This blog is dying due to apathy...

I did NOT update the Whodunit blog this month after January's meeting.

The apathy surrounding this blog has left me less than enthusiastic.

It is just not worth my time anymore.

After over 8 years there are only 6 followers and I can count the comments on one hand.

My Fictionophile blog is busy with 1,702 followers  Lots of activity, comments, etc. so you can imagine I'd rather spend my time on that.

I will continue to attend Whodunit meetings as I enjoy the camaraderie and book discussions.

If anyone wants to continue on with a Whodunit Blog, I will happily support them.

Happy New Year!

Whodunit Book Club 2017 - New members welcome!

Whodunit Book Club - November 29, 2016

It's hard to believe, but tonight's meeting is the last bookclub for 2016.  It was a great year of camaraderie and, at times, lively discussion (both on topic and off).

The novel we discussed this evening was "Gone" by Randy Wayne White.  The reaction to this book was varied, but the final score by Whodunit members was 6.4 out of a possible 10 points, with half of the members present saying they would read another book by this author.

The first in a series featuring fishing guide Hannah Smith, the book was said to be 'predictable' and 'a quick and light read'.  We discussed how it seemed obvious that the novel was written with a male perspective even though the protagonist was female.

Most members said that they quite liked Hannah, a thirty-one year old fishing guide/private investigator.  She seemed resourceful and confident in some respects, though she had little self-confidence in other aspects of her life.  She is hired to find a missing heiress with whom she identifies on some level.  The woman, Olivia Seasons, was presumed to have been manipulated/taken by a vicious predator, Ricky Meeks.  He has a history for preying on rich yet emotionally vulnerable women.

Because the reader knows from the outset what has happened to Olivia Seasons, this book is not really a mystery.  It is a crime thriller describing the methods Hannah takes to bring Olivia home.

The setting of Florida's Gulf Coast was well rendered due to the fact that this is where the author lives and works.  The peripheral characters were interesting and it was suggested more than once that it would have been interesting to know more about them.

The author, Randy Wayne White has successfully authored a quite lengthy series (24 titles) featuring biologist/intelligence agent Doc Ford.  The Doc Ford character played a very minor role in "Gone" and it was hinted at that he might be a 'romantic interest' for Hannah's character.

My personal review of "Gone" can be found on my blog: Fictionophile.

About the author

Randy Wayne White is an American writer of crime fiction and non-fiction adventure tales. He has written best-selling novels and has received awards for his fiction and a television documentary.  He is best known for his series of crime novels featuring the retired NSA agent Doc Ford, a marine biologist living on the Gulf Coast of southern Florida. A resident of Southwest Florida since 1972, he currently lives on Pine Island, Florida, where he is active in South Florida civic affairs and with the restaurant Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grill on nearby Sanibel Island.


The lucky winners of the book giveaways for the month of November are:
1. Marilyn
2. Jean
3. Margaret
4. Lynn
5. Marlene

Our next Whodunit meeting will be held on January 31, 2017 when we will discuss "A siege of bitterns" by Steve Burrows.

Whodunit Book Club - October 25, 2016

We welcomed two new faces to our bookclub at October's meeting.  Twelve members were present as we discussed "The Trap" by Melanie Raabe.

As usual, we went around the circle and asked members to give the novel a score out of a possible ten points.  The average score for "The Trap" was 6.7 with only half of the members saying they would read another novel by this author.

Comments by members included:

• interesting premise (reclusive author who sets a trap for her sister's killer)
• story within the story was well done and not confusing to the reader
• description was well rendered
• chapter endings were sometimes cliff-hangers which added to readability and suspense
• smooth translation from the German
• everyone liked the character of the dog, Bukowski
• the 'twists' were well done and appreciated by readers

story was far-fetched causing the reader to suspend belief

translation done by British person as the narrative included British jargon

poorly researched as regards the protagonists anxiety disorder

predictable ending

lacking in emotion

murderer not included in plot so as to make it impossible for reader to surmise/guess who it was

It was interesting to note that Melanie Raabe writing style was subtly different from Linda Conrad's writing style (Linda Conrad being the protagonist of the novel) causing the 'book within a book' to be different in tone.
The book displayed what seems to be a new trend in thriller writing - the unreliable narrator.   This book won the Stuttgart Crime Prize for best crime debut of the year

Melanie Raabe grew up in Thuringia, Germany, and attended the Ruhr University Bochum, where she specialized in literature and media studies. After graduating, she moved to Cologne to work as a journalist by day and secretly write books by night.

