Friday, April 4, 2014

New to Me Authors January to March of 2014


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.






In the first quarter of this year I’ve read 10 books by authors that I have not read before.

A Case for Mr. Crook by Anthony Gilbert
The Danger Within by Michael Gilbert
Judgement Call by Nick Oldham
The Maze of Cadiz by Aly Monroe 
Behind the Night Bazaar by Angela Savage
Summer of the Big Bachi by Naomi Hirahara
The Indigo Necklace by Frances Crane
After the Armistice Ball by Catriona McPherson
Locked In by Kerry Wilkinson


All of these books were very enjoyable reading. Rather than pick one favorite, I will chose one vintage mystery and one contemporary mystery.

Angela Savage, author of Behind the Night Bazaar, is an Australian author. Her series is about a private investigator, Jayne Keeney, living in Bangkok. Jayne becomes involved in a murder investigation while visiting a friend in the smaller town of Chiang Mai. Within this context, the author looks at social issues such as HIV and child prostitution.

The Danger Within, by Michael Gilbert, is a mystery set in a prison camp in Italy toward the end of World War II. The book, published in 1952, was based on the author's experiences during the war. This book combined a realistic view of life in a prison camp with an investigation of a murder.

14 comments:

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Tracy, how would you define "new to me" authors? I see it two ways: one, authors I have never heard of before (which is seldom the case) but never read, and two, those whose names I'm familiar with but never read either. That said, barring John Ball, I haven't read any of the writers in your NTM list. The Michael Gilbert book looks especially good.

Anonymous said...

Tracy - I don't blame you one bit for choosing Behind the Night Bazaar. I think Angela Savage's work is terrific and I'm glad you do too. And I've always liked Michael Gilbert's short stories. I should read that Gilbert.

TracyK said...

Prashant, in the context of this meme, it is authors that I have never read a book written by them. Several of these authors have been on my shelves for years. The Michael Gilbert book is especially good and I am sure you would like it.

TracyK said...

Margot, I am looking forward to reading more of Angela Savage's books. Wish that I could read twice as many books in a month.

col2910 said...

Nice list, Tracy - Ball I've read recently. Gilbert, Savage and Monroe await, all 3 will be new-to-me.

Anonymous said...

Quite a few authors I don't know, Tracy. But glad you've been introduced to Aly Monroe, Frances Crane and Catriona McPherson

TracyK said...

Col, I just watched the movie In the Head of the Night last night. Not for the first time, but I had forgotten lots of it so it was fun. I will be eager to see what you think of Gilbert, Savage and Monroe.

TracyK said...

Sarah, all of those authors were good reads, and now I want to read more by them.

Yvette said...

These authors are new to me too, Tracy. I've recently read a couple of new to me authors but without much success. I mean, the books were so/so and I just began skimming. I hate when that happens. But how else are you going to discover new authors. You have to take a chance. :)

TracyK said...

I agree, Yvette, how can you find new authors without risk? I usually don't mind trying new mystery authors, because I can get through just about any mystery without too much disappointment. Other fiction, though, I am less willing to take a chance on without a lot of recommendations. And even then I may feel like I have lost that time.

Clothes In Books said...

I guess half of these would be new to me. I must look at my own list and see what's new and what isn't. You are trying new authors, and reading from your TBR pile - what a role model to us all!

TracyK said...

Moira, deciding what to read is always a struggle when I have so many unread books. I am beginning to want to re-read books and that doesn't help at all. My biggest accomplishment this year is reading some longer books, and even though I have enjoyed them a lot, they take me a long time to read.

Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) said...

Well done TracyK - I keep thinking that I don't read anough new authors and I certainly want to sample the Savage title - thanks chum.

TracyK said...

Thanks, Sergio. I certainly get enough suggestions for authors I have not read from all the mystery bloggers. I will never run out.