Reviews - lots of them. Please check out the Latest Reviews - books read this month; Fiction - alphabetical by title [A-E ● F-L ● M-R ● S-Z]; and Nonfiction. There's info for Book Groups. Or check out the HOT List. Or see which authors will be visiting south Florida - Florida Update.
LATEST REVIEWSDON'T TELL A SOUL by David Rosenfelt: Could the author of one of my favorite series, a light, funny legal mystery series featuring the beloved Andy Carpenter and his Golden Retriever, cross over to the dark side? Could he write a dark, disturbing thriller with a protagonist as different from Andy Carpenter as day from night? The short answer? Yes. And very, very well. Imagine sitting in a bar one night. A stranger, sitting next to you, starts talking. He confesses to murder, tells you where the body is buried, then leaves with the admonition that now it's your responsibility. Tim Wallace is no stranger to murder. His wife died in a boating accident, but the death was suspicious - the boat exploded - and the husband is always the first suspect. So when Tim goes to the cops about this midnight bar confession, he once again falls under suspicion. The plot twists keep coming and the action never stops until the shocking ending in this fast paced. intense and spellbinding thriller. Don't miss it. 7/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD by Debra Dean: This is Russian immigrant Marina Buriakov's story and it is a rather difficult one. Marina is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and her family is trying to cope with her and her granddaughter's upcoming wedding at the same time. Marina can barely remember who her granddaughter is, but has no trouble remembering working as a docent at the State Hermitage Museum in Leningrad on the eve of WWII. The story alternates between the present day and her memories of that time, emptying the museum in preparation for the possible theft or damage of its treasures. The writing is lovely, especially about the artwork in the museum, but the theme of memory and how it affects our lives is most poignant and moving in this lovely, heartfelt family tale. 07/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch OUT OF THE FRYING PAN: A Chef's Memoir of Hot Kitchens, Single Motherhood, and the Family Meal by Gillian Clark: I like food memoirs as a rule, and I'm happy to say that this was no exception. I don't like those whiny women overcoming adversity memoirs, and while this had touches of whininess and oodles of adversity, the main focus was still in the kitchen and that worked for me. Clark owns one of the most successful restaurants in Washington D.C., and this is her story about how she got there. Divorce, single mothering, and getting fired from more jobs than I wanted to count were just some of the troubles faced and overcome in this ultimately interesting and uplifting memoir. 07/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch PHANTOM PREY by John Sandford: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport, in his 18th outing, gets into the local goth scene at the request of his wife. A wealthy young woman has been kidnapped and presumed murdered. Her mother is a friend of Weather Davenport, and seeks Lucas’ help through Weather, in trying to gain closure regarding her daughter’s disappearance. Then there is a second death. It becomes clear there is a serial killer targeting Goths and anyone else who becomes involved, including Lucas. Although not the best Davenport, this one will still keep you involved late into the night. 07/08 Jack Quick FINAL THEORY by Mark Alpert: What if there was a weapon much more powerful than the atomic bomb? You don’t have to be a physicist in order to enjoy this break neck thriller. It starts with one of Albert Einstein’s assistants, 79 year old theoretical physicist Hans Kleinman being tortured. Columbia University professor David Swift is at Kleinman's bedside when the old man makes a few cryptic statements, imparts a string of numbers, and then dies. Soon governments and mercenaries seeking Einstein’s proposed Unified Theory – a set of equations that could explain all the forces of nature and revolutionize our understanding of the Universe, are pursuing David. Up until now, the conventional wisdom is that Einstein never completed his work. But if he did, whoever can gain that knowledge will hold power beyond imagination. With the help of another physicist, the beautiful Monique Reynolds David manages to stay just one step ahead of his pursuers. This is The Da Vinci Code of science and nicely done. 07/08 Jack Quick THE 47TH SAMURAI by Stephen Hunter: Retired Marine Corps sniper Bob Lee “The Nailer” Swagger, now in his sixties, returns in this thriller that began some sixty years ago on Iwo Jima when his father Earl won the Medal of Honor. Philip Yato is the son of the Japanese officer who commanded the bunker, which was the basis of that skirmish. He has come to America seeking the family sword taken into battle by his father and brought home by Swagger Senior. It turns out there is more to the sword which leads to a series of terrible crimes with Swagger deeply involved. Another first rate outing from Hunter who has so skillfully told the story of three generations of Swaggers. 07/08 Jack Quick HIT AND RUN by Lawrence Block: Keller is like most of us. He has a job that he works at in order to pay his bills, feed his hobby (stamp collecting) and hopefully prepare for his eventual retirement. The major difference is Keller's a hit man. After all these years and many successful assignments he is now ready to begin that retirement, but there is just one more job. Keller really doesn’t want to go to Des Moines for the job but it has been paid for so what else can he do? After all, there are no refunds in this business. While he is in Des Moines looking at additions to his stamp collection, someone kills the charismatic governor of Ohio. Normally this would have little impact on Keller – except the police have released a picture of the alleged killer. Guess who? Now Keller is stranded in Des Moines, cut off from his associate Dot in White Plains, New York, every cop in America's just seen his picture, his ID and credit cards are no longer good, and he just spent almost all of his cash on the stamps. The best Keller yet. 07/08 Jack Quick A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART by Timothy Hallinan: American travel writer Poke Rafferty who now calls Bangkok home is trying to build a family with Rose, a former bar girl with whom he is in love, a homeless girl named Miaow and a mysterious boy of the streets known as Superman. In the meantime Poke gets involved in not one, but two potential life-threatening mysteries. One involves a notorious Khmer Rouge torturer, the other a series of child-porn photos. Rafferty matures rapidly as he tries to meet his lover's culture more than halfway and find his moral compass at a time when the victims can be as guilty as the murderers are innocent. Completely different from the Bangkok series by John Burdett, but imminently readable although portions are not for the squeamish. 07/08 Jack Quick EIGHT IN THE BOX by Raffi Yessayan: Using his eleven years of experience as an assistant district attorney in Boston, and his current experience in private practice, Attorney Raffi Yessayan makes his debut with this combination police procedural/legal thriller. The title, Eight in the Box, refers to a term Yessayan and fellow prosecutors use in regards to district court jury trials - when a person is charged with a misdemeanor, they have the right to a jury trial. The jury consists of six jurors and two alternates, hence eight in the box. Eight in the Box primarily follows three individuals (two cops and a prosecutor with the District Attorney’s office) and their involvement with the case of the Blood Bath killer. The book begins with the killer’s second attack, an attack with such strange circumstances that it causes the police to consider that they may be dealing with a serial. In both instances, the killer leaves behind a bathtub full of blood but no body. The victims seem to have no connection other than the fact that they are both single women, and the cops have run out of useful leads. Then the killer strikes again. Yessayan’s expertise in the field allows for a realistic portrayal of the process involved in a case from both the legal perspective as well as the investigating officer’s perspective. At first, the book reads as dual storylines with a common link, we follow the cops on the case as well as the prosecutor in his daily routine. But, there’s much more going on than the reader is initially aware of. Yessayan’s interesting and tense debut has a great twist ending and some of the characters will be appearing again in a follow-up title. 07/08 Becky Lejeune
