I enjoyed discussing TRIPTYCH , and how Slaughter revealed the ethnicity of the characters over time. It got me thinking that I’d like to explore more, and that it’s time to start compiling suggestions for our next list! Jot notes now and send them to me anytime between now and November 15 when we’ll vote on our next book list. We’ll discuss the last title from our current selections on October 18; HIMSELF by Jess Kid.

In the meantime, I have exciting news for our September 20th meeting, where we’ll have a special guest from the Delray Beach Public Library! It’ll also be the weekend after I have a meet-up with a bunch of story nerds.  It’s always hard to see summer go, but so much to look forward to.

Until then…Here’s more about our September selection:

In this page-turner of a thriller by bestselling author T.R. Ragan, unlikely partners PI Jessie Cole and crime reporter Ben Morrison search for clues to a mystery buried in their own pasts—only to discover that sometimes the truth is better off buried.

 Next Month: October 18, 2018 Himself by Jess Kid

Whew! Whatever happened to the summer doldrums? Remember when that was a thing? No doldrums here but trying to keep up with family, writing, and READING while enjoying our lovely season. With that in mind, I’ll try holding August book club on my patio but if it’s too wet or buggy we can always head inside. Are you ready? Our August book selection is TRIPTYCH by Karin Slaughter. We’ve got two more books on our reading list (below), so lets start thinking about our next titles. Maybe some below will provide inspiration? In any case, happy reading, and I hope you enjoy these bookie tidbits below.

September 20, 2018: Her Last Day by T. R. Ragan

October 18, 2018: Himself by Jess Kid

Hercule Poirot is back! Sophie Hannah is continuing Agatha Christie’s famous detective series, and I hear that the first, MYSTERY OF THREE QUARTERS is great. This sounds like it could generate some fun discussion at an upcoming meeting.

Rita Mae Brown Releases Latest Mystery

I love the premise of Rita Mae’s newest, which might sound familiar to anyone whose listened to me talk about tying a contemporary mystery into local history. Brown said there’s a new book in her “Sister Jane” series that features the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and a “Sneaky Pie” mystery featuring the National Beagle Club, which is housed at a spectacular (and real) historic property in western Loudoun County. I’m a fangirl of Rita Mae for sure — check out the article to find out why (at least partially).

Local Literary Tidbits:

Terence Faherty’s novel “Play a Cold Hand” and Kristen Lepionka’s “The Last Place You Look” are nominees for Shamus Awards from the Private Eye Writers of America.

Lori Rader-Day – UNDER A DARK SKY (William Morrow) launched August 7, and she’s out on the road promoting it. Her website is packed with events, including a couple of events with Willian Kent Krueger below.

William Kent Krueger – DESOLATION MOUNTAIN (Atria) releases in August, too. From his website: In an early review, Publishers Weekly called it “haunting… Krueger skillfully combines the otherworldly setting of the Minnesota wilds with Native American lore to create a winning mystery with more than a few surprises.

Julia Buckley also is releasing A DARK & TWISTING PATH.

Her next novel (VIRTUAL SABOTAGE, coming Oct. 23) will be offered as an ARC in a drawing entered by e-mailing JGHyzy@gmail.com, putting “VS Giveaway” as the subject, and telling her your favorite story or stories (books, movies, TV shows, etc.) that feature an element of science fiction. Then sign up for her newsletter at http://bit.ly/2Me92tk and check your e-mail to see who won.

VIRTUAL SABOTAGE is not about the gadgets and gizmos that power its Science Fiction setting. Rather, it’s about the characters—some you’ll love, some you’ll hate—and how they interact with one another in a society addicted to virtual reality.

Good luck!

Summer reading anyone? Let’s start with what a New York Times reviewer called the most riveting thriller since GONE GIRL. “A. J. Finn is a bold new talent with the touch of a master.”

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOWS

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

More literary tidbits:

A Spanish Author’s Guide to Spanish Fiction in Crime Reads promises that “Spanish Noir will be your new obsession.” (Good! I was just looking for a new obsession…)

“The global book business is doing better now than it has been for the past 50 years, and perhaps even since its inception, and that was some 500 years ago.” – Markus Dohle, Random House CEO.

That wouldn’t surprise anyone in our group now, would it? Click here for the full article if you’d like more insights from top publisher CEOs.

Chicago Area Lit Tidbits:

Need the perfect summer read? DEATH RIDES THE FERRY by Patricia Skalka, the latest in her Dave Cubiak Door County Mystery series.

Here’s a review by The New York Journal of Books: The author handles Dave’s combined crises deftly and calmly, making for a smooth yet page-turning read. This is book four of the Door County mystery series, and like Dave the author has gained her own confidence and competence. She brings the region alive for readers with a you-are-there verisimilitude that justifies the awards and accolades she has won for her fiction. Both Dave and the supporting characters in this series are a plausible mix of strong and weak, understandably and forgivably and admirably human.

Nice!

More May 2018 Book Launches by Chicago area authors:

“PI Woman lived in the world, not on its fringes.” Author Tracy Clark on growing up in Chicago during the golden age of feminist private detective series.” Click here for the full Crime Reads article. Tracy’s debut BROKEN PLACES launched from Kensington Press in May 2018

The latest in the Cabot series DEATH AT THE SELIG STUDIOS (by Chicago’s Allium Press) by Frances McNamara also launched recently.

