Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Gunman's Rhapsody, by Robert Parker

Title: Gunman's Rhapsody 
Author: Robert Parker 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 12/3/2024
Finished: 12/4/2024

I think I would have loved this book in print, butt he Audiobook narrated by Ed Begley Jr wasnt for me.  If I ever find a print version I'll try it again.  

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Mortal Stakes, by Robert Parker

Title: Mortal Stakes 
Author: Robert Parker 
Borrowed from DC Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 12/2/2024
Finished: 12/3/2024

Well I'm giving up all pretense and just admitting to myself that I'll be re-reading much of the Spenser series.  This is a decent early Spenser.  

Monday, December 2, 2024

The More the Terrier, by David Rosenfelt

Title: The More the Terrier 
Author: David Rosenfelt 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 12/1/2024
Finished: 12/2/2024

Another Andy Carpenter book, not a great plot but still funny and enjoyable. 

The Promised Land, by Robert Parker

Title: The Promised Land
Author: Robert Parker 
Borrowed from DC Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 12/1/2024
Finished; 12/2/2024

An early Spenser, but not a great one.  The next few in the series though are some of the best, including The Judas Goat that I just read a day ago.  

Sunday, December 1, 2024

The Judas Goat, by Robert Parker

Title: The Judas Goat
Author: Robert Parker 
Picked up paperback from Free Library 
Started: 11/30/2024
Finished: 11/30/2024

These early Parker books are the best.  This one is great.  Could reread it regularly. 

Monday, November 18, 2024

The Inevitable Ruin, by Matt Dinniman

Title: The Inevitable Ruin 
Author: Matt Dinniman 
Purchased from Amazon Kindle edition 
Started: 11/11/2024
Finished: 11/18/2024

The newest book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.  Not a great stand alone novel, but if you're invested in the series like I am, a great continuation of the over arching story.  

Friday, November 8, 2024

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, by Benjamin Stevenson

Title: Everyone on this Train is a Suspect 
Author: Benjamin Stevenson 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 11/1/2024
Finished: 11/8/2024

Second in this series and I liked it, very charming books.  

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

The Only One Left, by Riley Sager

Title: The Only One Left
Author: Riley Sager
Borrowed in paperback from my wife
Started: 10/15/2024
Finished: 10/30/2024

A pretty terrible whodunit.

Monday, October 28, 2024

The Murder at the Vicarage, by Agatha Christie

Title: The Murder at the Vicarage 
Author: Agatha Christie 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 10/26/2024
Finished: 10/27/2024

The first Miss Marple book, not my favorite, I'm a bigger Poirot fan.  

Friday, October 25, 2024

The Iron Hand of Mars, by Lindsey Davis

Title: The Iron Hand of Mars 
Author: Lindsey Davis 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 10/19/2024
Finished: 10/25/2024

I've read too many of these Falco books back to back. They're good, but I need a break.  

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Venus in Copper, by Lindsey Davis

Title: Venus in Copper 
Author: Lindsey Davis 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 10/17/2024
Finished: 10/18/2024

Another Falco book. Not bad, a bit melodramatic.  Also meant to note how much this author HATES landlords.  Not an unpopular position, but it is prevalent throughout the books so far. 

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Shadows in Bronze, by Lindsey Davis

TItle: Shadows in Bronze
Author: Lindsey Davis
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook
Started: 10/13/2024
FInished: 10/15/2024

Second in the Falco mystery series set in ancient Rome.  Pretty good.

Monday, October 14, 2024

The Footage, by Stuart James

Title: The Footage 
Author: Stuart James 
Purchased from Amazon Kindle edition 
Started: 10/13/2024
Finished: 10/14/2024

I'm a sucker for found footage movies and books which has led me to buy and read some pretty terrible stuff.  This is up there with the worst of them.  

Sunday, October 13, 2024

The Hollows, by Daniel Church

Title: The Hollows
Author: Daniel Church 
Borrowed from DC Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 10/1/2024
Finished: 10/13/2024

Decent but not amazing old gods-ish horror novel.  