"The whole family is a bunch of dangerous freaks...Most are ex-cons or junkies or deranged from inbreeding. Five have died violently, three are back in prison, two have gone insane from untreated venereal disease, and one writes book reviews." --- Triggerfish Twist by Tim Dorsey
LAST MONTH'S REVIEWS:THE SEVEN SINS by Jon Land: What happens in Vegas, doesn't stay in Vegas in this latest thriller built around the astonishing Las Vegas hotel-cum-fantasy-land, The Seven Sins. Michael Tiranno (Sicilian for the "tyrant") is very loosely based on real life entrepreneur Fabrizio Boccardi, who has plans to build this hotel sometime in the not-too-distant future. In this story, we learn how Tiranno made his millions with a little help from his "Godfather" style guardian, and how he plans to keep Vegas out of harm's way from Middle Eastern terrorists. Land takes several plot lines and seamlessly weaves them together with nonstop action, explosions, dead bodies, and travel across three continents, keeping the story moving so fast that it's impossible to stop turning the pages. Strong characters, both men and women, and exotic locations just add to the fun. First of a new series from this talented author. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch Note: The back of the review copy I read had pictures of both Jon Land and Fabrizio Boccardi, along with a note that the lead character was loosely based on the real life Italian. I asked the author whether he was commissioned to write this novel, perhaps to promote a new hotel in Las Vegas? Here is his reply: "In answer to your question, I was commissioned to write the book after Fabrizio Boccardi met my publisher and told him his very vague concept of the character of Michael Tiranno. I built the entire story around that vague concept, but not really to promote a hotel that won't exist for another who knows how many years. Michael Tiranno is more like James Bond, a character who will appear in books, movies (A deal will be announced in the very near future.), video games, and more. He is kind of Fabrizio's alter ego but Fabrizio didn't really know what he wanted until I came up with the concept of a GODFATHER-like saga that would both show Michael as a man and how he became that man. Unlike standard promotional deals, then, I had full creative freedom to plot the story and develop the character as I saw fit. The rendering/drawing of the casino on the rear end papers is based on architectural sketches of how the hotel is envisioned. While Fabrizio has every intention of some day building the real Seven Sins, breaking ground is still quite a ways off, a few years at least. So the story is more "loosely inspired" by Fabrizio's life than "based upon" it. He was never in the mob, never imploded a casino or sunk a freighter (Imagine what the Nevada Gaming Commission would do with that!), but Michael's experiences in Monte Carlo, Zaire, and Cuba pretty much mirror Fabrizio's since he made his original fortune in soft commodities trading." JUDGMENT DAY by Sheldon Siegel: It's been a few years since the last Mike Daly & Rosie Fernandez legal mystery, but it was so worth the wait. I love this San Francisco series featuring ex-priest Daly and his ex-wife Fernandez. This time out they are working on a particularly intricate case; an attorney, imprisoned for murdering a couple of drug dealers and another attorney, is just days away from being executed. Last minute appeals rarely go well, and this case is complicated further by the fact that Mike Daly's father was one of the cops involved in the arrest and prosecution. Great dialogue is one of the hallmarks of this series and really helps move the story along, while at the same time investing these characters with strong emotional appeal. I admit that I love the Perry Mason moments along the way that contribute towards making Siegel one of the best legal fiction writers out there. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch AUDITION by Barbara Walters: I'm not usually celebrity happy, but I doubt you'd find any woman of my generation that doesn't have at least a passing curiosity and some respect for this woman who has broken more glass ceilings than just about anyone in television. Walters has led, some would say, a charmed life, and in this memoir, she shares some of the bad along with the spectacular good to help put her life into a more realistic vision for her fans. It is remarkably readable, especially considering it is a doorstopper of a book with very few pictures, but let's face it, the woman has lots to talk about. Besides her own history, she made history with her interviews of most of the world leaders of the 20th & 21st centuries, not to mention her popular celebrity interviews. A surprising fast, fascinating read. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch THE DARK OF DAY by Barbara Parker: The star of this one is high-profile Miami defense attorney C.J. Dunn. Her client is Rick Slater, who is in charge of security for US congressman Bob Shelby. Slater is the last person to see Alana Martin, a beautiful model who disappears from a swinging Miami Beach party. Although C.J. doesn’t care for the congressman, she realizes this case may propel her to the next level with a major news outlet (Hello, Greta Van Sustrand). As the layers of the case are peeled open, you learn more and more about C.J. – since Rick Slater’s alibi witness is a seventeen year old runaway from the same north Florida town where C.J. was born, Alana is connected to architect Milo Cahill, one of C.J.’s clients; and to Billy Medina, who is C.J.’s lover. Although parts of the book read like the script of an afternoon soap – As My World Turns Upside Down and Inside Out – it’s not a bad read. Probably worth packing on a beach trip, when you can take it in small doses between long drinks. 06/08 Jack Quick ***Check out my interview with Parker on the BookBitchBlog - SA, The BookBitch SHADOW OF POWER by Steve Martini: Legal scholar Terry Scarborough has stirred up a hornets nest with his book about the Constitution, particularly Article I, Section 2 which sets forth the way votes are apportioned. (Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons .(i.e. slaves)) Although this language was superseded by the 14th amendment, section 2, the fact that the amending process for the Constitution requires the offending language to remain in place is offensive to many. When Scarborough is brutally murdered, this becomes even more of an issue. Scarborough has also hinted at a missing letter of Thomas Jefferson’s, which if real, could further divide the country. It’s up to Defense Attorny Paul Madriani to untangle the mess as the only hope for his client, Scarborough’s accused slayer. From California to Washington, D.C. and the nation’s highest court, Madriani and partner Harry Hinds chase the elusive truth while the politcial stakes become immense. Nicely done. 06/08 Jack Quick DEATH AND HONOR by W.E.B. Griffin: Only Griffin can write the same story so many times and keep the concept fresh and freely flowing. This is the fourth in the Honor Bound saga of World War II espionage in Germany and Argentina. Cletus Frade, a wealthy Marine pilot recruited by the OSS, with strong family ties to Argentina, has a lot on his hands. OSS chief Wild Bill Donovan has asked him to set up his own (and OSS) airline in Argentina, using “loaned” Lockheed Lodestars and Constellations. This is in furtherance of the overall war effort but also tied to two Nazi inspired operations that the OSS is trying to get into. The first allows Jews outside the Fatherland to purchase the freedom of their relatives in concentration camps, who will then be transported to Argentina and Uruguay. The second, called Operation Phoenix, involves the use of these funds to establish a sanctuary for senior Nazi officials in South America. Another great outing from a master. 