GALLOWS VIEW by Peter Robinson: This is the first of the Inspector Banks series for which Robinson has become justly famous. Former London policeman Alan Banks has relocated to small Yorkshire village of Eastvale seeking some small measure of peace, but crime and violence are not limited to large cities. . Soon he is dealing with a brazen Peeping Tom who spies on attractive, unsuspecting ladies as they prepare for bed. When an elderly woman is found brutally slain in her home, Chief Inspector Banks wonders if the voyeur has progressed to more violent crimes. I am looking forward to continuing the series. 09/06 Jack Quick

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin:  Have you ever read fantasy? Have you ever tried? OK time to try. George RR Martin has created a series that will blow your mind. And good riddance to your mind I say! These books are so totally captivating that you will stay up long into the night to read them. You will gasp as you read, and smirk, and fill with tears, and tell all your friends the next morning. They are big and juicy and so clever! The first is A GAME OF THRONES where you'll meet all the key players. The second is A CLASH OF KINGS. The third is A STORM OF SWORDS. The fourth is hopefully due out next spring. I know you'll hope so if you begin #1. There is nothing to do but gush over how good these books are. The characters are terrific. The settings are perfect - - Kings and Queens and swords and wolves and lions and dragons and castles - - Ghosts and shadows and forts and battles. They are great for kids 11 and up too. But like all great books they are meant for everyone and every age. I could write another 3 pages about the fast pace, the intrigue, the jaw dropping scenes . . . but go ahead and read the first book and write to me! I can think of no better series to spend a summer with than this.  ~This review contributed by Ann Nappa

The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights by Faye Kellerman:  As with any collection of short stories, some stories are much better than others. Kellerman’s fans will probably appreciate the four stories featuring Peter Decker or Rina Lazarus, her series characters. “Holy Water,” a story combining humor and religion is fun, with an appealing rabbi as the main character. It would be nice to see him in a continuing role in his own series. But, many of the stories were weak, particularly the ones co-written with Kellerman’s children. Kellerman shines as the thoughtful author of the meatier Decker/Lazaurs books, not as a writer of short stories. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

A Garden of Vipers by Jack Kerley: Kerley brings back police detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus in an absorbing thriller. Neither man realizes how personally involved they will become when the race two other detectives to a murder scene. How does that murder, the death of a prisoner, and a job promotion connect to a powerful Mobile, Alabama family? The detectives discover how much dirt money can hide in this intriguing story. 07/06 Lesa Holstine

A GARDEN OF VIPERS by Jack Kerley: Three dead women, each killed in a different way.  One is a friend of the girlfriend of Mobile, Alabama, detective Carson Ryder.  What Ryder and partner Harry Nautilus aren't sure is whether the three seemingly dissimilar cases are in fact related.  Then Ryder learns that Lucas Kincannon, son and scion of one of Mobile’s nouveau rich is after his television reporter girlfriend.  Coupled with some follow the money clues, this puts Ryder and Nautilus on a collision course with the city power structure.  This is Kerley’s third (after The Hundredth Man and The Death Collectors) and he is rapidly making Mobile the epicenter of new millennium crime detection.  The villains are flawed, as are the protagonists, and you are kept in suspense as to just who will overcome their own defects first.  While not yet a Burke or a Parker, Kerley is already on my “don’t miss” list. 07/06 Jack Quick

GARDEN SPELLS by Sarah Addison Allen: Bascom, North Carolina is a crazy place where legends are firmly believed about the local families. The Hopkins men marry older women. The Clark women have sexual charms. And then there’s the Waverley magic. Claire Waverley inherited the gift that comes from the garden, a knowledge of plants and the use of them to change moods. Her younger sister, Sydney, ran away to escape the Waverley stories, but turned to the shelter of home when she needed help for her daughter and herself. Garden Spells is the story of two sisters who never understood each other. As they both seek the safety of home, they’ll learn to appreciate each other, and the opportunities provided in Bascom. This is a magical, enchanting book. Alice Hoffman fans who appreciated Seventh Heaven will want to find this book. 09/07 Lesa Holstine

THE GARGOYLE by Andrew Davidson: The narrator is a gorgeous porno actor that crashes his car while driving on a winding mountainous road. He ends wakes up in a burn unit with third degree burns over most of his body. To make things worse, if that is even possible, he spilled a bottle of bourbon in his lap right before his accident, and his “livelihood” is burnt beyond repair and is removed. He wants his life to end. Throughout his recovery, rather than planning what he will do once he is released from the hospital, he plans his suicide. And then a beautiful ,but visibly disturbed, gargoyle sculptress appears in his room and is certain that they were lovers in medieval Germany. He is released into her care and he is ultimately convinced that the story she tells of their history must be true. This second chance at love is completely implausible, but I was drawn in from the beginning. Davidson’s tale of love is strange yet mesmerizing. This debut author has immense talent and I look forward to reading more of his work.  08/08 Jennifer Lawrence

GATEKEEPER by Philip Shelby: Hollis Fremont, a functionary at the American embassy in Paris, is duped by her superior and boyfriend, Paul McGann, into accompanying a man she believes to be a small-fry criminal back to the States for country-club prison incarceration. In fact, the rumpled old man turns out to be "the Handyman," a freelance assassin on a mission. Think Le Carre and Forsyth updated for today. Perfect for anyone with international conspiracy paranoia, like me. 02/06 Jack Quick

G’DAY TO DIE by Maddy Hunter: Hunter’s latest “Passport to Peril” mystery brings back Emily Andrew, tour guide for a group of senior citizens from Iowa. This time the unconventional group is in Australia for a tour of the continent, accompanied by Emily’s suitors, retired Swiss police detective Etienne Miceli and tour director Duncan Lazarus. As the two compete for Emily’s hand, she’s preoccupied with the death of a fellow tour member. Her over-active imagination, fueled by discussions with her grandmother, convinces her that the woman was murdered, probably because of a rare fern photographed by Emily’s grandmother, Nana. Feuding members of the group are representatives of companies that sell anti-aging cures, people who might have killed for that fern. Hunter’s mystery is for those who want a light cozy with a little romance and an eccentric group of characters. The greatest strength of the “Passport to Peril” series lies in the descriptions of the various countries toured by Emily’s group. 11/06 Lesa Holstine

GENGHIS: BIRTH OF AN EMPIRE by Conn Iggulden: Born Temujin, son of Yesugei Khan of the Wolves, Genghis Khan was destined to be a leader. At twelve years of age, it became Temujin’s responsibility to protect and provide for his family after their own people betrayed them. Yesugei had been murdered and his second in command took over the role of Khan, denying Yesugei’s heirs their rightful position. In order to protect himself from factions within the tribe who disagreed with this decision, the man exiled the family, leaving them with only the clothes on their backs and hoping that they would die of starvation. The family survives, but Temujin is forced to kill his own brother after discovering that he has been stealing much needed food from the others. Years pass and the Wolves return to the area. The new Khan sends scouts to find out if the family has survived and Temujin’s chance for revenge is close at hand. Temujin begins uniting the wandering tribeless Mongols, creating and becoming Khan of his own tribe. In his latest work, Conn Iggulden brings this legendary figure to life, chronicling the start of his rise to power. Readers of historical fiction will appreciate this realistic and gripping look at a young Genghis Khan. 05/07 Becky Lejeune 

GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS by Joanne Harris: No one suspects that the new student at St. Oswald’s is actually the porter’s kid in disguise. The student who calls himself Pinchbeck infiltrates the school, at first with only the intention of observing. Soon, Pinchbeck befriends another student at St. Oswald’s and the two wreak innocent havoc on campus. All the while, no one suspects that Pinchbeck does not belong at all. Then, Pinchbeck’s innocent prank results in a horrible accident and everything changes. Now, Pinchbeck is back and intent on revenge at St. Oswald’s. Of particular interest to Pinchbeck is Classics teacher Roy Straitley who he holds singularly responsible for that terrible accident that occurred so long ago. Harris is one of my absolute favorite authors. She is able to appeal to such a wide variety of readers thanks to her very diverse collection of work. Gentlemen and Players is more of a mystery than any of her previous work and is sure to delight new readers as well as old. 02/07 Becky Lejeune

GERM by Robert Liparulo: Liparulo takes the concept of germ warfare to a higher level. The Ebola virus has been modified so that it can seek and destroy specific individuals based on their DNA. Ten thousand people are on the list for infection, and it's up to special agent Julia Matheson to stop the horror. While the narrative wanders a bit and the cast of characters is extensive, the action is fast paced with lots of technical details especially in the gathering and communication of information that help differentiate this story from the run-of-the-mill thriller. 11/06 Jack Quick

Getting Old Is Murder by Rita Lakin: Seventy-five-year old Gladdy Gold is one of a group of retirees who live in Lanai Gardens in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It isn’t unusual for deaths to occur among the residents. It is unusual for them to die the night before their birthday, reaching for the telephone. Gladdy, a former librarian who reads mysteries, is convinced it’s murder. Together with Gladdy’s Gladiators, her retired cronies, she sets out to convince the police that these women did not die natural deaths. Lakin’s first mystery is a light, fun story filled with oddball characters. 03/06 Lesa Holstine

Getting Over It by Anna Maxted: British import a la Bridget Jones, with a slightly more serious side, dealing with a family death amidst the romance.  Not as serious as it sounds, it's still a fun read.

