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 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.
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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 - April 28, 2015

Eleven members gathered this evening to discuss Jamie Mason's debut novel "Three Graves Full".

We were all over the map in our rating of this novel.  Some high scores of 9/10 and some low scores or 2/10 and 3/10.   This disparity of views always makes for lively discussion.  The average score tallied 6/10 with half of the members saying they would read another novel by this author.

Written with wit - some of the Whodunit members found the humor to their taste while others did not.  We discussed that how you approached this novel greatly influenced the level of enjoyment.  If you looked upon it as a serious mystery - it came across as farcical.   If you approached it as a humorous novel, then your enjoyment was increased.

Many agreed that the author employed great descriptions (though some thought there were too many of those).  Some thought that there were too many disturbingly gory scenes, while others viewed those scenes as being a tool the author used to relay black humor.

The protagonist was a sympathetic character - even though he was a murderer.  Favorite characters were the entire Ford family with many readers really liking the Ford's dog, Tess.  Some loved the parts that were written from Tess's point of view, while others expressed that this was way too farfetched.   One astute reader cited that the novel was a good study of human nature.  The characters seemed to take no responsibility for their own actions - claiming that other people or factors were at fault.

We learned that Jamie Mason had "great kindling" for this novel.  She based it upon a headline she read "Landscaper finds skull in mulch bed".

I personally read this novel back in 2012 and reviewed it on my blog: Fictionophile.  As you'll see by my review, I enjoyed it tremendously.

Jamie Mason now has a second novel published "Monday's Lie".

 

Tonight's lucky winners of book giveaways were:

1. Marilyn

2. Nancy

3. Cathy

4. Brenda

5. Carmella

The next meeting of the Whodunit Book Club will be held on May 26, 2015 when we will discuss the novel "The devotion of Suspect X" by Keigo Higashino

Whodunit Meeting October 28, 2014

A chilly autumn evening and only eight members turned up for our monthly Whodunit Book Club meeting.   The meeting was anything but chilly however.  Much camaraderie and hilarity ensued.

Many topics were discussed, but the novel under discussion was S. J. Bolton's "Now you see me".
The first novel in a series of 4 1/2 so far (four novels and one novella) , the novel was quite highly rated by the group in attendance with a score of 8.5 out of a possible ten points and only one member saying she would not read another in the series.

"Now you see me" was a fast-paced police procedural mystery novel set in South London which contained short chapters with 'cliff-hanger' endings ensuring that the novel was a real page-turner.  The strong and well described opening was very memorable though too graphic for some.  The many twists and well portrayed action scenes were appreciated as were the well rendered descriptive passages and extensive background research.

I wrote a review of the novel on my blog: Fictionophile

The lucky winners of the book giveaways this month were...... drum roll..... everyone in attendance!
Thanks to Pam and Chapters Dartmouth for hosting such an enjoyable meeting every month!

November's title will be: "Cold Mourning" by Brenda Chapman. "Cold mourning" is the first book in the Stonechild and Rouleau mystery series set in Ottawa, Ontario.

Whodunit meeting Sept. 30, 2014

September's title was "Under you skin" by Sabine Durrant.   Fifteen Whodunit members attended and the average score out of ten was 7.64 with only half of the members saying they would read another novel by this author.  Interestingly, the voting was polarized with people voting either very high or very low.  Few members were ambivalent.

Durrant’s latest novel is set in London, England where we enter the life of morning television co-host, Gaby Mortimer.   Gaby has it all, or seems to.   A wonderful high-profile job, a handsome and very successful husband, a darling eight-year-old daughter, a ritzy South London address, and live-in help.
Then, one pre-dawn morning in early spring Gaby goes out to the common near her house for her daily run.  When during her run she discovers the body of a dead young woman – her life is irrevocably changed.  In her shock she touches the girls hair and clothing.  A few days later these factors and other physical evidence lead the detectives to arrest her!   Gaby’s shock, dismay and panic at being arrested are palpable.  With her husband in Singapore on a business trip she has no one to support her during this trying time.  After thirty-six hours pass, with nothing other than circumstantial evidence the police have to release her.  One would think that was the end of Gaby’s nightmare, but no…. her nightmare is only just beginning.   It turns out that the dead woman (who resembles Gaby physically) has been wearing Gaby’s clothes!   The police said that she was at Gaby’s house to interview for the position of nanny – but Gaby has no recollection of such an interview.  And the nightmare goes on….

