The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

The Summer theme is “place”. Great mysteries *and* great locations. If you can't take a vacation, you can travel to a new place through a book! Discussion will take place June through August.

Nomination criteria:

1. You live/lived in or have visited the location in the book and have read the book. We are looking for local expert opinion.

2. With your nomination you can include a few sentences about the location or why you nominated the book.

3. Contemporary mystery of any genre – noir to cozy.

4. General group read rules apply. Only 1 nomination per person. Authors please, no self-nominations. Include the link to the book in your post. Plan to facilitate the discussion of the book you nominate and share your local knowledge.

Nominations will be open until Thursday, May 20th.

Depending on the number and variety of nominations, if needed, we will set up a poll for voting.

We are hoping for a world tour!

Oh rats... I was going to nominate something but I hvaen't read it yet... will have to re-think this one!

OK. I will nominate The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri. It is the 2nd book in the series, but they do not need to be read in order and it's early enough in the series.

The main character is Police Comissioner Salvo Montalbano, a man who likes to work alone and on his own terms, but who must deal with his quirky subordinates and his demanding superiors.

The action takes place in Vigata, Sicily (but Vigata is really Porto Empedocle on the southern coast of Sicily, the birthplace of Andrea Camilleri).

Montalbano discovers two corpses in a cave being "guarded" by the terra-cotta dog of the title. The story in the present time is interwoven with a story in the past as Montalbano tries to discover who the corpses are (were?).

I have never been to Sicily (but I do live in Italy), but would love to travel there some day.

I'll nominate Ill Wind by Nevada Barr. This was my first Nevada Barr book, and I've been hooked ever since. It's set in Mesa Verde National Park, one of my favorite parks. While I haven't been to Mesa Verde recently, I have been there several times, and enjoyed each of my visits.

I'd echo Ill Wind. Failing that I would nominate Nevada Barr's Deep South, the first one I read, which takes place in the Natchez Trace. This pushed me to take a ride on The Natchez Trace when I took a vacation down Highway 61 one year. A spur of the moment vacation. Plus I took in the Vicksburg Civil War Battlefield and the then beautiful Gulf coast.

Im new here, I hope I do this right . I just read a great spooky mystery that takes place is St Augustine Florida where I use to live, I live only about 30 mins away from St Augustine now in palm coast-anyway the book is by Heather Graham called Unhallowed Ground . It's really got a lot of atmosphere and really gets into what its like to live in a tourist town like St Augustine . Being the oldest town in America its a really nice place with may old properties and graveyards . This book really gives you a feel of what Old Town St Augustine is really like .

Loraine wrote: "Im new here, I hope I do this right . I just read a great spooky mystery that takes place is St Augustine Florida where I use to live, I live only about 30 mins away from St Augustine now in palm c..."

Hi Loraine, Welcome to the group. This is exactly the kind of book we are looking for. Unhallowed Ground. Sounds terrific.

This is a tough one. I love noirish espionage and mystery thrillers so many examples come to mind. I have to go with Vienna and The Third Man by Graham Greene.

Some years ago I was living in Southern Germany but made an concerted effort to get to Vienna just so I could walk the same narrow and winding cobblestoned old town streets. In the story these streets are also strewn with postwar rubble, of course, which contributed to the noir look and feel, but I could still imagine it. Of course a big draw was also the Riesenrad, that giant ferris wheel in the Prater amusement grounds which is still there today. I rode in the very same (or at least I imagined) gondolas as the cynical Harry Lime.

I'm starting to praise the movie too much, but my point is a book by one of my favorite writers made it all possible. The book was good, though this is one of those few examples where perhaps the film was better.

Other locations include (East) Berlin and East Germany (which I travelled into as the Wall came down) for too many spy novels to count, but since I can only nominate one book, The Third Man will have to be it.

Maybe someone else likes Berlin, too? Hint, hint ...

Thanks for letting me play.

I have loved Donna Leon's mysteries set in Venice, especially due to the detailed descriptions of the shops, waterways, etc. I've never been there, though. Perhaps someone who has would be willing to comment on one of those books, especially an early one in the series or Through a Glass Darkly, which took place in Murano. I would love to hear from a member who actually has seen the city Commissario Brunetti loves so much.

