Mystery and American Culture
343350
Left for Dead
J.A. Jance
J.A. Jance's detective series are a must for mystery fans. She is an American writer who captures the culture differences of the American population. Her dialogue rings true and the reader is instantly taken with the plight of genuine feeling characters.

In Left for Dead, Ali Reynolds, is back again solving happenings and crimes in the Southwest. She leaves her comfortable life in the quietness of the red cliffs of Sedona, Arizona to help a classmate from the Arizona Police Academy. Jose Reyes, has been shot and left for dead in a deserted area near Tucson. Visiting Jose at the hospital, she encounters her good friend, Sister Anselm, working as a patient advocate. Her patient is a teenager who has been raped, beaten, and also left for dead.

I especially liked the twist that both victims are accused by the local authorities of being the criminals. Ali refuses to believe that her friend Jose, who is accused of being mixed up in the drug trade, despite evidence to the contrary, is guilty. Breeze is suspected of murder.

Ali and Sister Anselm and a conscientious officer, who won't let the case drop despite pressure from above, work together to solve the crimes against the two victims, plus the crimes of which they're accused. Their hunt for clues and facts lead them to the true culprits and involve them in a complex tangle of relationships packed with grudges and hatreds.

This is an enjoyable read, fast-paced, tension-filled, and complex enough to keep the reader turning pages.
792713
The characterization and writing are first rate.  So is the period knowledge.  However the so-called mystery will be obvious to any genre reader by midway through it.  So the four stars are a compromise between thinking it is a 4.5 as a period piece and a 2.8 as a mystery.  Depending on which matters more to you, this is or is not worth reading.
974740
I recently attended a library function where Peg Herring, a mystery author, spoke about mysteries.  She passed out a list of sub-genres within the field and one of them was "traditional" mysteries, where following the clues allows the reader to solve the puzzle/mystery.  One of the examples she listed was the POT THIEF mysteries by Mr. Orenduff.  Ms. Herring said she enjoyed them.  This intrigued me enough to track down one of the series - the latest: The Pot Thief Who Studied Georgia O'Keefe.  I had previously been put off by the titles; they sounded more erudite than I was looking for in a mystery.  I can see why.  The characters are entertaining and well developed.  The story line is as twisted as any I've read before.  Trying to keep track of the three pots (two fakes and a real one) is a difficult as any shell game encountered on a New York street.  The Georgia O'Keefe sub-plot doesn't detract from the main mystery, and will likely appeal to anyone who is fond of Ms. O'Keefe and her works.  I enjoyed this book so much that I have requested the first two in the series from my local library.
1833533
I have always enjoyed a story by Agatha Christie.  She has earned the reputation as one of the world's most popular writers.

"Towards Zero" starts off with a group of lawyers talking about a recent acquittal.  A senior lawyer makes the observation that murder is often the result of careful planning and unforeseen events.  He calls the time of the actual murder the "Zero Hour."

With this as the background we read the thoughts of a man who has been planning to kill someone.  We have the vaguest of hints as to the coming murder, but we don't have enough information to know who this man is or who he plans to kill.  Then we are introduced to a group of people.  We get to know them, their fears, and their follies.  Two people die.  The police are called in.  We're walked through their thoughts and findings until finally the murderer is uncovered and justice prevails.

Good mysteries are a kind of puzzle.  We have pieces which we try to fit together.  More and more pieces are revealed through the story.  A well done mystery concludes with the author putting in the last piece and the reader is satisfied.  Agatha Christie does this in "Toward Zero."

All in all this is a very pleasant story.  I had trouble putting it down.  If you like Agatha Christie stories I'm sure you'll enjoy this one.
3262783
"These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits, and are melted into air, into thin air..." (from Shakespeare's "The Tempest").  This is one of the best mysteries I have read in recent years.  It is an intriguing tale that revolves around the mysterious Visitor to Poe's grave who, every year, leaves three red roses and a half bottle of cognac.  It is January 19. Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan and her boyfriend, Crow, are among the spectators keeping watch at Poe's grave.  A cloaked figure appears, and then another.  A shot is fired and a cloaked figure falls, mortally wounded.  The second cloaked figure escapes in the commotion, fading into the shadows.
The case becomes complicated.  There are people trying to identify and find the visitor for personal agendas.  There are charges that the murder was a hate crime - the victim identified as a ... waiter.  Tess is drawn into the case, willing or not, because other players think she may have information.  Mysterious notes appear, along with roses or rose petals, from an unknown individual attempting to enlist her aid.  There are questions about thefts of rare books and memorabilia.  And there is collateral damage.
Along the way there are tidbits of information about Baltimore, and about Edgar Allan Poe including a pertinent poem ("From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen As others saw; I could not bring My passions from a common spring." - from Poe's "Alone").  The case gradually unfolds as information develops about various players.  Some people become unlikely allies, and relationships between people are revealed as the case is solved.  Tess becomes the guardian of another dog, a friendly doberman named Miata.
But that is not the end of the story because the Visitor is still involved, a mysterious cloaked figure of many faces, and there must be a meeting before the visitor fades into thin air.  And will the Visitor be back next year?  You might have to go to Baltimore next January 19, if you are willing to spend a cold night at a graveyard.
2175353
A couple of intriguing mysteries that leave you wondering whats next
2784865
If you are not used to reading Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle among other early stars of the mystery genre, you will have a struggle with the language and style. Murder at Twin Hills is a good example of the style and provides an interesting puzzle. The solution was not as obvious as many modern mysteries. The reader has to pay attention to the fine details to solve the murder along with the detective.

I very much enjoyed the book and would look forward to reading more in the future.
2498010
This novel is constructed in two parts; a modern day mystery set in today's Chicago suburbs, and a 200-year-old tale which really makes the book worth reading. Since I don't read a lot of mysteries that aren't action-oriented, I grew a bit impatient at times with the surrounding "Jessica Fletcher-ish" sleuth and her friends. The tale of a Native American woman trying to clear her son of the murder of a white man, though, kicked it into high gear.
Ms. Camalliere's characters may not satisfy those of us who want a little more action, and the deep research sometimes gets in the way of the storytelling on occasion, but I learned a lot about the early days of Illinois and got me seeking more information, which is one of the joys of good historical fiction. If you're a fan of "pg-rated" mysteries, or interested in the complicated interaction of whites and natives pre-Revolutionary War, you'll enjoy this book.

Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book as preparation for a blog interview.  No quid pro quo was offered nor expected.
2045957
I like mysteries and had gotten into British mysteries.  I am glad to recommend an American mystery that is not one by one of the popular authors.
2615183
I especially enjoy mysteries set in foreign countries and this book does not disappoint on that account. I have never been to Acapulco, but I have traveled to many other destinations in Mexico. Amato has done a good job of getting a feel for many levels of Mexican society. The actual mystery takes several different turns. I have recommended this book for my mystery book club to read as I feel it has many issues that can be discussed.
3492596
The Best American Mysteries Stories of the Century, compiled by Tony Hillerman and Otto Penzler, is a remarkably good anthology.  The editors imposed few rules on themselves, other than identifying the best stories.  Some years are skipped while others have two or three offerings. They did limit their choices to only one story for a given author, perhaps unfairly penalizing exceptional writers like Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Harry Kemelman, Ellery Queen, John McDonald, and Ross McDonald.

In general (but with clear exceptions like A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell), the earlier stories are largely puzzle mysteries, ones that challenge the reader to outsmart the author, while the later stories offer more character development and psychological depth.  Readers less familiar with puzzle mysteries may find the earlier stories a bit foreign, and might benefit by reading the stories in this collection in reverse chronological order, thereby, beginning with more familiar terrain.

My favorites span the 1930s thru the 1950s, a period in which American authors began that major transformation of the American mystery as best characterized by the writing of Raymond Chandler. With Chandler's guidance, the pulp mystery fiction of earlier decades metamorphosed successfully into what might be called formal literature, writing more concerned with character development and with social issues.

More recent decades include great stories like The Comforts of Home (Flannery O'Connor), The Possibility of Evil (Shirley Jackson), Do With Me What You Will (Joyce Carol Oates), The Parker Shotgun (Sue Grafton), and Poachers (Tom Franklin).

