Hobbies and Crafts

Fitting that the first ever post on this thread was a recommendation for a Lucinda riley book.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed all L Riley's 7 Sisters books, (as well as many others by her). And I was sad when she passed away after being diagnosed and living with cancer.

I have recently see that there is a new book out by Lucinda riley. I think I remember seeing that she had started or maybe almost finished a book when she died and it was going to be completed by her son. The book is called The Hidden girl but I think it is only out in hard back (£15+) so, much though I want to read it I will wait a while.

Ann Your appeal has worked - a bit.

I don't often recomend books as not many people seem to llike the tough dtective novels I read (except OH).

However, I've just started the latest Roy Grace book and would rather be reading that than writing this!!!!

We also read the Marlow Mysteries before the TV series came out and really liked them - a lot lighter than our ususal reads.

Names

I think I have. Grace novel on my books to read shelf. I have seen the Tv series though and wonder if I should find the first in the series to read. Or would they ‘work’ out of order.

Thanks for venturing over here. You can see fro my list I like your sort of books I think my favourites have been James Patterson and the Alex Cross series.

Those were mild ones - I’ve just finished one called ‘Gutted’ ;-)

The Grace books are a bit different to the to series. Some things are very different.

The books do have themes going through them but the stories are separate although there are references from time to time,

I haven’t read James Patterson for years and I did like Alex Cross .

I shall give Grace a try then

Ladder of Years, by Ann Tyler

O Caledonia, by Elspeth Barker.

Taste, by Stanley Tucci

thank you AG, I have made a note of these Ladder of tears appeals to me.

We read a lot on our kobo/ kindles, so lots of books are only on those. But the LJRoss stories have now come out in book form.
DCI Ryan is based in the North East. The first one is in Lindesfarne - quite spooky and the repercussions of that story reappear from time to time in the series. If you don’t like a good murder and often a dreadful one then this is not for you.

I second that names, I loved those books and was quite disappointed when I read the last one. I can't remember whereabouts it is (memory for name is awful these days) but last year with daughter we were on that coast and were in the bay for I think a body on the rocks -It may not actually be called that, with the ruined castle on the hill overlooking the bay. It was spooky to actually be there.
I see that that series is free for kindle on amazon at the moment so worth a read if that is what you would like to read.

edit sorry should have said free with Kindle unlimited.

Free! That is with Kindle Unlimited.

Have you read her Alexander Gregory books - they are good too.

But isn’t it funny that one can take to one series but not another. Couldn’t get on with the Vera books but loved the Shetland series. We definitely read those before the series not sure about Vera as it would have been long ago.

I rarely read a book when we’ve seen a film or tv series because they are too often not at all the same.

I have read one, Hysteria, I can't actually remember it off hand but I keep a list of books read and this was in 2023 I think and I gave it a very good comment.

since Covid (and during), We have a lady who runs a free exchange book stall one a month, she encourages us taking 6 books a time and, of course they get returned when read. Although there is nothing to say they have to be returned. They have a large tent on their drive for 4 days over the weekend and inside are table with boxes of books (spines showing so you can see authors, titles etc. I was down there this morning and got 6 books. I read a lot so those six will be back with her within the month. They also have jigsaws to borrow free as well.

Thank you everyone for your various suggestions. A while ago I started making a list of recommended authors but I can’t find it now so I will have to begin again. I wish I had kept a note of books I’ve read though it would be a very long list by now. I regularly get something from the library only to find I’ve already read it.

My tastes are quite wide ranging though I’m not really a fan of romances or family sagas. I like detective/police procedural books (I’m never too sure of the difference). I enjoy the Roy Grace books but have never seen the TV series, and the same with the Alan Banks books. I also like a bit of fantasy, historical fact and fiction, biographies - in fact, you name it and I’ll read it.

I’ve recently reread three factual books by Robert K Massie that I had on my kindle: biographies of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great and The Romanovs: The Final Chapter which is about finding where the bodies of Tsar Nicholas II and his family were and then proving which bones belong to which person and using DNA and other techniques to prove that these bodies were those of the Tsar and family. I found all these books fascinating and will be rereading them in a year or two I’m sure.

I’m currently reading The Tower Bridge Murder by Emily Organ. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. It’s so lightweight that you couldn’t even call it a beach read. I read 64 pages very quickly last night. I will probably finish it to find out who the murderer is but I won’t bother to look for anymore books by this author.

It’s lovely to see the thread moving again.

The Bob Skinner series by Quinton Jardine are very good. He has been writing them for about 30 years.

Bob starts off as a young Scottish copper and ends up at the vey top. I think it is unusual to allow the main character to grow and age. The books not only cover crime but also Scottish Politics. So we have the change to Police Scotland and the loss of regional police forces and devolution and the Scottish parliament ( I’ve probably forgotten some of it).

As Bob grows and ages so do his family and friends.

I have started a new list of authors or books to look for :-)

I meant to say earlier Ann that you mentioned a ruined castle overlooking the bay in one of the books and I wondered if it was Dunstanburgh. We love that area and have stayed at Craster and at a couple of places nearby but I doubt if we’ll go again. The long drive is too much for us now and, even if we could manage to somehow get there by public transport, I wouldn’t want to be there without a car to get around.

Yes Vera it is/was Dunstanburgh castle near Craster, thanks for reminding me.

Strange Names you talk of characters aging. Recently reading an Ian Rankin book and Rebus is retired in I’ll health and on trial. I really enjoyed the book but wanted him to be back to his old fit self,

I also keep hoping for more Alex Cross books from J P but maybe he has grown old while we have not been looking.

Good evening ladies

What a lot of chat to keep up with. Just popped in for a quick look.

Do you realised James Patterson has written over 250 books.

He has 34 Alex Cross books between 1993 and 2025 alone, I think i have only read a couple and seen a few films.

Thats amazing no wonder we cant keep up.

Hope everyone is keeping well, take care.

Good morning Tabitha. I have just read my list of books read and of the Patterson books listed 12 are obvious Alex Cross ones but I need to look more closely as many of the titles are not alex Cross. I need to check that out.

Edit I have just pulled a complete list of A Cross books off google so will check later.

It was my lucky day yesterday. I won a nice hardback book in a raffle. It was one of Peter Robinson’s Alan Banks books called Standing In The Shadows. I like the Alan Banks series and haven’t read this one. It wasn’t published till 2023 so must be one of the latest ones.