiousity Killed the Cat Sitter by Blaize Clements, Sex, A Mystery by Fiona Quirina, Hardcase by Bill Pronzini, Antiques Roadkill by Barbara Allen, What’s a Girl Gotta Do by Sparkle Hayter, A Killer Collection by J.B. Stanley, and Let Death Enough Alone by Richard & Frances Lockridge. I enjoyed all of them but the Lockridge book. I found it most annoying. The beginning dialogue in the book was full of incomplete sentences and thoughts. A married couple were discussing their holiday plans – I suppose it was intended to imply that each new exactly what the other meant, but frankly I sure as heck had no idea.

Girlsgood:

6/3 Berry, Steve The Templar Legacy
6/7 Hess, Joan Closely Akin to Murder
6/16 Roberts Nora Chesapeake Blues
6/24 HOward, Linda Cry no More
7/4 Fielding, Joy Mad River Road
7/8 Flook, Maria Invisible Eden
7/12 Clark, Mary Jane When Day Breaks
7/18 Robb, Candeace A Trust Betrayed
7/22 Johansen, Iris Body of Lies

Kittycats627:

Tell No One by Harlan Coben
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
Organize Your Corpeses by Mary Jane Maffini
Big Numbers by Jack Getze
Circle of Assassins by Steven Rigolosi
Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Lesa:

Alafair Burke’s Dead Connection
not specified, but see the blog for tons of reviews: http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/

lbgwyn66:

Just finished Patricia Cornwell’s “Postmortem”. This is the first book in the Kay Scarpetta series. I can’t say it grabbed me the way, say, Sue Grafton’s “A is for Alibi” did, but it is a solid story with meticulous forensic detail.
Just finished The Novice’s Tale and LOVED it! I will definitely read more in this series. Great read also for Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma fans.

Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.

The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria by Laura Joh Rowland. I will definitely read more books by Ms Rowland.

My 5th book for the challenge was “Roman Blood” by Steven Saylor. This is the first book in Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series. It is a murder mystery set in the late Republican Rome. Great characters — some historical, some fictional — a solid plot, and lots of fascinating details about life in Rome in 80 BC.

LiteraryFeline:

Field of Fire by James O. Born
The Monkey’s Raincoat by Robert Crais
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson
The Society by Michael Palmer
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://literaryfeline.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

liveloveread:

1. The Merlot Murders: A Wine County Mystery by Ellen Crosby
2. Head Games by Thomas Cavanagh
3. The Don of the Dead by Casey Daniels
4. Maisie Dobbs by Jacquline Winspear
5. Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault
6. Circle of Assassins by Stephen Rigolosi

http://liveloveread.com/book-challenges/summer-mystery-reading-challenge/

Lyamvixen:

Anonymous Rex – Eric Garcia (This was SO FREAKIN’ GOOD)
Denial – Keith Ablow (WOWOWOWOW)
In Deep VooDoo – Stephanie Bond (a super ride)
Deal Breaker – Harlen Coben (I am in LOVE)
The Halo Effect – M J Rose (eeehhh)
Gallows View – Peter Robinson (wow)
Deadly Advice – Roberta Isleib (super)
City of Bones – Michael Connelly
Carved in Bone – Jefferson Bass (Yowzah)
Blindsighted – Karin Slaughter (HUMDINGER)
One Grave Too Many – Beverly Connor (WHOOEE)

I think she has added a few more since she posted this list and has reviews for these and many others on the blog: http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/

Lynne:

BEYOND CONCEPTION by L. J. Sellers
BRAIN DEAD by Eileen Dreyer
FERTILE GROUND by Ben Mazrich
MURPHY’S LAW by Rhys Bowen
IF I’D KILLED HIM WHEN I MET HIM… by Sharyn McCrumb
A VASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY by Cathy Elliott

Lynne has detailed reviews on her blog: http://lynneslittlecorner.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge.html

Mlhawkes:

Carola Dunn, DEATH AT WENTWATER COURT, A+
I really enjoyed this book, and have already read the next two in the series.

Magdalen Nabb, DEATH OF AN ENGLISHMAN, A
I mentioned this above. I’ll probably look for more in this series.

Evelyn David, MURDER OFF THE BOOKS, C-
Sorry, I just couldn’t get into these characters. Their actions weren’t believable for me.

Tasha Alexander, AND ONLY TO DECEIVE, B+
I liked this one; will look for her follow-up book.

James Yaffe, A NICE MURDER FOR MOM, B+
Enjoyable, fun. I have also read the next couple books in this series.

Candace Robb, THE NUN’S TALE, B
A little complicated and I had trouble getting the characters straight, but I did enjoy this and may look for others. This is a historical series, set in 14th-century England. This book is not the first in the series.

Other new authors:
David Carkeet, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, A
Rebecca Pawel, DEATH OF A NATIONALIST, B

Mo:

Berry, Steve – The Third Secret
Hartley, A.J. – The Mask of Atreus
Graves, Sarah – Triple Witch
Maron, Margaret – Southern Discomfort
Smith, April – North of Montan
Stabenow, Dana – So Sure of Death

Reviews on the blog: http://mosmind.blogspot.com/2007/08/challenge-met-another-book-review.html

Myrandomacts of reading:

The Body in the Ivy – Katherine Hall Page
The Merchant’s House – Kate Ellis
Burden of Memory – Vicki Delany
The Ghost & Mrs. McClure – Alice Kimberly
Deadmistress – Carole Shmurak
Shadow Man – Cody McFadyen

Detailed book reviews on the blog: http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/

Nannersandnoodles:

Whose Body?
A Deadly Shade of Gold
The Daughters of Cain
Murder in Belleville
Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham – This is the third in the Albert Campion series, and was first published in 1931. I admit to a fondness for British mysteries set in the 20s and 30s, and this one didn’t disappoing. When it begins, Val Gyrth, heir to the Gyrth family and their traditional vocation of guarding the famous Gyrth Chalice, is homeless and wandering the streets. After a mysterious chain of events, he is plucked out of danger by Albert Campion, who explains that a conspiracy of art collectors and criminals hopes to steal the treasure his family is charged with protecting.

Throw in some cunning and dangerous characters, monsters and gypsies, and you have a very entertaining mystery!

Crusader’s Cross by James Lee Burke – Dave Robicheaux is a homicide detective with the New Iberian Sheriff’s Department, and a recovering alcoholic struggling to stay sober. A dying man tells Dave that a prostitute he and his brother befriended in the late ’50s had likely been murdered, and Dave can’t stop himself from finding out what really happened . . .

