A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins, Joe Pickett t.v. series

 Just finished A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins. She also wrote The Girl on the Train.

About: "When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?"

I haven't read The Girl on the Train. I read this book on recommendation from a book buddy. I really liked it. 

It is a very good psychological suspense, quick read. Every character in the book has "a slow fire burning", which makes for several suspects. Each suspect has had something traumatic happen to them with a good set up for wanting revenge. Who did it? All had a motive. Who does the right thing in the end? You will be surprised. 

Joe Pickett fan? The T.V. series is finally going to start on Dec. 6, 2021 on Spectrum Originals. It is a 10 part series. Here is the most recent article about it. 

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2021/11/19/joe-pickett-series-to-premiere-in-december/

Now I have to figure out where that will be found. I have a couple of weeks.

Our next Mystery Book Club is Dec. 1. It has been tricky figuring out how to continue to meet, but one member offered to host in her home this time. (All appropriate protocols will be followed. We don't expect too many people this time.) While we won't be discussing a specific book, we will share our favorite reads for the year. I will share that list with you.

Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!

Twenty One Days by Anne Perry and Zoom with Virginia King

 Hey all. Been a few weeks since I checked in. 

Time is really flying as work continues to interfere. I also signed up for a Norwegian language class for 8 weeks. I always wanted to take Norwegian. My father's side of the family is 100% Norwegian. I remember my great grandfather who immigrated at age 14. He used to speak to me in Norwegian but I was really young and shy and hid behind my grandmother (his daughter) when he did that. Everyone laughed and said they didn't know what he was saying. I am not so sure about that now. Anyhow, that is one night a week for 1.5 hours and some prep time. It is proving to be a bit much for my old brain but kind of fun. It will end in December.

For November, the Mystery Book Club read Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry.

About: "It's 1910, and Daniel Pitt is a reluctant lawyer who would prefer to follow in the footsteps of his detective father. When the biographer Russell Graves, who Daniel is helping defend, is sentenced to execution for the murder of his wife, Daniel's Pitt-family investigative instincts kick in, and he sets out to find the real killer. With only twenty-one days before Graves is to be executed, Daniel learns that Graves is writing a biography of Victor Narraway, the former head of Special Branch and a close friend of the Pitts. And the stories don't shed a positive light. Is it possible someone is framing Graves to keep him from writing the biography--maybe even someone Daniel knows in Special Branch?

The only answer, it seems, lies in the dead woman's corpse. And so, with the help of some eccentric new acquaintances who don't mind bending the rules, Daniel delves into an underground world of dead bodies and double lives, unearthing scores of lies and conspiracies. As he struggles to balance his duty to the law with his duty to his family, the equal forces of justice and loyalty pull this lawyer-turned-detective in more directions than he imagined possible. And amidst it all, his client's twenty-one days are ticking away."

You may have read Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series. The main character, Daniel, in this series, is Charlotte and Thomas's son, all grown up.

I really enjoyed it. Very good writing, very good mystery, suspenseful with twists. Everyone in the group liked it and some have even gone on to read the other four books in the series. Some have read the Charlotte and Thomas series and really recommend it but said you should start with the first book in the series. I would say that about the Daniel Pitt books also.

The MBC was also treated to a Zoom chat with Virginia King, author of the Selkie Moon series. We read and discussed her prequel to the series, Planting Pearls. Did I mention that Virginia lives in Australia? We had fun discussion with her all the way from the Blue Hills. 

About: "When Selkie Moon escapes her controlling husband to start a new life in Hawaii, she’s under pressure to support herself, while keeping hidden from her ex.

But when she encounters a so-called haunting, Selkie delves into the mystery surrounding an old Honolulu house.

Are there dark forces at work and is a child in danger?

Or is something else going on?

As Selkie gets caught up in something that’s way beyond her skillset, the disturbing events not only hint at secrets buried in her own past, but she unwittingly makes herself a target for the man she’s fleeing from."

Virginia shared that she is writing a brand new mystery that will be a traditional mystery and it is off to the editor. I am looking forward to finding out more about it.

Currently reading: A Slow Burning Fire by Paula Hawkins.