There were five lucky winners of free books this evening!

1. Margaret

2. Nancy

3. Marilyn

4. Cathy

5. Carmella

On Tuesday, November 29th (the last Whodunit meeting of 2016) we will discuss the novel "Gone" by Randy Wayne White.  Whodunit members get a 10% discount off the price of the book.

Whodunit Book Club - September 26, 2016

Thanks to Marlene for writing this post as I was absent from the September meeting. 

Nine members met to discuss Thin Ice by Nick Wilkshire, a police procedural set in Ottawa and revolving around the murder investigation of a rookie hockey player, recently signed by the Ottawa Raftsmen.

The publisher describes it this way:

Hockey is a dangerous game, but it's what happens off the ice that can get you killed. Curtis Ritchie is the only news in town when Ottawa takes the young hockey sensation first overall in the annual spring draft. But on the eve of Ritchie's rookie season, the media frenzy over the signing and the controversial trades that secured the young star are eclipsed by news of his murder. As Ottawa Major Crimes Unit investigator Jack Smith reassembles Ritchie's life, he is surprised by how much it differs from the fledgling star's clean-cut image. A long list of suspects soon emerges, any one of whom had good reasons to want Ritchie dead. But there's something else about the young phenom - a secret so profound that its revelation to the wrong person could only have meant Ritchie's end.

The book earned a score of 6.7 out of 10. All those present said they enjoyed reading the book, which they found to be well-written, while the quintessential Canadian setting of Ottawa and the professional hockey business added to the appeal. Although the main character, Jack Smith, came across as immature, particularly in his relationships with women, his partnership with David Marshall, the older, somewhat jaded senior investigator in the Major Crimes Unit shows promise for development in further books in the Capital Crime Series. For this reason, all but one of the attendees said they would read another book in this particular series.

Some comments about the book included:

·       Although a classic police procedural, the repetitive listing of evidence detracted from the readability.

·       Jack’s character lacked depth. Perhaps it will become more developed in future books?

·       Too many secondary characters.

·       The cover shows people skating on the canal but the story takes place in the early fall.

The lucky winners of book prizes for September were: Carmella, Marilyn, Jean, Nancy, and Gaye. Pam announced that, for at least the next few months, book prizes will include a copy of the next month’s selection.

The book for October is The Trap by Melanie Raabe, translated from German by Imogen Taylor.

Whodunit Book Club - August 30, 2016

As we didn't meet in July, it was great to see the familiar faces of Whodunit members this evening. Our book this time was "The kind worth killing" by Peter Swanson.

Ten members present and one absentee member rated this psychological thriller 7.1 points out of 10.

The publisher's blurb states:

A devious tale of psychological suspense, soon to be a major movie directed by Agnieszka Holland. In a tantalizing set-up reminiscent of Patricia Highsmith's classic story "Strangers on a train"... On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner.  Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that's going stale and his wife Miranda, who he is sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start - he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit - a contrast that once inflamed their passion, bu has now become a cliché. But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she's done. Lily, with missing a beat, says calmly, "I'd like to help". After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying stinking, cheating spouse...

Back in Boston, Ted and Lily's twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda's demise. But there are a few things about Lily's past that she hasn't shared with Ted, namely her experience in the art and craft of murder, a journey that began in her very precocious youth.

Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouses, one they both cannot survive... with a shrewd and determined detective on their tale.

• With short chapters told by different points of view, the consensus was that this novel was a fast-paced, page-turner.  
• The title made perfect sense and connected well with the plot. 
• The characters were manipulative, especially the women.  
• The readers found most of the characters unsympathetic.
• Lily's character was clever and crafty verging on the sociopathic.  
• The writing had a Hitchcockian feel which made perfect sense once we learned that the author has also written a sequence of 53 sonnets, one for each of Alfred Hitchcock's films. 
• Some disliked the way Ted and Lily met, feeling that it was too contrived. Others felt that they could completely understand that the anonymity could engender such a meeting.
• Some found the novel to be humorous in places, a satirical kind of humor.
• All the members liked the various settings included in the novel and stated it would make a great movie.
• Most agreed that this was an entertaining thriller and that they would read another novel by this author.
• The ending was satisfying for those readers who crave for justice to be done.

