End of the Year Wrap

It's over for the year. When we all left the book club two weeks ago now, I had a smile and felt ready for the holiday break. And when we had a relaxingly, fun session with a more than enough chocolate--again--to eat and a fun read to discuss, what's not to love?

This year has been mostly successful with good reads and I'm glad the regular book
clubbers have trusted my judgment to try some new authors (for some that is, others have read from the selected authors) and found their books worthwhile. I gathered the best received writers for the year were Charles Todd, Peter May and Chris Grabenstein. All these authors have series that some either begin to read or noted for later reading interests. For instance, we read the first of the Peter May "China Thrillers" series as our library system has those first two novels.

Two authors we finally got around to reading this year include Jack Kerley and Chris Grabenstein. With Kerley's setting of the deep-South police and Grabenstein's setting of the New Jersey amusement park laden coast, I was glad to have these two as book club targets.

And although time and opportunity didn't permit me to do as much as I wanted with the book club or blog, I'll try it all again in January... Until then, here's a "YouTube" video with author George Pelecanos reading from the book we read in March, The Night Gardener.

Book club discusses " Whack a Mole"

Last week, the book club meet for its end of the year session to discuss Chris Grabenstein's Whack a Mole. This is the third of the "John Ceepak mystery" series--the newish member of the Sea Haven Police Department which covers a tourist strip of the New Jersey Shore. In this novel, events evolve into a bizarre police matter when John and his young partner Danny Boyle follow up on the discovery of body parts which leads to a major investigation of the community the conclusion of multiple bodies and deaths. John is much more alarmed when it appears the killer is gearing to murder again.

Grisly in a few incidents but bone-tickling in so many more, this story of an angry killer and the determined beach cops won over the book club attendees. Our discussions included the unlikelihood of multiple murders in a tourist haven although there's the transit aspect of the murder victims. As it turns out, the victims are women passing through resort looking for as one retired cop says "sun, sand and sex." That is the ideal client for a resort area. I thought the resort community could lead to good crime stories with the revolving population and credited writer Grabenstein with a good setting.

And the setting was well-written too. One person noted how it seemed memorable and another how despite the fact that the book introduced a number of characters,
they were distinctive.

One distinctive quality for Ceepak was that he claims (as does the writer about the character for that matter) to never lie. Ever. That's a great personal claim but we did discuss how that could operate in personal life or Ceepak's professional life.

Otherwise, we did discuss some other interesting characters, the set-up of the
murder's identity, inter-office relations with the police, and a surprise shoot-out which ended in a way you would not expect.

I also discussed Grabenstein's professional background and mentioned his work as a ad writer and in comedy. One attendee said his writing took a little time to adjust to with his frequently short sentences. And as Grabenstein writes about his writing background--the work is fast for quick consumption. I have a pix of Grabestein above from his www.chrisgrabenstein.com website.

Again, the wacky-titled Whack a Mole won us over as a readers and some have gone on to read the earlier books--there are two others in this series now.

Too Long to Make the List--

I looked at the New York Times list of "100 Notable Books of 2007" this week and found one straight out-and-out mystery in the fiction section. The intriguingly titled The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon is last on the fiction list and I had considered it as a possibility for the mystery book club to read. The list describes the book as: Cops, thugs, schemers, rabbis, chess fanatics and obsessives of every stripe populate this screwball, hard-boiled murder mystery set in an imagined Jewish settlement in Alaska. The novel runs more than 400 pages long and--I hate to say it--but, I decided that's too long for a book club selection. (I make recommendations for books to read for the library's mystery book club and attendees vote on the titles in most instances.)

Why not read this book? During the first year or so of the book club, I had one attendee suggest--in the mildest of ones--that the book club limit the pages for a book selection. Granted, some may have plenty of time and interest to read a large book but others don't. As such, I've kept in mind when looking for books for the book club sessions. I have skipped books that appear to be on the jumbo size.

Now, The Yiddish Policemen's Union is 414 pages and closer to the long side for a book club selection. And, of course, that's my judgment with the standard type of mysteries we tend to read.

That said, we could still read this book if the group decides so.

New Mysteries on the Shelves (8)

Here are three more new attractive-looking mysteries for library readers I found on the shelves recently and thought I'd mention here. All titles are currently in a mystery series including the first on my list.

When Bobbie Sang the Blues: a cozy mystery is the second in a series about mystery writer and pastor's kid Christy Castleman. Writer Peggy Darty's character Christy receives an unexpectedly visit from her aunt Bobbie who's in a major family predicament. Bobbie's estranged husband, Eddie, and his new girlfriend are following her and looking to get money that he claims she owes him. Almost as quickly, the money issues switch to a police matter as Eddie is found dead and the police eye Bobbie as a likely murder suspect for Eddie. Naturally, Christy draws herself into the investigation to help her beloved aunt. Set in Florida, the book is 342 pages.

The next book is set in a much different place and time in 16th-century Ireland written by Cora Harrison. My Lady Judge: a mystery of medieval Ireland is a debut novel for a new series featuring Mara, a woman appointed by the king as judge and lawgiver of Mullaghmore Mountaina. Very well respected in the community, Mara is also the head of a small law school and noted for her powers of observation. As such, she is put to the ultimate test in working to determine the circumstances of the mysterious death of one of her assistants. In addition to the mystery, the novel includes appealing historical Irish landscape details and some ancient Irish law. The book is 311 pages.

Gun Shy is the last book and fifth in the "Blanco County, Texas, mystery" series. In writer Ben Rehder's newest John Marlin story, the local game warden is looking into the dubious hunting accident of an illegal immigrant just days before a huge political rally. The National Weapons Alliance is an organization visiting the area to promote every American's right to own firearms. The NWA's spokesman is country and western star Mitch Campbell and as it turns out in regards to the previous mentioned fatal shooting--Campbell pulled the trigger. Second amendment arguments are back and forth here with humor along the way. The book is 343 pages.

Customer favorities for 2007--

Now is the time to check for the "best books of 2007" on Amazon, according to sales through October that is, and included is a section for "mystery & thriller" novels. The list has a top 10 by sales and even an online questionnaire where you can vote for the best of the ten.

The top ten bestsellers are The Overlook by Michael Connelly, The 6th Target by James Patterson, The Quickie by James Patterson, Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich, Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith, Invisible Prey by John Sandford, Step on a Crack by James Patterson, You've Been Warned by James Patterson and--the number one bestseller--Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich.



The customer survey for the best "mystery & thrillers book for 2007" (a good idea I believe, most of us are bound to agree the bestselling book is not always the critical fave) does have another winner instead of Evanovich's newest book for Stephanie Plum. At 27 percent, it's Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble featuring Jack Reacher.

The online critics have spoken.

Book club discusses "The Hundredth Man"

When I looked at mystery titles set in the deep South recently, I ran across writer Jack Kerley and hoped to make one of his titles a selection for the book club. And for this month is worked out as we discussed The Hundredth Man, the first "Carson Ryder" novel.

Here, Carson and his partner, Harry Nautilus, investigate two recent murders in their newish, special unit the "Psychopathological and Sociopathlogical Investigation Team." (In typical cop humor one would guess, the cops have given the team's name a much shorter and very crude nickname--its in the first chapter). Carson is also a relatively new and young detective with the Mobile, Alabama police force.

Collectively, we found a lot in the novel to sing its praises. To start, one person noted how the "prologue" genuinely served as a prologue to foreshadow for the novel instead of being a short chapter one. The mystery story was deemed "fair to the reader" with appealing characters and compelling side stories of office politics. It was also mentioned that the issue of race lightly appeared but not in a major way. And I agree, although I think a prolonged discussion of office politics would lead to that issue.

The writing is good and clear although the narrative voice of Carson curiously seems to fade on occasions and you wonder who's speaking.

Also, the revelation of the Carson's quiet crime assistant (his institutionalized brother with somewhat psychic abilities) gives the novel a twisted edge I feel that makes it stand apart from other series.

Otherwise, Carson, himself has a huge "rebel" steak at work that struck a few of us as tiresome at times and a miraculous recovery from alcohol abuse for one character appeared too quick to be believed.

