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In the line of mysteries with substance I'd recommend:
Daniel Silva's series with main character Gabriel Alon, Israeli agent as well as art restorer, lots of interesting tidbits about the art world amongst the intrigue of the international spy game.
Donna Leon's series with main character Venetian Police Commissario Guido Brunetti, great characters and interesting takes on life in Venice.
Linda Fairstein's series with main character Manhattan Prosecutor Alexandra Cooper,each book usually centers on a historic NYC landmark and a fair amount of its history gets woven into the plot.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by Sedaris. Unfunny, boring writer.
Yep, gotta agree. His encounters with learning French are the closest he comes to being consistently amusing, but not worth wading through the whole thing.
Very good book. It's fiction about a real island off of Crete and the real fishing village opposite it on Crete. A young English woman goes searching for her family history. The search takes her to a small fishing village in Crete with a small island just off the coast. Leper colony in past decades. She didn't know that. So the story unfolds going back about 4 generations.
It's an easy read. I really enjoyed learning about Greek modern day customs and past customs. The characters are well fleshed out and the story is intriguing. This was a satisfying read and I needed that just now. I'm nearing 3000 books on my kindle and couldn't find a book that drew me in until this one. I was ready for it to end but at the same time I didn't want it to. I think we all know how that feels.
I recommend it because I enjoyed it so much and I think many of you would, too.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Originally Posted by greatblueheron
I've read Silva...and many Fairsteins.
Two of my favorites, love or hate the modern version, Fairstein's NYC has a fascinating history which she does a fine job of exploring and I enjoy Silva's spy tales with the art world as cover.
I continue to be surprised by how little attention Donna Leon receives, Venice has an interesting culture she explores through the eyes of an interesting man.
Two of my favorites, love or hate the modern version, Fairstein's NYC has a fascinating history which she does a fine job of exploring and I enjoy Silva's spy tales with the art world as cover.
I continue to be surprised by how little attention Donna Leon receives, Venice has an interesting culture she explores through the eyes of an interesting man.
I love Silva and Leon and their central characters! Donna is an American who lives/lived in Venice and for many years, the Italian government forbade the sale of her books in Italy. She was recommended to me by a friend who lives in Europe and who knows I love Venice and mysteries.
Two of my favorites, love or hate the modern version, Fairstein's NYC has a fascinating history which she does a fine job of exploring and I enjoy Silva's spy tales with the art world as cover.
I continue to be surprised by how little attention Donna Leon receives, Venice has an interesting culture she explores through the eyes of an interesting man.
Do you remember Silva titles with art world as cover?? The ones I read did not have that background.
Almost finished Woman in the Window...what a ride.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,363,738 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KiwiKate
I love Silva and Leon and their central characters! Donna is an American who lives/lived in Venice and for many years, the Italian government forbade the sale of her books in Italy. She was recommended to me by a friend who lives in Europe and who knows I love Venice and mysteries.
I never heard that, do you know why her books were banned in Italy? I know at times she may paint the Italian government as perhaps lax at best and corrupt at worst but I didn't think Italy was that sensitive about fiction.
Personally, I believe she's deserving of far more attention than she gets in things like best sellers and general attention in the book world, I think she's a terrific writer.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,363,738 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greatblueheron
Do you remember Silva titles with art world as cover?? The ones I read did not have that background.
Almost finished Woman in the Window...what a ride.
The Heist deals with a stolen Caravaggio and The Rembrandt Affair with a painting a friend of Allon's was working on when he was killed. I may have inadvertently mis-characterized the art as 'cover' but it does appear often as in Allon's occupation when he retreats from the spy game as well as friends/acquaintances of his in the art world who may be pressed into his service, willingly or not.
I never heard that, do you know why her books were banned in Italy? I know at times she may paint the Italian government as perhaps lax at best and corrupt at worst but I didn't think Italy was that sensitive about fiction.
Personally, I believe she's deserving of far more attention than she gets in things like best sellers and general attention in the book world, I think she's a terrific writer.
I believe they didn't like the way she (as a foreigner) was portraying their local crime enforcement officers.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,363,738 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KiwiKate
I believe they didn't like the way she (as a foreigner) was portraying their local crime enforcement officers.
To me Brunetti comes across as a very ethical if pragmatic man. Perhaps it's her portrayal of his superiors they objected to?
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Yah, what's the fuss about?
I was ready for it to end but at the same time I didn't want it to. I think we all know how that feels. 
