The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Just joined group so I'm coming late to this challenge. Going to start my list with unread books sitting on my shelf and will complete it over time with great suggestions in this challenge.

Updating as read. Asterisk indicates book finished and (usually) reviewed.

Alabama (AL)
*Alaska (AK) Castle Cape
Arizona (AZ) Mr Majestyk
Arkansas (AR)
California (CA) Done for a Dime
Colorado (CO) The Bookman's Wake
*Connecticut (CT) HardScape
Delaware (DE)
District of Columbia (DC) Hell to Pay
*Florida (FL) Sound of Blood
Georgia (GA)
Hawaii (HI)
*Idaho (ID) Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel
Illinois (IL)
Indiana (IN)
*Iowa (IA) Eleven Days
Kansas (KS) Dark Places
Kentucky (KY)
Louisiana (LA)
Maine (ME) The Cutting
Maryland (MD) Baltimore Blues
Massachusetts (MA)
*Michigan (MI) A Cold Day In Paradise
Minnesota (MN)
Mississippi (MS)
Missouri (MO) The Last Witness
Montana (MT)
Nebraska (NE)
*Nevada (NV) Punctured
New Hampshire (NH)
New Jersey (NJ) Bury the Bishop
*New Mexico (NM) Tularosa
New York (NY) The First Deadly Sin
North Carolina (NC)
*North Dakota (ND) Blowout
Ohio (OH)
Oklahoma (OK) Easy Pickin's
Oregon (OR) The Defense
Pennsylvania (PA) Moment of Truth
*Rhode Island (RI) Rogue Island
South Carolina (SC)
South Dakota (SD)
Tennessee (TN) A New Prospect
Texas (TX)
Utah (UT)
*Vermont (VT) Open Season
*Virginia (VA) The Jackpot
Washington (WA)
West Virginia (WV)
Wisconsin (WI)
Wyoming (WY)Blood Land

Just finished and reviewed first book, A Cold Day In Paradise. Its setting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is very appealing to me, and shares a lot with the bleak landscapes of the Nordic mysteries. Particularly the brooding presence of Lake Superior adds a dimension to the novel. The wind whipping around, the biting rain, the whitecaps on a stormy lake -- great atmosphere!

Update: Actually visited Paradise, Mich. this summer as part of a road trip through Wisconsin and U.P. Needless to say, Paradise, basically just an intersection on the highway, is much more dramatic in a mystery thriller set in the winter than it is in real life. Lake Superior is beautiful.

Checked off a couple more states. I'm really enjoying this road trip around the U.S. Finished Sound of Blood by Lawrence DeMaria, set mostly in Florida, and Tularosa by Michael McGarrity, set in wonderful New Mexico. Loved them both.

See my reviews at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... and
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

If you haven't read a book set in Alaska yet, I would recommend Castle Cape by C.L. Withers it's on B&N and Amazon.

Sheila wrote: "If you haven't read a book set in Alaska yet, I would recommend Castle Cape by C.L. Withers it's on B&N and Amazon."

Funny coincidence. It's the very book I added for Alaska in my update today.

Wow Darrell... great list. Enjoy your travels!

A Study in Scarlet is an oldie and a goodie, even if a little "thin" historically speaking, and takes place in Utah.

Checking off Alaska with C.L. Withers very exciting Castle Cape.

Give it 5 stars! http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Checking off Iowa Eleven Days by Donald Harstad. 5 down, 46 to go!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Checking off Nevada with nicely quirky Punctured by Rex Kusler.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Nevada Barr does a character who is a National Park Ranger. Not in chronological order, her Ranger Anna Pigeon has been to New Mexico, NY (Statue of Liberty),Yellowstone to name just a few.

In no particular order of Nevada Barr's National Park Ranger, Anna Pigeon Series: (16) Alaska, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, NY: Liberty Island and Ellis Island, Michigan: Lake Superior, Isle Royale, New Mexico:Carlsbad Caverns, California (Yosemite) Mississippi, Louisiana. Her books are deeply and richly detailed for each N. Park. I have reviewed a few, but need to reread most to justify a decent individual review.

Darrell wrote: "Checking off Iowa Eleven Days by Donald Harstad. 5 down, 46 to go!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

Currently reading!!

Wendy wrote: "Nevada Barr does a character who is a National Park Ranger. Not in chronological order, her Ranger Anna Pigeon has been to New Mexico, NY (Statue of Liberty),Yellowstone to name just a few."

I've read a couple of her books and liked them. Saw her at a reading once and thought she was very interesting.

I have met Marcia Muller and her husband. Interesting people but a not too personable.

Wendy wrote: "Darrell wrote: "Checking off Iowa Eleven Days by Donald Harstad. 5 down, 46 to go!

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

Currently reading!!"

p.s. are we competing? haha

Betty Webb's harrowing tale of a polygamy compound on the Arizona/Utah border, Desert Wives, is compelling reading. I'm checking off Arizona, since that's the base of the action, but it could serve for Utah.

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Checking off Idaho and Virginia. Idaho entry is Revenge: A Travis Mays Novel by Mark Young, which I liked well enough, but found overlong. Virginia is a great legal thriller set in Richmond, The Jackpot by David Kazzie.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Checking off Connecticut HardScape by Justin Scott

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Looks like Vermont is next...

Finished Vermont. Just OK.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

Read my North Dakota entry, Blowout by Byron L. Dorgan and David Hagberg.

Readable but I wouldn't recommend it. If you want to know why and don't mind spoilers, here is my review.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...

Rhode Island, check. Rogue Island. Award winner but not my favorite.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Still like this challenge. Not sure how to promote interaction beyond everybody saying where they are with it. That's not too interesting. Maybe there's too many threads?

any success w challenge?