Overall, a good choice for the book club although not everyone wanted to keep reading books in the series.

New Mysteries on the Shelves (7)

I can have good luck when looking on the fiction shelves when mysteries are concerned at this library and I had more luck this afternoon. The first book I noticed is a debut novel by Henry Chang entitled Chinatown Beat. Billed as "a Detective Jack Yu Investigation," this book is set in New York's Chinatown with Detective Yu pursuing a serial rapist. Yu, who grew up in Chinatown, has contacts with friends--criminals among them--that play a role in his investigation of the rapes and also a murder case he works. And not to any pressure to Yu, but he is new to his police department that is idenitified as being "ninety-nine percent white." This book is credited for giving the reader a close-up view of Chinatown and Chinese-Americans. The book is 214 pages.

The second book is Forests of the Night: a Johnny Hawke novel by David Stuart Davies. It features a private investigator during World War II in London who's hired to check into a woman's mysterious death. This woman was apparently living a double life. Now, what leads Hawke into detective work during the war? Well, this former soldier had a rifle accident which cost him the use of his left eye. And this book, like the first, is the first of a new series. Forests is 222 pages.

Book club discusses "The Fourth Sacrifice"

Last week, the book club discussed Peter May's The Fourth Sacrifice, the second of his series featuring an American forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell teamed with Chinese police detective Li Yan in his home of Beijing. This series has recently come stateside while in the United Kingdom, there are six novels according to May's webpage.

It can be ideal to read the first book of a series--particularly for a book club--but our library system had more copies of the Sacrifice than that first book The Firemaker. And a long-standing goal for this book club is to find books for everyone in a area library. As a result, I surrendered my copy of the book of a brief period to pass on another in the book club. So, I read
Firemaker instead.

Sacrifice is the story of Yan's investigation of a series of grim murders--"execution-style decapitations" (ugh)--and the eventual involvement of Campbell whose personal life is undergoing dramatic changes. Overall, the book club was favorably impressed with the writing, characters and stories. One attendee said he seems to write like a woman (there is a strong romance element to the books). Another person found the sense of place in Beijing very convincing in the book and another found Campbell's character simply arrogant and an "ugly American" type. Truth be told, Campbell was a "jerk" in some regards but the author lightens her image with a sad tragic background story.

Overall, the stories are good without very involved mysteries and ultimately, I was told, a good choice for the book club.

A Newbie Author on the PLCMC system shelves--

A fellow librarian pointed out a new title to me a few weeks ago as a
possible read for the book club. Yet, I wondered--at first--if this title would be
a good one to recommend to the group as a meaty read at a slender 219
pages. No matter, the title of the book You Should Have Died on Monday could be enough to sell this book or doom it to ridicule. The latter didn't happen with the book club.

We did select the book to read for September and things worked out well. I
discovered this book which is in the library's "African-American
Fiction" section (I can write about mysteries creep into various
library locations another time) and that author Frankie Y. Bailey has not had a book arrive at my library system before. Well, welcome--glad you made it. "Monday" is the fourth book to feature Bailey's crime historian Lizabeth "Lizzie" Stuart who's also a criminal justice professor (like Bailey in real life). This story has Stuart in search for information about her long-lost mother by traveling to Chicago, Wilmington and finallypre-Katrina New Orleans.

Overall, we liked the book. We liked the characters and the book's resolutions.
We didn't like as much some choppy pacing in the novel. I definitely her kudos for a nice author website.

Will This Female Sleuth Return to Print...?

For an embarrassing amount of time I had book donation in the back library staff offices entitled Stray Kat Waltz by Karen Kijewski, which I should have added to my library's collection or shipped off to another branch. I do plan to ship it off to another library branch although this title is a little old in public library book years (1998). And since this is the last book in series to date, it does beg the question if fictional private detective Kat Colorado will reach the printed page in a new novel?

