If you enjoy extremely well written mysteries with in-depth character development
347683
If you enjoy extremely well written mysteries with in-depth character development, complex, not-in-the-least-pretty D.I.'s (apologies to Richard Jury and Tommy Lynley--I still love you), Tom Thorne is your man. Mark Billingham is a superb writer, and Thorne is a good man whose motivation is occasionally suspect; he is a flawed, lovely character. These books are not full of humor but they are all gems. More Harry Hole than Department Q, these books stay with you. Billingham missed his calling; he is a talented psychologist! I am, however, grateful that he chose a literary career instead.
4602604
The main characters and most of the supporting characters are really created well.  You can tell that the back story, traits and preferences of each one are well thought out and crafted over a long period of time.  I so enjoyed getting to know them, each rich and unique.  Even the few that fall into a stereotype only do so enough to introduce themselves, then go on to establish themselves as someone you are intrigued by.

As a murder mystery, the book falls a bit short.  No big reveal or super twist or Agatha Christie moment.  But the murder case is really just the canvas on which a community of characters is introduced and brought to life through shared moments past and present.  The real mystery the reader is trying to solve is the the amazing lead character's unconventional yet completely enthralling persona.  As an ensemble, this is an extremely tight-knit group and it is amazing to be let into their world as you uncover the wonderful aspects of each one.

I hope there are many more Father William Mysteries.  Readers of those intriguing tales will all need to come read this first installment to truly understand what drives these men and women to love and serve that little corner of Denver, Colorado.
750466
I enjoyed reading this book so much that I couldn't put it down.  The character development was outstanding.  I found myself wishing that a family like this had moved in next to me!  The plot drew me in immediately and I was almost disappointed when the mystery unfolded.  I didn't want the book to end and I'm quite relieved the author will be writing more mysteries.
416678
I really need to get and read the first of this series! And all subsequent, of course! Im definitely hooked.

Incredible depth of language. Thats how I can sum up this work in one sentence. The authors use and mastery of description, dialogue, and story is amazing. The characters are given more and more facets with each scene, which brings amazing depth to this cozy mystery  a genre where many authors often focus on the plot and only scratch the surface of their subjects.

The author also does a great job of setting the time period through character dialogue and actions  one of the best show, don't tell examples Ive read in a while. It is very easy to become immersed in the story!

Ill admit, it would be fun to hang out with Dee, and have adventures, but she definitely needs a partner, someone to go with her and keep her out of the worst of her dangerous investigations. Perhaps there are hints this will come in future books? We shall see!

I received a review copy of this work from the publisher through NetGalley
1725474
Excellent writing and full character development.
463594
A gripping mystery that spans time. It relates past events and many characters are involved to make it a well developed mystery with a young Detective and an old friend working on the case. It is a puzzle as to who the killer is with many twists in the story. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
933
Maybe once a year you find a superb mystery and wish there were 6 not just 5 stars. That was my wish as I closed the last page. A spellbinding plot keeps you guessing. Excellent character development; each becomes a living person, faults, warts and all. And a great resolution to a complex situation covering 20 years. Expect to find it hard to put down once you're past the first few pages. Enjoy! ******
1742828
Ngaio Marsh is among the Grand Dames of mystery writing, and for excellent reasons.  Although I thoroughly enjoy Agatha Christies mysteries, in some ways, I prefer Ms. Marshs work, of which this is an excellent example.  Her writing is more complex, her characters are also, and more vividly developed, and her plots, while perhaps not more complicated, are presented in a more subtle way.  I didnt, for example, even consider the villain of this piece a suspect until the reveal ...and that is unusual, though I usually choose the wrong suspect (smile)
This is vintage cozy mystery, and even better, a shipboard whodunit.  Our inspector is chasing a serial killer (and the ponderings of various characters on the nature of serial killers is very interesting, from our modern perspective), on a ship sailing from England to South Africa.  Its really a cargo ship, but does carry passengers, and this time there are 9, plus crew.  I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the fun, and fun it is, elegantly phrased fun, too!
3805697
Full of twists and turns: something that good mystery writing requires to build suspense and intrigue. Character development left you wanting to know more about each participant, which were revealed in due course. Brilliant!
EI
4016212
Master mystery writer!  His plots are well-planned full of intrigue and suspense. Very enjoyable to read.  His characters possess such unique personalities thereby taking you along as the mystery unfolds.  This collection of mysteries is well worth the price paid and very good and enjoyable reading.
1857650
If you like mysteries and like unique characters that aren't unbelievable in their individuality, this is a wonderful series to read.
3435993
This is the second in a series, and it is even better than the first one! Not only is it a mystery with a crime to solve but it is so well written that I found myself stopping to underline certain passages. It is called the Dead Detective series, but it could also be called the Dead and Thoughtful Detective series because the main character analyses the other characters from a unique viewpoint. Very provactive points of view are added like throw away asides. I always like a good mystry but when it also is beautifully writen its a big plus! This is the kind of book that you will be emailing all your friends about and saying "You have to read this!" The concept of the dead detective is not hoky nor is it creepy. Its more like looking at a person or a situation from a different viewpoint.
4063120
Short story mysteries are difficult to write and often frustrating for readers. We barely get to know the characters, the setting, the era, and poof! It's done. Worse, too few clues can usually be dropped to be subtle and yet reward those of us who enjoy detangling at least some of what's at stake. Rhys Brown has subverted most of those difficulties with "Masked Ball," especially for those of us reading it as a prequel to a series we've already devoured. Our clumsy, determined, and honorable Georgiana is quite familiar to us, though more a girl than a woman here, as is the post-WWI era London setting. But I suspect even new readers to the fun of Her Royal Spyness series will probably also feel attracted and even delighted with this princess practically in rags who is guileless yet keenly observant and quite funny too. I think she is able to pull that off by writing a mystery that is barely a mystery.  This story is really a character piece and a chance to introduce us to a royal scandal that brews throughout the series at its very onset, with a surprise romantic suggestion that left me smiling. Die hard mystery buffs might be miffed, of course, but they can go grab a novel then. May I suggest Her Royal Spyness?
3982104
I think this book  is one of the best mysteries I have ever read. It has at least 3 outstanding features.