06/08 Jack Quick THE FIREMAN by Stephen Leather: The narrator, a nameless reporter, was once a “fireman:” i.e., a trouble-shooting journalist who covers global hot spots. Now booze and stress have reduced him to second fiddle on the crime beat of a London newspaper when he receives a call that his younger sister, trying to follow his career path, is dead in Hong Kong. It’s during that uncertain period before 1997 and all of the territory is on edge because of the pending reversion to Chinese rule. The police call her death suicide but the fireman thinks his sister’s death was arranged as the result of stories she had been working on that may have implicated Chinese international gangs. Although a decade old, Leather’s writing still rings true as he portrays the hubbub that is Kong Kong, and the strange alliances that occur routinely in international journalism. Nicely done. 06/08 Jack Quick DAWN PATROL by Don Winslow: Three words: epic macking crunchy. That’s “surfbonics” for big, freaking, wave. Take a dip into Southern Cal’s insular surf culture with Don Winslow’s latest, Dawn Patrol. The biggest wave of the last decade is headed toward Pacific Beach and the gremmies are stoked to go down on their guns. Sadly, a stripper’s death gets between local legend, Boone Daniels, and the ride of a lifetime. Boone and his gang, the dawn patrol, set out to solve the murder. These cool cats and kittens meet up with angry Samoans, illegal aliens, drug dealers, shady attorneys, and child slave traders. These divergent paths all lead to a satisfying climax as the big wave finally reaches the beach. Meticulously researched. Funny. Sad. Poignant. Brilliant. 06/08 Dan Cawley QUEEN OF BABBLE GETS HITCHED by Meg Cabot: Lizzie Nichols is confused, and rightly so. When we last left Lizzie at the end of Queen of Babble in the Big City she had just spent the night with Chaz, her best friend’s ex, and discovered that Luke, her own ex, was down on one knee on her doorstep. After accepting Luke’s proposal though, she begins to get nauseated and break out in hives at the thought of the actual wedding. Plus, what are all these confusing feelings she has about Chaz all of the sudden? Luke is a prince, for real, and he’s perfect. Chaz, on the other hand, has no fashion sense and has sworn off marriage. But it’s Chaz, not Luke, who remembers that Lizzie likes a glass of ice on the side with her wine and it’s Chaz, not Luke, who is there for Lizzie when she really needs him. Then Luke drops the big one on Lizzie and tells her he’s going to France for the summer. And what, does he expect her to just up and leave what with her newfound success in the New York wedding gown scene? It’s enough to drive a girl insane. Poor Lizzie, her adventures do make for some pretty amusing reading, though. I absolutely love Meg Cabot’s books, she never lets me down. They’re light and funny and they just always make you smile. 06/08 Becky Lejeune TIGERHEART by Peter David: Paul Dear has a very vivid imagination, thanks in part to the tales his father spins about The Boy. Paul sometimes even wonders if he actually is The Boy. With the loss of his newborn sister, though, everything in Paul’s world begins to change. His mother has asked his father to leave and has banned all stories involving The Boy. Paul comes to believe that the only hope is for him to enter the Anyplace and find a new sister. It’s fortunate then that he finds the mummified remains of Fiddlefix, The Boy’s pixie cohort. After reviving her, the two fly off to Anyplace in search of The Boy. Unfortunately, Anyplace has suffered greatly since the death of Captain Hack. Gwenny has returned to find The Boy a different person, and Fiddlefix is dead-set on revenge since it was The Boy’s proclamation that he didn’t believe in pixies that caused her death. Paul is immediately tagged as being the one to help set things straight. Will he succeed in his quest? Can he help save Anyplace and reunite his family at the same time? This whimsical story is, of course, a sort-of sequel to Peter Pan. It’s a fun tale that the truly young at heart will enjoy. Although it’s Peter Pan through and through, for this Gen Y girl, it’s also reminiscent of The Neverending Story and Return to Oz (or books 2 and 3 in Baum’s series). 06/08 Becky Lejeune THE MEMORY OF WATER by Karen White: It’s been ten years since Marnie Maitland left low-country South Carolina for the deserts of Arizona. Ten years since she last heard the sound of the ocean, ten years since she last spoke to her sister, Diana. Now she’s returned at the request of Diana’s ex-husband, Quinn. Two months ago, Diana and her son Gil were involved in a sailing accident. The official ruling is that it was an accident, but it’s left Diana angry and reserved, and Gil hasn’t spoken a word since. Quinn hopes that Marnie, an art teacher who works with special needs kids, can help his family to heal. What Quinn doesn’t know is that the accident that led to their own mother’s death tore apart the Maitland sisters and that the anger and hurt from all those years ago has only festered in the time since. Marnie has never understood her sister’s hatred towards her and she has almost no memory of the accident that took her mother’s life. Diana has remained silent all these years, and now she’s hiding something about her own accident with her son. An appealing story of loss and healing. White also tackles the complicated issue of bi-polar disorder and its effects on families. 06/08 Becky Lejeune THE RICHEST SEASON by Maryann McFadden: Joanna Harrison has had enough. Her children are grown and the demands of her husband’s job have left her feeling neglected and alone. Upon learning that her husband’s latest promotion will require them to pick up and move, yet again, Joanna decides she’s not going to take it anymore. Instead, after shipping husband Paul off on his latest business trip, she packs her things and leaves her home in New Jersey to start a new life on Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. Upon arrival, however, Joanna realizes just how hard it’s going to be. Alone, with no one to turn to for help, or even a shoulder to cry on, Joanna becomes determined to make things work. She finds employment with Grace Finelli, an elderly woman seeking a companion. What Joanna doesn’t know is that Grace has only six months to live. Then Paul shows up demanding that Joanna return home. Her refusal only angers him more, but he doesn’t tell her that in addition to losing her, he has also lost his job. As each of the three deals with their own issues, they find that they are each facing the possibility of dramatic changes in their lives. This wonderful debut is a rich, character driven story that will appeal to any reader looking for a heartfelt summer read. 06/08 Becky Lejeune A SHARE IN DEATH by Deborah Crombie:
The first in Crombie’s series of twelve mysteries introduces Scotland Yard
Detectie Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James in an enjoyable British
“country house” mystery. It’s hard to believe the author is from Texas because
she captures the atmosphere of this type of mystery perfectly. Kincaid takes a
vacation, using his cousin’s timeshare, only to find that the employees and
guests at Followdale House are becoming murder victims. While James does
research on his fellow guests, Kincaid tries to keep them alive, and find a
killer. Anyone looking for enjoyable British mysteries will want to try
Crombie’s series.
