Best reads - Club Together Book Club?

I think the books paint a realistic picture of Shetland life - apart from the murders🥴. Although it sounds quite arrogant for someone who's spent such a short time there to say that, they certainly conveyed to me a sense of the place as I found it.

I'm still working my way through the Vera books.

Nellie – Thanks for the author list.  I can recall reading a couple of Stuart McBride books last year.  Will look for those again in the library may try some of the other authors too. 

Wherenext – I did read some of the John Pilkington Falconer stories and just looked up the Marbeck series which I will also look for in the library as they definitely interest me.

I tend to get distracted in the library collecting requested books choosing others I like the look of having read the blurb inside the cover.  Some I enjoy others I have to force myself to continue to read and often they become more interesting.  A J R Ellis book The Body in the Dales was a bit like that for me – slow to get going but OK in the end.

Collected a requested book Shadows Reel (C J Box) the latest by a favourite author of mine.  Also, a couple of other ad hoc books. 

Me too, and her Vera series also. However there are some older ones to have a go at, and see how much she has improved over time. Hope the new series is up to scrstch, as I'm sure it will be.

N1805, we started on the Peter Robinson's DCI Banks books, based in the Yorkshire Dales, but they made TV series of them with Stephen Tomkinson in the lead, and he was so out of character that it pkut us off the series completely. Great for locations we know in the books, though, as are Stephen Booth's Copper & Fry series base in the Derbyshire Dales.

We do like series that use actual locations that we either have visited or intend visiting, as it adds extra atmosphere to our reading.

Be warned the Stuart McBride books do get rather gory as the series progresses. I just wish they would make a TV series of them, with the correct actors is the main roles of course, without having to be so "politically" correct as they seem to be trying to be these days, with characters not as described in the books.

Nellie.  I gave up reading Peter James Books (detective based in Brighton) because of the content and I think the content of the Stuart McBride Books was my reason for not continuing with them. I also have read and enjoyed the Cooper and Fry series by Stephen Booth but not seen another published since 2019 - I think that was the last one I read.  I’ll probably continue with Lin Anderson’s books and maybe JR Ellis’s Yorkshire Murder Mystery books in between any historical spy/mystery/detective types. Will be looking for the John Pilkington Marbeck series suggested by wherenext as they appear to be historical spy books.  Having said that I have requested from the library a Dorset crime book by Rachel Mclean to try. Personally I prefer reading to TV but also enjoy gardening which will probably take precedence as the weather improves.

Take care all and enjoy your reading.

Having said that I have requested from the library a Dorset crime book by Rachel Mclean to try.

Had to laugh N1805. 

Mrs WN  sitting in the front room at the moment reading the second in the series "The Clifftop Murders" having read "The Corfe Castle murders". Both her and MiL have books 2 &3 to read from the library, picked up today. Not read them myself but they give the series the thumbs up.

N1805, have you read any Kate Ellis, based around Dartmouth, Joy Ellis, based in Norfolk, or Faith Martin, based around Oxfordshire, or Ellie Griffiths, based in Norfolk. I think that these would be much more to your taste, reading your post above. Plenty there to go at, but if you like Scottish Noir I can suggest a few authors too.

Fans of historical autobiographies might be interested in a fairly new offering from Helen Carr. The Red Prince tells the story of John of Gaunt, one of the most interesting and charismatic characters never to actually rule. Son of one of England’s greatest King’s, father to another, founder of a dynasty that gave us HenryVIII and Elizabeth I, his story includes the history of not only England, but Spain and France as well. Married three times, he did the unthinkable and finally married the woman he had loved for decades.

Available as a book and ebook.

Wherenext - The Rachel Maclean book appears to be a good choice so hopefully I will not have to wait too long for it.

Nellie – Have made a note for future reading of your recommended authors after checking our library catalogue briefly and finding they have books by them except Ellis Griffiths but they do have some Elly Griffiths.

Takethedogalong - Have added the Red Prince to my list as John of Gaunt and his descendants have often featured in the historical novels I have read.

I take it you have read “Katherine” by Anya Seton N1805? It was out of print for a while, but you might be able to find it online. Fictionalised account of the life of Katherine Swynford. Mother of the Beaufort’s. Still a good read.