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 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

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 Meeting February 3, 2015

The weather was so foul on the scheduled date for our Book Club meeting that it was rescheduled to tonight.  That being said - only seven brave souls were in attendance. February 2015 will be memorable for its nasty winter weather.

I am awaiting notes on the meeting from a member who attended.
I believe the general concensus was that the group very much enjoyed the novel discussed.
The group read was "Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith  (aka J.K Rowling)

Although I did not attend the meeting, I personally loved the novel and have written a review on my other blog:  Fictionophile

Of the six (not including the moderator, Pam) who attended - everyone won a prize!  Congrats all!

During our next Whodunit meeting we will discuss "The perfect ghost" by Linda Barnes

Whodunit Book Club - November 25, 2014

The last Whodunit Book Club gathering of 2014!   Fourteen members attended and were treated to Christmas sweets thanks to our coordinator Pam.

Our book this month was "Cold Mourning" by Brenda Chapman and published by Dundurn Press.  Set in Canada's capital city during the week leading up to Christmas, it was a perfect novel to read this time of year.

The novel opens in 1995 in northern Canada where two young First Nations girls have accepted a lift from a stranger.  An action which brings about tragic and traumatic consequences for them both.
Skip ahead to chapter one and Kala Stonechild has just accepted a position on a special task force of the Ottawa police.  The reader immediately assumes that Kala is one of the two girls mentioned in the prologue.   Her name is apt.  Stonechild, a loner,  reveals little of herself.

The unit she is working for is headed by Jacques Rouleau.  A fair man, likeable and plagued with torment in both his private and professional life.  The others on her squad are wary of Kala at first but seem to develop a healthy respect for her as time goes by.

The first day on the job they are assigned a case of a missing Ottawa business man.  Their goal is to find him and have him home in time for Christmas.   Things are never as simple as they are at first glance and the squad are foiled at every turn.  When the businessman's body is found in the trunk of his car after he has frozen to death they have a plethora of suspects.  A highly dysfunctional family, some murky business deals and even murkier business partners.

The mystery was very well written with just the right amount of great descriptions and several plausible red herrings.   There were a lot of characters in the novel but the characters were so well drawn that the reader didn't become confused for a second.  The protagonists were engaging and likeable.   Tragic relationships abounded.

One grievance most of the Whodunit readers had with the book was the poor editing.  There were several typos, grammar errors and inconsistencies that were jarring and interrupted the flow of the otherwise faultless narrative.

"Cold mourning", the first in the Stonechild and Rouleau mystery series, is the first novel to employ a female First Nations sleuth in Canadian fiction! 

The 14 Whodunit Book Club members in attendance rated the novel out of a possible 10 points.   The average score was 7.5 out of 10 with two votes of a perfect ten among them.

"Butterfly Kills", the second novel in the series will be released on January 10, 2015.

The six lucky winners of book giveaways this evening were:
1. Nancy
2. Brenda
3. Laird
4. Heather
5. Gaye
6. Cathy

Congratulations all!

Whodunit will not have a meeting in December.  Our next Whodunit Book Club will be on January 27, 2015 when we will discuss "The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith (aka J.D. Rowling)

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 Book Club Meeting March 25, 2014

Thirteen Whodunit members attended March's meeting where we discussed "The Crossing Places" by Elly Griffiths.

Elly Griffiths

This novel is the first in a series of six novels (so far) and it garnered our highest ever score!  The average score by thirteen voters rated "The Crossing Places" 9.076 out of a possible ten points with twelve of the thirteen saying they would go on to read other novels in this series.  (In fact several had already done so!) 

Members claimed the writing and the characterization was addictive leaving the reader wanting MORE of the same.

Because we almost unanimously loved the book, the discussion was less lively than in other meetings with less debate and more smiles and head-nodding.   Readers loved the character development in the novel -- especially that of Ruth Galloway who is a strong and clever female protagonist, with human fallibilities and a good sense of humor.  Other characters were also well developed and distinct from one another. 

The setting was vividly portrayed so that you could almost feel the cold and damp of the Norfolk marsh.  The fact that the protagonist is an archaeologist was a nice touch with references to archaeology written in an interesting way which was not boring to the reader.

The writing was admired for its spare language which described people, places and actions in a way which painted a vivid picture for the reader while keeping the verbosity to a minimum.  The prologue hooks the reader and doesn't let go until the end - which is the epitome of what we Whodunit members call a ''page turner".  The action was fast paced and there was a masterful balance of serious scenes, humour and personal anecdotes.  The use of red herrings was deployed, but in a way that tied into the plot in a sensible and not gratutious way.

High recommended by the Whodunit Book Club.  Well done Elly Griffiths!

Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk, England

The lucky winners of book giveaways this month were:
1. Nancy
2. Marlene
3. Jean
4. Lynne
5. Marilyn

During tonight's discussion several members expressed an interest in the website "Fantastic Fiction" as it is a valuable and reliable resource for readers who want to follow series fiction.

Next month (April 29th) we will discuss the German mystery novel "Snow White must die" by Nele Neuhaus.

John Dunning's "Deadline"

To some ardent bibliophiles ebooks are an irreverent format that is somehow disrespectful of books and their history.   Nothing being so sacred as the written word on paper, the feel of a book in your hand etc.  And don’t misunderstand…. John Dunning is an ardent bibliophile.  That fact is obvious from his Cliff Janeway novels which I have had the pleasure to read over the last twenty years.   What we must realize however is that one of the merits of the ebook format is that we as readers get to discover books we had missed upon their first publication.  Such is the case with “Deadline” c1981 and now re-released in ebook format in 2013 by Open Road Integrated Media.  

NetGalley provided me with an ebook copy of “Deadline” for review and I wasn’t disappointed.  John Dunning says in his foreword that this novel took only six weeks to write from start to finish.  One of the fastest novels he has ever written and nominated for an Edgar Award.  He writes from what he knows… the life of a journalist. The novel’s plot was driven by his experiences working for the Denver Post in the late 1960s.

The traveling circus has come to town and there has been a devastating fire.  One of the victims is a small girl whose body is not claimed… What could possibly cause a family to not claim their little girl’s body?  Dalton Walker, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist wants to find out.  As is the case with any journalist this is not the only story he is working on.  As the stories connect, Walker becomes entangled in a decades old unsolved FBI case and the momentum of the novel is established…
Fast-paced action and intriguing characters propel this novel along.  Lovers of suspense fiction will enjoy the timeless themes of corruption and menace.  A short novel and a fast but very satisfying and entertaining read.

Note: this post was originally published on my review blog: "Fictionophile"

Whodunit Meeting April 30, 2013

Eleven members of the Whodunit Book Club met on April 30 to discuss the legal thriller, Defending Jacob by William Landay.    

In this book Andy Barber, an Assistant District Attorney, finds his world turned upside down and his family life threatened when his fourteen year old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. Jacob insists he is innocent so Andy sets out to protect and defend his only son. In doing so he is forced to confront his own past and deal with some difficult family truths. 

All members agreed the book was well-written and told a compelling story with a satisfyingly shocking twist at the end. A number of people noted the similarities to We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver and the classic legal thriller, which was reviewed by the Club some years ago, Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow. A few people found the court procedural sections tended to drag as, indeed, they probably do in real life, and not everyone found the characters to be sympathetic but it was generally agreed that the novel stands up well in its genre. 

Whodunit members rated it 7/10.

Lucky winners of the book draw were: Jean, Shona, Marlene, and Tracey.

I was unable to attend this month's meeting.  Thanks once again to Marlene for this blog entry.

 

Next month we will discuss The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas.

new British police procedural series

Just had to share this new author! 

"Dark Winter" by David Mark, is a debut novel and the first in a series!  A British police procedural mystery set in Hull, a port city in North Eastern England, this series features a protagonist who has the character to see us through several books.... I only hope he does.  
Aector McAvoy (Hector) is a transplanted Scot, a family man with a pregnant wife and a young son.  He is larger than life, both in physical size and moral character. Blessed with a fine tuned acuity for noticing connections between events, he is excellent at his job.

The author, David Mark, though a debut novelist, is a seasoned journalist, so he is well versed in writing and does it superbly.  Highly recommended!

Review of "Three Graves Full"

My latest book review for Simon & Schuster has just been posted to my 'Fictionophile' blog.
I reviewed "Three Graves Full" by Jamie Mason.  This is a debut novel that I highly recommend.

See my review: http://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/three-graves-full-by-jamie-mason/

They are making a movie from Louise Penny's award-winning first novel "Still Life".  

Louise Penny announced on FaceBook that the movie will star none other than Nathaniel Parker!  Very exciting!

Louise Penny with Nathaniel Parker

See Louise Penny's FaceBook page for more information.

Whodunit September 25, 2012

It's beginning to feel like autumn!  Eighteen members attended the September meeting to discuss the novel "Blacklands" by Belinda Bauer.  This novel was not a 'whodunit' or even a 'whydunit'.  It was a superb example of a psychological thriller. A debut suspense/crime novel.


After much lively discussion as we went around the circle, the overall consensus rating was 8.5 out of 10.  The highest score from Whodunit so far I think.

What made the novel such a strong contender?  Without a doubt it was the characterization.  Belinda Bauer has the enviable ability to get inside the minds of her characters in such a way that the reader completely understands what drives them.  Whodunit members agreed it was an extremely well written book.

Everyone agreed that the novel was 'dark' with sometimes disturbing subject matter.  Some who don't really like that type of novel gave it a good rating despite this - based on the writing and character development.

The novel centers on a twelve year old boy, Stephen Lamb.  He lives with his dysfunctional family in the tiny village of Shipcott on the border of Exmoor.  Years before when his uncle Billy was roughly the same age as Stephen is now - he disappeared from the village and was presumed the victim of a serial murderer.  This family tragedy has had such an impact on the Lamb family that Stephen becomes the victim of emotional neglect.  He is used by his only and only friend Lewis.  He is bullied by older boys. His grandmother waits beside the window each day for Billy's return.  His mother is overwhelmed by the hardships and drudgery of her life and takes it out on her sons.  Their lives are an endless cycle of poverty, disappointment and despair.

Despite his horrific background Stephen is a determined, bright, mature, sensible, courageous and perserverant character.  He becomes almost invisible to those around him.  His plight is such that the reader wants to 'mother' him with attention and praise as he is so lacking in these attributes.  When he does get a modicum of praise from his teacher on one occasion he treasures it.

Exmoor plays a huge part in the novel.  Stephen believes that his Uncle Billy is buried there.  He believes that if only he can find his uncle's body then he will be able to 'fix' his family.  To that end he spends every available hour up on the moor digging...  He realizes the vastness of the arduous task he has set himself and decides to write to the convicted child killer in prison to ask if he will tell him the location of Billy's body.

A correspondence develops between the prisoner and the boy.

Belinda Bauer made an excellent job of her characterization of the killer.  He was creepy and all too believeable.  The prison atmosphere was almost as chilling as the mind of the paedophile killer.

The only weakness in the plot seemed to center around the shooting of the escapee.  Some readers thought that the manner in which it came about didn't seem credible.

The pages leading up to the ending held the reader in a vice grip.  The tension was palpable, the scenes perfectly described and the finale was very satisfactory.

Belinda Bauer won the Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of 2010 for her debut novel "Blacklands".   She lives in Wales and is working on the third novel set in the fictional village of Shipcott.





The lucky winners of the book giveaways for September were:
1. Kim
2. Lynne  (yipee  - I won a hardcover copy of the latest Peter Robinson)
3. Betty
4. Melanie
5. Cathy

When we meet again on October 30th we will discuss the novel "The reluctant detective" by Finley Martin.

Discovered a new author over the summer

It is SO nice when you discover an author that you know you will avidly read for years to come.

Karen Campbell

Such an author is Karen Campbell.    She reminds me a little of Denise Mina, but darker.

From Fantastic Fiction -- "
Scottish writer Karen Campbell is a graduate of Glasgow University's prestigious Creative Writing Masters, and author of The Twilight Time.

A former police officer, Karen can legitimately claim to have worked the streets of Glasgow, and her debut novel, described as 'gritty as hell, shot through with black humour', weaves personal insights and experiences to take a look at life behind the uniform - and the choices women make in life.

The two titles of hers I read this summer were:
"The Twilight Time"
and
"After the fire"

The first two novels in a series set in inner city Glasgow which feature a triangle of protagonists.