Happy reading!

What a lively discussion about A Rage in Harlem last Thursday! Nearly two hours, and we didn’t even get to say much about our next read. Never fear — details are here, along with some interesting literary tidbits I’ve found along the way. Enjoy! I’m looking forward to our next meeting on May 17th at 7pm.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

From Goodreads: In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemptionalling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

Literary Tidbits:

Who’s murdering residents of Faroe Islands? Crime Writers! 

This 4/21 Wall Street Journal article about “Nordic Noir” novels includes a nice bit of irony about Jógvan Isaksen’s Detective Hjalti Hentze series. The setting, in the autonomous Faroe Islands nation (within Denmark), actually has had only four murders in 30 years, and the current lieutenant worked each case. He also feeds the village sheep in his spare time. Apparently, shenanigans on a 50,000 population island where everyone knows each other and the only escape is over rocky outcroppings into the cold sea serves as a deterrent!  Anyway, it reminds me of the Detective Erlendur series and some other noir we’ve read. This image (from the hard copy of the paper) is great — showing where the bodies are found. What would a drawing of the English Countryside look like in Agatha Christie’s world?

Mary Higgins-Clark is 90 years old and still writes 2 books a year. Let that sink in. I’ll wait.

Alexandra Wolfe’s 4/21 “Weekend Confidential” column in the WSJ features “The Queen of Suspense”, who turned to writing at 36 to support herself and five small children when her husband died of a heart attack. She still writes six hours a day, mapping out the plot in a long outline and writing biographies of characters down to the way they dress. It takes her two months to get the first 50 pages right, as “they’re the most challenging.” The article concludes that each book is the first book Higgins-Clark feels she has written as each needs a fresh plot and characters.

You may recall author Lori Rader-Day, who virtually visited our July 2017 meeting, won a Mary-Higgins Clark award given by the Mystery Writers of America for the book most closely written in the Mary Higgins Clark Tradition according to guidelines set forth by Mary Higgins Clark. (Photo from http://maryhigginsclark.com/)

Chicago-area Author Update:

Patricia Rosemoor is celebrating her 100th book release with EYES OF THE TIGER. I attended a meeting led by Patricia, where she talked about romance in mysteries and (blush) steamier writing. Love, intimacy, and physical expression should always propel the characters and plots forward. (Oh, so that’s why it’s in there? Uh-huh.)

Amazon is giving away 9 Kindle Books to “Celebrate World Book Day” until Tuesday, April 24 at 9:59 pm CDT.  There’s a variety of offerings, but I’ve highlighted the two crime reads below:

MYSTERY

Still Waters 

Swedish author Viveca Sten has sold more than four and a half million copies of her enormously popular Sandhamn Murders series. Married, with three children, Viveca lives just north of Stockholm. She has had a highly successful legal career as a lawyer and until recently held the position as General Counsel at PostNord (the Swedish & Danish mail service), but left in 2011 to focus on her writing.

A RAGE IN HARLEM will be a nice change from raging in Bloomington about snow storms in April, so read up and let’s meet up on the 19th to talk about the gripping introduction to Chester Hime’s groundbreaking series set in Harlem.

Here’s the description:

A Rage in Harlem is a ripping introduction to Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, patrolling New York City’s roughest streets in Chester Himes’s groundbreaking Harlem Detectives series.

For love of fine, wily Imabelle, hapless Jackson surrenders his life savings to a con man who knows the secret of turning ten-dollar bills into hundreds—and then he steals from his boss, only to lose the stolen money at a craps table. Luckily for him, he can turn to his savvy twin brother, Goldy, who earns a living—disguised as a Sister of Mercy—by selling tickets to Heaven in Harlem. With Goldy on his side, Jackson is ready for payback.

Literary Tidbits:

In keeping with April’s Con Man Payback theme, here’s how a group of women got even with a real life charlatan in Rachel Monroe’s “The Perfect Man Who Wasn’t”. His victims banded together to bring him down, keeping up with his actions and newest victims via group text. They must have included some interesting exchanges, especially after the photos of his arrest!

Love a cozy mystery? If you’re a fan of the lighthearted, comedic murder mysteries featuring amateur sleuths, Kensington Publishers has good news for you! They’re expanding their titles in the genre in 2018 and offering mini-conventions across the country, including one at Centuries and Sleuths in Forest Park, Illinois (9/1/2018)! Every month I attend meetings at this wonderful indie book store, which is located on a fun street with independent shops, restaurants, and coffee shops. I’ll drive. Who’s in?

Gender Differences in Fiction Researchers at the University of Illinois (my alma mater!) have used algorithms to examine gender differences in fiction. What did they find? Here’s a hint: women laugh, men chuckle, and female authors lead the way in reducing gender stereotypes in their stories. Here’s to big data! And here’s the link to Researchers use big data to examine gender in fiction books.

What is Agatha Christie’s greatest mystery? Her life. At least that’s the case that Sarah Weinman makes in “Agatha Christie’s life rivaled the immortal mysteries she created,” her Washington Post book review of Laura Thompson’s Agatha Christie, A Mysterious Life. 

Happy reading! – Jen

What better way to enjoy an almost-spring evening than discussing a senselessly violent crime on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse when an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck?

Join us on March 15 when we’ll discuss Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell.