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 - 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.
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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 - 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" March 31, 2015

There was animated and lively discussion tonight at Whodunit.  As usual, not all of the discussion was on topic - but enjoyable all the same.
Fourteen members attended to discuss the novel "Walt" by Canadian author Russell Wangersky.

When we went around the circle and voted out of a possible ten points, there was little agreement.  Three members voted an even 5/10 while the others voted either very low or very high.  The result was a score of 6/10.  Only six members stated they would read another work by Russell Wangersky and some expressed an interest in reading his short stories.

Some of the negative comments were: slow, disjointed, dry, different, ambiguous.
Positive comments included: well-written, creepy, descriptive, understated, memorable.
Readers wondered why Alisha, one of Walt's stalking victims, did not have her locks changed, or why the police did not advise her to do so.

"Walt" was advertised as a psychological thriller.   Some readers greatly disagreed with this assessment, while others thought it was 'spot on'.  Set in St. John's, Newfoundland the novel is the story of Walt, a grocery store janitor, who has deep insight into his fellow man through the grocery lists they abandon.  A solitary individual who has creepily disturbing habits...

My personal opinion of the novel was favourable.  It was simple but deceptively deep.  My review can be found on my blog: Fictionophile.

The lucky winners of the book giveaways this month were:

1. Brian

2. Gaye

3. Kim

4. Heather

5. Nancy

 

 Next month's Whodunit selection is: "Three graves full" by Jamie Mason.  We meet again on Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00 p.m.

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 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 Meeting June 25, 2013

Another great evening of discussion, laughter and camaraderie!  Sixteen members attended book club this very warm and balmy June evening.  We welcomed a new member this month!

The novel under discussion this evening was "The dying light" by Henry Porter.  Henry Porter is a writer and journalist specializing in liberty and civil rights. He is also the British editor of  Vanity Fair.  He is a columnist for the 'Observer' and the book was written with a reporter's eye for detail, research and more than a little insider knowledge.  The members' rating of the novel varied greatly, but the average score out of ten was 6.65.

Pro votes cited the timeliness and relevance of the subject matter.  Some said it was thought provoking, realistic and terrifyingly plausible.  Many admired the protagonist, Kate Lockhart.
Con votes cited the novel as being over long, tedious and boring. Negative comments were made about the myriad characters and the complicated plot.

The novel was published in the United Kingdom under the title "The Bell Ringers". Most Whodunit members favoured the UK title over the American one.  Not a mystery, but a political thriller - and one of the lengthier novels read by the Whodunit Club, it was bound to provoke lively discussion and it did!
Members spoke of their own experiences with personal security, relaying travel anecdotes and general observations of how technology has impinged on our personal freedoms.

In "The dying light" Henry Porter made a near-future Britain sound like a totalitarian state.  "Many of the details of Porter's vision are naturally invented, but the threat posed by the state is all too real". The subject matter is dear to his heart.  After a two-year campaign to protect British freedoms, Henry Porter was called to give evidence to a panel of peers and MPs assessing whether a Bill of Rights is necessary for Britain today. Click here to read his impassioned submission.

The June book giveaway winners:
1. Carmella
2. Margaret
3. Lynne
4. Marlene
5. Brian

Whodunit will NOT be meeting in July!
The club will reconvene on August 27th when we will discuss the novel "Close your eyes" by Amanda Eyre Ward.

Also, Whodunit members are encouraged to bring reading suggestions to the August meeting.  Here is your chance to recommend a favourite author or title.

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.

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.

Whodunit August 29, 2012

The Whodunit group met on August 29 after a two-month break. Eighteen  members showed up to discuss The Ghost by Robert Harris (and to comment on how beautiful the summer had been, despite the welcome rain that was falling outside.) 

The Ghost, a political thriller, tells the story of a man hired to write the autobiography of charismatic former British Prime Minister, Adam Lang, a fictional character with a strong resemblance to the real-life Tony Blair. A former political aide to Lang has made a draft of his leader’s memoirs but apparently drowns by falling from a ferry. The ghostwriter, who narrates the story, is hired to complete the project and re-locates from London to Martha’s Vineyard. There he quickly begins to suspect that his predecessor’s death was no accident and comes across evidence that Lang, who has had to leave politics because of his close association with the US and its unpopular war on terror, has secrets in his past that have implications for international security.    

Before going around the circle to give our individual assessments Pam filled us in on a few facts about The Ghost and its author, Robert Harris, a former political journalist and BBC reporter.  The book was published in the UK as The Ghostwriter and a number of group members felt this was a more appropriate title. The book was made into a movie, also entitled The Ghostwriter, directed by Roman Polanski, screenplay by Polanski and Harris. The ghostwriter in the movie was excellently portrayed by Ewan McGregor. Pam asked us to suggest actors we would like to see portray the Ghost and/ or Adam Lang. Trying to “visualize” the Ghost brought home how little Harris had revealed about his narrator, in fact we didn’t even know his name. We discussed the many “ghosts” in the book.

The average of the scores was 8.06/10, almost identical to June’s book, The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo.  Almost all commented on the quality of the writing and, although a few did not find the story compelling, most liked the use of setting, especially Martha’s Vineyard in winter, which evoked a bleak and sinister feeling, the mix of characters, and the suspenseful writing with its surprise ending.  

Thanks to Marlene who was this month's 'reporter'.

Four lucky Whodunit members won books this month: Judy, Nancy, Marlene, and Brian.

We meet again on Sept. 25 to discuss  Blacklands by Belinda Bauer.