First, the characters. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, the main character, is the head of a major crimes unit in Paris. He calls himself a cloud shoveler because he more or less intuits his way through a case rather than devoting himself to procedure.
His team is an eccentric one. Veyrenc often talks in verse. Danglard is a walking encyclopedia who enjoys his wine a bit too much. Mercadet has narcolepsy so the teams break room has several pillows on which he can lie down when he needs to.
Violette Retancourt is a tall, muscular blond woman. Adamsberg defends her against the criticism of his neighbor, Lucio, when Lucio describes her as This big fat woman, tall as a house. Adamsberg tells him Shes not a big fat woman, Lucio, shes a goddess, a polyvalent goddess.

Adamsberg does not stop his team from maintaining a cat in their office area. The cat likes to nap on the warm photocopier. When the higher-ups visit, Retancourt scoops up the cat and gets him outside.

Adamsbergs son, Zerk, spends most of the book nursing a pigeon back to health while also helping to get another young man out of Paris because the police (but not Adamsberg) are looking for him.

Second, the complicated plot. Adamsberg first quickly resolves a case just to show us, I guess, how clever he is. Then for most of the book, he works on two murder cases, one in Paris, one in Normandy. They aren't related except that the Paris case has the effect of getting him to visit Normandy and an event in the Normandy case acts as an inspiration that leads Adamsberg to a resolution of the Paris case.

The Normandy case takes place in the fictional town of Ordebec where a young woman, Lina Vendermot, has had a vision of the ghost riders or the furious army, a vision based on a medieval myth about an army of decaying knights riding flying but nonetheless  decaying horses sweeping into an area, dragging along living people. Whoever is seen with the ghost riders is likely to die. Lina sees 4 people in her vision but can identify only three, leaving each person in Ordebec to worry about whether he or she is the 4th. Linas vision, not her first, does not endear her or her family to the people of Ordebec, not only because of her threatening premonitions which do come to fruition but because her six-fingered brother is thought to have some kind of occult power to curse people .

In addition to the overlapping murder cases, Adamsberg is also determined to find out who has cruelly tied up the legs of a pigeon and left him helpless in front of police headquarters. His son takes over caring for the crippled pigeon.

A  third noteworthy feature of the book is its sweep of time. The ghost riders take us back to the 11th and 13th centuries when important sightings took place. The Ordebec chief of police is obsessed with his near-famous ancestor, a commander in Napoleons army. Leone, Leo for short, a lady very rich in years, tells us of her youthful marriage to a local nobleman still living near Ordebec, a marriage that ended because of pressure from the noblemans family. There is a mystery about the murder of the father of the 3 Vandermot children that occurred when the children were very young.

Just so much engrossing fun from start to finish.
1940017
This is the first in a new series, the detective being a woman, named Sophie Allen. She is a very involved parent and has a supportive family.
  The novel is very well written, starting with the murder of a young women, this is a very
complex mystery that continues to surprise and satisfy you as you continue reading. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, they are  all very likeable.
  This is also  great lead in to the next book in the series, I feel that as this writer continues to
write, his writing style will get better and better.
  This novel has family, friendship, suspense, mystery, and a great female role.
1406791
If you want a mystery that does nothing but deliver suspense, this is not the book for you. This book opens with a quotation from Epictetus which speaks of the human soul and choice, and concludes: "For ruin and recovery alike are from within." A WELL-KNOWN SECRET offers both a literary mystery and a very engaging exploration of human ruin and recovery.
I see that this is the second in a series. I had not read the first, and found that the book stood on its own.
Terry Orr, our hero, is a writer turned amateur detective. He is engaged to solve mystery of Sonia Salgado, who has spent 30 years in prison for a murder she did not commit. What really happened? Why did she do it? Why was she murdered after being released from prison? Terry unravels this decades-old mystery in classic amateur PI fashion -- asking questions, getting less-than-straight answers, getting a bit battered in the process. That part of the novel is well executed, but not overwhelmingly new and different. What makes A WELL-KNOWN SECRET stand out -- and it does stand out -- is the other stories that Fusilli is telling.
A WELL-KNOWN SECRET is set in post 9-11 New York City. That story of ruin and recovery runs throughout the book. The more personal ruin that we unravel is that of Terry Orr himself. We read in a newspaper story at the beginning of the book that Terry's wife and infant son were killed four years ago. In the course of his solving the mystery, we find out more about what happened and why, and watch to see if and how Terry and his daughter will recover.
A WELL-KNOWN SECRET is a fine novel and an enjoyable mystery. Its somewhat leisurely pace will likely madden anyone after a strict suspense fix. However, if you are willing to slow down a bit, it is a very rewarding read. I found it a bit slow at first, but once hooked, I could not put it down. I read A WELL-KNOWN SECRET in one sitting. I will definitely pick up the next Terry Orr novel!
4406246
The Cabinet of Curiosities is a well written book, taking us down a path of current and historic roads to solve the mystery of a modern and historic murderer.  The characters are richly drawn and the action is well done.  This is the type of paperback I like to read when I'm traveling on business, because it engages me deeply and lets me forget that I'm trapped inside a tube of steel with wings thousands of feet above the earth breathing recycled air and listening to screaming children.  This isn't a book that you read and put down easily - it's a page turner!