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 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/

Whodunit Meeting February 24, 2015

It was nice to see everyone who attended Whodunit tonight.  The wintery weather was a topic of conversation among the twelve in attendance - at least for the first few minutes. 

Tonight we discussed the stand-alone novel "The perfect ghost" by Linda Barnes.

The story was about one member of a ghost-writing team.   Her partner, Teddy, has recently died in a tragic car accident.  Emily, the remaining partner is attempting to fulfill obligations to a publisher by completing the biography of a famous actor/director.   She has always been the 'writer'.  Teddy had been the public face of the pair.  He did the interviews, the socializing, the public relations.  Now all those aspects of the job were hers as well...

As is our usual custom we rated the novel out of a possible ten points.  Sadly the group's average rating was a mere 4.6 points!

Touted as a novel of suspense, "The perfect ghost" was a prime example of unrealized potential.  A good premise, a great setting, an attractive cover, yet the novel was not generally liked.

The reasons for our opinion:  The protagonist was a flat, unlikeable, unemphatic character whom we really didn't care about.  Since she narrated the entire book (with the exception of the interview sequences), that was a critical failing.  Emily, the ghost writer of the title, was self-deprecating, and supposedly mentally ill... or was she?   She turned out to be narcissistic and manipulative.

The Cape Cod setting was well portrayed and described.  In fact the author handled the setting better than the characters.  The characterizations were lacking depth and made the reader unable to invest much interest in them.

The twists were appreciated by some, but many found them to be thrown in the novel with little build up to maximize tension.  Therefore they felt anti-climatic.

All the members who read it seemed disappointed.  Many lost interest long before the end...


Tonight the lucky winners of the book giveaways were:
1. Kim
2. Jane
3. Carmella
4. Brian

Next month - on March 31st - we will discuss "Walt" by Russell Wangersky

Comments are welcomed.  Any Whodunit members who could not attend tonight's meeting, as well as those who did attend and want to add their opinions, please submit a comment.

Whodunit Book Club - July 29, 2014

On this midsummer's eve fourteen Book Club members attended the Whodunit meeting at Chapters, Dartmouth.  We discussed the novel "The Killer Trail" by Canadian author D.B. Carew.

The discussion was animated, lively and entertaining - which is more than can be said for the novel.
The average score that Whodunit members gave the book was 3.5 out of a possible ten points.

The overall comments reflected disappointment by the readers.  The premise held promise, but the poor execution failed miserably.  The situations and relationships were unrealistic.  The writing was amateurish and the narrative was far-fetched.  One member equated the novel to a school boy's essay, with juvenile writing and stilted dialog.

The protagonist was an unprofessional and unintelligent social worker.  He was unbelievable in that his actions were unlikely to have happened.  The favourite character of the readers seemed to be Ray, the villian - mostly because his character was more fleshed out than the others.   Some characters seemed to be surplus to requirements altogether.  There was an unexplained kidnapping, a mole that was not revealed, an unnecessary sex scene, and a non-existent ending.  Some members commented that they thought there were several pages missing from their books as the ending just wasn't there.  No resolutions.  Nothing explained.  Nothing.

The book was not entirely without merit.  The cover and the title were good.  The  contemporary premise promising.

Of the author, one member said kindly "Bless his heart, he tried".

Curiously, this debut novel , The Killer Trail, was short listed in 2013 for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger.   Whodunit wonders.... "What were they thinking?"

 The lucky winners of free books this month were:
1.  Marilyn
2.  Marlene
3.  Carmella
4.  Cathy D.
5.  Jean
6.  Lynne

Whodunit book club's next meeting will be held on September 30th when we will discuss the British mystery novel "Under your skin" by Sabine Durrant.

Whodunit members enjoy a 10% discount for book club selections.

"Under your skin" is also available as a Kobo ebook.

Whodunit Book Club meeting Sept. 24, 2013

On this crisp early autumn evening eleven folks turned up at Chapter's Dartmouth for the Whodunit Book Club Meeting.  Many familiar faces were absent, (at Bouchercon perhaps?) and we welcomed a few new members.

