Audio Book: In Bad Company by Viveca Sten

 I'm spending the snow-in this week listening to audio books now, and have started with this one, which has a narrator that is easy to listen to and also very expressive in reading the dialogues. 

In Bad Company by Viveca Sten is the 9th in the Sandhamn Murder mysteries set in the Swedish archipelago and the island of Sandhamn.

I'm in the middle of listening to this domestic violence drama and police procedural, in which a brutal husband is also under investigation for drug trading and financial crimes. Prosecutor Nora Linde has to build a case against him, trying to persuade the wife, Mina, who has been moved to a safe home, to testify, to strengthen the case against him. 

I think I have about two or three others in this series to go, and I'm going to try to listen to the books instead of read them. I haven't listened much to books before, only a few while walking in the gym, but I find I'm enjoying the audio while snowed in and social distancing during this pandemic! One positive thing to come out of this situation! 

What books are keeping you company these days? Do you listen to audio books?

First Chapter: Keep Sharp by Sanjay Gupta, MD

 

First Chapter/First paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book you are reading or plan to read soon.

Keep Sharp by Sanjay Gupta, MD

Published January 5, 2021, Simon & Schuster

Genre: health, self-help

First paragraph, first chapter:

Are You At Risk for Brain Decline?

Over the past few years, I have spent a great deal of time distilling the best evidence-based brain research into guidance for you. It is based on formal and informal conversations with colleagues and other experts in the world of neuroscience and human performance. In order to make it more useful, I have created a list of questions that are highly relevant to your brain health and potential.... 

Would read on?  

Top Ten Tuesday: Mysteries set during Mardi Gras and in Louisiana

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday she assigns a topic and then posts a top ten list that fits that topic. Freebie days: you may choose your own topic.

February 15: MARDI GRAS COLORS

Murder mysteries set in Louisiana and during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

 

Glitter Bomb by Laura Childs

Death Swatch by Laura Childs

Gossamer Ghost by Laura Childs

Arf by Spencer Quinn

The Sound and the Furry by Spencer Quinn

 Woof by Spencer Quinn

Parchment and Old Lace by Laura Childs

Gilt Trip by Laura Childs

Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron

Hot Blooded by Lisa Jackson

What did you do with this week's topic, Mardi Gras, in your Top Ten Tuesday? 

Sunday Salon: Scandinavian Thrillers

 We're snowed in for the next few days. Good time to catch up on reading. 

What I've finished:

I am enjoying all of the books in this series by Viveca Sten. The setting, islands in the Swedish archipelago, is unique, as are the characters in this police procedural set of thrillers.

In this sixth book, In Harm's Way Detective Thomas Andreasson visits the island of Sandhamn to investigate why the body of a world renowned journalist has been found covered in snow at a resort hotel. He decides it might be murder and not an accident as it first seems.

I found this thriller easy to read, with relatable characters and interesting description of place and setting. Another 4-5 stars.

What I'm reading: 

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock will be published in October 2021. I got it from Netgalley and am in the middle of reading it. 

The thriller involves another journalist, Heloise, the main character, who must discover why a suspected murderess, Anna, is trying to contact her, possibly to have her story written. Set in Copenhagen, with a realistic cast of characters, this murder mystery is enjoyable so far, especially with the literary clues involving Heloise's name. 

What are you reading this week? 

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon

Bread and Salt: Stories by Valerie Miner - Book Beginning

 

Bread and Salt: Stories by Valerie Miner, September 5, 2020, Whitepoint Press

The characters in these stories live and travel in Tunisia, India, Indonesia, Italy, Turkey, France, and the United States and consider their individual agency in both local and global contexts. (publisher)

Book beginning:

Il Piccolo Tesoro 

I'm stepping into an expresso bar, fragrant with strong coffee and sweet cornetti, when my attention is drawn uphill by a weathered pink and green sign offering a vacancy at Il Piccolo Tesoro. The small treasure. I'm not greedy. The adjective appeals as much as the noun promises. 

I chose this Ligurian village in the sensible way, by spreading a map of Italy across my kitchen table in Toronto, closing my eyes and pushing a pushpin into destiny.

Page 56:

But when he got transferred up the coast, she couldn't bear commuting 100 miles down to the city, cutting him out of her days like that. ("Quiet as the Moon")

Memes: The Friday 56. Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% of your eReader. Find any sentence that grabs you. Add your URL post in Linky at Freda's Voice. Also visit Book Beginning at Rose City Reader

Top Ten Tuesday: Valentine's Day

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Each Tuesday she assigns a topic and then posts a top ten list that fits that topic. Freebie days: you may choose your own topic.

February 9: Valentine’s Day/Love 

Title: A Passionate Love Affair with a Total Stranger by Lucy Robinson

Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely

Falling by Jane Green

Wedding Girl by Stacey Ballis

Timeless Desire by Gwyn Cready

A Groovy Kind of Love

A Groovy Kind of Love (The Bibliophiles #3) by Karen Wojcik Berner

 Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Title: The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

The Dark Rose:A Novel by Erin Kelly

These are my Top Ten books for Valentine's Day! What are yours? 

Sunday Salon: The Searcher by Tana French

 New thriller I'm currently reading:

The Searcher by Tana French, October 6, 2020, Viking

Setting: Ireland

Genre: thriller, mystery

Source: library ebook

A retired Chicago cop decides to live in Ireland, where he thinks there is little or no crime, but soon gets caught up in his little village's rural life. He is persuaded by a young teen to search for the teen's missing brother. and there are two unexplained violent attacks on a sheep of two different farmers. These situations are interesting enough to pull him back into detective mode, albeit on his own and not officially. 

I'm looking forward to see what he uncovers. 

Other news: 

It has been snowing in earnest, although we have gotten only about 4 inches so far, but we have an arctic freeze this weekend and into next week. The temps are in the teens right now and we have another incentive besides self-isolation from the virus to stay in. So, I can get some more reading in!

I've been having fun posting pictures of the various winter socks I'm wearing to keep warm even indoors! 

What are you reading this week? 

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer. Also,  It's Monday: What Are You Reading, and Sunday Salon