Posts tagged with "Mystery"

1222

Posted by Auntie Anne. on 01/17/12

At 1222 meters above sea level in the mountains of Norway, a train has derailed during a hurricane-force blizzard. Only the conductor was killed in the accident. The 269 passengers are taken to a centuries-old hotel in a remote Nordic village to wait out the storm. The passengers think they are safe and secure from the raging storm, since there are plenty of rooms and excellent food in the hotel. That is until people start turning up dead. That is when Hanne Wilhelmsen, a retired paraplegic police detective, begrudgingly becomes involved. Hanne must quickly solve the murder mystery while all are still confined to the hotel. Are the strange gun-toting couple the murderers? And then there are the mysterious occupants of the extra train car who are occupying the top floor. Surely they have something to do with it.

If you're thinking, "Oh, no, not another Scandinavian mystery!" you are probably right. But Anne Holt is not just any Scandinavian mystery writer. She is none other than Norway's best selling female crime writer. And 1222 is not just another Scandinavian mystery. It has been compared to Agatha Christie's "locked room" mysteries. 1222 is the first of Holt's popular series to be translated into English, but is the 8th book in the Hanne Wilhelmsen series. The first book in the series, Blind Goddess, is scheduled to be released in the U.S. in June 2012. So watch for it to find out what makes Hanne tick. Maybe this series will satisfy your Stieg Larsson cravings.

A Christmas Odyssey

Posted by cclapper on 03/22/11

Victorian England -- Christmas! The underside of the remarkable Victorian world- and the people trapped there. Drugs, passion, brothels and brutal individuals- but some few who want to make things better.

Christmas, yes- but Anne Perry is a wicked good storyteller, as her hoards of fans constantly attest!

A Fatal Likeness

Posted by Ultra Violet on 08/21/13

A Fatal Likeness is the second mystery with detective, Charles Maddox. It is a follow-up, though not sequel to, The Solitary House. In A Fatal Likeness, Maddox is called in to investigate a blackmail plot targeting the son of Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Taking very liberal creative license with the lives of the poet and Mary Shelley, Shepherd weaves a convincing mystery while maintaining the linguistic feel of the time period. This is a fun mystery, but one may want to read The Solitary House first for some background on the character of Maddox. And avid fans of Shelley may want to read this novel with a hearty grain of salt. Still, an enjoyable read for historical mystery readers, like me.

A Killing Season

Posted by cclapper on 01/19/12

13th Century England - Le Chateau Doux et Dour: To survive a Crusade and return seeming whole and healthy should be a cause for joy- great joy. But Baron Herbert's return begins a slide into menancholy and dolor. Death seems to permeate the air- and lives are ending in strange and terrible ways. The healing wisdom from Tyndal Priory is called upon, and Prioress Eleanor, Sister Anne, and the quiet monk Brother Thomas brave the journey to the island castle. It is fortunate they are wise in medicine... and murder.

Publishers Weekly notes: "Brilliant... rich atmosphere and well-drawn characters make this a superior historical" in a starred review.

We have touched on other Priscilla Royal titles here in this blog on times past. Her series on the Prioress and Thomas begins with Wine of Violence. A temporal trek worth taking.

A Noble Killing

Posted by mingh on 11/03/11

The Inspector Ikmen series takes place in Istanbul, a city of many colors that swirl in Barbara Nadel's newest addition to the Inspector Ikmen series. A young girl has been found burned to death in an apartment fire. The rest of her family is unharmed. When they find out that the girl had a boyfrend, Inspector Ikmen and Inspector Suleyman wonder if it is a honor killing. Nearby a piano teacher is brutally murdered in his home. When Inspector Ikmen discovers that the murdered man is homosexual, he wonders if this is also an honor killing. With so many people from small villages and towns coming to the city to find work, are honor killings following the conservative villagers to the city?

Nadel is very good at showing the diversity of Istanbul. There are liberal and conservative Muslims, Gypsies, Christians and Jews who have lived side by side for hundreds of years. In addition, the class wars of the Sultan years still resound loudly, the clash of old famly and money versus new. For the most part, this is a police procedural that takes you to all parts of Istanbul, from bars to water-pipe shops. But how all of these different religious and ethnic groups converge is what the reader will enjoy. That and the enjoyment of watching and listening to Inspector Ikmen work to solve the mystery. Inspector Ikmen is calm and patient and tolerant of anyone who obeys the law. He has good instincts about people.

