What We Thought: Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves

Mystery Readers Book Club
November 2015

“Brrrrr. Winter at the door, indeed.” Carolyn Haley, New York Journal of Books

 

Author Sarah Graves introduced former Boston homicide cop Lizzie Snow in her first book set in the town of Bearkill in the Great North Woods of Maine. Readers thoroughly enjoyed the fast moving story liberally sprinkled with unexpected twists and turns as well as engaging characters. They had to keep reading to find out what happens next. Lizzie had her moments of naiveté but was forgiven due to her adjustment from life in urban Boston to a new home in the backwoods of Aroostook County. She had to learn to recognize cues of danger from Rascal, a black and tan hound needing a home after his master was murdered. Although police procedure is pretty much the same everywhere, allowances must be made while tramping through hip deep snow with Sherriff Cody Chevrier and civilians on the trail of a kidnapper and serial killer.  

Wintery Maine was the perfect setting for the story with a meth lab hidden deep in the woods and a determined killer camping out there with captives and keeping secrets of disturbing crimes. The dark and silent atmosphere added the perfect note of creepiness to the story. There was just enough romance involving a Maine State Cop and a top notch vet competing for Lizzie’s attention to relieve some of the tension, but not for long. 

Readers discussed the characters and their motives and how the culture of a community affects residents. There were some questions that were not answered by the conclusion of the book; what happened to Lizzies’s sister and her niece, will she find her niece, will there be a romance with Dylan the State Cop or Trey the vet or maybe someone else? Readers can’t wait for the next book in the series, The Girls She Left Behind to be released in 2016. 

Have you read Winter at the Door?  What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

What We Thought: Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

Mystery Readers

October 14, 2015

Monkeewrench

P.J. Tracy

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

All readers enthusiastically endorsed Monkeewrench. They agreed that the story was a real page turner and a great first book in a series by the mother- daughter writing team P.J. and Traci Lambrecht. Readers commented that the numerous characters were all essential to the story. It was worth their while to read through the extensive backgrounds to understand how the characters fit into the storyline. Readers said that the detailed descriptions increased their emotional connection to the characters and encouraged them to keep on reading to the shocking conclusion which no one saw coming. 

Readers decided that the graphic and ingenious details of the murders were kept to a minimum so that the characters were the primary focus of the storyline. The authors crafted a plot that had plenty of twists and turns to make people think about the next heart stopping event. They wove the characters into the plot and a satisfying read for everyone. The writing was so well done that no one had anything to criticize. They said that all of the violence was tucked safely inside a book so they didn’t have to worry about reality. Everyone said that they would read more books by the authors and looked forward to the next title in the series, Live Bait in the hope that some of the characters would have continued storylines.   

In this February 2, 2007 interview by Therese Walsh P.J. Tracy talks about her characters.

Question: How do you create your characters? Do any of the characters feel like they “belong” to one of you over the other? Who are your favorites? 

TL: They’re all a slapped-together mess of reality, imagination, and observation. We both have

always paid very close attention to the way people behave, and often the odd gesture or comment of a stranger sends our minds spooling off in all different directions. But generally, we’d like to know in real life or have over for a dinner party. And both our footprints are all on all of the players—they are all truly collaborative figments of our collective imagination. And I don’t think either of us could pick a favorite—that would be like singling out a favorite child.

This Month's Selection: Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

What We Thought: Notorious by Allison Brennan

Mystery Readers

September 9, 2015

Notorious

by Allison Brennan

“Notorious weaves through two murders and a suicide investigation. It has all the twists and turns that you look for in a crime/thriller novel.” -- Goodreads, Britney

The first book features investigative reporter Maxine "Max" Revere and her cable television show about solving cold cases. She uses unorthodox methods in her determined search for truth and justice for the victim and his/her family and friends. She doesn’t sensationalize crimes, but presents them in a straightforward manner. She is persistent and follows her instincts despite obstacles. Readers admired her standards, treating everyone the same. If someone deserved her respect, she gave it to them. If someone was nasty, she gave it right back in kind.

Book club members engaged in a spirited discussion of the characters and their motives. This discussion was very serious with everyone participating. Readers focused on Max Revere’s motivation for her chosen career. It was decided that the mystery of her own wealthy family background and direct experiences with crime influenced her personality and determination. She stayed away from her hometown and family members and only interacted with them when absolutely necessary. She had better relationships with her employees and certain law enforcement officers, but occasionally there were problems as well. Everything was black or white with no gray areas for her and she set her own boundaries.