I enjoyed this book so much that I have already started up another Burke/Robicheaux mystery.

Paigesbookblog:

Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://paigesbookblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Summer%20Mystery%20Reading%20Challenge%20%282007%29

PReid:

Darryl Wimberley – Pepperfish Keys – Very good and I’m looking for the rest of his books.
Patricia Sprinkle – Death on the Family Tree – also a winner.
Vincent H. O’Neil – Reduced Circumstances – the protaganist is living in Exile, Florida – very good book.
Craig McDonald – Head Games – Wonderful book.
Newt Love – How The Strong Survive – very good first published novel.
Donnis Casey-Hornswoggled

Reviews on the web site (look for the ones with PR to the left of the book name): http://www.booksnbytes.com/misc/__Last100Reviews.html

or look for HappyRuby at: http://www.ibookdb.net/interest.php?content=323

Raidergirl3:

1. Murder on a Girl’s Night Out by Anne George
2. The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson
3. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
4. Restless by William Boyd (not a series)
5. Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris
6. Killer Swell by Jeff Shelby

Reviews on blog: http://raidergirl3-anadventureinreading.blogspot.com/2007/08/update-summer-challenges-completed.html

Raspberry-latte:
not specified – list of books read on blog:

http://raspberry-latte.blogspot.com/

Sauble:

My six books for the challenge are
Rembrandt’S Ghost by Paul Christopher
Grievous Sin by Faye Kellerman
Taken by Chris Jordan
The Last Van Gogh by A.J. Zerries
Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie
Kiss Her Goodbye by Robert Gregory Browne

SuzanneP:
Don Bruns–Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat, South Beach
Shakedown

Mary Jane Maffini–Organize Your Corpses

Ellen Hart–Dial M for Meatloaf

Lea Wait–all four titles in the Shadows series

Ariana Franklin–Mistress of the Art of Death (and I
will be looking for the Serpent in the Garden–thank
you for mentioning it)

Albert Bell–The Secret of the Lonely Grave

SuziQ:

My completed challenge books are:
Privileged Information by Stephen White
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Final Diagnosis by Gary Birken
Kiss Mommy Goodbye by Joy Fielding
Isolation Ward by Joshua Spanogle
Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins

SuziQ has detailed reviews for the books on her blog: http://blogmybooks.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

Tanabata:

1. All She Was Worth – Miyuki Miyabe
2. Knots & Crosses – Ian Rankin
3. Forty Words for Sorrow – Giles Blunt
4. Maisie Dobbs – Jacqueline Winspear
5. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
6. The Interpreter – Suki Kim

Reviews on the blog: http://tanabata.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-challenge-completed.html

tyrannusj:

Consequences of Sin by Claire Langley-Hawthorne
Death and the Running Footman by Ngaio Marsh
O’ Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Champagne for One by Rex Stout
Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

There are reivews on the blog but I wasn’t able to create links directly to them. You can find the reviews in the archives for August and July: http://ilovepancakes.typepad.com/wildwood_cottage/2007/07/index.html

Are you on the list? I have been going back through the comments and trying to get the names of everyone who has finished their six different mystery authors for the drawing at the end of the month. If I missed you (did I mention I have a zillion comments?) please let me know. We will do the gift certificate drawing Labor Day Weekend – so you have a week to finish and let me know you are done.

And, as a point of interest, I have included the books read, reviews, and links to reviews by the readers, where convenient. Because we all want to know, don’t we? However, the list isn’t pretty yet. I will fix links and add additional information if you send it to me.

Amjones1:

The first was Craig Johnson, which was Wonderful! I’m seeking out his other books. I’ve also finally read one of Bill Pronzini’s Nameless series, which I liked enough to go back and start at the beginning of the series. I read the first Lemony Snicket book because I wanted to find out what the fuss was about. I now understand why it is popular with the kids, but its not for me. I read the first Steve Hockensmith, which was wonderful also. Definitely a series I will keep reading. On the lighter side, I’ve just finished Wreath of Deception by Mary Ellen Hughes. It was OK, but I’m not sure I’m connected enough with the characters to continue the series. I also read One Hex of a Wedding by Yasmine Galenom.

Bookgirl:

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
Volk’s Game by Brent Ghelfi
Fatal Laws by Jim Michael Hansen
The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw
Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson

Reviews on the blog: http://www.bookgirl.net/?p=654

CarolH:

I have heard many good comments about Margaret Frazer’s medieval mysteries, so decided to make her my first “new author” and am very glad I did. I read the first in the Sister Frevisse series, THE NOVICE’S TALE, and liked it so much I moved on to read the second in the series, THE SERVANT’S TALE, which has a very surprising, sad ending. Then on to the first in her new series, A PLAY OF ISAAC, which follows a group of players who were introduced in THE SERVANT’S TALE. I contacted the author through her website and immediately received two charming, friendly notes. I’m very glad I tried this new author and have already bought more books in both series.

My second book was NEFERTITI by Nick Drake, set in ancient Egypt. Lots of great description, but I found the plot a bit confusing.

My third book was HALF BROKEN THINGS by Morag Joss. Three “half broken” people find growth and happiness in an old mansion – but it is only temporary. Excellent!

I just finished DEADMAN’S SWITCH by Barbara Seranella, who is my fourth new-to-me mystery author. The main character, Charlotte Lyon, is a crisis manager who is dealing with a train derailment which has killed two people, including a famous actress. Danger threatens Charlotte as she discovers the derailment was not an accident. Charlotte is an interesting character, with her OCD and very quirky mother. Unfortunately, the author passed away earlier this year, so there will be no more books in this new series, but I plan to try her other books.

My fifth new author is Peter Temple, an Australian whose book THE BROKEN SHORE just won the British Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger Award, which is similar to our Edgar Award. After nearly dying, a city policeman is posted to a quiet seaside town, where he unexpectedly becomes involved in a murder investigation. This leads deeper and deeper into horrible crimes commited years in the past.
The book is darker than those I usually read, with profanity and lots of Aussie slang (for which a glossary is provided), but it is beautifully written and has a marvelous sense of place. I’ll look for Temple’s other books.

My sixth new author is Ariana Franklin, author of CITY OF SHADOWS. Sense of place in a book is important to me, and this book excells at giving the reader a feeling of what it must have been like to live in Berlin in the 1920′s and 30′s. Hyper-inflation after World War I led to poverty, desperation, and anger which in turn led to the rise of Hitler. The main characters are Russians who fled the revolution – including the young woman who may – or may not – be Anastasia, the youngest of the czar’s daughters. Very well written, and a real page turner. The one thing that disappointed me was the twist at the end – but others may not agree.