Fortunately for the avid reader of mystery stories, many authors successful in other genre have seemingly been unable to resist trying their hand at the mystery story.  In this anthology we find, for example, O. Henry, Willa Cather, John Steinbeck, Pearl Buck, William Faulkner, and Flannery O'Connor.

Not all stories will likely appeal to all readers, but there is a treasure trove of gems in this collection. There are 10 stories dating from 1900-1928, 16 from 1933-1957, 9 from 1962-1978, and 11 from 1981-1990. This is an exceptional anthology.
2219805
this is great piece of american literature that is too often overlooked.  i've read that 'the lady or the tiger' was the birth of the mystery novel - i'm not sure if that's true, but does take an analytical look at human nature that's far ahead of its time (even though it's a bit 'flat' by today's standards).  i find the sequel, 'the discourager of hesitantcy' even more interesting with a much more structured narrative.
1290415
Okay, so yes, absolutely the mystery is meticulously researched and there is this lovely counterpoint of interesting photography techniques and vocabulary used as epigraphs to each chapter.  These really are striking in such a short work of fiction.  Another point in favor to Danna: she's smart and smart enough to plot a mystery that is...well, mysterious.  And finally, yes, the cultural context of the mystery is both beautifully relevant to the crime but also a powerful statement about how well or how little we know each other, in our communities sometimes, as well as how there is brutality and ignorance across cultures.  But.

But what I love are good characters.  Does that make me shallow?  I don't care.  Ever since I read Dann's first mystery, I have found myself thinking, WILL THERE BE ANOTHER MATT AND LEIGH MYSTERY?!  I really loved these two characters, wanted to read more, spend more time with them.  I'm so happy right now.  This year has been a good one for mysteries.  A new Louise Penny (oh Gamache!) and a new Craig Johnson (Walt...mmm). I read several other really good series and lots and lots of novels.  I would hold Danna's (with Vanderlaan) first mystery and now this novella, up as some of the best of them.

And I will put Matt Lowell's relationship with his grad students, his father, and with Leigh Abbott, Massachussetts state police trooper, up against any others I read this year.  The characters in Danna's books--both the first book and now this novella are written with grace and realism.  As a long time reader, the real downfall for me is when characters are written, rather than their humanity revealed.  A character isn't something to be manipulated, quirks chosen for their impact on the reader.  Characters are people, and you should miss them when they are gone because they were, for the space of time that you read them, real.  Matt's like that.  Leigh is like that.  And so are the other characters, people, in this series. Kiko, Juka, and Paul, Matt's grad students.  Mike, Matt's father.  All names that I remember, now, a week later, because they were important to me.

I can't wait for the next book.  I miss Matt and Leigh already.

Michele, educator, 44, New England
3514036
Mysteries can be entertaining. in my opinion. they engage my mind to explore or just enjoy the fiction.
3665799
I'm not typically a fan of mysteries, as I often find them too dry and morbid to hold my interest even when the mystery itself is good. Encore has the "good mystery" part covered, but it also has the good sense to complement that with a cast of characters whose stories are interesting and whose interactions with each other are lively. It's a small-town mystery that gives a ton of life to its community.
422779
I like a mystery occasionally, and someone on my social media mentioned that this was on their list of books to read because it was set in a very non-western world.

It's a locked room mystery, which you think you understand, but this is not only a mystery set in the Atzec Empire, it's a mystery that does have magical elements. I was taken-aback at first, because that VIOLATES THE MYSTERY RULES, but then I realized that it was still a classical mystery format, just with weapons and actors that are otherworldly. The process of solving the mystery doesn't vary.

Colonel Jaguar in the tlolemec with the Star Demon?

The characters are diverse and sharply drawn, and even though I sometimes mixed up the names, as soon as they spoke or acted, I could tell who they were.

On the whole, I was very pleased, and went right out and bought the next two, and plan to keep buying all I can get my hands on.
2954970
Subculture is a book of considerable intelligence and style. It is a mystery that holds the readers attention with griping tension and suspense. The characters are compelling and will linger in your mind for days. It is a book you won't soon forget.