The Ghost and the Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly: Kimberly combines the best of two mystery worlds in her second book in the Haunted Bookshop series. Jack Shepard represents the hard-boiled private eye type, which is what he was until he was killed in a bookshop. Penelope Thornton-McClure, a young widow with a son, owns that bookshop. She represents the cozy element. Since Jack and Pen discovered they can communicate, they can also team up to solve the mystery when a true crime author who appeared at the bookstore is found murdered. They have able assistance from the Quibblers, the Quindicott Business Owners Association, who are eager to stop crime in the business district. Throw in a little romantic spice, and Kimberly once again has a fun, intriguing mystery on her hands. 03/06 Lesa Holstine

The Ghost and the Dead Man’s Library by Alice Kimberly: Kimberly combines a 1940s detective story with a modern cozy in the third in her Haunted Bookshop series. Rhode Island bookstore owner, Penelope Thornton-McClure and her Aunt Sadie agree to sell a collection of books about Edgar Allan Poe on the same night that the eccentric owner dies. Penelope suspects murder, and her suspicions grow when the first person to buy one of the books also dies tragically. When the store’s resident ghost, private detective Jack Shepard, agrees with her, the two team up once again to delve into the mystery. As always, one of Jack’s cases from the 1940s, before his murder, is the clue to deciphering the modern day tale. These are fun mysteries for those of us who enjoy bookstores, ghosts, and the detectives from the 1940s. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

GHOST DANCER by John Case: Jack Wilson is the Ghost Dancer, an ex-con with a burning hatred against the US fueled by his losing a patent idea and the country’s treatment of his Native American ancestors. He thinks he has the secret to re-creating a harmonic resonance weapon, alleged to have been used by Nikolai Tesla to cause the explosion that left the Tunguska crater in Siberia in 1908. Partnering with an Al-Qaeda offshoot, Wilson plans his attack, while US intelligence services are portrayed as being incompetent and out of touch. As a consequence it falls on accidental participant Mike Burke to stop the plot. Far fetched, but what do you expect in a techno-thriller. Recommended. 09/06 Jack Quick

Ghost Image by Joshua Gilder:  In this medical thriller à la Michael Palmer and Robin Cook, Dr. Jackson Maebry, heir-apparent to Dr. Brandt, plastic surgeon to the stars, happens to be the surgeon on call when a brutally beaten and burned young woman is brought into the trauma center at San Francisco's Memorial Hospital. As Jackson begins working on her, he slowly realizes that beneath the bruising, broken bones and burns, this heretofore unrecognizable woman is actually his lover, Allie Sorosh. Somehow, he keeps that fact to himself as he assists the surgical team in its first attempt to repair the damage that was inflicted. As the story convolves, Allie's mysterious past proves troubling, friends and colleagues are not what they seem to be, and people start dying under questionable circumstances. Meanwhile, Jackson becomes the prime suspect in the attack while having to deal with hospital politics as well as his own personal demons. Ghost Image is a very gripping debut novel that fairly hurtles towards its final pages. 

GHOST OF A CHANCE by Amy Patricia Meade:  It’s two guys and a doll, or maybe that should be two pros and a new guy.  Any way in 1935 it’s not ladylike to mix in murder but for mystery writer Marjorie McClelland, its part of the job, and for her fiancé, police detective Robert Jameson, it’s why he was hired.  The joker in the case is wealthy Englishman Creighton Ashcroft.  Is he really interested in crime solving or in one of the crime solvers?  Thickening the plot is the fact that the victim left behind two wives and a huge gambling debt.  The only thing round in this batch of triangles is the Ferris wheel upon which the victim is found death.  No more clues, you’ll have to read it yourself. 05/07 Jack Quick

THE GHOST ORCHID by Carol Goodman: What happens when the past and present collide at this haven for artists? Ellis Brooks, a first time novelist, is about to find out as she unravels the mysteries of Bosco in this picturesque tale. The dual story line of this novel provides a thrilling and captivating read. Present day, Ellis and fellow artists are experiencing strange occurrences that seem to be an almost exact repeat of what happened in the home a century earlier. In 1893, Milo Latham, the original owner of the Bosco estate, hosted a séance to contact her dead children. The rest is a mystery that still haunts the house today. What really happened on that fateful night nearly 100 years ago? Are there really ghosts at Bosco? What Ellis discovers while researching her novel is ultimately one family's eerie and well-kept secret - a secret that will connect Ellis to Bosco in ways she could never imagine. 11/06 Becky LeJeune

THE GHOST WRITER by John Harwood: At thirteen, Gerard discovers a key that unlocks a drawer in his mother’s bedroom. In the drawer, he discovers three things: a book, an envelope containing a sheaf of typewritten pages, and a photograph of a young woman. His mother’s fury at discovering her son stooped over these items is terrifying. Later, in an attempt to discover more about the photo and the reason that these items are kept under lock and key, Gerard tried to get his mother to reveal more about her childhood in England. She had always been more than happy to tell Gerard about her childhood at Staplefield, her grandmother Viola and her best friend Rosalind. After discovering Gerard snooping though, she refuses to speak of England again. That same year, through a school pen-pal program, Gerard meets Alice, a girl his own age, living in England, who was orphaned and crippled in an accident. A later search of his mother’s room reveals that all items, save the book, have since been moved. The book contains a Victorian ghost story penned by a V. H. As an adult, Gerard finally takes a trip to England to meet Alice and discover more about his family’s history. Alice refuses to meet him and his attempts to find both her and Staplefield are futile. Gerard tries again, after his mother’s death and he discovers that his mother may have been hiding a shocking and dangerous secret. The novel itself contains multiple creepy ghost stories all providing clues about Gerard’s mother and her hidden past. Harwood’s fiction debut is nothing short of brilliant. A fantastically modern gothic tale. 10/06 Becky LeJeune

GHOSTGIRL by Tonya Hurley: Charlotte Usher would give anything to be the popular girl and to get her dream guy, Damen Dylan. But just when it seems like everything is going her way, she chokes on a gummy bear and dies. Now Charlotte’s the new girl in a whole different “school,” Dead-Ed. Turns out, there are a handful of dead teens haunting the halls of Hawthorne High and each of them has unresolved issues that are keeping them from crossing over. Charlotte is sure that her own issue somehow involves Damen and the Fall Ball. When she discovers that a living student can actually see her, Charlotte’s plans finally begin to fall into place. But Charlotte’s fraternizing with the living is not pleasing her new dead friends. Can she find a way move on and still get what she wants more than anything else in the world? A spunky teen tale that’s silly and touching, Ghostgirl is all about finding out who you are and learning to love yourself. Hurley’s debut runs more along the lines of, say, Meg Cabot than Stephenie Meyer and will appeal to teen readers who enjoy lighter stories (no major scares in this one). 09/08 Becky Lejeune   

THE GIRL WITH BRAIDED HAIR by Margaret Coel: It’s a mystery to me why Margaret Coel isn’t as well known as Tony Hillerman. Her latest book is a top-notch cold case mystery, filled with fascinating information about the Arapaho Indians, and the American Indian Movement of the 1970s. Thirty-four years after a young woman disappears, her skeleton is found on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. The Arapaho women immediately contact lawyer Vicky Holden, wanting her to investigate, and find out the woman’s name and story. When Father John O’Malley’s housekeeper pushes him to investigate, he finds the elders reluctant to help. After the death is pinpointed at 1973 by forensic evidence, everyone is afraid that the murder is involved with AIM. The movement tore apart the Indian community in the 70s, and the repercussions thirty-some years later include fear and murder. Once again, Father John and Vicky are linked by an investigation into the past. As usual, the course of events will affect the Arapaho tribe, the Wind River Reservation, and the mission.  The Girl with Braided Hair is one of Coel’s best books. 09/07 Lesa Holstine