The Silver Pigs, by Lindsey Davis

Title: The Silver Pigs 
Autor: Lindsey Davis 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 10/10/2024
Finished: 10/13/2024

First in a detective series set in ancient Rome. Pretty good.  

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Death at the Sign of the Rook, by Kate Atkinson

  • Title: Death at the Sign of the Rook
  • Author: Kate Atkinson
  • Purchased from local DC bookstore (hardcover -- forget how expensive these are)
  • Started: 10/6/2024
  • Finished: 10/9/2024
Another (the final?) in the Jackson Brodie series.  This one seemed a lot less "serious" than the earlier entries, but was still enjoyable.  No regrets on the purchase, Atkinson's worth it.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

The First Man in Rome, by Colleen McCullough

  • Title:  The First Man in Rome
  • Author: Colleen McCullough
  • Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook
  • Started: 9/28/2024
  • Finished: 10/8/2024
Back in 2022 I read the first three in this series as abridged, the only versions available from the public library.  I hate reading abridged and wasn't thrilled with them.

Now I have access to the unabridged and this is a spectacular book.  Hoping the others in the series are also available unabridged.  Incredible stuff.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Incidents Around the House, by Josh Malerman

Title: Incidents Around the House 
Author: Josh Malerman 
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 9/20/2022
Finished: 9/24/2024

Not sure how I feel about this one, but I wanted to like it more than I did.  

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Recursion, by Blake Crouch

Title: Recursion 
Author: Blake Crouch 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 9/1/2024
Finished: 9/19/2024

Struggled with this one.  Interesting first third but I lost interest.  

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Dark Harvest, by Norman Partridge

Title: Dark Harvest 
Author: Norman Partridge 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 9/16/2024
Finished: 9/18/2024

Short Halloween novel, kind of like the lottery for YA readers.  Decent. 

Monday, September 16, 2024

Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone , by Benjamin Stevenson

Title: Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone 
Author: Benjamin Stevenson 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 9/12/2024
Finished: 9/16/2024

An entertaining murder mystery 

Thursday, September 12, 2024

The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides

Title: The Marriage Plot 
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides 
Paperback picked up at free library 
Started: 9/2/2024
Finished: 9/12/2024

Overall I liked this book, even if I didn't care for any of the three main characters very much.  

Monday, September 2, 2024

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive, by Craig DiLouie

Title: How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive 
Author: Craig DiLouie 
Purchased paperback from local bookstore in DC
Started: 8/31/2024
Finished: 9/2/2024

Enjoyed this one overall but didn't love it.  

Saturday, August 31, 2024

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, by Janice Hallett

Title: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels 
Author: Janice Hallett 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 8/24/2024
Finished: 8/31/2024

Extremely enjoyable epistolary novel, Hallett is great at writing these.  

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Shrink Rap, by Robert B Parker

Title: Shrink Rap
Author: Robert B Parker 
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 8/27/2024
Finished: 8/28/2024

Another Sunny Randall novel, only so so.  

Monday, August 26, 2024

Perish Twice, by Robert B Parker

Title: Perish Twice 
Author: Robert B Parker 
Paperback from take one leave one library 
Started: 8/25/2024
Finished: 8/26/2024

Had surgery three days ago and find myself with a lot of time on my hands for convalescing.  Third book in as many days.  Sunny Randall mystery, enjoyable for what it is, though I prefer the Spenser books.  

Sunday, August 25, 2024

The Twyford Code, by Janice Hallett

Title: The Twyford Code
Author: Janice Hallett 
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 8/23/2024
Finished: 8/25/2024

Another epistolary novel from Hallett, very enjoyable.  These are really fun books.  

Saturday, August 24, 2024

I Remember You, by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Title: I Remember You 
Author: Yrsa Sigurdardottir 
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 8/20/2024
Finished: 8/24/2024


Icelandic horror novel, decent. 

Saturday, August 17, 2024

State of Paradise, by Laura Van Den Berg

Title: State of Paradise 
Author: Laura Van Den Berg 
Purchased hardback bookstore in DC
Started: 8/10/2024
Finished: 8/17/2024

My literary crush with Van Den Berg continues.  This book was something of a love letter to Florida, at least it felt that way to this native Floridian who grew up in central FLA and escaped (for lack of a better word).  Not at all horror so some readers of Van Den Berg's previous work may be disappointed, but if they are, I'd argue they've focused too much on the stories and not enough on the writing.  

