When the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group met in June 2012, we discussed a 2008 volume in Susan Wittig Alberts's long-running "China Bayles" series, Nightshade.

This book was discussed at the Just Desserts meeting on June 28, 2012. Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this book (and series) in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

Join us next on July 26th, at the Walt Branch Library (6:30 p.m.), as we discuss the historical Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novel Treason at Lisson Grove by Anne Perry.

For additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings and/or other announcements of interest to mystery fans, don't forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you're logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts! Our selections for our July and August meetings are posted, and the selections for the September and October meetings will be posting shortly.

What do you think of Nightshade and the China Bayles series by Albert?

When the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group met in May 2012, we discussed the entire body of works -- 6 novels -- by mystery author Suzanne Arruda.

These books were discussed at the Just Desserts meeting on May 31, 2012. Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this author's series in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

Join us next on June 28th, at South Branch Library (6:30 p.m.), as we dscuss the "Nightshade", one of the China Bayles mysteries by author Susan Wittig Albert.

For additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings and/or other announcements of interest to mystery fans, don't forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you're logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts! Our selections for our May through August meetings have already been made.

What do you think of Suzanne Arruda and the Jade Del Cameron series?

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the May 31^st 2012 Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately that they felt they could recommend. Here’s a list of the books that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

• The 11^th Hour by James Patterson
• Books Can Be Deceiving by Jen McKinley
• Save Me by Lisa Scottoline
• The works of Agatha Christie
• The Murder She Wrote tie-in novels
• The Agony of Leaves by Laura Childs
• Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
• The Lost Years by Carol Higgins Clark
• Claws and Effects by Rita Mae Brown
• Rottweiler Rescue by Ellen O’Connell
• The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol
• Stay Close by Harlan Coben
• True Sisters by Sandra Dallas
• Everywhere That Mary Went by Lisa Scottoline
• Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline
• Gun Games by Faye Kellerman
• A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
• Come Home by Lisa Scottoline
• Sacred and Profane by Faye Kellerman
• The Torso by Helen Tursten
• Maigret Hesitates by George Simenon
• The works of Janet Evanovich, particularly the 4^th through 7^th Plum books
• The Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King, particularly The Moor
• Ghost of a Chance by Helen Chappell
• City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris
• The Jesse Stone series by Robert B. Parker
• No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
• One False Move by Harlan Coben
• The Rope by Nevada Barr
• Force of Nature by C.J. Box
• As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson

Non-Mysteries recommended by group members:

• The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
• Room by Emma Donoghue

So, what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?

At the April 26th Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately that they felt they could recommend.

Here’s a list of the books that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

• A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (part of the Inspector Gamache series, used previously for Just Desserts)
• Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson (part of the Goldie the Caterer series, used previously for Just Desserts)
• The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie King, an author used previously for Just Desserts
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
• D.C. Dead, Short Straw and Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods
• Hotwire by Alex Kava
• The Closer on DVD
• Brute Strength by Susan Conant
• The works of Suzanne Arruda, an author being used for next month's Just Desserts
• Bad Boy by Peter Robinson
• The works of Margaret Coel, an author used previously for Just Desserts
• Left for Dead by J.A. Jance
• Heart of a Killer by David Rosenfelt
• Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs (part of the Temperence Brennan series, used previously for Just Desserts)
• I Am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (part of the Flavia de Luce series, used previously for Just Desserts)
• The works of Margaret Truman, an author used previously for Just Desserts
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
• The Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, also in Book-on-CD format
• Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
• Crawlspace by Sarah Graves (part of the Jacobia Tiptree series, used previously for Just Desserts)
• The works of Leann Sweeney, including The Cat the Professor and the Poison and The Cat the Lady and the Liar
• The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
• Where Memories Lie by Debra Crombie

Non-Mysteries recommended by group members:

• The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
• Lasser's Tax Guide
• Paco: The Cat Meowed in Space by Homer Hickam
• You're Not Doing It Right! by Michael Ian Black

So, what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?

When the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group met in April 2012, we discussed a recent volume in Faye Kellerman's long-running "Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus" series, Hangman.

This book was discussed at the Just Desserts meeting on April 26, 2012. Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this book (and series) in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

Join us next on May 31st, at South Branch Library (6:30 p.m.), as we discuss the six-volume series of Jade del Cameron novels by Suzanne Arruda.

For additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings and/or other announcements of interest to mystery fans, don't forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you're logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts! Our selections for our May through August meetings have already been made.

What do you think of Hangman and the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series by Kellerman?

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the March 29th Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately that they felt they could recommend.

