Reviewed By Liz

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