Books!
My reading really slowed down in September- I read six books, as opposed to ten in August. BUT! My last book of the month was a winner. This was a mystery/police procedural, and the best book of this genre I’ve read all year. Why was it so good? Well- it had everything I want. It’s not a fast paced thriller (I don’t like those because they make me too anxious) but there were some suspenseful chapters, and of course the whole story has a sense of urgency, because there’s a serial killer out there who must be stopped. There’s a creepy feeling to this book, because the bad guys are REALLY bad. There are also scenes that are very intense and fascinating, including one incident where the main detective smokes opium, and a couple descriptions of a key witness (who can’t remember anything) undergoing hypnosis. The characters are really well developed, AND, best of all- there was a twist at the end that I absolutely did not see coming. My only complaint is- and this is definitely a “me” problem- this is the eighth book in a series. It stands alone, but there is an ongoing story with the main detective that I was ignorant of. Reading the series from the beginning would probably be a good idea- but then I don’t know if all the books are this good. This one was outstanding for me. As soon as I finished it I dove into this one: The description is “A burnt-out writer’s retreat at a fancy Swiss hotel is interrupted by a murder mystery in this metafictional, meticulously crafted whodunit…” OH YES GIVE IT TO ME RIGHT NOW! This sounded so good- but unfortunately it suffers from following so closely on the heels of The Mirror Man. It’s just not as good, although so far (I’m 80 pages into this 574 page book) it is fun and interesting enough to keep me reading. What are you reading now? – My copy of The Joy Luck Club is in at the library! Don’t forget to join Engie’s book club! Top photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash