Police by Jo Nesbo

In crime fiction, to trace the killers it is essential for the Police to find out how serial killers choose their victims and why the killers kill them. We have all kind of victims from those who buy high heels, those who call emergency services, and those who order Pizza for delivery. We have all kinds of motives from an abusive mother who had a thing for high heels, to taking vengeance against those who misuse emergency services, and those who make the guy deliver Pizza in chilling temperatures when he would rather sleep at home. Not only do serial killers have to use some imagination in selecting their victims, and find motives for their handiwork but they also need to be imaginative in their methods. Not to worry. If one faces a mind block, they can lift a page from a famous crime novel and also kill the writer by the method and scene the novelist has created in his/her book. Choosing a victim should solve the purpose of venting their vengeance against them but also make it difficult to get caught. Who better to kill than the Police? Serves dual purpose, kill them all, so nobody to catch the killer and act as a warning for Police who do not take their work seriously, if you don't solve the case the killer will get to you. No need to be very imaginative either, just use the crime scene of their famous unsolved case, use the same method. That's exactly what happens in Jo Nesbo's Police. The killer is killing the Police in their own unsolved crime scene. Who is killing them and why?

Like in other Harry Hole books, this story has multiple twists and Nesbo creates quite tense scenes. While there are many surprises, I did find out the killer, if you have read other Nesbo books, it wouldn't be difficult to find out the killer, he does use a pattern. But the various other twists, and the chilling killing scenes more or less compensates for being able to spot the killer. Like other Nesbo books this one is violent too.

If you have not read any other Hary Hole book this may not be a good place to start as this story has many spoilers for previous mysteries. I can't say anything much because it could be a spoiler to the story. Thrilling and chilling roller coaster ride!

Translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett. 

2013 A to Z Mystery Author Challenge Complete

I completed the 2013 A to Z Mystery Author Challenge hosted by Red Headed Book Child 
Here are the Books I read!

Of these 26 authors, 13 are New to me and I visited 14 countries through these books and one take place in the open seas on a ship. 
A- Allingham, Margery - The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham (21/1/13)
B- Barclay, Linwood- Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay (10/1/2013)
C- Coben, Harlan- Shelter by Harlan Coben (7/2/13)
D- Deaver, Jeffery. XO by Jeffery Deaver
E- Eberhart, Mignon. G -Five Passengers from Lisbon by Mignon G Eberhart (5/2/13)
F- Flynn, Gillian - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (4/1/2013)
G- Grisham, John The Racketeer by John Grisham (21/2/13)
H- Harris, Charlaine- Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris (25/1/13)
I- Indridason, Arnaldur - Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason
J- Jackson, Lisa- You Don't Want to Know by Lisa Jackson
K-Kernick, Simon- Ultimatum by Simon Kernick
L- Leon, Donna -The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon (14/1/13)
M- MacInnes, Helen- I and My True Love by Helen MacInnes (28/2/13)
N- Nesbo, Jo. Headhunters by Jo Nesbo
O-O'Connor, Niamh If I Never See You Again by Niamh O'Connor
P- Penny, Louise. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny
Q-Queen, Ellery Double Double by Ellery Queen (31/1/13)
R-Rendell, Ruth The Lake of Darkness by Ruth Rendell (10/2/13)
S- Sjowall, Maj The Fire Engine that Disappeared by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (29/1/13)
T- Tracy, P J - Two Evils by P J Tracy
U- Upfield, Arthur. The Mountains have a secret by Arthur Upfield
V- Villar, Domingo Death on the Galician Shore by Domingo Villar
W- Wolf, Inger Evil Water by Inger Wolf (2/1/2013)
X-Xiaolong, Qiu Red Mandarin Dress by Qiu Xiaolong (10/4/2013)
Y- Yoshida, Shuichi Villain by Shuichi Yoshida
Z - Zouroudi, Anne The Lady of Sorrows by Anne Zouroudi

Death on a Galician Shore by Domingo Villar

A body of a fisherman has washed ashore on the Galician Shore, and the general belief is that the fisherman had committed suicide. Inspector Leo Caldas and his subordinate Rafael Estevez investigate the death. Leo Caldas is not satisfied that the death is a suicide and believes that there is more to this death as he realises that the fisherman was recently spooked by messages and events that reminded him of a shipwreck that happened nearly ten years before. If it is not suicide, how was he murdered and why? Does the mystery of this death lie in the shipwreck? What happened in the shipwreck? Out of the four crew members, the captain died in the shipwreck, while somehow his crew managed to survive. What happened that night? If something suspicious did happen, why is somebody involved in the shipwreck, killing after all this years?

Leo's father maintains an interesting book, a list of all the umm.... Idiots he meets, called the Book of Idiots. Leo still participates in the Radio Program as he was in the previous book Water-Blue Eyes, and he is both irritated with the presenter and the public.

If you thought only those who have recently moved to Galicia are exasperated by the inability of the Galicians to answer questions directly. We also find that it is a problem even to those who have settled here for a long while.

Our heroes are obsessed with the cases, they don't have families and can even work on weekends. What about their subordinates? Do they have a family, girlfriend etc? And are they obsessed with the cases too? And how do they feel about their bosses for taking them on wild goose hunts on weekends? Rafa, as Leo calls him, is quite vocal about his spoiled plans for the weekend. Interestingly, I quite like the tumbling bull in the shop, Rafa , ready for a fight, easily ruffled and easily angry.