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson:  Stieg Larsson’s U.S. debut is by far one of the most talked about books of 2008, and the praise is well deserved. Financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist has made a mistake that could cost him his career and his reputation. After being convicted of slander and libel against a local businessman, Blomkvist agrees to accept a job from business mogul Henrik Vanger. In 1966, the Vanger family was gearing up for a huge meeting when Henrik’s great niece Harriet vanished. At the time of her disappearance, much of the family was present at the Vanger estate on the island of Hedeby. That afternoon, the island was completely cut off thanks to an accident that occurred on the bridge connecting it to the mainland. No sign of Harriet’s body was ever found, but Henrik strongly believes that Harriet was murdered that night and that one of his own family is responsible. Henrik hires Blomkvist to try and uncover the truth about Harriet and  Blomkvist reluctantly accepts even though he believes the effort is futile. Larsson’s debut is just the first installment of his bestselling and award-winning Millennium Series. Like the best mysteries and thrillers, every twist in this tale is completely unexpected. I absolutely loved it. The translation is smooth and the story itself really drew me in. Lisbeth Salander (the girl with the dragon tattoo) is an intriguing character all by herself and her own involvement in the tale is utterly enthralling. The next title in the trilogy is due out in 2010 and I can’t wait. 09/08 Becky Lejeune   

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson:  Mikael Bloomkvist, a Swedish financial journalist, is convicted of committing libel against a powerful and manipulating businessman, Hans-Eric Wennerström. As he awaits the start of his jail sentence, Bloomkvist is approached by Henrik Vanger, an aging industrialist and is hired to investigate the disappearance of Vagner's niece, Harriet. Harriet went missing forty years ago from the family's small island village. Teamed up with Lisbeth Salander, an eccentric and tattooed computer hacker, Bloomkvist begins to delve into the Vanger family history. They uncover a horrid past littered with abuse, lies, and murder. The storyline of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was a little slow at first, but it quickly reveals itself to be an amazing story that any fan of mystery would love. The characters are powerful and the story line, once it picked up, was faced paced and thrilling. Fortunately, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is the first of a Millennium trilogy. Unfortunately, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (2009 release), and CASTLES IN THE SKY (2010 release) are the last books written before Larsson died of a heart attack in 2004. All three have become international best sellers. I anxiously and impatiently await their release in the US. 09/08 Jennifer Lawrence  

THE GIRL WITH THE LONG GREEN HEART by Lawrence Block: Never, ever, ever promise a female employee you are going to marry her unless you really intend to. Real estate entrepreneur Wallace Gunderman of Olean, New York will tell you that this is a lesson he learned the hard way in this Lawrence Block thriller, Hardcase Crime Number 14. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, particularly a good looking one like Evelyn Stone, Gunderman’s secretary, lover, and worst enemy. With her help Johnny Hayden and Doug Rance are going for the gold, and they aren’t in the Olympics either. Another great Lawrence Block tale. 02/07 Jack Quick

Girls' Poker Night by Jill A. David:  Light and frothy contemporary romance between NYC columnist and her boss from a former writer of the The Late Show (David Letterman).  Fast & fun.

THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS by Gordon Dahlquist: When Roger Bascombe abruptly breaks off their engagement, Celeste Temple is determined to discover why. She follows him to a strange mansion in the countryside where glamorous masked guests view a strange demonstration. From that moment on, Miss Temple’s life is forever changed. Cardinal Chang, known for his scarlet colored coat and the violent scars that cover his face, has been hired to kill a certain soldier. Chang finds the soldier, already dead by someone else’s hand. Doctor Abelard Svenson has been charged with the safety and well being of the Prince of Macklenburg, until he loses his prince. These three unlikely allies will soon find themselves fighting together against an evil cabal and the invention that would allow them to rule the world. Dahlquist’s grand and ambitious novel is an intricate work of art and a perfect debut. 09/06 Becky LeJeune

GLASS TIGER by Joe Gores: Brendan Thorne has escaped from his past as a former CIA assassin, taking refuge as the lone white camp guard at Kenya's premier game park. But Thorne is deported back to the States on a trumped-up poaching charge and forced to track down a would-be presidential assassin. The assassin, Hal Corwin, is a former Vietnam sniper who has apparently killed his own daughter, a campaign advisor to President Gustave Wallberg. Now Corwin has his sights set on Wallberg himself, and Thorne is the only one who has a chance of stopping him. But is everything as it appears? Sometimes it’s hard to tell right from wrong, even with a program. Well written, and engaging right up to the surprising conclusion. 02/07 Jack Quick

GLITTER OF DIAMONDS by N.J. Linquist:  Be careful what you wish for – or at least be careful what you say.  Outspoken Sports Talk-show host Stasey Simon asked on-air for a volunteer to knock some sense into the one of the home team’s temperamental pitchers.  Maybe she was kidding, but it doesn’t look good when a body is found in the team’s bullpen.  This is the second outing for Toronto detectives Paul Manziuk and Jacqueline Ryan, with a cast of characters with a capital C – all manner of players, a Marilyn Monroe wannabe and the potential for an international incident.  The bases are loaded, it’s the bottom of the ninth, who is on first, I don’t know, keep reading to find out the answer in this nicely done “classical” mystery.  The only criticism is the “pre-game is excessively long – almost a third of the book before the serious action starts. 05/07 Jack Quick 

GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Victor Gischler:  “This is how Mortimer Tate ending up killing the first three human beings he’d laid eyes on in nearly a decade:” What an opening line.  Mortimer Tate, a recently divorced insurance salesman holes up in a cave on top of a mountain in Tennessee to ride out the end of the world.   Nine years later he emerges to a post apocalyptic landscape covered with abandoned automobiles, where the only source of electricity is provided by indentured servants pedaling stationary bicycles.  The only semblance of life as it was revolves around Joey Armageddon's Sassy A-Go-Go strip clubs, where the beer is cold, the lap dancers are hot, and the bouncers are armed with M16s.  Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Tate picks up some needy companions – cowboy Buffalo Bill, former stripper Sheila, and mountain man Ted.  Together they journey to the lost city of Atlanta in a desperate attempt to save what is left of mankind.  James Rollins says it best in his blurb, “Who would have guessed the book was even better than the title?”  I concur. 08/08 Jack Quick 

GODS IN ALABAMA by Joshilyn Jackson: First effort leans toward chic-lit although there is a murder, maybe. Arlene Fleet thinks so anyway. Attempted 1987 date rape foiled by a tequila shot (in the bottle) to the head of the star football player has led Arlene away from her small town Alabama home forever, but events a decade later bring her, and her black boyfriend, home for a family gathering. Is she really a murderer? Why wasn’t the body ever found? Why after ten years is her old friend Rosa Mae Lolley on the case? Not really Steel Magnolias, but more of a treatise on how dysfunctional a family can be. Well written, but not my cup of tea. 04/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

GODS OF ABERDEEN By Micah Nathan: This one is so far off the beaten path of my usual pursuits that I have to issue kind of a disclaimer here. I had to read this TWICE to end up liking it. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
    This is a book steeped in the closed world of college academia, a world I have not been around in 30 years,
but the story that's told here has great merit.  First time author Micah Nathan tells a lost youth/teen angst & ennui story to the max here. Sixteen year old Eric Dunne has been accepted as a charity case at Aberdeen College (sort of a second-tier Yale.) He skipped a grade, and he's really confused; sexually, personally, and academically.  He's a poor boy who gets dumped amongst the sharks. But he proves his worth with his knowledge of Latin and is recruited to work on Dr. Cade's project.  He's befriended by a collection of eccentric geniuses, mostly his best pal Art. I don't want to blow the story here, it gets better as time goes on.  Eric finds out that Art ain't exactly a stand up guy, plus he's fooling around with stuff that ends up getting a kid killed tragically. Whether it was murder or not is kind of left up to you to decide.  One caveat to the author, don't use so much time to set it up...hook 'em to the ribs early.  A very nice first effort, and I suspect more's to come. Recommended, even by me. 04/06 DOC

GOLD FIRE by Ed Mitchell: Third in the series (after Gold Lust and Gold Raid) this techno-thriller grabs you up front and doesn’t let go.  Khalid Jafar, the son of Osama bin Laden, is proposing to end global terrorism.  But he has nuclear warheads stolen from Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces.  Is he sincere or is this a ploy?  Will his target be Washington, Moscow or Tel Aviv, or all three?  It is up to FBI agent Cholo Cantera to team with an Israeli counter-terrorism unit and find the missing weapons before it is too late.  The big clock is ticking and midnight ain’t far away.  A juiced Tom Clancy stay up all night read, and you won’t even need any black coffee.  Go for it. 08/07 Jack Quick 

Gone for Good by Harlan Coben:  TELL NO ONE made my top ten list for 2001. His new one, GONE FOR GOOD, is among the first contenders for 2002.  The strong writer of the Myron Bolitar series (THE FINAL DETAIL, FADE AWAY, etc.) left Myron behind and had a breakout success with TELL NO ONE. His new novel, GONE FOR GOOD, should firmly entrench Coben in the big leagues.

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien: It's been called the definitive novel of the Vietnam War and deservedly so.  The truth about that war is eloquently expressed in a story that dissolves into hallucination.  Where one begins and the other ends gives the reader something to think about.  A totally engrossing, thought provoking read.

A GOOD AND HAPPY CHILD by Justin Evans: Fatherhood has not bought George Davies any sense of happiness. In fact, he finds himself terrified of being alone with his new son. George will not touch, change, or otherwise care for the child in any way. His strange behavior prompts him to begin seeing a therapist where he begins to recount certain events of his own childhood and his previous experience with therapy. At the age of 11, George Davies is an outcast amongst his peers. His is highly intelligent but also very awkward. Things seem to get worse for George after his father dies on a mission trip in Honduras. George does manage to make a new friend - a friend that only he can see, a friend who promises to tell him all sorts of secrets. Then George’s new friends turns on him and people around him begin to suffer strange accidents. Could George’s invisible friend really be some sort of demonic presence or is George suffering from some sort of delusion or dementia? His own father claimed to have visions himself but was never violent. Is there any merit to George’s fear of his child? The question of psychological versus demonic causes for all the trouble that George experiences is fascinating and guaranteed to draw readers in from the very first page. Evans’s engaging debut is definitely one that sticks with you long after you put it down. 06/07 Becky Lejeune

A Good House by Bonnie Burnard:  I loved this family saga set in Canada.  I couldn't put it down.

THE GOOD LIAR by Laura Caldwell:  Kate has been separated from her husband for ten months when her best friend Liza decides enough is enough. She sets Kate up with an older man, an acquaintance of hers, named Michael Waller. Michael and Kate really hit it off and are married four months later in spite of the fact that Liza thinks things are moving a little too fast. See, Liza knows more about Michael than Kate ever will. That’s because Liza and Michael work together for a group called The Trust. The Trust, set up by Liza’s father, is a secret organization whose job is to protect American interests. Kate was never meant to know about The Trust, but she soon learns that Michael has been keeping secrets. She could never imagine that her best friend has been keeping them as well. Then Liza’s lover is killed in a plane crash, and she begins to suspect that Michael may have been involved. Could Michael have gone rogue and has Liza inadvertently put her best friend in the line of fire? As their web of lies continues to grow, everyone becomes suspect and no one knows who can be trusted. The Good Liar is a puzzle that Caldwell seems to have put together with ease. As each piece is revealed, the plot becomes more intricate and involved. A definite up-all-nighter and a must read for any thriller fan. 01/08 Becky Lejeune

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner:  America's answer to Bridget Jones and Jemima J, all rolled up into one funny, heartwarming feel-good novel. A great beach read, light and entertaining, a real page turner. The characters are well defined and believable, even in their eccentricities, which is not always easy to do. This is not great literature, but it doesn't aspire to be. It is a "chick book", and a good one.

THE GOOD OLD BOYS by Paul Hemphill: Growing up in the South. In 1974, Atlanta Journal newspaper columnist Paul Hemphill captured the essence of the experience with chapters in this book like “Praise the Lord and pass the Ball to Fuqua,” “God Bless Lester, He Means Well”, and “Welcome to the Death Hilton”. These are the best of the best of Hemphill’s daily columns expanded and combined to provide a vivid word picture of country music, stock car racing, moonshine, hard living and high-power preaching. If you were there this will bring back memories, if not, open a door to an era that is gone forever. Dated, but still a great read. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

GOOD PEOPLE by Marcus Sakey: Sakey pushes into Harlan Coben territory with this thriller about an ordinary family finding themselves in extraordinary circumstances.  Tom and Anna Reed have exhausted their life savings and their credit line on infertility treatments in hopes of having a baby.  They own a two family house and rent out the downstairs to a man who pays his rent on time every month, even though he appears to be a bit of a hermit.  One night the smoke alarm goes off in his apartment, and when it doesn't stop, Tom and Anna go down to investigate.  There's a grease fire on the stove, and no sign of their tenant.  Anna grabs a container of flour and dumps it on the fire, putting it out.  But then she notices what appears to be cash hidden in the flour.  The next thing you know, they find $400,000 in cash hidden in the cabinets and one very dead tenant from an overdose of pain meds.  No relatives claim the body, he has no friends that they've ever seen, so what to do with the money?  The obvious.  Except that their tenant wasn't quite the hermit they thought he was; he stole that money from some very bad men who have been looking for him and want it back, at any cost.  Tom and Anna find themselves in way over their heads in this nail-biting, action packed thriller that in Sakey's very capable, very smart hands, leads to a solution that is not quite as simple as you would think.  One of the best thrillers of the year. 8/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM by Chris Ewan: They say that an author should write what he knows. Charlie Howard certainly does. He is a full-time author and part-time thief whose main character is a mystery-solving burglar named Faulks. While working on his latest novel in Amsterdam, Charlie is contacted by an American who wants him to steal two seemingly worthless monkey figurines. The figurines complete the see no, hear no, speak no evil trio and the American already has the third in his possession. Charlie refuses the job at first, there’s not enough preparation time and he’s uncomfortable with the fact that he has no idea how this person got his name in the first place. Charlie is also a bit confused as to why the man would be willing to shell out such big bucks for two plaster monkeys of no value. His curiosity eventually gets the best of him and Charlie does, in fact, carry out the job. When he gets to the meeting point though, the American is gone. The American is found, beaten into a coma, and Charlie is the number one suspect. No surprise, but the third monkey is now missing. Charlie must figure out just what is going on before he ends up spending the rest of his days in a Scandinavian prison. This is a fun play on the traditional who-done-it and is a bit reminiscent of Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief.  Ewan’s debut was the second annual winner of the Long Barn Books First Novel Contest. Long Barn is a small British house that publishes one novel each year. It’s easy to see why this appealing novel was their winning choice. 11/07 Becky Lejeune

GOODNIGHT NOBODY by Jennifer Weiner: Weiner has taken us from single gal pal/chick lit (Good in Bed, In Her Shoes) to married life and becoming a mom (Little Earthquakes) to Goodnight Nobody, the housewife life in ritzy suburbia.  Kate Klein is married with children and bored, bored, bored.  She also doesn't understand why she is bored when all the other mommies seem quite engrossed with potty training, play dates and organic snacks.  When she finds one of her neighbors dead on the kitchen floor, Kate decides to do a little investigating of her own.  She has her best gal pal Janie Siegel, heiress to the Seigel carpet fortune, helping her out while she sneaks around trying to solve the murder.  Chapters flow back and forth between Kate's background story and the investigation but all the chapters have wonderful characters, lots of laughs and as always with Jennifer Weiner, lots of heart.

Got Your Number by Stephanie Bond:  Romantic suspense with lots of humor makes this a fun read.  Fans of Janet Evanovich would probably enjoy this fast moving mystery with all it's twists and turns and it's cast of zany characters.  

THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY by Joe Moore and Lynn Sholes: It would be easy enough to dismiss this as another entry in the DaVinci Code genre, but it is nicely written and tightly edited, if a bit far fetched at times. Television journalist Cotten Stone accidentally stumbles upon an archeological dig while escaping Iraq that uncovers the world's most-sought-after religious relic: the Holy Grail. Stone smuggles the wooden box back to New York not sure what is in it. She looks up a priest/professor on the Internet who has a book telling how to open the box, which does contain a chalice. People around her start dying while others give her messages in a secret language shared with her long dead twin sister. She and the priest then go, not to Paris, but to New Orleans during Mardi Gras to “save the world.” If you can accept the string of coincidences, not a bad read at all.  11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

GRAVE DESCEND by John Lange: Hard Case Crime Reprint #26 of the 1970 Edgar nominated story of the sinking of the yacht Grave Descend. McGregor is hired to dive the wreck and see if the boat is salvageable. Before the dive there is one problem – each person he talks to has a different story – the insurance adjuster who is the owner’s brother, the chorus line dancer whose presence the owner wants kept hidden, the vessel’s captain – why are none of the stories adding up? Why did the boat sink, why is its position so precisely known, what is to be gained by delaying the news of its sinking twenty-four hours, why has no one already been inquiring, and lastly what is on the boat that is so valuable? McGregor needs to get answers and survive. Well-written, fast read. 11/06 Jack Quick

Grave Endings by Rochelle Krich: I was really looking forward to this book because I really enjoyed the first two in the series, so I hate to admit I was disappointed with her latest.  The popular Molly Blume series returns with this well written whodunit that somehow falls flat. As mentioned in Blues in the Night (2002) and Dream House (2003), Molly’s best friend Aggie Lasher had been murdered six years earlier but the case was never solved. Two weeks before her wedding day, Molly is asked to identify a necklace that contains the symbolic red thread of celebrity-hot Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) which she had given to Aggie. It’s turned up in the personal effects of a dead drug dealer, leading the cops to finally close the case, but Molly isn’t so sure they’ve got their man and becomes obsessed with finding the truth. Everyone becomes suspect, the cops aren’t as forthcoming as she’d like, the murdered girl’s family and old co-workers tell conflicting and confusing stories, as do the drug dealer’s friends and relatives. Molly eventually ferrets out the facts, has a few close calls, and marries her fiancé, but gone are any hints of romance or those warm and funny moments we’ve come to expect from the Blume family, making the book feel very one dimensional and ultimately unsatisfying. Recommended for larger fiction collections.  Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

GRAVE IMPORTS by Eric Stone:  Interesting second entry into an apparent series.  Ray Sharp, former journalist and now business investigator in Hong Kong becomes involved in the sordid but lucrative trade in stolen Cambodian art.  The action leads back from Hong Kong into the Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen, through Thailand; and finally into the killing fields of Cambodia.  Well conceived, but suffers from the tendency of the author to provide “dumps” of information, which while interesting, get to be overwhelming.  Also, the reader is somewhat adrift if they have not read the preceding book because of the references back to that outing.  The above notwithstanding, the characters are interesting, the action flows, and the locales are exotic.  Lets hope number three is even better. 09/07 Jack Quick 

GRAVE WEB by Betty Sullivan LaPierre:  The death of her father, with whom she lived, causes Becky Simpson to want to re-open the issue of her missing mother, who left the family without explanation years earlier.  When she opens the safe in her father’s office, she finds letters from her mother and a box containing her mother’s wedding ring, along with a note that blames her father’s affair for her leaving.  She then hires “Hawkman”, Tom Casey, P I, to track down her mother.  The ensuing adventure reminds me of the Rolling Stones tune “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’  Answers are uncovered, but at a price.  Labeled number 10 in the series, I found this overall to be a light weight, breezy read, but probably would not bother working through the Hawkman backlist. 11/07 Jack Quick   

THE GRAVING DOCK by Gabriel Cohen:  In his second outing, Detective Jack Leightner is dealing with the corpse of a small boy whose body floats off a Red Hook pier in a small coffin.  The box was made without nails and the body was treated carefully.  But by whom?  Its wintertime and Jack is back in his old neighborhood.  The case is just what he needs to take his mind off his personal problems.  Another good police procedural and a haunting portrait of a world that has irrevocably changed.  Recommended. 01/08 Jack Quick

THE GREEN ROOM by Deborah Turrell Atkinson: Atkinson returns to Hawaii with the sequel to Primitive Secrets. Once again, lawyer Storm Kayama is caught up in secrets surrounding her extended family. Her cousin, Nahoa, a surfer, refers a client to her, so she attends a local surfing contest to watch Nahoa and other surfers in action. Although others might not know it, she and Nahoa are both aware of the threat behind a gift he receives, an ancient Hawaiian weapon that is a call to battle. Neither can predict the violence and terror that will follow the threat. Atkinson does a masterful job intertwining the surfing culture with ancient Hawaiian lore, but most readers will definitely need the glossary of Hawaiian terms. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

GRIFTER’S GAME by Lawrence Block:  As a first entry in the Hardcase Crime Series, it would have been hard to pick a better story.  Block’s Joe Marlin is a grifter who spends his days skipping out on hotel bills and double-crossing gold-diggers.  He makes a practice of stealing checked luggage to use to check into his next hotel (after all we must look respectable), but this bag contains a huge cache of heroin. Later that same night he meets Mona Brassard and to his chagrin eventually finds that Mona and the heroin are connected, in a way than spells danger to Marlin.  Classic writing, a good story, and an awesome cover.  Anyone who cut their teeth on pulps should love this series. 05/06 Jack Quick

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is going to be this year's 84, Charing Cross Road. I predict this book will be the most popular book for book groups.  Mary Ann Shaffer's book was finished by her niece, Annie Barrows, after her death.  It’s a beautiful epistolary novel, telling the story of Juliet Ashton, a British author in 1946, searching for her next project.  When a resident of the island of Guernsey writes her, looking for a book, she learns of their literary society, formed during the war years, because of a roasted pig.  Guernsey was occupied by the Germans for five years during the war, and, during that time, the people valiantly tried to survive.  Books and their literary society helped them get through, and they told Juliet about their lives in their letters to her.  Juliet not only finds a new interest to write about, she finds new friends in the people of Guernsey.  This is a little gem, a charming book about wonderful  people.  It’s this year’s must read novel. 08/08 Lesa Holstine

THE GUILTY by Jason Pinter: Pinter’s second outing with character Henry Parker is a great read. Parker, easing back into his roll as a junior reporter after the incidents in last summer’s The Mark, is assigned to the high profile killing of pop superstar Athena Paradis. Paradis was gunned down in the wee hours of the morning while exiting a New York City nightclub. The killer uses a very distinct weapon and leaves behind a note, strangely enough, quoting Parker himself. The following day, a cop is killed by what seems to be the same weapon - the killer was aiming for the mayor this time. Two more high profile murders follow and Parker is the only one to make a startling connection regarding the killer’s weapon of choice. It seems that the killer is using a Winchester 1873, the gun that won the West. Even more startling, the specific gun the killer appears to be using is said to have belonged to notorious criminal Billy the Kid. Parker’s discoveries lead him straight into the killer’s cross hairs and he soon finds that his own loved ones have become the primary targets. Can Henry uncover the killer’s twisted motive and reveal his true identity before he loses everyone he loves? The Guilty is an explosive thriller with a fascinating plot and an unforgiving pace. With just two books under his belt, young Pinter has already proven himself to be a truly overwhelming new talent in the industry.  03/08 Becky Lejeune

THE GUTTER AND THE GRAVE by Ed McBain: First published as I'm Cannon—For Hire by "Curt Cannon" in 1958, this updated Number 15 from Hardcase Crime shows the breadth of McBain’s ability and his noir skills at their best. Former PI Matt Cordell has fallen hard and become a bum in New York City's Bowery district after being betrayed by a dame. His decision to help old friend Johnny Bridges, a tailor, investigate petty larceny at his store soon leads to a series of murders and steamy encounters with lies piling up faster than tokens in a subway station. You may not like Cordell but you have to pull for him to succeed, knowing he is the best and worst of all of us. An oldie but a goodie from one of the masters. 05/07 Jack Quick

THE HA-HA by Dave King: Howard Kapostash is the most damaged, endearing and memorable character to haunt my dreams in a very long time.  Howard is a Vietnam vet with a brain injury that has left him uncommunicative - he can't speak, he can't write, and reading is very difficult at best.  Yet, as the cards he carries with him explain, he is of normal intelligence.  Howard lives in a house that he has inherited from his parents, and he rents out a few rooms to a couple of house painters and a soup chef who also uses the kitchen for her business.  The four of them live together yet they all live in their own separate worlds.  But when Howard's high school sweetheart has to go into drug rehab, she dumps her nine year old son Ryan on him, claiming she has no one else to take care of the boy.  At first Ryan is uncommunicative too, but slowly he becomes the impetus for all the people living in the house to come together and form a new kind of family.  More importantly, Howard learns that there can be more to a damaged life than he ever dreamed possible.  King has created a legacy with his eloquent, sparse prose and his unforgettable characters. 03/05

THE HA-HA by Dave King: It's not fair that The Ha-Ha is Dave King's first novel. It's extraordinary; well-written, brilliantly conceived, sympathetic without ever getting near cloying. The protagonist is someone who, if the author were less skilled, might evoke pity. But this book works, and works well. It tells the story of a man who has lost almost all ability to communicate. After spending only a couple weeks in Vietnam years ago, Howard Kapostash was severely brain-injured and has spent his time since in a peculiar world. He does not speak, lacks the ability to use alternatives such as writing or signing, and has major trouble reading. He's clearly been traumatized and may have some other concomitant psychological problems; who wouldn't? But he's a smart man, a caring man, when he can be. There's nothing wrong with the guy's intelligence. He's spent a good part of his life maintaining huge barricades against emotional involvement, also with understandable reasons.

All my gripes about the ending are minor; this is a fluid story, a stunning debut from someone who so totally grasps the issues his protagonist lives with. Howard is 100 percent real to me. There's sympathy but no pathos, realism without any tirades about how crappy our disabled veterans are treated. This is a powerhouse of a book and it needs to be read. 08/05 ~This review contributed by Andi Shechter.

THE HADES PROJECT by Lynn Sholes & Joe Moore:  Well written but derivative religious icon thriller featuring the Holy Lance used to pierce the side of Christ at the Crucifixion.  Allegedly forged by the seventh generation grandson of Adam, the Lance has been possessed by powerful men – both good and evil – until the present time.  Now the Forces of Evil intend to use the ancient relic to launch the Hades Project and bring humankind to its knees.  SSN reporter Cotten Stone is drawn into the fray when her best friend from high school Lindsay calls her concerned about Lindsay’s daughter, Tera.  When Cotton returns to Kentucky Lindsay and Tera have both disappeared leaving behind some very disturbing evidence.  Cotton calls in her friend, Cardinal John Tyler, for help.  Now it’s up to Cotten Stone to save the world and confront the man who holds in his hand our destiny, a man who died more than 85 years earlier.  You can blame it all on The Davinci Code.  11/07 Jack Quick   

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost: Half vampire and half human, Cat Crawfield is the result of an attack on her mother by a recently turned vampire who retained a few specific human traits. Cat spends her leisure time trolling clubs and bars for vamps, playing the innocent coed, and luring them to remote places. One such evening almost lands her in trouble when she targets the wrong man. Bones, a vamp who kills his own kind, strikes a deal with Cat. In exchange for her help, he promises to find her father. Bones has been stalking a very powerful vampire who has been responsible for a kidnapping ring that has been around for decades. Recently, the kidnappings seem to have spiked in the Ohio area and Bones is determined to finally stop it. Problem is, vampires can easily detect one another. Cat, with her mixed heritage, is able to sneak amongst them without being discovered, thereby making her the perfect partner for Bones’s plan. Balancing her new hobby with her everyday life is becoming more and more difficult, however, and things are further complicated when Cat finds herself extremely attracted to this mysterious vamp. Frost’s debut is a perfect blend of romance and action. This spunky heroine and her leading man make a great team and I hope to see much more of them in the future. 11/07 Becky Lejeune

THE HALO EFFECT by M.J. Rose: Once you pick up this book, don't plan on putting it down - you get hooked on page one when a mutilated body in a nun's habit is found. A serial killer is on the loose in New York City and he's going after prostitutes with a vengeance - a religious fervor, you might say.  Dr. Morgan Snow is a sex therapist with a client, a top shelf call girl (at $2000 and up a pop) named Cleo Thane, who goes missing.  Meanwhile Detective Noah Jordain is heading up the serial killer investigation for the NYPD and calls on Dr. Snow for some outside psychological profiling.  They trade info and join forces to try and find the missing Cleo and the serial killer. Rose writes erotic better than just about anyone and with the twisting plotline and surprise ending here, apparently she can do thrillers just as well as the big boys. This is the first book of a new series and I can't wait for the next one!

THE HALO EFFECT by M. J. Rose: The Butterfield Institute is a Manhattan sex therapy clinic and employer of psychiatrist Dr. Morgan Snow. A patient, Cleo Thane, is a successful and selective call girl who has written a memoir which includes thinly disguised portraits of many of her clients. She leaves the manuscript with Dr. Snow and then disappears. In the meantime, NYPD Detective Noah Jordain and his team are investigating a series of gory, ritualistic murders of prostitutes. Snow and Jordain are drawn to each other, but she can’t persuade him that Thane may be a victim. In a desperate attempt to find Thane, Snow goes undercover and meets some of Thane’s principal clients herself. Could be subtitled, “A Catalogue of Sexual Dysfunctions and Obscure Perversions," but, so long as graphic sex doesn’t dissuade you, it’s a pretty interesting read. As the South Alabama judge said at the obscenity trial, “I don’t know what’s pornographic, but I know what I like.” 06/07 Jack Quick

THE HANDMAID AND THE CARPENTER by Elizabeth Berg: The story of the courtship and marriage of Mary and Joseph comes alive in this touching little book. Berg brings the young couple to life, with all their misunderstandings. Mary was just thirteen and Joseph almost seventeen when they first fell in love. Mary was a young innocent girl who couldn’t read. She loved and honored nature, sharing her family gifts of curing and strong perceptive abilities. Joseph was always more earthbound, a skillful stonemason, carpenter and woodcarver from a well-off family. He never did understand Mary’s deepest nature and her insatiable curiosity. It was even harder for him to accept her pregnancy, and he planned to set her aside and divorce her. It took a miracle for him to agree to continue their marriage, the voice of an angel. Despite the voice, the appearances following Jesus’ birth, and the angel that warned them to go to Egypt, Joseph never fully believed. To the end of his life, Joseph was reluctant to believe Mary’s story. Despite his disbelief, this is a beautiful story of two people who loved and honored each other. Berg brings the young couple to life in this lovely book. 11/06 Lesa Holstine

THE HANGING VALLEY by Peter Robinson: In this fourth outing for Chief Inspector Alan Banks, a rotting corpse is identified by dental work and a receipt found in the trousers pocket of the murder victim as Bernard Allen, a local youth on a visit home from Canada. The investigation leads back five years to the unsolved murder of a Private Investigator hunting for a young girl's killer and the nearly simultaneous disappearance of a village woman. Banks ends up traveling to Canada as part of his journey through a maze of passion and possible blackmail before finding the solution in long-kept secrets. Pour yourself a pint, light up a Silk Cut and join us as we make England a safer place. A really, really good police procedural series. 10/06 Jack Quick

Hanna's Daughters by Marianne Fredericksson: Interesting, well written book about three generations of women living in Scandinavia, an enjoyable read.

Hard As Nails by Dan Simmons: This is a hard-nosed mystery story set in Buffalo, New York and I recommend it without any reservations. Could any town be more appropriate for a tough guy than Buffalo? [Editor's note: the reviewer is from Buffalo.] And make no mistake about it, Kurtz, the hero, is a tough guy. After seeing all of the references in    Ilium, I have to believe that the invocation of Conrad's character is no accident, as well as a tip of the hat to the ethnic stew that is the best part of the fading Queen City of the Great Lakes.
    In previous books in this series, Kurtz has been to Attica, courtesy of the State of New York, for throwing his partner's killer off a rooftop. He is still on parole, which makes it impossible for him to return officially to his old private eye business. As this book opens, Kurtz and his parole officer are walking into a parking garage when all hell breaks loose. The ride has started and it is exciting as the old wooden roller coaster at Crystal Beach amusement park which Kurtz points out is now defunct.
    The story finds Kurtz in the middle of a power struggle between the remnants of two old Mob families for the drug trade in the region, as well as fending off members of the Aryan Brotherhood he offended while in the slammer. The story climaxes in a small company town bearing a strong resemblance to the Coudersport of the Rigas family. And in this case, the roller coaster is filled with bodies.
    This is the book I am sending to friends for Christmas with a note, saying "I found him first."  ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

HARD AS NAILS by Dan Simmons: Same war, next generation. The Farino and Gonzaga crime families continue to fight over Buffalo and on killing Joe Kurtz. Neither family trusts the other and each fears that Kurtz is working for the other side. Both sides eventually hire him to find a killer who has been taking out their low-level drug dealers. In addition, Joe and his parole officer get shot in the head in an ambush at her office. What events are related? Who is on which side? Is there anyone Joe can trust? Add the newspapers and the police and you have a fine stew. To survive all this you had better be hard as nails. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

HARD CURRENCY by Stuart Kaminsky: In the ninth Inspector Rostnikov novel, our hero is sent from Moscow to Cuba to solve a sensitive murder case.  He takes along his assistant Elana leaving Karpo, “The Vampire” to track down a brutal serial killer in Moscow.  Since the good Inspector is an avid fan of Ed McBain I thought it appropriate to share McBain’s own blurb about this one – “In Hard Currency, Stuart Kaminsky gets Russia right, and Cuba right, but best of all he gets his superb cop Rostnikov altogether right yet another time.  Bravo. ”  Kind of hard to add anything to that. 03/08 Jack Quick 

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich:  Another delicious adventure featuring Stephanie Plum et al, with the usual dead body, exploding cars, with just a hint of hot sex. This time Stephanie has to find her Grandma's next door neighbor's missing daughter & granddaughter with nastier-than-usual bad guys on her case.  Kudos to Evanovich for keeping this series amazingly fresh.  A special holiday treat: the next adventure, Visions of Sugar Plums, comes out November 5!

Hard Feelings by Jason Starr:  This is a perfect pitch Jim Thompson-esque noir novel set in modern Manhattan.  Our dubious hero has a lot of problems - -  a sales slump at his job, a worrisome wife and a pesky pooch among them, but his life is manageable until he bumps into an old Brooklyn neighbor at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Forty-eighth Street. The downward spiral that results takes only a few weeks and it is told in taut prose that keeps you turning the pages all night.  HARD FEELINGS gets under your skin.  Well written, well executed and well worth your time.  PS: Interesting note - - the Black Lizard Crime series has some of the greatest noir novels of all time.  Reasonably priced, lots of great authors - - definitely worth checking out, published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard books. ~This review contributed by Ann Nappa

HARD FEELINGS by Jason Starr:  Richie Segal doesn’t feel so good.  First there is the job.  His career as a computer systems salesman isn’t going anywhere – literally, he hasn’t closed a single sale in the six months he has been in his current job.  Then there is the marriage.  He suspects his wife is cheating on him, again.  What not? She has just gotten a big promotion so she is the primary breadwinner, although there is the little matter of possible morning sickness.  Is she pregnant?  Is that why she so adamantly scolded him about “moving to the burbs and having a family?”  Finally, there is Michael Rudnick, a prosperous lawyer, who had taken advantage of Richie when the two boys were neighbors growing up.  All this is leading Richie back to drinking – and he can’t hold his liquor.  Count on Starr to put you down and then apply a solid kick to the ribs. First rate is you are a fan of noir. 09/08 Jack Quick  

HARD FREEZE by Dan Simmons: Buffalo, New York ex-con and former P.I. Joe Kurtz survived his initial case after a twelve-year prison term. Now he is taking on a new challenge. While continuing to dodge a contract on his head, Kurtz takes on the task of finding a child-murderer for a gravely ill client. It’s going to be a tough winter in Buffalo – cold enough to freeze the blood. Joe continues to be in the middle between the Farino and Gonzaga crime families and his efforts to avoid being killed by them actually lead to the solution of his new case. This series is as cold as the Buffalo winters and hard as the ice that forms around Niagara Falls in January. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

THE HARD WAY by Lee Child: This is one of my favorite series for pure escapist fiction.  The tenth Jack Reacher thriller begins while he's enjoying an espresso in a sidewalk cafe in New York City.  He is approached by a man, obviously ex-military; that is, to Jack it's obvious as he is an ex-Army MP and extremely observant.  That observing nature gets him involved in helping to solve a kidnapping for the very mysterious Edward Lane and his band of disreputable mercenaries, but nothing is quite as it seems.  Fast paced as always with some nice twists, this is another exciting adventure for the hero that all women want and all men want to be.   06/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE HARD WAY by Lee Child:  In Child's 10th Jack Reacher novel, Reacher agrees to help sinister ex-army officer Edward Lane track down his kidnapped daughter and trophy wife.  Since the kidnapping of wife number one five years earlier ended in her death, Lane cautions Reacher that he will not tolerate police interference.  Child’s excellent descriptions on Manhattan add to the sinister quality of the story, which is a page-turner all the way to the inevitable showdown, on a farm outside a tiny English village.  06/06 Jack Quick

HARK! by Ed McBain: The first crime novelist that I ever read was Ed McBain. My Mother gave me one of her dog-ear'd paperbacks, and told me... "You'll like this..."  I did... That's why it kind of pains me to review this,
I wish it went better. Led by Carella, and the gang, the 87Th precinct has always been the place to go to learn the ways of the Police procedural.  All the boys usually worked in concert, to solve the gig. Here's a brief synopsis...the Deaf Man is back. He kills a broad who crossed him, and of course, the 87Th gets the squawk...
Initially, nothing seems to be there, but the DEAF man starts sending Carella, and the rest of the detectives letters, delivered by various couriers. Meanwhile, the Deaf Man has enlisted the help of a very opportunistic hooker, to further his cause. They become a symbiotic relationship.....Right here, He should have stopped, and went on with the mayhem. Instead, what he did was get a bunch of non-needed subplots involved, and made this all a literary game, i.e.: axioms, palindromes, oxymoron's, any type of literary subterfuge he could think of was involved here. Personally, I don't like to have to read when I'm reading. With that being said, it gets good towards the end. Keep your eye on the enterprising hooker.   01/06 DOC

THE HARROWING by Alexandra Sokoloff: It is Thanksgiving break at Baird College and everyone is returning home for the holiday. Everyone, that is, but five misfits in Mendenhall dorm. They are a jock, a brain, a loner, a musician and a phony. These five have one thing in common though - each one of them feels like they don’t belong. When the teens discover an old Ouija board in the common room, they awaken a new entity in Mendenhall. This ghost calls itself Zachary and is all at once charming and terrifying. Who is Zachary and what does he want? As the teens dig deeper into this mystery they come to realize that Zachary is not what he seems. Alexandra Sokoloff’s debut is a hauntingly original and eerie spin on the standard ghost story. I think Sokoloff is a fresh new voice in the genre and sincerely hope to see more from her in the future. I highly recommend this book; it’s a perfect rainy day read.  09/06 Becky LeJeune

HAUNTED by Kelly Armstrong: Smart-mouthed Eve Levine may be dead but as a witch she can still raise hell in the hereafter. The Fates, three elusive sisters, are the rulers of this new dimension, and they have a job for Eve. If she can defeat a demonic Nix who's inducing people in the human realm to kill, she'll earn her wings—literally. The catch is she can't capture the Nix without the powers that angelhood affords. Following the action in the ever changing netherworld can be a hassle but, if you are looking for spunk, sass and strong-arm savvy, Eve is your lady. 03/06 Jack Quick

HAUNTED by James Herbert: Renowned paranormal investigator David Ash has made a career out of debunking supernatural occurrences. It is just this reputation that has earned him a request from the tenants of Edbrook. It seems this stately manor may have some guests from the other side and they want Ash to investigate. Ash is welcomed to the home by Nanny Tess, her lovely niece Christina Mariell, and Christina’s two older brothers, Robert and Simon. On his very first evening in the home, Ash himself has a brush with the ghost of Edbrook. Ash is certain there must be some rational explanation behind the so-called haunting and stubbornly vows to find it before his stay at the home comes to an end. This dogged determination springs from the fact that he himself has a dark secret in his past, one that he might just have to face if life after death does in fact exist. It is my opinion that Herbert has been wrongfully overlooked by American horror fans. This melancholy ghost story is one of three intended tales featuring David Ash and is followed by The Ghosts of Sleath and an as yet unwritten third book. Though this chilling ghost story was originally published almost twenty years ago, it has recently been republished and is readily available to readers once again and can be read without its accompanying title.  11/07 Becky Lejeune  

Havana by Stephen Hunter: This is a book for anyone who enjoyed the Walking Tall movies and the tough simplicity of Buford Pusser.  Hunter's protagonist is Earl Swagger, like Pusser, a war hero and a cop who previously cleaned up gangs in a rural community.
       Havana is set in the early 1950's, in the last days of the Big Sugar, I mean Batista, regime.  Castro is coming and the effete Ivy League lads of The Company want to eradicate him.  They think that sharpshooter Swagger is just the man to do it.
       At the same time, the mob in New York has exiled one of their wayward troops to assist Meyer Lansky in protectng their casino operations in Havana.  New York has become too hot for young Frankie who has committed the cardinal sin of whacking a cop's horse.
       The third ingredient in this mojito is the Russian secret service.  They have rehabilitated a zek named Speshnev from the gulag to protect and mentor Castro and thwart Swagger.
       If you like simple stories, simple heroes and believe in simple virtues, you will like this book.  I personally think that the world is a much more complicated place.  What saved the book for me was the Russian, Speshnev.  He is a fascinating character who is two steps ahead of everyone in the game and enjoying life fully along the way.  He is the Crash Davis to Castro's Nuke Laloosh.  He saves Swagger's butt a couple of times and manages to keep Castro out of trouble too. 
       My suggestion to Mr. Hunter is that he ditch Swagger (unless he is making a lot of money with these books) and start a new series detailing Speshnev's adventures throughout the Cold War period. Available 10.07.03.  ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

HAVE MERCY ON US ALL by Fred Vargas: It’s easy to see why Fred Vargas is an international bestseller!  In Mercy her first American release, a plague-monger is terrorizing modern-day Paris.  Cryptic messages regarding an upcoming outbreak of the “black death” appear in the local town crier’s box.  At the same time, an odd symbol appears on doors all over the city.  Chief Inspector Adamsberg believes it is nothing more than a coincidence until the first body appears.  Adamsberg will no doubt draw comparison to a roguish Columbo.  However, this brilliant, if absentminded, inspector brings with him a whole cast of supporting characters who help solve the crime at hand.  Insight into Adamsberg’s private life as well as heavy character development, are what makes this an especially fascinating read.  This is not a traditional mystery in the sense that the reader is not given all of the clues to solve the mystery but rather follows along as Adamsberg reveals his own deductions.  Mercy will leave readers longing for more.  The good news is that book two is being released in October, so they won’t have to wait much longer! 09/06 Becky LeJeune