Cesca:

The Eyre Affair
When Day Breaks
Stealing With Style
Consigned to Death
Ill Wind
False Impression

Reviews can be found on the blog: http://bibliobiography.blogspot.com/

Dolcebelleza:

High Profile by Robert Parker
A Woman In The Dark by Dashiell Hammett
Come to Grief by Dick Francis,
Death of A Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Princess Burani by Kjell Eriksson
Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Reviews on the blog: http://www.dolcebellezza.blogspot.com/

Dorsalfan:

Beth Groundwater A Real Basket Case
Joseph Finder Company Man
Laura Lippman What the Dead KnoW
Rebecca Drake Don’t Be Afraid
D H Dublin Body Trace
Gayle Wilson Bogeyman

Famfatale:

I got a bit carried away. It seems that once started I just couldn’t stop. I read the following books by new-to-me authors since the challenge began. Killer Market by Margaret Maron, Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss (loved the local references in this one), The Mournful Teddy by John J. Lamb, Curiousity Killed the Cat Sitter by Blaize Clements, Sex, A Mystery by Fiona Quirina, Hardcase by Bill Pronzini, Antiques Roadkill by Barbara Allen, What’s a Girl Gotta Do by Sparkle Hayter, A Killer Collection by J.B. Stanley, and Let Death Enough Alone by Richard & Frances Lockridge. I enjoyed all of them but the Lockridge book. I found it most annoying. The beginning dialogue in the book was full of incomplete sentences and thoughts. A married couple were discussing their holiday plans – I suppose it was intended to imply that each new exactly what the other meant, but frankly I sure as heck had no idea.

Girlsgood:

6/3 Berry, Steve The Templar Legacy
6/7 Hess, Joan Closely Akin to Murder
6/16 Roberts Nora Chesapeake Blues
6/24 HOward, Linda Cry no More
7/4 Fielding, Joy Mad River Road
7/8 Flook, Maria Invisible Eden
7/12 Clark, Mary Jane When Day Breaks
7/18 Robb, Candeace A Trust Betrayed
7/22 Johansen, Iris Body of Lies

Kittycats627:

Tell No One by Harlan Coben
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
Organize Your Corpeses by Mary Jane Maffini
Big Numbers by Jack Getze
Circle of Assassins by Steven Rigolosi
Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Lesa:

Alafair Burke’s Dead Connection
not specified, but see the blog for tons of reviews: http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/

lbgwyn66:

Just finished Patricia Cornwell’s “Postmortem”. This is the first book in the Kay Scarpetta series. I can’t say it grabbed me the way, say, Sue Grafton’s “A is for Alibi” did, but it is a solid story with meticulous forensic detail.
Just finished The Novice’s Tale and LOVED it! I will definitely read more in this series. Great read also for Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma fans.

Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.

The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria by Laura Joh Rowland. I will definitely read more books by Ms Rowland.

My 5th book for the challenge was “Roman Blood” by Steven Saylor. This is the first book in Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series. It is a murder mystery set in the late Republican Rome. Great characters — some historical, some fictional — a solid plot, and lots of fascinating details about life in Rome in 80 BC.

LiteraryFeline:

Field of Fire by James O. Born
The Monkey’s Raincoat by Robert Crais
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson
The Society by Michael Palmer
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://literaryfeline.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

liveloveread:

1. The Merlot Murders: A Wine County Mystery by Ellen Crosby
2. Head Games by Thomas Cavanagh
3. The Don of the Dead by Casey Daniels
4. Maisie Dobbs by Jacquline Winspear
5. Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault
6. Circle of Assassins by Stephen Rigolosi

http://liveloveread.com/book-challenges/summer-mystery-reading-challenge/

Lyamvixen:

Deal Breaker – Harlen Coben (I am in LOVE)
The Halo Effect – M J Rose (eeehhh)
Gallows View – Peter Robinson (wow)
Deadly Advice – Roberta Isleib (super)
City of Bones – Michael Connelly
Carved in Bone – Jefferson Bass (Yowzah)
Blindsighted – Karin Slaughter (HUMDINGER)
One Grave Too Many – Beverly Connor (WHOOEE)
Denial – Keith Ablow (WOWOWOWOW)
In Deep VooDoo – Stephanie Bond (a super ride)

I think she has added a few more since she posted this list and has reviews for these and many others on the blog: http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/

Lynne:

BEYOND CONCEPTION by L. J. Sellers
BRAIN DEAD by Eileen Dreyer
FERTILE GROUND by Ben Mazrich
MURPHY’S LAW by Rhys Bowen
IF I’D KILLED HIM WHEN I MET HIM… by Sharyn McCrumb
A VASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY by Cathy Elliott

Lynne has detailed reviews on her blog: http://lynneslittlecorner.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge.html

Mlhawkes:

Carola Dunn, DEATH AT WENTWATER COURT, A+
I really enjoyed this book, and have already read the next two in the series.

Magdalen Nabb, DEATH OF AN ENGLISHMAN, A
I mentioned this above. I’ll probably look for more in this series.

Evelyn David, MURDER OFF THE BOOKS, C-
Sorry, I just couldn’t get into these characters. Their actions weren’t believable for me.

Tasha Alexander, AND ONLY TO DECEIVE, B+
I liked this one; will look for her follow-up book.

James Yaffe, A NICE MURDER FOR MOM, B+
Enjoyable, fun. I have also read the next couple books in this series.

Candace Robb, THE NUN’S TALE, B
A little complicated and I had trouble getting the characters straight, but I did enjoy this and may look for others. This is a historical series, set in 14th-century England. This book is not the first in the series.

Other new authors:
David Carkeet, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, A
Rebecca Pawel, DEATH OF A NATIONALIST, B

Mo:

Berry, Steve – The Third Secret
Hartley, A.J. – The Mask of Atreus
Graves, Sarah – Triple Witch
Maron, Margaret – Southern Discomfort
Smith, April – North of Montan
Stabenow, Dana – So Sure of Death

Reviews on the blog: http://mosmind.blogspot.com/2007/08/challenge-met-another-book-review.html

Myrandomacts of reading:

The Body in the Ivy – Katherine Hall Page
The Merchant’s House – Kate Ellis
Burden of Memory – Vicki Delany
The Ghost & Mrs. McClure – Alice Kimberly
Deadmistress – Carole Shmurak
Shadow Man – Cody McFadyen

Detailed book reviews on the blog: http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/

Nannersandnoodles:

Whose Body?
A Deadly Shade of Gold
The Daughters of Cain
Murder in Belleville
Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham – This is the third in the Albert Campion series, and was first published in 1931. I admit to a fondness for British mysteries set in the 20s and 30s, and this one didn’t disappoing. When it begins, Val Gyrth, heir to the Gyrth family and their traditional vocation of guarding the famous Gyrth Chalice, is homeless and wandering the streets. After a mysterious chain of events, he is plucked out of danger by Albert Campion, who explains that a conspiracy of art collectors and criminals hopes to steal the treasure his family is charged with protecting.