The four lucky winners of the book giveaways this month were:

1. Cathy
2. Nancy
3. Marlene
4. Jean

Next month we will meet again on September 27th to discuss the novel "Thin Ice" by Nick Wilkshire.

Whodunit Bookclub Meeting June 28, 2016

Ten members voted on this month's selection, "Alex" by Pierre Lemaitre giving the novel a score of 8.5 out of 10 !  Also, the majority of members said that would definitely want to read more titles in this trilogy.

We all agreed that Alex, the protagonist and title character, is unforgettable.  She has endured the most inhumane, barbaric, and atrocious acts, yet, in her own way remains not the victim, but the victor.  She was a survivor - a strong woman with her own moral code of conduct.

The book was dark, disturbing and not for the squeamish.  However the author alternated the more intense scenes with chapters featuring the police investigation so as to give the reader a much needed respite from the barbarity. 

Everyone termed it a 'page-turner' that evoked emotion in the reader.  It was pointed out that the police team were all interesting characters who made the novel richer in tone.  It was also pointed out that there were no 'good' mothers in the book.  Every mother mentioned was seriously lacking in maternal traits...

This crime novel is a page-turner with great characterization.  However, be warned… this is a graphically brutal and at times shocking read which will test your endurance as a crime reader.  The author masterfully manipulates your emotions and reactions to tell his provocative tale.  Kudos also go out to the translator, Frank Wynne, who translated the author’s story seamlessly and with eloquent language.

To read my own personal review of "Alex" visit my blog: Fictionophile

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The lucky winners of the four book giveaways this month were:

1. Marilyn

2. Carmella

3. Nancy

4. Jean

You are welcome to join us at our next Whodunit meeting which will be held at Chapters Dartmouth location at Mic Mac Mall on Tuesday, August 30th.  At that time we will discuss the thriller "The kind worth killing" by Peter Swanson.

Whodunit Book Club meeting May 31, 2016

Due to the fact that there was no Whodunit meeting in April we had two whole months to read this month's novel.   Sadly, not many of the twelve people in attendance enjoyed it...
The average score out of a possible 10 points was: 3.16 with almost all saying they would not read another novel by this author!

The novel under discussion?

Most Whodunit members had high hopes for this one and almost all were happy with the Toronto setting.  A debut novel by Canadian Elisabeth de Mariaffi, "The Devil you Know" turned out to be a disappointing read and it is surprising that this novel has been shortlisted for the Thomas Raddall Prize at this year's East Coast Literary Awards.  

Can they be talking about the same book???

The Goodreads description of the book:

Debut novel about a rookie reporter, whose memories of the murder of her childhood best friend bring danger—and a stalker—right to her doorstep.

The year is 1993. Rookie crime beat reporter Evie Jones is haunted by the unsolved murder of her best friend Lianne Gagnon who was killed in 1982, back when both girls were eleven. The suspected killer, a repeat offender named Robert Cameron, was never arrested, leaving Lianne’s case cold. 

Now twenty-one and living alone for the first time, Evie is obsessively drawn to finding out what really happened to Lianne. She leans on another childhood friend, David Patton, for help—but every clue they uncover seems to lead to an unimaginable conclusion. As she gets closer and closer to the truth, Evie becomes convinced that the killer is still at large—and that he’s coming back for her.

What Whodunit thought:

• The protagonist, Evie, was not someone that the reader could relate to.  She was a disturbed young woman with unresolved feelings about her friend's murder.  We wondered how such a scatterbrained, inexperienced reporter was put on one of the most important stories at her paper.  We wondered if perhaps her 'stalker' was a mere figment of her imagination...
• The plot was incohesive and disjointed.  With many stray tangents that were not followed up on, and many real people mentioned, it was almost as if the author tried to cram too much into her narrative, thus weakening the whole.  A plot of unrealized potential.
• The ending left many loose ends and left an overall feeling of dissatisfaction and disappointment.

There were some positive comments about the writing, in particular some of the more suspenseful scenes. It was said that the novel attempted to create a snapshot of the volatile and unsettling time of the infamous Paul Bernardo case and how it affected the general public.

The novel we will discuss at our next meeting of Whodunit on Tuesday, June, 28, 2016:

"Alex" by Pierre Lemaitre

New members welcome!

The lucky winners of new reading material this month?

1. Marilyn

2. Charlaine

3. Carmella

4. Jane

Whodunit Book Club meeting March 29, 2016

Whodunit Book Club members were delighted to welcome another new face at this month's meeting. Fifteen members came together on a chilly and windy evening to discuss the thriller "Pretty Girls" by Karin Slaughter. Some attendees thought the author's name was very fitting due to the extreme and graphic violence depicted in the novel.