06/08 Lesa Holstine FEARLESS FOURTEEN by Janet Evanovich: If you haven't read this series, go right out now and buy One for the Money. Go ahead, I'll wait. If you are all caught up and just waiting, money in hand, for the newest one, read on...and the only money I'll save you is to tell you that all the chain bookstores will discount like crazy the first week it goes on sale, so plan to shop on Tuesday for the best deal. Every June, Evanovich releases the latest Stephanie Plum book and I have enjoyed every one. She's taken a lot of hits the past several Junes that the books aren't as funny, as well written, as well plotted, etc. etc. Some or all of that may be true, but the thing is, I know what to expect from these books. A light mystery, none too taxing. A light romantic threesome - will she go for Joe Morelli, the hot cop she's had an on-again-off-again engagement with, or Ranger, the hunky bounty hunter with commitment issues? Explosions, be it cars or funeral homes. Some of the craziest and most loveable characters - it wouldn't be a Stephanie Plum adventure without Grandma Mazur and Lula. And laughs. Lots of laugh-out-loud-so-your-family-will-wonder-what-the-heck-you-are-reading laughs. If you expect more than that, you will be disappointed. If that works for you, as it does for me, enjoy this latest romp where Lula gets engaged (!), a dead body turns up in Joe's basement, Stephanie's skip is a single mom who leaves her graffiti-artist teenage son in Stephanie's care, and oh yeah, he's a distant cousin of Joe's, as is his uncle who just got released from prison for armed robbery to the tune of $9,000,000 that some people think he still has hidden. In Joe's house. Convoluted? Sure, but who cares with characters as warm and funny as these, a Trenton that every New Jersey-ite will love to call home, and lots of laughs. Enjoy. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch BLACK OUT by Lisa Unger: This is a startling and complex stand alone thriller from the author of a couple of excellent thrillers (Sliver of Truth and Beautiful Lies) and mysteries (written under her maiden name, Lisa Miscione). Annie is a complex woman with a hell of a past, and all her tragedy is played out as a story within a story within a story - three stories merging together in one psychological thriller. She's the fiercely protective mother of a young daughter, the loving yet dependent wife of a mysterious man, and is in therapy for her vastly abusive childhood; she's also the daughter of a fervently religious woman who spent her life subservient to men to the point of marrying a convicted serial rapist and murderer while he was in prison. Annie has issues, as they say, and is trying to work them out with the help of her husband, her therapist, and her in-laws in this tense, multi-layered and very compelling story. She's on shaky ground, and then her past starts to haunt her in ways that could shatter her new life. A very thoughtful, thought-provoking book and one that I couldn't put down. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch THIS CHARMING MAN by Marian Keyes: Paddy de Courcy is a rising political star in Ireland, with the good looks and charisma of the Kennedy clan. Unfortunately, he uses and discards women as he furthers his political ambitions, culminating with his engagement to the correct political wife-to-be, Alicia. The story alternates between four of his women, and their distinct voices – Lola writes without the use of pronouns, for instance – makes this somewhat complicated story much easier to follow. For this is Marian Keyes, queen of chick-lit with a purpose, and this time around that purpose is a myriad of women’s issues, primarily abuse and power. Lola is a fashion stylist, dressing the richest and most influential women in Ireland, and Paddy’s most recent discard. Grace is a journalist in a healthy relationship, but who also has a past with Paddy, as does her sister, Marnie, who is married with children and in the midst of some sort of breakdown. Their stories form a sort of cacophony, until the individual melodies are woven together, creating a lovely, yet engrossing story with an ending that should inspire women everywhere. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch Copyright © 2008 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Reprinted with permission. SEX & THE CITY: The Movie by Amy Sohn: If you loved the show, and have seen the movie at least once, then this is the book for you. Not much reading required, it's a collection of photographs from the movie, including many pictures of scenes that were cut. The thing to do, according to Sarah Jessica Parker, who was touting it on The View last week, is to find the outfits that didn't make it into the film. Enjoy the backstage secrets like the belt that was worn so frequently with so many outfits that they named it, the behind-the-scenes tidbits from all the stars and the producer, the insiders tour of NYC, and of course, the fashion. A fun book and a great gift for any Sex & the City fan. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch HOLLYWOOD CROWS by Joseph Wambaugh: In LA police jargon, “crows” are the members of the LAPD Community Relations Office (CRO) which handles quality of life issues. “Hollywood Nate” Weiss and partner Bix Ramstead are both crows mesmerized by Margot Aziz, a stunner in the middle of a particular; ugly divorce proceeding. Margot tries to use her feminine wiles to gain the upper hand over about to be ex-husband Ali, whose seedy night club requires regular infusions of cash to various police charities to stay in business. Hollywood and Bix are the main characters n a bunch that includes surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and two female cops Cat Song and Ronnie Sinclair. The book is filled with cop humor like Officer F. X. Mulroney, who fires a taser dart into a tangle of wet steel fencing upon which three homies are sitting. The fifty thousand volts made a crackling sound and arced a blue dagger like in Frankenstein’s lab. Mulroney’s response, “But I was only doing a spark check! Shit happens! Mulroney spread his arms wide, looked up at the darkening sky, and cried, “God knows I’m innocent. Even Bill Clinton had a premature discharge!” Its Wambaugh, same as always, in his thirteenth fictional outing about the real life of LAPDs. 06/08 Jack Quick PELHAM FELL HERE by Ed Lynskey: Wow! If you are a Lee Child fan, then plan on grabbing this one to keep you going between Jack Reacher adventures. Frank Johnson has been around the block more than once. Like Reacher, Johnson is a former Military Policemen and now works as a PI and part-time gunsmith. When his cousin Cody Chapman is gunned down with a twelve-gauge shotgun, Johnson starts looking for answers. Before he gets them, two deputy sheriffs ambush and try to kill him. Two on one aren’t sufficient odds as he survives, but only by killing the deputies. Now he is both the hunted and the hunter. Thank goodness he survives, with a little help from his friends, because we want to see more of this guy. 06/08 Jack Quick BABY SHARK’S HIGH PLAINS REDEMPTION by Robert Fate: Bull Smike and Travis Horner run the two biggest bootleg operations in Oklahoma. Bull controls the east and Horner runs the west. In the middle are two things – Oklahoma City - and Baby Shark. Kristin Van Dijk and her PI partner, Otis Millett, travel to Oklahoma to track down Savannah Smike, Bull’s daughter and Horner’s girlfriend, who ís being held for ransom. Although they are successful, the entire operation raises questions, which turn into real concerns when Millett is later shot. That leaves Van Dirk to kick some serious butt to get things back on track. Third time out for the Shark, and another solid win for series character we hope will be around for a long, long time. 06/08 Jack Quick WHISKEY AND WATER by Nina Wright: Not a bad cozy once you get past the cutesy names. The protag is Realtor Whiskey Mattimoe who has a new shitzapoo pup named Velcro and an Afghan hound named Abra (cadabra?). Then, there’s MacArthur the hunky Scotsman, self help author Fenton Flagg, and one Jeb Halloran, who promotes a hormonal reaction from Whiskey, along with other assorted characters. The town of Magnet Springs, Michigan is already uneasy, what with the sightings of former mayor Gil Gruen who drowned last winter (in a previous Whiskey Mattimoe outing) when Abra happens on a crime scene on the shores of Lake Michigan. The victim is Twyla Rendel, newly hired cashier at the Food Duck grocery and tenant in one of Mattimore’s properties. Was Twyla the victim of a rip tide or