Sandy wrote: "I have loved Donna Leon's mysteries set in Venice, especially due to the detailed descriptions of the shops, waterways, etc. I've never been there, though. Perhaps someone who has would be willin..."

I guess that means I have another book to add to TBR! Which one is the first, Sandy. (I think it's already on TBR, I remember the author's name.) Will now go look and will check back with the link.

Yes I did put it on months ago: Death at La Fenice, is the first. Through a Glass, Darkly is the one in Murano which is fabulous to visit.

I would love a Donna Leon book.Through a Glass, Darkly is one I'd like to read. I loved Beach Music by Pat Conroy. It qualifies as a mystery, I believe.
There are beautiful descriptions of the South Carolina low country.

Hi Carol, Both books sound wonderful but it is not clear from your post whether you have actually lived there or just visited there.

Please let us know which?

Oh, sorry! I visit South Carolina every year for at least a week or two. I have never lived in Italy, but it's high on my bucket list!

Edinburgh is such a wonderful city for murder and mystery! We visited there about 8 years ago. We enjoyed so many stories and tours about the Plague, body snatchers, murder, etc. There is a mystery/crime writer who writes about Edinburgh, Ian Rankin.
Has anyone read any of Rankin's books?

i thoroughly enjoy his inspector rebus stories. the black book is one of my faves but i recommend starting at the beginning.

Carol wrote: "Oh, sorry! I visit South Carolina every year for at least a week or two. I have never lived in Italy, but it's high on my bucket list!"

So would you like to nominate Beach Music for the theme read or one of Ian Rankins' books?

Beach Music is my nomination in the end! Conroy's beautiful way with words fits perfectly into the summer catergory!

Carol wrote: "Beach Music is my nomination in the end! Conroy's beautiful way with words fits perfectly into the summer catergory!"

Beach Music is one of my all-time favorite books, Carol.

I agree with Beach Music. I have loved every one of Pat Conroy's books but this one and South of Broad are my two favorites.

Judith wrote: "I agree with Beach Music. I have loved every one of Pat Conroy's books but this one and South of Broad are my two favorites."

I'm almost finished with South of Broad. I don't want it to end!

I am new here also but I really don't know where to go to introduce myself. Help someone! Thanks.

Judith and Carol, I'm so happy to hear that you both love South of Broad. I just bought it and plan on reading it very soon.

Judith wrote: "I am new here also but I really don't know where to go to introduce myself. Help someone! Thanks."

Hi Judith. You can check into the "Report for Duty" folder. Open a new thread and tell us who you are!

Judith wrote: "I am new here also but I really don't know where to go to introduce myself. Help someone! Thanks."

Hi Judith. Welcome to the group. If you want to post a little something about yourself just scroll down to the "Report for Duty" folder on the group's main page. You can start your own thread or add to one that is already there.

Looks like Hayes and I were typing at the same time but she is quicker!

Speedy Gonzales, I am!

I realized that I haven't posted a nomination yet. I'll nominate Charm City by Laura Lippman. This is the second book in the series which takes place in Baltimore.

I live in the greater Washington-Baltimore Metro area so I have visited Baltimore many times over the years. It is an interesting city with a rich history, varied ethnic mix, great sports, and a beautiful waterfront.

Carol wrote: "Beach Music is my nomination in the end! Conroy's beautiful way with words fits perfectly into the summer catergory!"
I loved this book! And South of Broad as well. No nomination from me yet. Living in Switzerland it's tough to find books (in English) with the Swiss Alps as the location.

Hi Patricia,

How about some place in Europe which you have visited? That would be OK too.

Or Asia? or Australia?

By the way, where are our Aussie and Kiwi members??

I will keep the nominations open until the weekend just in case.

Thanks, that'll leave me a little time to find something!!

So I would nominate A tourist in the Yucatan by James McNay Brumfield. I visited the Yucatan a few years ago and while reading this book it remembered all the famous sites I had visited.A Tourist In The Yucatan