The title we discussed this month was "Deceptions" by Rebecca Frayn.  The title in this instance was particularly apt as the plot dealt with deceptions of others as well as self-deceptions.  An online reading group guide is available from Simon & Schuster.

Members rated the novel 5.5 out of ten.  The book stimulated a great discussion which is often the case when the score is low.  Comments such as "weird" and "bizarre" were used to describe the book and many found the lack of character development off-putting.  The narrator/protagonist was a pompous, controlling character with whom few could warm up to.  The blurb on the cover "A compulsive thriller with echoes of Ruth Rendell" seemed high praise indeed for a book that seemed to drag and have an unsatisfying ending.

The plot centered around a British family.  The wife had only recently been widowed and is now in a new relationship with the narrator of the story.  She has a son and a daughter by her first marriage and strangely seems to let her new partner control the household and make many of the most important decisions.  One day her adolescent son goes off to school on his bicycle and never returns.  This life changing event devastates the family.  The mother has a near breakdown.  The daughter seemingly forgotten in the wake of her older brother's disappearance.  The relationship is strained.  After three long years of coming to terms with Daniel's absence, Annie, the mother, never gives up hope for her son's return.  Then miraculously... a phone call.  Daniel is coming home!  For reasons of her own she does not want to inform the police of his return and does not enroll him in school.  Julian is skeptical that the boy who claims to be Daniel is who he says he is.  He believes him to be an imposter but is hesitant to prove this to Annie fearing that the already strained relationship will sever permanently.

We discussed how the plot seemed implausible and that it would never have happened as depicted in the story.  However.... the author actually wrote the novel based on true events!  The case of Frédéric Bourdin, a serial imposter, impersonated at least three teenage missing persons!


The winners of this month's book giveaways:
1. Jennifer
2. Carmella
3. Heather
4. Marlene

Our next Whodunit meeting will be held on October 29th.  At that time we will discuss the historical mystery "A duty to the dead" by Charles Todd.

Frédéric Bourdi

Frédéric Bourdin. Discuss how Bourdin was so successful and what motivated him to deceive so many people. You can find a profile of Bourdin at: http:// www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/08/11/080811fa_ fact_grann. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Deceptions/Rebecca-Frayn/9781439196397/reading_group_guide#sthash.J0J8nBgO.dpuf

Frédéric Bourdin. Discuss how Bourdin was so successful and what motivated him to deceive so many people. You can find a profile of Bourdin at: http:// www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/08/11/080811fa_ fact_grann. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Deceptions/Rebecca-Frayn/9781439196397/reading_group_guide#sthash.J0J8nBgO.dpuf

Frédéric Bourdin. Discuss how Bourdin was so successful and what motivated him to deceive so many people. You can find a profile of Bourdin at: http:// www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/08/11/080811fa_ fact_grann. - See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.ca/Deceptions/Rebecca-Frayn/9781439196397/reading_group_guide#sthash.J0J8nBgO.dpuf

Whodunit Book Club meeting March 26, 2013

You can tell spring is almost here when you arrive at the monthly Whodunit meeting before sunset.  Though there is still snow on the ground, our thoughts have turned towards longer days and warmer temperatures.  A fairly small group attended this evening's meeting in which we were pleased to welcome some new members.

This evening we discussed the novel "The Walker on the Cape" by Mike Martin.  A Newfoundland native, Mike Martin now lives in Ottawa but returns to his home province annually.  The cover of the novel is very attractive with a photo of the Grand Bank lighthouse figured prominently.

As is our usual custom, we rated the novel out of a possible 10 points.  Of the sixteen voters present, the average vote was 6.5.   Opinions were very disparate with some votes as high as 9 and some as low as 3.  Detractors found the novel very simplistic and unsophisticated.  Many were critical of the way the dialogue did not flow naturally. Most agreed the novel could have done with some more editing and the use of a few vigilant proofreaders. Detractors found the few loose ends in the plot to be tied up too neatly with little effort or discomfort.  Even Windflower's corrupt boss was eliminated as a problem early on in the story.  If he had stayed longer, Windflower would have had someone to battle against, thus making the plot more interesting.  In short, the plot had potential but was under-developed. 

