What I read in July 2010

I've had a bumper reading month - 13 books, but no Australian authors this time, and no Agatha Christie - a shortcoming I must remedy in August.
Lots of translated crime fiction ***
I did some air travel for a couple of days at the beginning of  the month - that also helps - and also finished a couple of audio books.

My pick of the month was Louise Penny's A RULE AGAINST MURDER aka THE MURDER STONE

1. 4.4, THE SHOOTING IN THE SHOP, Simon Brett (31 July)
2. 4.5, THE REUNION, Simone Van Der Vlugt (27 July)***
3. 4.4, DOUBLE VISION, Pat Barker (27 July)  - audio book
4. 4.7, THE MONSTER IN THE BOX, Ruth Rendell (24 July)
5. 4.9, A RULE AGAINST MURDER,  Louise Penny (20 July)
6. 4.2, EXECUTIVE RETENTION, Maria E. Schneider (14 July)
7. 4.6, RED APRIL, Santiago Roncagliolo (13 July)***
8. 4.5, AUGUST HEAT, Andrea Camilleri (11 July) ***
9. 4.8, THIRTEEN HOURS, Deon Meyer (10 July) ***
10. 4.1, DEATH OF A GLUTTON, M. C. Beaton (8 July)- audio book
11. 4.4, BADFELLAS, Tonino Benacquista (6 July)***
12. 4.6, ICE MOON, Jan Costin Wagner (4 July)***
13. 3.9, THE CHORISTER AT THE ABBEY, Lis Howell (1 July) - audio book

Challenges completed.

A sort of private/personal challenge together with some friends from Crime and mystery fiction on FriendFeed to read and rank all of the CWA International Dagger shortlist.
My order was
5.0, HYPOTHERMIA, Arnaldur Indridason
5.0, THE DARKEST ROOM, Johan Theorin
4.8, THIRTEEN HOURS, Deon Meyer
4.6, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, Stieg Larsson
4.5, AUGUST HEAT, Andrea Camilleri
4.4 BADFELLAS, Tonino Benacquista

I felt vindicated because it was won by THE DARKEST ROOM. 

The Typically British Reading Challenge, which I discovered I had nearly finished anyway, because I read so many British books.
The books I eventually listed

1. 5.0, SKELETON HILL, Peter Lovesey
2. 4.7, DANCING FOR THE HANGMAN, Martin Edwards
3. 4.7, THE MONSTER IN THE BOX, Ruth Rendell
4. 4.6, THE SUFFOCATING SEA, Pauline Rowson 
5. 4.5, THE SPY'S WIFE, Reginald Hill
6. 4.4, COFFIN SCARCELY USED, Colin Watson
7. 4.1, DEATH OF A GLUTTON, M. C. Beaton
8. 3.9, THE CHORISTER AT THE ABBEY, Lis Howell