The description of the novel from the author's website:

More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenage sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that’s cruelly ripped open when Claire’s husband is killed.

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

As is our usual custom we went around the circle and each member in attendance rated the book out of a possible ten points. The views were very diverse. Some loved the book, some just couldn't abide it at all - citing the recurring theme of violence and torture detracted from their having any enjoyment from the novel whatsoever. As a result, the average score was 7/10 with nine members saying they would read another book by this author.

Some adjectives used to describe "Pretty Girls" were: disturbing, graphic, intense, etc.  It was all those things and more.  With a high body count the novel felt like a film script.  The many plot twists, fast pacing, and skillful writing ensured that it was a page-turner. However, the book was not for the squeamish.  Torture, gore, and rape were described in graphic detail... too much detail for some.  Others thought the vivid depictions were necessary to ensure that the reader was fully apprised of the extent of evil of the novel's villain.

Discussion arose as to whether society is now becoming desensitized to the evil that man can perpetrate upon his fellow man...  It was also questioned as to whether people of varying ages would react differently to the graphic nature of the novel.

Some readers enjoyed the psychological study of the damaged family while others couldn't connect with the characters on any level.

Listed on the Globe and Mail's list of 100 best books, "Pretty Girls" is listed in the crime section.  Goodreads rates the book very highly with the average score taken from over thirty-one thousand ratings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There will be no Whodunit Book Club meeting in April.
We meet again on May 31st to discuss
  "The Devil you Know" by Elisabeth de Mariaffi.

Lucky winners of the giveaway books this month were:
1. Brian
2. Carolyn
3. Crystal
4. Jane

Whodunit Book Club - February 23, 2016

The group was excited to welcome a new member this evening!  There were eleven bodies present at the meeting, but two others voted on the book in absentia.

The title we discussed was "The Forgotten Girls" by Sara Blaedel.  This novel is the seventh title in a Danish mystery series featuring policewoman Louise Rick.
Usually Whodunit reads the first novel in a series so this was a bit of a departure for us.
The novel was received well.  Out of a possible 10 points "The Forgotten Girls" garnered a healthy score of 7.5 with many members saying they would read another book in the series. Interestingly though, most said that they would read future novels in the series but would not likely go back and read the previous novels.

The club felt that the novel would have benefited from a map depicting some settings of the novel and their relationship to each other.

Adjectives used to describe this novel included: dark, graphic, disturbing, gruesome and intense.  Typical Nordic Noir!

The novel featured Lousie Rick, an officer on a newly created Missing Persons task force with the Danish police.  Formerly a homicide detective, Louise has brought her many years of experience with her to her new role.  She meets her new partner, Eik (pronounced Ache) who turns out to be a worthy foil to her after a somewhat rocky start...

Women have been disappearing near a forest situated near where Louise was brought up.  Her familiarity with the area aids in the investigation.

The novel delves into atrocities committed against inmates of a mental health institution, and the attendant malpractice and corruption that involved.  There was mention of Utica cribs and other horrible means of restraint.

Some Whodunit members found that subject matter very disturbing and found they could not 'warm' to the characters - whilst others found the characters sympathetic due to their damaged pasts.   Some felt the novel was hard to get into - perhaps because they did not feel that the translation from the Danish language was a smooth one, leaving some aspects of the novel unexplained.

Most agreed that the mystery/plot of the novel was good, though some were dissatisfied with the ending.  There was a surprise at the end which some readers enjoyed.

This month's lucky winners of giveaway books were:
1. Charlaine
2. Laird
3. Marilyn
4. Carmella

Our next Whodunit Book Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 29th, 2016 when we will discuss the novel "Pretty Girls" by Karin Slaughter.

Whodunit Book Club January 26, 2016

January's book was "Blood Will Out" by Walter Kirn.  A change of pace for Whodunit, as it is a true crime book rather than our usual fiction.

The reviews for this book were so overwhelmingly positive, and so opposite to the reaction of the group!
It was quite disappointing, not at as expected, lots of potential though...

All agreed it was not a typical true crime book, it was more of a memoir, about the author's personal relationship with "Clark Rockefeller", a notorious con artist and convicted murderer.
All agreed that it was a quick read, but dull, we wanted to know more about "Rockefeller" but the perspective was Kirn's and no one found this appealling/interesting.