That question came up during a book club session months ago and I wondered about this series myself. I read Stray Kat Waltz a few years back when I was considering working with a mystery book club. In the meanwhile, I plucked that book off the shelf as a good possible read with a female detective. And I was pleased--it was. Described as a quick wit, the Kat books must be somewhat breezy reads although in my book, she's recovering from the loss of a loved one.

I have looked on the Internet for new news about Kijewski (pronounced kee-eff-ski according to Mystery Readers Online ) and found a little. An un-official homepage website for Kijewski says--according to the rumors--she searching for a new publisher or stopped writing because of family obligations.

Despite nine novels and three short stories, there are fans interested in more. Here's hoping Kijewski has some stories for Kat in her.

New Mysteries on the Shelves (6)

Here are two more new mysteries on the shelves. The first features an
author I'm readily familiar with whereas the other has a clever title
for a genuine niche audience.

The book club read The Ice Maiden a few years ago and I was introduced to writer Edna Buchanan's protagonist, Miami reporter Brit Montero in The Ice Maiden. During the coming years, Brit quietly disappeared as a new series began with Miami's "Cold Case Squad." This year, Brit returns to join Buchanan's new series regulars of the Cold Case Squad in the new Love Kills: a Brit Montero novel.

Brit is sought out by the Cold Case Squad for questions involving a current case with the remains of a recently discovered kidnapper. The squad finds that Brit is the last person to have seen this person. Brit, meanwhile, has been staying at a Caribbean Island and attempting to recover after the death of the man she was engaged to marry. While there though, she finds herself in a mystery when locating a camera from a dead honeymooning couple and what it could mean. The book is 308 pages.

The next book is The Sudoku Murder: a Katie McDonald mystery by Shelley Freydont. The book is the first of a series and introduces a puzzle master as the amateur sleuth. Here, Katie becomes the new curator of her hometown puzzle museum and follows a childhood's mentor's work with her new job which even includes inheriting a young mentee--a 14-year-old runaway. And matters are much more difficult and dangerous for Katie as she does attempt solve another puzzle, the recent murder of her childhood mentor, Professor P.T.Avondale. The novel is 342 pages.

"Crime in the City" series on the radio--

I missed the "crime in the city" series on the public radio this week but it certainly seems worth a visit to npr.com for a search of the series (go the "Search NPR.org" search box at the top of the screen and type in "crime in the city".) The four part series covers four mystery writers who happen to make their selected cities a feature along with their detective characters.

Featured (in order of the presented writer for the day) are: Donna Leon with "Commissario Brunetti" in Venice; John Burdett with "Detective Sonchai" in Bangkok; Laura Lippman with private investigator "Tess Monaghan" in Baltimore; and Michael Connelly with homicide detective "Harry Bosch" in Los Angeles.

The web segments have a jump on the radio spots though with book excerpts and a few accompanying photos with the story. And these books offer a taste of a travelogue (of sorts) as the detectives go from actual location to location in the city.

In fact, I've regularly put up mystery book displays featuring detectives in a particularly city, or region of the country.

Branching Out--

One of the modern masters of mysteries branching out a little to reach a different readership with a new book. And this time, it's not a long-rumored cookbook. Robert B. Parker of the Spenser series fame has reached out to younger readers with the book Edenville Owls. In this book, Parker specifically has a young adult, coming-of-age story with a 14-year-old involved with sports, peers and a close female friend. That kid, "Bobby" (mmmmm, I guess it's just like a nickname for the author, huh?) also gets involved in a mystery with his school friends helping their new English teacher.

And, of course, you have to have a mystery with writer Parker right?

I remember mentioning this title to one children's librarian and she wasn't interested in reading it--the historical period angle of the story around World War II, I believe--but I thought everything was good. The story seemed to blend quite well with the mystery and Bobby's growth as an individual and a young man. And the historical setting appears to be a cozy fit for Parker's background.

I think Parker can swing it as a YA writer if he chooses and pull in his exisiting fanbase too.

Different Reading Habits--

I switched to the local National Public Radio station last month and caught a good episode of "Talk of the Nation" for the avid book reader. With the upcoming final Harry Potter book hitting the bookstores, the question was asked if it spoils the enjoyment of the book to read the ending first? What do you think?

