The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman and More Than Malice

 I received a copy of The Disappearing Act in my Strand Bookstore subscription last month.

It is a really good psychological thriller.

About: 

"A woman has gone missing
But did she ever really exist?

Mia Eliot has travelled from London to LA for pilot season. This is her big chance to make it as an actor in Hollywood, and she is ready to do whatever it takes. At an audition she meets Emily, and what starts as a simple favour takes a dark turn when Emily goes missing and Mia is the last person to see her.

Then a woman turns up, claiming to be Emily, but she is nothing like Mia remembers. Why would someone pretend to be Emily? Starting to question her own sanity, she goes on a desperate and dangerous search for answers, knowing something is very, very wrong.

In an industry where everything is about creating illusions, how do you know what is real? And how much would you risk to find out?"

This book has many many twists and turns. Think Hank Phillipa Ryan - Trust Me or A.J. Finn - Woman in the Window. What you think you know, you probably don't. Let me know what you think about the ending.

About the author: 

"Catherine Steadman is an actress and author based in London. She has appeared in leading roles on British and American television as well as on stage in the West End, where she has been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award. She grew up in the New Forest, Hampshire, and now lives in North London with her husband and daughter. Steadman’s first novel, Something in the Water, was a New York Times bestseller with rights sold in over thirty territories. Film rights have also been sold to Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine. Steadman’s second novel, Mr. Nobody, was published in 2020. The Disappearing Act is her third novel. "

Catherine Steadman has been in Downtown Abby as Mabel Lane Fox and Victoria as Mrs. Forbes.

More than Malice starts Wed. July 14 and runs through July17. You can still register for this virtual book conference. Great option for those of us who would probably never get to attend normally.

"More Than Malice (July 14 - 17, 2021) is a festival-style crime convention specially designed to fill the void left when the 2021 live Malice Domestic had to be cancelled. It is important to remember that MORE Than MALICE is not intended to be a recreation of the standard Malice Domestic in virtual format; rather it is a new entity designed to entertain a large audience by bringing together a unique collection of authors exploring every avenue on the crime fiction map."

As a person who is registered for the event, I got to participate in voting for a few authors for awards. 

Here are some of the authors that I am familiar with that will be participating: David Baldacci, Rhys Bowen, CJ Box, VM Burns, Linda Castillo, Anne Cleeves, Amanda Flower, Charlaine Harris...the list goes on. 

The Agatha Awards will be presented July 17th virtually. If you can't attend "real time", you will be able to view the events later. Should be fun.

PBS Masterpiece schedule for July - October

You know me. Always looking for what mystery is coming up next. I almost forgot that Unforgotten starts this weekend.

Unforgotten Season 4 Sunday July 11 - August 15, 2021 9/8 c (I just discovered this during Season 3 but really liked it.)

Season 4 uncovers a cold case that involves four suspects who attended the same police training course in 1989.

Guilt Season 1: Sun. Sep. 5-12/2021 9/8 c 

It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up” goes the old saying. But that didn’t
stop brothers Max and Jake from hiding their guilt after running into an
elderly pedestrian during an inebriated drive home from a wedding. Mark
Bonnar (Unforgotten) and Jamie Sives (To the Ends of the Earth) star as
Max and Jake in a darkly absorbing tale of rascality and deceit, on Guilt,
airing in four parts with back-to-back episodes on MASTERPIECE, Sundays, September 5 and 12 at 9/8c.

Guilt costars Ruth Bradley (Pursuit) as Angie, the niece and closest
relative of the hit-and-run victim, named Walter. Arriving in Edinburgh from her home in Chicago, Angie meets Max and Jake at Walter’s wake, where they have come to retrieve incriminating evidence. Angie and Jake hit it off, which complicates Max’s plan to escape justice.

Also appearing are Emun Elliott (The Paradise) as Kenny, Max’s alcoholic
private detective; Sian Brooke (Sherlock) as Claire, Max’s suspicious wife;
Moyo Akandé (The Hurricane Heist) as Claire’s more-than-gym buddy, Tina; Ellie Haddington (Foyle’s War) as Walter’s pathologically vigilant neighbor, Sheila; and Bill Paterson (Wives and Daughters) as Roy, a sinister mob boss in Edinburgh.