Throw in some cunning and dangerous characters, monsters and gypsies, and you have a very entertaining mystery!

Crusader’s Cross by James Lee Burke – Dave Robicheaux is a homicide detective with the New Iberian Sheriff’s Department, and a recovering alcoholic struggling to stay sober. A dying man tells Dave that a prostitute he and his brother befriended in the late ’50s had likely been murdered, and Dave can’t stop himself from finding out what really happened . . .

I enjoyed this book so much that I have already started up another Burke/Robicheaux mystery.

Paigesbookblog:

Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://paigesbookblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Summer%20Mystery%20Reading%20Challenge%20%282007%29

PReid:

Darryl Wimberley – Pepperfish Keys – Very good and I’m looking for the rest of his books.
Patricia Sprinkle – Death on the Family Tree – also a winner.
Vincent H. O’Neil – Reduced Circumstances – the protaganist is living in Exile, Florida – very good book.
Craig McDonald – Head Games – Wonderful book.
Newt Love – How The Strong Survive – very good first published novel.
Donnis Casey-Hornswoggled

Reviews on the web site (look for the ones with PR to the left of the book name): http://www.booksnbytes.com/misc/__Last100Reviews.html

or look for HappyRuby at: http://www.ibookdb.net/interest.php?content=323

Raidergirl3:

1. Murder on a Girl’s Night Out by Anne George
2. The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson
3. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
4. Restless by William Boyd (not a series)
5. Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris
6. Killer Swell by Jeff Shelby

Reviews on blog: http://raidergirl3-anadventureinreading.blogspot.com/2007/08/update-summer-challenges-completed.html

Raspberry-latte:
not specified – list of books read on blog:

http://raspberry-latte.blogspot.com/

Sauble:

My six books for the challenge are
Rembrandt’S Ghost by Paul Christopher
Grievous Sin by Faye Kellerman
Taken by Chris Jordan
The Last Van Gogh by A.J. Zerries
Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie
Kiss Her Goodbye by Robert Gregory Browne

SuzanneP:
Don Bruns–Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat, South Beach
Shakedown

Mary Jane Maffini–Organize Your Corpses

Ellen Hart–Dial M for Meatloaf

Lea Wait–all four titles in the Shadows series

Ariana Franklin–Mistress of the Art of Death (and I
will be looking for the Serpent in the Garden–thank
you for mentioning it)

Albert Bell–The Secret of the Lonely Grave

SuziQ:

My completed challenge books are:
Privileged Information by Stephen White
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Final Diagnosis by Gary Birken
Kiss Mommy Goodbye by Joy Fielding
Isolation Ward by Joshua Spanogle
Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins

SuziQ has detailed reviews for the books on her blog: http://blogmybooks.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

Tanabata:

1. All She Was Worth – Miyuki Miyabe
2. Knots & Crosses – Ian Rankin
3. Forty Words for Sorrow – Giles Blunt
4. Maisie Dobbs – Jacqueline Winspear
5. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
6. The Interpreter – Suki Kim

Reviews on the blog: http://tanabata.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-challenge-completed.html

tyrannusj:

Consequences of Sin by Claire Langley-Hawthorne
Death and the Running Footman by Ngaio Marsh
O’ Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Champagne for One by Rex Stout
Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

There are reivews on the blog but I wasn’t able to create links directly to them. You can find the reviews in the archives for August and July: http://ilovepancakes.typepad.com/wildwood_cottage/2007/07/index.html

Are you on the list? I have been going back through the comments and trying to get the names of everyone who has finished their six different mystery authors for the drawing at the end of the month. If I missed you (did I mention I have a zillion comments?) please let me know. We will do the gift certificate drawing Labor Day Weekend – so you have a week to finish and let me know you are done.

And, as a point of interest, I have included the books read, reviews, and links to reviews by the readers, where convenient. Because we all want to know, don’t we? However, the list isn’t pretty yet. I will fix links and add additional information if you send it to me.

Amjones1:

The first was Craig Johnson, which was Wonderful! I’m seeking out his other books. I’ve also finally read one of Bill Pronzini’s Nameless series, which I liked enough to go back and start at the beginning of the series. I read the first Lemony Snicket book because I wanted to find out what the fuss was about. I now understand why it is popular with the kids, but its not for me. I read the first Steve Hockensmith, which was wonderful also. Definitely a series I will keep reading. On the lighter side, I’ve just finished Wreath of Deception by Mary Ellen Hughes. It was OK, but I’m not sure I’m connected enough with the characters to continue the series. I also read One Hex of a Wedding by Yasmine Galenom.

CarolH:
My second book was NEFERTITI by Nick Drake, set in ancient Egypt. Lots of great description, but I found the plot a bit confusing.

My third book was HALF BROKEN THINGS by Morag Joss. Three “half broken” people find growth and happiness in an old mansion – but it is only temporary. Excellent!

I just finished DEADMAN’S SWITCH by Barbara Seranella, who is my fourth new-to-me mystery author. The main character, Charlotte Lyon, is a crisis manager who is dealing with a train derailment which has killed two people, including a famous actress. Danger threatens Charlotte as she discovers the derailment was not an accident. Charlotte is an interesting character, with her OCD and very quirky mother. Unfortunately, the author passed away earlier this year, so there will be no more books in this new series, but I plan to try her other books.

My fifth new author is Peter Temple, an Australian whose book THE BROKEN SHORE just won the British Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger Award, which is similar to our Edgar Award. After nearly dying, a city policeman is posted to a quiet seaside town, where he unexpectedly becomes involved in a murder investigation. This leads deeper and deeper into horrible crimes commited years in the past.
The book is darker than those I usually read, with profanity and lots of Aussie slang (for which a glossary is provided), but it is beautifully written and has a marvelous sense of place. I’ll look for Temple’s other books.

My sixth new author is Ariana Franklin, author of CITY OF SHADOWS. Sense of place in a book is important to me, and this book excells at giving the reader a feeling of what it must have been like to live in Berlin in the 1920′s and 30′s. Hyper-inflation after World War I led to poverty, desperation, and anger which in turn led to the rise of Hitler. The main characters are Russians who fled the revolution – including the young woman who may – or may not – be Anastasia, the youngest of the czar’s daughters. Very well written, and a real page turner. The one thing that disappointed me was the twist at the end – but others may not agree.

