Waiting by Ha Jin: I loved this deceptively simple story about a man trying to get a divorce to marry the woman he loves.  A fascinating look at life in contemporary China.  Winner of the Pen-Faulkner & National Book Awards.

WAKING BRIGID by Francis Clark:  Celtic mythology, voodoo and Christianity collide in this supernatural debut. During the potato famine in Ireland, seven-year-old Brigid Rourke was sent by her family to join ranks with the Catholic church. It was the only way they could ensure that she would survive the blight. It was important that Brigid survive because she is an hereditary, someone born with powers that are passed down from generation to generation. Brigid, now a full-blown nun, is stationed in Savannah, Georgia. She and the city both survived the Civil War but are now faced with an even greater challenge. A prestigious group of town citizens has been dabbling in the occult, calling forces that even they cannot control. The church first becomes aware of the issue when a patient in the mental asylum is killed within his locked cell. Brigid is one of the nurses on sight and that single event is enough to awaken the power that has been sleeping within her for almost three decades. A secret group of white mages within the church hierarchy is called to Georgia to exorcise the demon and Brigid must quickly learn to harness her gifts or they could all die in the fight. Clark’s use of an historical setting for this supernatural thriller makes it stand out amongst the many that have been released in recent months. Unfortunately, Clark passed away just last year after penning only two complete novels. I look forward, with some regret, to his second and last novel’s release. 02/08 Becky Lejeune 

WALL STREET NOIR edited by Peter Spiegelman:  Probably the only street in the world about which an entire anthology can be written, this entry in Akashic's noir anthology series includes a stellar cast of 17 crime genre hitters, many with financial backgrounds.  Included are Megan Abbot, Richard Aleas, Peter Blauner Henry Blodget, Tim Broderick, Reed Farrel Coleman, John Burdett, Jim Fusilli, James Hime, Richard Light,. David Noonan, Twist Phelan, Stephen Rhodes, Lauren Sanders, Mark Haskell Smith, Peter Speigelman, and Jason Starr.  Although the stories are centered on the world’s financial center the action ranges from lower Manhattan to the Gulf Coast to Bangkok.  Greed and desperation truly know no bounds. 12/07 Jack Quick 

Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly by Robert Dalby: Dalby’s first novel is a charming story set in Second Creek, Mississippi in 2001 when the local grocery store will probably fold due to competition from the new MegaMart on the outskirts of town. “Choppy” Dunbar, owner of the Piggly Wiggly, seems reluctant to accept help from Laurie Lepanto, but finally agrees to her schemes. She and her fellow “Nitwitts,” a group of wealthy widows devise a plan to offer ballroom dancing six days a week, so women can dance with Powell Hampton, a widower, while they shop. This is a fun story about unusual people who love their quirky little town, and each other, despite their secrets and their differences. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

THE WANDERING GHOST by Martin Limon:  In 1972. I served in the US Army’s Second Infantry Division at Camp Casey, Korea.  During part of my tour, my superior officer was a WAC – Women’s Army Corps - the first WAC to serve in a combat division in the modern era.  Can you believe, in their fifth outing, agents George Sueno and Ernie Bascom, of the Eighth Army Criminal Investigations Division in Seoul, Korea, are sent to Camp Casey, on Korea's Demilitarized Zone.  Their assignment:, find a female MP—the second Division's first female MP—who has gone missing.  Although I don’t recall the atmosphere of sexual harassment as portrayed in the book (who was there to harass?), most everything else rings true with my own memories of a poor Korea dependent on U.S. dollars and military presence.  Limon also captures the ill will between “the Division” and the REMF’s at Eighth Army Headquarters in Seoul.  We lived under combat conditions.  They had dependents, school activities, PX and Commissary, all the comforts of home – and they were distressed when soldiers from the Second came down out of the hills because it reminded the dependents that they were always less than an hour away from being in a war zone.  Oh well, enough rambling.  Read the book.  It’s great.  02/08 Jack Quick

THE WAR MAKERS by Nick Carter (John L. Chabliss): originally published in 1936, available as free e-book from www.blackmask.com. In this action thriller, secret agents have stolen the Army’s new laser gun just when Europe threatens to boil over into a new armed conflict. Journalist Jack Duane and Moses, his Negro servant, witness the theft and must work with Detective Nick Carter to retrieve the weapon before it is used against the United States with devastating effect. Note again the original publication date – 1936. Interesting read. 12/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

Warrior in the Shadows by Marcus Wynne: If you’re the kind of reader attracted by an opening sentence that says, “The man who would soon be eaten had enjoyed a superb supper,” you’ll enjoy this thriller. When two men in Minneapolis are brutally murdered, Charley Payne photographs the death scenes. Payne left his mysterious career with the CIA to become a forensic photographer. He recognizes the bloody drawings on the walls as some sort of art, and tracks down a woman knowledgeable in Australian Aboriginal art to fill in background details. Another brutal slaying drags Charley further into the case, and leads to a confrontation with Alfie Woodard, an Aboriginal shaman involved in dark magic. Murder, mysticism and action combine in this fast-paced, exciting novel that’s not for the squeamish.  01/06 Lesa Holstine

THE WATCHMAN by Robert Crais: This one is Joe Pike’s story. Pike, a former marine, LAPD officer, and mercenary, is hired to protect Larkin Barkley on the word of his former police partner. Barkley, a troubled L.A. woman from a wealthy family, has the misfortune of witnessing something which causes her to be targeted for death, and Pike is immediately in the cross hairs. Partner Elvis Cole starts digging and targets a drug cartel's money-laundering network as the source of the death squads and identifies Barkley's father as the possible link. As the book goes forward, Pike and Barkley, so opposite at he beginning come to identify more and more with each other, and this becomes more than a job. Interesting change of pace from the on-going Elvis Cole series, but certainly as excellent, maybe one of the best. 05/07 Jack Quick

WEST SIDE by John Mackie: Two gay men pick up and kill a look alike for one of them in an insurance scam. Their success causes them to decide to make a career of this activity. It is up to Detective Sergeant Thorn Savage and his Manhattan South Homicide squad to solve the case before there are even more victims. It is a gritty walk through New York’s underbelly told by someone who obviously has been there. It’s a world where even the potholes are dangerous to your health and you never know what the next day – or night – will bring. Excellent police procedural. 01/06 Jack Quick

WHACK-A-MOLE by Chris Grabenstein: Ex-military straight shooter John Ceepak is back, partnered with young pup Danny Boyle, and the beaches are crowded once again down on the Jersey shore.  A family of tourists find out that an idyllic summer is just too much to ask for when they find a jar containing a body part sitting on a shelf in the local museum.  Things just get complicated from there, with runaway teenage girls missing, more body parts unearthed, and the very real possibility of a serial killer on the loose in this small town. Not to mention Doyle can't seem to get a date, although Ceepak is doing nicely in that department.  The storyline is interesting, there are some nice twists, but as always with this series, it's the characters that make this book well worth reading.  The first beach read of the summer is a winner.  05/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

WHACK-A-MOLE by Chris Grabenstein: Whack-A-Mole is perfect summer reading for those of us who like a little creepiness with the beach atmosphere. Grabenstein takes the reader back to Sea Haven, New Jersey, a resort town, where Danny Boyle, a young cop, relates the summer events as he and his mentor and partner, John Ceepak, experience them. When the search for the owner of a high school ring turns to a search for a missing girl, the two think they just have a case involving a runaway. It gets worse, though, with a connection to a local ministry and outreach for runaways. And, the horror piles up when body parts in jars are found in local businesses. Danny tells the story of a town of contrasts. Sea Haven welcomes tourists to its beaches, amusement park, bars, tourist traps and sand castle competitions. A serial killer collecting trophies is
an unwelcome element. As always in the Ceepak mysteries, Grabenstein is able to provide humor and light touches in the midst of a dark, creepy story. Very few authors do creepy and funny in mysteries as well as Grabenstein. 05/07 Lesa Holstine

WHACK-A-MOLE by Chris Grabenstein:  It starts with a class ring, long lost but now recovered by Sea Haven super-Cop John Ceepak, practicing his beach combing metal detecting skills, and ends with a serial killer..  When Ceepak and Danny return the ring to its owner, he nervously tells them that he had given it to a girl who had long ago left him. He claimed to even have trouble remembering her name.  The few clues he gives them eventually become crucial when human ears in glass jars appear in a tiny, little-visited museum, and human skulls are unearthed on the beach.  They soon learn that the body parts date back to the 1980’s and it appears the killer is about to start again.  Once again, Grabenstein nails the summer seashore scene replete with aging boardwalk, tacky souvenirs, unhealthy food, and overindulgence in alcohol.  Another winner and third in the Jersey Shore series.  All that’s missing is Granny Mazur but I expect her to show up any day now, probably with Lula and Stephanie Plum in hot pursuit. 09/08 Jack Quick  

WHACKED by Jules Asner: Dani Hale is a writer for a TV series, a CSI-type clone called Flesh and Bone. Her boyfriend Dave is a director on another TV series, and is a bit of a control freak.  Dani has some interesting co-workers; her boss, Steve, who boyfriend Dave is sure is hot for her, Rich Pisani, the retired LAPD cop advisor to the show, and Evil Janet, another writer who Dani is sure is out to get her.  Dave is directing hot actress Chloe Johnson in his series, and Dani finds out he is cheating on her with Chloe.  How does she find this out?  Because Dani is nuts.  She drives past his house when he tells her he can't see her, she hacks into his AOL account and reads his email, and so forth.  But just when you think this is another one of those chick-lit books about a woman obsessing over some guy who is obviously wrong for her, this book takes a sharp turn down a very dark alley and redefines the surprise ending. Asner was a regular on the E! Entertainment channel, and is married to director Steven Soderbergh, who makes a cameo in this book.  All that reality adds another dimension - a frighteningly real one - to this chilling tale.  7/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

WHAT BURNS WITHIN by Sandra Ruttan: Ruttan’s book introduces three members of the RCMP in an outstanding police procedural, a must-read for anyone who appreciates the genre. Three officers, Constables Tain, Hart, and Nolan investigate three very different cases, until they discover the cases have some elements in common. Hopefully, readers will appreciate the officers who “share a common tendency toward insubordination and independence.” While Tain deals with child abduction cases, Ashlyn Hart works arson investigations, and Craig Nolan is looking for a serial rapist. The common links in the cases bring the three officers back together in a thrilling novel. 05/08 Lesa Holstine

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  

WHAT THE DEAD KNOW by Laura Lippman:  An intriguing storyline about a mysterious woman who claims to be a girl who had gone missing thirty years earlier.  The narrative shifts back and forth and through the decades leading up from the 1970's through present day in a powerfully written, intricate story.  The cops aren't convinced, her lawyer just seems content to let her ramble on, and frankly, it was a little difficult to follow - but eventually it worked.  This book is definitely a mystery rather than the stand alone thrillers I've come to expect from Lippman, and moves much more slowly than I tend to like.  There is a terrific twist at the end that I never saw coming.  Not my favorite of her works, but I can definitely see why the reviews have been so favorable.  04/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

WHAT THE DEAD KNOW by Laura Lippman: Baltimore’s PD’s homicide team is in for a big break when a woman involved in a hit and run accident claims to be one of the long missing Bethany girls. In 1975, sisters Sunny and Heather Bethany caught the bus to the local mall. When their father arrived to pick them up that afternoon, they were nowhere to be found. There were no suspects and no clues as to their whereabouts, until now. The woman quickly clams up, refusing to provide any information that may compromise her current identity. Gradually, however, she begins to give investigators small pieces of the puzzle. Although it remains unclear whether the woman really is who she claims to be, it is apparent that she does have knowledge of the unsolved crime. Through flashbacks, readers are given insight into the lives of the Bethany girls and how this one horrible day ruined the lives around them. Lippman’s third stand-alone proves that she truly is a master of suspense. Like Every Secret Thing and To the Power of Three, she holds her cards close, keeping readers guessing until the very end. The best part is trying to figure out what the twist will be and she never fails to surprise every time. 04/07 Becky Lejeune

What's Wrong with Dorfman by John Blumenthal:  An entertaining read about a whiny hypochondriac.  Well written and funny.

THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child:  Agent Pendergast is back. Pendergast and Constance Green have sought out the most reclusive monastery in Tibet. Here, Pendergast hopes that Contance will finally come to peace with the death of her manipulative captor, his own brother, Diogenes. Upon learning that Pendergast is an investigator, the monks present him with a problem and a task. Their monastery had been assigned the responsibility of keeping watch on a very dangerous and holy item, an item that has been recently stolen. They have asked Pendergast to retrieve the item before its evil can be set loose on the world. Pendergast follows this item from Tibet to England and traces it to the ocean liner Brittania, a massive ship about to make its maiden voyage to New York. He secures passage for himself and Constance and, true to form, maneuvers his way into the reluctant graces of the ship’s staff. Shortly after the ship sets sail, passengers come up missing. Then, passengers begin to show up dead and Pendergast must find the item in question in order to stop the madness that has only just begun. Although the authors are adamant (and right) that each of the titles featuring Pendergast can be read as stand-alones, I personally recommend reading them in order. Pendergast, a strange FBI agent who first appears in The Relic grows more and more captivating with each new book. This title especially draws some of those characteristics that fans know and love about the character into question making it a wholly absorbing and thrilling read. 01/08 Becky Lejeune

