MobileRead February 2016 Book Club Vote

[WT Sharpe]

February 2016 MobileRead Book Club Vote

Help us choose a book as the February 2016 eBook for the MobileRead Book Club. The poll will be open for 5 days. There will be no runoff vote unless the voting results a tie, in which case there will be a 3 day run-off poll. This is a visible poll: others can see how you voted. It is You may cast a vote for each book that appeals to you.

We will start the discussion thread for this book on February 20th. Select from the following Official Choices with three nominations each:

• The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner [WT Sharpe, issybird, GA Russell]
Goodreads / Amazon Au / Amazon Ca / Amazon UK / Amazon US

Spoiler:

From Goodreads:
California lawyer Perry Mason takes client Eva, hated as "all velvet and claws" by his secretary Della Street. Her husband George Belter is behind tabloid editor Locke, blackmail of Congressman Harrison Burke at bungled robbery with Eva, and takes bullet to the heart after bath. Forged will benefits nephew Carl, engaged to secretive housekeeper Veitch's daughter.

From Wikipedia:
The influence of the television series has given the general public the impression that Mason is highly ethical. In the earliest novels, however, Mason was not above skulduggery to win a case. In The Case of the Counterfeit Eye (1935) he breaks the law several times, including manufacturing false evidence (glass eyes). Mason manipulates evidence and witnesses, resulting in the acquittal of the murderer in The Case of the Howling Dog (1934). The Case of the Curious Bride (1934) is

… a good Perry Mason except for one great flaw, which the author would scarcely have been guilty of later on: he tampers with the evidence, by having a friend move into an apartment and testify to the state of the doorbells. … One is left with the uncomfortable idea that maybe the murder did not take place as Mason reconstructs it.

— Jacques Barzun and Wendell Hertig Taylor, A Catalogue of Crime

In the later novels, the only crime which he can be seen to commit might be illegal entry, when he and Paul Drake are searching for evidence. And even then, he would expect to put up a strong and effective defense leading to an acquittal. Hamilton Burger is constantly under the impression that Mason has done something illegal, but is never able to prove it.

• Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne [issybird, bfisher, DrChiper]
Amazon / Kobo / OverDrive

Spoiler:

From Amazon:

In A.D. 664, King Oswy of Northumbria has convened a synod at Whitby to hear debate between the Roman and Celtic Christian churches and decide which shall be granted primacy in his kingdom. At stake is much more than a few disputed points of ritual; Oswy's decision could affect the survival of either church in the Saxon kingdoms.

When the Abbess Etain, a leading speaker for the Celtic church, is found murdered, suspicion falls upon the Roman faction. In order to diffuse the tensions that threaten to erupt into civil war, Oswy turns to Sister Fidelma of the Celtic Church (Irish and an advocate for the Brehon Court) and Brother Eadulf of the Roman church (from east Anglia and of a family of hereditary magistrates) to find the killer. But as further murders occur and a treasonous plot against Oswy matures, Fidelma and Eadulf soon find themselves running out of time.

• The Blackhouse by Peter May [JSWolf, bfisher, treadlightly]
Amazon UK / Amazon US / ebooks.com / Google / Kobo UK / Overdrive / Overdrive / Overdrive

Spoiler:

From acclaimed author and television dramatist Peter May comes the first book in the Lewis Trilogy—a riveting mystery series set on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a formidable and forbidding world where tradition rules and people adhere to ancient ways of life.

When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis that has the hallmarks of a killing he's investigating on the mainland, Edinburgh detective and native islander Fin Macleod is dispatched to see if the two deaths are connected. His return after nearly two decades not only represents a police investigation, but a voyage into his own troubled past. As Fin reconnects with the places and people of his tortured childhood, he feels the island once again asserting its grip on his psyche. And every step forward in solving the murder takes him closer to a dangerous confrontation with the tragic events of the past that shaped—and nearly destroyed—Fin's life.

The Blackhouse is a thriller of rare power and vision that explores the darkest recesses of the soul.

• Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippmann [obs20, Dazrin, JSWolf]
Amazon US

Spoiler:

In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitz’s death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer’s notoriety—and his taste for illicit midday trysts—make the case front-page news in every local paper except the Star, which crashed and burned before Abramowitz did. A former Star reporter who knows every inch of this town—from historic Fort McHenry to the crumbling projects of Cherry Hill—now unemployed journalist Tess Monaghan also knows the guy the cops like for the killing: cuckolded fiancé Darryl “Rock” Paxton. The time is ripe for a career move, so when rowing buddy Rock wants to hire her to do some unorthodox snooping to help clear his name, Tess agrees. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the Charm City shadows. And Tess’ own name could end up on that ever-expanding list of Baltimore dead.