Granchester Season 6: Sun. Oct. 3 – Nov. 21, 9/8c (Loud clapping. One of my favorite)

Season 6 of Grantchester has Reverend Will Davenport continuing to push the boundaries of his duties while Leonard is caught up in a scandal and Detective Inspector Geordie Keating is faced with a moral dilemma.

Baptiste Season 2: Sun. Oct. 17 – Nov. 21, 10/9c (I saw season one and really liked it.)

 From award-winning producer Two Brothers Pictures (Fleabag), the second season of this spinoff of The Missing follows retired detective Julien Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo) as he delves into Budapest’s corrupt underworld to find a British Ambassador’s family who go missing on a skiing holiday in the Hungarian mountains. Ambassador Emma Chambers, played by Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), is a character who is thrust into the crosshairs of Baptiste’s most complex case to date, as the detective navigates an untrustworthy Hungarian police force and international media interest as he hunts for her husband and two sons.

This is filmed in Amsterdam and I enjoy seeing the city. Anyone else just say "oh yeah...". Tom Hollander, above, was in Us on Masterpiece early this summer, which also takes place in Amsterdam. 

Looks like a great lineup! 

On to reading. Currently reading The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadmand and listening to, The Fix. Amos Decker book 3 by David Baldacci.

Eight Days by Jack Benton

 I have talked about the Slim Hardy series here before and have really liked each book alot.

I just finished book 6 in the series. 

This may be the best book in this series and they are all excellent.

About:

"After nearly a year out of the game, former soldier turned private detective John "Slim" Hardy takes what he hopes will be an easy comeback case in the quiet Devonshire town of Launceston. 

The disappearance in mysterious circumstances of local schoolgirl Emily Martin left police clueless. Eight days later, her sudden reappearance left them equally baffled. Apparently unharmed, Emily claimed no memory of her period of abduction, and in time, the investigation faded. The disappearance in mysterious circumstances of local schoolgirl Emily Martin left police clueless. Eight days later, her sudden reappearance left them equally baffled. Apparently unharmed, Emily claimed no memory of her period of abduction, and in time, the investigation faded. Her eight days missing has changed Emily, so much so that Georgia is unsure the girl is even her daughter at all ...

From the author of The Man by the Sea and The Clockmaker's Secret, comes another stunning mystery, one which will keep you guessing to the last page."

Slim Hardy is a "heavy drinker and a disgraced soldier turned bumbling detective". He is actually a really good detective and is hired for cases others cannot solve.

With each Slim Hardy book I read, I say "This is the best one." The truth is they are all excellent and this book is exceptional. It reads quickly. The writing is clear. The story builds. You are sure you know what is going on and then something changes. Slim continues to struggle with his own demons while trying to solve this case everyone else has given up on. He knows someone isn't telling the truth, but he has to figure out who. Full of secrets and hidden agendas, with more than one twist at the end.

I really recommend this entire series.

About the author: "Jack Benton is the mystery writing pen name of British science fiction writer Chris Ward.

Chris Ward is a native of Cornwall, England, but currently lives and works in Nagano, Japan. He is the author of multiple series across several speculative genres, as well as writing under pen names in several more."

His website: http://www.amillionmilesfromanywhere.net/tokyolost

You can join his newsletter through his website. It comes out every two to three weeks and is pretty entertaining. He shares the latest in living and teaching in an elementary school in Japan, the latest on his young daughter cool scenery. He also shares information on his books and other authors. I enjoy it.

https://gbmysteries.blogspot.com/search?q=man+by+the+sea

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

 Just finished listening to The Rose Code in an audio book. It is a historical fiction with a mystery threaded throughout the story.

About: 

"The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of east-end London poverty, works the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter--the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger--and their true enemy--closer."

Such an intriguing story! It is a fairly long book. Threaded into the story of the women's work at Bletchely Park, is the story of Beth who has been committed to an asylum. She has smuggled out a message to Osla and Mab in a final act of desperation before something even worse happens to her. 

