Pick of the month
I read 11 books for the first month of the year and had a bit more variety than I normally do with one non-fiction work and a non-crime novel. Baby steps to diversity😁 I’ve found it quite difficult to pick my favourite as there was lots of good reading but I’ve settled on Leif G.W. Persson’s THE DYING DETECTIVE. The story centers on a retired policeman who attempts to solve the cold case murder of a young child from his sick bed. As well as enjoying the characterisations, particularly of the central character, I liked the restrained and thoughtful way the book explored the issue of justice.
The rest, in reading order
- Tom Keneally CRIMES OF THE FATHER (An Australian national treasure tackles the issue of the Catholic Church’s failure to adequately address the issue of abuse of children by its clergy)
- Cath Staincliffe THE SILENCE BETWEEN BREATHS (with her usual panache Staincliffe puts us on a Manchester train on which one of the passengers is planning a terrorist act)
- Sheila Connolly RED DELICIOUS DEATH (a cute cosy in which a young chef is killed while establishing a new restaurant in apple-growing country)
- Josephine Pullein-Thompson GIN AND MURDER (my crimes of the century read this month took me to England’s hunting set in 1959, the setting had a real ring of authenticity)
- Kate Dyer-Seeley SCENE OF THE CLIMB (I stopped in Oregon for my virtual tour of the US where things got deadly for a group of reality TV contestants)
- Bill Crider TOO LATE TO DIE (Another stop on that virtual tour of the US, this time in Texas for the investigation of the murder of a young married woman with lots of visitors, this book was a runner up for my pick of the month)
- Ariana Franklin & Samantha Norman WINTER SIEGE (a complicated historical mystery set in 1141 and involving a brutal attack on a young girl)
- Greg Pyers THE UNFORTUNATE VICTIM (based on a true story of a murder in a gold mining town in 1865 this one reeks of authenticity)
- Rebecca Bradley SHALLOW WATERS (a police procedural investigating a series of murders of young girls and the hunt for one who might still be alive)
- Megan Norris LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO (the non-fiction book I read about the truly horrendous phenomenon of men who kill their children as an act of revenge against their wives and partners – it’s well written and handles the topic as sensitively as possible but the subject matter is going to be tough going for some)
Progress on bookish goals
Australian Women Writers Challenge: Read & Review 25 books
1 down, 24 to go. Need to pick up speed
Participate 8 times in Crimes of the Century
1 down, 7 to go. On track
Read 36 books owned prior to the start of the year and/or reduce the TBR to less than 100 (from 131)
I read 7 books owned prior to the start of the year, but the TBR stands at 128 because some shopping got done as well. Need to work harder.
Buy no physical or eBooks from stores outside Australia (Audio books are my exception)
Achieved.
Read at least 10 books eligible for my virtual tour of the US via its fiction (each one set in a different state and by a new-to-me author).
2 of 10 books read. Looking good.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
What about you? How did your reading year start? Are you off with a bang or a whimper?
Reactions to Reading 
Oh a bit of a whimper. I got bogged down in a book I wasn’t really enjoying but for some reason felt I had to keep reading and since then I’ve been feeling a bit flat. I need to get back into research for what I’m writing next and struggling a bit …
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hate finding a book that isn’t great but not quite bad enough to stop reading. Hope you find something more to your liking soon
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re doing well on those goals, Bernadette. I’m impressed. And I”m very glad you had a good month. Your post has reminded me I want to read that Staincliffe, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looking for THE DYING DETECTIVE already. Too many of these seem good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not out here until May. Darn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s rare that we get a release before you guys.
LikeLike
It’s madness over here as you can well imagine, so I’ve been glued to the TV and Internet news. Only read three books in January and think Sarah Ward’s “A Deadly Thaw” was the favorite. I read one of Rebecca Cantrell’s books set in 1930’s Berlin and it was fine, not my favorite genre. And read a book by Liane Moriarty, which was easy, non-taxing and distracting reading. But not much happens.
I’ve been reading one book for two weeks, but the news takes my attention. Between yelling at the TV and computer, crawling back into bed and rushing out to buy more chocolate for comfort, I’ve been too busy to read books. But my TBR lists keep growing. And a bunch of your reads are on the list. When will I have the time?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can understand how news is occupying so much of your attention Kathy. I try to restrict my viewing and reading of it during my work week – just for my sanity – but it’s easier for me being at a distance.
I have Sarah Ward’s book on my TBR and also just ordered a Liane Moriarty book because I’ve somehow not read any and she is an Aussie gal.
LikeLike
You’re doing pretty well with your goals! I’m with you on the AWW goal and need to pick up my pace on that over the next few months!
LikeLike