Domingo Villar paints a beautiful picture of a fishing village in the Galician Shore and takes on a voyage on a stormy night in a Ship to the roots of the crime. I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed Villar's Water-Blue Eyes and look forward to read other books that would appear in this series. 

Translated from Spanish by Sonia Soto.

How the light gets in by Louise Penny

Is their a genre called Cozy thriller? If there isn't, there should be one to categorise this book. This book plays out like a thriller with a big plot created not only to destroy Inspector Gamache but also something more bigger and sinister. But it is also a cozy. A cozy little town with no internet, no mobile phones where the majority of the plot unfolds. A cozy little town with a bookstore which is more of a library, a crazy poet, a gay couple who run a hotel and a painter, where everybody knows everybody, and for once, a closed community where people are not at each others throats creating suffocation and need to escape the environs. This is a crime novel that draws parallel between killing Albatross and the secrets that we carry all through our lives that destroys us. A crime novel that is lyrical that makes references to poetry.

This is the ninth book featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of Quebec. I haven't read any Inspector Gamache books. I do go with latest is the best place to start a series. So I picked up the latest book in this series set in Three Pines in Canada. While a stranger to this cozy place, it didn't take long to get acquainted with everybody there. I like the way Louise Penny introduces us to this place with help of a character who got recently acquainted with the place and feels at home here.

Inspector Gamache is asked to find out about the disappearance of an elderly lady who promised to visit the Three Pines for Christmas but doesn't come as promised. We know that the elderly lady is a kind of celebrity. But what is her call to fame is revealed slowly.

In Inspector Gamche's office, he is clearly being alienated by his foes who have removed all hisconfidential  colleagues to different posts. His relationship with his aide and confidant Jean-Guy Beauvoir is at its worst. While Jean-Guy is getting deep into his addiction for prescription medicine, Gamache is not able to win back his confidence. Will Gamache win back the confidence and fight his place in his office? What are the sinister plans of his foes? What happened to the elderly lady? A cozy with a thrilling finale!

Strange Shores by Arnaldur Indridason

We all have heard about some mysteries in our childhood, like the mysterious disappearance of somebody or mysterious death of a person and we also have some vague idea about what could have happened. While we may be curious about these mysteries, these mysteries do not haunt us, and we really have no need to go look for the answers. But if one is closely related to a mystery, and there is no way one could find answers for it, finding answers for another similar mystery could rest our demons and bring us peace. That's exactly what Detective Erlendur of Reykjavik, does when he goes about finding what happened to Matthildur when she walked out of her home on a stormy day, because he cannot find what happened to his little brother when Erlendur nearly died of Hypothermia on a stormy night.

Matthildur disappeared during the second World war, and after all these years does anybody care what happened to her. Many of those connected with Matthildur are dead, but finding the truth is compelling and is the only way Erlendur could find peace with himself for suggesting to his father all those years back that they take his little brother along.

While it is not very difficult to guess what happened to her, it is interesting how Arnaldur takes us back and forth into the past, present, dreams and dream-like scenario. Some parts involving Erlendur is not clear, whether it is a dream, hypothermia, past or present which makes it intriguing. Some parts of the story are repetitive there is both an explanation by various players and the scenes are recreated in the past which creates a chilling atmosphere. Chilling and compelling Read!

Translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb. 

A to Z Bookish Survey

Saw this sometime back @ Perpetualpageturner blog. Created the post, wonder why I didn't post it! Here it is anyway.

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Agatha Christie ( I have read all her mystery books) Goodreads tells me I have read 76 books including various short story collections. Next would be Sue Grafton 23 books. 

Best Sequel Ever:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Currently Reading:

Police by Jo Nesbo

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Coffee

E-reader or Physical Book?

Both. Whatever is available and best at that moment. 

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

No one really.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

The Lord of the Rings. I read the book after I saw the first movie. Usually I don't read a book after seeing a movie. I read a book for its story. So if I already know the story, it makes no sense for me to read the book. But my friend suggested that I would definitely enjoy the book more than the movie. I am glad I gave it a chance otherwise I would have missed the experience to go on an epic adventure. 

Hidden Gem Book:

Sick Heart River by John Buchan (ask my sister, she will tell you it is one of the very few books that brought the feelings alive) it is an adventure novel just in case you haven't read anything by John Buchan. 

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Discovering Online Reading Forums, Discussions and book blogs. Got some great recommendations.

Just Finished:

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Easier to answer the kind of books I read which is Crime Fiction. All the others very rare. 

Longest Book You’ve Read:

The Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

Major book hangover because of:

Crime and Punishment 

Number of Bookcases You Own:

I have loads and loads of book cases back home in India. Here I have just one. 

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Treasure Island (read during every summer holidays in school)

Preferred Place To Read:

In Bed before sleep.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

Not a quote but a poem

Was it a vision, or a waking dream? 

Fled is that music:—do I wake or sleep?

I almost always read before sleep. Sometimes I don't know if I am awake or asleep, I am reading or dreaming or doing both. These beautiful lines explain not only my reading but also how I go through life.

Reading Regret:

Non, rien de rien,

non, je ne regrette rien!

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

Martin Beck Series. Read 4 books out of 10 available.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

The Mill on the Floss, The Brothers Karamazov, Great Expectations

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Ruth Rendell 

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Looking forward to A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay

Worst Bookish Habit:

Having the compulsion to finish a book, even if I am not enjoying it. 

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Stephen Booth's The Devil's Edge

Your latest book purchase:

Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins started at 11 in the night finished by 6 in the morning.