some other cause? As with most series cozies, all is well at the end in preparation for round five. 06/08 Jack Quick BLOOD HARVEST by Brant Randall: Apparently Bruce Cook is the John Doe of authors. Brant Randall is the Bruce Cook who wrote Philippine Fever (an excellent book) but has elected to publish this stand alone as Brant Randall to reduce confusion. No matter what the author’s name, Blood Harvest is a good read. Not as famous as the Hatfields and McCoys in Kentucky but just as serious was the feud between the DeCostas and the MacKays in Massachusetts. Nick DeCosta is a hard working immigrant whose wine-making skills ably prepared him to make a fortune as a moonshiner in the 1920’s. Unfortunately, even though he is wed to the wild young daughter, Mary Elizabeth MacKay, the business is too lucrative for the MacKay clan to allow competitors. So is this why DeCosta was lynched? Or were there other reasons? Nicely done. 06/08 Jack Quick CRAZY FOOL KILLS FIVE by Gwen Freeman: No longer unemployed, bi-racial twenty-something Fifi Cutter and her half-brother Bosco Dorff (who is partial to women with big bazongas) are back. Cutter is now the Girl Friday to Reginald Wong, a legendary Chinatown trial attorney, of the firm Wong, Wu & Chu. He is handling a $60 million wrongful death suit against SkyBlu Charter Jet Service after a deranged ex-employee, well let Fifi tell it: “That crazy fool iced five people and offed himself. Now he’s gonna show up at the pearly gates at the exact same time as all those dudes he just killed. What’s gonna happen? I’ll tell you what’s gonna happen, (she) said, crossing her arms. He ain’t getting in “ Well, that may take care of heaven but there is still much to do here on earth as Fifi uncovers extortion, kidnapping, and murder along with double crossing attorneys, a drunken judge and insurance companies gone bad. It’s all in a days work for our heroine and her “giant food and beer-sucking swamp creature” of a brother who has never met someone he didn’t try to con. 06/08 Jack Quick NINE FINGERS by Thom August: Twenty years ago, the Boss of the Chicago mob thought Franco was having an affair with his wife. He couldn’t prove it but he told Franco to leave Chicago and never return. To be sure the jazz pianist didn’t forget, the Boss cut off one of Franco’s fingers. Vinnie Amatucci is a part-time Chicago cabbie and part-time jazz musician. Members of his band are dying one by one, victims of a hit man known as the Cleaner. One disgraced homicide cop stands between the band and total extinction. Why is this all happening? Could there be some connection between the killings and the new guy playing piano, the one with only nine fingers? Outstanding thriller from Dorchester Publishing, the folks who do the Hard Case Crime series. 06/08 Jack Quick FATAL ENCRYPTION by Debra Purdy Kong: A non-geeky computer mystery, well, at least a minimally geeky computer mystery. Alex Bellamy, AKA Kermit the Frog on Halloween night is only a few miles away from where Zachary Ternoway is stabbed at his front door. Alex is hired to help catch a computer prankster at McKinleys' Department Store. It gets serious when the cracker threatens to permanently encrypt the company’s data unless he is paid million in ransom for the means to preserve their data. One of the suspects is the brother of Zachary Ternoway. Is there a connection? Alex thinks so and he has less than two weeks to solve both the murder and the threatened extortion. He also has to deal with current about to be former girlfriend and former, wants to become current, girlfriend as well as family. Set in Canada and nicely done. 06/08 Jack Quick MADE IN THE U.S.A. by Billie Letts: Lutie and Fate McFee have been dealt a really raw deal. They were abandoned by their drunk father; left with one of his many girlfriends while he made his way to Vegas for his fortune. Now said girlfriend, who was nice by all accounts, has dropped dead of a heart attack in the WalMart checkout line. After some inventive lies, Lutie packs up Fate and they head off to Vegas, in a technically stolen car with technically stolen money, in hopes that they can find their father. Upon arrival, they learn that their father was arrested and eventually died in prison. Lutie takes it upon herself to provide for Fate as best as she can, hoping to make it big and give them both a better life. Unfortunately, as with other Letts characters, Lutie and Fate experience some of the worst things that can befall kids on their own. I have to say that I think even the folks in Where the Heart Is had it a little better than these two kids. Another tear-jerking and overwhelmingly heart-warming tale of growth, redemption, and the importance of family. 06/08 Becky Lejeune RING by Koji Suzuki: Japanese author, Koji Suzuki, is probably the most well-known Asian horror author today. Ring, the book that inspired multiple horror film hits, is actually the first in a trilogy of tales. In this first installment, journalist Asakawa is inspired to write a piece on a series of mysterious deaths after drawing a connection between a taxi man’s story and the death of his own niece. Like the film, he discovers that a total of four teens all died under strange circumstances, all at the very same time on the very same day. Asakawa is joined in his search by his best friend Ryuji, a professor with an upsetting habit and an interest in the occult. While there are minute similarities between the ultimate revelation at the end of this tale and the film version, the book remains vastly different in its specifics. Ring is worth the read for any horror fan, but having seen the film it does lose a bit of its punch. Hopefully this is not the case with the follow-up titles, Spiral and Loop, as I am hoping to be as creeped out in reading them as I was in first seeing The Ring. 06/08 Becky Lejeune THE SISTER by Poppy Adams: It’s been almost sixty years since Ginny’s sister Vivi left home for London. Now she’s back, with no explanation. At first Ginny is excited about her sister’s return. They had been the best of friends and thick as thieves when they were children, after all. But Ginny’s neat and ordered world is soon upset by Vivi’s presence. As she recalls the events that eventually led to Vivi’s estrangement, it becomes clear that there is something very wrong with Ginny. There are clues throughout, but it’s never made clear whether these issues are the product of upbringing or something more serious. Ginny is at once a character that you can sympathize with while still remaining leery of. She seems unreliable, but then so do the rest of the characters in this dysfunctional family. This strange and surprising debut is addictive and dark reading. Poppy Adams manages to weave a tale that seems innocent in its telling but has undeniably suggestive tones throughout. It’s a story that sticks with you long after you turn the final page. 06/08 Becky Lejeune I SHALL NOT WANT by Julia Spencer-Fleming: It’s difficult to review this book without spoiling it for readers who haven’t reached this point in the series. The Episcopal priest, Clare Fergusson, and the Millers Kill police chief, Russ Van Alstyne have grown to love each other through the course of this series, but Russ’ marriage keeps them apart. They are both still haunted by recent events in the town, ones that threaten to destroy their relationship. While they try to ignore their feelings, they confront current issues that plague even small towns – illegal immigration, and workforce needs, and drug dealings. This book introduces an interesting new character, a single mother who is a rookie on the police force, but the greatest tension in the book still comes from the tension between Clare and Russ. Spencer-Fleming doesn’t let her readers breathe easier, even at the end of this engrossing mystery. 06/08 Lesa Holstine THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison
Allen: It’s another treat for the soul from the bestselling author of Garden
Spells. At twenty-seven, Josey Cirrini spends her life taking care of her
mother, isolating herself in her room, and hiding sweets in her closet. It
doesn’t matter that Josey is the daughter of the man who put the town on the
map. She has no friends. Then, one day Della Lee Baker shows up in Josey’s
closet, a runaway from her own life. Della Lee takes over Josey’s life, forcing
her into the world, sending her to meet a new friend, adding color to her life,
and a chance at love. It’s a magical story of women who give their heart. It’s
also at least a “must try” book for fans of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic.