ANNA CAMERON is a new Sergeant in the Flexi Unit. On her first day in the new job she discovers she'll be working with her ex, Jamie. In at the deep end emotionally, she's also plunged headlong into the violent underworld of Glasgow's notorious Drag - the haunt of working girls, drug dealers and sad, seedy men.
JAMIE WORTH a former lover of Anna - though now married and a father - finds himself still attracted to his new boss.  Even more so when his wife Cath makes home life difficult due to the fact that she is suffering from postpartum depression.
CATH WORTH, Jamie's wife, watches jealously from the sidelines, having given up police work to raise their child. Anna's life could have been hers; hers could have been Anna's. When Cath attempts to get involved in a situation she is no longer equipped or entitled to tackle, the consequences for both women could be far-reaching...

Karen Campbell's novels have received high praise from such authors as Mark Billingham and Kate Atkinson.  Since these are also some of my favourites, this only strengthens her regard in my book.
I think any fan of Denise Mina, Val McDermid, Ruth Rendell or Ian Rankin will appreciate her writing.  Highly recommended.

Whodunit May 29, 2012

Fifteen Whodunit members came out to Chapters on a chilly spring evening to discuss "The river of darkness" by Rennie Airth.

It was one of the most universally liked novels that we have done in club.  When the members were asked to rate the book out of 10, the average mark was 8.66 - with 12 of the 15 members in attendance saying that they would like to read more novels in the series.  Wow!  High praise indeed!

More of a 'Whydunit" than a whodunit, the murderer's identity was revealed early on in the plot by having the narrative at times switch from the voices of the crime fighters with the criminal himself.  It was a multi-layered novel with well-rounded characterizations.

The male protagonist is John Madden, a Scotland Yard inspector who is also a veteran of WWI.  His personal tragedy of losing his wife and young daughter to influenza coupled with his time in the trenches have damaged his psyche and left him grave and despondent.

Set in a sleepy Surrey village, the crime is a particularly brutal one.  A whole family have been murdered in their home by a bayonet wielding psychopath.   Madden's experience in the military makes him particularly well suited to find the killer who he rightfully guesses is also ex-military.

The local doctor, who has strong views in the new field of forensic psychology, aids his endeavors.  When they discover that another similar crime was committed, they realize that they are looking for a serial killer who must be stopped before more blood is shed.  The character of Dr. Helen Blackwell is very strong.  She is forward thinking, bright, caring and just the person who can heal the damages suffered by John Madden.

With well written red herrings and relentless suspense, this is a novel which invites positive criticism.  The time period and sense of place are well portrayed and the descriptions stay with the reader long after the pages bearing them are turned.

The only negative comments from Whodunit members concerned the peripheral characters.  They found it hard to keep straight who was who, what rank they were etc. when at times the author referred to them by their first name, sometimes by their surname and sometimes by their rank. With three policeman having a surname beginning with 'S', this seemed a valid criticism.

The following two novels in the trilogy are: "The blood-dimmed tide" and "The dead of winter".

Lucky Whodunit Book Club members who won the book giveaways this month were:
1. Betty
2. Heather
3. Marilyn
4. Marlene

In June we will be discussing "The redbreast" by Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbo. 

New Canadian legal thriller

For those of you who enjoy a good legal thriller I have a recommendation. "Stray Bullets" by Robert Rotenberg See my review on my Fictionophile blog.

Whodunit Book Club January 31, 2012

Twenty die-hard Whodunit members braved the January cold to attend tonight's meeting. The book discussed this month was "Skin and bones" by Tom Bale.
Pam asked the group two 'magical' questions: a) Do you think that this book was as good as a Linwood Barclay book? and, b) Does a book have to 'grab' you from the beginning? Also, as is our usual custom we rate the title from 1-10.
Taking into account the 20 members in attendance (one of whom abstained because they didn't read the book) and the one who voted in absentia the average rating was 7.9 which pretty much lets you know that it was a Whodunit favourite.

Eleven members said they enjoyed the book more than Linwood Barclay. Most agreed that it is nice when a book grabs you from the beginning, but that it doesn't have to in order for them to enjoy it as it may have other redeeming qualities. One member used the analogy that reading a book is like a relationship. It is nice to be 'grabbed' sometimes but you wouldn't want a steady diet of it. Like a marriage of many years, it is sometimes nice to have the 'grabbing' after a gradual build up.
Some wait 3 chapters, some 5 chapters, some just have to finish a book once they've begun with the view that it must get better... Some open the potential book at a certain page and judge that way. I have recently read a blog that was called "The page 69 test" where the reader opens the book to page 69 and reads. If that page passes muster, then the book will be deemed worthy of reading in its entirety.

Although there was much lively discussion about "Skin and bones" there were some negative comments. The most prevalent of these was that it was implausible that the character of Julia could have endured what she did and was so physically active given her internal injuries. Also the portrayal of Vanessa who was dying of cancer, but still had the strength to come down stairs and try to attack someone was more than a little unrealistic. A few thought the book could have been a little shorter with better editing.

It was noted that of all the books covered in Whodunit, "Skin and bones" probably had the highest body count.

The device of using the draft function of e-mail to remain untraceable was fascinating. Tom Bale writes with an almost cinematic storytelling style. The descriptions were well written and stayed with the reader long after the final page. In particular the feeling of stillness and absence of life in the idyllic rural Sussex village. The scene where the killer's mother's garden and kitchen were described. The gory scene where the Toby cut off a man's hands...

We learned a little about the author, Tom Bale. "Skin and bones" was his second novel following "Sins of the father" which he wrote under his real name David Harrison. He has written since he was a child and had many, many rejections when starting out. He actually dreamed the whole opening sequence for "Skin and bones". Upon hearing this some members agreed that the novel had an almost surreal feeling to it.

The free book winners this month were:
Betty, Heather, Caroly and Tracy.

It was requested that we should read a true crime book at some future time.
Also, it was announced that Whodunit members get 10% off their bookclub books in future.

Next month's selection is "13th hour" by Richard Doetsch.

Karin Alvtegen... Sweden has done it again!

The single most positive aspect of "Shadow" is the beautifully written prose. The words seem to speak directly to the reader in a heart-touching and sometimes heart-wrenching way.

I'll admit this is one of those novels where the cover art drew me in. Who can resist an adorable little boy?
Then I read the blurb at the back which told me that this little boy was abandoned and was somehow connected to the death thirty five years later of a 92 year old woman who had books in her freezer upon her death... That was enough to capture the attention of any bibliophile. Too old to be the boy's mother, how could this woman be connected to him?

The novel was a mystery, but not written in the traditional way. In fact the reader does not really know what the crime(s) were until close to the end of the book. When the circumstances are revealed it left me both disturbed and profoundly moved.

Set in Stockholm, the novel followed the life and family of Axel Ragnerfeldt, a famous and Nobel Prize winning novelist. (the author of the books in the freezer). The novel poses the question: How much is glory and fame really worth, when counted in the suffering of the people closest to you? His family were portrayed with such depth and empathy that the reader felt their hopelessness. The claustrophobic family ties, mysterious disappearances and dark secrets surrounding a man shrouded in myth were portrayed with an honesty and brutality that spoke of deep understanding. The theme of how the sins of the fathers are visited upon their children is not a new one, but Alvtegen's prose brought the theme home to me like no other book ever has. "No matter whether your action is evil or good, it spreads like rings on the water. Over vast expanses it will travel, finding ever new paths. That is why your influence is infinite, and also your guilt."

"Shadow" is the first novel I've read by Karin Alvtegen and I will read as many more as I can get hold of. That being said, this novel was not exactly uplifting. In fact I would go as far as to say that anyone suffering from seasonal affective disorder should not read this book in the winter. The overall tone was bleak and melancholy. To quote the novel's description on the author's website, "her darkest and most complex thriller to date, in which the disturbing truth of a sick family is gradually and mercilessly laid bare. " Highly recommended.

"Devil at the crossroads"

Just finished the third novel in a British police procedural series by Olive Etchells that is definitely worth a mention.
The protagonist, DCI Channon reminds me a little of P.D. James' Adam Dalgliesh.
The setting is a beautiful and idyllic seaside Cornish village.
When the body of the son of one of the community's richest residents is found propped against an ancient standing stone at the crossroads of the village, DCI Channon must deal with the ramifications of the incident for the village and its residents...
Books in the series are:


#1 No corners for the devil
#2 Footprints of the devil
#3 Devil at the crossroads
The cover art is what first drew me to the series, but I have been avidly following this author ever since. I found that the characters are well rounded and sympathetic. Anyone wanting to read a character-driven British police procedural will not be disappointed.