I thought this could have been a great read if the author had written it as a journalist, as "Rockefeller" is a fascinating character.
We couldn't figure out why Kirn was "friends" with "Rockefeller" for 10+ years when the relationship seemed so one-sided and while Kirn was totally taken in by his lies he didn't even seem to like him.
Kirn had a long-distance "friendship" with "Rockefeller", who was then charged with a 25-year old murder and sentenced to life in prison.

As usual the club rated the book out of a possible ten points.
The total points for the 11 attendees was 13 so that's an average of 1.2 out of 10!
This book set a record as the lowest-scored book in Whodunit's history!

No one wished to read another book by the author.

We meet next at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 23rd
Our February selection is The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel (Danish author).

You can always find the latest on Chapters Dartmouth's Book Clubs on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/87982413118/

My most anticipated titles for 2016

I have committed to reading and reviewing a LOT of fiction titles in 2016 via NetGalley, Edelweiss, and TLC Book Tours.

Of the ones I’ve agreed to review – I've listed TEN of the titles that I am MOST looking forward to!  

You just might find a title to add to 

YOUR TBR list !

Top 15 of 2015

I’ve read 70 novels in 2015, many of them excellent.  So you can understand my dilemma in choosing only 15 titles as my personal favorites.  I’ve been very lucky to have enjoyed about 90% of my reading this year.  Subsequently there are a lot of ‘honorable mentions’ that didn’t quite make my

Top 15  of 2015 list

 

Whodunit Book Club ~ November 24, 2015

For the last Whodunit meeting of 2015 we discussed "What kills good men" by David Hood.  Of the twelve members who voted, this novel garnered an average score of 7/10.  Most of the scores were high, though two very low scores brought the average down.
All but two members stated they would read another book by this author.  It turns out that there will be a sequel featuring many of the same characters - so they are in luck!

David Hood's novel, set in 1899 Halifax, Nova Scotia follows one week of a murder investigation.  The victim was a prominent member of society, a city alderman, who was living a double life.  The policemen were a duo of high integrity and morals.  The elder, Culligan Baxter, was a married man and a Catholic who was burnt out, embittered, and highly judgmental.  The younger,  Kenny Squire, was just learning the ropes and was working his very first murder investigation.  There was obviously a lot of respect between the two policemen and their rapport was a pleasure to read.

Of the book club members who thought highly of the novel - these are a few of the positive comments:

• vivid descriptions which transported the reader to both time and place of the book's setting
• well-developed characters
• well researched historical data
• thoughtful prose
• enjoyed the language
• good rendering of class distinction 
• realistic and believable ending

Here are a few of the more negative comments:

• long chapters  (each representing a day)
• too much emphasis put on descriptive passages
• too much tedious police procedure
• unsatisfactory ending - justice denied

Both those who liked the novel and those who didn't felt that the book could have benefited from a map.
The message of the novel was that power corrupts and nothing is black or white.

The title was discussed and we felt that the 'good man' of the title was not the murder victim, but rather the policeman, Culligan Baxter.  What 'kills' him is the fact that justice is often denied, and that the world is not black or white, but a shade of gray as murky as the Halifax fog.

Halifax City Police on the steps of the Grand Parade, c1914

 

The winners of the book giveaways this month were:

1. Cathy
2. Marilyn
3. Jane
4. Carolyn
5. Margaret 

The next meeting of the Whodunit Book Club will be January 26, 2016
We are trying something different next time... a true crime novel!
"Blood will out" by Walter Kirn
Hope to see you there!

Anyone interested in looking at some photos of 'old' Halifax might want to take a gander at this blog:  https://oldnorthend.wordpress.com/

Whodunit Book Club - October 27, 2015

Whodunit Book Club is a great place to catch up with folk who share a penchant for reading mystery fiction.  Tonight fourteen members met at Chapters store, MicMac Mall, Dartmouth.  Some faces were regulars, some not so much.  All were welcome.

Tonight we discussed "Once upon a lie" by Maggie Barbieri.  The first novel in a series, the book features Maeve Conlon, a divorced mother of two teenage girls, and a businesswomen who owns and runs a bakery/cafe.  Her life is kept very busy doing the balancing act of the sandwich generation.  Her father, Jack, is a retired policeman who is suffering from early stage dementia and resides in an assisted living facility near Maeve's home.  Her ex-husband is remarried and has a new baby.  Her bakery is just barely making ends meet.

