Now & Then - Robert B Parker - Another Spenser book and I do enjoy the characters.
When a client who suspects his wife is cheating on him is murdered in Parker's 35th snappy Spenser adventure (after Hundred-Dollar Baby), the Boston PI takes it personally, not only because the case resonates with Spenser's past history with love interest Susan, but also because, like Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade, Spenser feels he can't let a client get murdered without doing something about it. The repartee is up to Parker's high standards, and the detection is hands on and straightforward, with Spenser carrying the load. Since Spenser's aides, including the stalwart Hawke, outclass the heavies, Spenser has time to deal with the mysterious other man, Perry Alderson, whose academic background appears as suspect as his dealings with various subversive groups. This briskly paced cat-and-mouse game offers Spenser fans exactly what they've come to expect from the reliable Parker—no-nonsense action and plenty of romantic give-and-take between Susan and Spenser, who even find the subject of marriage intruding once more.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Audio Books in May, 2008
Shoot Him If He Runs - Stuart Woods - The reader of this book annoyed me to no end. Half the time he was talking like he was a wannabe mobster. If I hadn't be a fan of the characters I never would have finished listening to the book.
Stone Barrington and his colleagues are dispatched to the Caribbean island of St. Marks to hunt down a rogue CIA agent, who has turned into an assassin. Their task is simply to locate and report his whereabouts. However, once they begin their mission, their orders take a terrible turn. SHOOT HIM IF HE RUNS, their CIA handlers command. Tony Robertss narration is clear and crisp. He differentiates the characters comfortably, although his representation of NYPD Detective Dino is a tad irritating. Roberts, an accomplished reader, blunders, as many people do, with his pronunciation of Spokane (Washington) during the opening chapter. However, for those who enjoy thrillers, this is still an entertaining production.
Stone Barrington and his colleagues are dispatched to the Caribbean island of St. Marks to hunt down a rogue CIA agent, who has turned into an assassin. Their task is simply to locate and report his whereabouts. However, once they begin their mission, their orders take a terrible turn. SHOOT HIM IF HE RUNS, their CIA handlers command. Tony Robertss narration is clear and crisp. He differentiates the characters comfortably, although his representation of NYPD Detective Dino is a tad irritating. Roberts, an accomplished reader, blunders, as many people do, with his pronunciation of Spokane (Washington) during the opening chapter. However, for those who enjoy thrillers, this is still an entertaining production.
Audio Books in May, 2008
King Con - Stephen J. Cannell - I enjoyed this book. Loved the characters.
Those who remember Jim Rockford's stings on TV will recognize the setup of KING CON, about con man Beano Bates's scheme to avenge his cousin's death--and his own beating--at the hands of mobsters Joe and Tommy Rina. That's because both Rockford and Bates are Stephen J. Cannell creations. Cannell doesn't try to create a new voice for each character, but conveys emotion through inflection. He tends to get a bit breathless with excitement in action scenes. Frequent profanity stands out a bit too much, and changing points of view are occasionally confusing. Even with these flaws, this caper moves briskly and enjoyably.
Those who remember Jim Rockford's stings on TV will recognize the setup of KING CON, about con man Beano Bates's scheme to avenge his cousin's death--and his own beating--at the hands of mobsters Joe and Tommy Rina. That's because both Rockford and Bates are Stephen J. Cannell creations. Cannell doesn't try to create a new voice for each character, but conveys emotion through inflection. He tends to get a bit breathless with excitement in action scenes. Frequent profanity stands out a bit too much, and changing points of view are occasionally confusing. Even with these flaws, this caper moves briskly and enjoyably.
Audio Books in May, 2008
Sweet Revenge - Diane Mott Davidson - I have always enjoyed this series but this time the author added some things that were just not believeable. Really makes me angry when they do that and takes away from my enjoyment of the book.
A month before Christmas, I saw a ghost...
Goldy Schulz is thrilled to be catering a holiday breakfast feast for the staff of the Aspen Meadow Library. But little does she know that on the menu is a large helping of murder.
While setting up at the library, Goldy spots a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Sandee Brisbane—the Sandee Brisbane who killed Goldy's ex-husband, the Jerk. But Sandee is supposed to be dead. Or so everyone believes. Goldy's suspicions mount when the body of Drew Wellington, a former district attorney, is found in a corner of the library with a map worth thousands of dollars stashed in his clothing. She's convinced that Sandee is involved. But the holiday madness is only just beginning for Goldy. Soon she's drawn into the dangerous, double-crossing world of high-end map dealing. And, like the ghost of Christmas past, Sandee keeps making an appearance. Could she be out to prove that revenge is sweet?
A month before Christmas, I saw a ghost...
Goldy Schulz is thrilled to be catering a holiday breakfast feast for the staff of the Aspen Meadow Library. But little does she know that on the menu is a large helping of murder.
While setting up at the library, Goldy spots a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Sandee Brisbane—the Sandee Brisbane who killed Goldy's ex-husband, the Jerk. But Sandee is supposed to be dead. Or so everyone believes. Goldy's suspicions mount when the body of Drew Wellington, a former district attorney, is found in a corner of the library with a map worth thousands of dollars stashed in his clothing. She's convinced that Sandee is involved. But the holiday madness is only just beginning for Goldy. Soon she's drawn into the dangerous, double-crossing world of high-end map dealing. And, like the ghost of Christmas past, Sandee keeps making an appearance. Could she be out to prove that revenge is sweet?
Audio Books in May, 2008
School Days _ Robert B Parker - I enjoyed the book but was really annoyed by the reader saying he said or she said and then I said.
Why? It takes a tough guy to get the answer to a tough question like that, especially when no one else wants to know. Spenser's the tough guy who's looking for answers in a school shooting case in this latest novel. Narrating as the Boston gumshoe, Joe Mantegna adds a light touch to Spenser's toughness, drawing laughs with his reading of wry, erudite lines. As the investigation gets more serious, Mantegna's narration turns more dramatic. Always, he highlights Parker's carefully drawn sense of place and eye for detail, sounding as naturally observant as a private eye. More than a puzzle, this novel shines light on the human factor in tragedy.
Why? It takes a tough guy to get the answer to a tough question like that, especially when no one else wants to know. Spenser's the tough guy who's looking for answers in a school shooting case in this latest novel. Narrating as the Boston gumshoe, Joe Mantegna adds a light touch to Spenser's toughness, drawing laughs with his reading of wry, erudite lines. As the investigation gets more serious, Mantegna's narration turns more dramatic. Always, he highlights Parker's carefully drawn sense of place and eye for detail, sounding as naturally observant as a private eye. More than a puzzle, this novel shines light on the human factor in tragedy.
Books Read in May, 2008
Praying for Sheetrock - Melissa Fay Greene - This book was written about a county close to where we live. Wish I could say it wasn't true but from the stories I have heard it's the truth.
Despite what it said in the New York Times or the Congressional Record, not everybody in America got the word right away about the civil rights movement. Thus it was that well into the 1970s, McIntosh County in backwoods Georgia remained a place where the black majority still had never elected one of their own to any county office, where black kids were bused away from the white school, and where the white county sheriff had his hand in every racket there was. Praying for Sheetrock is the saga of how, thanks to the leadership of a black shop-steward-turned-county-commissioner named Thurnell Alston, together with the aid of a cadre of idealistic Legal Services lawyers (Melissa Greene was one of their paralegals) this situation began to change. The story, written as grippingly as a novel, is charged with twists that only nonfiction can deliver; for example, Alston, for all the brave good he did, ultimately got caught in a federal sting and went to jail while the corrupt sheriff walked. This is, writes Greene, a story of "large and important things happening in a very little place."
Despite what it said in the New York Times or the Congressional Record, not everybody in America got the word right away about the civil rights movement. Thus it was that well into the 1970s, McIntosh County in backwoods Georgia remained a place where the black majority still had never elected one of their own to any county office, where black kids were bused away from the white school, and where the white county sheriff had his hand in every racket there was. Praying for Sheetrock is the saga of how, thanks to the leadership of a black shop-steward-turned-county-commissioner named Thurnell Alston, together with the aid of a cadre of idealistic Legal Services lawyers (Melissa Greene was one of their paralegals) this situation began to change. The story, written as grippingly as a novel, is charged with twists that only nonfiction can deliver; for example, Alston, for all the brave good he did, ultimately got caught in a federal sting and went to jail while the corrupt sheriff walked. This is, writes Greene, a story of "large and important things happening in a very little place."
Books Read in May, 2008
Mad Mouse - Chris Grabenstein - THis plot was a little easier to figure out but I still enjoyed the characters.
Grabenstein's second humorous procedural (after 2005's Tilt-a-Whirl) reunites that incongruous pair, Sea Haven, N.J., police officer John Ceepak, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who lives by the code "I will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do," and his callow young sidekick, Danny Boyle, who's promoted from part-time summer cop to full-time status. Paintball vandalism becomes something more serious when the assailant switches to actual gunfire, targeting Boyle and his circle of friends. In scenes reminiscent of Jaws, the local mayor, anxious that tourist dollars not be scared away, tries to conceal the significance of the shootings, but the politician offers little resistance to the detective duo's investigative efforts. Some readers may find that the jokey tone jars with a plot that echoes the real-life D.C. sniper case, but those for whom a laugh counts more than realistic action will be amused.
Grabenstein's second humorous procedural (after 2005's Tilt-a-Whirl) reunites that incongruous pair, Sea Haven, N.J., police officer John Ceepak, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who lives by the code "I will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do," and his callow young sidekick, Danny Boyle, who's promoted from part-time summer cop to full-time status. Paintball vandalism becomes something more serious when the assailant switches to actual gunfire, targeting Boyle and his circle of friends. In scenes reminiscent of Jaws, the local mayor, anxious that tourist dollars not be scared away, tries to conceal the significance of the shootings, but the politician offers little resistance to the detective duo's investigative efforts. Some readers may find that the jokey tone jars with a plot that echoes the real-life D.C. sniper case, but those for whom a laugh counts more than realistic action will be amused.
Books Read in May, 2008
Whack A Mole - Chris Grabenstein - This is another series in which I truly enjoy the main characters. I find these books to be quick and easy reads.
A recovered school ring leads mismatched policemen John Ceepak, a 36-year-old veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and his rookie partner, Danny Boyle, on a search for a serial killer in Grabenstein's flaccid third mystery set in a New Jersey beach resort called Sea Haven. The previous two books in the series, Tilt-a-Whirl and Mad Mouse, did a good job developing the relationship between the highly trained, honorable ex-marine and his young partner, who joined the cops mostly to impress girls. About all the two had in a common was a love for Bruce Springsteen, but Boyle was a quick study under Ceepak's tutelage. Now, Ceepak literally digs up a cold case on the beach with his metal detector, which finds a ring and then a charm bracelet, trinkets that belonged to women who were beheaded by a preachy killer Ceepak nicknames Ezekiel. Signs indicate the killer may strike again soon, but the limp dialogue dilutes the suspense.