Here’s a list of the books that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

• A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
• A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
• The Dog Who Knew Too Much and others in the Bernie and Chet series by Spencer Quinn
• The works of Donna Leon
• The Sudoku Lady vs. The Puzzle Lady by Parnell Hall
• The Scarecrow and others by Michael Connelly
• Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson
• In Harm’s Way by Ridley Pearson
• The Criminal by Jim Thompson
• Heartland by David Wiltse – a former reading selection of the Just Desserts group
• The Winter of Frankie Machine by Don Winslow
• The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie King
• Defending Jacob by William Landay
• Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow
• Fools Puzzle by Earlene Fowler
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
• Privileged Witness and others by Rebecca Forster
• D.C. Dead by Stuart Woods
• The Line by Olga Grushin
• Brute Strength by Susan Conant
• Black Friday by Alex Kava
• The Insidious Fu Manchu by Sax Roman
• Broken by Karin Slaughter
• The Devil’s Food Cake Murders by Joanne Fluke
• Rebel Island by Rick Riordan
• Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
• A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander
• Where Memories Lie by Debra Crombie

Non-Mysteries recommended by group members:

• Miss Morrison by Mari Sandoz
• Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson
• Heart 411 by Marc Gillinov
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• What Teachers Make by Taylor Mali

So, what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?

When the Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group met in March 2012, we discussed an early entry in Michael Connelly's popular "Harry Bosch" series, The Last Coyote.

This book was discussed at the Just Desserts meeting on March 29, 2012. Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this book (and series) in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

Join us next on April 26th, at South Branch Library (6:30 p.m.), as we discuss the "Hangman", a recent volume in Faye Kellerman's popular and long-running Decker/Lazarus series.

For additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings and/or other announcements of interest to mystery fans, don't forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you're logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts!

What do you think of The Last Coyote and the Harry Bosch series?

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the February 2012 Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately, that they felt they could recommend. Here’s a list of the books that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

Mysteries

• Night of the Living Deed by E.J. Copperman (not in library collection)
• Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams (this 1st in series not in library collection, although others are)
• Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington
• Still Life by Louise Penny
• Acqua Alta by Donna Leon
• The Virginia Rich/Nancy Pickard culinary mysteries
• The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
• Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
• The Jessica Fletcher mystery series
• The works of Anne Perry
• The works of Jacqueline Winspear
• The medieval mysteries of Ian Morson
• The works of Rhys Bowen
• Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
• The St. Patrick’s Day Murders by Joanne Fluke
• The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver
• Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson
• The works of Walter Mosley
• Mice by Gordon Reece (not in library collection)
• Kill Shot by Vince Flynn
• Abuse of Power by Michael Savage
• Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster (not in library collection)
• Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun by Lois Winston
• Backspin by Harlan Coben
• The works of Donna Leon
• The Confession by Charles Todd
• The Drop, and others by Michael Connelly

Non-Mysteries

• Little Bee by Chris Cleave
• Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
• Biographies of Katherine Hepburn, John Wayne and JFK
• Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
• The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gail Tzemach Lemmon
• All the Available Light: A Marilyn Monroe Reader by Yona Zeldis McDonough
• Biography of Natalie Wood
• Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff
• Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly
• That Used to Be Us by Thomas Friedman

So…what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?

When the Just Desserts mystery fiction group met in February 2012, we discussed a volume in Margaret Coel's popular "Wind River" series, The Silent Spirit.

This book was discussed at the Just Desserts meeting on February 23, 2012. Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this book (and series) in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

Join us next on March 29th, at South Branch Library (6:30 p.m.), as we discuss the "The Last Coyote", an entry in Michael Connelly's popular and long-running Harry Bosch series.

For additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings and/or other announcements of interest to mystery fans, don't forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you're logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts!

What do you think of The Silent Spirit?

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the January 2012 Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately, (especially over the November/December "hiatus" that the group takes), that they felt they could recommend. Here’s a list of the books that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

MYSTERIES

• A House to Die For by Vicki Doudera
• Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton
• The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson
• The Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke
• 10^th Anniversary by James Patterson
• The Do-it-Yourself series by Jennie Bentley
• The Yellow Rose series by Leann Sweeney
• The Cats in Trouble series by Leann Sweeney
• Night of the Living Deb by Susan McBride
• The Cat Sitter’s Pajamas by Blaize Clement
• As the Pig Turns, an Agatha Raisin novel by M.C. Beaton
• Maigret Goes Home by George Simenon
• The Tehran Initiative by Joel C. Rosenberg
• Tag Man by Archer Mayor
• The Drop by Michael Connelly
• Northwest Angle by William Kent Kreuger
• Back of Beyond by C.J. Box
• Acqua Alta by Donna Leon
• Foul Play at Four by Ann Purser
• Books by Louise Penny
• Seven Sisters by Earlene Fowler
• Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
• Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues: A Jesse Stone novel by Michael Brandman
• Books by George Simenon
• A Brutal Telling by Louis Penny
• Headhunters by Jo Nesbo
• Breakdown, a V.I. Warshawski novel by Sara Paretsky
• The Death on Demand series by Carolyn G. Hart
• Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon
• The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie King
• Countdown by Iris Johansen
• The Man Who Went Up in Smoke by Maj Sjowall
• The Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton
• I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming
• The Stieg Larsson trilogy on audio
• The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
• The Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
• Books by Henning Mankell
• The Snowman by Jo Nesbo on audio
• Books by Donna Leon
• Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

NON-MYSTERIES

• Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow
• Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost
• Dirty Little Secrets by Cynthia Jaynes Omolulu
• Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly
• Nanjing Requiem by Ha Jin
• The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
• Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
• Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
• This Time Together by Carol Burnett
• Pearl in China by Anchi Min
• Flower Net by Lisa See
• Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb
• Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass
• The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
• Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

So, what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?

