Books #29-33

Since Blogger lets you add 5 pictures at a time that is what I will do. Plus I will pick the best of each set as a handy dandy reference for you.

Four of the books in this group are continuation of ongoing series.




BOOK #29: Arctic Chill
BOOK #30: Hypothermia
AUTHOR: Arnaldur Indritason
COPYRIGHT: 2005 & 2007

More crime and punishment in Iceland. This series is great for anyone interested in police procedurals and Nordic Noir, which is riding a wave of popularity right now. Similar authors would be Henning Mankell (a favorite) and Jo Nesbo who write about Sweden and Norway respectively.

BOOK #31: The Fixer Upper
AUTHOR: Mary Kay Andrews
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Who can resist a book on Home Improvement? This wasn’t too bad but in the end it was a little romancey* for my taste. I listened to it on CD as I went about my day and it was fun. If you like your mystery more light hearted with down to earth lovable guys just looking for the right woman to love, then this is for you. *Mainly involves name dropping shoe brands and dreamy guys able to give orgasms merely by looking at the female protagonists.


BOOK #32: Flesh House
AUTHOR: Stuart MacBride
COPYRIGHT: 2008

Gritty Tartan Noir with the Aberdeen police force. This is the third book I have seen this year involving cannibalism – I blame Thomas Harris. I can’t imagine that a human steak is so tasty that you can’t fill that need with a New York Strip, but then I am not a evil sociopath; at least not yet.

BOOK #33: The First Rule
AUTHOR: Robert Crais
COPYRIGHT: 2010

Crais writes a longstanding series about the wisecracking PI Elvis Cole and his silent partner, the don’t mess with me or I will kill you with Spartan efficiency Joe Pike. While the books almost always feature both characters, they usually center on Cole. Occasionally we get a Pike centered book and they are always a lot of fun in a kick ass sort of way.

Since these are all ongoing series I can recommend them all, just pick your style. The Arnaldur stuff featuring a sparse landscape and a cop whose personal life is in shambles while he draws the mystery out (standard fare for all Nordic stuff). MacBride’s Scotland with its dismal weather and nasty citizens (and there is some bad stuff about it too). His police officer keeps getting screwed by the man, but somehow maintains his sense of humor and solves the case in spite of it. Or the fun loving California PI’s of Crais, quick with a joke or a gun, whatever works best.

You hipsters will want the first ones as they are so in fashion in the mystery world right now.