Hosted by Lipsyy Lost & Found my Wednesday post gives you a taste of what I am reading this week. A similar meme is run by Taking on a World of Words
March reading has started well with a couple of cracking books that will be published later this month but my This Week in Books is starting with a break from the new and shiny and making sure I keep reading those from my (extensive) pile of books that I have bought with my hard-earned pennies!
I am currently reading Cut Short by Leigh Russell which I purchased on 16 February 2014 – yes three patient years it has been waiting to be chosen!
Blurb
When DI Geraldine Steel relocates to the quiet rural town of Woolsmarsh, she expects to find her new home to be somewhere where nothing much ever happens; a space where she can battle her demons in private. But when she finds herself pitted against a twisted killer preying on local young women she quickly discovers how wrong she is…
By day, the park is a place for children’s games, for people walking their dogs or taking a short cut to avoid the streets. But in the shadows a predator prowls, hunting for a fresh victim. When an unwitting bystander comes forward as a witness she quickly becomes the next object of his murderous obsessions. . .
DI Geraldine Steel is locked into a race against time, determined to find the killer before they discover yet another corpse. But can she save the lives of the town’s young women – or will Geraldine herself become the killer’s ultimate trophy? Amazon
I have just finished the deeply disturbing Anne Perry and The Murder of the Century by Peter Graham, in it the author grapples to find an explanation why two teenage girls would murder one of their mothers.
On June 22, 1954, teenage friends Juliet Hulme–better known as bestselling mystery writer Anne Perry–and Pauline Parker went for a walk in a New Zealand park with Pauline’s mother, Honorah. Half an hour later, the girls returned alone, claiming that Pauline’s mother had had an accident. But when Honorah Parker was found in a pool of blood with the brick used to bludgeon her to death close at hand, Juliet and Pauline were quickly arrested, and later confessed to the killing. Their motive? A plan to escape to the United States to become writers, and Honorah’s determination to keep them apart. Their incredible story made shocking headlines around the world and would provide the subject for Peter Jackson’s Academy Award-nominated film, Heavenly Creatures.
A sensational trial followed, with speculations about the nature of the girls’ relationship and possible insanity playing a key role. Among other things, Parker and Hulme were suspected of lesbianism, which was widely considered to be a mental illness at the time. This mesmerizing book offers a brilliant account of the crime and ensuing trial and shares dramatic revelations about the fates of the young women after their release from prison. With penetrating insight, this thorough analysis applies modern psychology to analyse the shocking murder that remains one of the most interesting cases of all time. Amazon
Next up something gentle? No, but it is something that looks very good indeed; The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Blurb
The murder was meant as a punishment – but what sin could justify the method?
The only person who might have answers is the victim’s seven-year-old daughter, found hiding in the room where her mother died. And she’s not talking.
Newly promoted, out of his depth, detective Huldar turns to Freyja and the Children’s House for their expertise with traumatised young people. Freyja, who distrusts the police in general and Huldar in particular, isn’t best pleased. But she’s determined to keep little Margret safe.
It may prove tricky. The killer is leaving them strange clues: warnings in text messages, sums scribbled on bits of paper, numbers broadcast on the radio. He’s telling a dark and secret story – but how can they crack the code? And if they do, will they be next? Amazon
So even for me that is a week full of murder and mayhem!
What are you reading this week – do share in the comments below!
I hope you love them all, and the “aging” book from 2014 looks like one I might especially enjoy. Thanks for sharing…and here’s MY WWW POST
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Thank you Laurel I’m quite taken with the ageing book which is the start of a now long-running series so we’ll see how many additional books I end up adding to the TBR when I finish this one! haha
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I’m a sucker for True Crime so The Murder of the Century has gone on the list! Heavenly Creatures – both the book and the film with Kate Winslet – were fascinating. I shall look forward to reading this.
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I really need to watch the film and as my brother a real true crime lover is coming to visit soon I think I shall plan it for then! This book is well-worth a read for a look back at what happened on that June afternoon in New Zealand – I chose it because I’d read Beryl Bainbridge’s Harriet Said which was inspired by this crime.
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Some disturbing books indeed! Yours is the second post I’ve read this week mentioning The Legacy – it does look good – if also disturbing.
My reading is a mixed bag, as usual, but also includes some disturbing murders – http://www.booksplease.org/2017/03/08/my-week-in-books-8-march-2017/
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Thanks for visiting and leaving your link Margaret – I’m looking forward to The Legacy so I hope it lives up to my expectations.