The central issue with Max is the mystery of her mother and abandonment. Readers expected that more will be revealed in subsequent books. (Notorious is followed by Compulsion.)

Log in to NoveList with your Holmes Public Library card number to see a list of read-alike suggestions if you like the Max Revere series by Allison Brennan. Or come in to the library and ask us for the list!

Please add to the discussion in the comments below!

This Month's Selection: Notorious by Allison Brennan

Notorious

by Allison Brennan

Wed., Sept. 9

2 p.m.  

New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan introduces an irrepressible, unforgettable, and notorious new heroine in her latest pulse-pounding thriller.

Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned, tough-as-nails investigative reporter with her own TV show, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life.

But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.

First in the Max Revere series.

Summer Pot Luck Selection: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

All three of the Holmes Public Library book clubs will come together in one big group on Tuesday, August 18, at 6 p.m. to share a pot luck supper and talk about The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, a fun summer read. Hope you can make it!

Holmes Mystery Readers Book Club on Vacation

The Holmes Mystery Readers will not meet in July and August. We hope you will all come for the Combined Book Club Potluck on Tuesday, August 18, at 6 p.m. when all the library book clubs will come together to share some delicious food and discuss The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz.

About The Spellman Files

Isabel Spellman, the uncompromising—okay, obstinate— twenty-eight year-old San Francisco private eye in Lisa Lutz's riotous debut novel, THE SPELLMAN FILES has her share of problems. And those problems all happen to be named Spellman. Her parents, Albert and Olivia, co-owners of Spellman Investigations, think nothing of placing their daughter under 24-hour surveillance simply to find out if she has a new boyfriend. David, her perfect older brother, who escaped the family business by becoming a lawyer, is hypercritical of just about everything Isabel says, wears, or does. Fourteen-year-old sister Rae lives on sugared snacks, considers recreation surveillance her favorite hobby, and believes that life is one endless opportunity for intra-familial blackmail. And good-natured Uncle Ray, a former cop and health food nut, now embraces gambling and drinking; and when he's not in battle with his niece Rae over the whereabouts of his favorite shirt, must be rescued from "lost weekends."

Welcome to Izzy Spellman's off-kilter world. Equal parts Sam Spade and Bridget Jones, she's a damn good investigator—if only her dysfunctional family would back off and let her do her thing. Izzy's cynical—okay, wise—enough to realize that a primrose-covered cottage with a white picket fence is not in her future. That's okay with her. Ever the jaded P.I., she catalogs her ex-boyfriends with calculated brevity, reducing her romantic misjudgments to curt summaries of name, age, occupation, hobbies, duration, and last words. No sooner has she met a new man that she begins composing his exit profile.

What We Thought: Our Lady of Immaculate Deception (or Foxy Roxy) by Nancy Martin

Mystery Readers Book Club

June 24, 2015

Our Lady of Immaculate Deception

by Nancy Martin

“I mean, I know you better than most, Roxy. You’ve got a bad history too. History that’s really screwed with your head. It makes you do the stuff you do. It makes you less than attractive, let’s put it that way.” Patrick Flynn talking to Roxy Abruzzo, p. 273.

Although readers said they liked this book, the discussion began with book titles they liked better than this one. They felt that the story was a lighter mystery than other selections in our Mystery Book Club. They wanted more developed characters and back history of their involvement with each other. They especially wanted more connections between Sage, Roxy’s daughter, and Arden, daughter of wealthy Julius Hyde, recently murdered. Readers agreed that the most likable characters were Roxy’s sidekick Nooch; her long-time ex -- professional chef and biker Patrick Flynn; and Rooney, her pit bull.

Some readers didn’t like Roxy’s promiscuous behavior. They thought it was unbecoming of her as a role model to her teenage daughter Sage. It was noted that she did have a moral code of her own, never knowingly sleeping with a married man. Others liked her and said her behavior was important because she acted like a man in the rough and tumble architectural salvage business. She was outspoken and independent, and said what’s on her mind and did what she wanted regardless of the consequences.

Pittsburgh is the perfect setting for this mystery involving the international trade in stolen antiquities and local mafia characters, some of which are Roxy’s relatives. Author Nancy Martin has written an interesting story with a sense of mystery and humor that readers said reminded them of the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. When the book ended, it was fast and surprising, but still satisfying.