Detractors and fans alike all seemed to like the setting of the novel which was for the most part well described.  Most liked the RCMP Sgt. Winston Windflower.  They enjoyed his upstanding character and his morning ritual adherence to his native 'smudging' ceremony.

Fans of the novel found it to be a nice change of pace.  They relished the 'cosy' aspects of the novel.  There was no gratuitous violence, no tension or jeopardy,   The small community of Grand Bank was a prime example of small communities anywhere. Readers liked Windflower's love interest and appreciated their relationship enough that they would like to read about it in further novels. However, those looking for passion would not find it in this book as the two didn't so much as kiss.  It was joked that the mention of Windflower changing his sheets in preparation for her visit was about as steamy as it got...

All in all, "The Walker on the Cape" was considered a 'light' read with the crime coming secondary to the everyday life of the characters.

The winners of this month's book give-away were:
1. Carolyn
2. Lynne
3. Carmella
4. Nancy R.

Next month we will discuss the legal thriller "Defending Jacob" by William Landay.

Feb. 2013 Whodunit Meeting

Fourteen members of the Whodunit Book Club met on February 26 to discuss "The Cleaner" by New Zealand writer Paul Cleave. 

Two members sent evaluations in absentia. 

The cleaner of the title refers to a man, Joe, who cleans in a Christchurch, New Zealand police station by day and kills women at night, his “night work”. His position in the police station gives him access to the investigation of these killings, which have been attributed to a serial killer dubbed the Christchurch Carver. Joe discovers something disturbing, however, he discovers that seven killings have been blamed on the Carver but he knows he has killed only six times. He vows to take his revenge on the copycat killer and then frame him for all the murders.

This is a promising premise for a serial killer story and there were a host of glowing reviews and recommendations for The Cleaner, including one from Mark Billingham, last month’s featured author, so we looked forward to reading and enjoying this dark crime thriller. Alas, it proved to be a big disappointment. Most members gave it low marks; in fact, the average of 4/10 was one of our lowest scores ever. Many were put off by the gratuitous violence, the unlikeable and unsympathetic 

characters, especially the main character (one person said he was a boring psychopath). When asked if we had formed a mental picture of any of the characters, the answer was a resounding no. Some mentioned that it was painful to read because of the violence and two members chose not to finish it at all. There was some dark humour, which was clever but became tiresome towards the end of the book. The Cleaner did have its defenders who liked the darkness and the twists within the story but only one person would definitely read other books by Cleave and two said they might. 

Despite these negative comments we had a lively discussion about the book and about what is the acceptable (to us) level of violence in dark crime fiction and why psychological thrillers appeal to us as readers. One member concluded that the appeal it is in learning the “why” of a particular crime, something that was lacking in The Cleaner.

Winners of the book giveaways for February were:

1.     Cathy G. (welcome back, Cathy)

2.     Carolyn

3.     Nancy

4.     Liz

Next month we will discuss a “cozy”, set in Grand  Bank, Newfoundland, "The Walker on the Cape" by Mike Martin. 

Thanks to Marlene for writing this post as I missed the February meeting due to family illness.

October 30, 2012 Whodunit Meeting

The Whodunit Book Club met on a dark and blustery October 30 to discuss the Reluctant Detective by P.E.I. writer, Finley Martin. Twelve members attended and one sent an assessment in absentia. The reluctant detective of the title refers to a young, recently widowed mother (Anne with an “e”) who returns to Prince Edward Island to work as a receptionist for her Uncle Billy, a private detective. When Billy dies and leaves her the agency she decides to keep it and become a detective as well. 

As we went around the circle to give our assessments of the book the comments were not favourable. They included: improbable, far-fetched, unbelievable, cartoonish and silly. We discussed the structure of the book, its short chapters and uneven pacing. Most liked the way it started by introducing a new, reluctant, detective, finding her way, but then found it veered off into improbable action thriller mode. There was some humour in the book but many readers wanted more. One person pointed out inaccuracies concerning Africa and the use of the derogatory term “natives” when referring to African people. Despite these negative comments about 5 people said they would consider reading another book if it were to become a series. The Charlottetown setting rang true and the characters around the detective, although not necessarily the detective herself, were likeable. This combination has potential for another book. It was agreed that the blurb and publicity around the book created high expectations which were not met, especially when compared to other books we have been reading lately. The average rating was 5/10.