THE WHEELMAN by Duane Swierczynski:  On the back flap of the jacket it says: "A receipt for This Here's a Stickup, Duane's nonfiction book on American bank robbery, was found in the getaway car of a San Francisco bandit who'd hit at least thirty California banks."  The leap to fiction wasn't that bold - this is the story of the very quiet Lennon, the getaway driver for a big bank robbery gone awry in Philadelphia.  It's always interesting when the hero is the bad guy, and this book is no exception to that.  Throw in a loosely knit community of bank robbers, the Russian mob, the Italian mob, and crooked cops who are all chasing the money and you start to get the picture of this fast paced, violent yet funny book.  Swierczynski may well be the future of crime fiction writing.  11/05 Stacy Alesi

WHEN THE DARK MAN CALLS by Stuart Kaminsky:  Ten-year old Jean Kaiser discovered her parents murdered in their bed in North Carolina.  Now, twenty-five years later, Jean, a Chicago radio talk-show host with a daughter of her own, is being stalked by a man she knows only by a slow, sinister voice on the telephone.  Soon she discovers that the man who killed her parents 25 years ago has been released and is now in Chicago.  Reminiscent of Play Misty for Me and just as intriguing. 12/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka: This tiny book packs a big emotional wallop.  This is a story about a Japanese-American family living in Berkeley, California during World War II.  The father is arrested and sent to a New Mexico prison.  A few weeks later, the mother and children are sent to an internment camp in Utah, and they, like the reader, never knows why any of this happens.  We are never told the family member's names, and the story is told very matter-of-factly and without too many grisly details, which just made it all the more powerful for me. Their day-to-day existence is bleak while in the camp, but the harsh realities of freedom don't come any easier after they are released.  The lyrically written final chapter sadly illustrates that this family's story is really the story of every Japanese-American family that was living in America during the early 1940s.  When the Emperor Was Divine is a beautiful homage to an ugly and shameful piece of American history.  Don't miss it.

WHEN THE LAST MAGNOLIA WEEPS by Mary Saums: Willi Taft has multiple challenges this Christmas – a series of warehouse thefts, a murdered priest, and a defaced statue of a civil war general.  Who says being a PI is boring?  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  Okay, lets set the warehouse theft case aside for the next book, focus on the murdered priest since a friend is a suspect there, and in the meantime be on the lookout for anyone dastardly enough to paint a Santa Claus suit on the general, and put wooden reindeer antlers and a shiny red nose on his horse.  The plot thickens.  The priest isn’t who he said he was, and neither are some of the others.  All the mysteries eventually are solved, except the warehouse thefts, and Willi’s life is forever changed.  Lets just hope this is not the last we see of her.  Recommended. 06/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS? by Kate Atkinson:  Jackson Brodie was trying to return to London after a secret trip north to meet the boy he believes is his son. He hops a train, but soon finds that he’s headed in the wrong direction, then the absolute worst happens. The train is derailed and Brodie almost dies. Sixteen-year-old Regina (Reggie) Chase just happens to be in the area when the accident occurs. With her quick thinking and first-aid training, she manages to revive Brodie long enough for the paramedics to arrive. Meanwhile, Reggie’s employer, Dr. Joanna Hunter has learned that the man who murdered her family thirty years ago has just been released from prison. Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe is the sad bearer of that news and suggests that Joanna leave town until the expected media frenzy runs down. Louise’s involvement though, is a result of Joanna’s husband and the investigation into his business practices. All four of their stories collide in a most unexpected way. This carefully constructed mystery is a complete surprise for readers. Each character and their respective tales are like pieces of a puzzle, by the end of the book they fit together perfectly. This is my first Kate Atkinson, but it is the third to feature Brodie. It can, as far as I can tell, be read as a complete stand-alone quite easily.  09/08 Becky Lejeune 

WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU by Julianna Baggott & Steve Almond: The debate rages on: can you call a book "chick lit" when the author is a guy?  How about if only one of the authors is a guy?  This is an epistolary novel about Jane and John, who meet at a wedding.  Just as they are about to get intimate, he decides he likes her too much to go through with it, and they decide to try and get to know each other first - through letters.  Not even email, but through regular snail mail letters. They return to their respective homes in NY and Philadelphia and commence writing. They tell each other everything, and still they continue.  Lots of sexy letters, some amateur psychoanalysis and frankly, it's rather like being a voyeur, peering over someone's shoulder and reading their mail.  Lots of fun. 06/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

WHIRLWIND by Joseph Garber:  Charlie McKenzie is the best – even though he is now disgraced, dismissed and discarded, he is still the best.  So when a secret weapon called Whirlwind is stolen by a gorgeous Russian spy Irina, the establishment has no choice but to bring him back.  Charlie and Irina are the main characters but there is no absence of villains including a corrupt national security adviser and an evil South African mercenary who are also pursuing Irina.  It’s pure escapism, but very nicely done and suspenseful to the very end.  Of course there are plot holes if you look closely enough, and enough coincidences to also strain credibility, but hey, when a guy moons the national Security Advisor and threatens to do the same with the President, why can you not go along.  Highly recommended. 10/08 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 

WHITE NIGHTS by Ann Cleeves:  Ann Cleeves follows up the success of her award-winning Raven Black with the second mystery in the Shetland Quartet, White Nights. This book is just as good as the first one.  Cleeves takes readers to Biddista, a small Shetland Island community. Jimmy Perez, the local police officer, accompanies Fran Hunter to an art show at Herring House, where Fran is exhibiting a few pieces. However, the show is disrupted when a stranger breaks down, weeping and claiming he doesn't know who he is. Someone on the island must know, or the man wouldn't have been found hanging the next morning. Although visiters do come to the island, it's evident to Perez that the secrets behind the murder lie with the small, close-knit island community. Perez is an interesting detective, working in an unusual setting. White Nights is the second outstanding mystery in this series. I can't wait for the third. 09/08 Lesa Holstine

THE WHITE MARY by Kira Salak: Marika Vecera is a young war reporter driven by the danger experienced during her assignments. During a trip to the Congo, she is held captive by rebel soldiers and barely escapes with her life.  She returns to the States, battered and beaten, mentally worn.  Upon her return, she discovers that her idol/mentor Robert Lewis, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, has committed suicide.  She devotes her life for the next several months to writing his biography.  During her research, she discovers evidence that indicates Lewis is still alive, living in a remote village in Papua New Guinea.  Drawn to the possibility that Lewis is still alive, Marika embarks on a journey not knowing what she will find.  Her guide is Tobo, a medicine man, provides her with guidance along the way.  During this journey, Marika learns a lot about humankind, and more importantly, herself.  The White Mary is an incredibly powerful and empowering tale about one woman’s dedication to her career.  While the scenes detailing the atrocities that are occurring clear across the world are difficult to read at times, the end result gives you an appreciation for all that we have as inhabitants of the “civilized” world. 08/08 Jennifer Lawrence

