Whodunit Book Club Feb. 25, 2014

Fourteen friends met for book club on this frigid February evening.
A special evening for Whodunit as we celebrated the 15th anniversary of the club's meeting in our present location.  Quite a record for a book club!
The book discussed this evening was "Starvation Lake" by Bryan Gruley.
A debut novel in what is now a series of three titles, the clubs rating out of ten was 6.8 points with half the persons in attendance stating they wanted to read more novels by this author.

Set in northern Michigan, the novel's protagonist Gus Carpenter is a talented hockey goalie. Though Gus walked under a shadow. He was blamed for the town's hockey team losing the state championship game back when he was a teenager.  Since then the town's team hasn't come close and Gus is the scapegoat they blame as a jinx.  After that fiasco he left home for Detroit and a career in journalism.  That too went 'belly-up' and he returned home to Starvation Lake to get himself back on his feet.  Now he works on the small town newspaper as editor.

Ten years ago his former hockey coach went through the ice on his snowmobile.  When the snowmobile is washed up at a different lake than the one where the accident occurred there is rampant speculation of underground tunnels and finally murder.  Gus and his paper set out to investigate this, the town's biggest news in a decade.  The investigation leads to unearthing some dark and dirty secrets which hit close to home.

For a first novel, there were many positive comments such as:
Many of the characters were likeable
Believable premise
Vivid depictions of small town life
Lots of hockey scenes
The author's passion for hockey comes through the narrative

On the negative side:
Starts slow
Too many hockey scenes with too much detail about the game
Too much repetition

The central character of Gus was portrayed as naive and immature.  He seemed self-absorbed.  He let one occurrence in his past colour his whole life. The town compounded his guilt by dwelling on his failure.  They dwelled on him because he did the only bad thing in the town that wasn't a 'secret'.  They couldn't talk about what was really at the root of the 'town rot'.

Some characters were pitiful favorites like Gus's friend Soupy.
An overall favorite character was Sheriff Dingus Aho.

One of the least favorite characters was the paper's receptionist Tilly.

Gus's mother was disliked by some readers, while others thought her to have made the best of a deplorable situation.

By the end of the novel, (which held a surprise for many Whodunit members), Gus had matured somewhat which bodes well for future novels in the series.

One member, Carmella,  declared that this club meeting was a "Who won it" rather than a "Whodunit" as there were six lucky winners of book giveaways.
1. Jean
2. Shauna
3. Carmella
4. Marilyn
5. Nancy
6. Heather

The Whodunit Book Club will meet next on Tuesday March 25th when we will discuss
 "Crossing places" by Elly Griffith.

Whodunit Book Club January 28, 2014

Thirteen members braved the frigid January temperatures to attend January's book club meeting.   The temperature was a great segue to our title this month which was set in the harsh winter of 1867.
We discussed "The tenderness of wolves" by Stef Penney.

A debut novel and winner of the prestigious Book of the Year "Costa Award" in 2006, this month's selection spurred much lively discussion.  Our group rated it 7 out of a possible 10 points.

Favorable comments:

• Vivid, wonderfully crafted descriptive passages.  (perhaps attributed to the fact that the author is also a screenwriter)
• Interesting, complex and tenacious characters in a dramatic environment.
• Historical accounts of life led by Scottish immigrants and the Hudson Bay Company were compelling. 
• Well researched and well-written.

Unfavorable comments:

• Overly long with some story lines not relevant to the overall plot.
• Too many characters to form a cohesive whole.
• Geography research was at times unbelievable.
• Plot seems to unravel near the end and loses focus

General comments:
Not a page turner (not necessarily a bad thing...)
Not a mystery in the traditional sense - more a human interest story
Remarkable descriptions considering it was written by someone who has never been to Canada
Each character seemed like an outcast in her/his own way
Favorite characters were Mrs. Ross, William Parker and Donald Moody
Title perhaps refers to William Parker as much as it does to wolves
Indian characters were treated favorably throughout the narrative
Harsh conditions and corruption of the time period were well portrayed

Congratulations to this month's winners of the book giveaways:

1. Carmella
2. Marilyn
3. Jane
4. Jean
5. Nancy

February's selection for Whodunit:
"Starvation Lake" by Bryan Gruley

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 Book Club Nov. 26, 2013

Our last book club gathering of 2013 took place on a dark and drizzly November night.  A relatively small group of thirteen attended this month's Whodunit meeting.

We discussed Edward Conlon's debut novel "Red on Red".

"In "Red on Red," Conlon's fictional detectives shift between investigating the suicide of a Mexican immigrant and defusing a drug war. A complicating factor is that Meehan has been planted by Internal Affairs to report on Esposito.  When Meehan comes to respect Esposito more than himself, he is faced with a moral dilemma.   Esposito attacks the day and the job enthusiastically, while Meehan drags himself to work."  The book described the alliances and loyalties, the emotional tolls, the temptations, the shades of gray inherent to police work.