You do not have to have read any of the books in the series to appreciate this title. Whether its a good mystery that interests you or just a chance to fall into a different and changing world, A Noble Killing is a good way to spend an evening.

Airs and Graces

Posted by mingh on 03/15/12

January, 1737. Snow blankets Newcastle Upon Tyne. With plans afoot to build new Assembly Rooms for concerts, musician sleuth Charles Patterson is more concerned with the murder of an entire family. It looks an open-and-shut case--the murderer was the fashionable Alice Gregson, who'd upset several neighbours with her snobbish London airs and graces. But where is she now? And why is her sister convinced of her innocence? Patterson must solve the case before the snow clears, allowing the murder to escape the town

All Mortal Flesh

Posted by cclapper on 03/02/11

Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne is a stand-up human being. Ex-Army, well-liked and respected by everyone in his department and in the small community of Millers Kill, New York. Clare Fergusson recently arrived in Millers Kill as a newly ordained Episcopal priest. She has been given responsibility for the parish of St. Alban's, and she has a surprising background- she was a crack military helicopter pilot until she found her new calling.

Both feel a commitment to honor and duty. But something is happening. Since they first encountered each other (see Spencer-Fleming's In the Bleak Midwinter) a profound respect and strong affection has grown between them. The problem: Russ is married. Both Russ and Clare are struggling to control what they feel.

Russ talks with his wife about what is happening- and she throws him out.

Could things get worse?

What if Russ's wife is murdered - brutally? What if Russ is the principle suspect? What if suspicion falls across Clare as well?

This mystery series by Julia Spencer-Fleming is winning big awards. Murder in a small town. With good people and a community you will believe in.

Give this a try. Let me know what you think.

An Evil Eye

Posted by cclapper on 05/26/11

The Ottoman Empire, Istanbul -- 1839: The Admiral of the Ottoman Fleet has defected! A man fiercely loyal to the Sultan- how could this be? Investigator Yashim knows Admiral Fevzi Ahmet well: ruthless and brutal in his fervor, but unshakable in his loyalty. It was Fevzi himself who mentored Yashim and taught him his craft. How could such a one betray the Empire? Looks like this investigation will be dangerous... and most dangerous because it leads directly into the Sultan's harem!

Sounds like a captivating series, set in a time I really know nothing about.. but possibly with some interesting insights into the culture that evolved into today's Middle East. Jason Goodwin got a lot of attention for his first in this series- The Janissary Tree (finalist for both the

Learning history can be fun... and seeing new worlds through other eyes is just a blast. This series would be great at the beach, up at the cabin- or simply under the tree in my front yard, watching birds at the feeder... instant vacation! Gotta brew some iced tea!

Bad Boy

Posted by jonf on 12/16/11

Inspector Alan Banks is on holiday in America resting from the traumatic conclusion of his last case.

Meanwhile back in Yorkshire a neighbor comes to see him after she finds a gun in her daughters closet, a major offense in England. The girl Erin is roomates with Banks' daughter Tracy and when the police go to retrieve the gun things go very awry.

Tracy warns Erins' boyfriend who is the guns owner and "Jaff" kidnaps her and hooks up with his very unsavory cohorts. Banks' colleague Annie Cabot takes the case and when Alan returns they must race against time to save Tracy from this very Bad Boy.

Below Zero

Posted by jonf on 02/09/11

When Joe Pickett's oldest daughter Sheridan gets a message saying "tell Sheridan April called" Joe is shaken to his core. April was his adopted daughter who was killed in a massacre six years earlier in the book "Winterkill", or was she? Joe with the help of his daughter, F.B.I agent Coons and an old friend and fugitive Nate Romanowski set out to find out if April still lives. The case is fueled by cryptic texts from April who is heading west from Chicago in the company of mobster "Stenko" and his loony son Robert. This is a fun ride featuring great characters and western settings, looking forward to reading more by C.J.Box.