A recovered school ring leads mismatched policemen John Ceepak, a 36-year-old veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and his rookie partner, Danny Boyle, on a search for a serial killer in Grabenstein's flaccid third mystery set in a New Jersey beach resort called Sea Haven. The previous two books in the series, Tilt-a-Whirl and Mad Mouse, did a good job developing the relationship between the highly trained, honorable ex-marine and his young partner, who joined the cops mostly to impress girls. About all the two had in a common was a love for Bruce Springsteen, but Boyle was a quick study under Ceepak's tutelage. Now, Ceepak literally digs up a cold case on the beach with his metal detector, which finds a ring and then a charm bracelet, trinkets that belonged to women who were beheaded by a preachy killer Ceepak nicknames Ezekiel. Signs indicate the killer may strike again soon, but the limp dialogue dilutes the suspense.
Books Read in May, 2008
Deadly Legacy - Robin Burcell - This is a new series for me and I love the books. The characters are great and there is always a twist that makes it hard to figure out....
San Francisco P.D. Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie's investigation into a bizarre apparent murder/suicide is threatening to careen out of control. A dead man might not be dead. The families of the deceased are hiding something. And there are blood-soaked threads reaching into some very lofty places. But most perplexing of all are the shocking revelations of one of the "victims" dark and dangerous history -- the more Kate learns, the less she knows. It's a case that has placed Kate Gillespie on the hot seat as her investigation gets bigger by the moment -- and puts her perilously high on a rabid killer's hit list.
San Francisco P.D. Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie's investigation into a bizarre apparent murder/suicide is threatening to careen out of control. A dead man might not be dead. The families of the deceased are hiding something. And there are blood-soaked threads reaching into some very lofty places. But most perplexing of all are the shocking revelations of one of the "victims" dark and dangerous history -- the more Kate learns, the less she knows. It's a case that has placed Kate Gillespie on the hot seat as her investigation gets bigger by the moment -- and puts her perilously high on a rabid killer's hit list.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Books Read in May, 2008
Fatal Truth - Robin Burcell - I have really enjoyed this series. I love the characters and the setting.
Police corruption and violence abound in Fatal Truth, Robin Burcell's second novel (after Every Move She Makes) starring San Francisco homicide inspector Kate Gillespie. On the way to meet with a snitch, Kate witnesses his murder. The culprit, a corrupt narcotics investigator, turns up dead several hours later. Unsure of whom she can trust, Kate turns to her ex-partner, PI Sam Scolari, and Mike Torrance, an internal affairs detective and former romantic flame. Both men assist Kate as she investigates the two killings and discovers some surprising links to a 12-year-old scandal involving her brother, his wife and their young son. Through sharp, staccato prose, Burcell delivers a taut police procedural stuffed with law enforcement jargon and exhilarating action sequences.
Police corruption and violence abound in Fatal Truth, Robin Burcell's second novel (after Every Move She Makes) starring San Francisco homicide inspector Kate Gillespie. On the way to meet with a snitch, Kate witnesses his murder. The culprit, a corrupt narcotics investigator, turns up dead several hours later. Unsure of whom she can trust, Kate turns to her ex-partner, PI Sam Scolari, and Mike Torrance, an internal affairs detective and former romantic flame. Both men assist Kate as she investigates the two killings and discovers some surprising links to a 12-year-old scandal involving her brother, his wife and their young son. Through sharp, staccato prose, Burcell delivers a taut police procedural stuffed with law enforcement jargon and exhilarating action sequences.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
May, 2008 Audio Books
Cold Hit - Stephen J Cannell - Another Shane Scully book, once again I really enjoyed listening to this book. The characters were more likeable in the audio books in my opinion.
Cannell tackles the dilemma faced by police when they tangle with Homeland Security. Detective Shane Scully butts up against Robert Allen Virtue, the regional director of DHS, in the investigation of a serial killer who removes his victims' fingertips. When the fourth murder doesn't fit the pattern of the series, Scully runs smack into Homeland Security AND the FBI. Scott Brick performs this police procedural with his usual precision, while driving the details to the fore. Brick's portrays the federal agents as stony and hard-nosed and the local police as driven to find the truth behind the lies and obfuscation of the Feds' secrecy.
Cannell tackles the dilemma faced by police when they tangle with Homeland Security. Detective Shane Scully butts up against Robert Allen Virtue, the regional director of DHS, in the investigation of a serial killer who removes his victims' fingertips. When the fourth murder doesn't fit the pattern of the series, Scully runs smack into Homeland Security AND the FBI. Scott Brick performs this police procedural with his usual precision, while driving the details to the fore. Brick's portrays the federal agents as stony and hard-nosed and the local police as driven to find the truth behind the lies and obfuscation of the Feds' secrecy.
May, 2008 Audio Books
The Two Minute Rule - Robert Crais - I have been looking for this book for a while. It was worth the wait, I really enjoyed the book and hope to find others by this author at the library.
If Bruce Willis's face keeps coming to mind whenever former bank robber Max Holman speaks in this sharp and touching audio version of Crais's latest bestseller, it's not surprising. Willis starred in the movie of Crais's Hostage and would be perfect as Holman. But Graybill does a good job of making Max more than just an imitation. His Holman quickly comes to life as a bruised, repentant man seeking revenge against those who shot and killed his 23-year-old LAPD rookie son, just a day before Holman's release from prison. Graybill is also skilled at making the lesser roles real and different: the cops who worked with his son cover a range of voices and attitudes, as do the petty criminals, gang members and assorted villains Max encounters. Graybill is especially good at catching the combination of weariness, frustration and basic decency of Katherine Pollard, the former FBI agent who arrested Holman 10 years ago and is now an unemployed single mother and the only person who will help him search for his son's killers. It's one of the author's best books, and audio listeners should quickly be caught up in its subtle, ironic excitement.
If Bruce Willis's face keeps coming to mind whenever former bank robber Max Holman speaks in this sharp and touching audio version of Crais's latest bestseller, it's not surprising. Willis starred in the movie of Crais's Hostage and would be perfect as Holman. But Graybill does a good job of making Max more than just an imitation. His Holman quickly comes to life as a bruised, repentant man seeking revenge against those who shot and killed his 23-year-old LAPD rookie son, just a day before Holman's release from prison. Graybill is also skilled at making the lesser roles real and different: the cops who worked with his son cover a range of voices and attitudes, as do the petty criminals, gang members and assorted villains Max encounters. Graybill is especially good at catching the combination of weariness, frustration and basic decency of Katherine Pollard, the former FBI agent who arrested Holman 10 years ago and is now an unemployed single mother and the only person who will help him search for his son's killers. It's one of the author's best books, and audio listeners should quickly be caught up in its subtle, ironic excitement.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Books Read in May, 2008
A Grave Denied - Dana Stabenow - This was a great book, I really enjoy this series. The plot was well written, she created two good suspects and set it up so well it could easily have been either. Couldn’t figure out which one it was and when it was over the reason wasn’t what I thought and completely blew me away.
On an eighth-grade field trip to Grant Glacier in Alaska, students discover a corpse in an ice cave beneath the glacier. With too many cases, State Trooper Jim Chopin hires Aleut PI Kate Shugak to investigate. After discovering that the victim had a secret life, Kate becomes the killer's next target. In this thirteenth Shugak novel, Stabenow simultaneously builds on the series' strengths and moves in new directions. As before, she effectively combines a challenging, suspect-filled mystery with a vivid sense of place and some witty commentary on Alaskans. The field-trip premise gives her the opportunity to develop teenage supporting characters and to reflect sensitively on teen concerns. Fans will also enjoy the first tentative steps toward a wary romance between Jim and Kate.
On an eighth-grade field trip to Grant Glacier in Alaska, students discover a corpse in an ice cave beneath the glacier. With too many cases, State Trooper Jim Chopin hires Aleut PI Kate Shugak to investigate. After discovering that the victim had a secret life, Kate becomes the killer's next target. In this thirteenth Shugak novel, Stabenow simultaneously builds on the series' strengths and moves in new directions. As before, she effectively combines a challenging, suspect-filled mystery with a vivid sense of place and some witty commentary on Alaskans. The field-trip premise gives her the opportunity to develop teenage supporting characters and to reflect sensitively on teen concerns. Fans will also enjoy the first tentative steps toward a wary romance between Jim and Kate.
Monday, May 5, 2008
May, 2008 Audio Books
White Sister - Stephen J Cannell - This is the second book I have read by this author. I liked the characters better in the audio book than I did in the previous book.
With his frenetic fifth Shane Scully novel, bestseller Cannell (Cold Hit) dishes out the action in forklift-sized servings. Casting aside the rules like never before, LAPD detective Scully conducts his own seek-and-destroy mission after his wife, fellow cop Alexa, is found shot in the head. As Alexa clings to life, Scully's efforts to track down her attacker lead him into the violent, vengeful world of rap music, lorded over by two of its most feared executives, Lou Maluga and his wife, Stacy, known in the trade as "the white sister." Without pause to sleep or eat, Scully fights and claws his way along, burning friends, violating laws, using his charm as well as his fists before coming face to face with his enemy in Las Vegas. Cannell's hard-boiled, if at times over-rehearsed prose is well suited to his subject matter, though some readers may have trouble with his hero's tendency to suddenly shift character from tough guy to touchy-feely 21st-century man.
With his frenetic fifth Shane Scully novel, bestseller Cannell (Cold Hit) dishes out the action in forklift-sized servings. Casting aside the rules like never before, LAPD detective Scully conducts his own seek-and-destroy mission after his wife, fellow cop Alexa, is found shot in the head. As Alexa clings to life, Scully's efforts to track down her attacker lead him into the violent, vengeful world of rap music, lorded over by two of its most feared executives, Lou Maluga and his wife, Stacy, known in the trade as "the white sister." Without pause to sleep or eat, Scully fights and claws his way along, burning friends, violating laws, using his charm as well as his fists before coming face to face with his enemy in Las Vegas. Cannell's hard-boiled, if at times over-rehearsed prose is well suited to his subject matter, though some readers may have trouble with his hero's tendency to suddenly shift character from tough guy to touchy-feely 21st-century man.
May, 2008 Audio Books
Stone Cold - Robert B. Parker - I had previously read the book, and seen the movie but I did enjoy listening to the book.
Stone Cold is Parker's fourth novel to feature former Los Angeles cop Jesse Stone, now serving as police chief in suburban Paradise, on the Boston North Shore. Stone is just as tough and nearly as incorruptible as Spenser, the hero of more than thirty Parker novels. But Stone carries plenty of baggage along with his police shield: an ex-wife whom he can't let go, attachments that he can't hold onto, and a bottle that he can't put down. Narrator Robert Forster interprets Stone as a tarnished knight, making him both wise and wizened as he investigates a high school gang rape and tries to track down a bizarre team of serial thrill-killers before they track him down. Forster reads the book in a Midwestern drawl that fits neither LA nor Massachusetts, but he serves up Parker's hard writing with an appropriate punch that won't leave the listener cold.
Stone Cold is Parker's fourth novel to feature former Los Angeles cop Jesse Stone, now serving as police chief in suburban Paradise, on the Boston North Shore. Stone is just as tough and nearly as incorruptible as Spenser, the hero of more than thirty Parker novels. But Stone carries plenty of baggage along with his police shield: an ex-wife whom he can't let go, attachments that he can't hold onto, and a bottle that he can't put down. Narrator Robert Forster interprets Stone as a tarnished knight, making him both wise and wizened as he investigates a high school gang rape and tries to track down a bizarre team of serial thrill-killers before they track him down. Forster reads the book in a Midwestern drawl that fits neither LA nor Massachusetts, but he serves up Parker's hard writing with an appropriate punch that won't leave the listener cold.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Books Read in May, 2008
Three Shirt Deal – Stephen J. Cannell – This is a new series for me, I didn’t start with the first book but it didn’t bother me. I am listening to another one of these books on my ipod, not sure how much I like the series. I just didn’t really care much for the characters.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Books Read in April, 2008
Cold Hit - Linda Fairstein - I really enjoy these books they are interesting, faced paced and not easy to figure out.
The discovery at Manhattan's northern tip of the body of a woman tied to a ladder leads Assistant District Attorney Alexandra "Alex" Cooper, head of the borough's Sex Crimes Unit (as is her creator, Fairstein), and her associates, NYPD Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, on a circuitous trek through the rarefied but far from savory New York art world. Denise CaxtonAcollector, co-owner of a gallery and estranged wife of wealthy connoisseur Lowell CaxtonAseemed to want for nothing, but as Alex and her team dig into the victim's background, they uncover contradictions and conflicts in her privileged existence. What part did gallery partner Bryan Daughtrey or antiques expert Frank Wrenley play in the dead woman's life? Her investigation into Denise's shady deals come to endanger Alex, and the lives of those close to her as well. Fairstein (Final Jeopardy; Likely to Die) once again uses her own experience and knowledge of the city to strong advantage in balancing the case at hand with the day-to-day workings of the system. Her thick layerings of the legal background at times slow the action, but they add immeasurably to the reader's understanding and appreciation of what is entailed in making a case. Fairstein's rough-and-tumble courthouse scenes ring true, as do her descriptions of the mundane police work of Mercer and Mike, whose easy wisecracking and addiction to the television show Jeopardy are a cover for their affection for each other and Alex. Alex herself remains a shining protagonist, comfortable in the upper echelons of New York society but eager to roll up her sleeves at work, her heart aching for her staff and the victims they defend. Fans of the assistant D.A.'s previous adventures will be mightily pleased with this one.
The discovery at Manhattan's northern tip of the body of a woman tied to a ladder leads Assistant District Attorney Alexandra "Alex" Cooper, head of the borough's Sex Crimes Unit (as is her creator, Fairstein), and her associates, NYPD Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, on a circuitous trek through the rarefied but far from savory New York art world. Denise CaxtonAcollector, co-owner of a gallery and estranged wife of wealthy connoisseur Lowell CaxtonAseemed to want for nothing, but as Alex and her team dig into the victim's background, they uncover contradictions and conflicts in her privileged existence. What part did gallery partner Bryan Daughtrey or antiques expert Frank Wrenley play in the dead woman's life? Her investigation into Denise's shady deals come to endanger Alex, and the lives of those close to her as well. Fairstein (Final Jeopardy; Likely to Die) once again uses her own experience and knowledge of the city to strong advantage in balancing the case at hand with the day-to-day workings of the system. Her thick layerings of the legal background at times slow the action, but they add immeasurably to the reader's understanding and appreciation of what is entailed in making a case. Fairstein's rough-and-tumble courthouse scenes ring true, as do her descriptions of the mundane police work of Mercer and Mike, whose easy wisecracking and addiction to the television show Jeopardy are a cover for their affection for each other and Alex. Alex herself remains a shining protagonist, comfortable in the upper echelons of New York society but eager to roll up her sleeves at work, her heart aching for her staff and the victims they defend. Fans of the assistant D.A.'s previous adventures will be mightily pleased with this one.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Books Read in April, 2008
Deadliest Catch - Desperate Hours - High Seas, Rugged Men, Raw Terror - Dan Weeks - I really enjoyed this book. The only thing that could have made it better was more captain and crew bios....
Tales of heroics, wrecks and rescues are all captured in this unique collection of epic tales that will have fans of the show and readers alike setting sail for adventures on the frigid Bering Sea.
Tales of heroics, wrecks and rescues are all captured in this unique collection of epic tales that will have fans of the show and readers alike setting sail for adventures on the frigid Bering Sea.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Books Read in April, 2008
Sleeping Beauty - Phillip Margolin - A fast, page turning read. I really enjoyed this book.
The criminal at the heart of bestseller Margolin's unsatisfying 10th thriller is particularly heinous. Late one night in Portland, Ore., he assaults teenager Ashley Spencer, rapes and kills Ashley's friend Tanya, a sleepover guest, and stabs Ashley's father to death. Ashley miraculously escapes, but her brush with terror is far from over. A few months later, just as she and her mother, Terri (out of town on the night of the attack), are beginning to re-engage with the world, the killer strikes again, murdering Terri and leaving another woman, Casey Van Meter, in a coma on the grounds of Ashley's new school, the exclusive Oregon Academy. Ashley doesn't witness the crime, but she sees Joshua Maxfield, the school's writer-in-residence, at the scene, clutching a bloody knife. Wondering why her quiet, loving family has been targeted by this madman, she goes into hiding in Europe, returning to Portland years later to bear witness when Maxfield is finally apprehended and tried. But is he guilty? And what was the motive for this crime spree? The search for answers generates a modicum of suspense, but the book never really commands much interest, thanks to clumsy plotting and even clumsier prose. Much of the story is revealed in flashbacks, framed by scenes from a reading in a Seattle bookstore given by Casey's twin brother, Miles Van Meter, who has written a bestselling true-crime book about the case and his comatose sister (and yes, it's as contrived as it sounds). Margolin (The Ties That Bind, etc.) has imagined a particularly lurid and sensational crime, but he fails to realize virtually any of its inherent dramatic potential.
The criminal at the heart of bestseller Margolin's unsatisfying 10th thriller is particularly heinous. Late one night in Portland, Ore., he assaults teenager Ashley Spencer, rapes and kills Ashley's friend Tanya, a sleepover guest, and stabs Ashley's father to death. Ashley miraculously escapes, but her brush with terror is far from over. A few months later, just as she and her mother, Terri (out of town on the night of the attack), are beginning to re-engage with the world, the killer strikes again, murdering Terri and leaving another woman, Casey Van Meter, in a coma on the grounds of Ashley's new school, the exclusive Oregon Academy. Ashley doesn't witness the crime, but she sees Joshua Maxfield, the school's writer-in-residence, at the scene, clutching a bloody knife. Wondering why her quiet, loving family has been targeted by this madman, she goes into hiding in Europe, returning to Portland years later to bear witness when Maxfield is finally apprehended and tried. But is he guilty? And what was the motive for this crime spree? The search for answers generates a modicum of suspense, but the book never really commands much interest, thanks to clumsy plotting and even clumsier prose. Much of the story is revealed in flashbacks, framed by scenes from a reading in a Seattle bookstore given by Casey's twin brother, Miles Van Meter, who has written a bestselling true-crime book about the case and his comatose sister (and yes, it's as contrived as it sounds). Margolin (The Ties That Bind, etc.) has imagined a particularly lurid and sensational crime, but he fails to realize virtually any of its inherent dramatic potential.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Books Read in April, 2008
Cold Case - Robin Burcell - This book was a new author for me. I enjoyed it and hope there are others in the series. There were lots of twists and turns, I had a hard time figuring out who the guilty party was!
Three years ago SFPD Homicide Investigator Kate Gillespie was in pursuit of a suspect who murdered a hooker in a sleazy motel, and she nearly lost her own life in the process. The shooter escaped into the San Francisco shadows and the trail went colder than the grave. Now Kate's appearance on a Bay Area "crime stoppers" TV show produces new leads that carry her back into the sordid world of drugs and prostitution -- and point her toward a local crime boss whose missing wife is possibly linked to multiple men and multiple murders. But when a dangerous knot of betrayals, secrets, and criminal cover-ups starts unraveling, Kate can only hope she'll be as lucky as she was on that black night at the Twin Palms Motel. Because the only way to the truth leads directly into the line of fire . . .
Three years ago SFPD Homicide Investigator Kate Gillespie was in pursuit of a suspect who murdered a hooker in a sleazy motel, and she nearly lost her own life in the process. The shooter escaped into the San Francisco shadows and the trail went colder than the grave. Now Kate's appearance on a Bay Area "crime stoppers" TV show produces new leads that carry her back into the sordid world of drugs and prostitution -- and point her toward a local crime boss whose missing wife is possibly linked to multiple men and multiple murders. But when a dangerous knot of betrayals, secrets, and criminal cover-ups starts unraveling, Kate can only hope she'll be as lucky as she was on that black night at the Twin Palms Motel. Because the only way to the truth leads directly into the line of fire . . .
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Books Read in April, 2008
Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs - Andy Hillstrand, Johnathan Hillstrand, and Malcolm Macpherson - I was a little disappointed in this book. Not quite what I thought it was going to be.
Many brave hearts are asleep in the deep, so beware, beware,” goes the chorus of an old sailors’ sing-along that celebrates the allure and danger of the seafaring life. But make no mistake–there truly is much to beware for those who are drawn to risk their lives and seek their fortunes upon the waves. And perhaps none take more chances than the men and women who brave the tempestuous, bountiful waters of the Bering Sea. Season after season, they bond and battle with its icy depths, determined to reap yet one more rewarding harvest while eluding the ever-present threat of sudden, certain death. And among the rapidly diminishing ranks of these die-hard salts, brothers Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand have forged a reputation as fierce masters of their treacherous, enthralling trade. If you’ve watched their exploits on TV’s Deadliest Catch, you’ve only scratched the surface. To read Time Bandit is to step into their skins, smell the sea air, feel the frigid wind, and know with all your senses the exhilarating, and terrifying life on the edge.Natives of tiny, fishing hamlet, Homer, Alaska; sons of a hard-bitten, highly successful fisherman; and born with brine in their blood, the Hillstrand boys couldn’t imagine a life without a swaying deck underfoot and a harvest of mighty Alaskan king crabs waiting to be pulled from the ocean floor. In pursuit of their daily catch, the brothers brave ice floes and heaving waves 60 feet high, the perils of 1000-lb steel traps thrown about by the punishing wind, and the constant menace of the open, hungry water.Even the brothers’ downtime on land–where the deadly realities of the unforgiving sea are never far from their minds–is lived as if borrowed: fast and hard, haunted by the knowledge that the next season at sea could end asleep in the deep.Here is the Hillstrands’ own heartfelt hymn to the brutally hard, gloriously independent, and mysteriously soul-satisfying life that has earned them their daily bread and defined their existence. By turns raucous and reflective, exhilarating and anguished, enthralling, suspenseful, and wise, Time Bandit chronicles a larger-than-life love affair as old as civilization itself–a love affair between striving, willful man and inscrutable, enduring nature
Many brave hearts are asleep in the deep, so beware, beware,” goes the chorus of an old sailors’ sing-along that celebrates the allure and danger of the seafaring life. But make no mistake–there truly is much to beware for those who are drawn to risk their lives and seek their fortunes upon the waves. And perhaps none take more chances than the men and women who brave the tempestuous, bountiful waters of the Bering Sea. Season after season, they bond and battle with its icy depths, determined to reap yet one more rewarding harvest while eluding the ever-present threat of sudden, certain death. And among the rapidly diminishing ranks of these die-hard salts, brothers Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand have forged a reputation as fierce masters of their treacherous, enthralling trade. If you’ve watched their exploits on TV’s Deadliest Catch, you’ve only scratched the surface. To read Time Bandit is to step into their skins, smell the sea air, feel the frigid wind, and know with all your senses the exhilarating, and terrifying life on the edge.Natives of tiny, fishing hamlet, Homer, Alaska; sons of a hard-bitten, highly successful fisherman; and born with brine in their blood, the Hillstrand boys couldn’t imagine a life without a swaying deck underfoot and a harvest of mighty Alaskan king crabs waiting to be pulled from the ocean floor. In pursuit of their daily catch, the brothers brave ice floes and heaving waves 60 feet high, the perils of 1000-lb steel traps thrown about by the punishing wind, and the constant menace of the open, hungry water.Even the brothers’ downtime on land–where the deadly realities of the unforgiving sea are never far from their minds–is lived as if borrowed: fast and hard, haunted by the knowledge that the next season at sea could end asleep in the deep.Here is the Hillstrands’ own heartfelt hymn to the brutally hard, gloriously independent, and mysteriously soul-satisfying life that has earned them their daily bread and defined their existence. By turns raucous and reflective, exhilarating and anguished, enthralling, suspenseful, and wise, Time Bandit chronicles a larger-than-life love affair as old as civilization itself–a love affair between striving, willful man and inscrutable, enduring nature
Books Read in April, 2008
The Amber Room - Steve Berry - This is the second of his books I have read. I really enjoyed it. I like his style and his story line. His books have an historical theme which really peaks my interest.
Give this man credit: whereas most lawyers who decide to write a novel stay fairly close to home, Berry, a Georgia trial attorney, wanders far off the beaten path. Although his debut novel features a trial judge as its central character and opens with a pretty typical courtroom scene, it soon steps outside the courtroom--way outside. When Judge Rachel Cutler's father dies under suspicious circumstances, he leaves his daughter tantalizing clues to a decades-old secret: the Amber Room, an exquisite treasure that, so the legend goes, was appropriated by the Nazis when they invaded the Soviet Union. Now, to find out why her father died, and who's responsible, Rachel (with her ex-husband, Paul) heads off to Germany, where she hopes to find the truth about the Amber Room. Based loosely, very loosely, on certain historical events, the novel is plotted cleverly and written with style and substance. A welcome change from the usual legal-thriller fare from wanna-be Turows.
Give this man credit: whereas most lawyers who decide to write a novel stay fairly close to home, Berry, a Georgia trial attorney, wanders far off the beaten path. Although his debut novel features a trial judge as its central character and opens with a pretty typical courtroom scene, it soon steps outside the courtroom--way outside. When Judge Rachel Cutler's father dies under suspicious circumstances, he leaves his daughter tantalizing clues to a decades-old secret: the Amber Room, an exquisite treasure that, so the legend goes, was appropriated by the Nazis when they invaded the Soviet Union. Now, to find out why her father died, and who's responsible, Rachel (with her ex-husband, Paul) heads off to Germany, where she hopes to find the truth about the Amber Room. Based loosely, very loosely, on certain historical events, the novel is plotted cleverly and written with style and substance. A welcome change from the usual legal-thriller fare from wanna-be Turows.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Audio Books in April, 2008
The Switch - Sandra Brown - While the basic premise of this story is not new, there are some interesting twists that make this a very interesting story.
Identical twins are fair game for a thriller writer, and in The Switch, queen of suspense Sandra Brown (The Alibi, Standoff, Fat Tuesday) makes the most of an intricate setup involving Gillian and Melina Lloyd, a pair of thirtysomething Dallas beauties. When Gillian hears her biological clock ticking, she puts herself in the hands of the world-famous Waters Clinic and is artificially inseminated (as described in a somewhat plodding first chapter that omits no detail of the procedure). The action picks up when Gillian switches places with her twin, a media escort, and chauffeurs sexy astronaut Chief Hart around town. It turns out to be a fatal attraction, and suspicion falls on Chief when Gillian's mutilated body is found the next day.
The dead woman's smarmy and enigmatic boyfriend, Jem Hennings, has a vested interest in focusing police efforts on Hart, but Melina has her own reasons for thinking him wrong. Jem's connection with a charismatic preacher known as Brother Gabriel is at the heart of this mildly creepy mystery, in which the plucky Melina tracks Brother Gabriel to his lair and uncovers his diabolical plot while simultaneously revealing her own dark secret. The ending is telegraphed well in advance, but that won't deter Brown's many fans from relishing the details, including some sex scenes that are spicier than most of the florid prose that usually turns up in romantic thrillers of this sort. But that may be why the author inevitably rockets to the top of the bestseller list, where The Switch is destined to land.
Identical twins are fair game for a thriller writer, and in The Switch, queen of suspense Sandra Brown (The Alibi, Standoff, Fat Tuesday) makes the most of an intricate setup involving Gillian and Melina Lloyd, a pair of thirtysomething Dallas beauties. When Gillian hears her biological clock ticking, she puts herself in the hands of the world-famous Waters Clinic and is artificially inseminated (as described in a somewhat plodding first chapter that omits no detail of the procedure). The action picks up when Gillian switches places with her twin, a media escort, and chauffeurs sexy astronaut Chief Hart around town. It turns out to be a fatal attraction, and suspicion falls on Chief when Gillian's mutilated body is found the next day.
The dead woman's smarmy and enigmatic boyfriend, Jem Hennings, has a vested interest in focusing police efforts on Hart, but Melina has her own reasons for thinking him wrong. Jem's connection with a charismatic preacher known as Brother Gabriel is at the heart of this mildly creepy mystery, in which the plucky Melina tracks Brother Gabriel to his lair and uncovers his diabolical plot while simultaneously revealing her own dark secret. The ending is telegraphed well in advance, but that won't deter Brown's many fans from relishing the details, including some sex scenes that are spicier than most of the florid prose that usually turns up in romantic thrillers of this sort. But that may be why the author inevitably rockets to the top of the bestseller list, where The Switch is destined to land.
Audio Books in April, 2008
Point Blank - Catherine Coulter - This author is a favorite of mine, especially her FBI thrillers. This book didn't disappoint.
Typical of the FBI series featuring Agents Savage and Sherlock, this fast-paced story moves with momentum through numerous plot lines of love, murder, and stalking. Dick Hill is an experienced performer who deftly handles the numerous characters and keeps the story moving at breakneck speed. Listeners will appreciate that Hill makes us feel as if he is reading as fast as he can so that we can find out what happens next. The production and performance are superb, and the way the story lines finally come together is a testament to Coulter's talent. The combination of Coulter and Hill is as expert and entertaining as the Savage/Sherlock partnership.
Typical of the FBI series featuring Agents Savage and Sherlock, this fast-paced story moves with momentum through numerous plot lines of love, murder, and stalking. Dick Hill is an experienced performer who deftly handles the numerous characters and keeps the story moving at breakneck speed. Listeners will appreciate that Hill makes us feel as if he is reading as fast as he can so that we can find out what happens next. The production and performance are superb, and the way the story lines finally come together is a testament to Coulter's talent. The combination of Coulter and Hill is as expert and entertaining as the Savage/Sherlock partnership.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Audio Books in April, 2008
Fudge Cupcake Murder - JoAnne Fluke - I read this book a while ago. I enjoyed the book but the sudio version is driving me crazy. The reader is so annoying and if I could remember the ending I would quit listening.
In Fluke’s scrumptious fifth culinary cozy (after 2003’s LemonMeringue Pie Murder), Lake Eden, Minn., bakery owner Hannah Swensendiscovers the fudge-stained corpse of overbearing, unscrupulousSheriff Grant in a trash receptacle near her cooking school. Hannah’sbrother-in-law Bill is the prime suspect in the bludgeoning of hisrival for the upcoming sheriff’s election, so Hannah’sabout-to-deliver pregnant sister, Andrea, frantically begs herinvestigative assistance. And to kick it up a notch, Hannah’s currentred-hot squeeze, the acting sheriff, suspends Bill from the force,causing Hannah to come to a rolling boil. Moishe, Hannah’s engagingcat, gives her more grief than comfort as he adjusts stubbornly to hisdotage. While Hannah tries to identify the essential ingredient of acertain cupcake formula taken to the grave by a deceased localhomemaker, most readers will have figured out who the real killer islong before Hannah does. Mix unsavory small-town scandals, an annoyingmarriage-minded mother and quirky, sweet-toothed locals; add agenerous dollop of humor and romantic foible; sprinkle with intriguingrecipes; and you have a slightly cloying though satisfying firesideread.
In Fluke’s scrumptious fifth culinary cozy (after 2003’s LemonMeringue Pie Murder), Lake Eden, Minn., bakery owner Hannah Swensendiscovers the fudge-stained corpse of overbearing, unscrupulousSheriff Grant in a trash receptacle near her cooking school. Hannah’sbrother-in-law Bill is the prime suspect in the bludgeoning of hisrival for the upcoming sheriff’s election, so Hannah’sabout-to-deliver pregnant sister, Andrea, frantically begs herinvestigative assistance. And to kick it up a notch, Hannah’s currentred-hot squeeze, the acting sheriff, suspends Bill from the force,causing Hannah to come to a rolling boil. Moishe, Hannah’s engagingcat, gives her more grief than comfort as he adjusts stubbornly to hisdotage. While Hannah tries to identify the essential ingredient of acertain cupcake formula taken to the grave by a deceased localhomemaker, most readers will have figured out who the real killer islong before Hannah does. Mix unsavory small-town scandals, an annoyingmarriage-minded mother and quirky, sweet-toothed locals; add agenerous dollop of humor and romantic foible; sprinkle with intriguingrecipes; and you have a slightly cloying though satisfying firesideread.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
April 2008
A Cold-Blooded Business - Dana Stabenow - I am really enjoying this series. There just don't appear to be too many books in the series.
Stabenow's hardcover debut marks the fourth outing for Kate Shugak (last seen in Dead in the Water ), a native Aleut who is building a solid reputation as a tough freelance investigator. Although Kate has no love for the oil companies drilling in Alaska, she accepts a commission from Royal Petroleum Co. to find out who is bringing drugs into the Prudhoe Bay work site where there have been several overdoses and one death. Over the objections of RPetCo's security chief, Lou Childress, Kate goes in as an employee, getting a good look at her surroundings as a driver for Toni Hartzler, who gives PR tours to visiting dignitaries. She gains an instant "in" with the locals when she encounters Jerry McIsaac, an old acquaintance who works there as a medic. Kate spots plenty of drugs at her first party but doesn't observe anyone dealing. Of equal interest to her are the Native American artifacts being unearthed by archeologists at a local dig. While Kate is getting caught up in artifacts, she fails to notice that the dealers themselves are playing sleuth, putting her in danger. Throughout, Stabenow makes effective use of the regional setting, culture and Kate's personal heritage to add depth and color to this brisk and thoughtful tale.
Stabenow's hardcover debut marks the fourth outing for Kate Shugak (last seen in Dead in the Water ), a native Aleut who is building a solid reputation as a tough freelance investigator. Although Kate has no love for the oil companies drilling in Alaska, she accepts a commission from Royal Petroleum Co. to find out who is bringing drugs into the Prudhoe Bay work site where there have been several overdoses and one death. Over the objections of RPetCo's security chief, Lou Childress, Kate goes in as an employee, getting a good look at her surroundings as a driver for Toni Hartzler, who gives PR tours to visiting dignitaries. She gains an instant "in" with the locals when she encounters Jerry McIsaac, an old acquaintance who works there as a medic. Kate spots plenty of drugs at her first party but doesn't observe anyone dealing. Of equal interest to her are the Native American artifacts being unearthed by archeologists at a local dig. While Kate is getting caught up in artifacts, she fails to notice that the dealers themselves are playing sleuth, putting her in danger. Throughout, Stabenow makes effective use of the regional setting, culture and Kate's personal heritage to add depth and color to this brisk and thoughtful tale.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Audio Books Read in April, 2008
Final Jeopardy - Linda Fairstein - I have only read a couple of her books but I have enjoyed them. This book was just as good as the others, can't wait to read or listen to more.
When assistant district attorney Alexandra Cooper allows friend and film star Isabella Lascar to borrow her summer home on Martha's Vineyard, she has no idea that Isabella will end up dead and that Alexandra's boyfriend will emerge as the prime suspect. Who is the real murderer? Was Alexandra the intended target? Though most listeners will figure out the answers pretty early on, the story is engaging and the pacing is on the money. Reader Diane Venora performs real-life Manhattan prosecutor Fairstein's gritty prose quite well.
When assistant district attorney Alexandra Cooper allows friend and film star Isabella Lascar to borrow her summer home on Martha's Vineyard, she has no idea that Isabella will end up dead and that Alexandra's boyfriend will emerge as the prime suspect. Who is the real murderer? Was Alexandra the intended target? Though most listeners will figure out the answers pretty early on, the story is engaging and the pacing is on the money. Reader Diane Venora performs real-life Manhattan prosecutor Fairstein's gritty prose quite well.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Audio Books Read in April, 2008
Double Shot – Diane Mott Davidson - I enjoy this series. I read the book a while ago but have enjjoyed listening to it this time around.
Goldy, of Goldy Bear Catering--"Where everything is just right"--learns that her abusive ex, John Richard Korman, a.k.a. "the Jerk," has just been released from serving time for aggravated assault. Several violent attacks later, Goldy believes that John Richard is to blame... Barbara Rosenblat's performance is as delicious as the usual medley of mouth-watering recipes sprinkled liberally throughout Davidson's book. Rosenblat makes mincemeat of the catty Aspen Meadow's Christian women's group, whose buxom and brainless snow bunnies emerge as so much puff pastry. Her rendering of strippers, thugs, and twisted clerics adds just the right spice to Goldy's twelfth culinary adventure, guaranteeing that Davidson's recipe for murder and mayhem won't lose its appeal, even with the low-carb diet craze.
Goldy, of Goldy Bear Catering--"Where everything is just right"--learns that her abusive ex, John Richard Korman, a.k.a. "the Jerk," has just been released from serving time for aggravated assault. Several violent attacks later, Goldy believes that John Richard is to blame... Barbara Rosenblat's performance is as delicious as the usual medley of mouth-watering recipes sprinkled liberally throughout Davidson's book. Rosenblat makes mincemeat of the catty Aspen Meadow's Christian women's group, whose buxom and brainless snow bunnies emerge as so much puff pastry. Her rendering of strippers, thugs, and twisted clerics adds just the right spice to Goldy's twelfth culinary adventure, guaranteeing that Davidson's recipe for murder and mayhem won't lose its appeal, even with the low-carb diet craze.
Audio Books Read in April, 2008
Call to Treason – Tom Clancy – Op-Center Book, I have only read one of his Op-Center books but I really enjoyed this book. The story was interesting and the reader was good.
When a short-sighted Congressional committee cuts Op-Center's budget, the first victim is General Mike Rodgers. But he may not be out of work for long. The dynamic senator Donald Orr is making a run for President as the head of his own third party -- and he's in the market for a strong military advisor. The only problem is that it's beginning to look like Orr's presidential run has a body count. And Rodgers must decide whether to jump on the bandwagon or tear it down -- with the rest of the Op-Center team...
A powerful profile of America's defense, intelligence, and crisis management technology, Tom Clancy's Op-Center is the creation of Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik -- inspiring this and other gripping novels.
When a short-sighted Congressional committee cuts Op-Center's budget, the first victim is General Mike Rodgers. But he may not be out of work for long. The dynamic senator Donald Orr is making a run for President as the head of his own third party -- and he's in the market for a strong military advisor. The only problem is that it's beginning to look like Orr's presidential run has a body count. And Rodgers must decide whether to jump on the bandwagon or tear it down -- with the rest of the Op-Center team...
A powerful profile of America's defense, intelligence, and crisis management technology, Tom Clancy's Op-Center is the creation of Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik -- inspiring this and other gripping novels.
Monday, March 31, 2008
March 2008 Reads
The Winding Ways Quilt - Jennifer Chiaverini - 310 pages - I really have enjoyed this series. This book is the begining of changes to come. She has had a book or two in this series that I didn't enjoy and were disappointed in but in the last two or three she has redeemed herself.
Pieced together more like a quilt than a driving narrative, Chiaverini's 13th novel centered around the quilting circle of Elm Creek, Pa., finds change afoot. Chapters center on the circle's various members, with a focus on backstory. First-time readers are thus not left out in the cold as Judy and her husband, Steve, prepare to leave for new jobs and lives in Philadelphia; Summer begins grad school in Chicago while boyfriend Jeremy's graduate work keeps him near Elm Creek Manor; Sarah discovers she's expecting twins; Bonnie isn't sure she wants to reinvent the quilt shop destroyed by vandals; and newcomers Gretchen Hartley and Anna Del Maso join the staff of the quilting camp. The section dealing with Gwen's detective work aimed at discovering the creator of a quilt rescued from a church basement lost and found is the most powerful and poignant in Chiaverini's latest patchwork confection.
Pieced together more like a quilt than a driving narrative, Chiaverini's 13th novel centered around the quilting circle of Elm Creek, Pa., finds change afoot. Chapters center on the circle's various members, with a focus on backstory. First-time readers are thus not left out in the cold as Judy and her husband, Steve, prepare to leave for new jobs and lives in Philadelphia; Summer begins grad school in Chicago while boyfriend Jeremy's graduate work keeps him near Elm Creek Manor; Sarah discovers she's expecting twins; Bonnie isn't sure she wants to reinvent the quilt shop destroyed by vandals; and newcomers Gretchen Hartley and Anna Del Maso join the staff of the quilting camp. The section dealing with Gwen's detective work aimed at discovering the creator of a quilt rescued from a church basement lost and found is the most powerful and poignant in Chiaverini's latest patchwork confection.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
March 2008 Reads
Dead In the Water - Dana Stabenow – 201 pages - Another great read by this author. I love
that the books are set in Alaska, nice to have a completely new setting. And this book takes
place on a crab boat which make the Deadliest Catch fan in me, love it even more.
The opening of Kate Shugak's third outing will have landlubbers wondering, What on earth is this woman doing? (Answer: shifting a crab pot on a boat deck during a storm.) But once readers get their sea legs, they'll realize that Stabenow ( A Cold Day for Murder ) offers a satisfactory blend of mystery and danger that is balanced by a gentler side, a view of Alaskan native culture. Kate, who occasionally investigates for the Anchorage district attorney, is working on the Avilda , a crabber, hoping to learn--on the quiet--why two of its crew members disappeared during its last trip. Harry Gault, the Avilda 's skipper, claims that, when water supplies ran low, the men went ashore on Anua Island to locate fresh water and failed to return. Just keeping up with the crabbing exhausts Kate, but with a bit of prowling she learns that Gault has his hands in more than one crab pot. Between crabbing jobs, she visits Unalaska Island, traditional home of her own people, the Aleuts. Here she meets Olga, a skilled weaver of grass baskets, and her daughter Sasha, who uses a "storyknife" to carve out a brief tale that is very much to the point of Kate's investigations.
that the books are set in Alaska, nice to have a completely new setting. And this book takes
place on a crab boat which make the Deadliest Catch fan in me, love it even more.
The opening of Kate Shugak's third outing will have landlubbers wondering, What on earth is this woman doing? (Answer: shifting a crab pot on a boat deck during a storm.) But once readers get their sea legs, they'll realize that Stabenow ( A Cold Day for Murder ) offers a satisfactory blend of mystery and danger that is balanced by a gentler side, a view of Alaskan native culture. Kate, who occasionally investigates for the Anchorage district attorney, is working on the Avilda , a crabber, hoping to learn--on the quiet--why two of its crew members disappeared during its last trip. Harry Gault, the Avilda 's skipper, claims that, when water supplies ran low, the men went ashore on Anua Island to locate fresh water and failed to return. Just keeping up with the crabbing exhausts Kate, but with a bit of prowling she learns that Gault has his hands in more than one crab pot. Between crabbing jobs, she visits Unalaska Island, traditional home of her own people, the Aleuts. Here she meets Olga, a skilled weaver of grass baskets, and her daughter Sasha, who uses a "storyknife" to carve out a brief tale that is very much to the point of Kate's investigations.
March 2008 Reads - Audio Books
7th Heaven – James Patterson – audio book – The women’s murder club books of his are
a favorite of mine and this one didn’t disappoint me. The reader was great and the story
was good. I hope they do this one on the tv show if they ever bring it back!
At the start of the gripping seventh Women's Murder Club thriller from bestseller Patterson and Paetro (after 2007's The 6th Target), San Francisco is still haunted by the disappearance of Michael Campion, the much-adored teenage son of a former California governor, three months earlier. Following up on a tip that Michael was last seen entering a prostitute's house, homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer and her new partner, Rich Conklin, are shocked when the hooker immediately confesses that Michael, who had a heart defect, died during sex and she disposed of his body. Lindsay's ADA pal, Yuki Castellano, is sure she has a slam-dunk case, but the trial soon takes a bizarre turn. Lindsay and Rich also scramble to track down a serial arsonist responsible for murdering a string of wealthy couples. Lindsay races to put the pieces together before the fires hit too close to home. In true Patterson style, the reader is privy to Lindsay's thoughts as well as the killers', ratcheting up the suspense an extra notch. Fans won't be disappointed with the twist at the end that not even Lindsay sees coming.
a favorite of mine and this one didn’t disappoint me. The reader was great and the story
was good. I hope they do this one on the tv show if they ever bring it back!
At the start of the gripping seventh Women's Murder Club thriller from bestseller Patterson and Paetro (after 2007's The 6th Target), San Francisco is still haunted by the disappearance of Michael Campion, the much-adored teenage son of a former California governor, three months earlier. Following up on a tip that Michael was last seen entering a prostitute's house, homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer and her new partner, Rich Conklin, are shocked when the hooker immediately confesses that Michael, who had a heart defect, died during sex and she disposed of his body. Lindsay's ADA pal, Yuki Castellano, is sure she has a slam-dunk case, but the trial soon takes a bizarre turn. Lindsay and Rich also scramble to track down a serial arsonist responsible for murdering a string of wealthy couples. Lindsay races to put the pieces together before the fires hit too close to home. In true Patterson style, the reader is privy to Lindsay's thoughts as well as the killers', ratcheting up the suspense an extra notch. Fans won't be disappointed with the twist at the end that not even Lindsay sees coming.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
March 2008 Reads - Audio Books
Dark Justice - Jack Higgins - I have read this book before and I love his Sean Dillion books. The read was really good and made the book very enjoyable listening.
The Jack Higgins name is synonymous with action and adrenaline-laced suspense. In DARK JUSTICE an assassination is thwarted. As the murderer bites down on his cyanide-laced molar, he warns that all should "beware the wrath of Allah." Michael Page provides unique voices for Russian military officers, KGB officials, Arabic-speaking nationals, and Sean Dillon, a stone-cold killer and ex-IRA enforcer. Turning stone-cold himself, Page introduces "the basement," where law and civility are abandoned to Presidential Warrant. Taking over are a computer capable of unfettered surveillance and conceptual thought and a debased network of agents with the intention of creating pervasive terror
The Jack Higgins name is synonymous with action and adrenaline-laced suspense. In DARK JUSTICE an assassination is thwarted. As the murderer bites down on his cyanide-laced molar, he warns that all should "beware the wrath of Allah." Michael Page provides unique voices for Russian military officers, KGB officials, Arabic-speaking nationals, and Sean Dillon, a stone-cold killer and ex-IRA enforcer. Turning stone-cold himself, Page introduces "the basement," where law and civility are abandoned to Presidential Warrant. Taking over are a computer capable of unfettered surveillance and conceptual thought and a debased network of agents with the intention of creating pervasive terror
Sunday, March 23, 2008
March 2008 Reads
A Cold Day for Murder - Dana Stabenow - An interesting murder mystery set in a national park in Alaska. It is the first in this series for the author and the first book of hers I have read. A quick read.
This whodunit rides the crest of today's styles: a female detective, a remote locale and the conflict between the traditional way of life (in this case Aleut) and modern America. Detective Kate Shugak became the top investigator for the Anchorage District Attorney's Office. But after getting her throat cut while apprehending a child abuser, she has retired to the Park, 20 million acres of Alaskan wilderness, snow and eccentrics--yet the children's cries keep reverberating in her head. When a park ranger--a congressman's son--disappears, as does the investigator sent after him, the FBI and Shugak's old boss ask for her help. In the process Shugak gets shot at twice and readers get a guided tour of the local landmarks, including Shugak's manipulative grandmother's house in Niniltna (pop. 800) and Bernie's Roadhouse, site of a hilarious showdown between two drunken pipeline workers with a stolen 30-ton excavating machine and a helicopter-flying state trooper. Stabenow's ( Second Star ) tale lacks tension, and Shugak's unfocused anger at the world seems a bit forced, but overall this is an enjoyable and well-written yarn.
This whodunit rides the crest of today's styles: a female detective, a remote locale and the conflict between the traditional way of life (in this case Aleut) and modern America. Detective Kate Shugak became the top investigator for the Anchorage District Attorney's Office. But after getting her throat cut while apprehending a child abuser, she has retired to the Park, 20 million acres of Alaskan wilderness, snow and eccentrics--yet the children's cries keep reverberating in her head. When a park ranger--a congressman's son--disappears, as does the investigator sent after him, the FBI and Shugak's old boss ask for her help. In the process Shugak gets shot at twice and readers get a guided tour of the local landmarks, including Shugak's manipulative grandmother's house in Niniltna (pop. 800) and Bernie's Roadhouse, site of a hilarious showdown between two drunken pipeline workers with a stolen 30-ton excavating machine and a helicopter-flying state trooper. Stabenow's ( Second Star ) tale lacks tension, and Shugak's unfocused anger at the world seems a bit forced, but overall this is an enjoyable and well-written yarn.
Friday, March 21, 2008
March 2008 Reads
The Templar Legacy - Steve Barry - first time I have read one of his books. I really enjoyed it. It was hard to put down and I stayed up too late reading it a couple of night. While the book could be compared to The Da Vinci Code, it follows a different course and the ending is very thought provoking.
The Knights Templar, a small monastic military order formed in the early 1100s to protect travelers to the Holy Land, eventually grew and became wealthy beyond imagination. In 1307, the French king, feeling jealous and greedy, killed off the Templars, and by 1311, the last master, Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake. The whereabouts of the Templars' treasure--and their secrets--have been the subject of legend ever since. Now, a new thriller trieas to follow in the steps of The Da Vinci Code.
There's a secret about early Christianity at the core of Berry's Templar Legacy, but he dispenses the clues too slowly. The cat-and-mouse game between Cotton Malone, a former Justice Department agent, and a modern-day order of Knights Templar is weighed down with too much confusing backstory about the Templars' connection to Rennes-le-Chateau and the mystery that surrounds it. (The real-life town plays a part in The Da Vinci Code as well.) Like Dan Brown, Berry draws on the seminal nonfiction work Holy Blood, Holy Grail for many of his themes. After nearly grinding to a halt through all the premise building, the novel finally gathers steam in the last 100 pages or so, concluding with a revelation that seems refreshingly clear after the many convoluted twists that precede it.
The Knights Templar, a small monastic military order formed in the early 1100s to protect travelers to the Holy Land, eventually grew and became wealthy beyond imagination. In 1307, the French king, feeling jealous and greedy, killed off the Templars, and by 1311, the last master, Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake. The whereabouts of the Templars' treasure--and their secrets--have been the subject of legend ever since. Now, a new thriller trieas to follow in the steps of The Da Vinci Code.
There's a secret about early Christianity at the core of Berry's Templar Legacy, but he dispenses the clues too slowly. The cat-and-mouse game between Cotton Malone, a former Justice Department agent, and a modern-day order of Knights Templar is weighed down with too much confusing backstory about the Templars' connection to Rennes-le-Chateau and the mystery that surrounds it. (The real-life town plays a part in The Da Vinci Code as well.) Like Dan Brown, Berry draws on the seminal nonfiction work Holy Blood, Holy Grail for many of his themes. After nearly grinding to a halt through all the premise building, the novel finally gathers steam in the last 100 pages or so, concluding with a revelation that seems refreshingly clear after the many convoluted twists that precede it.
March 2008 Reads - Audio Books
Three Plums In One - Janet Evanovich - loved the books but don't care at all for this reader, I don't think she does the books justice...I would stick to the book version for these three...
Here's where it all began -- the three audiobooks that first brought us Stephanie Plum, that bounty hunter with attitude who stepped out of Trenton's blue-collar "burg" and into the heart of America.
ONE FOR THE MONEY: Stephanie's all grown up and on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad and doing her best to sever the world's longest cord. Out of work and out of money, Stephanie blackmails her bail-bondsman cousin Vinnie into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli's the inamorata who charmed Stephanie out of her virginity at age sixteen. There's still powerful chemistry between them, so the chase is interesting.
TWO FOR THE DOUGH: Stephanie takes to the mean streets of Trenton, armed with attitude (not to mention stun guns and defense sprays), to find Kenny Mancuso. Aided by her irrepressible Grandma Mazur, Stephanie forms a shaky alliance with her favorite cop, Joe Morelli, for a tumultuous chase through back alleys and Grandma's favorite funeral parlors.
THREE TO GET DEADLY: Stephanie is having a bad hair day -- for the whole month of January. She's looking for Mo Bedemier, Trenton's most beloved citizen, who got charged with carrying concealed and skipped bail. To help her she's got Lula, a former hooker turned file clerk itching to lock up a crook in the trunk of her car. And Morelli, the cop with the slow-burning smile, is acting polite even after Stephanie finds more bodies than the Trenton PD has seen in years.
Here's where it all began -- the three audiobooks that first brought us Stephanie Plum, that bounty hunter with attitude who stepped out of Trenton's blue-collar "burg" and into the heart of America.
ONE FOR THE MONEY: Stephanie's all grown up and on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad and doing her best to sever the world's longest cord. Out of work and out of money, Stephanie blackmails her bail-bondsman cousin Vinnie into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli's the inamorata who charmed Stephanie out of her virginity at age sixteen. There's still powerful chemistry between them, so the chase is interesting.
TWO FOR THE DOUGH: Stephanie takes to the mean streets of Trenton, armed with attitude (not to mention stun guns and defense sprays), to find Kenny Mancuso. Aided by her irrepressible Grandma Mazur, Stephanie forms a shaky alliance with her favorite cop, Joe Morelli, for a tumultuous chase through back alleys and Grandma's favorite funeral parlors.
THREE TO GET DEADLY: Stephanie is having a bad hair day -- for the whole month of January. She's looking for Mo Bedemier, Trenton's most beloved citizen, who got charged with carrying concealed and skipped bail. To help her she's got Lula, a former hooker turned file clerk itching to lock up a crook in the trunk of her car. And Morelli, the cop with the slow-burning smile, is acting polite even after Stephanie finds more bodies than the Trenton PD has seen in years.
March 2008 Reads - Audio Books
Blindfold Game - Dana Stabenow - this is the first book for me by this author. I really enjoyed it, loved the Alaskan and Coast Guard setting...wonder if being a Deadliest Catch Fan has anything to do with it?
Edgar winner Stabenow makes a strong entrance into the world of international thrillers with this fast-paced story. CIA analyst Hugh Rincon and his estranged wife, Sarah Lange, second in command of the Coast Guard cutter Sojourner Truth, must battle disbelieving superiors, North Korean terrorists and an angry Mother Nature as they race to stop a dirty bomb from exploding in an Alaskan city. Beth McDonald gives an earnest performance and provides each of her characters with their own distinct voice. Whether portraying a tough as nails sea captain or a Korean terrorist, she keeps her voice shifts subtle and believable, never falling into caricature. She is especially adept in her reading of the book's seagoing action as Lange and her crew chase down and confront an enemy freighter on a stomach-churning stormy sea. McDonald is helped by Steve Atinsky's fine abridgment. Given the complexity of thrillers, it is true skill to keep the abridgment process from truncating characters and plot to the point of incomprehension. Both Atinsky and McDonald have been able to keep intact the novel's integrity-and thrills.
Edgar winner Stabenow makes a strong entrance into the world of international thrillers with this fast-paced story. CIA analyst Hugh Rincon and his estranged wife, Sarah Lange, second in command of the Coast Guard cutter Sojourner Truth, must battle disbelieving superiors, North Korean terrorists and an angry Mother Nature as they race to stop a dirty bomb from exploding in an Alaskan city. Beth McDonald gives an earnest performance and provides each of her characters with their own distinct voice. Whether portraying a tough as nails sea captain or a Korean terrorist, she keeps her voice shifts subtle and believable, never falling into caricature. She is especially adept in her reading of the book's seagoing action as Lange and her crew chase down and confront an enemy freighter on a stomach-churning stormy sea. McDonald is helped by Steve Atinsky's fine abridgment. Given the complexity of thrillers, it is true skill to keep the abridgment process from truncating characters and plot to the point of incomprehension. Both Atinsky and McDonald have been able to keep intact the novel's integrity-and thrills.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
March 2008 Reads - Audio Books
S is for Silence - Sue Grafton - Audio Books = I enjoy this series and the reader is very pleasant t listen to.
In her nineteenth mystery, Kinsey Millhone, Sue Grafton's no-nonsense gumshoe, takes on a cold case--the question of what happened to a shady lady who disappeared 30 years earlier. In a refreshing change in the alphabet series, Grafton alternates between Millhone's first-person point of view and third-person flashbacks that depict the life of the missing woman in 1953. The device works well, especially for narrator Judy Kaye, Kinsey's alter ego on audio, who capably goes beyond the first-person narrative. Some stalwarts of the series may be unhappy that there's less of Kinsey than usual, but Grafton's approach gives the audiobook a bit more complexity than its predecessors.
In her nineteenth mystery, Kinsey Millhone, Sue Grafton's no-nonsense gumshoe, takes on a cold case--the question of what happened to a shady lady who disappeared 30 years earlier. In a refreshing change in the alphabet series, Grafton alternates between Millhone's first-person point of view and third-person flashbacks that depict the life of the missing woman in 1953. The device works well, especially for narrator Judy Kaye, Kinsey's alter ego on audio, who capably goes beyond the first-person narrative. Some stalwarts of the series may be unhappy that there's less of Kinsey than usual, but Grafton's approach gives the audiobook a bit more complexity than its predecessors.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
March 2008 Reads
18. Bye, Bye Black Sheep - Ayelet Waldman - 259 pages - A good book but definately time to move on to another series, took me too long to read this one. So I'll put this series on the back burner for a while and read something else.
Juliet Appelbaum and her partner, Al Hockey, have nursed their detective agency into the black, but their latest case, which began when Heavenly, an African American transsexual, asked them to investigate her sister's death, just may put the firm back in the red. Heavenly's sister, Violetta, was a drug--addicted streetwalker who worked in one of Los Angeles' worst neighborhoods. The police did little to solve her murder. Juliet, still juggling the demands of motherhood and career, finds herself visiting Violetta's turf and trying to get information from the prostitutes and pimps plying their trade there. She manages to convince the cold-case squad to investigate and learns that the situation is complicated by family dynamics. As always, Waldman manages to depict the life of L.A.'s yuppie parents with humor while showing genuine compassion for the less-fortunate inhabitants of the city.
Juliet Appelbaum and her partner, Al Hockey, have nursed their detective agency into the black, but their latest case, which began when Heavenly, an African American transsexual, asked them to investigate her sister's death, just may put the firm back in the red. Heavenly's sister, Violetta, was a drug--addicted streetwalker who worked in one of Los Angeles' worst neighborhoods. The police did little to solve her murder. Juliet, still juggling the demands of motherhood and career, finds herself visiting Violetta's turf and trying to get information from the prostitutes and pimps plying their trade there. She manages to convince the cold-case squad to investigate and learns that the situation is complicated by family dynamics. As always, Waldman manages to depict the life of L.A.'s yuppie parents with humor while showing genuine compassion for the less-fortunate inhabitants of the city.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
March 2008 Reads - Audio Books
Double Take - Catherine Coutler - Audio File - the reader ranks right up there with some of my all time favorite audio readers. I really enjoy Catherine Coulter's book, haven't read this book but did definately enjoy the audio book.
Beautiful young widow Julia Ransom is saved from being murdered on Fishermans Wharf by FBI Agent Cheney Stone, who quickly becomes involved in investigating the recent murder of Julias husband. Meanwhile, Sheriff Dixon Noble in Virginia learns about a woman in San Francisco who bears an uncanny resemblance to his long lost wife. Nobles inquiry in California overlaps with Stones work as the cases become entwined. The use of two narrators allows for well-paced dialogue. Phil Gigantes cool intonation helps to clarify the narrative and provides credibility to the FBI agent who becomes smitten with the woman he is protecting. Sandra Burr handles the womens voices with a light touch, especially that of Julia, who maintains remarkable calm and confidence, given the frightening circumstances.
Beautiful young widow Julia Ransom is saved from being murdered on Fishermans Wharf by FBI Agent Cheney Stone, who quickly becomes involved in investigating the recent murder of Julias husband. Meanwhile, Sheriff Dixon Noble in Virginia learns about a woman in San Francisco who bears an uncanny resemblance to his long lost wife. Nobles inquiry in California overlaps with Stones work as the cases become entwined. The use of two narrators allows for well-paced dialogue. Phil Gigantes cool intonation helps to clarify the narrative and provides credibility to the FBI agent who becomes smitten with the woman he is protecting. Sandra Burr handles the womens voices with a light touch, especially that of Julia, who maintains remarkable calm and confidence, given the frightening circumstances.
Dark Torte - Diane Mott Davidson - Audio Book - Didn't enjoy the reader at all. I had previously read the book but listened anyway. The book is definately worth the read.
Rosenblat is a performer of many tempos. When caterer Goldy Schulz trips over a corpse and searches for help, Rosenblat speaks at a heart-pounding pace to draw the listener right into the narrative. After the body is taken care of and the flying flour has settled, Rosenblat slows to chart Goldy's methodical search for the killer. But Rosenblat saves smoother tones for the cooking scenes between Goldy and her police detective husband, Tom. Eating is more enjoyable for Goldy than cooking, so Rosenblat lays on her silkiest tones for the dinner scenes between the couple and their son. It's probably best not to listen to this audio on an empty stomach. Rosenblat has her hands full as she deftly and singlehandedly performs a soap-opera sized cast with aplomb. There are recipes at the end of the last CD, and there are lots of good food preparation tips along the way, so listeners will want to take notes.
Rosenblat is a performer of many tempos. When caterer Goldy Schulz trips over a corpse and searches for help, Rosenblat speaks at a heart-pounding pace to draw the listener right into the narrative. After the body is taken care of and the flying flour has settled, Rosenblat slows to chart Goldy's methodical search for the killer. But Rosenblat saves smoother tones for the cooking scenes between Goldy and her police detective husband, Tom. Eating is more enjoyable for Goldy than cooking, so Rosenblat lays on her silkiest tones for the dinner scenes between the couple and their son. It's probably best not to listen to this audio on an empty stomach. Rosenblat has her hands full as she deftly and singlehandedly performs a soap-opera sized cast with aplomb. There are recipes at the end of the last CD, and there are lots of good food preparation tips along the way, so listeners will want to take notes.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
March 2008 Reads
17. Death Gets a Time Out - Ayelet Waldman - 320 pages - took me longer to read this book than previous books in this series - I enjoyed the story. Not sure if I am getting burnt out on this series or feel pressured to finish it so I can return it to the library.
Between juggling lunchboxes, piano lessons, and baby-sitters, public defender turned stay-at-home mom Juliet Applebaum promises to help her famous friend clear her brother's name of murder. But what will she do when she begins to suspect her friend may not be as innocent as she seems?
Between juggling lunchboxes, piano lessons, and baby-sitters, public defender turned stay-at-home mom Juliet Applebaum promises to help her famous friend clear her brother's name of murder. But what will she do when she begins to suspect her friend may not be as innocent as she seems?
Sunday, March 9, 2008
February 2008 Reads
Audio Book - T is for Trespass - Sue Grafton - I enjoyed this book alot. I like the series and the reader was very good - a bad reader can sure ruin the book for me!
Although Kinsey Millhone has been around for 25 years, critics agree that T Is for Trespass is one of Sue Grafton’s finest works to date. About elder abuse and identity theft, among other crimes, the novel devotes pages to both Kinsey’s and the villain’s perspectives and thus becomes more of a battle of wits between the two women than a real mystery. As Kinsey decides when and how far to get involved in Gus’s horrific plight, her other cases (a child molester is on the loose, for example) kept critics turning the pages. Reviewers also appreciated that Kinsey ages blissfully slowly—since 1982, when A Is for Alibi was published, she has only gained five years—and thus remains in the Internet-free 1980s, where interpersonal relationships triumph. The ending put off a few critics, but otherwise this 20th installment thoroughly engrosses.
Although Kinsey Millhone has been around for 25 years, critics agree that T Is for Trespass is one of Sue Grafton’s finest works to date. About elder abuse and identity theft, among other crimes, the novel devotes pages to both Kinsey’s and the villain’s perspectives and thus becomes more of a battle of wits between the two women than a real mystery. As Kinsey decides when and how far to get involved in Gus’s horrific plight, her other cases (a child molester is on the loose, for example) kept critics turning the pages. Reviewers also appreciated that Kinsey ages blissfully slowly—since 1982, when A Is for Alibi was published, she has only gained five years—and thus remains in the Internet-free 1980s, where interpersonal relationships triumph. The ending put off a few critics, but otherwise this 20th installment thoroughly engrosses.
February 2008 Reads
16. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 443 pages - This was my one deep book for the month! Several people recommended it very highly. It was an eye opener but I truly enjoyed the book.
Afghan-American novelist Hosseini follows up his bestselling The Kite Runner with another searing epic of Afghanistan in turmoil. The story covers three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny through the lives of two women. Mariam is the scorned illegitimate daughter of a wealthy businessman, forced at age 15 into marrying the 40-year-old Rasheed, who grows increasingly brutal as she fails to produce a child. Eighteen later, Rasheed takes another wife, 14-year-old Laila, a smart and spirited girl whose only other options, after her parents are killed by rocket fire, are prostitution or starvation. Against a backdrop of unending war, Mariam and Laila become allies in an asymmetrical battle with Rasheed, whose violent misogyny—"There was no cursing, no screaming, no pleading, no surprised yelps, only the systematic business of beating and being beaten"—is endorsed by custom and law. Hosseini gives a forceful but nuanced portrait of a patriarchal despotism where women are agonizingly dependent on fathers, husbands and especially sons, the bearing of male children being their sole path to social status. His tale is a powerful, harrowing depiction of Afghanistan, but also a lyrical evocation of the lives and enduring hopes of its resilient characters.
Afghan-American novelist Hosseini follows up his bestselling The Kite Runner with another searing epic of Afghanistan in turmoil. The story covers three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny through the lives of two women. Mariam is the scorned illegitimate daughter of a wealthy businessman, forced at age 15 into marrying the 40-year-old Rasheed, who grows increasingly brutal as she fails to produce a child. Eighteen later, Rasheed takes another wife, 14-year-old Laila, a smart and spirited girl whose only other options, after her parents are killed by rocket fire, are prostitution or starvation. Against a backdrop of unending war, Mariam and Laila become allies in an asymmetrical battle with Rasheed, whose violent misogyny—"There was no cursing, no screaming, no pleading, no surprised yelps, only the systematic business of beating and being beaten"—is endorsed by custom and law. Hosseini gives a forceful but nuanced portrait of a patriarchal despotism where women are agonizingly dependent on fathers, husbands and especially sons, the bearing of male children being their sole path to social status. His tale is a powerful, harrowing depiction of Afghanistan, but also a lyrical evocation of the lives and enduring hopes of its resilient characters.