The novel was full of twists and red herrings and included a surprise ending that took most of us by surprise.  Cleverly written, the novel was a true page-turner.
The members who did not care for "Under your skin" professed to dislike the protagonist so much that it ruined their enjoyment of the novel.  They called her narcissistic and cold.
Those who really enjoyed the novel loved the ending and the empathy they experienced for Gaby during her 'ordeal'.  A few felt 'duped' by the clever plot twist at the end.

The moral of the story - if there was one - would be "assume nothing".

Personally I loved the book and wrote a review of it on my blog "Fictionophile".

Winners of September's book giveaways were:
1. Marilyn
2. Marlene
3. Lynne
4. Carolyn
5. Jean
6. Nancy

At our next meeting on October 28th we will discuss the British police procedural "Now you see me" by S.J. Bolton.

Whodunit Book Club March 27, 2012

Fifteen Whodunit members blew in to the Dartmouth Chapters store on this blustery March evening.
The novel under discussion this month was the classic hard-boiled detective novel "The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett. Written in 1929 it was a departure from the traditional mystery stories of the time.
As is our new custom, we went around the group giving this month's novel a rating out of ten. The average score was 6.066
Although it was not everyone's book of choice, almost all of us agreed that marks were given due to the book's importance as a prototype for the modern day detective story. What contributes to a book to make it a 'classic'? we wondered "What books of our time will become classics of future generations?

"The Maltese Falcon" read almost like a screenplay. It was agreed that it was for this reason that it probably translated so well to the big screen. Those Whodunit members who viewed the famous movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor agreed that it was very enjoyable and a classic film noir.
You can view the trailer of this classic film on YouTube.

The character of Brigid O'Shaughnessy was the epitome of the classic femme fatale. The character of Sam Spade was the prototype for the classic hard-drinking, hard-smoking detective upon which so many other detective stories were based.
The novel did not develop the characters - so much so that the characters appeared shallow. It was mentioned that at no time were the thoughts of the characters revealed. Only the verbose descriptions and the actions of the characters moved the plot along. This was another factor that made the novel read like a screenplay. Some thought that the prevalence of lies told by the characters made the story confusing. There was no real sense of place, which seemed a shame given the setting of San Francisco. There was however a keen sense of time period. Written during a time when sexist comments and actions were commonplace and smoking was socially accepted by all.

Tracey shared her take on the deeper meaning of the novel. She referred to the story/parable told by Sam Spade about Flitcraft in which he maintains that people never change and that essentially they will repeat the same life patterns regardless of the different circumstances they find themselves in. She maintains that this was the underlying philosophy of "The Maltese Falcon". She enlightened us all, as we seem to have neglected looking beyond the surface to the deeper meaning of the plot.
I found an interesting review of the novel which shares some of Tracey's thoughts.

Dashiell Hammett had many jobs during his lifetime. One of which was working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency!

The lucky book winners this month were:
Marilyn, Tracey, Gaye and Shawna.

Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 24th at which time we will discuss the Ian Rankin novel "The Complaints".

Reminder: Facebook users can join the Facebook group: "Chapters Dartmouth book clubs"

Whodunit Book Club February 28, 2012

Fourteen brave souls attended Whodunit Mystery Book Club on this frigid February evening.
And... everyone in attendance actually finished the book!

