What books are we reading at the moment ?

[Mr Larrington]

I have just re-read the increasingly badly named Shetland Quartet, mostly to determine exactly how Wrong the TV series of the same name has become.  I am expecting at least one more book, with the word "Fire" in the title.

[Mrs Pingu]

I really like the Shetland books.  The BBC series of the same name appears to be unrelated apart from the character names. Though it's a darn site better than the ITV series of the same.

[Quisling]

Green Alternatives to Globalisation: A Manifesto by Michael Woodin and Caroline Lucas.
Slightly out of date (at least the version that I have is) but still an excellent primer for those wishing to understand why neocon' politics isn't ideal.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt18fscgj for more info.

[Mr Larrington]

I really like the Shetland books.  The BBC series of the same name appears to be unrelated apart from the character names. Though it's a darn site better than the ITV series of the same.

Earlier series did use the books at least as a basis for the story, but they soon shot off at right-angles to reality with their ageing Cassie by about twelve years and not bothering to include Fran at all.  And while Dougie Henshall is a fine actor, having him play a dark swarthy Mediterranean type is Just Wrong

[citoyen]

Dougie Henshall is a fine actor

Is he? If you say so.

I've not read the books so wasn't aware of the discrepancy, though I did note that "Perez" is not what you'd call one of the classic Highland clans.

[Mr Larrington]

The backstory is that a distant ancestor of DI Perez was a Spanish sailor washed ashore after the Duke of Medina-Sedonia failed to listen to the shipping forecast.

[Mrs Pingu]

I really like the Shetland books.  The BBC series of the same name appears to be unrelated apart from the character names. Though it's a darn site better than the ITV series of the same.

Earlier series did use the books at least as a basis for the story, but they soon shot off at right-angles to reality with their ageing Cassie by about twelve years and not bothering to include Fran at all.  And while Dougie Henshall is a fine actor, having him play a dark swarthy Mediterranean type is Just Wrong

Didn't realise there had been previous series...

[rafletcher]

I really like the Shetland books.  The BBC series of the same name appears to be unrelated apart from the character names. Though it's a darn site better than the ITV series of the same.

Earlier series did use the books at least as a basis for the story, but they soon shot off at right-angles to reality with their ageing Cassie by about twelve years and not bothering to include Fran at all.  And while Dougie Henshall is a fine actor, having him play a dark swarthy Mediterranean type is Just Wrong

Didn't realise there had been previous series...

The current one (just finished) is series 4.  5 to follow next year.

[Jakob W]

Doc Hutch's Re:Cyclists; very enjoyable, though as ever, descriptions of post-war touring make me wish I had been able to experience it.

[Mr Larrington]

Revisiting Greg Iles' Penn Cage series.  I never noticed before that in spite of all the personal stress he was under, in the couple of days between the end of "The Devil's Punchbowl" and the start of "The Death Factory" Mr Cage found the time to trade his Saab for an Audi S4.

[tiermat]

Having finished A Dark So Deadly and The Gathering Dark I tried some other detective novels, none of which appealed.  They are (in no particular order):

Dark Skies and High Force by LJ Ross - Total and utter pants, might work for someone only just starting our reading detective novels as everything is in HUGE signposts, but way to noddy for me (and the writing style is horrid)
A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George - A Lynley book, might return to this later

Now on Macbeth by Jo Nesbo.  Not convinced, at the moment, it contains the motorbike gang, some idiot polis but no Harry Hole.

I will just have to keep looking, I guess, or start reading Lean Organisations, a work related book and I really really don't want to do that....

[T42]

A Charlie Stross potboiler called Glasshouse. Quite amusing.

[Oaky]

Currently: "Adults in the Room" - Yanis Varoufakis.  A first hand account his battles with the EU, ECB and IMF while trying to renegotiate Greece's debt as the Finance Minister of a new government.  Fascinating insight into the internals of the European financial authorities, and emphasises just how screwed the UK probably is if the folks negotiating Brexit are half as clownish as they appear to be.

Queued for afterwards: "Stories of the Law and How It's Broken" - The Secret Barrister.  I have very much enjoyed this guy's Twitter and blog articles, so stuck the book on pre-order a while ago.

[rafletcher]

The second of Nick Petrie’s “Peter Ash” series, Burning Bright. The character owes a debt to Jack Reacher, but it’s entertaining and diverting.

[citoyen]

Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard

Very good but... Would it be sacrilege to say I preferred the film? Very rare that this is the case, I just think the story works better told visually rather than verbally.