Readers were served cannoli and lemoncello cookies while discussing a quote by Hank Phillippi Ryan in relation to Martin’s book. “I remember Lee Child said his father told him: readers want something new-but they want it to be exactly the same as they already like.”

Have you read Our Lady of Immaculate Deception, now retitled Foxy Roxy? What about the second book in the series, Sticky Fingers? Please share your thoughts in the comments! You don't have to be part of the group already to join the discussion!

This Month's Selection: Our Lady of Immaculate Deception by Nancy Martin

Mystery Readers Book Club

Wed., June 24, 2 p.m.

Our Lady of Immaculate Deception

by Nancy Martin

Big truck, big dog, big hair. Bad attitude.

Roxy Abruzzo, bestseller Nancy Martin’s latest creation, is a loud-mouthed, sexy, independent-minded niece of a Pittsburgh Mafia boss trying to go (mostly) straight. She’d like to stay completely out of her uncle Carmine’s shady business dealings, though he's trying to reel her in. She'd like to concentrate on the architectural salvage business she runs mostly on the up and up for a tidy profit. She'd like to keep her rebellious teenage daughter on the straight and narrow. But Roxy knows where all the good intentions in the world usually lead, and when she can’t help herself from tucking away an ancient Greek statue that's not really hers, she pays for it by getting caught up in the chaos surrounding the sordid murder of the statue’s former owner, heir to a billion-dollar Pittsburgh steel fortune.

Of course, she has plenty of help getting in and out of trouble, including her sidekick “Nooch” Santonucci, too dumb to say no to whatever Roxy wants to do and strong enough to do it; her widowed aunt Loretta, a lawyer whose big hair and short skirts are as big a help to her in court as her brains; and Patrick Flynn, ex-marine, professional chef, and former high school flame, fresh from Afghanistan to torture Roxy, just like old times.

Please comment here or on the discussion post after our meeting if you'd like to be part of our virtual group. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this book by very popular author Nancy Martin! It's a fun one to end our first year of our Mystery Readers Book Club, where we've been reading first books in series.

What We Thought: Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva

Mystery Reader

May 2015

Rogue Island

by Bruce DeSilva

The mean streets of the Mount Hope section of Providence, Rhode Island evoke a strong sense of place. Readers easily visualized the apartments and businesses of the area. The description of the fires and deadly results of the arsonist deeds affected our readers. Book club members like a good mystery and gritty characters but draw the line on the murder of children and attacks on fire fighters. 

Liam Mulligan, investigative reporter, uses his sarcasm and dark view of everything to write stories that accurately represent his neighborhood and the politics of it along with a criminal element that invades Rhode Island society. Sometimes Mulligan must cross the line to save his friends and keep himself out of trouble. He usually succeeds but there are exceptions.

Although the story is compelling with danger around every corner, readers appreciated the lighter touches of the editor’s insistence on a dog story which turned out to be just as lame as Mulligan had said. Most of the female characters were likeable in their own quirky ways, but everyone had it in for Dorcas, the not yet divorced ex-wife. The nicknames Mulligan gave everyone helped readers keep track of the characters, “Thanks-Dad”.

All agreed that the book ended abruptly and left some loose ends that needed tidying. Perhaps relationships will be dealt with in DeSilva’s second book, Cliff Walk. Readers were surprised that drinking was more emphasized than smoking considering the newspaper culture of hard drinking and hard living. The group ended the discussion with an endorsement of the positive side of Rhode Island and its cultural advantages.

This Month's Selection: Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva

Mystery Readers

 

Rogue Island

 

by Bruce DeSilva

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2 p.m.

 

Edgar Award Finalist for Best First Novel

 

Liam Mulligan is as old school as a newspaper man gets. His beat is Providence, Rhode Island, and he knows every street and alley.

He knows the priests and prostitutes, the cops and street thugs. He knows the mobsters and the politicians—who are pretty much one and the same.

Someone is systematically burning down the neighborhood Mulligan grew up in; people he knows and loves are perishing in the flames, and the public is on the verge of panic. With the whole city of Providence on his back, Mulligan must weed through a wildly colorful array of characters to find the truth.

