April was a quiet reading month but May promises to be much busier with Crimefest taking place in two weeks time. It’s always a 
great opportunity to catch up with writers, reviewers, bloggers and readers and there will be plenty of updates on this blog.
My book of the month for April is a surprise. I was looking forward to reading Fred Vargas’s Dog Will Have His Day but, while I found it an enjoyable read, it wasn’t one of her best. Instead, a book by an’new to me’ writer, Massimo Carlotto, was by far my favourite read this month. At the End of a Dull Day has sly humour and dark violence in equal measure and it was good to be taken out of my comfort zone.
The four books I read for Crimepieces were:
The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths
At the End of a Dull Day by Massimo Carlotto
The Ghost Runner by Parker Bilal
Dog Will Have His Day by Fred Vargas
Kerrie over at Mysteries in Paradise is bringing together other bloggers’ recommendations from their April reading. Do head over there to see what everyone else has been reading.
Oh, Crimefest…I’m v jealous here…we want lots of photos, gossip, and news about what books we should be getting excited about….
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Of course! Are you based in the UK? You really ought to go one year. It’s a great event.
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I’m thinking of going to the new-ish Scottish one in Stirling – I think it’s around September. And I’d love to go to the Edinburgh Book Festival, which would be easier, as I have friends I can stay with there. I can imagine the rammy that would cause at home though – the amount I spend on books is already a bone of contention! (and that’s not counting the ones on Kindle he doesn’t know about lol!)
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Sarah – Isn’t it great when a new-to-you author surprises you? I’m glad you enjoyed the Carlotto; may give that one a go myself. And I hope you’ll have a wonderful time at Crimefest. One day I’ll get there….
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I hope we meet one day too, Margot.
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Sarah, I’ll keep your favourite read of the month in mind as well as the book by Parker Bilal.
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Thanks Prashant.
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Well, I need to read all of these books but for now, the author I am most interested in is Bilal. Thanks for putting him on my radar.
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Bilal intrigues me too, I love a novel that takes me into an entirely different world. Think I downloaded a preview on Kindle so it’s inevitable I’ll buy the whole book!
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Bilal is a great find, Tracy. I hope you enjoy him.
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I think I feel a bit better about my reading having seen your numbers. (I do fret irrationally over the stats! Plus your work is a lot more demanding timewise and mentally I would hazard.) Griffiths and Bilal I will probably not read because of the size of the stacks. Vargas I haven’t yet read but she’s lurking. Carlotto – I read Master of Knots and The Fugitive a few years ago, so its a possible! Good Luck for May and looking forward to your reports from Crimefest.
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Thanks Col and good luck with the reading.
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Well, I may try to read the Bilal and will read the Vargas. The Carlotto may be too much.
However, please let us know the Crimefest news – we here hang on every word.
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Will do, Kathy I promise.
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Hear, hear!
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I love the title ‘At the End of a Dull Day’ – it has such intriguing promise, and throw in sly humour and dark violence? Sold!
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It’s a great title, as is’Dog will have his day’. Glad I’ve convinced you.
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Ooooh, Elly Griffiths’ series is definitely ‘must read’. But $ 20? No, I’d better wait and read some of the 96 books that are waiting for me in my Kindle first 😉
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Thanks, Dorte. And I know about that TBR pile.
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Glad there’s others with as much to read as me…my other half bought me a Kindle Fire in the hope it’d reduce the piles of books in the house – that didn’t work, plus he has no idea how many are on the Kindle too….!
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Still dithering over the Carlotto, and also like the sound of the Bilal. Perhaps it’s a good thing your list is quite short this month as you’re not adding too much to my TBR!
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Thanks Moira. Both Bilal and Carlotto would provide plenty of food for your blog.
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