In 2008 a group of avid romance readers asked Murder One Bookshop if we could start a bookclub - which we did. Our first meetings were held in the o
ld shop on Charing Cross Road in the romance section where we had to move one of the freestanding bookcases to fit in! Some of the very first authors we discussed were Sherrilyn Kneyon ( who visited the shop), Robin McKinley (who also visietd the shop to talk to us), Christine Feehan, Mary Balogh and Liz Carlyle. Since the closure of the shop at the end of Janaury 2009 we have continued to meet monthly - while we were at King Cross in the office there and since moving Murder One UK to Watford we primarily meet at one of the members workplaces in Houndsditch, London. Occassionally we have tried meeting in a pub but this has not worked out very well, they are just so loud it is impossible to talk to one another - and I'm pretty sure it is not an age thing! Although we still primarily read and review romance titles we have branched out to other genres and you can find out what we thought about the books we've read in the reviews below.
New members are always welcome to join us to discuss the selected title (along with some girly gossip and mutual drooling over the main male characters - probably a big clue that as yet we have had no male members in the club), to share ideas and have some fun, all liberally spiced with food and drink in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. If you cannot make it in person beome a virtual member and write to us with your review or email it to me. We cordially invite all avid readers of all genres to our Book Club meetings!
E-mail or phone Tanya if you want to join in: Email: tanya@murderone.co.uk
Phone No: 01923 438335
Future Meetings and What We're Reading:
Wednesday, June 13th 2012 at the St. Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3 at 6.30pm. We are reading Jussi Adler-Olsen's Mercy:
Synopsis: At first the prisoner scratches at the walls until her fingers bleed. But there is no escaping the room. With no way of measuring time, her days, weeks, months go unrecorded.
She vows not to go mad. She will not give her captors the satisfaction. She will die first.
Copenhagen detective Carl Morck has been taken off homicide to run a newly created department for unsolved crimes. His first case concerns Merete Lynggaard, who vanished five years ago. Everyone says she's dead.
Everyone says it's a waste of time. He thinks they're right. The voice in the dark is distorted, harsh and without mercy.
It says the prisoner's torture will only end when she answers one simple question. It is one she has asked herself a million times: Why is this happening?
Wednesday, July 11th 2012 at the St. Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3 at 6.30pm. We are reading Ben Aaronovitch's Midnight Riot:
Synopsis: Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
August 2012 - To avoid problems with London transport during the Olympics we we will not be meeting this month.
Wednesday, September 12th 2012 at the St. Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3 at 6.30pm. We are reading Donna Andrew's Murder With Peacocks:
Synopsis:Three Weddings...And a Murder
So far Meg Langslow's summer is not going swimmingly. Down in her small Virginia hometown, she's maid of honor at the nuptuals of three loved ones--each of whom has dumped the planning in her capable hands. One bride is set on including a Native American herbal purification ceremony, while another wants live peacocks on the law. Only help from the town's drop-dead gorgeous hunk, disappointingly rumored to be gay, keeps Meg afloat in a sea of dotty relatives and outrageous neighbors.
And, in whirl of summer parties and picnics, Souther hospitality is strained to the limit by an offenseive newcomer who hints at skeletons in the guests' closets. But it seems this lady has offended one too many when she's found dead in suspicious circumstances, followed by a string of accidents--some fatal. Soon, level-headed Meg's to-do list extends from flower arragements and bridal registries to catching a killer--before the next catered event is her own funeral...
Wednesday, October 10th 2012 at the St. Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3 at 6.30pm. The book we are reading has yet to be decided but it will be in the humorous romance genre.
Wednesday, November 7th 2012 at the St. Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3 at 6.30pm. The book and the genre are yet to be decided.
December 2012 - Our Christmas party, date and venue yet to be decided.
Our Reviews
Wednesday, May 23rd 2012 any of the following Madeleine Brent titles: Tregaron's Daughter, Moonraker's Bride, Stranger At Wildings aka Kirkby's Changeling, Merlin's Keep, The Capricorn Stone, The Long Masquerade, A Heritage of Shadows, Stormswift, Golden Urchin.