THE WHITE MARY by Kira Salak:  Journalist Marika Vecera has made her career traveling to some of the world’s most dangerous war-torn countries in search of her next story. When she learns that her idol, famed journalist Richard Lewis, has died as the result of a suicide, she decides to write his life story in hopes of learning what could possibly have caused him to take his own life. Just a few months into her project, however, Marika receives information that leads her to believe that Lewis may in fact still be alive. A missionary stationed in Papua New Guinea had attempted to contact Lewis’s sister claiming that he had seen Lewis in the jungles of New Guinea. Lewis’s sister had written the man off as a flake, but Marika is not so sure. Marike decides to travel to Papua New Guinea herself in an attempt to learn the truth. Her journey is harrowing and at times utterly gruesome. It’s scary and humbling to think that much of Marika’s adventures both in Papua New Guinea and in her job as a journalist are actually based on Kira Salak’s own experiences. Salak alternates chapters between Marika’s current journey and her experiences that led her there, allowing the reader insight into her emotional motivations as well as her physical travels. An amazing read that will absorb and consume readers.  08/08 Becky Lejeune

WHITE SHADOW by Ace Atkins: I have tried the Nick Travers series twice and couldn’t get into them.  I thought this one would be different.  It’s about the unsolved murder of real-life Tampa crime boss Charlie Wall in 1955.  The plot turns on the quest to find the killer, taking detective Ed Dodge and a local reporter on a journey from Tampa's Latin Quarter to pre-revolutionary Havana.  I don’t know whether it’s my prior experience, excessive detail, too many characters or just my own Tampa experiences conflicting with Atkins’ remembrances, but I just couldn’t ever get into this one either, so laid it down near the half way point. 07/07 Jack Quick

WICKED CITY by Ace Atkins:  “WELCOME TO PHENIX CITY, Alabama, population 23,205.  Located across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, Georgia we offer all the basic amenities of small town Southern life.  There’s Cobb’s Barber Shop, where kindly grey-headed gentlemen discuss local politics and current affairs between the buzz of the clippers and local radio ag reports.  And we have the friendly Elite Café, where Mr. Ross Gibson will cook you up the best plate of eggs and grits with red-eye gravy you ever tasted.  We have a Bentley’s Grocery Store, the Phenix City Pharmacy, and the wonderful Palace Theatre, where on Saturdays a kid can get in for fifty cents and watch the latest B westerns or the new adventure of Francis the Talking Mule.  Phenix City also boasts Idle Hour Amusement park – you can take a miniature train from downtown into the hills and roller-skate, bowl, and swim.  There is even a little zoo there with bears and lions and monkeys.  All of this mixed with dozens of churches, Christian and civic clubs, and one of the best hospitals in east Alabama make Phenix City an ideal place for the family.  Not to mention the world-famous nightclubs, clip joints, and brothels.  Phenix City is probably best known for its whores.”  Thus begins Atkins’ fictional account of the cleanup of Phenix City, which began after the state Attorney General-elect Albert Patterson, was shot and killed on June 18, 1954, after running a campaign to clean up Phenix City (He was succeeded by his son who carried out his father’s plan).  Larger than life characters include Ex-boxer and appointed sheriff Lamar Murphy, opposed by crooked Deputy Bert Fuller, Madame (in the traditional sense) Fannie Belle, and the redneck mafia determined to keep Phenix City sinful and profitable.  Although the ending is obvious, the journey is most enjoyable, particularly if you have a personal interest in the area, as I, a native Alabamian do. 05/08 Jack Quick  

THE WILD ROAD by Marjorie Liu:  A woman wakes in a smoky hotel room with no memory of how she got there - no memories at all, actually. There are three dead bodies on the floor and a note pinned to her jacket that reads simply, "Run." With nowhere to go and no other options, she escapes into the world outside. She ends up bumping into Lannes Hannelore, one of the few remaining gargoyles in the world. In spite of Lannes's fear of letting anyone get to close, for reasons of his own, he feels compelled to help this woman. They soon find themselves on the run from an unknown assailant who seems to be able to find them anywhere they go. Their only solution is to track him down themselves and try to unravel the mystery of the woman's identity along the way. The Wild Road is a steamy paranormal romance/mystery that reads like an adult fairytale. It is also the latest installment to Liu’s Dirk and Steele series. Dirk and Steele is a paranormal detective agency that links each book together. However, each title seems to focus on a new set of characters - readers can jump into the series at any point and skip around as much as they like without feeling at all lost. 11/08 Becky Lejeune 

WINDWALKER by Natasha Mostert: In an attempt to escape from the memory of her brother’s recent death, photographer Justine Callaway takes a job as the caretaker of the English manor called Parradine Park. She knows nothing of the house’s dark history but is immediately drawn to the neglected estate. Justine soon finds herself becoming obsessed with events that took place in the home nearly a decade ago. Parradine Park was once the not so happy home of the Buchanan family. One evening, eldest son Adam snapped and murdered his own brother. Adam was never seen again. Unable to deal with the loss of her favorite son, their mother committed suicide and Adam’s sister abandoned the home shortly thereafter. Justine is haunted by this tale and to learn as much as she can about Adam Buchanan and the event that tore his family apart. Thousands of miles away, in a town called Kepler’s Bay, Adam Buchanan has made a new life for himself. He lives in almost complete solitude and never forgets the crime that caused this punishment. He does dream, however. Adam has long believed that his soul mate awaits him somewhere, in this life or the next. By strange coincidence, he happens across a magazine carrying and article about Justine. From that moment forward, he knows that she is the one. Will these two fated lovers meet or will their own tragic pasts keep them forever apart? As someone who does not typically read romance, I must say that this melancholy tale is very atypical to the genre. Mostert’s style is much more suitable to literary fiction and I think she would be much more appreciated there. I highly recommend Windwalker if you are looking for a great modern gothic read. 06/07 Becky Lejeune

    Maverick’s title is the first to be published by Dorchester under their new SHOMI imprint – am imprint devoted to cutting edge romance for a less traditional, and younger, romance audience. 07/07 Becky Lejeune

Witch Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard: Damsgaard’s first mystery might feature a 30ish librarian in small town Iowa, but it’s hardly a cozy. Ophelia Jensen retreated to her grandmother’s town when she had a mental breakdown following the murder of her best friend. Four years later, she’s happy in her job as librarian, and refuses to acknowledge her psychic abilities. However, her grandmother, Abby, who is a witch, knows that Ophelia will be tested as the town comes to grips with murder, theft and meth problems. Appearances are very deceiving in this enjoyable debut. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

WHILE I DISAPPEAR by Ed Wright: In his second outing, John Ray Horn, a disgraced former movie cowboy and ex-con walks the mean streets of post-WWII Los Angeles in search of the brutal killer who snuffed out the life of Rose Galen, a faded leading lady who co-starred in one of Horn's films. A shameful secret from the victim's past forces Horn to challenge the official theory of the crime-that the killing was a random act. Aided by his current boss (and former faithful movie sidekick) Joseph Mad Crow, Horn pounds the pavement and reaches out to old friends to identify the source of Galen's guilty conscience. 04/06 Jack Quick 

Whiskey Sour: A Jack Daniels Mystery by  J.A. Konrath:  I wanted something to escape into, that would make me laugh but even more importantly, keep me turning the pages, and this sure fit the bill.  This new series features a Chicago police lieutenant named Jacqueline Daniels, Jack for short - she's single, middle-aged, and definitely has some history.  The story revolves around a serial killer called The Gingerbread Man, who is not only is on a killing spree, he is torturing his victims before killing them, a definite gruesome and gore alert.  The secondary characters are well drawn and real, the setting somehow makes Chicago seem intimate, and the story flows.  Konrath did a great job, it is so well written that it is hard to believe this is a first novel.  Check out the author's website, http://www.jakonrath.com/ for an excerpt.

WHISKEY SOUR by J. A. Konrath:  Chicago Police Department Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels has a particularly gruesome series of homicides on her plate.  The “Gingerbread Man” is torturing and killing attractive young women, and then leaving their bodies in very public places.  Somewhat uneven and certainly not breaking any new ground, hopefully Konrath, like good Tennessee whiskey, will improve with age. 05/06 Jack Quick

WHITE by Christopher Whitcomb: This is a follow-up to Whitcomb’s first novel, Black.  Hopefully he has good color sense because this is another first rate techno-thriller.  Three simultaneous bombings rock the United States.  As the President goes on the air to calm the nation, three foreign airline jumbo jets crash at different American airports.  In Indonesia, a CIA black operation against a terrorist cell is successful, but three of the six terrorists are good old- fashioned American boys.  Post 9/11 elevates to a higher gear with evidence that active support for the Islamic Jihad is coming from within the United States.  Special Agent Jeremy Waller from Black has his work cut out for him in this one, as the trail leads all the way to the White House. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

The White by Deborah Larsen, Knopf:  Larsen is a poet and short story writer. This is her first novel. Mary Jemison's capture in 1758 by a Shawnee raiding party is a story that is well known, but under Larsen's skilled hand it is fresh, intriguing, full of life and beautiful details. I loved the authenticity that Larsen brought to living on the land. The destruction of Mary's family and her adoption into the world of the Seneca will challenge you . . . and would make a great book to discuss with a group. 

The White Road by Robert DeMaria:  Set in the 1950's, this finely written novel of friendship and love is both moving and thought provoking.  The depth and personality of the characters were extremely satisfying, as were the historical references to the time period.  A truly lovely book.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith: Amazing first novel but didn't live up to it's hype, at least not for me.  But then again, what book does?  (Harry Potter excluded!)  This book has been short listed for what seems like every award, without a win yet.  

WHITE TIGER by Michael Allen Dymmoch: In 1992, Michael Allen Dymmoch won St. Martin's contest for "best traditional mystery" for THE MAN WHO UNDERSTOOD CATS, which was anything but a "traditional" mystery. From the start, I've been a fan of this author and her series featuring John Thinnes and Jack Caleb.
    Why isn't it traditional? For one thing, a major focus of the book is the very real and hard-won friendship between the two men. Caleb, a psychiatrist is gay and Thinnes, a pretty traditional sort of guy, is a Chicago police detective. The stories often delve into real life issues, real life people and they have always made me think.
    The newest book in the series is WHITE TIGER which was just nominated for a "Lammy Award" in the category of "Gay Men's Mystery" from the Lambda Literary Foundation. The issue is Vietnam, which for many Americans still has enormous influence and consequence. Hue An Lee is found dead; twenty-five years ago, she mattered to Thinnes back in Saigon, where he served as an MP. His connections to her and her son Tien Lee, mean that he's too close to investigate the murder. Caleb served as a medic, and the alternating stories of then and now from the perspectives of the two men, are at times fascinating, at times sorrowful. If you have no interest or understanding of this period of American history, WHITE TIGER might not appeal. But it's not a diatribe, it's not for or against the war or the Vietnamese people, it's just a story of a time in people's lives that had a huge impact, and how they all, separately and together, dealt with it and the ways in which the conflict still affects people.
    Dymmoch always knows what she's doing when she writes. The series isn't flashy, but the books never fail to impress me and WHITE TIGER is no exception. 03/06 Andi Shechter

WHITEOUT by Ken Follett: When you are Ken Follett, even an “off work” is still pretty darn good. The setting is Scotland and the action revolves around Christmas at a pharmaceuticals company that makes antiviral drugs. Two doses of an experimental drug are missing, a technician and a lab rabbit are dead, the owner’s estranged son is planning to break into the lab because of his gambling debts, the female head of security is falling for the widowed owner whose daughter’s are on the edge of a husband swapping episode. In the middle of this soap opera a pretty good actual mystery breaks out and is eventually resolved. Unfortunately the characters are not as fully developed as they could be and the plot is quite predictable. Not his best effort, but still readable. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

WHITEWASH by Alex Kava: Sabrina Galloway’s once close-knit family has crumbled in the wake of her mother’s death.  Her father has had himself committed to an institution and her brother has seemingly disappeared, so Sabrina has dropped everything to move to Florida and be closer to her father.  A position in the lab at EchoEnergy and participation in what could be the greatest scientific achievement of the century is something Sabrina is excited to be a part of.  EchoEnergy has come up with a way to accelerate oil production through special processing of meat by-products.  This new technology promises to free the United States from its dependency on other countries for oil.   Sabrina is surprised and worried, however, when she discovers that EchoEnergy’s innovative processing plan may not be working quite as expected.  Her boss, the man who developed the technology, has gone missing and no one else seems to be concerned with her discovery.  Then, Sabrina witnesses the murder of a co-worker and news reports are calling her the killer.  It looks as if someone has taken her suspicions seriously after all and means to shut her up permanently.  Kava is well known for her profiling series featuring FBI agent Maggie O’Dell.  Whitewash, an eco/political thriller, is her first stand-alone.  The plot is interesting and the political aspect is not so heavy that the average reader will feel bogged down. Fans will love it and it’s the perfect opportunity for new readers to give Kava a try.  06/07 Becky Lejeune

Who Gets the Apartment? By Steven Rigolosi: This novel is definitely mislabeled as a novel of suspense. There’s very little suspense, and no character development in the first in the “Tales from the Back Page” series. These are stories that might be behind advertisements that appear in newspapers. Do you ever wonder who rents the apartments advertised? Four people show up for a NYC apartment, and they have all paid money and signed the lease for the same unit. The reader is presented with four possible endings to the story, similar to the “Create Your Own Adventure” stories from childhood. Unfortunately, those stories had more suspense. Once the scenarios are presented, the reader is told what actually happened. This is not recommended if you’re looking for an intriguing book. 02/06 Lesa Holstine

WHO IS SHAYLA HACKER? by Evan Kilgore: Five different people - a lonely systems analyst in a large city, a 17 year small-town girl abandoned by an older brother, a groom who is a self mutilator who abandons his wife on their wedding day, a retiring police detective, and a female blue collar contractor working to renovate an airport terminal. All are connected by a single question – Who is Shayla Hacker? Thus begins a strange journey in a book I personally found fascinating. Driven by an obsession the five strangers don’t fully understand they cross the country and the world, passing through each other’s lives, in search of a girl and an answer. In spite of being warned off by authorities they continue until the answer is finally revealed, or is it? An unusual and very enjoyable outing.  07/07 Jack Quick

WICKED BREAK by Jeff Shelby: In his second outing, San Diego surfer PI Noah Braddock is hired by Peter Pluto to find Pluto's brother Linc, a college student whose apartment has a stash of guns. In short order, Linc's neighbor is shot, Pluto is killed, and Braddock is severely beaten. From there on out, its gangbangers and skinheads and lots of manly action. Throw in some love interest and a problem parent and you have a good fast read with some humor and plenty of action. Kind of what you would expect from a surfer PI. 08/06 Jack Quick

WICKED GAME by Jeri Smith-Ready: Ciara Griffin is a con-woman looking for a real job. She manages to get hired on as a Sales and Marketing intern at WMMP Radio. Unlike many stations out there today, WMMP’s djs really care about the music. You see they’re all vampires. Apparently, the vamps have a hard time letting go of the era in which they were alive and the station was set up to help them deal with the change in times - the music provides them something concrete that they can hold on to, which makes it easier for them to cope with the time that has past. The problem is this, the owner, a vamp herself, is looking to ensure her retirement and a big corporate conglomerate has offered to buy out the station which would leave the rest of the undead djs out of a job. Ciara is supposed to help figure out a way to boost the station’s popularity and bring in enough cash to discourage the sale. She does, but her plan involves outing the vamps themselves in hopes that it will prove to be a great marketing gimmick without actually convincing people that the undead really do walk among us. Unfortunately, her campaign is not so popular with other area vamps. Smith-Ready’s urban fantasy is both sharp and witty, Ciara is a spunky and sarcastically funny heroine, and the whole book is a fresh spin on the classic vampire mythology making it a stand-out title amongst its peers.  05/08 Becky Lejeune

WILD CRIMES edited by Dana Stabenow – Nicely done paperback anthology of eleven short stories of mystery set in the wild. Authors include Stabenow, Loren Estleman, Laurie King, and S.J. Rozan. A good “waiting room” book to kill those odd few minutes. For sure, it takes you away from “street crime.” 08/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

Wild Justice by Phillip Margolin:  Very scary, gruesome thriller that kept me up half the night reading, then too scared to sleep!  What more could you want from a book?  Definitely his best work yet.

WILD JUSTICE By Phillip Margolin: Somebody gave me a well read paperback of this and told me I'd like it...
I did.  This one is made a good read by the fact that it's very much an ensemble piece. No one character in the thread of the story stands out. In fact, you actually find yourself rooting for the bad guy here in spots!.
No brief synopsis could describe what goes on in this one. Imagine part legal stuff, vs. some truly sick and motivated people, all with their own agendas and risks. Think along the lines of a print Robert Altman movie.
    I have to admit that I figured out who the bad guy was early on.. But that's only because I've been reading this stuff for nearly four decades. I know the signs when I see 'em. But this is a really good yarn, skillfully told from both the legal and action standpoints. And the interaction between all the sets, and subsets, of players makes this a unique thriller, one that does not depend on a sole hero, but allows ALL the players in the tale to have their fame or misfortune. This is a good one.  05/06 DOC

THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE by Haruki Murakami: First, Toru Okada’s cat goes missing. Then, Kumiko, his wife goes missing as well. Toru is told, both by Kumiko and her family, to leave her alone and grant her wish for a divorce. He is told that she has been seeing another man. Toru believes, however, that something is amiss. He believes that Kumiko is being held, against her wishes, and he vows to continue to search for her and win her back. Along the way, Toru meets some very unusual characters including his teenage neighbor who is recovering from an accident that caused the death of her boyfriend, a pair of psychic sisters, and an ex-military man who is finally ready to tell his story. All of the people that Toru meets will prepare him in some way for what ultimately needs to be done to discover the true fate of his wife. Murakami’s prose is both lyrical and bewitching. Each new character has his or her own tale to tell, creating little vignettes or breaks from Toru’s own story. This strange, and sometimes confusing, tale is one that will leave you guessing until the end. 03/07 Becky Lejeune

WINTER MOON: Three novellas by Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee and C. E. Murphy: This is one of those books that I would suggest, not facetiously, that if you like this sort of thing, you’ll like the book. Mercedes Lackey’s “Moontide” is a totally enjoyable story about a kingdom where power is up for grabs, marriages are made to cement relationships and the lead character, the king’s daughter, isn’t having any of it. There are overtones of Celtic/Irish lore and a “saturnine” “bearded” ally who seems vaguely Arabic, but it’s an interesting realm and a good adventure It didn’t need to be as long as a novella; I got it long before the story ended.
    C.E. Murphy’s story, while set in my home of Seattle, bugged me; the character seemed far too young, whiny and immature to be a cop. The story relies too much on references to events that happened before this tale began and there are measly little errors that should have been fixed; “Tetris” does not involve anyone “dying horribly” and Indians do not have skin “as red as brick” – which any adult, especially a Seattle-based cop, should know. We have Indians here in Seattle. Go look. Okay, it’s in her imagination but I lost patience with her. And naming your car and insisting It’s a “her not an it”? Please.
    And I apologize to the Tanith Lee fans; while her “The Heart of the Moon” seemed well-written as far as I got, it’s too spiritual and goddessy for my taste and I could not finish it. If you like stories about spirituality and power, if you were into moon goddess stuff back when, or even now, you’ll likely enjoy all of these tales more than I did. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Andi Shechter.

