Category: Books

A nice variety of books found its way to my house last month. Mailbox Monday was started by Marcia and is hosted by Kristen of BookNAround this month. Here's my list: Sparkle by Denene Millner - Won from Carmike Cinemas The Fine Color of Rust by P. A. O'Reilly - From Atria Books  A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn - From Atria Books The Sandal Artist by Kathleen T. Pelley -  From Pelican Publishing (review) The Woman in Black by Susan Hill - Purchased (review) Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis - Purchased Family Fun Fast Family Dinners by Deanna F. Cook - Purchased      ...

I haven't read many ghost stories, but this is Thrill Week and they did make The Woman in Black by Susan Hill into a movie. Not that I've seen it, I rarely watch scary movies. To be honest, I expected this to be scarier, creepier, make me not want to read it at night. The concept was good: Arthur Kipps, a lawyer from London, is sent to Crythin Gifford, a small town on the moors in eastern England to attend the funeral of Mrs. Alice Drablow, and to sort through her papers. It is at the funeral that Kipps first sees the woman in black and begins to gain an impression of the mystery surrounding her. After the funeral he travels to Eel Marsh House and sees the woman again; he also hears terrifying sounds on the marsh. Despite his experiences and against the advice of the townsmen, Arthur resolves to spend the night at the isolated house in order to get through the job quicker....

(Sorry. I had this scheduled to post while I was away for the weekend, but apparently it failed to do so.) Today's the start of Thrill Week, hosted by Tea Time with Marce. It's a week full of Thrillers, Mysteries, Suspense Novels and/or Horrors, and today we're starting off with a brief questionnaire. Thrill Ride Questionnaire First, a quick bit about myself. I've been blogging for probably about three years now. I read all types of books, but mysteries have always been my first love and this year almost 80% of what I've read has probably fallen into the mystery/suspense/thriller category. What have been your top 3 reads this year?  Link your reviews. Whiplash River by Lou Berney A Double Death on the Black Isle by A. D. Scott A Plain Death by Amanda Flower What are you currently reading during Thrill Week? I'm reading Frame Up by James Phoenix and listening to The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg. Do you have an all time favourite cover in the genres above? No,...

Ngaio Marsh's Detective Alleyn books have become almost a fall back for me. When nothing else is grabbing my attention, when I'm not sure what I want to read or listen to, I know that I'll enjoy her mysteries, they won't be too long and they'll be fairly clever. I'm reading/listening to the series out of order, but I was especially looking forward to Artists in Crime, where Alleyn meets his future wife, painter Agatha Troy. This time around the murder occurs at Troy's house. She is an artist, but also an instructor and has several students, mostly painters and one sculptor, staying at her home and studying with her. The dead woman is the class model, killed while getting in position by a dagger hidden in the drapery she lays down on. The model is a difficult woman and most, if not all, of the students have a reason for wanting her dead. Marsh does a wonderful job, as always, of giving motives to each of...