What We Thought: Dog on It by Spencer Quinn

Mystery Readers

Wed., April 22

 

Dog On It

by Spencer Quinn

Dog on It is a humorous mystery told entirely from the point of view of Chet the Jet, canine partner of human P.I. Bernie, owner of the Little Detective Agency.

Readers laughed throughout their discussion of the book and agreed that it was a delightful change of pace from the darker mysteries preceding it in our book club. Everyone was all smiles talking about their favorite part of the book. Everyone had a different story to tell and all were equally funny. Readers appreciated the doggy details and agreed that the story was true to Chet’s nature. They noted Chet characteristically losing his attention during the pursuit of his investigations. He did eventually get back on track although it sometimes took a circuitous route to get there. Chet’s good judge of character saved him from some dangerous characters and bad situations. His point of view provided interest to the story when Bernie missed some of the action.

This was a difficult book to discuss because it is a light mystery, but readers did a great job talking about the characters and their influence in the story. They didn’t leave out Chet’s animal buddies and neighbors. All were particularly interested in the mysterious she-bark of the canyon, whom Chet may have an adventure with at the conclusion of the book.

Chet is just a regular dog (who has his own Facebook page and his own blog and thinks he is a superhero). Bernie thinks he is the perfect partner.

“The cat saw me at once, of course, and every hair on his body stood straight up, and he made a sound like a mountain lion’s roar but much tinier. That’s all cats are -- midget lions. I’m nobody’s midget, baby.”  Chet the Jet.

The books in the Chet and Bernie series so far:

1. Dog on It

2. Thereby Hangs a Tail

3. To Fetch a Thief

4. The Dog Who Knew Too Much

5. A Fistful of Collars

6. The Sound and the Furry

7. Paw and Order

8. Scents and Sensibility (coming July 14)

This Month's Selection: Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Mystery Readers

Wed., April 22, 2 p.m.

Dog On It

by Spencer Quinn

The first book of the New York Times-bestselling Chet and Bernie mystery series, an “enchanting one-of-a-kind novel” (Stephen King) that is “nothing short of masterful” (Los Angeles Times)

Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of Dog on It, and Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator, are quick to take a new case involving a frantic mother searching for her teenage daughter. This well-behaved and gifted student may or may not have been kidnapped, but she has definitely gotten mixed up with some very unsavory characters. With Chet’s highly trained nose leading the way, their hunt for clues takes them into the desert to biker bars and other exotic locales—until the bad guys try to turn the tables and the resourceful duo lands in the paws of peril. Spencer Quinn’s irresistible mystery kicks off a delightful new series that will have readers panting for more.

What We Thought: Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

Mystery Readers

Tuesday, March 18, 1 p.m.

Sworn to Silence

by Linda Castillo

Sworn to Silence is a fast-paced thriller with detailed descriptions of life among the Amish and English residents in rural Ohio.  Readers agreed that the book kept their interest and was a page turner. The characters and incidents in characters’ past that motivated their present situations were believable.

A few experienced mystery genre readers solved the identity of the serial killer early on. Most readers were waylaid by the author’s red herrings. But all were satisfied with the story despite the graphic and disturbing nature of the crimes.

The character of Kate, the Chief of Police, and how she went about her job were very interesting. She was well liked and respected by her police force which included Mona Kurtz, third-shift dispatcher by choice, and officers Pickles and Glock. Kate’s story about her experience of a terrible crime a young girl and the aftermath touched everyone. Readers wondered about Kate and whether there would have been a different resolution if she had not been raised in the Amish religion.

Agent John Tomasetti from the Ohio Board of Criminal Identification and Investigation was not portrayed sympathetically at first, but as his story was revealed readers began to understand him and his relationship with Kate.  When the identity of the psychopathic serial killer was revealed, the story came to a satisfying conclusion.

This book prompted a lot of discussion about the subject of blaming women victims for their crime. Members were passionate when they spoke about how real crimes were reported by the news media. The snowy and cold setting perfectly reflected our February and early March Massachusetts weather, which added extra chills for Holmes Mystery Book Club readers.

Sworn to Silence was a favorite among all the books the club has read this year! Have you read it? Please add your voice to the discussion in the comments! We'd love to hear your thoughts!

This Month's Selection: Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

Mystery Readers

Tuesday, March 18, 1 p.m.

Sworn to Silence

by Linda Castillo

Sworn to Silence is the first book in Linda Castillo’s New York Times-bestselling Kate Burkholder series.

