Good afternoon! I’m in the gazebo about to encounter a summer shower!
Today I want to share some thoughts on suggestions about my summer reading list – the infamous TBR (To Be Read) for the summer of 2015.
These are some of my favorite authors and through them I travel around the world watching intrepid detectives solve mystifying mysteries with uncanny skill! I read all my authors in order of publication so I have direct insight into character development and the historical facts of the series. It’s not necessary to do that as each of these books can stand on their own merits and offer very satisfying reading – IF – you’re a fan of mysteries and thrillers.
I’ve listed this summer’s books in alphabetical order by author. I’m not exactly sure the order in which I will read them, but it’s OK to start anywhere. Since the locations are all over the world, mix them up and do some armchair (or patio lounge) traveling this summer.
One final note: about 95% of all my reading I now do with the Kindle App on my iPhone. I know there has been some controversy in the publishing world about ebooks and author compensation. For me, the Kindle App is simply a matter of convenience and I’m glad that some of my authors have been able to return to Amazon where I can continue the read a series using that medium. However, I do sympathize with the authors most of whom struggle to make a living. I know my Mozart reference book (see the Books Tab) sells for $129 and mostly goes to college and university libraries (It’s probably not your summer beach reading, but there are parts that you might find entertaining!). Anyway, here we go the TBR List for Summer, 2015 – I hope you’ll join me somewhere along the way!
We start in the Scottish Highlands …
M.C. Beaton – Death of a Liar – Sergeant Hamish Macbeth (Scottish Highlands) is alarmed to receive a report from a woman in the small village of Cronish in the Scottish Highlands. She has been brutally attacked and the criminal is on the loose. But upon further investigation, Hamish discovers that she was lying about the crime.
Now, a bit farther south for a two book extension in the UK …
Marjorie Eccles – An Accidental Shroud – When a local antique dealer’s body turns up dead at his cousin’s building site, the case seems open and shut, but D.C.I. Gil Mayo and D.I. Abigail Moon (UK) soon find out that the family relationship is a lot more complicated than they had thought.
Tim Ellis – Fragments that Remain – Jed Parish and Mary Richards (UK) are given the baffling case of a man drained of blood and left suspended in a Community Centre in the position of The Hanging Man from a pack of Tarot cards with a number on a piece of paper inserted into his heart, but this murder is only the beginning . . .
Back across the pond to sunny Florida …
Tim Ellis – Whispers of the Dead – Tom Gabriel (St. Augustine, FL) has now got his PI’s licence and has been asked to find a woman’s missing husband, but nothing is what it seems. The more he finds, the less he understands.
Then up the Atlantic coast to Philly …
Jane Haddam – Festival of Deaths – A killer stalks an outrageous talk show host and Gregor Demarkian (Philadelphia, USA) agrees to appear on the show, but soon finds himself drawn into backstage politics and off-camera malice as he struggles to outbluff a murderer.
A quick run back to the UK. …
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles – Dear Departed – It’s Detective Inspector Bill Slider’s (UK) day off and he had hoped to have some quiet time with Joanna, his pregnant fiancée. But a woman’s body is found in the park and he finds himself back to work sooner than he expected. At first glance, it looks as though the woman is the latest victim of the “Park Killer.”
Now for the Arizona desert! …
J.A. Jance – Remains of Inocence – Sheriff Joanna Brady (AZ, USA) must solve two perplexing cases that may be tied together.
Time travel is next as we’re off to medieval France …
Michael Jecks – Blood on the Sand – The Siege of Calais, (Medieval France) during the Hundred Years’ Wars. The thrilling second novel in a new series for master of the historical adventure, Michael Jecks. (Out on June 4)
Back to modern day, but still in Europe – actually Venice …
Donna Leon – Beastly Things – When an unidentified murder victim winds up in a canal, Guido Brunetti (Venice) travels beyond his usual sphere to find the connection between the dead man and a local slaughterhouse.
To escape the heat, Vermont is calling …
Archer Mayor – The Surrogate Thief – Torn between righting the past and confronting his demons, the veteran cop, Joe Gunther (VT, USA), faces the most personal and dangerous case of his career. For somewhere on the idyllic Brattleboro streets stalks a long-lost murderer who never quite disappeared-and with Joe’s renewed interest, now has good reason to kill again…
But we miss Europe too much – back to the UK …
Peter Robinson – The Hanging Valley – Visitors have long been drawn to the beauty and serenity of the Yorkshire countryside. Some never leave—like the hiker whose decomposing corpse is discovered in a wooded valley outside the tiny village of Swainshead. (D.I. Alan Banks)
Now over to Amsterdam …
Jan Willen Van de Wetering – Hard Rain – How can they catch a gang of murderous criminals when, as de Gier (Amsterdam) says, “We’re the only good guys left”? Happily, they manage to, in a fast-moving story that combines action, detection, satire, Zen philosophy and pure fun, and shows van de Wetering to be at the top of his form.
And we finish up in the peaceful French countryside …
Martin Walker – The Crowded Grave – It’s spring in the idyllic village of St. Denis, and for Chief of Police Bruno Courrèges (France) that means lamb stews, bottles of his beloved Pomerol, morning walks with his hound, Gigi, and a new string of regional crimes and international capers.
If you are a mystery fan, I hope you will investigate at least some of these tomes. If you do, please send me a reply or comment. I will try to update my journey here as well. And of course, it would be great if you could do all the regular stuff: reply, comment, share, subscribe, like, and all those other little icons.
Sorry for the length of this post – I hope you made it to the end. BTW – no rain yet, but VERY heavy air! See you soon! -JAS