Review coming
Wednesday, April 18th 2012 Diana Rowland’s Mark of the Demon:
Synopsis: Cop and conjurer of demons, she’s a woman in danger of losing control--to a power that could kill....
Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives--and souls--of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore.
Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head...
Review coming
Wednesday, March 21st 2012 Christina Brooke's Heiress In Love :
Synopsis: When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry.
Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time.
Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title - while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smouldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her - body, heart, and soul.
And Christina Brooke's Mad About the Earl:
Synopsis: Lady Rosamund Westruther has no objection to the match arranged for her by the Ministry - until she meets her intended. Gruff, stubborn Griffin, Earl of Tregarth, is hardly the charming nobleman the classic beauty has dreamed of for so long. While a proper lady can’t cry off, she can demand a proper courtship...Griffin is aware of his duty to wed - and more convinced than ever that the lovely Rosamund has no place with a man like him. Built for fields and stables rather than drawing rooms, Griffin doubts he can win her in the polite manner society requires. But with every passing day, the attraction between them flares higher and hotter. Maybe there is more to love than meets the eye...
Review Coming
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 Ben Rehder’s Buck Fever
Synopsis: Blanco County, Texas. It’s one week before the start of deer hunting season, and everyone in town has come downwith a case of... Buck Fever.
The fury begins with Red O’Brien and Billy Don Craddock, two drunken poachers who fire a shot in the direction of Blanco County’s most important resident: a wide-eyed, white-tailed deer named Buck who lives on the Circle S ranch. Now Buck is on the loose, and no one knows where to find him: not Trey Sweeney, the man who took the bullet meant for Buck, albeit right in the flank of his own deer costume; not Tim Gray, the veterinarian who can’t function very long without popping a few canine tranquilizers; and especially not Roy Swank, owner of the Circle S, who wants desperately to find Buck for reasons no one can quite understand. Navigating all this turmoil is Blanco County Game Warden John Marlin, with a little help from his best friend Phil and a beautiful nurse named Becky who seems too good to be true. But when a dead body turns up, the real mystery in madcap Blanco County soon boils down to a single question: Just who is hunting whom?
Review: This is the most masculine book we have read to date. It led to a spirited discussion on hunting. With a mix of urban and country girls it was a pragmatic one, we all came to the same conclusion that hunting for hunting’s sake and especially on game ranches where stock are used to human interaction was not a mind set we could come to grips with. We all liked the book, a good plot that came together in a timely and tidy fashion. There was a sweetness to the hero’s preparation for the big date that turned into the date from hell. The plot retained your interest and it overflowed with interesting characters. Some of these characters led us down the bizarre discussion path of is it better to have sex with a dead animal or a live one but all agreed to a high ick factor. But more importantly where on earth do you get a suspender belt to that fits a deer!
Wednesday, January 18th 2012 Jim Butcher’s Storm Front
Synopsis: Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the ‘everyday’ world is actually full of strange and magical things and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a -well, whatever.
There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get interesting.
Review:
An urban detective fantasy, this appealed to the majority of us. The main character Harry Dresden is very likeable along with his sidekick, Bob the skull. Maybe we were influenced by the fact we knew there were 12 more books in the series (this is the first book in the Dresden Files) but this book felt like it was an introduction to future books. The plot had enough twists to maintain interest and Harry seemed human enough to be likeable - who among us has not run out of clean clothes and ended up wearing trackpants and cowboy boots? This was not just a book about a wizard, full of magic and mythological beings, it was also a great mystery story set in this word with a main character with strong morals who has very real normal problems - earning enough to pay the rent and eat. It was good for a first book but the later books do get better and better as long as you can deal with Harry getting dumped on so much you want to scream at Jim Butcher please give the poor bloke a break! Will newcomers to the series - Debra, Leslie, Madeline and Leonie being reading more - 3 out of 4 will be. A thumbs up for Jim Butcher.