Cesca:

The Eyre Affair
When Day Breaks
Stealing With Style
Consigned to Death
Ill Wind
False Impression

Reviews can be found on the blog: http://bibliobiography.blogspot.com/

Dolcebelleza:

High Profile by Robert Parker
A Woman In The Dark by Dashiell Hammett
Come to Grief by Dick Francis,
Death of A Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Princess Burani by Kjell Eriksson
Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Reviews on the blog: http://www.dolcebellezza.blogspot.com/

Dorsalfan:

Beth Groundwater A Real Basket Case
Joseph Finder Company Man
Laura Lippman What the Dead KnoW
Rebecca Drake Don’t Be Afraid
D H Dublin Body Trace
Gayle Wilson Bogeyman

Famfatale:

I got a bit carried away. It seems that once started I just couldn’t stop. I read the following books by new-to-me authors since the challenge began. Killer Market by Margaret Maron, Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss (loved the local references in this one), The Mournful Teddy by John J. Lamb, Curiousity Killed the Cat Sitter by Blaize Clements, Sex, A Mystery by Fiona Quirina, Hardcase by Bill Pronzini, Antiques Roadkill by Barbara Allen, What’s a Girl Gotta Do by Sparkle Hayter, A Killer Collection by J.B. Stanley, and Let Death Enough Alone by Richard & Frances Lockridge. I enjoyed all of them but the Lockridge book. I found it most annoying. The beginning dialogue in the book was full of incomplete sentences and thoughts. A married couple were discussing their holiday plans – I suppose it was intended to imply that each new exactly what the other meant, but frankly I sure as heck had no idea.

Girlsgood:

6/3 Berry, Steve The Templar Legacy
6/7 Hess, Joan Closely Akin to Murder
6/16 Roberts Nora Chesapeake Blues
6/24 HOward, Linda Cry no More
7/4 Fielding, Joy Mad River Road
7/8 Flook, Maria Invisible Eden
7/12 Clark, Mary Jane When Day Breaks
7/18 Robb, Candeace A Trust Betrayed
7/22 Johansen, Iris Body of Lies

Kittycats627:

Tell No One by Harlan Coben
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
Organize Your Corpeses by Mary Jane Maffini
Big Numbers by Jack Getze
Circle of Assassins by Steven Rigolosi
Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Lesa:

Alafair Burke’s Dead Connection
not specified, but see the blog for tons of reviews: http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/

lbgwyn66:

Just finished Patricia Cornwell’s “Postmortem”. This is the first book in the Kay Scarpetta series. I can’t say it grabbed me the way, say, Sue Grafton’s “A is for Alibi” did, but it is a solid story with meticulous forensic detail.
Just finished The Novice’s Tale and LOVED it! I will definitely read more in this series. Great read also for Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma fans.

Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.

The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria by Laura Joh Rowland. I will definitely read more books by Ms Rowland.

My 5th book for the challenge was “Roman Blood” by Steven Saylor. This is the first book in Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series. It is a murder mystery set in the late Republican Rome. Great characters — some historical, some fictional — a solid plot, and lots of fascinating details about life in Rome in 80 BC.

LiteraryFeline:

Field of Fire by James O. Born
The Monkey’s Raincoat by Robert Crais
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson
The Society by Michael Palmer
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://literaryfeline.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

liveloveread:

1. The Merlot Murders: A Wine County Mystery by Ellen Crosby
2. Head Games by Thomas Cavanagh
3. The Don of the Dead by Casey Daniels
4. Maisie Dobbs by Jacquline Winspear
5. Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault
6. Circle of Assassins by Stephen Rigolosi

http://liveloveread.com/book-challenges/summer-mystery-reading-challenge/

Lyamvixen:

Deal Breaker – Harlen Coben (I am in LOVE)
The Halo Effect – M J Rose (eeehhh)
Gallows View – Peter Robinson (wow)
Deadly Advice – Roberta Isleib (super)
City of Bones – Michael Connelly
Carved in Bone – Jefferson Bass (Yowzah)
Blindsighted – Karin Slaughter (HUMDINGER)
One Grave Too Many – Beverly Connor (WHOOEE)
Denial – Keith Ablow (WOWOWOWOW)
In Deep VooDoo – Stephanie Bond (a super ride)

I think she has added a few more since she posted this list and has reviews for these and many others on the blog: http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/

Lynne:

BEYOND CONCEPTION by L. J. Sellers
BRAIN DEAD by Eileen Dreyer
FERTILE GROUND by Ben Mazrich
MURPHY’S LAW by Rhys Bowen
IF I’D KILLED HIM WHEN I MET HIM… by Sharyn McCrumb
A VASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY by Cathy Elliott

Lynne has detailed reviews on her blog: http://lynneslittlecorner.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge.html

Mlhawkes:

Carola Dunn, DEATH AT WENTWATER COURT, A+
I really enjoyed this book, and have already read the next two in the series.

Magdalen Nabb, DEATH OF AN ENGLISHMAN, A
I mentioned this above. I’ll probably look for more in this series.

Evelyn David, MURDER OFF THE BOOKS, C-
Sorry, I just couldn’t get into these characters. Their actions weren’t believable for me.

Tasha Alexander, AND ONLY TO DECEIVE, B+
I liked this one; will look for her follow-up book.

James Yaffe, A NICE MURDER FOR MOM, B+
Enjoyable, fun. I have also read the next couple books in this series.

Candace Robb, THE NUN’S TALE, B
A little complicated and I had trouble getting the characters straight, but I did enjoy this and may look for others. This is a historical series, set in 14th-century England. This book is not the first in the series.

Other new authors:
David Carkeet, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, A
Rebecca Pawel, DEATH OF A NATIONALIST, B

Myrandomacts of reading:

The Body in the Ivy – Katherine Hall Page
The Merchant’s House – Kate Ellis
Burden of Memory – Vicki Delany
The Ghost & Mrs. McClure – Alice Kimberly
Deadmistress – Carole Shmurak
Shadow Man – Cody McFadyen

Detailed book reviews on the blog: http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/

Nannersandnoodles:

Whose Body?
A Deadly Shade of Gold
The Daughters of Cain
Murder in Belleville
Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham – This is the third in the Albert Campion series, and was first published in 1931. I admit to a fondness for British mysteries set in the 20s and 30s, and this one didn’t disappoing. When it begins, Val Gyrth, heir to the Gyrth family and their traditional vocation of guarding the famous Gyrth Chalice, is homeless and wandering the streets. After a mysterious chain of events, he is plucked out of danger by Albert Campion, who explains that a conspiracy of art collectors and criminals hopes to steal the treasure his family is charged with protecting.

