Doublethink

I enjoyed them, and still read them occasionally - though you do start to pick up repeats in her descriptive writing and plot ideas after a while. I like the Sister Fidelma novels too - similar premise but set earlier in time and in the Irish context.

Thanks for the welcome I read far too much sci-if, crime and naval novels (Aubery/Mataurin type thing). I have found recently though I spend most time rereading things I've already read - think I need to be more adventurous. I like police procedural mysteries, but I really don't like my main character / investigator being in peril. I want that nice clean puzzle solving experience - but I think it's out of fashion at the moment.

There's quite a series of Ripley books, but the first is definitely the best. It is said Highsmith fell a little in love with Ripley, and that may have made her a little too indulgent in later books about him. As a teenager I really enjoyed her writing, including the short stories like Small Tales of Misogyny, but it lost some of its charm as I grew up. She herself was a thoroughly unpleasant woman - I recommend the Wikipedia page - and once you know about her, you can't help wondering how much she had in common with Ripley.

I've enjoyed the series, though I would agree the third is not as strong as the first two. I've always thought that JKR writes arguments almost painfully well, even when some of the characters involved are less well drawn. The psychology of the murderer in The Silkworm, when ultimately revealed, is not very convincing - but the principle characters, Strike & his side kick, are really well written in all three books.

I've mostly listened to the Vera books on audio, I love the accent. I found them surprisingly close to the TV series characters. The midsummer books on the other hand, I quite strongly disliked. I think basically because I found the social views reflected incidentally in the books, which I assumed to be the author's, too right wing. I have a similar problem with the Wycliffe and Inspector Frost books.

I read, and absolutely hated, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - I am not sure why I disliked it so much but it put me off trying anything else by Heinlein.

Is there any particular type of book you enjoy reading ? As I imagine it would be more fun to translate something you find appealing.

I love my audible subscription, it makes my commute so much less boring. I do go for unabridged books, but also radio 4 comedy series - I have all 14 series of the unbelievable truth now. I find an audio book is really good to put on the iPad low volume to go to sleep to when I'm stressed as well.

I have read quite a few of his books, I think they are mostly set in the same semi-fictionalised Latin American country and have a similar feel. I personally feel his shorter works are better. They have a distilled quality - Chronicle of a Death Foretold has stuck with me even though I read it over twenty years ago. If you are not sure about whether you'll like his work, maybe try one of the short story collections such as No-one Writes to the Colonel.

I own a ginger cat, it is not actually him in the avatar - but it makes me feel suitably cat lady

Hello, I never really know what to write on intro threads, so forgive me if this is a bit underwhelming. I am looking forward to talking with other folk who love books. I have spent years on discussion fora about other topics, can't believe I've only just joined a book group ! Reading has always been a passion, and it will be great to connect with other people who get that.