Review coming
Wednesday, April 18th 2012 Diana Rowland’s Mark of the Demon:
Synopsis: Cop and conjurer of demons, she’s a woman in danger of losing control--to a power that could kill....
Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives--and souls--of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore.
Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head...
Review coming
Wednesday, March 21st 2012 Christina Brooke's Heiress In Love :
Synopsis: When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry.
Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time.
Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title - while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smouldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her - body, heart, and soul.
And Christina Brooke's Mad About the Earl:
Synopsis: Lady Rosamund Westruther has no objection to the match arranged for her by the Ministry - until she meets her intended. Gruff, stubborn Griffin, Earl of Tregarth, is hardly the charming nobleman the classic beauty has dreamed of for so long. While a proper lady can’t cry off, she can demand a proper courtship...Griffin is aware of his duty to wed - and more convinced than ever that the lovely Rosamund has no place with a man like him. Built for fields and stables rather than drawing rooms, Griffin doubts he can win her in the polite manner society requires. But with every passing day, the attraction between them flares higher and hotter. Maybe there is more to love than meets the eye...
Review Coming
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 Ben Rehder’s Buck Fever
Synopsis: Blanco County, Texas. It’s one week before the start of deer hunting season, and everyone in town has come downwith a case of... Buck Fever.
The fury begins with Red O’Brien and Billy Don Craddock, two drunken poachers who fire a shot in the direction of Blanco County’s most important resident: a wide-eyed, white-tailed deer named Buck who lives on the Circle S ranch. Now Buck is on the loose, and no one knows where to find him: not Trey Sweeney, the man who took the bullet meant for Buck, albeit right in the flank of his own deer costume; not Tim Gray, the veterinarian who can’t function very long without popping a few canine tranquilizers; and especially not Roy Swank, owner of the Circle S, who wants desperately to find Buck for reasons no one can quite understand. Navigating all this turmoil is Blanco County Game Warden John Marlin, with a little help from his best friend Phil and a beautiful nurse named Becky who seems too good to be true. But when a dead body turns up, the real mystery in madcap Blanco County soon boils down to a single question: Just who is hunting whom?
Review: This is the most masculine book we have read to date. It led to a spirited discussion on hunting. With a mix of urban and country girls it was a pragmatic one, we all came to the same conclusion that hunting for hunting’s sake and especially on game ranches where stock are used to human interaction was not a mind set we could come to grips with. We all liked the book, a good plot that came together in a timely and tidy fashion. There was a sweetness to the hero’s preparation for the big date that turned into the date from hell. The plot retained your interest and it overflowed with interesting characters. Some of these characters led us down the bizarre discussion path of is it better to have sex with a dead animal or a live one but all agreed to a high ick factor. But more importantly where on earth do you get a suspender belt to that fits a deer!
Wednesday, January 18th 2012 Jim Butcher’s Storm Front
Synopsis: Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the ‘everyday’ world is actually full of strange and magical things and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a -well, whatever.
There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get interesting.
Review:
An urban detective fantasy, this appealed to the majority of us. The main character Harry Dresden is very likeable along with his sidekick, Bob the skull. Maybe we were influenced by the fact we knew there were 12 more books in the series (this is the first book in the Dresden Files) but this book felt like it was an introduction to future books. The plot had enough twists to maintain interest and Harry seemed human enough to be likeable - who among us has not run out of clean clothes and ended up wearing trackpants and cowboy boots? This was not just a book about a wizard, full of magic and mythological beings, it was also a great mystery story set in this word with a main character with strong morals who has very real normal problems - earning enough to pay the rent and eat. It was good for a first book but the later books do get better and better as long as you can deal with Harry getting dumped on so much you want to scream at Jim Butcher please give the poor bloke a break! Will newcomers to the series - Debra, Leslie, Madeline and Leonie being reading more - 3 out of 4 will be. A thumbs up for Jim Butcher.