Pam's 'magical question' this evening: "When you hear that a book that you've enjoyed is being made into a movie, do you cheer or cringe?"
Eleven members said they would cringe. Of course there were provisos attached. Most said that they wanted to read the book first. Many said that the movie rarely lived up to the book but they want to view the movie out of curiosity just to see what the screenwriters did with it. Three members cheered as they usually enjoy the movie even when it is vastly changed from the book's plot.
As usual we all had the opportunity to rate this month's novel out of 10.
Fourteen members voted at club and two more voted in absentia(see blog comments) for an overall average rating of 6.4375

The novel we discussed this month was "The 13th hour" by Richard Doetsch. For many of us this was a memorable novel, mostly because it was told in reverse! At the opening (Chapter 12), the protagonist, Nick Quinn is being questioned at the police station as a suspect in his wife's murder. He is given the opportunity to travel back in time, in one hour increments, in order that he might save her.
A fascinating premise, it took the author only 30 days to complete the novel! Some of our members commented that there was too much repetition in the book, but many viewed the repetition as necessary due to the time travel element. We were quite surprised to discover that the author wrote it in reverse, just the same way we read it. He claims that the protagonist, Nick Quinn was actually based on himself. Julia Quinn was based on his wife. The character of his best friend, Marcus, was based upon an amalgam of his friends.

The novel was definitely a page-turner with a 'happily ever after' ending. A thriller/love story which explored the age-old question of 'What if?"
For those readers who did enjoy it,there WILL be a sequel with the characters of Nick and Julia Quinn returning.

The "13th hour" has been optioned by New Line Cinema to be made into a movie.

There are several video interviews with Richard Doetsch available on his website.

The lucky Whodunit winners of free books this month were:
1. Carolyn
2. Myrtle
3. Melanie
4. Margaret
Congratulations all!

Next month's novel is the classic Dashiell Hammett novel "The Maltese Falcon".
Hope to see you at club!

I learned a new word today!

I subscribe to a daily word email.
Today's word seemed relevant to the interests of my fellow mystery readers - so I thought I'd share...

MacGuffin
http://www.wordnik.com/words/MacGuffin
(noun) A plot element or other device used to catch the audience's attention and maintain suspense but whose exact nature has fairly little influence over the storyline.
While the origin of 'MacGuffin' is obscure, the first recorded usage was in a lecture given by Alfred Hitchcock at Columbia University in 1939. A 'red herring' differs in that it purposely draws attention away from the central issue.
Example:
"But the microfilm that the bad guys are smuggling out of the country — that's just what Hitchcock called the MacGuffin, the pretense for the movie, the silly excuse upon which he pinned his real story: a man is mistaken for another man and nearly murdered because of this mistake."
--The Mother of All Horror Films, Newsweek, January 6, 2010

Whodunit Book Club June 28, 2011

Eighteen members were present for the June meeting.
Pam posed the question: "Does a mystery have to contain a murder in order for it to be a good read?" With the exception of a few who like their stories to be a little gory and love a good murder, most thought that a novel could be considered a good read if the 'mystery' was something as mundane as a theft, a missing person, or the like as long as the characters and plot were interesting.

This month's novel was "Life sentences" by Laura Lippman.

The members present were asked to rate this month's book out of 10. Two members abstained from voting as they had not read the book. The remaining sixteen rated an average of 5/10. Not really a 'mystery' in the usual sense of the genre, this novel was more a study that explores the responsibility writers hold for the content of their work.

"Life Sentences" was inspired by a real-life story of a Baltimore woman whose young son disappeared, whereupon she refused to make any statement and spent seven years in prison for contempt of court. Lippman's protagonist in the novel, Cassandra Fallows, an author, knew a girl in grade school who, as an adult, had that same experience. Cassandra sets out to write a book about herself and her childhood friends and how this girl, Callie Jenkins, eventually went to jail under suspicion of murdering her son. Cassandra returns to her home town of Baltimore and seeks the memories of old friends who no longer feel terribly friendly toward her -- and whose memories often differ dramatically from her own.

The few members who rated this novel highly liked the concept dealing with memory. How the book raised the notion that everyone's 'truth' is different. How different people witnessing the same event can have completely different memories of that event. How, over time, we can reinvent the past to suit ourselves making it all about us.