Throw in some cunning and dangerous characters, monsters and gypsies, and you have a very entertaining mystery!

Crusader’s Cross by James Lee Burke – Dave Robicheaux is a homicide detective with the New Iberian Sheriff’s Department, and a recovering alcoholic struggling to stay sober. A dying man tells Dave that a prostitute he and his brother befriended in the late ’50s had likely been murdered, and Dave can’t stop himself from finding out what really happened . . .

I enjoyed this book so much that I have already started up another Burke/Robicheaux mystery.

Paigesbookblog:

Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://paigesbookblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Summer%20Mystery%20Reading%20Challenge%20%282007%29

PReid:

Darryl Wimberley – Pepperfish Keys – Very good and I’m looking for the rest of his books.
Patricia Sprinkle – Death on the Family Tree – also a winner.
Vincent H. O’Neil – Reduced Circumstances – the protaganist is living in Exile, Florida – very good book.
Craig McDonald – Head Games – Wonderful book.
Newt Love – How The Strong Survive – very good first published novel.
Donnis Casey-Hornswoggled

Reviews on the web site (look for the ones with PR to the left of the book name): http://www.booksnbytes.com/misc/__Last100Reviews.html

or look for HappyRuby at: http://www.ibookdb.net/interest.php?content=323

Raidergirl3:

1. Murder on a Girl’s Night Out by Anne George
2. The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson
3. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
4. Restless by William Boyd (not a series)
5. Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris
6. Killer Swell by Jeff Shelby

Reviews on blog: http://raidergirl3-anadventureinreading.blogspot.com/2007/08/update-summer-challenges-completed.html

Raspberry-latte:
not specified – list of books read on blog:

http://raspberry-latte.blogspot.com/

Sauble:

My six books for the challenge are
Rembrandt’S Ghost by Paul Christopher
Grievous Sin by Faye Kellerman
Taken by Chris Jordan
The Last Van Gogh by A.J. Zerries
Water Like a Stone by Deborah Crombie
Kiss Her Goodbye by Robert Gregory Browne

SuzanneP:
Don Bruns–Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat, South Beach
Shakedown

Mary Jane Maffini–Organize Your Corpses

Ellen Hart–Dial M for Meatloaf

Lea Wait–all four titles in the Shadows series

Ariana Franklin–Mistress of the Art of Death (and I
will be looking for the Serpent in the Garden–thank
you for mentioning it)

Albert Bell–The Secret of the Lonely Grave

SuziQ:

My completed challenge books are:
Privileged Information by Stephen White
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Final Diagnosis by Gary Birken
Kiss Mommy Goodbye by Joy Fielding
Isolation Ward by Joshua Spanogle
Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins

SuziQ has detailed reviews for the books on her blog: http://blogmybooks.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

Tanabata:

1. All She Was Worth – Miyuki Miyabe
2. Knots & Crosses – Ian Rankin
3. Forty Words for Sorrow – Giles Blunt
4. Maisie Dobbs – Jacqueline Winspear
5. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Alexander McCall Smith
6. The Interpreter – Suki Kim

Reviews on the blog: http://tanabata.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-challenge-completed.html

tyrannusj:

Consequences of Sin by Claire Langley-Hawthorne
Death and the Running Footman by Ngaio Marsh
O’ Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Champagne for One by Rex Stout
Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

There are reivews on the blog but I wasn’t able to create links directly to them. You can find the reviews in the archives for August and July: http://ilovepancakes.typepad.com/wildwood_cottage/2007/07/index.html

Okay, we are getting close! I have a few more people to add to the list. Those of you who are on your last book should keep reading and let me know you are done before midnight on 8/31.

Are you on the list? I have been going back through the comments and trying to get the names of everyone who has finished their six different mystery authors for the drawing at the end of the month. If I missed you (did I mention I have a zillion comments?) please let me know. We will do the gift certificate drawing Memorial Day Weekend – so you have a week to finish and let me know you are done.

And, as a point of interest, I have included the books read, reviews, and links to reviews by the readers, where convenient. Because we all want to know, don’t we? However, the list isn’t pretty yet. I will fix links and add additional information if you send it to me.

Amjones1:

The first was Craig Johnson, which was Wonderful! I’m seeking out his other books. I’ve also finally read one of Bill Pronzini’s Nameless series, which I liked enough to go back and start at the beginning of the series. I read the first Lemony Snicket book because I wanted to find out what the fuss was about. I now understand why it is popular with the kids, but its not for me. I read the first Steve Hockensmith, which was wonderful also. Definitely a series I will keep reading. On the lighter side, I’ve just finished Wreath of Deception by Mary Ellen Hughes. It was OK, but I’m not sure I’m connected enough with the characters to continue the series. I also read One Hex of a Wedding by Yasmine Galenom.

CarolH:
My second book was NEFERTITI by Nick Drake, set in ancient Egypt. Lots of great description, but I found the plot a bit confusing.

My third book was HALF BROKEN THINGS by Morag Joss. Three “half broken” people find growth and happiness in an old mansion – but it is only temporary. Excellent!

I just finished DEADMAN’S SWITCH by Barbara Seranella, who is my fourth new-to-me mystery author. The main character, Charlotte Lyon, is a crisis manager who is dealing with a train derailment which has killed two people, including a famous actress. Danger threatens Charlotte as she discovers the derailment was not an accident. Charlotte is an interesting character, with her OCD and very quirky mother. Unfortunately, the author passed away earlier this year, so there will be no more books in this new series, but I plan to try her other books.

My fifth new author is Peter Temple, an Australian whose book THE BROKEN SHORE just won the British Duncan Lawrie Gold Dagger Award, which is similar to our Edgar Award. After nearly dying, a city policeman is posted to a quiet seaside town, where he unexpectedly becomes involved in a murder investigation. This leads deeper and deeper into horrible crimes commited years in the past.
The book is darker than those I usually read, with profanity and lots of Aussie slang (for which a glossary is provided), but it is beautifully written and has a marvelous sense of place. I’ll look for Temple’s other books.

My sixth new author is Ariana Franklin, author of CITY OF SHADOWS. Sense of place in a book is important to me, and this book excells at giving the reader a feeling of what it must have been like to live in Berlin in the 1920′s and 30′s. Hyper-inflation after World War I led to poverty, desperation, and anger which in turn led to the rise of Hitler. The main characters are Russians who fled the revolution – including the young woman who may – or may not – be Anastasia, the youngest of the czar’s daughters. Very well written, and a real page turner. The one thing that disappointed me was the twist at the end – but others may not agree.