Now, mind you this question comes following stories of the ending of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hitting the Internet before people could read the book. Who wants the ending of a book revealed like that? It is a crime, huh?

Well, public radio had a clever take on this with their "Reading the Last Page First" show and invited mystery writer Alafair Burke to discuss the matter. Her latest book is entitled Dead Connection and she is the daughter of popular mystery writer James Lee Burke. Here's pix of her that was used to accompany another NPR story of its website. Burke said writers hope that readers will take time to read the prose of the book and follow character development--but they realize some will not. Consequently, for the writer and the reader it is hoped "with a good book, knowing the end shouldn't ruin it."

Apparently, some prefer to jump to the end of books. A few called in to say as much on the radio show and explained that practice didn't bother their enjoyment of the book.

I do not like this "jump to the end" reading habit but that's just me.

New Mysteries on Shelves--(5)

I tend to ignore paperbacks these days for a long read because of the ease and--typicially--larger print of a hardback but all titles and mysteries don't have a hardback edition. And we receive a small share here with the new book collection. I'll mention two new ones here sharing the color title theme.

First is The Blue Cheer by Ed Lynskey. This title is the second book to feature PI Frank Johnson, a recent resident to rural West Virginia in search of a quieter life. That is so much easier said than done. When an apparent Stinger missle strikes near his home, Johnson investigates and the results lead to brutal violence and the trail of a racist cult called the Blue Cheer. Matters are compounded for the PI because he is, again, the new guy in the area. The book is 209 pages.

The second title is flip flop switch from the modern U.S. to 11th-century Japan. Black Arrow by I.J. Parker and the fourth to feature young nobleman Sugawara Akitada. Accepting the post of provisional governor for a remote northern province, Akitada encounters resistance from local corrupt authorities. They have been successful in the past with disputing order in the community. The murder of an innkeeper and the likely framing of three travelers for the crime, gets Akitada involved in his own investigation of the matter. The book is 356 pages.

I wish I could write more...

I wish I could write more frequently and post more often to the blog but I have a time crunch with things to do. I have to push sometimes to make the posts that I do currently. That said, I did run a cross a recent list in Library Journal magazine (or LJ) entitled "The Usual Suspects: Eight Top Mystery Blogs."

Great! I'll have to check these out (when time allows). However, you can check them out at LJ and do a search in the "search box" in the top for "eight top mystery blogs" and you'll be in the know too.

The first three in alphabetical order are the following (as in Library Journal): 1) Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind [www.sarahweinman.com/confessions] The must-read for industry folks, authors, and mystery fans. Insightful commentary from the Baltimore Sun's crime fiction columnist on the latest book deals, awards, people, and trends.
2) Crime Fiction Dossier [www.crimefictionblog.com] Critic David Montgomery on publishing, authors, and reviews. He also edits Mystery Ink, which has mystery and thriller reviews, as well as author interviews, and sponsors the Gumshoe Awards.
3)Euro Crime [eurocrime.blogspot.com] Keep up with the latest UK and European mysteries on this blog run by a British librarian.

Discovered during a long weekend--

I discovered during a long weekend at Charleston, S.C. how the printed word creates and makes fans. Writer Cathy Pickens' mystery novel Done Gone Wrong included a mouth-waterin' section where Avery Andrews--Picken's series character who's a female lawyer--makes a well-timed trip to the Jestine's restaurant for an afternoon meal. As the story goes, Avery's back in Charleston for a case.

The actual place, "Jestine's Kitchen" is a relaxed, smallish country-style environment with the feel of a good meal at grandma's home kitchen. It has become a quick favorite for my family and is a convenient walk while taking in the other sites. And I was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the back of the restaurant during a dinner visit and saw the cover of Done Gone Wrong hanging on the right wall (it was matted and framed if I remember correctly). When I stepped to the back, I read the accompanying text and it was the section from the book with Avery's visit to Jestine's. Granted, it was brief but it gave a nice nod to a restaurant with yummy, Southern-style cooking.

