Monday, July 6, 2015

New (to me) Authors: April through June 2015

Today I am joining in on the meme for the best new-to-me crime fiction authors at Mysteries in Paradise. This meme runs at the end of each quarter. Check out other posts for this quarter.

This quarter I have read books by seven authors that I have never read before.

White Heat
by M. J. McGrath
Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
Tainted by Ross Pennie
The Case of the Dotty Dowager by Cathy Ace
The Ways of the World by Robert Goddard
See Also Murder by Larry D. Sweazy
Susannah Screaming by Carolyn Weston

I have reviewed all of these book except for The Ways of the World and Susannah Screaming. I will be reviewing both books soon.

Robert Goddard has written over twenty mystery thrillers. They cover various periods in history. Per the author's website: "What they all have in common is the infinite capacity for intrigue and conspiracy in human nature - and the lengths to which some at least will go to combat them."

Publisher's Weekly describes The Ways of the World:
The Paris peace talks of 1919 provide the backdrop for Edgar-winner Goddard’s enjoyable first in a trilogy featuring James “Max” Maxted, “late of the Royal Flying Corps.” When Max’s father, aging diplomat Henry Maxted, is found dead outside his mistress’s Montparnasse apartment building, the police and some members of the British delegation maintain Henry simply fell from the roof or jumped. Yet the doggedly curious Max and his sidekick—former plane mechanic Sam Twentyman—spot a pattern of suspicious circumstances indicating otherwise.
Per Brash Books, Carolyn Weston is the author of the three, ground-breaking police procedurals that became the hit TV series The Streets of San Francisco. Susannah Screaming was the second book in that series. As a fan of the TV show starring Karl Malden and Michael Douglas, I was eager to give the books a try. Brash Books is releasing new editions of all three books.




12 comments:

col2910 said...

Looking forward to your Weston review. I've never read Goddard myself and haven't found anything by him yet. I get him confused with Robert Barnard!

TracyK said...

Col, I have a couple of books by Goddard that I bought in the last few years, but never have tried any of them. This one was not what I expected but I like to read about the time period.

Anonymous said...

As ever, you have a nice variety of books here, Tracy. I'll be looking forward to your reviews of the Goddard and the Weston. I honestly hadn't know that Streets of San Francisco was based on a novel (or if I did know, I'd forgotten). Interesting!

Mac n' Janet said...

I'm a big fan of Robert Goddard and I think I've read nearly all of his books. My new to me mystery author would be Craig Johnson, I'm reading his Dry Bones and enjoying it very much, will look for more of his books.

J F Norris said...

I enjoy Robert Goddard's books a lot. He is one of the most intricate plotters I know of in contemporary crime fiction. Sometimes his stories are mindboggling in their construction. Reading LONG TIME COMING which I got into long before it was even nominated for the Edgar which it eventually sent me off looking for more of his books. PLAY TO THE END, a very good one, is something Hitchcock could've made into a fine movie were he still alive. If you like historical mysteries PAINTING THE DARKNESS is a whopper of a tale inspired in part by the Tichborne Claimant case infamous in Victorian trial law. Most of Goddard's books impress me to no end. As a matter of fact I have a couple in my TBR pile for this summer.

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Tracy, I have added James M. Cain and Larry D. Sweazy to my reading wish-list.

TracyK said...

Margot, over the last couple of years we have been watching the first two seasons of Streets of San Francisco. Until I saw the beginning credits, I did not realize that the series was inspired by novels. It looks to me like the series started after the first book was published, and the other two books followed, but not sure on that.

TracyK said...

Mac n' Janet, glad to hear that you have like Goddard's books. I have read the first three books in the Craig Johnson series and I have a few more so I can continue on with the series.

TracyK said...

Thanks, John, for the recommendations for Goddard's books. I do have LONG TIME COMING, so I will move that up on my list. And I will put the other two on a wishlist.

TracyK said...

Prashant, I am sure you will like those authors and I look forward to seeing any reviews you write.

Clothes In Books said...

I used to read all the Robert Goddards, but have fallen behind in the past few years, so I'll look forward to your review, which might put me back on track.

TracyK said...

Moira, The Robert Goddard book was not exactly what I expected and I have not decided if that was good or not. But the review will be coming soonish.