HEAD GAMES by Craig McDonald:  Its hard to top what Ken Bruen had to say about this debut outing – “”You’ve got to find what you love and let it kill you.’  Jesus, I’d kill for those lines.  This book just took my breath away.  I am beyond impressed.”  Its 1957 and Senator Prescott Bush (hmmm) wants Pancho Villa’s head.  Aging writer Mason Lassiter gets caught in the cross fire between Mexican nationalists and frat boys out to place Villa's head in Yale's Skull and Bones Society trophy case.  Following the yellow brick road, Lassiter encounters Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, Jack Webb and a young National Guardsman named “George W.” along with lines like “it's a tricky thing, firing for flesh wounds with a machine gun at close range”.  Call this one a comedy caper historical fiction road novel with chords of myth, history, loss and redemption, but mostly call it hilariously funny. 11/07 Jack Quick  

HEART OF THE WORLD by Linda Barnes: Boston PI Carlotta Carlyle is doing some “big digging” of her own in this 11th adventure. This time, however, the case is a very personal one. Paolina, Carlotta’s teenaged “Little Sister” whom she loves like a daughter, has disappeared and no one except Carlotta seems to care. Carlyle, a part-time taxi driver and part-time PI is very believable in her native Boston as she struggles with her relationship with Mafioso Sam Gianelli. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to travel well. It doesn’t take long for Carlyle to begin to suspect that Paolina didn’t run away on her own, but was in fact kidnapped. She hopes the kidnappers were in the employ of Paolina’s biological father, a Colombian drug lord known as Roldan. However, there is the possibility that it was enemies of Roldan who engineered the snatch. Carlotta travels first to Miami and tracks down Roldan’s lawyer and from there it is on to Bogota. While well written, as were previous Carlyle adventures, it is here that the story begins to break down a bit. With her height and red hair, Carlotta fits pretty well into Irish dominated Boston. In Bogotá both work against her, even though she conveniently speaks Spanish. In the midst of all this Sam decides to propose to Carlotta, which leads to an emotional ending that screams for a sequel soon. Overall another good entry from Ms. Barnes, but I would suggest that future adventures remain fueled on New England clam chowder. 08/06 Jack Quick

HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill: Aging rocker, Judas Coyne is a collector of the strange and macabre. Some of the items in his collection include artwork by a serial killer, a used hangman's noose and a snuff film. When the opportunity to purchase ghost online is presented to him, it's too good to resist even if he believes it's a fake. The seller promises to send the dead man's favorite suit and that the ghost of her father will surely follow. When the suit arrives, in an oversized, black, heart-shaped box, Jude hides the thing away in a closet, resigned not to think anymore about it. That night, the ghost appears. Jude soon realizes that he's been duped in the worst way. This is no ordinary ghost. Jude has allowed an evil spirit, hell-bent on revenge, into his home and his life and now, he can't get the ghost to leave. The not so well-kept secret about this author - he's Stephen King's son. By choosing the same genre as his famous father, Hill will no doubt draw comparison. This creepy debut proves, however, that Joe Hill is a superb addition to the horror genre with a style and voice all his own. 02/07 Becky Lejeune

Hell to Pay by George Pelecanos:  Strange & Quinn are back in this sequel to Right as Rain, and the streets of D.C. are as black and gritty as ever.  The private investigators are hired to find a fourteen-year-old runaway girl from the suburbs, and it turns out she is working as a prostitute for one very bad guy.  Things really spin out of control when one of the boys on Derek Strange's PeeWee football team is killed, and Strange takes it personally.  This fast moving, suspenseful story kept me turning pages until the wee hours. 

HELL’S BAY by James W. Hall:  Thorn is back in his wildest adventure yet.  He is leading a fishing expedition into the isolated lakes and mangrove swamps of Hells Bay in the Everglades when he meets up with the Bates family.  They are one of Florida’s aristocratic pioneer clans with huge holdings in real estate and mining.  The family matriarch Abigail has been killed and her heirs want Thorn to solve the case, claiming he is, in fact, a long lost relative.  Deliverance, meet Cape Fear, in what is probably Hall’s best effort to date.  You can cut the tension with one of Thorn’s sharp fishing knives while in the background the sound of banjos can be heard over the surf.  Hall certainly knows his Florida and with lines like “the air smelled of snakes and damp mud and an occasional gust of a sharp insistent citrus scent that made her think of a teenage boy’s first cologne,” you are pulled right into the swamps and sloughs. 04/08 Jack Quick   

Henry's List of Wrongs by John Scott Shepherd:  A hilarious romp through one man's attempt at repenting for all the wrongs he's committed.  Very enjoyable, quick read.  Footnote: I read that the film rights had been sold with Jim Carrey (not my favorite actor) to star, which sort of threw a pall over the book for me.

HER ROYAL SPYNESS by Rhys Bowen: Bowen, an award-winning mystery writer, starts her new series featuring Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, better known as Georgie. She’s the daughter of a duke who gambled away his fortune, and the sister of the impoverished duke. Lacking money, she heads off to London, to try to make a living, despite the fact that she’s thirty-fourth in line to the throne in 1932. Her career as a salesclerk lasts five hours, and she’s only slightly more successful cleaning houses. It’s just as well, since she has to attend a house party, acting as a spy for Queen Mary, who is suspicious about her son, David, and his relationship with a certain American woman. Georgie also has to rescue her brother, Binky, who is suddenly the suspect in the murder of a man who produced documents to show their father lost the family estate gambling. When Georgie herself becomes a target, she realizes she can’t even trust her friends. Her Royal Spyness is a fun debut, poking sly fun at the ruling class in England. 11/07 Lesa Holstine

THE HERETIC’S DAUGHTER by Kathleen Kent: Between February 1692 and May 1693, over 150 men, women, and children from Salem and the neighboring villages were accused of witchcraft. They would all be imprisoned, and some tortured and hanged, before the harrowing event would finally come to an end. On August 19, 1692, after being prosecuted and convicted, Martha Carrier was hanged and killed. Author Kathleen Kent is a tenth-generation descendant of this fascinating woman. The Heretic’s Daughter is Martha’s story as told through the eyes of her ten-year-old daughter Sarah. Their mother daughter relationship is a strained one, but in the months leading to her mother’s arrest and death, Sarah finally begins to understand and open up to her mother. Kent’s debut is an incredible read and her passion for her subject really shines through. It’s also one of the most emotionally turbulent books I’ve read in quite a while. The Heretic’s Daughter is a powerful novel that proves what a great talent Kathleen Kent has already become. This should be on everyone’s must read list for fall. 09/08 Becky Lejeune  

THE HEROINES by Eileen Favorite: The Prairie Homestead is not your typical bed and breakfast. The average guest could be rubbing elbows with some of the most famous ladies of literature and never know it. Penny Entwhistle and her mother have successfully kept their infamous guests secret up until now. Penny’s own typical teen angst threatens to blow the lid on everything her mother has worked for. When Penny reveals to members of the public that the likes of Madame Bovary and Scarlett O’Hara have been hanging out at her house, her own mother lies and says that her daughter is imagining things. This lands Penny a vacation in a mental institution she calls the Unit. Desperate to get out, Penny again risks everything by having her own knight on a white horse rescue her - not her knight of course but one visiting from yet another classic tale of romance and woe. The results could be disastrous but the trip along the way is mighty entertaining. Favorite’s debut is a fanciful tale of mothers and daughters and growing up, with a twist of romantic literature. The Heroines is an amusing read for book lovers everywhere. 12/07 Becky Lejeune

HEX AND THE CITY by Simon R. Green: John Taylor is a private detective in The Nightside, "that hidden magical heart of London, where gods and monsters walk side by side, and sometimes attend the same self-help groups." It's a place that "runs on secrets and mysteries." Knowing his skill is finding things, Lady Luck hires John to find the origins and true history of The Nightside. He knows the Authorities oppose this quest, so he signs up an interesting crew, Madman, Sinner and a demon, Pretty Poison. His quest leads them to some of the oldest Powers in The Nightside, and each clue leads him closer to finding the truth about his mother, a truth so horrible that his father committed suicide rather than reveal it. Hex and the City is the fourth in this compelling series. If you decide to read the series, you'll be signing on to a stomach-churning roller coaster ride. It’s worth the chills. 05/07 Lesa Holstine

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson: Although Erickson normally writes biographies, she turned to the novel to allow Marie Antoinette to tell her own story. At the age of thirteen, just prior to her engagement to the future Louis XVI of France, Marie Antoinette starts a journal. Her final entry is on the day of her execution. During the course of the story, we watch her grow from a frivolous young girl to the woman who desperately loved her children and tried to assist the weak husband who did not want to be king. It’s difficult to read the last one hundred pages, as Marie Antoinette hears the crowds taunt her, faces capture and imprisonment, and learns of her husband’s death. It’s hard to imagine the fear she must have felt, but Erickson brings Marie