Interesting, although there are some inexcusable small errors. One picture is captioned with the wrong year. At one point a visitor to Merrywood, the estate they lived in in Virginia on the Potomac River, a visitor walks out of the house and goes swimming in the ocean. Wrong year given for someone's death. Incorrectly stating how old Janet was at some juncture of her life.

Which means it was edited very well, although nothing is so wrong that I'm unwilling to keep on going.

I'm also rereading Room by Emma Donoghue.

I see many are referring to it as "dazzling."

Room sounds pretty intense. "...a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating -- a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child."

The movie was excellent, also, and I'll rewatch it as soon as I finish the book. It's streaming on Amazon prime.

The factual mistakes in the other book are annoying, but so far not enough to make me stop. There have been books I've stopped reading after either too many factual errors or something so huge that it undermines the author's credibility. The one example that comes to mind was (and I no longer recall the title) one in which the author incorrectly stated that Margaret Mitchell had shopped around Gone With The Wind to numerous publishers before MacMillan accepted it. Not true. A MacMillan editor was the first person to see it. In that case I fired off an email to the author, and he eventually responded. A bit later there was some other error, just as bad, although I no longer recall what it was and so I stopped reading.

Historical fiction can be a bit dicey with me. I'm willing to allow a certain amount of license, although if it's something I know enough about, I won't keep on reading if they get too much stuff wrong. The essential and underlying problem in a lot of historical fiction is that the characters are simply modern people dressed in old clothes. They really were different in essential ways, especially in attitudes and beliefs, that shouldn't be ignored and glossed over.

(Climbs down off soapbox and puts it back in the closet)

Is the book worth reading given that? Have gone back and forth about putting it on the list to read.

If you like historical detective fiction, you will probably like this one. It's set in 90 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Domitian. It helps if you know the history of the early Roman Empire. I'm waiting for the next book in the series.

What a concept. Other books in the series are The Graveyard of the Hesperides and Pandora's Boy and they are listed under the genres: Suspense, Historical Mystery, Mystery and Women Sleuths. They certainly seem to have a humorous aspect, as well.
Delightful! Thanks.

I read most of the Falco books a few years ago.

Flavia Albia is the orphan that they picked in Londinium in The Jupiter Myth.

Been too many years...

and I can't get to the murder in A Certain Justice by P.D. James. She already told me who it is but after 77 pages the victim is still alive. The coming week is suppose to be a bit easier. Aside from obligations I did spend a lot of time on the bike 111 miles in 6 days with 42 yesterday on a supported group charity ride for our local cancer center. This past week is the best I've had bicycling since I had the surgery back Oct/Nov. After the doc oked me to ride the weather became wet and cold.

Enough about me- Thanks for the thread. I love coming to these threads. I have learned so many great books and authors because of the Fiction DU community.

for reading P.D. She definitely has a certain style unlike others. It feels old-fashioned, in a way, although she touches on current themes. I am getting the same feeling from Tartt's The Goldfinch. This was just written a few years ago and starts off with an event that will feel familiar to anyone over 20. As time passes, though, the side characters in this story sound like they could be living in the 40s or something. I dunno, they are New York City natives and maybe that's how many people there talk and relate.

Glad to hear you are getting back into your riding groove. I am always happy to see you. Likewise on the finding stuff here. I just got a bunch of Midsomer Murder DVDs and am so looking forward to diving into them. I doubt I ever would have heard of them if not for here.

He's been here for years as a professor. In the past I had told him I like British murder mysteries TV and books so much. So I said, "You know that the murder rate in the UK is really low?" He agreed. "Well in these mysteries the writers aren't content to kill one person but loads." He laughed and said, "That's true." I have only watched season 18 of 'Midsomer Murders" but they aren't shy about killing of half the people in a village. Loads of fun and the personal lives of the main characters is entertaining.

My wife found an old, I think made for TV movies, set called "The Snoop Sisters" with Helan Hayes and Mildred Natwick. Ms. Hayes is a a mystery writer and her sister transcribes while she vocalizes the scenes. They can't help themselves whenever there's a real mystery. It has a lot of humor. Oh an they have an antique Lincoln that is anything but unobtrusive.

The other that we got is 2nd season of Vera with Brenda Blethyn who is a DCI with a sharp tongue. It's very good as well. She ordered "The Brokenwood Mysteries" which take place in sleepy New Zealand.

I'm reading The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr. I have The Alienist but wanted to start with something of his not quite so heavy.

I look forward to hearing your opinion on it. The description sounds great, Sherlock again!, but the reviews are not so good. The Alienist, OTOH, gets raves for the book but not so much for the TV series. Have you seen it?

I started watching the first episode and then decided to start recording all. Plan to watch it with my guy pretty soon.

A memoir from the legendary guitarist and co-founder of the seminal British band The Smiths. An artist who helped define a period in popular culture.

I agree with you that it is fantastic. And long.

My loan of Gentleman in Moscow was up before I finished because life got hectic last week. So I put it on hold last week. Only about 25% left. I even considered buying it for $13 on Kindle to finish it because it's that good, but that seemed like a lot for a quarter of the book. So I'll wait. Kind of like Christmas--the anticipation is making it better.

So it's back to Goldfinch after putting aside when all my holds came in. Really love that book. Only 17% in, but so well told.

Not like comedy funny but little comments and descriptions pop up that just make me laugh out loud, in spite of all the tragedy going on. I'm a little over half way through now.