*Spoilers spoilers spoilers* the running grave spoilers thread.. (Content warning - mentions suicide)

[EggTheParrot]

Just as the title says really.. spoilers ok in this thread. Let's keep the other one spoiler free??

Oh my god why is Robyn going undercover!

I'd rather it was left alone tbh. I like the realism that Strike can't solve everything.

I don't buy that... why would they have wanted her dead? They were at the stage where payments and therefore any link had ceased

Thanks to whoever recommended the Maeve Kerrigan books on here. They're excellent!

Glad you’re enjoying them, they’re good aren’t they?!

Do I need to read 1-3 of the Maeve Kerrigan books? They are much cheaper on kindle from 4 onwards

Are the Maeve Kerrigan books gruesome?

The descriptions of murder are graphic, similar to Career of Evil and Troubled Blood IMO.

And can you start reading at book four without missing too much?

You could start reading them from later on, but you would miss out a little bit. Could you not download via your library on Kindle? I think I read most of them that way.

Her standalone books are good too. One of them’s just recently been a TV series I think.

As for gruesomeness, I would say they are pretty typical of the genre. They’re definitely not cosy crime. While I don’t enjoy the gruesomeness, I think they are worth it for the characters, and the relationship between the two of them.

I'm only on book two, but I always have to start at book one.

I can’t put borrowbox from the library on my kindle paperwork. Apparently you can only put it on kindle fire

I’ve got BorrowBox and Libby on my phone - could that work for you?

So I use Libby on my phone to borrow the kindle version of the book from my library. And then, when I open my Kindle and sync it, it’s there. You don’t have to put the app itself onto the Kindle, if that makes sense. You can access the app to borrow the book on your phone or wherever but then read the actual book on your Kindle.

Also, this might not help. But I think some of them were on Kindle unlimited at some point. Might be worth checking out if you’re a binger of books. Because then it might just cost you a month or whatever.

I’ve just spent ages putting borrowbox and libby on my phone, joined the local library (as I’ve never joined!) and searched for Jane Casey and the books aren’t there! I have now started reading book 4 and downloaded 4-10. Two were free, one was 99p and the others were £2.99. Books 1-3 are all £8.99 each so I‘m not downloading them.

I‘m going to try it out with other books though and hopefully it will work on my kindle

Libby only seems to be magazines

Sorry for sending you on a bit of a wild goose chase, that’s irritating. If I hadn’t read them on kindle I would have posted you them!

That’s ok. Was about time I joined the local library we’ve lived here 13 years now! I will try it out with other books when I’ve read these ones. Anyway book four is good so far and as you can see has kept me up 😂

I think the Maeve Kerrigan books get better after the first one - which is still good - and really hit their stride from The Stranger You Know.

I've managed to convert a bunch of Robert Galbraith fans to Jane Casey while we wait for book 8. They are quite different but seem to scratch the same narrative itch.

I couldn't possibly suggest looking for the early Maeve Kerrigans on archive.org

It ought to be showing books as well. Maybe have a look at the filters in Search in case they’re just set to magazines for some reason.

Completely agree with this. I started reading them during the pandemic when I really needed a good distraction and a new series to get into. I stuck with the first one because I’d been recommended them quite a few times and then found they really warmed up after that and I really got into the character dynamics. Now I’m annoyed that they don’t come out more often!

Can also recommend Michael Connelly‘s Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller books too if you haven’t read those. Same applies that they get better as they go along. But more because the first ones go back as far as the 90s and they’re somewhat of their time. But so good.

I can also recommend the Manon Bradshaw books by Susie Steiner. Sadly, the author passed away, so I think there’s only three of them. But they’re well worth the read.

Also Simon Mason’s DC Wilkins books are great. I think there’s two with one more on the way. So far really good.

@RollingInTheAisles Funnily enough I really liked Connelly's early stuff - Blood Work is brilliant - but recently picked up Desert Star and thought it disappointing.

Yes, I wish Casey would write the Maeve Kerrigans faster too. She's also a Georgette Heyer fan, so I think she has the same romantic DNA as me. There was a little Heyer nod in the last one.

And I thought the two Simon Mason books were really excellent. A bit Mick Herron, a bit Colin Dexter but excellent protagonists and twisty plots.