• Midnight Riot(US)/Rivers of London(UK) by Ben Aaronovitch [CRussel, bfisher, issybird]
Goodreads | Amazon UK / Amazon US / Audible / Kobo

Spoiler:

From Amazon US:
Review
“Fresh, original and a wonderful read. I loved it.”—Charlaine Harris

“Midnight Riot is what would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz. It is a hilarious, keenly imagined caper.”—Diana Gabaldon

“Filled with detail and imagination . . . Aaronovitch is a name to watch.”—Peter F. Hamilton

“The perfect blend of CSI and Harry Potter.” --io9.com

“Aaronovitch has created a fun and funny character in Grant, who displays wit more than snark (a welcome attitude) and shows he can think on his feet. . . . It's a great start to what will hopefully be a long series of adventures.”--SFrevu.com

From AmazonUK:
My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.

Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden ... and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.

The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying.

From GoodReads:
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

• Deadly Appearances by Gail Bowen [HomeInMyShoes, CRussel, WT Sharpe]
Goodreads

Spoiler:

Andy Boychuk is a successful Saskatchewan politician – until one sweltering August afternoon when the party faithful gather at a picnic. All of the key people in Boychuk’s life – family, friends, enemies – are there. Boychuk steps up to the podium to make a speech, takes a sip of water, and drops dead. Joanne Kilbourn, in her début as Canada’s leading amateur sleuth, is soon on the case, delving into Boychuk’s history. What she finds are a Bible college that’s too good to be true, a woman with a horrifying and secret past, and a murderer who’s about to strike again.

• Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey [BenG, CRussel, Mims]
Amazon US / Audible / Faded Page / Online PD

Spoiler:

From Amazon:
Brat Farrar has been carefully coached to assume the identity of Patrick Ashby, heir to the Ashby fortune who disappeared when he was 13. Just when it seems that Brat will pull off the deception, he discovers the truth about Patrick's disappearance, a dark secret that threatens to tear apart the family and jeopardize Brat's carefully laid plans. Called "the best of its kind" by the New Yorker, Josephine Tey's classic is a tale of unrelenting suspense and tension.

From New Statesman:
“Josephine Tey enjoys a category to herself, as a virtuoso in the spurious . . . the nature of the deception on this occasion is too good to give away.”

• The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb [DrChiper, WT Sharpe, sufue]
Goodreads

Spoiler:

The Owen Archer mysteries (including the short story "The Bone Jar") are set in England in the late 14th century. Owen Archer is a spy for John Thoresby, Archbishop of York and sometime Lord Chancellor of England. Owen is ably assisted in his sleuthing by an ensemble of York residents who include his wife, the Apothecary Lucie Wilton; Bess Merchet, proprietor of the York Tavern; Magda Digby, midwife; and Brother Michaelo, the Archbishop's secretary.

• Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler [BenG, Mims, Dazrin]
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Kobo

Spoiler:

This mystery features the impending retirement of a Scotland Yard detective and the death of another. When Arthur Bryant is apparently blown up, his erstwhile partner, John May, begins reflecting on their first case together more than 60 years earlier. May, a raw recruit of 19, and Bryant, a 23-year-old detective, became the core of the Peculiar Crimes Unit, created to handle cases that were too important to ignore, yet that somehow seemed disproportionately insignificant in the face of the hundreds of civilians killed each night during the Blitz. Both men had been hurried through training and were suddenly faced with the strange case of the Palace Phantom, a killer victimizing the cast in an elaborate production of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. May was both intrigued by and dismayed at Bryant's methods and seeming flights of fancy. He used everything from crime-scene forensics to spiritualists to help him build his case. Fowler skillfully shifts the action between 1940 and the 21st century, building suspense and growing awareness as each case comes to its respective climax. Not surprisingly, they are connected. The details of wartime London and the destruction and deprivation of daily life are vividly conveyed. Today's teens will identify with the young lives so drastically affected by the war while following the clues, and red herrings, to a satisfactory conclusion.

• Ovid by David Wishart [sufue, Dazrin, BenG]
Goodreads | Amazon UK / Amazon US / Kobo UK

Spoiler:

It's available both at Amazon US ($4.99 or free with KU) and Amazon UK (£4.99), and also at Kobo UK (also £4.99).

