About Me
My name is C.T. Henry and I am a teacher in London.
I don’t claim to know all there is to know about mysteries, nor have I read all the classics yet. I created this blog because I love sharing great mysteries with others. Some people have a hard time choosing what book to read, and this site aims to provide some guidance.
Mysteries have been my preferred genre since I was a kid. Recently, I’ve made an effort to learn about the genre’s history and read in depth. I hope my reviews and posts lead to truly satisfying reading experiences.
Like many fans of mysteries and thrillers, I have my biases. Although I read the occasional cozy, I prefer hard-boiled P.I.s, legal thrillers, historical thrillers, and mysteries set in the great outdoors (C.J. Box, Steve Hamilton, and William Kent Krueger). I’m also a huge fan of thrillers like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series and Barry Eisler’s John Rain series.
Furthermore, most of the mysteries I read are paperbacks rather than newly released hardbacks. I keep up with the new releases; however, I like to wait until the book comes out in paperback. Why? I prefer the way a paperback feels in my hands than the unwieldy size of hardbacks. Nevertheless, there are certain books that I can’t resist. Any books by Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, or Charlie Huston will be purchased on the day they are released in hardback.
Finally, I prefer when authors write in the first person than in the third person. Why? I feel like I’m part of the story more. Because of this, I also have to admit that I tend to read books written by male authors than female authors. For some reason, female writers seem to use the third person more. It has nothing to do with sexism. I’ve read Minette Walters, Deborah Crombie, Julie Spencer-Fleming, Laura Lippman, Charles Todd, Elizabeth George, and a host of others. However, only a few female authors seem comfortable with the first person, and these tend to be my favorites: S.J. Rozan, Kris Nelscott, and Laurie R. King.
These biases affect what books I choose to read and review on this blog.
I hope you enjoy the blog and have great reading experiences!
P.S. If you are an author, who would like your book reviewed, please email me at henry_ct@mac.com.
Robert Fate Bealmear said
Dear Mr. Henry – May I please have a snail mail address where i may send copies of the Baby Shark series to your attention? Best regards, Robert Fate
Cathy said
I’m so glad you came across my blog and left comments! Naturally I had to wander over to yours, and I see that we share many of the same preferences. Thanks also for including me in your links.
patti abbott said
Hi -I run a little blog project on Fridays where writers and readers talk about books they think are forgotten or neglected. I wonder if you’d be willing to do one on September 12th or 19th. Doesn’t have to be long or fancy and you can see the previous four months worth at http://pattinase.blogspot.com If you have already received this invitation and are receiving it again, I apologize.
If it’s not your thing or you’re too busy just now, I understand. Best, Patti Abbott
MYSTERYLOVER said
I REALLY LIKE YOUR BLOG, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
~Mystery reader from South Africa~
loubank said
Hi, C.T.! Andrew Vachss’s next novel–the eighteenth and *last* Burke novel–is shipping the end of this month, and I’m trying to get word out to all those folks who were around for the beginning, and might want to see how it all ends. I see from your blog that you’ve read some of the Burke novels, so … maybe you’ll want to check out ANOTHER LIFE. And anyone who has a question for Andrew can get it answered live on camera during his three(1)-hour webcast on January 14. More information at vachss dot com.
Hard Boiled said
Hi, This line you wrote about yourself could describe me. I also prefer hard-boiled P.I.s, historical thrillers, and mysteries set in the great outdoors. Legal thrillers not so much.
You’ve given me a few names to look up, like Lehane and Koryta, so I’ll give you a couple of my own. Loren D. Estleman’s early Amos Walker novels are classic hard boiled, and Neveda Barr writes outdoors type mystery. Yes, she’s female but give her a try. There aren’t so may authors who fit this sub genre.
Oline said
Just discovered your blog. I’ll be a frequent visitor. I enjoyed seeing the list of books that made all our lists for last year. Last year was a tough year since there were so many good mysteries.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/offthepage
http://www.mysteryscenemag.com/msblog
Oline Cogdill