The ending was incredibly tense and nerve wracking for the reader! Good historical fiction and a mystery. I like all of the tie ins with "real people".  Prince Phillip really did have a girlfriend named Osla who worked at Bletchley Park (different last name). Turing is brought in at one point. Mab and Beth are based on/compilations of women who also served as code breakers. The summary at the end of the audio book gave some information on the current status of Bletchley, specifically that Kate Middleton had reopened it in 2014 and it is now open for tours. Her grandmother worked at Bletchley.

It is hard to find an article that isn't mostly focused on what the Duchess of Cambridge wore, but this gives a bit of information about her grandmother. 

https://www.eonline.com/news/552440/kate-middleton-s-grandmother-was-gorgeous-too-worked-at-britain-s-spy-school-during-wwii-see-the-pic

My thought as I finished it was "this should be a 3 part t.v. series and guess what? They are working on it.

I highly recommend this book.

New Hallmark Mysteries and good news!

Ok, it's true. I kind of don't know what day it is. Between still working at home and working a modified summer schedule (4/10 hour days with a different day off each week), I don't always know what day it is...for a minute. I thought today was Sunday for a bit, because I didn't work. 

Sorry about this first notice.

 If you follow the Hallmark Mysteries, there are two coming up in what is left of June.

You will have to catch this first one on Tuesday June 15 at 7 p.m. cst.

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Til Death Do Us Part

Just days before Aurora’s wedding, a body is discovered, and she fears her father may be a suspect. She and Nick race to solve the cold case before they walk down the aisle. Starring Candace Cameron Bure, Niall Matter and Marilu Henner.

To Catch a Spy: Sunday June 20th at 7 p.m. cst

A travel writer witnesses a murder at a hotel in Malta and becomes ensnared in a web of intrigue and espionage as she tries to find the killer before the killer finds her. Stars Nathalie Kelley, Colin Donnell and Patti Murin.

There will be a follow up Aurora Teagarden movie August 22: Honeymoon, Honeymurder. More to come on that.

The good news is, it looks like our Mystery Book Club can resume meetings in person in August.

Yay! Many of us are very excited. We already have a good and fast response to the news. I have been in a reading slump for whatever reason and this is giving me a needed boost. Just been feeling like this whole thing was going on and on and on.

Hope to have more books to share soon.

My Summer TBR list

 Pulled out my fairly new books that I have not yet read. Some are from the Strand book clubs. I think there are three that I won and a couple more that I purchased on a whim while watching a live video by an author. Looks like there are 14. The book Saviors actually has two books in it. All different mystery types: thrillers, cozies and paranormal. 

I am going to finish up another book I won and and an ARC I committed to, (neither in this pile), and start reading! I am going to refrain from accepting other ARC's for now. I really want to read these, they all look good, but I just haven't gotten a round to it.

Now that I have a Round Tuit, I can get started!

Here are my TBR books. Do you see any you have read and recommend I start with?

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

 We read Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson for our Mystery Book Club this month.

About: 

A chilling tale of psychological suspense and an homage to the thriller genre tailor-made for fans: the story of a bookseller who finds himself at the center of an FBI investigation because a very clever killer has started using his list of fiction’s most ingenious murders.

Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack—which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders”—chosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, Ira Levin’s Death Trap, A. A. Milne's Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Cox's Malice Aforethought, James M. Cain's Double Indemnity, John D. Macdonald's The Drowner, and Donna Tartt's A Secret History.

But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. The killer is out there, watching his every move—a diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mal’s personal history, especially the secrets he’s never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife.

To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects . . . and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead—and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape."

The book is well written, definitely suspenseful. I liked reading about the books that were considered the eight perfect murders. I have only read the A.B.C. Murders and see the movie Strangers on a Train.(Have you seen the spoof movie on that? Throw Momma From the Train with Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito? Hilarious. One of my favorite movies.) The book did make me want to read the other books.  It was a page turner. with a  surprise ending. I did not love the characters.

All of the members of the book club liked it, some loved the book. Many commented on the characters also.  (don't want spoilers). 

In general, I would say it is worth reading.