Sunday 1 November 2020

M is for murder

Others specifically Sara from NB Chertsey are avid readers seemingly devouring a book in hours not days. I have a friend Colin who reads for free as he is in some form of internet 'club' that reads and critiques authors work in exchange for the book for free. 

Me I have never been a great book reader and the dammed internet for all its value whisks me away into Blog land, Facebook and YouTube. But I enjoy books when I get into them so have made it a November Book month where I shall (don't laugh) read a book a week for November.

I'm mainly a Kindle reader and I guess thats the issue - I read on my Ipad and then I get a message and I'm off the book on email or many of the other services that ping me 'reminders' they are missing me. I do have a kindle and shall fire that up for November reading challenge.

So in catching up with my favourite authors I put the books I have read by authors name into the computer to see what new releases they had and blow me the vast majority coincidentally (or is it as they get to choose their 'names' ) all began with M .... and my style/topic/subject of choice is Murder novels with the odd exception.

In no particular order of preference

Angela Marsons (West Midlands setting)

Peter May (Scottish Islands setting )

Faith Martin (Canal link)

Simon McCleve (North Wales setting )

Stuart MacBride

Then....

James Oswald ( Stuart MacBride style  - very close)

Neil White (Lancashire moors )

I'm a sucker for series and like to follow my friends the detectives.... I'm dreading book 18 in the Hilary Green series by Faith Martin, it'll be like loosing a friend !

There are a few more that I have read or will read, a few biographies and some chick lit (yep) even some Jeffery Archer (more on audio books than Kindle) The I have a few books Rachel brought me and some my niece dropped off at a family do a while back (she reads detective books) 


5 comments:

Carol said...

I haven't read any of those authors Nev ... will have to look into them now! Happy reading - it seems that you've a lot of books to catch up on!

nb Bonjour said...

Thanks for your list Nev! Like you Dave enjoys a good series, Stuart McBride at the moment - 'read' as audiobooks (from Audible) on his mobile as he walks the dog. It looks as though James Oswald might be next! I fancy Faith Martin myself, have to track some down - proper books for me though.
Happy reading
Debby

Sarah said...

Oooh, I might have to try Faith Martin.
Since March, among other books, I have read my way sequentially through all of: Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May (16 books);
Stuart McBride's Laz McRae (plus the Roberta Steele one) (13 books);
Harry Bingham's Fiona Griffiths (6 so far and I can't wait for more - give them a try Nev if you haven't already);
Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series (12 books, very comforting);
Ian Rankin's Rebus (a whopping 22, and the early ones really aren't very good);
plus Andrew Taylor's Lymouth series, which were cheap on the Kindle.

Most of these (the McBrides were the exception) I bought second hand from Abe Books - it worked out cheaper (probably averaging £3 a copy inc. postage) and I like having them lined up on my shelf.

I'd also recommend Susie Steiner's Manon Bradshaw, but there's only about three or four of them so far.

Sarah said...

PS (Sorry) My problem with James Oswald is that there is actual supernatural stuff that he relies on for the plot. While Bryant and May are exceedingly strange and sometimes surreal, there's always a rational explanation in the end (even if it's rather far-fetched); I'm not so sure there is in Oswald.

Nev Wells said...

Thank you all for the comments and the great list of recommendations from Sarah. Being a time served printer I should support my fellow journeymen by buying paper books but the environmentalist in me says no and the declutter nut in me says no also.... I do like a shelf of books and nearly bid for some old hard backs in a recent local auction but I fought the urge.... they would have looked nice all on a shelf in our snug at home.

I agree about Oswalds use of the supernatural .... I left a review on one of his books suggesting he steered clear in further books.

I’m on the boat, the fire is lit the wind is howling and the rain lashing the windows, what better time to read a murder mystery with maybe a glass of whisky to warm my soul......

By the way Sarah, Bakewell makes a fleeting appearance on the recent foxes afloat ( YouTube vloggers) about 7.40.