Cesca:

The Eyre Affair
When Day Breaks
Stealing With Style
Consigned to Death
Ill Wind
False Impression

Reviews can be found on the blog: http://bibliobiography.blogspot.com/

Dolcebelleza:

High Profile by Robert Parker
A Woman In The Dark by Dashiell Hammett
Come to Grief by Dick Francis,
Death of A Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
Princess Burani by Kjell Eriksson
Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Reviews on the blog: http://www.dolcebellezza.blogspot.com/

Dorsalfan:

Beth Groundwater A Real Basket Case
Joseph Finder Company Man
Laura Lippman What the Dead KnoW
Rebecca Drake Don’t Be Afraid
D H Dublin Body Trace
Gayle Wilson Bogeyman

Famfatale:

I got a bit carried away. It seems that once started I just couldn’t stop. I read the following books by new-to-me authors since the challenge began. Killer Market by Margaret Maron, Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss (loved the local references in this one), The Mournful Teddy by John J. Lamb, Curiousity Killed the Cat Sitter by Blaize Clements, Sex, A Mystery by Fiona Quirina, Hardcase by Bill Pronzini, Antiques Roadkill by Barbara Allen, What’s a Girl Gotta Do by Sparkle Hayter, A Killer Collection by J.B. Stanley, and Let Death Enough Alone by Richard & Frances Lockridge. I enjoyed all of them but the Lockridge book. I found it most annoying. The beginning dialogue in the book was full of incomplete sentences and thoughts. A married couple were discussing their holiday plans – I suppose it was intended to imply that each new exactly what the other meant, but frankly I sure as heck had no idea.

Girlsgood:

6/3 Berry, Steve The Templar Legacy
6/7 Hess, Joan Closely Akin to Murder
6/16 Roberts Nora Chesapeake Blues
6/24 HOward, Linda Cry no More
7/4 Fielding, Joy Mad River Road
7/8 Flook, Maria Invisible Eden
7/12 Clark, Mary Jane When Day Breaks
7/18 Robb, Candeace A Trust Betrayed
7/22 Johansen, Iris Body of Lies

Kittycats627:

Tell No One by Harlan Coben
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
Organize Your Corpeses by Mary Jane Maffini
Big Numbers by Jack Getze
Circle of Assassins by Steven Rigolosi
Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Lesa:

Alafair Burke’s Dead Connection
not specified, but see the blog for tons of reviews: http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/

lbgwyn66:

Just finished Patricia Cornwell’s “Postmortem”. This is the first book in the Kay Scarpetta series. I can’t say it grabbed me the way, say, Sue Grafton’s “A is for Alibi” did, but it is a solid story with meticulous forensic detail.
Just finished The Novice’s Tale and LOVED it! I will definitely read more in this series. Great read also for Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma fans.

Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.Finished my 4th book for the challenge today, “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith, and I LOVED it. Can’t wait to read the next one in this series.

The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria by Laura Joh Rowland. I will definitely read more books by Ms Rowland.

My 5th book for the challenge was “Roman Blood” by Steven Saylor. This is the first book in Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa series. It is a murder mystery set in the late Republican Rome. Great characters — some historical, some fictional — a solid plot, and lots of fascinating details about life in Rome in 80 BC.

LiteraryFeline:

Field of Fire by James O. Born
The Monkey’s Raincoat by Robert Crais
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson
The Society by Michael Palmer
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://literaryfeline.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

Lyamvixen:

Deal Breaker – Harlen Coben (I am in LOVE)
The Halo Effect – M J Rose (eeehhh)
Gallows View – Peter Robinson (wow)
Deadly Advice – Roberta Isleib (super)
City of Bones – Michael Connelly
Carved in Bone – Jefferson Bass (Yowzah)
Blindsighted – Karin Slaughter (HUMDINGER)
One Grave Too Many – Beverly Connor (WHOOEE)

I think she has added a few more since she posted this list and has reviews for these and many others on the blog: http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/

Lynne:

BEYOND CONCEPTION by L. J. Sellers
BRAIN DEAD by Eileen Dreyer
FERTILE GROUND by Ben Mazrich
MURPHY’S LAW by Rhys Bowen
IF I’D KILLED HIM WHEN I MET HIM… by Sharyn McCrumb
A VASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY by Cathy Elliott

Lynne has detailed reviews on her blog: http://lynneslittlecorner.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge.html

Myrandomacts of reading:

The Body in the Ivy – Katherine Hall Page
The Merchant’s House – Kate Ellis
Burden of Memory – Vicki Delany
The Ghost & Mrs. McClure – Alice Kimberly
Deadmistress – Carole Shmurak
Shadow Man – Cody McFadyen

Detailed book reviews on the blog: http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/http://myrandomactsofreading.blogspot.com/

Nancy:
list to follow

Nannersandnoodles:

Whose Body?
A Deadly Shade of Gold
The Daughters of Cain
Murder in Belleville
Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham – This is the third in the Albert Campion series, and was first published in 1931. I admit to a fondness for British mysteries set in the 20s and 30s, and this one didn’t disappoing. When it begins, Val Gyrth, heir to the Gyrth family and their traditional vocation of guarding the famous Gyrth Chalice, is homeless and wandering the streets. After a mysterious chain of events, he is plucked out of danger by Albert Campion, who explains that a conspiracy of art collectors and criminals hopes to steal the treasure his family is charged with protecting.

Throw in some cunning and dangerous characters, monsters and gypsies, and you have a very entertaining mystery!

Crusader’s Cross by James Lee Burke – Dave Robicheaux is a homicide detective with the New Iberian Sheriff’s Department, and a recovering alcoholic struggling to stay sober. A dying man tells Dave that a prostitute he and his brother befriended in the late ’50s had likely been murdered, and Dave can’t stop himself from finding out what really happened . . .

I enjoyed this book so much that I have already started up another Burke/Robicheaux mystery.

