In the month of November, not counting Hunger Games - which I essentially read in the first couple days of the month - I read three books, and started a fourth. Mass transit has many, many benefits and the one I'm appreciating above all others is the time to read. Hello voracious reader of my past! It's been a long time!
It has been an English crime fest around here :)
The first book I read was Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry. This is one that I picked up using my paperback book swap site ... I can't remember if I read a review online somewhere or if I found it while browsing through books posted by a user I had already requested one from (saves them postage)... regardless, I've had it on the shelf for a few years and it was a quick grab.
It is a crime novel set in 1850s London... which for whatever, is a time period I particularly love. I'm not much of a mystery reader, but this one kept my interest and I didn't know whodunit until the reveal... not unusual for me. It was entertaining and is the first in a series of books with these characters. I liked Hester, a side character really, enough to explore the other books in the hopes she plays a bigger role.
Next, I read The Great Train Robbery by Micheal Crichton. This one my friend Lisa recommended when we had a book club going for a short time. It told the story of the true train robbery that took place in London in the 1860s. The players were given huge personalities and even though the reader knows the entire time who did the deed, knowing how it was done was much more interesting. And, I have a thing for Victorian England... the descriptions of London, its sprawl, the slums, and the extreme disparity between rich and poor is a fantastic backdrop for a crime story.
The third book I read was The False Inspector Dew by Peter Lovesey. I'm pretty sure I found this one on a library email announcing its book club selections - or, was it another of Lisa's suggestions?... not sure. It's another crime story/mystery and took place on an ocean liner going from London to New York in 1921. The story was interesting enough - about a man and his mistress who kill his wife then accidentally gets drafted to investigate the murder. This one had a twist and a second killing and I didn't have a clue until it all shook out.
I didn't intentionally keep with a theme, but it turned out that way. I'd recommend any of these books, but my favorite was The Great Train Robbery... I'm a sucker for non-fiction that reads like a novel :)
It has been an English crime fest around here :)
The first book I read was Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry. This is one that I picked up using my paperback book swap site ... I can't remember if I read a review online somewhere or if I found it while browsing through books posted by a user I had already requested one from (saves them postage)... regardless, I've had it on the shelf for a few years and it was a quick grab.
It is a crime novel set in 1850s London... which for whatever, is a time period I particularly love. I'm not much of a mystery reader, but this one kept my interest and I didn't know whodunit until the reveal... not unusual for me. It was entertaining and is the first in a series of books with these characters. I liked Hester, a side character really, enough to explore the other books in the hopes she plays a bigger role.
Next, I read The Great Train Robbery by Micheal Crichton. This one my friend Lisa recommended when we had a book club going for a short time. It told the story of the true train robbery that took place in London in the 1860s. The players were given huge personalities and even though the reader knows the entire time who did the deed, knowing how it was done was much more interesting. And, I have a thing for Victorian England... the descriptions of London, its sprawl, the slums, and the extreme disparity between rich and poor is a fantastic backdrop for a crime story.
The third book I read was The False Inspector Dew by Peter Lovesey. I'm pretty sure I found this one on a library email announcing its book club selections - or, was it another of Lisa's suggestions?... not sure. It's another crime story/mystery and took place on an ocean liner going from London to New York in 1921. The story was interesting enough - about a man and his mistress who kill his wife then accidentally gets drafted to investigate the murder. This one had a twist and a second killing and I didn't have a clue until it all shook out.
I didn't intentionally keep with a theme, but it turned out that way. I'd recommend any of these books, but my favorite was The Great Train Robbery... I'm a sucker for non-fiction that reads like a novel :)
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1 comments:
Michelle said...
Did you know that Anne Perry is a convicted murderer. She and her best friend killed the friends mother when they were teenagers. Just a tidbit to get you through the day.
Michelle