It’s another winner.
06/08 Lesa Holstine THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB by Meg Gardiner: Forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett specializes in psychological autopsies; she’s called in to help explain deaths that make no sense. When a star prosecutor with the DA’s office leads a cop on a high speed chase before slamming her vehicle into another car, killing herself and seriously wounding her passenger, Jo and the investigators believe it’s the latest in a series of high-profile murder/suicides. The case doesn’t fit into a nice, neat package, however, and the people who knew the victim claim that she would never do such a thing. As Jo begins to look into all of the deaths, she discovers a secret that some members of the upper crust are willing to do just about anything to cover-up. It seems there is a secret club, the members of which have all done something they are seriously ashamed of, something bad enough that it would cost them their careers if it came out. As Jo delves further into this the case, she discovers shocking information about this elite group, information that could lead to her own murder at the hands of a sick and twisted criminal. I think Stephen King said it best when he dubbed Gardiner “the next suspense superstar.” Meg Gardiner’s previous series has not been available in the states until now; China Lake, the first in Gardiner’s Evan Delaney series, is being released in the US almost simultaneously with The Dirty Secrets Club. I’d recommend grabbing both – you’ll need something to tide you over once you’re finished with this edge-of-your-seat read. Beckett is a great leading lady and I really liked the fact that this was not your typical profiler book – it’s an interesting spin on the specialty that I’ve not seen featured quite this way in a mystery before. Highly recommended. 06/08 Becky Lejeune THE WRITING CLASS by Jincy Willett: Amy Gallup has pretty much succeeded in cutting herself off from the world. Her last remaining connection, and only significant human contact, comes from the creative writing class she teaches. It’s an extension course - continued education for adults, some of whom are actually interested in writing; some of those are actually good. Amy is enthusiastic about this group and grows to like them more than most. But then one of her students reveals a strange critique she received after sharing a piece with the class. The following week it happens again with another student. Soon what seems no more than a mean prank escalates to something violent and terrifying. Amy and her class are determined to continue, against the odds, and discover the culprit behind these terrible acts. Willet’s whodunit is packed with witty sarcasm and clever humor. She’s also managed to give a significant voice to each of her characters which makes the reading (and the readings in the reading) that much more interesting and believable. A light mystery full of dark and sarcastic humor. 06/08 Becky Lejeune THE BLOOD DETECTIVE by Dan Waddell: Family historian and genealogist Nigel Barnes has never been approached to work on a police investigation, but there’s always a first. When a body is discovered in a London cemetery, the connection between Nigel’s work and a reference number carved in the dead man’s chest is not initially made. Not until DS Heather Jenkins recalls her mother’s brief interest in their family’s history. The number bears a striking resemblance to those used for historic birth, death, and marriage archives. It just so happened that Nigel was the man Heather’s mother hired back then, so Heather and her superiors call on his expertise to help them now. Nigel is able to trace the number back to another murder, this one over a century old, but hits a literal dead end from there. Or does he? Nigel discovers that this was actually the second in a string of murders in 1879. Sure enough, the police have an unidentified body of a homeless man that fits the pattern from back then. Unfortunately for them, the original killer struck again within a matter of days and left a total of five bodies behind before he was caught. With Nigel’s help, the police must trace the original case in order to identify their own killer before it’s too late. I loved this. It was fresh and original, a wonderful combination of historical and modern mystery. It’s also an ensemble mystery rather than a solo one. Nigel’s specialty is the driving force, but the whole cast of characters really make the book such an amazing read. First in a new series. 06/08 Becky Lejeune DEVIL MAY CARE by Sebastian Faulks: You know this is the only series I’ve ever read where the characters are “locked” into my mind. 007 is Sean Connery and Sean Connery is 007. In Devil May Care it’s Bond, James Bond, shaken not stirred, in this 22nd Bond adventure released on May 28, which would have been Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday. Devil May Care picks up where Fleming left off in 1966 with Octopussy and The Living Daylights. Bond is summoned back from a sabbatical in Italy to swinging London during the 1960s to foil an Eastern Bloc plot to flood the West with heroin. The key villian is Dr. Julius Gorner, Scarlett Papava is the number one Bond girl, Moneypenny is Moneypenny and “M” is still “M”. In the author notes, it says that Faulk frist encountered Bond as a twelve year old – the books were banned at his school, but he managed to read them by torchlight under the sheets. Not the original but still as good read. 06/08 Jack Quick EMPTY EVER AFTER by Reed Farrel Coleman: Not the author’s fault but I think I would have enjoyed this one much more, if I had read the previous four in the series. In this, the fifth Moe Prager mystery the former New York cop and now PI has to endure the results of his previous investigation in the disappearance of Patrick Maloney, the brother is his ex-wife. Although the events of the book bring Moe and Katy back together, you aren’t left with a truly good feeling about this development. While this appears to be the end of the series, fans of well-written PI novels will hope to see more of Prager. In the meantime, it’s better to start with the beginning and work up to this one. 06/08 Jack Quick THE FORGERY OF VENUS by Michael Gruber: Chaz Wilmot is a commercial artist in New York City living a modest life when his former roommate from Columbia, Mark Slade, offers him $150,000 to come to Venice and restore/reproduce the collapsed ceiling in a Venetian palazzo he has bought. What happens is not pretty as Wilmot is sucked into a bizarre world in which he begins to question his own sanity – or is he being manipulated for a purpose. Intelligent, literate, and unusual – I only wish I knew more about art in order to appreciate the nuances about which Gruber writes so knowledgably. Very nicely done. 06/08 Jack Quick SHADOW WALTZ by Amy Patricia Meade: Marjorie McClelland is a mystery writer with a penchant for getting in on the action. Engaged to wealthy Englishman Creighton Ashcroft, everyone feels it is time for Marjorie to settle down and focus on her wedding plans and other more seemly topics. After all there is a Great Depression and women should be seen and not heard. Unfortunately when a young mother’s appeal for help in finding her missing husband leads Marjorie and her fiancé to the dismembered body of the husband’s mistress, the question of "Did he or didn’t he?" takes precedence over “Will you, Marjorie, take Creighton, etc. etc. Even though the husband is convicted in the murder, Marjorie isn’t certain that justice has been served. So who will win out – her fiance’ or a man who may be deserving of his fate? Third in the series, and a fast read. 06/08 Jack Quick WHAT BURNS WITHIN by Sandra Ruttan: This should be labeled as a Friday evening start – since you will likely read all night. Three RCMP “that’s Mounties” once worked a case that left bitter memories with each one. Although they are still in British Columbia they are now working in separate areas. Constable Tain is focused on a series of child abductions, Constable Ashlyn Hart is working arson, and Constable Craig Nolan is handling sex crimes. But when the body of one of the missing girls is found in a building that had been set fire by an arsonist and the wife of a police officer becomes a rape victim – it seems that all three are working a common thread. Ruttan captures the intensity of the streets and daily police work while vividly pointing out that it’s not just the victims that get damaged by criminal acts. Those who uphold the law also pay a price. Very well done – and when’s the next one? 06/08 Jack Quick RUBICON by Lawrence Alexander: Right out of today’s headlines, an idealistic young senator from California named Bobby Hart discovers an assassination plot under the code name Rubicon that is to occur before the next Presidential election. He doesn’t know who is behind the plan, who is the target, when the event will occur or how, but he does come to realize this is, in fact, a plot to steal the country. It is up to Hart to solve the mystery and prevent the assassination. After stealing the election was just the beginning. How much truth is there in this book? Let’s hope that it is truly a work of fiction. 06/08 Jack Quick THE FRONT by Patricia Cornwell:
Let me start off by saying that I’m a devout fan of Cornwell’s work. I loved
her Kay Scarpetta books and typically her work is amazing. However, something
was lost when Cornwell created a new slate of characters. The Front is the
second in this new series starring Win Garano, Massachusetts state investigator.
Garano has been ordered by his boss, District Attorney Monique Lamont, to
investigate information on an unsolved sexual homicide case that is four decades
old. Lamont believes that this individual may be the first victim of the Boston
Strangler and believes if this case is solved, it will send her career soaring.
The plot and story line don’t appear to go anywhere. Perhaps if this book was
expanding beyond the 192 pages it would have had potential. I kept going back
and rereading chapters, thinking I missed something, but to no avail. It seemed
that the ending was rushed, everything wrapped up in just a few pages. I read
the prequel, At Risk, and was hopeful. Normally, I’m pretty excited when I hear
that one of my favorite authors has started off on a new adventure, but I’m
upset that I wasted my time and money on this one. 05/08 Jennifer Lawrence NOTHING TO LOSE by Lee Child: Jack Reacher is back but he's caught between Hope and Despair - two tiny towns in Colorado. When Reacher inadvertently tries to get a cup of coffee in Despair, he is run out of town, and his curiosity is piqued. Then people start disappearing, and he meets up with a beautiful, mysterious cop from Hope. Wandering that road between Hope and Despair, we see yet another side of Reacher. Another intriguing and satisfying tale, except that the last book in this series, Bad Luck and Trouble, was also the best book. Not to complain, because this one is very good, it just doesn't quite live up to those standards. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch MURDER NOTEBOOK by Jonathan Santlofer: This is the terrific sequel to Anatomy of Fear, the first book to feature New York City police sketch artist Nate Rodriguez. Santlofer is an extremely gifted artist, and brings a unique combination of a complex and interesting page turner with original drawings that serve to create visual interest and propel the story along. Nate is working on two cases - he's reconstructing a skull for identification purposes in a cold case, and working a murder case that soon multiplies into several murders - only he has to convince the rest of the NYPD that the murders are related. This is psychological suspense taken to a new level - don't miss it. 06/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch BOBBIE FAYE’S (KINDA, SORTA, NOT EXACTLY) FAMILY JEWELS by Toni McGee Causey: Bobbie Faye, the Contraband Queen and walking disaster of South Louisiana, is back and better than ever. Bobbie Faye’s latest adventure begins with a surprise visit from some of her nefarious cousins. It seems Bobbie Faye’s aunt, Marie, has gone missing with some diamonds and her estranged husband is willing to do just about anything to get them back – the diamonds, not necessarily his wife – and he’s not the only one, either. Homeland Security, gangsters, and Irish mafia all take shots at Bobbie Faye before too long, each group expressing their need to be the ones that Bobbie Faye makes her delivery to. Problem is, Bobbie Faye doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. Too bad for her, though, ‘cause no one is in any mood to listen. Where Bobbie Faye goes, disaster is sure to follow and this time she’s once again leaving behind her a trail of demolished property, terrified law enforcement agents, and bankrupt insurance companies. If you like the Stephanie Plum series, you’re going to love Bobbie Faye. She’s a tough and gutsy Cajun who’s not willing to take crap from anyone – I love it. Toni McGee Causey does for South Louisiana, and my hometown, what Janet E. does for the Garden State. Highly recommended. 06/08 Becky Lejeune COFFIN COUNTY by Gary A. Braunbeck: Cedar Hill, specifically the area of town nicknamed Coffin County, has seen more than its fair share of human tragedy and misery. This is thanks to the fact that an ancient harbinger of death has taken a particular liking to the area. This entity has caused so many disastrous events, and yet no one has ever been able to make a connection – course, after centuries of mass killings, who would possibly suspect the same “person” would be behind them? Officer Ben Littlejohn is about to become one of the privileged few who learns the truth. It begins with a mass murder at a local diner; fingerprint analysis and video footage of the killing yield some pretty strange results. Before the local cops know it, they’ve got a multitude of crimes on their hands and Ben may be the only one who can put a stop to it. Braunbeck delivers an intensely creepy and truly original tale that’s guaranteed to give you chills late at night. Coffin County also comes with two additional Cedar Hill tales, I’ll Play the Blues for You and Union Dues. 06/08 Becky Lejeune THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT by Lucie Whitehouse: When Joanna’s longtime friend, Lucas, inherits his uncle’s home, he offers to make it a sort-of party-pad for all of his old friends. It’s an attempt to move on with his life and get past the all too recent death of his mother and his uncle’s unexpected suicide. The friends meet each weekend, eating and drinking, enjoying time away from their hectic everyday lives. Soon, Joanna and Lucas are an item, something she has longed for almost the entire time they’ve known each other. The more time everyone spends at the country home, however, the more they begin to change. Lucas and another of the friends, Danny, decide to say goodbye to city life altogether and make the home their full-time residence – abandoning full-time careers as well. Then, Lucas’s increased drinking and mood swings cause a rift between the newfound couple that is finally blown apart when Joanna is caught cheating. Over the course of a year, the friends find that everything they have known has irreversibly changed, but whether their growing up and growing apart will be of benefit to them is yet to be seen. I didn’t find that this was the gothic piece many said it was. Instead, it was a rather tragic look at the changes young adults (post-college and pre-career) go through, how people grow apart and begin to become the adults that they will be. A fine literary debut even if it is a bit gloomy. 06/08 Becky Lejeune A CARRION DEATH by Michael Stanley: Michael Stanley is the pen name of the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollop. Sears lives in South Africa and Trollop divides his time between South Africa and Minneapolis. I include this information because there is no trace of Minnesota in this first outing by the duo. Its strictly Africa and you can feel the heat, smell the dank vegetation and acrid animal smell on every page. This is home for Detective David “Kubu” Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. Like the hippopotamus ("Kubu" is Setswana for "hippopotamus") that lives in his native land Bengu conceals a deceptively dangerous streak beneath a placid exterior. His large size is in keeping with his presence, whether it is on the sun-baked and blood soaked plains of the Kalahrai riverbeds or the plush and lavish offices of international conglomerates, Kubu will follow the trail to its end. A welcome addition to the likes of Kaminsky’s Porfiry Rostnikov, Martin Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko, and even Ian Rankin’s John Rebus as larger than life, imminently entertaining but also flawed detectives who can’t be bought, or scared off. Looking forward to the next outing. 06/08 Jack Quick TERROR TOWN (#9) by Stuart Kaminsky: Problems continue for Edgar-winner Kaminsky’s two favorite Chicago cops, Abe Lieberman and Bill Hanrahan. They are dealing with the robbery-murder of a young mother in South Side whose last words are “Abe Lieberman, the sudden unprovoked attack on a former Chicago Subs baseball player, and religious fanatic whose true calling is extortion. Top it off with Lieberman’s on-going fight against cholesterol and threats to Hanrahan’s pregnant wife Iris, and its business as usual. It’s a pity this is the next to last Lieberman published thus far by Kaminsky. 06/08 Jack Quick THE DEAD DON’T LIE (#10) by Stuart Kaminsky: A long-lost journal rumored to prove that the Turks were not responsible for the horrific massacre of Armenians in the early 20th century draws Chicago police force living legend Abe Lieberman, into a series of murders. There are more problems at home and in synagogue that compete for his attention while his longtime partner, Bill Hanrahan, is preoccupied with the birth of his newest child as well as some amateurish thugs who stumble into a more complicated crime during an attempted mugging. Its not so much the events as the way Kaminsky is able to bring you into the lives of his characters and make you feel you know them as well as they know each other. 06/08 Jack Quick SAFE HOUSE by Christine Duncan: (e-book) This title has been used for a number of mystery and thriller outings. This time it’s about a 14 year old – Elissa Pappas, gone missing from her home in Arvada, an upscale suburb of Denver, Colorado. Her mother knows she has been hanging out with older “goth” kids doing drugs and alcohol, but now she is missing. Then they find her body. The main character, Kaye, – the mother of Elissa’s former best friend - works as a counselor in an abused women’s shelter – a “safe house.” When Kaye’s son RJ becomes a suspect in Elissa’s death, it’s all she can do to hold it together. As someone who raised three teenagers, I have empathy for her, but the entire story came across more as “chic lit” than as a mystery, even of the cozy variety. 06/08 Jack Quick THE SNATCH by Bill Pronzini: The first Nameless Detective mystery was written over thirty-five years ago, but the character is still fresh. As his girlfriend leaves him, she tells him, “You’re too honest and too sensitive and too ethical, too affected by real corruption and real human misery to be the kind of lone wolf private eye you’d like to be.” It will be interesting to see if he remains that ethical through the entire series. In The Snatch, he’s called in by a millionaire whose nine-year-old son has been kidnapped. The simple task of dropping the money takes a wrong turn when a man is killed, the our detective is stabbed. It’s a more complicated case than he had counted on, but he’s determined to try to find the missing boy, hopefully while he’s still alive. Even in this first book, Pronzini had the ability to build suspense and tension in a book, even while only introducing characters. It was an outstanding debut, with promises of the successful series that followed. 06/08 Lesa Holstine
But wait, there's more! There is a list of the books on my bookshelf (okay, in piles all over my house!) and books that I am impatiently waiting for publication on that I am very excited about! The HOT List is where to find what's new and what's hot, with the emphasis on fiction. Virgins is dedicated to those first time authors who you may not have heard about...yet! Additional lists include my lists of favorite books, along with brief reviews: 2007 Favorites, 2006 Favorites, 2005 Favorites, 2004 Favorites, 2003 Favorites, 2002 Favorites, 2001 Favorites, 2000 Favorites, 1999 Favorites and 1998 Favorites. The visitors to this site have chosen their favorites for 2001 and 2002 as well. For information about reading group titles & events, including a list of favorite book group selections, see the Book Groups page.
Not the printed wordReviews of books in other media as opposed to the traditional smeared carbon on crushed trees kind that we all love so well (with thanks to Jack Quick for that definition).AGAINST THEIR WILL by Nancy L. Livingstone: Matt Grayson is flying home to Houston after his first movie opens to great reviews. The plane crashes upon approach and Grayson’s life is changed forever. He thinks he has saved the life of his seatmate, Lynn McCane, but when he recovers consciousness in the hospital he is told he was the only survivor of the plane crash, and that all passengers and crew have been accounted for. Months later, Lynn shows up at Matt’s movie studio in Hollywood, with a new name and no memory of the plane crash. Matt gets her to go for coffee with him and tries to talk with her about the crash. Within hours they are atop the FBI’s Most Wanted List and are being pursued, it seems, by every government agency except Fish and Wildlife. Scary medical thriller from 2002, which brings new meaning to stem cell research and cloning. e-book. 05/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.
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