Every month we canvass the members to rate the novel under discussion out of a possible ten points.  "Red on Red" earned a very low score of 4.1

Could this be because we are a predominantly female group and this was essentially a man's book?  Perhaps.

Those members who gave it the lowest rating described the novel as verbose and over-long.  They found the characters apathetic and they didn't engage with the narrative of the plot.

Members who gave it the highest ratings stated that the writing was intelligent and insightful.  Esposito was a favorite character despite his lack of moral fiber.  He was a colourful charmer who enthusiastically played the system and got results.  Nick Meehan on the other hand was a middle-aged burn out with little self-respect who was essentially alone in the world.  "Nick had equal aversions to going to work and coming home".  Some Whodunit members compared the novel to a Greek tragedy.

New York was an essential character in the novel.  Conlon writes of his city with unblinkered affection.  He writes "This city was the world".   A multicultural, bustling, impersonal, dirty, crime-ridden, artsy and yet beautiful metropolis which bears witness to millions of human dramas daily.

The novel was not a mystery as such. It was more a detailed expose on the drudgery and all-consuming nature of police work in a large metropolis.  The toll the work plays on their values and their family relationships.

The title "Red on Red" refers to the act of enemies killing enemies.  In this case 'perp on perp' murder.  Essentially when the garbage takes itself out.   Only police officers who are jaded by the crime and depravity they see constantly could identify with the phrase.

Edward Conlon is a NYPD police officer who comes from a family of police officers.  He speaks about his novel to David Goodwillie in this June 2011 online interview.

 This month's lucky winners of free books were:
1. Carolyn
2. Heather
3. Shawna
4. Nancy
5. Margaret

There will be no Whodunit meeting in December.
We reconvene on January 28th, 2014 when we will discuss the novel
"The tenderness of wolves" by Stef Penney.

Mystery Book Giveaway hosted by Open Road Media

As you may or may not know, I have begun reviewing books for Open Road Media via NetGalley.

They sent me an email with news of a mystery book giveaway and I just had to share it !

"Many aspects of the mystery novel have changed drastically over the past century—style, language, technology, and crimes—but the core of the genre has stood the test of time. As long as crooks persist, sleuths will be around to track them down.

– Looking for something from the Roaring Twenties? Try Grey Mask by British author Patricia Wentworth.

– How about the Fabulous Fifties? Maybe Charles Williams’ classic noir, The Hot Spot, is more your style.

– Check out mysteries from every decade, from favorites like Dorothy L. Sayers and Susan Isaacs, in this infographic.

And here’s the best part: Open Road Media are hosting a mystery book giveaway with a grand prize of eight mysteries and thrillers! To enter, simply click on the infographic link and scroll down the page.  You will find a place to enter your email address.

Good luck all!

Whodunit October 29, 2013

Twenty-one book lovers attended the October meeting of Whodunit.  It was great to see some familiar faces that we haven't seen in a while. 

Gaye entertained the group with tales and photos of her trip to Albany, N.Y. where she met many of our favourite authors at Bouchercon.

The novel under discussion this evening was "A Duty to the Dead" by Charles Todd.  Charles Todd is a pen name used by the American authors Caroline and Charles Todd, a mother-son writing team.  Some members of the club found this to be 'creepy', while others commented on the seamless narrative which made it difficult to discern the contributions of each author.

As is our usual custom, we went around the circle and rated the book out of a possible ten points.  With scores as low as 4 and as high as 10, this novel ended up with an average of 7.68 with fourteen members stating they would read another title in this series (which now numbers five titles with a sixth due to be published in early 2014).


Set during the first World War this historical mystery had a clear sense of time and place with descriptions that enabled the reader to 'see' and feel the setting.  It was obvious to the reader that the novel was well researched.  One member said it was like a modern version of a gothic mystery.
The protagonist Bess Crawford is a nurse who attends the war wounded.  Of an upper-middle-class upbringing, Bess was a gentlewomen and could have chosen an easier life, but her grit and determination made her an admirable character.  She befriends a dying British soldier while nursing and makes him a promise to deliver a message back to his family.  She is injured in the sinking of the hospital ship Britannic, and returns home to England to recover.  Whilst there, she makes good on her "Duty to the dead" and delivers his message.

The book spoke to the far-reaching effect that war has upon both the military and civilians.  

While some thought the mystery predictable, others enjoyed the characterization and setting so much that they thought this aspect was of less importance.
Members wondered at the ineptitude of the London police who would let a teenage murderer return home to Kent with his family...
Some found the narrative 'slow' while others did not.  Some found the ending to be a brilliant resolution while others thought it was all tied up to quickly at the very end of the novel.

Universal was the liking for the protagonist Bess, the empathy felt for the half-brother Peregrine and the animosity for the matriarch of the Graham family.

Lucky winners of the book giveaways this month were:
1. Jean
2. Marilyn
3. Heather
4. Cathy D.

At November's Whodunit meeting we will discuss the novel " Red on Red" by Edward Conlon.

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