This month's LitSoup question:

What's your favorite thriller/mystery/true crime book?

Looking for recommendations for some Halloween reading?

Some responses from The News-Herald newsroom:

Nicole Franz:

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” has so many unexpected twists and turns, and you don’t really know who the villain is until the end.

Jeffrey L. Frischkorn:

“Eye of the Needle” by Ken Follett. Made into a 1981 movie that starred Donald Sutherland.

Larece Galer:

“Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders” by Vincent Bugliosi was a brutal telling of the Manson case. This is the only book I have ever read that kept me awake. The author Vincent Bugliosi was the prosecutor that put Manson away and his insights in the book were frightening.
The second choice would have to be Patricia Cornwell’s “Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper-Case Closed.” The writer gives the reader facts that support her choice of who Jack the Ripper really was.

Elizabeth Lundblad:

“The Halloween Tree” by Ray Bradbury.
First published in 1972, the novel tells the story of eight friends who discover a ninth friend, Pipkin, has been taken by a dark force and must go on an adventure to save him. The group travels through myriad cultures, including Egypt, Rome, Greece, France and Mexico, and learn about how these cultures, ancient and modern, view what we call Halloween. In 1993 a full-length animated film adaption was released. Bradbury wrote the screenplay and provided the narration. The movie differs from the novel, cutting the number of friends to four and limits the number of cultures explored. Also in the movie, Leonard Nimoy voices the spooky character of Mr. Moundshroud, who leads the children on their journey. Both versions of the story, in print and on film, are worthy of attention.

Cheryl Sadler:

Thrillers/mysteries/true crime usually aren't at the top of my reading list, but I second Nicole's choice of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." The book started out slowly, but then the mystery really grabbed me, and I ended up staying up until morning to finish it.

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This post is part of a LitSoup, a monthly feature on The Book Club compiled of contributions from the newsroom and the Twitterverse. Send an email or tweet with your suggestions for future LitSoup topics.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl