Saturday, June 19, 2010

Book-Binge Reading

So, all this week I've been on a book-binge vacation. Stopping at used book stores hither and yon and grabbing up all the interesting mysteries I've seen. Result: pretty much stayed home the last day and a half and have started working my way through the little gems. In that time, I have knocked out Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (I always love me a good Agatha Christie. Even when I've read it before. It was just a pleasure to sit and read one of the SEVEN pocket book editions I found. Has anyone noticed how much I love those little editions?). Followed that up with Gently Floating by Alan Hunter. This was an early book (maybe the second) in the Inspector Gently series. I normally like these British police procedurals, but this one just didn't do much for me. The style seemed off and I really couldn't get into Gently's investigative process in this one. Then I read four Lee Harris books. She writes a clever series starring an ex-nun who has a real problem with holidays and special days. I whipped right through The Yom Kippur Murder, The New Year's Eve Murder, The Happy Birthday Murder, and The Bar Mitzvah Murder. While I always enjoy following Christine Bennett Brooks in her investigations, the best of the four were The Yom Kippur Murder & The Bar Mitzvah Murder. Chris has a way of getting people to talk to her when they won't talk to the police and also has a way of seeing old murders from a different perspective. I've read about ten from this series and even though they might appear a bit formulaic, they always reel me in. And I rarely figure out whodunnit before Chris does.

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