The Secret Reading Room Trivia Quiz

Answer: Robert Langdon

"Angels and Demons" is the first book to introduce Robert Langdon, symbols expert and a recurring character in the books by Dan Brown. "Angels and Demons" is the first book to introduce Robert Langdon, symbols expert and a recurring character in the books by Dan Brown. In this novel, a scientist has been murdered and his chest branded with an ancient symbol. Langdon is called in to decipher what it means. What he finds is the presence of a demon inside the Vatican, using science against religion.

Red Team's smpdit introduced this book, then looked over her shoulders to see who was breathing down her neck. But it was just the other ladies sneaking a peek. They particularly like the way the hero, Langdon, accepts and appreciates Vittoria's help, rather than dismissing her.

Answer: Ice Station

In "Ice Station" (1998), an alien spacecraft is found buried in the ice of the Antarctic. Schofield's unit is sent in response to a distress signal sent from the Wilkes American ice station which found it. But all is not what is seems, the divers are killed and the alien spacecraft is a spy plane. Schofield and his team are pursued by French and British soldiers, and two members of Schofield's team are captured. But Mother is a tough old bird and escapes, leaving a leg behind.

"Ice Station" is Matthew Reilly's second novel and the first in the Schofield series.

leith90 plucked this book from the shelves and the Red Crew ladies like that Mother is a strong, no-nonsense, self sufficient woman who still works well in a team. Her call sign does not refer to any maternal characteristics, however, but is short for Mother-something-else. In the second novel of the series "Area 7" (2001), Mother is back, having slapped on a titanium prosthetic and picked up her weapon.

Answer: The Killing Floor

Penned by Lee Child, "The Killing Floor" was published in 1997 and was the first in the Jack Reacher series. Jack Reacher is ex-military police Jack Reacher is ex-military police who does not being tied down, to property, rules and people. He wanders from place to place, and usually wanders into trouble. Or trouble finds him. He's a meticulous investigator who manages to solve whatever mystery he's stumbled across.

Although this was the first Reacher novel published, there have since been several prequels added to this highly successful book series. "One Shot" is the ninth book in the series'

Jaknginger from the Red Crew ladies loves a good thriller but must read during daylight hours so as not to ruin a good night's sleep. leith90 had no such qualms and read it by torchlight under the covers. The ladies particularly admire Reacher's singular determination to get a job finished.

Answer: Cornelia Funke

First published in 2003, "Inkheart" is the first book in a YA fantasy trilogy by Cornelia Funke.

Folchart has an unwanted ability to read characters out of a story, but it comes with a downside, someone must replace those characters. After his wife is transported into the book, Mo, known as Silvertongue, and his daughter must try to restore order to both the real and fictional worlds.

The Red Crew ladies particularly like Mo, as he is very protective of his daughter, spends his entire life searching for his wife. smpdit would prefer to not have a silver tongue, thank you very much, she thinks it sounds most uncomfortable. The other ladies wonder if they could pick who would get read out of a book.

Answer: Outlander

Claire Randall, WWII combat nurse and amateur herbalist is on a post-war honeymoon in Scotland when she is transported back in time to pre-Jacobean Scotland. Once she realises her predicament, she uses modern medicine along with her knowledge of herbal medicines to keep herself safe in an unfamiliar period of history.

Diane Gabaldon began writing "Outlander" in the 1980s and as it was her first novel, she wasn't expecting much to come of it. The novel soon became one of the bestselling books of all time and the ninth novel in the series was released in 2021. "Outlander" was also made into a television series which premiered in 2014.

The Red Crew ladies loved reading about a strong, brave woman. When a romance with an equally strong, brave Scotsman was added into the mix, they couldn't put the book down. Team member leith90 admitted to never having read the novel, but, after being introduced to Claire and Jamie, she quickly hid the book up her jumper.

Answer: Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton wrote a string of novels with alphabet titles. Her first novel, "A is for Alibi" was published in 1982. The books star private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Kinsey is a divorcee, lover of junk food and an avid jogger. But she is also an accomplished sleuth and needs every trick in her arsenal to unravel a murder that is a little too close to home.

Janet Evanovich created the Stephanie Plum series, where the books are numbered. The first is titled "One for the Money".

Jaknginger loves a good Kinsey Millhone story and introduced the ladies to the series. They particularly like that underneath the drama, there is always a little wit!

Answer: The Book Thief

"The Book Thief", by Australian Marcus Zusak, was published in 2005. It tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young German girl. Set during World War II in Nazi Germany, Death is the narrator of her tale. Her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann hide a Jewish man, Max Vandenburg, who helps teach Liesel to read. Her foster father, Hans, also encourages her love of books and words. While delivering laundry to the Mayor's wife Liesel is allowed to read the books there and 'borrows' them to take home. She also steals a book from a fire at a Nazi book burning, making her the thief of the title.

Red Team's smpdit and the other Ladies enjoyed this book, as they too have an abiding love of books and words, and they do appreciate a man of letters.

Answer: Alexander Ilyich Rostov

Count Rostov is the titular gentleman, who as a dyed in the wool aristocrat is sentenced to lifetime house arrest in the Metropol Hotel. Mikhail is his dear friend and poet Mishka. As his world constricts to the environs of the hotel, his understanding of life and people expands. The novel has lovely passages expounding upon the importance of family, friendship, art and tradition. Even as the machinations of the Soviet government are exposed in a negative light, the beauty of Russia and its people remains.

Amor Towles's second novel, "A Gentleman in Moscow", was published in 2016. He also wrote "Rules of Civility: A Novel" in 2011.

Pusdoc quite fell for the Count and couldn't wait to introduce him to the other Red Crew ladies. The girls became quite enamoured of the way he devotes his time and energy to maintaining friendships, creating a cozy living space, and enjoying great food and wine. He has a delight in children and truly strives to understand their world. The Red Crew Ladies have decided he sounds perfect!

Answer: Mitch Rapp

"American Assassin" was the 11th novel in the series by Vince Flynn, but serves as a prequel, going back to the beginning of how young Mitch Rapp was transformed into the pointy end of America's clandestine war on terrorism. He was initially recruited by Irene Kennedy, at the time, Director of the CIAs Counter-terrorism Centre. Rapp was then trained by Stan Hurley, a crusty, abrasive operative who has no time for a young man with no military experience. Rapp's motivation was retribution- his girlfriend had been on the Pan Am Lockerbie plane that was shot down.

Flynn wrote 12 books in the Mitch Rapp series before his death at age 47 in 2013. With another novel sitting mostly finished, his estate brought in ghost-writer Kyle Mills who finished the novel "The Survivor" in 2015. This novel was so well received, Mills has been retained and continues the series but with his name under Flynn's. "American Assassin" was adapted into a movie in 2017.

Harry Bosch is the main character in Michael Connelly's series.

The Red Crew ladies find Mitch's devotion to his high school sweetie very endearing, as well as ensuring that his mantra of only the villains are killed, not innocent bystanders, is upheld. leith90 and jaknginger 'debated' over who would read the book first as they are both Rapp fans.

Answer: John Grisham

John Grisham's second novel, "The Firm" centers around Mitch McDeere. Mitch is an uber-smart, brand new Harvard law graduate. He has been wooed by a very small tax law firm in Memphis, Tennessee. His good fortune soon sours when colleagues are murdered and the FBI come knocking. McDeere needs his wits about him to save his career, his life and his wife.

Jaknginger finds this fast-paced legal thriller a great read! The Red Crew Ladies are impressed by McDeere's refusal to toe the firm's line and break the law just so he could rake in the bucks.