Marilyn's Mystery Reads

February marks an anniversary of the Marilyn’s Mystery Reads blog.  It’s sixteen years since I started writing this weekly review of books, with side forays into Author Appreciations, Golden Oldies, and more topics related to the mystery genre.  So many books, so many opportunities to share my thoughts and opinions with readers who enjoy crime fiction, mysteries, and thrillers.

Now on to another February topic, information about the Spring semester course I’ll be teaching at BOLLI (Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) which begins on March 2nd.  It’s titled WHODUNIT?:  DETECTIVES WITH DISABILITIES, and it encompasses both physical and emotional issues that impact the protagonists of the novels.  Here’s the list with a brief description of the disability that each detective faces:

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (the protagonist has an artificial leg due to a war injury); Odds Against by Dick Francis (a jockey becomes a private investigator due to a crippling hand trauma that ends his racing career); The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (the protagonist is a teenage boy on the autism spectrum); Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham (the detective suffers from Cotard’s Syndrome, a mental illness in which the sufferers believe they are dead); Blood on the Tracks  by Barbara Nickless (a railroad detective suffers from PTSD); After She’s Gone by Camilla Grebe (a police profiler is fighting dementia); Little Black Lies by Sandra Block (a psychiatric resident faces her own emotional trauma); City of Windows by Robert Pobi (a retired FBI agent with multiple physical handicaps is called on to solve a series of crimes).

One of my favorite things about mysteries is the places they take readers.  To quote Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.”  This spring we’ll be reading novels in various locations in the United States, Wales, England, and Sweden, so even if this winter’s snow and ice has you housebound, you’ll still be able to travel the world via these novels.

I hope my brief descriptions of these mysteries pique your interest and that you will read along with us.  My sincere thanks for reading my blog, and do write to me and let me know if you’ve read and enjoyed the books I’ve recommended.