Some secrets are too terrible to reveal. Some crimes are too unspeakable to solve. . . .

In Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. A young Amish girl named Kate Burkholder survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer . . . but ultimately decided to leave her community.

A wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as chief of police. Her Amish roots and big-city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field.

Have you read Sworn to Silence? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments! If not, why not pick up a copy and read it along with us and share your thoughts in the discussion post after the face-to-face meeting????

We'd love to hear from you!

What We Thought: Suspect by Michael Robotham

Suspect by Michael Robotham

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2015

Suspect is a psychological thriller with a story within a story about a psychologist who becomes the suspect in a criminal investigation. He keeps secrets which could implicate him in the crimes or clear his name. He waits until it is almost too late to reveal these details to his family and the detective who suspects him early on. 

The psychological insights and the recent diagnosis of psychologist Joe O’Loughlin’s Parkinson’s disease are right on. Readers appreciated the details of both story lines and said they that the author had done quite a bit of research to enhance the credibility of characters. Readers commented about one of the criminals who was revealed late in the story. They wanted more information about his background and what ultimately happened to him. It was thought that perhaps he may appear in a sequel.

 The discussion about self-mutilation being the result of child abuse raised questions of why the mutilation continued into adult life and why only some people suffer from it. The psychological impact of how parents influence children and can result in different behaviors of siblings in the same family was also noted. This topic drew readers to question the characterization of Lenny, the father of one of the original suspects. Some doubted that he killed himself and others wondered who could have killed him. Members thought the premise of the story would have changed if Lenny had not died. 

Readers agreed that the book kept their interest with the plot twists and turns. There were plenty of surprises to keep them turning pages to the breathtaking conclusion, leaving some wanting more.

What do you think? Do you agree with the group? Please tell us your thoughts in the comments!

This Month's Selection: Suspect by Michael Robotham

Mystery Readers Book Club

 

Suspect 

by Michael Robotham

 

Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2 p.m.

“A gripping first novel…taut and fast-moving.” —Washington Post

From the publisher:

The renowned psychologist Joseph O’Loughlin has it all—a thriving practice, a devoted, beautiful, fiercely intelligent wife, and a lovely young daughter. But when he’s diagnosed with Parkinson’s, O’Loughlin begins to dread the way his exceptional mind has been shackled to a failing body, and the cracks in his perfect existence start to show.

At first, O’Loughlin is delighted to be called in to a high-profile murder investigation, hoping his extraordinary abilities at perception will help bring a killer to justice. But when O’Loughlin recognizes the victim as one of his former patients, an emotionally disturbed young woman who nearly brought ruin upon him, he hesitates—a fateful decision that soon makes O’Loughlin a target of both a bullish detective and a diabolical killer.

Pick up a copy of this month's selection at the library or any library near you. Whether you're in the group or not, you will make us happy if you use the comments to join the discussion!

What We Thought: The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

The Other Woman

by Hank Phillippi Ryan

“Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Robert Louis Stevenson

The Other Woman is an intricately plotted story of suspense written by bestselling award-winner Hank Phillippi Ryan. The theme of the first year of the Holmes Mystery Readers Book Club is "First in a Series," and in The Other Woman, heroine Jane Ryland makes her debut as a high-profile television reporter who has lost her job and now works for a Boston newspaper.

The time flew by with a very lively discussion of the characters with plot twists and turns making the discussion move along just as speedily as the writing style of the author. Members felt that Ryan’s background as a television investigative reporter and journalist drove the pace of her story. Although some readers were not very interested in the details of a political campaign they did pay attention to the scandals that were generated by many of the characters as a result of typical political intrigue. They were especially interested in the lights-out scene during an important fund raising event. The bridge killer red herring initiated a discussion of Boston bridges and descriptions of their favorites. The comment was made that “It’s tough to kill people.”

Some readers thought that the characters of adult children and spurned girl friends were confusing and needed more elaboration to set them apart from each other. Readers also said that  the character of Owen Lassiter, a candidate for governor seemed quite naïve for a current-day, experienced campaigner and perhaps should have disclosed more of his background to avert the scandal  surrounding his family and stop the tragedy resulting from it.

This discussion of The Other Woman was very productive with everyone participating with fascinating opinions and ready to read the sequels; The Wrong Girl and Truth Be Told to find out more about the blossoming romance between Jane and Boston Police Detective Jake Brogan.