When the Just Desserts mystery fiction group returned from its Nov/Dec 2011 holiday hiatus, at our first meeting of 2012, we discussed a volume in Earlene Fowler's popular "Benni Harrper" series,

This book was discussed at the Just Desserts meeting on January 26, 2012. Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this book (and series) in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

Join us next on February 23rd, at South Branch Library (6:30 p.m.), as we discuss the "The Silent Spirit", an entry in Margaret Coel's popular Wind River series, featuring Father John O'Malley and Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden.

And, for additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings, don't forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you're logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts!

What do you think of Delectable Mountains?

Our "hiatus author" for 2011 is Georges Simenon, creator of the legendary sleuth Inspector Maigret. We encourage Just Desserts participants to read any book in the Inspector Maigret series (or watch an episode of one of the Maigret TV or movie adaptations), at some point in November or December 2011, then come back here and leave a comment about whatever you read or watched, as a response to this discussion topic.

As a bit of background, here are some links to Simenon and Maigret information:

• Georges Simenon entry on Wikipedia
• Simenon's Maigret  -- a detailed site about the series, with tons of links

In all, there have been 75 novels and 28 short stories written by Simenon that feature Maigret, and the Lincoln City Libraries still have over 45 of these.

We look forward to seeing your comments here over the course of the next two months!

Scott C. - Just Desserts coordinator and host

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the October 27^th, Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately that they felt they could recommend. Here’s a list of the novels that were hot in October with this mystery-savvy crowd:

• Split by Catherine Coulter
• Evil Eclairs by Jessica Beck
• Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt
• Murder and the First Lady by Elliott Roosevelt
• The Hyde Park Murders by Elliott Roosevelt
• Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
• Shockwave by John Sandford
• Blood Red Indian Summer by David Handler
• Dead by Midnight by Carolyn G. Hart
• The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
• The Cruelest Month, part of the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny
• Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson
• On the Line by S.J. Rozen
• The Treacherous Teddy by John J. Lamb
• The Ranger by Ace Atkins
• Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton
• Thunder Bay by William Kent Kreuger
• Kill and Tell by Linda howard
• Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb
• Aunt Dimity and the Duke by Nancy Atherton
• A Rule Against Murder, part of the Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny
• The Wheel of Fate by Kate Sedley

Non-Mysteries read recently by group members:

• The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
• Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova
• Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
• Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah
• Cutting for Stone (on CD) by Abraham Verghese
• The Story of Beautiful Girl (on CD) by Rachel Simon

So, what mysteries have you been reading lately that you’d recommend?

During our October 2011 meeting, the Just Desserts mystery fiction group discussed the body of work of mystery author Louise Penny, creator of the Inspector Gamache series of cozies.

These books were discussed at the Just Desserts meeting on October 27th, 2011. Whether or not you attended the actual meeting, you are welcome to share your own thoughts and opinions about this series in a reply comment to this blog post, below.

The Just Desserts group now takes its winter hiatus, and will return on January 26th, at South Branch Library (6:30 p.m.), as we discuss Delectable Mountain by Earlene Fowler.

And, for additional reminders about upcoming Just Desserts meetings, don't forget to sign up for the Just Desserts e-mail list. Or, if you're logged into your account on Facebook, you can visit the Events page for the Lincoln City Libraries, and mark whether or not you plan to attend upcoming sessions of Just Desserts!

What do you think of the works of Louise Penny?

Hey, mystery fans! Looking for something good to read?

At the September 29th Just Desserts meeting, after discussing our monthly “assigned” book, we did a round robin at the table, asking attendees to share what mysteries they’d been reading lately that they felt they could recommend. Here’s a list of the novels that were hot last month with this mystery-savvy crowd:

• Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons by Blaize Clement
• At Risk by Patricia Cornwell
• The Mrs. Jeffries series by Emily Brightwell
• Naked Heat by Richard Castle
• Blood Stream by Tess Gerritsen
• A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
• The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
• Sixkill by Robert B. Parker
• One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming
• Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow
• Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle by Ann B. Ross
• The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell
• Son of Stone by Stuart Woods
• Heat Wave by Richard Castle
• Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan
• The Inspector Singh series by Shamini Flint
• Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
• The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg
• Lucifer’s Tears by Jack Thompson
• Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
• Heat Rising by Richard Castle

Non-Mysteries recommended by group members:

• The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
• Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo
• In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

So, what mysteries have you been reading that you’d recommend?