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The Peter Graham sounds sounds intense but also very interesting! Here’s my post https://geejenmotw.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/www-wednesday-8th-march/
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It was a compelling but disturbing read – thank you so much for visiting and leaving your link.
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Disturbing is indeed the word I’d use for Anne Perry and The Murder of the Century by Peter Graham!! But the book does appeal to me! 🙂 I think I have a book from 2011 waiting to be read….
Happy reading!
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I have many older books on my list Donna, especially from soon after I got my kindle and went mad on the daily deals – some great gems hidden amongst the masses.
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The Peter Graham book sounds really interesting but very disturbing. I hope you enjoy reading some of the books off your TBR – I’m trying to read a mix of TBR and review books these days too. Happy reading!
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It makes me realise quite how many good books I own and as I have less psychological thrillers on the TBR it mixes up the (sub) genres nicely too
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Oh, The Legacy does sound great, Cleo! I do like Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s writing quite a lot, and the premise is interesting. I’ll be especially keen to know what you think of this one.
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Thank you Margot – I’m very much looking forward to my first experience of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s
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The Legacy does look really good! I’ve already got that one on my TBR, looking forward to your review
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I hope we both enjoy it Renee 🙂
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I think all of these sound great. I remember when I first found out about Anne Perry’s personal story and I also remember watching the movie Peter Jackson made about it. Totally and completely creepy, as Anne Perry was and remains an author whose works I’ve enjoyed so much. I need to see if my library has this book. I still marvel about her life since that time. I’ve not ever seen her at a book event, but she does do them.
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I need to watch the film next but I’m not sure whether I want to read one of her books now. It’s an odd thing as I read this one because I enjoyed Harriet Said by Beryl Bainbridge which was inspired by this crime and I had put one of her books onto my wishlist in readiness – maybe I need to wait a little while first.
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What did you make of ‘Anne Perry and The Murder of the Century’ by Peter Graham? I saw a documentary on her a while ago, and she really put me off, seemed very cold and unaffected. I wasn’t a fan of her books before, but I have to say, if I were, this would have put my loyalty to the test.
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I thought I’d follow this read up with one of her books but what I read about her, which includes her unmasking following the filming of Heavenly Creatures, has really put me off – the book mirrors what you noted in that documentary (which I am keen to watch)
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Looking forward to your review of The Murder of the Century! And I’ll be reading The Legacy soonish too – maybe next week. Hope we both enjoy it! 🙂
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The Murder of The Century review will be up soon 😉 I’m really looking forward to The Legacy but have a feeling I’m going to be adding more of her books to my TBR so approaching with a certain amount of trepidation.
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I love murder and mayhem. The covers alone would have drawn me in.
sherry @ fundinmental
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🙂
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Some very intriguing books this week Cleo! I shall look out for your reviews!
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Thank you Chrissi 🙂
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I’m finding the cover of Anne Perry and The Murder of the Century very chilling….
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Inside is fairly chilling too!
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It’s strange you mention the Anne Perry book – I’ve read a few of her novels over the years, and Heavenly Creatures is one of my favourite films but it was only last Christmas that I realised that it was based on events in her life. I was gobsmacked! I’ve been meaning to do a blog post about it for ages.
I definitely want to read that book now!
https://lipsyy.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/this-week-in-books-08-03-17-twib-currentlyreading/
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I do need to see that film, I was principally interested because I read Beryl Bainbridge’s book Harriet Said which were inspired by these events and thought would follow up with one of her books… it sounds weird but I’m quite reluctant to now! Review will follow shortly.
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Some interesting books this week but I will not be tempted…well maybe.
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Haha 🙂
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I’ve never heard of a.young if these books be goes but they look good! Just the cover of that Anne Perry book might give me nightmares, may have to give it a miss! Maybe…
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The Anne Perry book freaked me out a little and not just because of the cover 😉
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I the have the Anne Perry book so I need to bump it up the stack. Sounds haunting and fascinating!
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It makes for chilling reading because but I’m glad I read it, if that makes sense 🙂
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I’m curious about The Legacy – hope it’s a good one! 🙂
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who has felt averse to reading any of Anne Perry’s books. It seems extremely–well, I’m going to use a rather old-fashioned word here–unseemly for someone who has been tried, convicted, and served time for (at least) participating in a murder to spend her professional life writing fiction about murders. It brings up all sorts of questions about judging a book by the nature of its writer and whether we can separate the dancer from the dance. That being said, Peter Graham’s book is very good–although I don’t think you ever really know who Anne Perry is, which is perhaps Graham’s point. By the way, in addition to HARRIETT SAID, there’s a novel by Vin Packer called THE EVIL FRIENDSHIP, also based on that murder.
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