We begin reading just about the time when Maeve's cousin Sean Donovan has been murdered.  Maeve grew up living next door to Sean, but their relationship was complicated.  Maeve's mother died when she was only seven.  While Jack worked as a policeman to support himself and his only daughter, he left Maeve under Sean's supervision.
Now that Sean is gone - murdered in a rather sordid way - Maeve worries that bad blood between Sean and her father might have precipitated Jack into murdering Sean.  She tries to discern if he could have done it...

As we usually do at Whodunit, we polled the members to rate the novel out of a possible 10 points - asking those in attendance if they would read another book by this author.   The average score for "Once upon a lie" was 5.6 out of 10 with only one member saying they would read further in the series.

Lively discussion prevailed.  First off we discussed if we thought the book was a 'thriller' as the cover proclaimed.  Most of us agreed that it was not.  A mystery perhaps... but one in which it was fairly easy to discern the culprit.
Members appreciated the fact that the author employed humor to lighten the often dark subject matter.
Although many members were empathetic toward the protagonist Maeve, others thought her unsympathetic and one-dimensional.  Most members agreed that the writing was good on the whole, but was at times tedious and unrealistic.  One scene in particular was said to be 'over the top'!   There were some interesting secondary characters, but even they were at times caricature-like.  Some members disliked the fact that justice did not prevail.

Anyone interested in reading further in this series will need to purchase #2 "Lies that bind" and #3 "Lie in plain sight".  Maggie Barbieri is the author of the Murder 101 series and this new series starring baker Maeve Conlon.

Five lucky Whodunit members won books this evening:
1. Heather 
2. Cathy
3. Marilyn
4. Nancy
5. Margaret

During November's meeting of the Whodunit Book Club we will discuss "What kills good men" by local author David Hood.  Set in Halifax in 1899, this historical mystery should be of interest to all.

Whodunit Book Club - September 29, 2015

We had an interesting discussion this evening as we reminisced about our own individual 'first time' attending Whodunit Book Club.    The club was founded in January of 1998, so members had joined at various times and thus had varied memories of their first meeting.  Most members come for the social interaction with fellow mystery readers.  They liked that Whodunit enables them to try new authors that they would not have tried on their own.  The club attendance varies from month to month, with numbers ranging from 10 to 24 on any one given evening.

The novel we discussed this evening was the first in a series set in London, England, featuring Frieda Klein, a psychoanalyst.  "Blue Monday" by Nicci French generated many diverse opinions, though the majority really liked the novel.  Our average score was 7.25 points out of 10 -  with ten out of the thirteen members present saying that wanted to read more novels in the series.

There were many positive comments about the book.  Most agreed it was a fast-paced thriller, that it was thought-provoking, and contained some canny twists and at least one 'gobsmacking' revelation.

Members who did not enjoy the novel thought that Frieda's character acted very non-professionally and that the twin angle was more than a little bit creepy.

We marveled at the way that the writing couple of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French made writing novels together seem so easy with their seamless narrative.

Nicci French is the married couple: Nicci Gerrard & Sean French

 I have written a review of the novel "Blue Monday" on my blog Fictionophile (in case anyone is interested in my personal observations)

The winners of the book giveaways this month were very lucky indeed as there were some very new ARCs on offer.  The winners of the 5 prizes were:
1. Carolyn
2. Margaret  (who declined the win and we drew again)
3. Jane
4. Cathy
5. Heather
6. Carmella 

The novel we will discuss at our next meeting on October 27th will be "Once upon a lie" by Maggie Barbieri.  Hope to see you there! 

Whodunit Book Club - August 25, 2015

After a two month break (there was no meeting in July), 13 members attended the August meeting of the Whodunit Mystery Book Club.

This month we discussed the novel "The Drop Zone" by Bob Kroll.

 

Opinions about the novel were varied.  A positive for us because the discussion is always livelier and more interesting when that is the case.  As is our usual practice, the members each rated the novel out of a possible 10 points stating whether or not they would read another book by the author.  With thirteen votes the average rating was  

6 1/4 points with six members saying they would read another title by Bob Kroll.

“The Drop Zone” introduces T. J. Peterson.  A police detective in an unnamed urban municipality in Eastern Canada.  Peterson has lost his wife, his daughter, his faith in God and his fellow man – and quite possibly… his job.    His wife he lost to a traffic accident while she was with another man.  His daughter is a teenage runaway who torments him with silent video calls of a derelict room furnished with an unmade bed and empty syringes.