I liked the bit when Harry Zimm is talking to Chili Palmer about actors he's considering for the lead in the film he's making. One of the names mentioned is Gene Hackman, who played Harry Zimm in the film.

[Mrs Pingu]

Having finished A Dark So Deadly and The Gathering Dark I tried some other detective novels, none of which appealed.

Some others for you to try, if you've not already:
Stuart MacBride's Logan Mcrae books
The Shetland books by Ann Cleeves. The Vera Stanhope books by the same author are a bit closer to home.
The Lewis trilogy by Peter May.

On the weird shit front (rather more weird than the Mclean books)
Shadow Police series by Paul Cornell
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch

[tiermat]

Having finished A Dark So Deadly and The Gathering Dark I tried some other detective novels, none of which appealed.

Some others for you to try, if you've not already:
Stuart MacBride's Logan Mcrae books
The Shetland books by Ann Cleeves. The Vera Stanhope books by the same author are a bit closer to home.
The Lewis trilogy by Peter May.

On the weird shit front (rather more weird than the Mclean books)
Shadow Police series by Paul Cornell
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch

Thanks for the suggestions, Mrs Pingu. The only ones I haven't tried, so far (but are waiting on my Kobo) are the Ann Cleeves ones. I will get to them after The Death Messenger by Mari Hannah.

[Mrs Pingu]

Having finished A Dark So Deadly and The Gathering Dark I tried some other detective novels, none of which appealed.

Some others for you to try, if you've not already:
Stuart MacBride's Logan Mcrae books
The Shetland books by Ann Cleeves. The Vera Stanhope books by the same author are a bit closer to home.
The Lewis trilogy by Peter May.

On the weird shit front (rather more weird than the Mclean books)
Shadow Police series by Paul Cornell
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch

Thanks for the suggestions, Mrs Pingu. The only ones I haven't tried, so far (but are waiting on my Kobo) are the Ann Cleeves ones. I will get to them after The Death Messenger by Mari Hannah.

You could also try the Rhona McLeod books by Lin Anderson. She's supposed to be a forensic rather than a detective but it's fairly police procedural.

[Mr Larrington]

This Unit recommends Graham Hurley's DI Joe Faraday series, though they are pretty grim most of the time.

[rafletcher]

This Unit recommends Graham Hurley's DI Joe Faraday series, though they are pretty grim most of the time.

Blimey, he’s (Faraday) dead now! The Jimmy Suttle sequels are good too.

[tiermat]

This Unit recommends Graham Hurley's DI Joe Faraday series, though they are pretty grim most of the time.

Thanks, I'll check them out.

FWIW I gave up on Macbeth and moved onto Perfect Remains, another series set in Embra. Good so far, two kidnappings and two deaths (though not the same two!). Think I will follow this one through.

[robgul]

Not quite reading yet but as I've been following the "Tales of the petulant child" being played out in the White House I've ordered Mr Comey's upcoming book due out on 19 April - the Michael Wolff "Fire & Fury" was interesting . . . if only half is true it's frightening.

Rob  [I'm hoping to read this before Trump starts WW3]

[T42]

This Unit recommends Graham Hurley's DI Joe Faraday series, though they are pretty grim most of the time.

Blimey, he’s (Faraday) dead now! The Jimmy Suttle sequels are good too.

Don't need to read them then, do I?

[Legs]

Trigger Mortis James Bond book written by Anthony Horowitz, that a chum has lent me. Can't remember when I did last read a Bond book, but I've only read one other.

This one, apparently, has original un-seen Ian Fleming material stuffed in it somehow/somewhere.

The story begins in the lethal world of Grand Prix and an attempt by the Russians to sabotage a race at Nürburgring, the most dangerous track in Europe. Bond is in the driving seat but events swiftly take an unexpected turn, pitching him into an entirely different race with implications that could change the world.

Even through the first few pages, it pretty evident Bond should quit smoking! Smokes like a bloody chimney.

Pussy Galore's in it.

I read Magpie Murders (by AH) from my sickbed over Christmas, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I've heard him speaking on the wireless about Trigger Mortis, The Word Is Murder, and a few other things, and am keen to read more of his stuff...

The Word Is Murder in Kindle format is 99p at the Big River Place.

[Mr Larrington]

Just started Jo Nesbo's "Macbeth".  I suspect a greater familiarity with The Scottish Play would help me understand WTF is going on.