EBMRG - 4 February 2003 Meeting Recap

[LJ Roberts]

The East Bay Mystery Reading Group - 4 February 2003 Meeting Recap

MURPHY'S LAW - Bowen, Rhys - (Amateur Sleuth) - Good "Molly is on the run from England for killing a man trying to protect her virtue. She meets a woman who is unable to travel to America with her children and rejoin her husband. Molly assumes her identity and all goes well until a man alludes to knowing her secret and making her life miserable. Upon arriving at Ellis she is almost free when the ship is detained due to a murder. After convincing the lead detective to release her to her husband even though he thinks she is hiding the killer she decides to seek out the truth."

Linda found the romance angle irritating, although Blaire wasn't bothered by it. We did agree with Linda that Molly's opportunities to snoop were a bit too convenient, but liked the character of Molly. Overall, everyone enjoyed the book and most felt they would read another in the series.

THE SHAPE OF WATER - Camilleri, Andrea - (Italian Police Procedural) - Good "Located in Vigata on the Sicilian Coast (and the birthplace of the author), Salvo Montalbano, the local keeper of the law, brings his humanity and knowledge of the local customs to a vexing case: the victim - engineer Silvio Luparello - of murder most foul was not blown away by a lupara, but ostensibly died in the performance of a manly occupation. Open and shut case. Delicious, but not true. Montalbano recognizes a murder when he sees it and then unravels the events."

The Group felt the book was "very Italian" which made it very fun. Once you become accustomed to the cadence (translated from the Italian), it's a fun, fast read. We were all quite intrigued by the cultural side of the story.

DANTES' INFERNO - Sarah Lovett - (Suspense) - Good "Renowned forensic psychiatrist Strange is summoned to L.A. from her beloved New Mexico to interrogate bomber John Dantes, who has been arrested for a deadly museum bombing that killed a child. Though the brilliant Dantes plays Hannibal Lecter-like mind games with her, Sylvia comes to believe he may be innocent. As the presence of another bomber, a "student" of Dantes, becomes known, she must decide if Dantes is calling the shots or is being set up--before the next deadly blast. Fervently pursuing the new bomber is Dr. Edmond Sweetheart, a brilliant scientist whose nephew was killed at the museum."

This was found to be a good thriller with interesting characters and an interesting intellectual construct with references to Dante Alighieri's "Ínferno" and an extended and an metaphor for Los Angeles as nine-circled Hell.

Books for March 4th, 2003 are:

TO WEAR THE WHITE CLOAK - Sharan Newman (Medieval mystery (12th Century France) THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES - Elizabeth Redfern (Historical Thriller (18th Century London)
CUT TO THE QUICK - Kate Ross - (Regency Period England mystery)

Books for April 1st, 2003 are:

WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE - Reed Farrell Coleman (Detective Fiction) THE ANALYST - John Katzenbach (Suspense)
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE - Cynthia Riggs (Amateur Sleuth - Cozy)