New Mysteries on the Shelves--(4)

Here are a couple more new titles I've discovered downstairs as I've
looked to see what's new in the library. First is Sovereign written by C.J.Sansom with a regal portrait of Henry VIII facing the reader on the book cover. The book is billed as "a Matthew Shardlake Mystery" set during the 1500s. Matthew Shardlike is a lawyer. The story involves Shardlake facing the terrifying prospect of imprisonment in Tower of London by stepping on the wrong toes. Initially, he assists Henry VIII who is participating in a military rebellion elsewhere by transporting a conspirator back to London. Suddenly, plans run awry when a local glazier is murdered and Shardlake is actively involved in the investigation. Astonishingly, the act appears to lead to Shardlake's prisoner--and possibly to the royal family. Sovereign is the third book of this series. The book is 583 pages with maps.

The second book is Mineral Spirits: a novel by Heather Sharfeddin. Set in Montana, the new sheriff of Mineral County, Kip Edelson, investigates a newly discovered skeleton and concludes a murder has occurred. Edelson's case takes him into an involved, dangerous trail while he suffers personally with his marriage starts to dissolve. This book is Sharfeddin's second novel (check her website [www.hlsharfeddin.com] for more info). The book is 250 pages.

"A Rat Pack Mystery..."

Walking by the new books at the library closest my home I spotted a new book billed as "a Rat Pack Mystery" and sure enough, it features entertainers Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. on the cover. Unexpectedly, I checked it out on the way out the door.

Author Robert J. Randisi's Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime is a novel set in 1960 Las Vegas with the famed "Rat Pack" filming the original "Ocean's Eleven" movie. And despite the fun and excitement of filming the movie, one cast member receives sinister threats and a well-connected, local casino manager is asked to discreetly get involved and investigate the threats.

So, why pick up this title? Handled poorly it could be a silly effort and Sinatra and Co. may not need their lives in yet another book. I suppose the previous and voluminous work of Robert J. Randisi--he's credited with working on five different detective series in this book--sold me and I guessed he could make it work. And so far more than 100 pages in, I guessing right.

Comedian to Actor to Writer.......

It stands to reason after portraying a detective on TV for years that you can get comfortable in the role. That certainly appears to be the case for comedian-actor Richard Belzer who's recently signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster to write two mysteries. According to the news wire services, Belzer's story lines will focus on him as a TV performer involved in the stories.


These days Belzer is almost better known as Detective John Munch on NBC's successful "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

I certainly hope to see copies of Belzer's new novels at the library whenever they hit print. I'm sure the quick-witted, strong-opinioned Belzer has some good stories to write.

Surprise! New Titles I Didn't Expect

Last year the book club came across some fun reads and two of those authors have new books in their series. First, there's Steve Hockensmith with his brother detective western series with On the Wrong Track: a mystery. This "Holmes on the Range mystery" is the second novel with "Little Red" and "Big Red" a "Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson" type pair in the old West. This time the brothers have taken a security job on a fancy train bound for San Francisco with an assortment of badmen including "a vicious killer hidden somewhere among the colorful passengers." I felt the first book was a welcome change of pace for the group.

Also new is author David Fulmer's Rampart Street with Creole detective Valentin St. Cyr investigating another murder in yesteryear New Orleans. In the third book of the series, St. Cyr is a reluctant participant in a new murder investigation which later connects to even newer murder as the victims are discovered to be previous acquintances.
As I remember the book club has a good time reading about the first book in the series Chasing the Devil's Tail set in the Storyville community of New Orleans. A popular and infamous area with prostitution and other criminal activities, this novel directed me to search for other non-fiction books about Storyville which book club members were able to flip through.

New Mysteries on the Shelves--(3)

I've written about my libraries newest mysteries downstairs in the "New Fiction" area before and I'll plan to do that more frequently. I noticed a couple which appear to be on the cozy side of the genre recently and here's the info:

The Accidental Florist: a Jane Jeffry mystery by Jill Churchill is the 16th in the series of the to feature the Chicago-area amateur sleuth. It's almost time for wedding bells for Jane and longtime beau Detective Mel VanDyne as the two brace for an unexpectedly stressful engagement. With the wedding plans finally starting to settle, Mel urges Jane and a friend to attend a self-defense class with the best of intentions. However, things go amazing awry as a dead body is found during the class and amateur sleuth Jane Jeffry jumps in the case. The book is 209 pages.

