The Mother of All Reading Updates

Part one of two on what I've read the past few months.

image credit: Andrew Putschoegl

We’ll be covering spring and summer reads in two posts

Given that I haven’t shared a reading update since April, we’ve got a ton of books to cover. So that none of our heads explode, I’ve split the list in half and will be back with part two next week.

There have been some truly excellent mysteries on my nightstand, so get ready to top up your TBR queue:

Part one of Spring + Summer Reads begins:

• The Twyford Code, Janice Hallet

• Leave the Grave Green, Deborah Crombie

• I Have Some Questions for You, Rebecca Makkai

• The Brutal Telling, Louise Penny

• The Will Darling Adventures, KJ Charles (Trilogy)

  ---

---

I was quite excited to read Janice Hallett’s second book, after enjoying her first so much. The format of audio transcripts often had me laughing, due to cleverly included errors in transcription that were easy to figure out.

Once I got into the body of the book, I was worried it wouldn’t end up being as satisfying as her previous. There are fewer characters and the story seemed a lot simpler. If you feel this way when reading, stick with it. Hallet knows what she’s doing and I ended up a huge fan by the end.

I know this description is cagey, but I want you to read it without knowing more than necessary. Let me know what you think when you do!

After not having read this series in a while, it was a treat to come back and revisit these characters. One thing I really enjoy as the series develops is how we get more access to the imperfections of the main characters.

It would be easy for the budding chemistry that’s clearly present between Duncan and Gemma to make the dynamic too syrupy, but given they are each flawed and neurotic in their own ways (Duncan getting flirty with a suspect even!) the will they / won’t they of Duncan and Gemma becomes its own kind of suspense.

The story is one of my favorite types: a family with a load of secrets no one is quite willing to tell. A history of affairs, family members estranged from spouses and so on surrounding a dead son-in-law. The untangling took ages, but I enjoyed the entire process entirely. This series continues to be a win.

Given that I was lucky enough to have Rebecca Makkai on the Secret Library for The Great Believers, I was dying to check this one out. The Great Believers featured a dual timeline to great effect, so I knew Makkai was skilled at the gradual reveals my favorite mysteries feature.

I was hooked right away. Granted, the main character is a podcaster going back to her boarding school where her former roommate was murdered decades before, so between the school campus and the podcasting, I was easily seduced.

The character Bodie was relatable, as an outsider who wouldn’t normally have ended up at such an elite school. She knows the culture, but isn’t of it. The dynamic of who was included or excluded ran all the way through and worked well.

Even though I very much enjoyed it, and reflecting back now can call to mind numerous moments and details that were excellent, it did run a little long. A family member shared this reaction, and I did feel certain phases, particularly in the second part, could have been condensed to make it a snappier read.

Regardless of this critique, I love it when writers cross genres. This was shelved in literature, as one would expect for Makkai, but had anyone else written it, I expect we’d have seen it in the mystery or thriller section. May the genre-crossing continue!

I do love Louise Penny, and have enjoyed all her Gamache books, but this one was my clear favorite. Yes, there are about a dozen more still to come for me, but this was skillful, moving, and haunting in equal measure.

An unknown man is found dead in Three Pines, a rival resort opens threatening the B+B, a hand-built hermit’s cabin in the woods has been stocked with priceless missing treasures from around the world, and more. Part of the worry when writing a small-town mystery series is the possible stagnation given the consistent cast and limited setting.

Penny overcomes this challenge easily in this book, which even requires Gamache to get on a plane and fly to the opposite edge of Canada in one of the most memorable sections of any book in the series so far.

Just a beauty. I’d read the full series before this one, as the punch it packs won’t be as strong without the backstory. But it’s worth it to read them all, promise.

Yes, there was another KJ Charles in the last round-up, which prompted me to dig into her full catalogue. In so doing, I found this delightful pulp-style trilogy, featuring Will Darling, who has recently inherited an antiquarian bookshop, and Kim Secretan, whose identity Will can’t immediately sort out.

Set just after WWI, this series involves spies, murder, the secret service, and some diabolical villains, as well as chases, night club brawls, and many other distractions.

This series also includes many steamy scenes, as Kim’s and Will’s relationship goes through many complex twists. There’s a strong romantic plot line between the two characters, but there is so much murder and mayhem I’d say it’s a true mystery/thriller and romance hybrid, which was great fun to read.

If you’re looking for a fun and fast series, this would be an excellent way to get through a flight, a train ride or anywhere you’re needing a pick-me-up.

To be continued…

I’ll be back with another post with five more reviews next week and before then, look for a post on the new stationery supplies that are rocking my mystery-writing world.

See you soon!