Next Books

Hello everyone. This is just to confirm that the next book we will be reading at the Partners in Crime book club is Hakkan Nesser's THE RETURN - and we will be meeting to discuss it on at 7.30pm Thursday 3 December.

More information about Hakkan Nekker's work, and the acclaim his writing has received, can be found here.

After THE RETURN, we will be reading Darren Craske's THE EQUIVOQUE PRINCIPLE - with the meeting likely to be on 5 January 2010 (subject to confirmation).

Hope to see you all on the 3rd Dec!

Two More Book Suggestions

Suggestion From Rebecca

Being a big fan of Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy, Rebecca was keen to suggest that we should read some Scandinavian crime ficiton - with suggestions including Arnaldur Indriðason (Iceland), Håkan Nesser (Sweden,) Henning Mankell (Sweden) and, Jo Nesbø (Norway). In the end, she plumped for Håkan Nesser, and for the time being I've selected his first novel published in English, The Return (but Rebecca, if you'd like a different Nesser, let me know!).



Suggestion from Russell

I’d like to suggest The Equivoque Principle by Darren Crask. Just because I like the sound of it. It’s got a Victorian ‘penny dreadful’, Sherlock Holmesian feel to it and I think it might be quite fun. I quite like the Sherlock Holmes stuff anyway but I’m hoping this will be a modern pastiche on a Victorian theme.

This now means that we've had 6 suggestions so far - which by my calculations, fills the first 6 months, without the need for a vote. However, if anyone would like to make a late suggestion, just let me know...

Another Book Suggestion

Suggestion from Barry

I would like to suggest A Drink Before the War by American crime writer Dennis Lehane. Although i've not read this or any of Lehane's other books I have been meaning to give him a go. He wrote a couple of really good episodes of 'The Wire' and two of his other novels have been adapted into interesting films - 'Mystic River' and 'Gone Baby Gone'. 'A Drink Before the War' is the first novel in a series of five, so far, featuring private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro.

Early Book Suggestions

Hi everyone. Set out below are the book suggestions that I've received so far (including, funnily enough, one from me). It would be great to receive some more, so feel free to send them through to me or comment below.

Suggestion from Angela

I'd like to suggest Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell. It's the first in the Scarpetta series - the 15th was published last year and Cornwell is still writing them. The characters have changed almost beyond belief and the plots have become more and more outrageous over the years but I've stuck with them and probably will until the final instalment... I think the main reason I like the Scarpetta series is because, although the books include detailed forensic explanations and are pretty graphic when it comes to the type of crimes they deal with, they are about character too and the characters are extremely well drawn.


Suggestion from Ruth

"When the Bough Breaks" by Jonathan Kellerman is the first in the series of the Alex Delaware/Milo Sturgis novels and whilst maybe not the best is an excellent introduction.... Delaware is a high-achieving, workaholic and hence burnt-out child psychologist who is brought in by Homicide detective Sturgis in an attempt to elicit a witness statement from a terrified child. Kellerman has worked/published as a child psychologist which brings authenticity to his writing and his characters and plots develop compusively throughout the often very dark series.

Suggestion from Chris

The Taint of Midas by Anne Zouroudi is the second installment in the terrific Mysteries of the Greek Detective. Hermes Diaktoros, the "Fat Man", is a fascinating lead character with a mysterious background and a desire to deliver a special variety of justice. Each book is set in a different Greek Island, exploring one of the seven deadly sins. Beautifully written and brilliantly structured, I love this book.

Next Steps

Huge thanks to everyone who made it along to the first meeting of the book club - it was great to meet you all, and to hear of so many good book suggestions for future reads.

Just to recap, and for the benefit of those who missed the first meeting, the next meeting will be on Tuesday 27th October at Jabberwocky, at 7.30pm. We will be discussing Raymond Chandler's THE BIG SLEEP, as well as determining the order in which we will read future book selections.

As for book selections going forwards, it would be great if everyone could send me an e-mail, or comment on this blog, with the details of one book that they would like to suggest for the club to read. If you can provide the title of the book and the author, and also one or two lines about why you think it would be a good choice, I'll post all the suggestions here along with a voting bar where everyone can vote for the first six books they would like the club to read. Your suggestions can be from any crime genre, although I think it would be best if all the books are readily available in paperback format. I look forward to receiving your pitches!

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to Partners in Crime IOM, the crime and mystery book club for the Isle of Man. The idea behind the club is to provide an informal setting for discussing and appreciating all varieties of crime and mystery fiction - from classics of the genre, through to contemporary hardboiled noir, with space for thriller, comic and cosy crime fiction and more. All readers are welcome - from genre addicts to first time offenders - and all members will have the opportunity to select and suggest books to be read.

The club is hosted by Chris Ewan (author of the Good Thief's Guide series of crime novels) and will meet at the Jabberwocky Coffee House in Douglas on the last Tuesday of each month. The first meeting of the club will be at 7.30pm on Tuesday 29 September, where you can meet fellow readers over a glass of wine or a mug of coffee and help shape the form the club will take.

To get us started, the first book that the club will read has been pre-selected. Raymond Chandler's THE BIG SLEEP is one of the most popular crime novels of all time, written by one of the genre's finest stylists. Compelling and controversial, it should provide plenty to talk about. Don't worry if you don't have a chance to finish reading THE BIG SLEEP before the first meeting - in all likelihood we will not have time for a full discussion, and Chandler's classic should provide ample material for the second meeting. Thereafter, the group will work together to select future books to be read and discussed, at a rate of one book each month.

If you are interested in joining the club, it would be helpful if you could contact Chris by dropping him an e-mail at chrisewan@gmail.com (so that we have an idea of likely numbers). Chris will also be happy to answer any questions about the club that you may have.

To those who are planning to attend the first meeting, please have a think about possible books that you might like the club to read - they can be books you have read before, or books you have always meant to read but have never quite got around to tackling.

We look forward to seeing you on the 29 September!