From Goodreads:

When young aristocratic layabout Marcus Corvinus is approached by the stepdaughter of the exiled and now dead Roman poet Ovid and asked to clear the return of the ashes for burial, he cheerfully agrees; there should, he thinks, be no problem. Only when he makes the application to the imperial authorities it’s turned down flat. So what, Corvinus asks himself, did Ovid do that was so bad that they won’t even allow his bones back into Italy?

[CRussel]

Come on, folks. We had a lot of people involved in the nominations, but we seem to be lagging in the voting. I've got no problems with the two leaders (even nominated one of them and would love an excuse to re-read it), but how about some love for a classic - Josephine Tey's Brat Farrar. It's free in Life+50 countries, and cheap on Amazon ($2.99), and likely available in paper at least from your library.

I'd like to see us end up with a multiway tie for the top spot, giving Tom the opportunity to run Yet Another Runoff Poll.

[Dazrin]

I am checking availability before I vote.

Here are some additional links for Baltimore Blues as well

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Kobo | Google Play Books

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Here are some additional links for Baltimore Blues as well

All of her books appear to be in Canadian Overdrive, so worth a check of your local library download site. However, the reviews for this first book are at best mixed.

[din155]

I would go for the leading book

[WT Sharpe]

The Case of the Velvet Claws was a wonderful introduction to the Perry Mason series, even though it took place almost entirely outside the courtroom. Mason wasn't your typical lawyer (unless they all secretly consider a set of skeleton keys a necessary component of their legal toolkits).

[CRussel]

Brat Farrar is moving up on the outside, with Midnight Riot fading in the stretch, and Perry Mason still ahead by a nose. Come on, everyone, a bit of love for these 2nd and 3rd place runners, and we could have a three way runoff.

Seriously, I don't think there's a book in this list that I wouldn't gladly read.

[JSWolf]

Please give The Blackhouse a nod. It takes place in an out of the way place in Scotland. It's going to be a rousing good read. So please let it win and we can all enjoy it.

[issybird]

I'm having a hard time deciding. I've rejected only two titles out of hand and I'd be happy to read any of the contenders. Which to support?

Just as an aside, I like that all of the nominees seem to range from cheap to free*, as former freebies or gettable via KU/KOLL, pd, or OverDrive. It means that cost issues shouldn't keep most from participating. I've already got one each from OverDrive and KOLL and holds on others.

*Varying by location

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I'd like to see us end up with a multiway tie for the top spot, giving Tom the opportunity to run Yet Another Runoff Poll.

With 36 hours to go, we have a tie!

[CRussel]

Ah, but only a two way tie so far. I'm pulling for a three-way.

I suspect Midnight Riot is probably the most expensive of the contenders, but it's really the start of a very good series. One of those that is much better than it's description, IMO. And with an exceptionally good Audible option as well.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by CRussel

...I suspect Midnight Riot is probably the most expensive of the contenders....

Could be. The Case of the Velvet Claws is only $5.99 at Amazon.

Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey is $11.99. CRussel has informed me that I was looking at the wrong version. That's the price of the hardback. The Kindle version is $2.99. Sorry for the misinformation.

[issybird]

I've already got Midnight Riot from OverDrive (Boston, for anyone else who has access; it'll go back in plenty of time to read it), so I'm counting that as free. None of my libraries has Velvet Claws, but I'm not worrying about a potential $6 purchase.

ETA: I thought I'd see if I could come up with a hard copy of Perry Mason. The local public library doesn't have it, so I checked all the in-state libraries. The state prison owns a copy.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Go Canada!!!!!

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Could be. The Case of the Velvet Claws is only $5.99 at Amazon.

Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey is $11.99.

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Go Canada!!!!!

Amen! For Canadians (and Aussies, and any other Life+50 countries), Brat Farrar is free. Sadly, others will need to pay rather more.

Also, like issybird, I already have Midnight Riot. In my case, in both eBook and Audible versions. So the only one I'd actually have to pay $$ for is the Perry Mason one, since I don't have a copy of it. (I do have a couple of Perry Mason's, bought some time back when they were monthly specials, but not this one.) And I have Deadly Appearances on hold at the BC Library, and I'm next in line, so that should go quickly, if we have a surprise surge for it. IAC, I plan to read it -- sounded interesting.