Every now and then I pull out my trusty little notebook where I jot down book titles that I come across that look interesting and search the public library's online catalog to see if it's listed (and then of course get in line for it). Occasionally a title that sounds like something I'd like to keep will either be added to my Amazon wishlist or dropped into a virtual basket for purchase right away!
Yesterday at work I was able to listen in to a webinar, The Murderous Month of May, put on by the great folks at Booklist of upcoming mysteries from a variety of publishers. What could have been more perfect for me at the moment? Granted it was geared more towards public libraries than an academic library, which is where I work, but you never know when the information will come in handy. Besides, we offer Kindles to our patrons for more leisurely reading than the heftier academic tomes for research.
Since I noted quite a few interesting forthcoming titles, I thought I would share a few highlights with you, too. Some are books were mentioned during the webinar and others are from my own personal booklist. I guess it's time to see what's available at the library (and I feel the urge for a book order as well).
The Grand Tour: Around the World with Agatha Christie by Agatha Christie -- I missed the first ten minutes or so of the webinar (dreaded technical difficulties), so I missed the bit about this book, but I saw it on the list and it caught my eye. According to the information on the UK edition of this title, Christie did an around the world tour to promote the 1924 Empire Exhibition. The letters and photos went unpublished for nearly a century, but happily we get to read it now. "The Grand Tour is a book steeped in history, sure to fascinate anyone interested in the lost world of the 1920s. Coming from the pen of Britain's biggest literary export and the world's most widely translated author, it is also a fitting tribute to Agatha Christie and is sure to fascinate her legions of worldwide fans."
An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd -- This is the third (or are we now on the fourth) Bess Crawford mystery about a WWI nurse who gets involved in murder mysteries (along the lines of Maisie Dobbs--but not quite the same). I enjoyed the first and have meant to get back to the books. I was just recently thinking of picking up the second book, so I guess I should do so soon before I reall fall behind.
Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- "Once again, internationally acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author Carlos Ruiz Zafon creates a rich, labyrinthine tale of love, literature, passion, and revenge, set in a dark, gothic Barcelona, in which the heroes of The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game must contend with a nemesis that threatens to destroy them." I read and enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind, but never got around to Zafon's second book. I may have to at least take a peek at this one--a book set in Spain sounds sort of appealing to me at the moment.
Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes -- Considering how much this book was talked up during the webinar, I think I will have to get my hands on it for sure. The presenter was very enthusiastic about it, so maybe I'll see about getting a UK edition if it's in paper rather than waiting until it's June US release. "Utterly convincing in its portrayal of obsession, Into the Darkest corner is an ingeniously structured and plotted tour de force of suspense that marks the arrival of a major new talent."
Flight from Berlin by David John -- I like the sound of this one. "A cynical English reporter and a beautiful, headstrong, American Olympic hopeful are caught in a lethal game of international espionage during the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Flight from Berlin, a riveting debut thriller from breakout novelist David John."
The Cutting Season by Attica Locke -- Locke's first book, Black Water Rising, was much lauded (even made the Orange Prize longlist last year) and it sounds as though this second book is much anticipated.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -- Another book which was enthusiastically recommended. " One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn."
Brenner and God by Wolf Haas -- Apparently this Detective Brenner series is hugely popular in Germany and is now being translated into English for the first time. "They’re timely, edgy stories told in a wry, quirky voice that’s often hilarious, and with a protagonist it’s hard not to love."
A Fatal Winter: A Max Tudor Mystery by G.M. Malliet -- This one sounds like sheer fun. It's the second book in the series, and I think I'll be looking for the first. "In A Fatal Winter, Max—Anglican priest, former MI5 agent, and village heartthrob—investigates two deaths at Chedrow Castle. But his growing attraction to Awena Owen complicates his case, as does the recent arrival at Chedrow Castle of a raucous group of long-lost, greedy relatives, any one of whom has a motive for murder. With a cozy setting, intricate puzzles, and a handsome (non-celibate) priest doing the sleuthing, the books in this series are destined to become instant classics in the mystery world."
Dead Scared by S.J. Bolton -- This is one I've had on my own radar for a while as I've read all but one of Bolton's novels and am a fan of her Lacey Flint series (this is the second and I can't wait to get my hands on it).
Broken Harbor by Tana French -- French is another author who I automatically read and I was excited to see another book by her coming soon. French's books tend to focus on a pool of characters but the viewpoint shifts with each book. This new one is about Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy one of the Murder Squad detectives.
My own list is much longer than this one, but I hate to bombard you with books. If anyone is interested I might do a part two sometime soon and share more titles that I gleaned from the webinar or from my own lists. I realize this is a Mystery edition of forthcoming books, but are there any books (mystery or otherwise) you're looking forward to this summer? And now I guess I had better go start searching my library's online catalog and get in line . . .
Totally off topic -- a question for you. Which feed reader do you use to read/organize blog posts? I've been using Google Reader, but am thinking of switching to something different. They seem to have made some changes. Before I could clean out my "inbox" and start from scratch, but now it seems you can only mark posts as 'read', but they continue to load in the inbox. I'm not sure I like this set up and want something that can be organized a bit more to my liking. I've sort of abandoned it at the moment and I fear what it looks like since I have gotten behind in blog reading. Suggestions welcome.