The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

And the Winners are.

Category 1 Open The Alienist
Category 2 Holiday Still Life

October has flown by and it's time for nominations for the November/December Group Reads.

Nominations will be open until Saturday Nov 5, 2011 with voting until Saturday, November 12, 2011.

Category 1: Open - a book from any category in the Mystery, Crime and Thriller genre.

Category 2: Holiday Mystery - a book from any mystery genre that takes place during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday seasons.

General rules for Group Reads

1) If your nomination wins - you will be the discussion moderator.
2) If the nominator, for any reason, cannot lead the discussion, the winner will be the second place book.
3) One nomination only per person. Authors: no self-nominations, please.
4) Please do not repeat an author we have read in the last year.
5) For your nomination please indicate: Category, Title, Author and Link (use the "add book/author" link at top of comment box).

Since we are an international group, please check to make sure the book is readily available. Is it available in paperback? Used? Your local library? The last thing we want is to nominate a great book that no one can get!

Finally, a word about series - the joy or bane of a mystery reader’s life! Please consider whether the book you are nominating would be best read by someone who has read all the previous books in the series or can be enjoyed by someone new to the series too.

Thanks for your cooperation!The AlienistStill Life

Hi all

I'd like to nominate for the open category A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away by the wonderful Christopher Brookmyre, one of the smartest and funniest crime writers around.

Paul 'Pezter' wrote: "Hi all

I'd like to nominate A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away by the wonderful Christopher Brookmyre, one of the smartest and funniest crime writers around."

This would be for the general category, right?

Have we read A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher/David Bain yet? If not I would like to nominate it for category 2.

Donna wrote: "Paul 'Pezter' wrote: "Hi all

I'd like to nominate A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away by the wonderful Christopher Brookmyre, one of the smartest and funniest crime writers..."

Sorry, i realised i'd not said originally and thought i'd got my edit in before anyone noticed...

general it is.

Katrina wrote: "Have we read A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher/David Bain yet? If not I would like to nominate it for category 2."

Looks good Katrina. We haven't read anything by Jessica Fletcher.

I'd like to nominate classic Irish noir novel-
The Guards by Ken Bruen

A Fatal Feast sound perfect for the holiday season!

I would like to second the novel Still Life by Louise Penny
This authors first novel would be categorized as general in this case.

I am seconding the novel hoping someone will nominate so that I can avoid moderating (trust me, it's best).

Category B: When Elves Attack: A Joyous Christmas Greeting from the Criminal Nutbars of the Sunshine State

The title alone should get me some votes.

Bubba and the Dead Woman. And if anyone likes this one (Bubba Snoddy #1) then, there's Bubba and the 12 Deadly Days of Christmasjust in time for Christmas (but I'm only nominiating the first one.

I would like to nominate The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller in category 1.

I would love to read The Alienist by Caleb Carr. I've heard good things about it, and it's been on my "to-read" list for quite a while.

Katrina wrote: "Have we read A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher/David Bain yet? If not I would like to nominate it for category 2."

Meant Donald not David Bain, I can never get that right.

I couldn't remember if we had or not, this book has been on my to-read list since LAST Thanksgiving, lol.

For Category 2, A Christmas Guest by Anne Perry. Loosely related to her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series but I think it stands on its own.

In category 1 I'd like to nominate Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff

In category 2 I'd like to nominate On Strike for Christmasby Sheila Roberts

For catagory 2 can i recommend by R D Wingfield.

Here is a quote from my review of the novel;

"Anyway, as to the book. I loved it. I love the way other crimes, some minor, some not, are intertwined with the main plot. I also think that Wingfield is a master of well drawn, realistic charactersisation. It is after all the interaction between the characters which elevates this above your average detective novel. The humour provides a release valve for the darkness that pervades the world they inhabit. The actions of the character are human and believeable as the hero(s) are often as flawed as the criminals, case in point, Frosts actions when he discovers the pornography."

I still maintain that this is the most realistic depiction of policing in Britain in the 90's. If you've seen the made for TV series, 'A Touch of Frost' you owe it to yourself to read the source material. As much as i loved David Jason he made the character far more likable than he was in the books. You can respect the Frost in the books but you will find it hard to like him!

This is in a series but it is #1 so would serve as a great introduction to DI Jack Frost...

Gary wrote: "In category 2 I'd like to nominate On Strike for Christmasby Sheila Roberts"

Please disregard this nomination as I already nominated a selection for category I.

Good Morning
I would like to nominate In category 1 Gutted By Tony Black

I nominate The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen

In category 1 I nominate "By the Time You Read This" by Giles Blunt.

I read this book a couple of years ago. It is very good. Giles Blunt By the time oyu read this

My suggestion's a very hard-boiled entry set in the boxing world of the late 1930's. It's One Too Many Blows to the Head by Eric Beetner and JB Kohl.

nigel

Donna wrote: "October has flown by and it's time for nominations for the November/December Group Reads.

Nominations will be open until Saturday Nov 5, 2011 with voting until Saturday, November 12, 2011.

Ca..."
I nominate this atmospheric mystery:

I would like to nominate The Dark Before Dawn for Catagory 1The Dark Before Dawn

Kathryn wrote: "I would like to nominate The Dark Before Dawn for Catagory 1The Dark Before Dawn"

Oh I love it when I have a book already on my TBR list and it is purchased already too. ;)

Category 1: I'd like to nominate It's $0.99 for the ebook at BN. It's a new series.

Christina wrote: "Category 1: I'd like to nominate It's $0.99 for the ebook at BN. It's a new series."

What's the title?

Susanna wrote: "Christina wrote: "Category 1: I'd like to nominate It's $0.99 for the ebook at BN. It's a new series."

What's the title?"

Locked In by Kerry Wilkinson

for Category 2.