The next book is the first of a likely new series Remains to be Scene: a Polly Pepper mystery by Richard Tyler Jordan. Polly Pepper, a once well-established TV comedian/actress who hasn't worked in years, is back in the game with a new acting job. It's with a teenage musical but her comeback is short-lived as she ultimately gets beat out for the role by an old rival Sedra Stone. And Stone's success is just as short-lived as she accidentally dies after diving in an empty pool. So despite their differences, Pepper starts her own investigation into her death. The book is 325 page.

Book club discusses "The King of Lies"

(I'm behind with our book club session reports, so here's the one for our February book discussion.) The most recent book club had a good and genuinely lively discussion about first-time novelist John Hart's book The King of Lies." Hart is a local writer and longtime North Carolina resident whose story is set in Salisbury, N.C. Here's a pix of Hart as shown on his website www.johnhartfiction.com.



The book's story follows a 30-something lawyer Jackson Workman "Work" Pickens who comes to a crisis of direction in his life albeit when his missing father turns up dead and he's identified as a possible suspect in his death. Pickens is worried sick his sister may be involved with their father's death and he goes to desperate lengths to protect her...

Overall, most of enjoyed the book although some of the the central character's actions were considered bone-headed and that led to a fair amount of discussion. The mystery story itself was appreciated and a couple noted a local Charlotte restuarant that drew their attention too. It is a kick to read a book with local settings which you've actually seen.

As a good sign for the writer John Hart, several asked if the writer has another book coming out soon and double-checking his personal website this week I see that he does. It is entitled Down River and its release date is early October.

Childhood favorite bound for the big screen--

I suppose I read The Hardy Boys series like any boy who enjoys reading and what's not to love with kids several years your senior solving adult mysteries? Of course, with a brother 14 months younger, it made the adventures seem a little more real. In fact, when I read those books, this is one of them with the same cover:

Of course, it is not surprise for fictional characters to last for years and years, they will change with the times or have some sort of reincarination. So, that's the case with the Hardys too. I read this week on the Entertainment Weekly website that the detective team will come to the movie screen in the coming future as adults in an action/comedy "The Hardy Men" starring Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller.

While this certainly is an interesting idea, is it a good idea? I'm curious what the writer(s) come up with here.

A Good Read for a Book Club--

During our most recent book club, we hosted an open session when each participant brings a book (or more for that matter) to discuss of their only choosing. I had to smile when the slightly older title The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was discussed by one. The book was first published in 2002 and sat on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year (thanks, Wikipedia).

Is there any popular novel reader who hasn't heard about this title? A 14-year-old girl is raped and murdered with the crime becoming an ongoing investigation in the novel. However, the girl, Susie, lives on in spirit in heaven and she observes how events and life change with her family and friends.

The elements and emotions of the novel made it a success and a must read for many and it also became a frightening title too. Some would comment that some aspects of the book (the death of a child, etc.) would make for disturbing reading.

And--according to Wikipedia again--the story will have a new life (so to speak) as a film version of the book may arrive for the public sometime this year.

As I mentioned in the title for this post, this is a good read for a book club. I read this book several years ago for the "Rea Road Readers" book club at my library where general interest adult titles are discussed.

I really liked the book overall, although I felt a twist near the end of the book was forced and unnecessary.

At that time, I had considered using the book for the mystery book club as it has mystery elements with a clearly different slant. Now, I haven't yet but maybe I should keep it mind. When the book was shared that night, I asked of those present who read the book and only three of us (just under half) did.

In fact, this book could be good for an older teen book club too...

Reading tips from the Sunday paper--

When I turned to the book section in Sunday's Charlotte Observer newspaper, I was pleasantly surprised to see two familiar faces recommending books. Three individuals were included in book section feature as notable figures from the local book world. One person is Cathy Pickens who is a local mystery writer. The trio offered suggestions for reading read-alike titles and here's what they said:

What do I read next?

JERI KRENTZ

jkrentz@charlotteobserver.com

We're always looking for good books to read, so we turned to three experts for advice. We hope their ideas help the next time you're browsing at the library or shopping at your favorite book store.

JULIE AGUIRRE WHITTED

Whitted is a freelance reporter for WFAE-FM (90.7) and founder of the new Charlotte World Book Club. The club meets the second Tuesday of the month to discuss and learn about literature, life and the world beyond Mecklenburg County.

If you enjoyed Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" -- The story of an unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy in Afghanistan and the son of his father's servant -- Whitted recommends:

"Ursula, Under," by Ingrid Hill.

I loved this book. I like to think that a million more Americans with diverse family backgrounds have similar stories in our own family trees.

"Always Running," by Luis J. Rodriguez

By age 12, Luis Rodriguez was a veteran of gang warfare. An interesting and touching first-person view.

"Naked in Baghdad," by Anne Garrels

Maybe because I'm a reporter, but I could not put this book down. Garrels, an NPR correspondent, shares her experiences covering the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath.

"Enrique's Journey," by Sonia Nazario

I picked this up at the Novello Festival. It shows the illegal immigration issue from an important point of view: That of a young teenager driven to reunite with his mother in North Carolina.

"Around the Bloc," by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

A funny and fascinating look at a young woman's experiences in Moscow, Beijing and Havana. A great read for armchair travelers.

CHARLES BROWN

He is library director for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Before coming to Charlotte, Brown directed the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota and the Arlington County Library in Virginia.

If you enjoyed "The World Is Flat" -- subtitled "A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century," it looks at the sweeping changes taking place -- by Thomas L. Friedman, Brown recommends:

"The Extreme Future," by James Canton

The publisher touts this book -- subtitled "The Trends That Will Shape the World for the Next 5, 10, and 20 Years" -- as "this generation's 'Future Shock.' " Canton is a global futurist and social scientist.

"The Lexus and the Olive Tree," by Thomas L. Friedman

Friedman argues that globalization is the international system that replaced the Cold War system. "If the first era of globalization shrank the world from a size `large' to a size `medium,' " he writes, "this era of globalization is shrinking the world from a size 'medium' to a size 'small.' "

"Mind Set!," by John Naisbitt

By the best-selling author of "Megatrends," "Mind Set!" (according to Naisbitt's Web site) "discloses the secret of forecasting." Naisbitt "gives away the keys to the kingdom, opening the door to the insights that let him understand today's world and see the opportunities of tomorrow."

"America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It," by Mark Steyn

Here's how the publisher states Steyn's argument: "America should proclaim the obvious: we do have a better government, religion, and culture than our enemies, and we should spread America's influence around the world -- for our own sake as well as theirs."

CATHY PICKENS

Cathy Pickens the pen name for Cathy Anderson, a professor at Queens University of Charlotte whose novels include "Southern Fried" and "Done Gone Wrong." She likes reading and writing mysteries because they're "intellectual puzzles."

If you enjoyed "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich--it begins a series about funny bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and her off-center New Jersey friends and family -- Pickens recommends:

Joan Hess' Maggody series

Hess' characters -- including Chief of Police Arly Hanks; the chief's mother, Ruby Bee Hanks; the n'er-do-well Buchanon clan; preacher Brother Verber and others -- are people that anyone from a small town (Southern or otherwise) will recognize.

"Skinny-dipping," by Claire Matturro

In this and Matturro's other books, Sarasota, Fla., attorney Lilly Rose Cleary takes on such cases as a kayak whiplash and defamation of an orange. The latest in the series is "Bone Valley;" the fourth is due out next fall.

"Sucker Bet," by James Swain

Swain, a gambling expert, and wise-cracking Tony Valentine take readers through the fascinating underworld of professional gambling.

"The Virgin of Small Plains," by Nancy Pickard

On a more serious side, but with rich regional atmosphere, this is a suspense novel set against the dramatic Kansas Flint Hills. Her best book yet.

c) 2006 Charlotte Observer and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.