@HiToWaMom - nothing graphic. The story is told in retrospect and flashback, which helps. There is some discussion about forensic methods and how to extract mitochondrial DNA from bones, and some observations about dead bodies, but nothing about torture and nothing too descriptive.
scoutā¦I read it, too! 
Currently reading Circling The Sun by Paula McClain for book club. Really enjoying it. Not a mystery/thriller.
We did The Rent Collector last night . We showed the previews of the documentary, and the authorās response to questions on the Bookclub questions. Though not the best literature, people surprisingly all liked the book.
Circling the Sun is another book the College Confidential Book Club recently read and discussed. The discussion can be viewed here:
NM - did you like it?
Iām starting āThe Only Onesā now -too early to tell if itās a keeper.
For mystery thriller fans, I cannot recommend Michael Gruber too highly. I would recommend starting with the first novel published under his own name, Tropic of Night. Itās a stunner. It is the first of sort of a series of three. The rest of his books are standalones. I particularly love his book about a lost Shakespeare play, The Book of Air and Shadows. If you are an audiobook fan, the audiobook of that one is the single best reading performance Iāve ever heard.
Before he started publishing his own books, he ghost-wrote the procedural Butch Karp series for his cousin, Robert K. Tanenbaum. They are good, too. When he stopped writing them, the quality fell off a cliff. So if you pick up one of the Tanenbaum series, pick an earlier one.
Two mystery authors not yet mentioned here: Camilla Lackberg and Mauricio De Giovanni (both in translation).
I also like Sayers, PD James . Ruth Rendell (especially when she wrote as Barbara Vine), early and middle Elizabeth Georgeāmost recent books are nowhere near as good, IMO; Tana French, Michael Connolly, Peter May.
^ I second Camilla Lackberg.
Mostly agree with @jonri on Elizabeth George. I actually like the middle ones bestāearly ones had too much of those odd depressing friends; latest ones since āthat thingā happened have been pretty dreary. I think the first few Linley and Barbara ones were the best.
I liked the first Elizabeth Georges, but gave up on the relationships. Barbara (she was the policewoman with the chip on her shoulder?) was unbearable. Iām not really a mystery reader though, I always get impatient before the end.
Iām a big fan of Tana French, Louise Penny, and Jacqueline Winspear, and Iāve just discovered an author whom I may like as much. Iām only a few chapters into Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham and I am blown away by the character and the writing. Iām listening to the audio version and the reader is terrific.
I agree that Elizabeth Georgeās books have been lackluster for years now, and Iām still angry about āthat thing.ā I used to love her.
Now Iām feeling overwhelmed by all the good suggestions. Will I go back to Gamache or Maisie Dobbs after the Ferrante books or start down another rabbit hole? With a forecast of 18-24 inches of snow here, I will likely be doing lots of reading.
@scoutā¦I did like it!
@NJTheatreMOM ā¦thanks so much for the link! We meet on Tuesday evening so I will enjoy reading the thread before I go!
Alvin Rothās āWho Gets What and Why.ā Itās a remarkable book on non-commodity markets.
Iām listening to The Mare by Mary Gaitskill right now and somewhat engrossed (perfect for this dreary day). Itās a book about coming-of-age, mother-daughter relationships, conflicts resulting from a racial and socioeconomic divide, the consequences of and healing after abuse, communication, and horses
Be sure to report back on the Gaitskill when you are done. Itās on my list. I adored Veronica, but generally find her stories uneven.
āThe Nightingaleā is one of the best books Iāve ever read in my life, never mind the last 6 months.
^^ I agree; The Nightingale is one of the best books Iāve ever read.
Hi all! Retiring in s few weeks so finally time to read!
Any suggestions in non-fiction or historical fiction?
Iām interested in reading through your fiction suggestions, but I feel I got burnt a few years ago with so many āOprah styleā books that all featured the same sad sack characters, had the same troubled childhoods and sad plots and all blended together for me after a while. Do you guys know what I mean? So I kind of feel suspicious of fiction unless people I trust tell me itās not an Oprah book!!
@Pizzagirl, I recommend Hilary Mantelās āWolf Hallā and āBring Up the Bodies,ā the first two in a planned fictional trilogy recounting the life of Thomas Cromwell.