Monthly Book Selections
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American author of crime stories and novels of immense stylistic influence upon modern crime fiction, especially in the style of the writing and the attitudes now characteristic of the genre. His protagonist, Philip Marlowe, is synonymous with "private detective," along with Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade. (https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/raymond-chandler/)
The Big Sleep by ISBN: 9780394758282Publication Date: 1988-07-12The Big Sleep was an instant success when first published in 1939. It centers around a paralyzed California millionaire with two psychopathic daughters; he involves private eye Philip Marlowe in a case of blackmail that turns into murder.
The Big Sleep Discussion Questions from the Mentor Public Library
The Big Sleep Discussion Questions from the Mount Prospect Public Library (2013 Mount Prospect Public Library. All rights reserved. Used with Permission.)
(From the author's Amazon page. Retrieved 1/28/2019.)
She Lies in Wait by ISBN: 9781984817358Publication Date: 2019-01-08One night during the scorching summer of 1983, a group of teenagers go camping in the forest. The evening starts like any other--they drink, they dance, they fight, they kiss. Some of them slip off into the woods in pairs, others are left jealous and heartbroken. But in the morning, the youngest in the group, Aurora, has disappeared. Her friends claim that she was safe the last time they saw her, right before she went to sleep. An exhaustive investigation is launched but no trace of the teenager is found. The search is eventually called off. Thirty years later Aurora's body is unearthed and Jonah Sheens is the detective put in charge of solving the long-cold case. Back in 1983, he had played a part in the search as a young cop, and their small-town community meant he had known the teenagers--including Aurora--personally. Now, he's determined to finally get to the truth of what happened that night. His investigation brings the members of the camping party back to the forest, where they will be confronted once again with the events of that night--events that left one of them dead, and all of them profoundly and forever changed.
Information about author Thomas Harris can be found at the Mississippi Writer's Project. Silence of the Lambs, book 2 in the Hannibal Lecter Series, inspired the film of the same name as well as an upcoming CBS TV series, Clarice. "Clarice offers a deep dive into the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling as she returns to the field in 1993, six months after the events of "The Silence of the Lambs." Brilliant and vulnerable, Clarice's bravery gives her an inner light that draws monsters and madmen to her. However, her complex psychological makeup that comes from a challenging childhood empowers her to begin to find her voice while working in a man's world, as well as escape the family secrets that have haunted her throughout her life." (https://www.cbs.com/shows/clarice/)
The Silence of the Lambs by ISBN: 0312022824Publication Date: 1988-07-15When a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill (he kidnaps, slays and skins young women) begins a crosscountry rampage, FBI trainee Clarice Starling tries to interview Lecter, a psychiatrist whose brilliant insights into the criminally insane are matched only by his bloodlust, he's currently imprisoned for nine murders, and would like nothing more than the chance to kill again. Lecter, a vicious gamesman, will offer clues to the murderer's pattern only in exchange for information about Clarice, analyzing her with horrible accuracy from the barest details. When Bill strikes again, the agent begins to realize that Lecter may know much more, and races against time and two twisted minds.
January 2021 books have been ordered. Please let me know if you would like to pick up a copy. The selection is The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie. There are two shows about Agatha Christie airing on PBS in January: Inside the Mind of Agatha Christie (Jan. 17th @ 10 pm ET) and Agatha Christie's England (Jan. 24th @ 10 pm ET).
The Mysterious Mr. Quin by ISBN: 9781611737394Publication Date: 2013-06-01It had been a typical New Year's Eve party, but as midnight approaches, Mr. Satterthwaite -- a keen observer of human nature -- senses that the real drama of the evening is about to unfold. He's proved right when a mysterious stranger knocks at the door. Who is this Mr. Quin? He seems to appear and disappear almost like a trick of light. In fact, the only consistent thing about him is that his presence is always an omen -- sometimes for good, but sometimes deadly.