Gaye recommended a British writer, Sophie Hannah, and a book, "The Keeper of Lost Causes" by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen.

Congrats to the winners of the book draw: Marlene, Cathy, Carolyn and Heather.

Many thanks to Marlene for writing this post in my absence.  I did read the book and heartily agree with the above comments.  I think it very unlikely that I will read another book my this author.

 

Next month’s book is Fall from Grace by Edmonton writer Wayne Arthurson

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 March 29, 2011

A cozy gathering of 15 souls turned up for this month's Whodunit meeting. Some regular attendees were absent - and some we haven't seen for a while were warmly welcomed.
Pam's 'magical' question(s) for this meeting:
1. Rate this month's book from 1-10.
2. Do you prefer graphic/grisly mysteries or cozy/traditional mysteries?
I'm afraid the rating of this month's title was very low. According to my calculations, the average score was 2 out of 10.
On the whole, members enjoy both grisly and cozy mysteries depending upon their mood and of course the quality of the writing.

The title this month, "Red snow" by Michael Slade was for the most part a disappointment. The plot was referred to as 'flat' and poorly written with little in the way of character development. Members spoke of the gratuitous and very graphic gory scenes. (He calls his fans "Sladists"). Some believed that the author had a good premise for the novel, but did not follow through upon that premise. The characters were like cardboard cutouts, and some of the dialog was almost spoof-like.

The author, Michael Slade is actually a pseudonym for Vancouver based criminal lawyer, Jay Clarke. He specializes in the 'law of insanity' and he argued the last death penalty case in Canada.

Mr. Clarke works with writing partners. He has written with his wife, his law partners and now his daughter. He terms 'his' 14 novels to be 'isolation thrillers'.
His website, specialX.net is unique and worth a visit.

The lucky winners of free books this month were:
1. Carolyn
2. Gaye
3. Jodie
4. Myrtle

Next month's selection is "And on the surface die" by Lou Allin. It is the first in a series set on Vancouver Island.

Whodunit Book Club - May 25, 2010

The May meeting of the Whodunit Book Club consisted of 19 members. A good sized crowd for a lovely spring evening.
Pam's magical question.... What was your last 'impulse buy' of books, and what made you succumb to the impulse? The answers were varied of course and stimulated the usual interesting discussion. Some said the cover art was a factor, some said the price. Some said it was the fact that it was an anthology (which have a limited shelf life) and some just wanted to treat themselves.

The book under discussion: "When Zeffie got a clue" by Peggy Darty. Most of us were in agreement that the book was poorly written and could be aimed at a juvenile audience. The cozy mystery was a bit too 'goody-goody' with antiquated sex role portrayal, annoying repetition, and stilted, unrealistic dialogue. Some went so far as to say the book was boring with cardboard characters and plot and a setting that played little or no part in the story's development. The group said that the best part of the book was the cover and that they definitely would NOT read another book by the author!

The book give-away winners this month were: Carolyn, Judy, Nancy, Cathy, Marilyn and Regis.

It was mentioned that local author Pamela Callow (author of 'Damaged') is interested in being a guest at a Whodunit meeting sometime in the near future.

The book for next month's discussion: "Coroner" by M.R. Hall. I have read this novel and hope that the club members will enjoy it as much as I did.

A disappointment...

For some years now I have been a fan of the mystery novelist Val McDermid. I was very keen to read one of her most recent novels "A Darker Domain".
Well.... I read about half of it. I just couldn't reconcile reading it when I have dozens of great books waiting to be read.
The plot was disjointed and did not hold my attention. I felt no real empathy or connetion to any of the characters.
Have you read this novel? Was I too hasty in dismissing it? I'd love to hear from you with your opinions...