Paigesbookblog:

Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Detailed reviews can be found on the blog: http://paigesbookblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Summer%20Mystery%20Reading%20Challenge%20%282007%29

PReid:

Darryl Wimberley – Pepperfish Keys – Very good and I’m looking for the rest of his books.
Patricia Sprinkle – Death on the Family Tree – also a winner.
Vincent H. O’Neil – Reduced Circumstances – the protaganist is living in Exile, Florida – very good book.
Craig McDonald – Head Games – Wonderful book.
Newt Love – How The Strong Survive – very good first published novel.
Donnis Casey-Hornswoggled

Raidergirl3:

1. Murder on a Girl’s Night Out by Anne George
2. The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson
3. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
4. Restless by William Boyd (not a series)
5. Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris
6. Killer Swell by Jeff Shelby

Reviews on blog: http://raidergirl3-anadventureinreading.blogspot.com/2007/08/update-summer-challenges-completed.html

Raspberry-latte:
not specified – list of books read on blog:

http://raspberry-latte.blogspot.com/

SuzanneP:
not specified

SuziQ:

My completed challenge books are:
Privileged Information by Stephen White
Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Final Diagnosis by Gary Birken
Kiss Mommy Goodbye by Joy Fielding
Isolation Ward by Joshua Spanogle
Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins

SuziQ has detailed reviews for the books on her blog: http://blogmybooks.blogspot.com/2007/08/summer-mystery-reading-challenge-wrap.html

tyrannusj:

Consequences of Sin by Claire Langley-Hawthorne
Death and the Running Footman by Ngaio Marsh
O’ Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Champagne for One by Rex Stout
Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman

There are reivews on the blog but I wasn’t able to create links directly to them. You can find the reviews in the archives for August and July: http://ilovepancakes.typepad.com/wildwood_cottage/2007/07/index.html

Boy, did we have some interesting weather here in the last two days. We had a thunderstorm park itself over us for about five hours. We lost power, phone service, and lots of trees and limbs are down. But almost everyone can shower and talk to each other again (some people even do this simultaneously) and the sound of chainsaws is filling the air. Now if the neighbors can only figure out how to get the tree out of the pool…

Don’t forget to let us know if you have read your six books. I hope to get a lot of my catching up done this weekend and post the list I have so far. Have a great weekend everyone!

ISBN 1-933397-17-9

DEATH IN THE GARDEN starts off with a house party that took place in England in 1925. Diana Pollexfen has invited some of her old friends to the country house she shares with her husband, George Pollexfen, to help her celebrate her 30th birthday. The spectre of WWI looms over the house party and the old friends – it wasn’t that long ago that their lives were forever altered as they lost friends, lovers, family, and parts of themselves in the war. At the end of the weekend, George Pollexfen is found dead and Diana is quickly tried and acquitted of his murder.

The story then switches to modern day, when Diana’s grand-niece, Helena, inherits her house. Helena and her cousins were completely unaware of the events of their great-aunt’s early years and are surprised their the ancient garden-loving woman they had loved had been tried for murder. Since there is some doubt that the verdict returned in their aunt’s case was the true one, the cousins decide to investigate the case for themselves.

DEATH IN THE GARDEN is a mystery. But it is also very much a morality play. You can tell what kind of an end the characters will come to by observing the quality of their moral characters. And while Ironside is a little heavy handed when it comes to making the punishment fit the crime, she does a wonderful job of describing the characters and their scenes. Not necessarily making them seem like real people, because they don’t really, but in describing their mindsets, foibles, and motivations. Ironside’s writing has an unusual quality to it that keeps the reader from being immersed in the story – she makes the story interesting, but keeps the reader at arm’s length so that you are always aware you are watching a scene unfold, not playing a part in it. This is a book with a moral that you read, absorb the meaning, and then move on.

Did I guess it? Yes. Favorite character? Marta, who has enthusiasm for the project. Will I read another? Probably not. I would say this book is much more a novel than a mystery and the style of writing just isn’t my cup of tea.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

Available at Amazon!

I know that some of you are very close to having your six books done. Make sure you post a comment when you are done before the end of the month so you are entered in the drawing.

My mother, the librarian, snuck a book into my tbr pile the other day. Elizabeth Ironside’s DEATH IN A GARDEN. A patron was gushing to her about the book so mom put a copy on hold for me. Sometimes things appear by magic at the library for me. Has anyone out there read Ironside before? This book was published in 1995 and reprinted in 2005. Quite flew under my radar.

I am only halfway through it, but it has a sort of odd style that I was having a hard time explaining to Bob. It has the sort of contempletive feeling that many novels have, combined with a murder mystery that spans several generations. I have the feeling there will be a moral to the story in the end. Some Deeper Meaning, if you get my drift.

ISBN: 978-0-312-34366-8

Josie Prescott, antique appraiser and auctioneer, is back in her second outing, DEADLY APPRAISAL. Josie’s auction house is the site of the Portsmouth Women’s Guild Annual Black and Gold Gala and Josie is flushed with the success of the event and has high hopes for the future business the event will generate for her, when Maisy Gaylor drops over dead in the middle of the event. Maisy was given a fast-acting poison by someone who had access to her wineglass at the event and Josie immediately falls under suspicion. But, since her glass was near Maisy’s, it is also possible that she was the intended victim.

In the days after the Gala, Josie is squeezed from all sides as the police question her, a local reporter capitalizes on the gruesome crime to make a name for himself, and she tries to keep her business going. Since she knows she didn’t commit the murder, Josie becomes suspicious of her employees and friends and investigates their backgrounds to try to find the murderer herself. And, at the same time, she tries to be supportive for her boyfriend who is dealing with the final illness of an out-of-town relative by concealing the situation from him when she could really use a shoulder to cry on herself.

The “murder in plain sight” plot is an old favorite of mystery lovers. But its success depends upon one important factor – that the reader is as mystified by the crime as the literary characters. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in DEADLY APPRAISAL. It is immediately and painfully obvious who the killer is. I spent the whole book watching Josie and the police pile up the evidence against the killer, wondering why it was taking them so long and why they were so obtuse. I suppose this is the feeling those bizarre people who read the last chapter of a book first have when they read the rest of the book. But I found the experience very unrewarding.

The good news is that Cleland had created an interesting environment and good characters. Any writer can make a plotting misstep and be forgiven by readers as long as the foundations of the series are strong and the characters have a more satisfactory outing the next time.

Favorite character? Josie’s quiet employee, Fred. Did I guess it? Yes. Will I read another? Yes.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

Available at Amazon!

So now that we have all read lots of books by authors that we hadn’t read before – which ones were your favorites? Who were you most pleased to discover?

I haven’t totalled my new authors up yet, but I probably chalked up a dozen or so. The one that stands out in my mind most is Hailey Lind. Hailey Lind (the pen name of two sisters who write together) was featured August 2nd and writes mysteries involving fine art and the theft and fakery thereof. My husband and I have been jockeying to ready these three books – don’t you hate it when you have to share a book with your spouse?

Anyway, what was your favorite book?