Peterson, burnt out and hungover, is tasked with solving the brutal murder of a Catholic priest.  His investigations lead him to the dark and depraved world of teenage prostitution and sex trafficking.

The subject matter was dark and most considered it to be a 'noir' novel.

Although some thought it a fast-paced and interesting novel with a likable protagonist, others thought less of it.  The members who gave it low marks seemed to find that the protagonist was too flawed - a cliche who wallowed in his misery.

While some thought the ending clear and 'tied up', others didn't understand the ending and found it obscure. 

Although the setting was unnamed, and the fact that artistic license was taken by the author, we acknowledged that the novel was loosely set in our home city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The author's vivid descriptions ensured that there remained a frisson of recognition for certain places described.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lucky winners of book giveaways:

1. Marilyn

2. Nancy

3. Carmella

4. Carolyn

5. Cathy

Members will meet again on September 29th when we will discuss "Blue Monday" by Nicci French.

Whodunit Book Club - June 30, 2015

Ten members of Whodunit attended the June meeting.  We discussed the historical novel "The last Dickens" by Matthew Pearl.

As is our usual custom we each gave the book a rating out of a possible 10 points.  "The last Dickens" garnered an average score of  5.66 with only two members saying they would read another title by this author.

Plot summary from Wikipedia:
The novel is set in the US, England, and India in 1867 and 1870. When news of Charles Dickens’s untimely death reaches the office of his struggling American publisher, Fields & Osgood, partner James R. Osgood sends his trusted clerk Daniel Sand to await Dickens’s unfinished last novel – The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
But when Daniel’s body is discovered by the docks and the manuscript is nowhere to be found, Osgood must embark on a transatlantic quest to unearth the novel that will save his venerable business and reveal Daniel’s killer. Danger and intrigue abound on the journey, for which Osgood has chosen Rebecca Sand, Daniel’s older sister, to help clear her brother’s name and achieve their singular mission. As they attempt to uncover Dickens’s final mystery, Osgood and Rebecca find themselves racing the clock through a dangerous web of literary lions and drug dealers, sadistic thugs and blue bloods, and competing members of the inner circle. They soon realize that understanding Dickens’s lost ending is a matter of life and death, and the hidden key to stopping a murderous mastermind.
The novel also includes interspersed sections about Charles Dickens's 1867 reading tour of the United States

Positive comments:

The novel was well researched and had a lot of potential.
The cover was attractive.
Members enjoyed finding out about the remarkable and fascinating Charles Dickens.
It was interesting to read about the social conditions of the 1870s.

Negative comments:

It was hard to connect with the myriad characters, thus it was hard to connect with the novel.
The novel was verbose and over-long, with a subplot set in India which seemed unnecessary.
Amazingly researched, but poor execution of the fictional rendition.
The novel didn't live up to its potential.

The novel was described as an historical thriller.  The Whodunit members could not find anything 'thrilling' about it.
Some suggested that this author, with his talents for historical research would be more suited to writing narrative non-fiction.

There will be NO July meeting of the Whodunit Book Club.  Our next meeting will be held on August 25th when we will discuss "The Drop Zone" by Bob Kroll.

The lucky winners of free books this month were:
1. Jane
2. Heather
3. Marilyn
4. Cathy

BritCrime Festival Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of BritCrime’s first free online crime fiction festival, 11-13 July, I have teamed up with BritCrime authors to give away one fabulous prize.
You could win a gift bundle of ten print books, including new releases by Colette McBeth and Sarah Hilary, and MJ McGrath’s Gold Dagger longlisted White Heat. This giveaway is open internationally. One lucky winner will win all ten books.

Please complete the entries in the Rafflecopter before midnight 10th July for a chance to win.
To learn more about the BritCrime festival, please visit http//britcrime.com and sign up to the newsletter. There will be giveaways and live Q&As with bestselling British crime fiction authors hosted on BritCrime’s Facebook page 11 & 12 July.
The Magpies + What You Wish For by Mark Edwards
No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary
The Life I Left Behind + Precious Thing by Colette McBeth
White Heat by M J McGrath
Beyond the Rage by Michael J Malone
Follow the Leader + Watching Over You by Mel Sherratt
The Harbour Master by Daniel Pembrey

Visit my other blog Fictionophile to enter to win!