Those who did not rate the novel highly found that the author did not invest in her characters which left the reader not really caring about them one way or another. The novel seemed comprised of several different story lines without any one being followed through before another started.

The lucky winners of three hardcover novels were: Betty, Kim and Marilyn. Congratulations!

The next meeting will be July 26th when we will discuss "Foul deeds" by Linda Moore.

Reminder: There will not be a meeting of the Whodunit Book Club in August.

Whodunit Book Club February 22, 2011

Nineteen members braved the chilly temperatures to attend this month's meeting.
Pam's 'magical question' this evening:
"Do you prefer reading 'page turners' or books that savour language more and venture into description and characterization?"
The majority of members seemed to read both types with a marked preference toward the more literary type of novel, with a few preferring the page turner type of book. The discussion then digressed to a the query "What IS a page turner?" We deemed a page-turner could fall within two different catagories. The first category of page-turner is an action packed novel with short chapters and little characterization. The second category could be any book that you are so interested/immersed in that the pages seem to turn of their own volition. The dictionary definition of page turner: any book, esp. a novel, which is so interesting, exciting, suspenseful, etc. that it draws the reader along, though it may be of little or no literary worth.

The novel under discussion this month was "True Blue" by David Baldacci. A book that could be considered a page-turner, but one which fell into the first category. About 75% of the members in attendance did not enjoy the novel and a few of those did not read it to the end. The comment was made that to enjoy this type of novel fully one would have to "check their brains at the door" and have the ability to suspend belief. About a quarter of the members enjoyed it a lot and would read more books by this author.

David Baldacci is a best-selling novelist in the true sense of the term. He has over 100 million books in print and his books have been printed in over 45 languages!
He began writing in high school and claims that writing is his 'private passion'. A lawyer in real life, David Baldacci has worked as both a corporate and a trial attorney. He is a philanthropist who established the "Wish you Well Foundation" which promotes literacy.

"True blue" was a novel which told the story of 'black-ops' pertaining to national security. While suspenseful and action-packed its characters were one-dimensional and the plot was at times unbelievable. The protagonist Mace, was a larger-than-life character who recently released from prison, took more chances than any sane person should. Her sister, Washington D.C.'s police chief seemed to bend the rules to aid her wayward sister at every turn.

Break-neck paced, the novel was saturated with strong women. Two somewhat likeable (Mace and her sister Beth) and two that were villainous (the Russian assassin and the attorney who framed Mace). It portrayed the U.S. capital as having a dark and dank underbelly where no one would want to visit.

Congratulations to the lucky winners of the free book draw this month:
Laird
Mabel
Carmella
Marilyn

Whodunit's next meeting will be held on March 29th when we will discuss "Red snow" by Michael Slade.

"The lineup"

If like me, you wonder what inspires your favorite mystery novelists, then the new book "The lineup" edited by Otto Penzler is a must read.
Some of the most famous and influential crime writers reveal the inside story behind their greatest detective creations. Some of my favorite authors are included: Colin Dexter, Carol O'Connell, Jeffery Deaver, Ian Rankin, and Michael Connelly to name a few.
What inspired the authors to create the characters the way they did? Why did they chose the locations they did? You will discover what makes these much-loved fictional characters tick, and have a unique chance to get inside the minds of the esteemed novelists who created them.

Is fiction ever really unique?

I recently read the new novel by Chelsea Cain entitled "Heart Sick".
After reading this novel I went on to read several reviews of the title. Some reviewers seemed to think less of it because it reminded them so much of Thomas Harris' Hannibal Lecter novels. They felt that the author leaned too heavily on the plot style and method of Harris. True, there were similarities. However, is fiction ever completely unique? When you read a specific genre, whether it be mystery, fantasy or romance you are going to encounter similar themes and devices. The sadistic serial killer is just another example. Despite some bad press I enjoyed the novel. You can read my review in November's Gumshoe Review.