WINTERWOOD by Patrick McCabe: This disturbing novel is the story of one man’s sick obsession and eventual downward spiral into madness. Redmond Hatch hails from the mountain village of Slievenageeha, a place where it’s not unusual to hear more urban Irishmen refer to folk as being inbred and country, amongst other things. Redmond, a reporter for a Dublin paper, has returned to cover a story on mountain folklore. While writing the story he befriends a man named Ned Strange, who the locals lovingly call Auld Pappie. Ned has been teaching the young children the art of ceilidh – a sort of barn dance with folk music – and also entertains the villagers with tales of the old times. Ned is revered for keeping the culture alive but he is not the pure soul he first appears to be. Under the influence of some pretty heavy homebrew, Ned reveals to Redmond some startling information about his past. Years later, Ned is imprisoned after sexually assaulting and killing a local boy. Redmond becomes fixated on Ned and his crime to the point that he soon destroys his own family. Redmond’s own life even begins to resemble Ned’s stories and the two become somewhat indistinguishable from one another. Although the use of a non-linear storyline certainly lends belief to Redmond’s crumbling sanity, it also makes the story very hard to follow. This is ultimately a bleak and depressing, not to mention somewhat confusing, book. 01/08 Becky Lejeune

With This Puzzle, I Thee Kill by Parnell Hall: As a cruciverbalist of long standing, I have really enjoyed Parnell Hall's series about The Puzzle Lady. As readers of these books know, the Puzzle Lady is not really Cora Felton whose picture appears on the Puzzle Lady's publications, but her attractive young niece, Sherry, who really constructs the puzzles. The efforts of both of them to conceal this deception is a basis for on-going hilarity in all of these stories since Cora has no idea how to solve a crossword, much less create one.
    This story begins as the oft-wed Cora is about to commit matrimony one more time. Of course, this time it is Mr. Right. As we start across and down, we can guess two things. First, that he will turn out to be Mr. Wrong and secondly, that his chances of actually making it to the altar are slim to none. Correct on both counts.
    The complication in the plot is Sherry's ex-husband who physically abused her. He is now engaged to her best friend. He suggests that they have a double wedding with Cora and her intended so that Sherry can serve as the Maid of Honor in both weddings simultaneously. This cannot be good.
    Everything that can go wrong, does. With very funny results.
    One word of caution, this time out Mr. Hall has eschewed crosswords in favor of cryptograms and letter substitution. Nonetheless, this is a great holiday read and will be enjoyed by all of us who worship at the altar of Will Shortz.
    Readers who enjoy wrestling with language may also enjoy Reginald Hill's last two books, Dialogues of the Dead and Death's Jest-Book, although they are lengthier and more complex than Mr. Hall's delightful tales. 12/03 ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

Without Fail by Lee Child:  I couldn't put down this gripping thriller involving an attempted assassination of the Vice President.  I've never read Mr. Child before, but I loved his main character, Jack Reacher.  I am looking forward to catching up on his backlist. 

WITHOUT MERCY by Jack Higgins: Either you enjoy Higgins as a “comfort read” or you don’t. Personally I do, and if his characters aren’t the deepest or his plots the most complex, he still knows how to tell a tale and involve the reader. Sean Dillon--former IRA enforcer now working for British intelligence--seeks revenge on the Russian agents responsible for murdering his colleague Hanna Bernstein. Meanwhile the Russians are trying to salvage their plan to obtain a steady supply of oil from Iraq. It probably isn’t possible, but there is always the underlying thought that maybe there is something to this premise, after all. 01/06 Jack Quick

WIVES AND SISTERS by Natalie R. Collins: I'm always intrigued by books about a different culture, and this one is an in depth look at the Mormons told from the perspective of a woman who feels her whole life has been lived under a cloud, and with good reason.  The author knows her subject; she was raised in a Mormon home in Utah. 

I loved the opening line of this book: "I was six years old the first time I had an inkling God would not always protect me."

And I couldn't put it down until I read the last line.

Six year old Allison Jensen and her best friend are playing in a field when they hear a gun shot.  The shooter, an older man with a beard, yells at the girls to take off their clothes.  Instead, they take off running, hand in hand.  But when Allison turns to look behind them to see if they are being chased, she falls and is knocked unconscious.  When she awakens, her friend is gone and never is found.  But that is just the tip of the iceberg of Allison's problems.  As she grows older she also has to deal with a religion she doesn't understand and doesn't quite believe in, an abusive father, the deaths of loved ones and a rape, but most devastating of all is the suspected cover up of these tragedies by her family and her church.  It makes for a most heartrending and compelling story that will not be easily forgotten.  02/05

THE WOLFMAN by Nicholas Pekearo:  Marlowe Higgins is a bit of a loaner. He moves from town to town, never settling down in one place. You see, Marlowe Higgins is a werewolf. For years the Wolf existed, uncontrolled and killing at random. Until Marlowe trained the Wolf to only kill those he deemed bad enough to die. A serial killer, The Rose Killer, has begun to kill young women in the small town where Higgins is currently residing. He works closely with Daniel Pearce, a local police detective, to obtain details regarding the crimes and focuses his attention on alleviating the small town of this horrible killer. Pekearo did a wonderful job with this amazing thriller/horror novel. The descriptions of the Wolf’s actions were downright gory and added to the intensity of this book. This is definitely a book that would attract readers from several different genres, ranging from paranormal thrillers to true crime. The Wolfman was Pekearo’s first and only published work. Pekearo was a volunteer for the NYPD Auxiliary Police Officer and was killed in the line of duty in 2007. 06/08 Jennifer Lawrence

WOLVES EAT DOGS by Martin Cruz Smith: Senior Investigator Arkady Renko is investigating the death of Pasha Ivanov, the wealthy president of Moscow’s NoviRus Corporation, who plunged 10 stories to the pavement from his designer apartment.  Renko’s boss, Prosecutor Zurin declares the death a suicide but Renko, being Renko, isn’t so sure and wonders about details like the 50 kilos of salt in Ivanov’s closet and the fact that he was clutching a salt shaker at the moment of his death.  Renko’s persistence causes him to be sent to Chernobyl and the Zone of Exclusion.  Can he solve the case before the radiation permanently affects him?  Dark and brooding, but very well written. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

THE WOODS by Harlan Coben:  This book came out several months ago and I wasn't really planning on reading it; I gave up on Coben after the ridiculous ending in No Second Chance.  But so many people raved about this new one, I decided to give him another try.  Coben writes these twisty, gripping thrillers, taking ordinary people and putting them in extraordinary circumstances, but he inevitably winds up writing himself into a corner with endings that are either too neatly tied up or even worse, don't make sense.  With The Woods, he's redeemed himself.  The premise is the stuff legends are made of - Paul Copeland was working in a summer camp and was supposed to be on night duty, but instead, snuck off into the woods with his girlfriend.  But four teenagers were murdered that night, including Paul's sister.  Spring forward twenty years and Copeland is now a county prosecutor with political ambitions.  He's asked to identify a body that he believes to be one of the teenagers that was supposedly killed that night at camp, unraveling twenty years of history and then some.  Tons of suspense, lots of twists and intricate plotting overcome the shallow characters to make this a furiously fast, fun read with an ending that made sense.   09/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE WOODS by Harlan Coben: Paul “Cope” Copeland was the counselor on duty the night his sister and three other campers were killed. Years later he still lives with the guilt he associates with that night. It was his responsibility to make sure the kids were safe and he failed. Maybe, if he hadn't been on duty they would have lived. The bodies of two of the campers, his own sister and a boy named Gil Perez, were never found. Two decades after the murders Cope is once again being questioned by police. A man calling himself Manolo Santiago has been found murdered. In his pocket, he carried a magazine article about Cope. Cope believes the man may actually be Gil Perez. Faced with this, and the possibility that his own sister may have survived, Cope begins to reinvestigate the crime that so devastated his family and changed his life forever. Oh, Harlan Coben, you keep me up so late at night! Though regrettably this is not one of my favorites, The Woods is still a guaranteed edge of your seat thriller that will satisfy Coben fans until next year. 06/07 Becky Lejeune

The Wooden Nickel by William Carpenter, Little Brown:  I read this book for two simple reasons. First I have an interest in Maine (grandparents). Second I have an interest in lobsters (live ones, no butter). I got what I wanted and I got Lucky Lunt. I loved the main character Lucky. He was so politically incorrect, so crazy, so fierce, and so wrongly named! I kept thinking "he'll stop now- he's gotta" but he never did and I was glad he didn't. Lucky lives in Orphan Point, Maine and spends his summer, when he ought to be watching his health and looking after his family, turning his life upside down. Carpenter's writing is terrific and it was fun to be out on the ocean with Lucky or having a Rolling Rock with him. Here is your comp title: if you like Richard Russo (and I do) you will like this book. A great read and an unforgettable character. I'll leave it to the scholars to explain the meaning of the rogue whale, or you can when you read it.

PS: William Carpenter has written one novel and three books of poetry. He is a professor at College of the Atlantic in Maine. He lists American Psycho and The Satanic Verses as some of his favorite novels - - gotta love that. Check out his bio on the Little Brown website. ~This review contributed by Ann Nappa

WORKING FOR THE DEVIL by Lilith Saintcrow: Dante Valentine is a Necromance – she has the ability to raise the dead. She uses her talent mostly to aid her clients in tying up legal matters and various loose ends. Occasionally, she also offers her services as a bounty hunter. Now she’s been given an assignment that’s a bit different. She’s been hired by the Dark Prince himself to track down and assassinate a rogue demon. Dante is not inclined to accept the assignment until she discovers the identity of said demon. Vardimal Santino almost killed Dante last time they met. He did kill her best friend. Now, Dante is literally hell-bent on getting her revenge. The first in this complex new urban fantasy series is sure to grab readers’ attentions. Dante is a gritty and tenacious heroine with a somewhat mysterious past who lives in a bleak future incarnation of our world. Saintcrow combines elements of mystery and fantasy to bring readers an exceptional page turning read. Although Working for the Devil was originally published last year, it has been reprinted and released simultaneously with the second and third books in the series, which is a good thing because I promise you will be scrambling to pick up the next book. Books four and five will follow in November and January, respectively. 09/07 Becky Lejeune

WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks: Okay, so as usual I have to start with a disclaimer—EVEN IF YOU HATE ZOMBIES, YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS BOOK ANYWAY. I mean, of course, everyone hates actual zombies, but I like stories about them and I’m sure a lot of people don’t.
    Anyway. I finished reading this book on the same day I saw the movie I Am Legend, and I have to say I was a bit twitchy when walking into dark places for the rest of the week, but this is not really a horror novel. It’s actually told as an oral history (many people compare it to Studs Terkel, who I haven’t read, so I can’t speak to that, but if that sounds cool to you, go for it). According to the book, (and the jacket copy and everything is completely written as if this was a TRUE STORY) there was this major zombie war sometime in the near future, and the author has traveled all over the world interviewing people about their experiences during the conflict. It’s absolutely realistic in terms of what might really happen if a huge army of zombies started attacking people all over the world. Really unusual and creative. Jenne Bergstrom 03/08

THE WOUNDED AND THE SLAIN by David Goodis:  Hardcase Crime #31 is a reprint of 1955 classic.  Although not as widely known as his contemporaries – Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet - Goodis was noted producing some first rate fiction, turning out some five million words for pulp magazines, as well as serial novels and scripts for radio adventure shows.  This one is the tale of a troubled married couple who fly to Jamaica for a last chance at patching things up.  James ends up in a Kingston slum battling for his life, while Cora falls victim to another man.  And to top it off, it has an awesome cover.  Very much recommended. 05/07 Jack Quick 

Wreath of Deception by Mary Ellen Hughes: Hughes’ Craft Corner Mystery series debuts with this cozy mystery featuring Jo McAllister. Jo moved to Abbottsville, Maryland to open a craft store after the tragic death of her husband in a fire. She faces another tragedy when the clown she hired to work on opening day is murdered and left in her storage room at the shop. Fortunately, she can count on friends when she becomes the primary suspect in the investigation. Her best friend, Carrie, and a group of crafting ladies, encourage Jo to strike out on her own investigation, knowing the local cops have Jo in the sights. With the help of Carrie’s fifteen- year-old son, Charlie, Jo prowls the local country club and little theater, places that were haunts of Kyle, the dead clown. The first Craft Corner Mystery introduces an interesting new heroine, with a strong cast of supporting characters. The craft shop angle also opens a number of opportunities for future stories. This is an enjoyable first mystery, with a likeable cast. 10/06 Lesa Holstine

WRECKER’S KEY by Christine Kling: Nestor Frias calls tugboat Captain and owner Seychelle Sullivan for help after he runs a millionaire's yacht aground in Key West. Nestor insists the GPS navigation system was somehow compromised, but while Seychelle is towing the yacht to Fort Lauderdale, Nestor is killed in a windsurfing accident that his pregnant widow insists was murder. An unexpected reunion with an old childhood friend, Ben Baker, once a nerd, now a hottie, provides some romantic tension while Seychelle tries to get to the truth behind Nestor’s accidents. Go ahead, admit it, the ending surprised you, right? 04/07 Jack Quick

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 WRONG KIND OF BLOOD by Declan Hughes: LA private eye Edward Loy has returned to his boyhood home of Dublin for his mother’s funeral. On the way home from the service a friend asks him to find her missing husband – leading to bodies, danger, and a fearsome organized crime gang. Loy is hampered by the fact that the Dublin he grew up in no longer the Dublin of today. This should please fans of Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos – as it did me. 03/06 Jack Quick

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