Van Den Berg's writing speaks to me the way Denis Johnson's did.  Absolutely terrific and drives a literary desire of my own (but I'm far too lazy/comfortable to write more than these blog posts).  This is a relatively short novel so I tried to take my time with it.  

I don't buy many books as is evidenced by how many of my posts are for library copies.  But this was one I wanted to read immediately and to support the author for future works.  

Friday, August 16, 2024

The Miernik Dossier, by Charles McCarry

Title: The Miernik Dossier
Author: Charles McCarry
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public LIbrary Audiobook
Started: 8/11/2024
Finished: 8/16/2024

Fantastic epistolary cold war spy novel.  Can't say enough about this one, absolutely loved it.

Friday, August 9, 2024

Poodle Spring, by Raymond Chandler & Robert B Parker

Title: Poodle Springs
Author: Raymond Chandler & Robert B Parker 
Purchased used hardcover
Started: 8/8/2024
Finished: 8/9/2024

The u finished Marlow novel, completed by Parker.  Might say Marlow but this is a Spenser novel through & through, and that's not a complaint. Enjoyed it.  

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Triptych, by Karin Slaughter

Title: Triptych
Author: Karin Slaughter 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 8/1/2024
Finished: 8/5/2024

My mom recommended this one since she likes the TV show, but this book was not for me.  Way too hateful of a plot, writing wasn't my style, overall did not enjoy this one.  

Saturday, August 3, 2024

The Jugger, by Richard Stark

Title: The Jugger 
Author: Richard Stark 
Paperback from free library 
Started: 7/25/2024
Finished: 8/3/2024

A very short but entertaining Parker novel.  These are such great pulp books.  

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

The Appeal, by Janice Hallett

Title:  The Appeal
Author: Janice Hallett
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Kindle Edition
Started: 7/27/2024
Finished: 7/30/2024

This was a spectacular book, absolutely loved it.  Even though I did not successfully solve the mystery (and have doubts about the solution put forward).  I'm pretty sure there is a different solution indicated by the final email disclosed in the book, and I have a few guesses, but even not being sure of the mystery I really like this one.

Friday, July 26, 2024

Black Mouth, by Ronald Malfi

Title: Black Mouth
Author: Ronald Malfi 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Kindle and Audiobook 
Started: 7/15/2024
Finished: 7/26/2024

Read the first two thirds of this one slowly via Kindle.  Switched to audiobook for the final third as I struggled to get myself to want to read it but wanted to finish.  Didn't love this one -- too Stephen King for me. 

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Small Town Horror, by Ronald Malfi

Title: Small Town Horror 
Author: Ronald Malfi 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 7/20/2024
Finished: 7/23/2024

I wanted to like this one more than I did.  Started off ok, but then fell apart for me quite a bit until two thirds of the way through when plot twists hit and the book sped to the ending.  So start and finish were good, middle only so-so. 

However, having moved to Kent Island a few years ago, I loved the mention of Stevensville and Love Point Road.  That made it all worthwhile.  

Saturday, July 20, 2024

A Better World, by Sarah Langan

Title: A Better World 
Author: Sarah Langan 
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 7/18/2024
Finished: 7/20/2024

I liked the first half of this book quite a bit, but the second half wasnt as good and then the final chapters were a disappointment.  

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Tropic of Night, by Michael Gruber

Title: Tropic of Night 
Author: Michael Gruber 
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 7/14/2024
Finished: 7/18/2024

This was a big, and mostly entertaining book.  The magic stuff was done in a way that wasn't too hokey.  Overall I enjoyed it.  

Monday, July 15, 2024

Dog Day Afternoon, by David Rosenfelt

Title: Dog Day Afternoon 
Author: David Rosenfelt 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 7/13/2024
Finished: 7/14/2024

Another Andy Carpenter book, these are basically all the same but I still enjoy them as audiobooks to fill the time when doing chores and such. 

Friday, July 12, 2024

Silver Nitrate, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: Silver Nitrate 
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia 
Borrowed from DC Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 7/9/2024
Finished: 7/12/2024

I enjoyed this one overall for the characters, but wasn't enthralled by the plot.  Had hoped for more horror, less magic, but again, enjoyed it overall. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2024

The Floating Staircase, by Ronald Malfi

Title: The Floating Staircase 
Author: Ronald Malfi 
Borrowed from Fairfax County Public Library Kindle edition 
Started: 7/6/2024
Finished: 7/9/2024

Yes, another Malfi novel.  This was enjoyable as well.  

Come With Me, by Ronald Malfi

Title: Come With Me 
Author: Ronald Malfi 
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 7/6/2024
Finished: 7/9/2024

Enjoyed this Malfi book quite a bit.  As noted in my last post, having just discovered this author I'm now lining up his books to read.  

Sunday, July 7, 2024

They Lurk, by Ronald Malfi

Title: They Lurk
Author: Ronald Malfi
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook 
Started: 7/2/2024
Finished: 7/7/2024

I have a new author -- and a local one at that. Malfi lives relatively near me near the Chesapeake Bay in MD and I really like his work. Expect to see a lot of his books listed here in the coming weeks.  

This collection of shirt stories was great. First two were good, last three were spectacular.  In particular the final two stories.   Great stuff.  

Friday, June 28, 2024

Horror Movie, by Paul Tremblay

Title:  Horror Movie
Author: Paul Tremblay
Purchased from Amazon Hardcover
Started: 6/26/2024
Finished: 6/28/2024

Really enjoyed this one.  I like Tremblay in general, loved a couple of his books, and I'd put this one up there with the best.  

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

The Southern Lawyer, by Peter O'Mahoney

Title:  The Southern Lawyer
Author:  Peter O'Mahoney
Borrowed from a neighbor, hardback
Started: 6/23/2024
Finished: 6/26/2024

A pretty terrible Grisham knock-off, though the author clearly loves Charleston and gives a pretty good tour of the city.  Not sure how much I'd enjoy wine from SC...

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair, by Joel Dicker

Title: The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair
Author: Joel Dicker
Borrowed from DC Public Library (Audiobook)
Started: 6/23/2024
Finished: 6/25/2024

This was a somewhat random recommendation from a Reddit thread on book recommendations and I absolutely loved it.  Very grateful to the person who recommended it, since I'll now be looking for other books from Dicker, always great to have a new author to follow.  This was a spectacular book.  

Monday, June 17, 2024

Diavola, by Jennifer Throne

Title:  Diavola
Author: Jennifer Throne
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library Audiobook
Started: 6/12/2024
Finished: 6/17/2024

I wanted to like this one more than I did.  It wasn't bad, but not what I'd hoped for.


Wednesday, June 12, 2024

The Hunter, by Tana French

Title: The Hunter
Author: Tana French
Borrowed from DC Public Library
Started: 6/10/2024
Finished: 6/12/2024

Tana French is a fantastic writer.  This was just as good as everything else I've read, and I love the continuation of these Irish crime/drama stories.  

Friday, June 7, 2024

Don't Turn Around, by Harry Dolan

Title: Don't Turn Around
Author: Harry Dolan
Borrowed from Queen Anne County Public Library, Audiobook
Started: 6/5/20204
Finished: 6/7/2024

My third book by Harry Dolan.  I really liked one (Man in the Crooked Hat), didn't like another too much (Bad Things Happen).  I'm in the middle with this one (Don't Turn Around), liked it but didn't love it.  The book does have some great red herrings and unexpected (and completely unrealistic, but of course you're hearing this from a guy who just finished two read-throughs of a series about a talking cat).  All in all, an enjoyable read.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your Home, by Jason Arnopp

Title: A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your Home
Author: Jason Arnopp
Purchased from Amazon Kindle Edition
Started: 5/27/2024
Finished: 5/27/2024

Really a short story but recording it since it is sold as a stand-alone.  Not as good as I'd hoped, based on other things I've read by Arnopp.