February 2008 Reads
15. Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime - Robert J Randisi - 274 pages - This is one series I wish there were alot more to read. This book was set in old Las Vegas - Frank and the Rat Pack play a prominant role in the book.
Eddie Gianelli, formerly of Brooklyn and known on the floor of the Sands casino in Vegas as Eddie G, knows everyone there is to know on the Strip. That's why, in early January 1960, during the filming of Ocean's Eleven, Joey Bishop approaches him with a request to help Frank Sinatra. Eddie can't imagine why a superstar with the resources of Sinatra would need help from a lowly pit boss, but with some pressure from the Sands' management, he agrees. Dean Martin is receiving threats--not death threats exactly but ominous nonetheless. Oddly, the crudely written notes are missing the unless-you-do-this-we'll-do-that element contained in most threats. Eddie is a reluctant investigator until two thugs warn him off the case with a minor beating and the promise of more to come. Eddie is mad now and gets madder as the bodies pile up, though he remains unconvinced that the murders and the threats to Dino are unconnected. The prolific and talented Randisi vividly re-creates the rough-and-tumble Vegas of four decades past and weaves appealing portraits of Frank, Sammy, Dean, Joey, and, yes, even Peter Lawford into the tale. The Rat Pack defined cool for a generation, and Randisi does them all justice in this wonderfully entertaining mystery.
Eddie Gianelli, formerly of Brooklyn and known on the floor of the Sands casino in Vegas as Eddie G, knows everyone there is to know on the Strip. That's why, in early January 1960, during the filming of Ocean's Eleven, Joey Bishop approaches him with a request to help Frank Sinatra. Eddie can't imagine why a superstar with the resources of Sinatra would need help from a lowly pit boss, but with some pressure from the Sands' management, he agrees. Dean Martin is receiving threats--not death threats exactly but ominous nonetheless. Oddly, the crudely written notes are missing the unless-you-do-this-we'll-do-that element contained in most threats. Eddie is a reluctant investigator until two thugs warn him off the case with a minor beating and the promise of more to come. Eddie is mad now and gets madder as the bodies pile up, though he remains unconvinced that the murders and the threats to Dino are unconnected. The prolific and talented Randisi vividly re-creates the rough-and-tumble Vegas of four decades past and weaves appealing portraits of Frank, Sammy, Dean, Joey, and, yes, even Peter Lawford into the tale. The Rat Pack defined cool for a generation, and Randisi does them all justice in this wonderfully entertaining mystery.
February 2008 Reads
14. Right from the Gecko - Cynthia Baxter - 319 pages - This is another fun series that I really enjoy. This book was set in Hawaii, which was a nice change of scenery for the series.
Surf’s up . . . and so are the stakes when veterinarian and amateur sleuth Jessica Popper escapes to the land of hula, hibiscus, and geckos for a professional conference. The last time she and boyfriend Nick Burby touched down on the island of Hawaii, Nick caused a volcanic eruption when he unexpectedly popped The Question to commitment-phobic Jess. But this trip proves just as dangerous when Jess befriends an ambitious young reporter whose body later washes up on the sand . . . and someone thinks Jess holds the clue to the killer’s motive.There’s no end of suspects among the exotic flora and fauna, from the victim’s journalistic rivals and a mystery boyfriend to an eccentric beachcomber and a governor’s aide with ties to a controversial biotech firm bringing progress to paradise. One of them is a killer with the chameleon-like ability to stay hidden—and if Jessica doesn’t uncover hula-dunnit in time, she’ll be saying aloha . . . permanently.
Surf’s up . . . and so are the stakes when veterinarian and amateur sleuth Jessica Popper escapes to the land of hula, hibiscus, and geckos for a professional conference. The last time she and boyfriend Nick Burby touched down on the island of Hawaii, Nick caused a volcanic eruption when he unexpectedly popped The Question to commitment-phobic Jess. But this trip proves just as dangerous when Jess befriends an ambitious young reporter whose body later washes up on the sand . . . and someone thinks Jess holds the clue to the killer’s motive.There’s no end of suspects among the exotic flora and fauna, from the victim’s journalistic rivals and a mystery boyfriend to an eccentric beachcomber and a governor’s aide with ties to a controversial biotech firm bringing progress to paradise. One of them is a killer with the chameleon-like ability to stay hidden—and if Jessica doesn’t uncover hula-dunnit in time, she’ll be saying aloha . . . permanently.
February 2008 Reads
13. Dirty Martini - J. A. Konrath - 304 pages - Another Jack Daniels book. While I enjoy this series sometimes it can be a little hard to read. I started reading Rusty Nail but had to put it down and did not finish it.
Chicago homicide cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels returns in this hard-edged thriller. Someone who calls himself the Chemist is poisoning food in the city's grocery stores and restaurants. When the Chemist demands $2 million to stop the killings, the superintendent of detectives puts Jack in charge of the case—because fast-talking Jack has plenty of experience dealing with serial killers, having gone up against three of them already (most recently in Rusty Nail, 2006). Like Jeffrey Deaver, Konrath ratchets up the suspense until readers don't dare stop flipping the pages; the characters are sharply drawn; and the dialogue sounds like real (though funny) people talking (a decided improvement over some of the earlier volumes in the series). Also like Deaver, Konrath clearly understands the importance of creating a believable, interesting villain. A solid success for those who like to mix comedy and grit.
Chicago homicide cop Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels returns in this hard-edged thriller. Someone who calls himself the Chemist is poisoning food in the city's grocery stores and restaurants. When the Chemist demands $2 million to stop the killings, the superintendent of detectives puts Jack in charge of the case—because fast-talking Jack has plenty of experience dealing with serial killers, having gone up against three of them already (most recently in Rusty Nail, 2006). Like Jeffrey Deaver, Konrath ratchets up the suspense until readers don't dare stop flipping the pages; the characters are sharply drawn; and the dialogue sounds like real (though funny) people talking (a decided improvement over some of the earlier volumes in the series). Also like Deaver, Konrath clearly understands the importance of creating a believable, interesting villain. A solid success for those who like to mix comedy and grit.
February 2008 Reads
12. A Playdate with Death - Ayelet Waldman - 240 pages - Another fun and easy read. Sometimes that is all I am in the mood for and other times that is all I have the time to read.
Juliet Applebaum, lawyer turned full-time mother, seems to have a talent for encountering murder. In her third case, she arrives at the gym for a session with her personal trainer only to find that he is dead. Ever ambivalent about her decision to stop working outside the home, she agrees to investigate when the police write the death off as a suicide. The victim's history of drug abuse, his fiancee's fall off the wagon, and the complex web of relationships in his family provide a multitude of possibilities, but Juliet's search for clues quickly opens a Pandora's box that puts her and her family in danger. Waldman's deft portrayal of Los Angeles's upper crust and of the dilemma facing women who want it all will make it possible for readers to forgive a rather flimsy plot.
Juliet Applebaum, lawyer turned full-time mother, seems to have a talent for encountering murder. In her third case, she arrives at the gym for a session with her personal trainer only to find that he is dead. Ever ambivalent about her decision to stop working outside the home, she agrees to investigate when the police write the death off as a suicide. The victim's history of drug abuse, his fiancee's fall off the wagon, and the complex web of relationships in his family provide a multitude of possibilities, but Juliet's search for clues quickly opens a Pandora's box that puts her and her family in danger. Waldman's deft portrayal of Los Angeles's upper crust and of the dilemma facing women who want it all will make it possible for readers to forgive a rather flimsy plot.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
February 2008 Reads
11. Bloody Mary - J. A. Konrath -307 pages - I enjoy the Jack Daniel's story line. It was a fast good read.
When two arms, sans body, turn up at a Chicago morgue, Det. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is surprised to discover that the mysterious limbs are joined by her own handcuffs. The killer appears to have a grudge as well as unsettling access to Jack. The dual narrative alternately follows detective and murderer, leaving little to the imagination, particularly in the realm of gore. The author reveals so much about the crimes and their motivation that the plot loses steam until the fiend is caught (halfway through the novel) and the focus shifts to ensuring that he doesn't walk. The legal finagling is a bit far-fetched, but the battle of wills between the psychopath and the cop keeps the pages turning. And like any hard-boiled detective, Jack has a problematic personal life, juggling two unstable relationships and caring for her ailing mother.
When two arms, sans body, turn up at a Chicago morgue, Det. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels is surprised to discover that the mysterious limbs are joined by her own handcuffs. The killer appears to have a grudge as well as unsettling access to Jack. The dual narrative alternately follows detective and murderer, leaving little to the imagination, particularly in the realm of gore. The author reveals so much about the crimes and their motivation that the plot loses steam until the fiend is caught (halfway through the novel) and the focus shifts to ensuring that he doesn't walk. The legal finagling is a bit far-fetched, but the battle of wills between the psychopath and the cop keeps the pages turning. And like any hard-boiled detective, Jack has a problematic personal life, juggling two unstable relationships and caring for her ailing mother.
February 2008 Reads
10. Murder Plays House - Ayelet Waldman - 312 pages - The perfect book when you are looking for a mystery that is an easy read.
Juliet Applebaum, public defender turned stay-at-home-mom and private investigator, is pregnant with her third child. The family apartment is suddenly too small, so she is looking for an affordable house. Her friend, Kat, a reluctant real-estate agent, offers to show her some homes, and the one that she really loves comes complete with a dead body in the guesthouse. Since her detective agency has no business, she decides to find the killer, hoping that it will give her a better chance to buy the house. The investigation takes her from the cut-throat real-estate business to the equally harsh entertainment world, where has-been sitcom stars will do anything to get work. As always, Waldman uses humor to portray the Los Angeles scene while making some serious points about what is really important in life.
Juliet Applebaum, public defender turned stay-at-home-mom and private investigator, is pregnant with her third child. The family apartment is suddenly too small, so she is looking for an affordable house. Her friend, Kat, a reluctant real-estate agent, offers to show her some homes, and the one that she really loves comes complete with a dead body in the guesthouse. Since her detective agency has no business, she decides to find the killer, hoping that it will give her a better chance to buy the house. The investigation takes her from the cut-throat real-estate business to the equally harsh entertainment world, where has-been sitcom stars will do anything to get work. As always, Waldman uses humor to portray the Los Angeles scene while making some serious points about what is really important in life.
February 2008 Reads
9. Impulse - Catherine Coulter - 419 pages - I enjoyed this book, it is one of her earlier books and not an FBI thriller. But still a thriller for me.
A weak, tangled plot dims the shine of two fairly enjoyable sparring partners in this contrived novel of romantic suspense set in the high-stakes arena of black-market arms and art. Rafaella Holland, wealthy, shapely, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with a powerful karate kick, goes undercover at a Caribbean resort owned by the gangster who seduced and discarded her besotted mother many years before. Rafaella is his daughter. When her mother is hit by a car owned by the gangster's estranged wife, Rafaella decides to expose him for the snake he is. Charming her way into the resort, she runs up against the manager Marcus Devlin (actually a good guy working for U.S. Customs), whom she instantly distrusts and immediately beds. The pair dodge bullets, bicker and try to unmask each other while a mysterious third party makes repeated attempts on her father's life.
A weak, tangled plot dims the shine of two fairly enjoyable sparring partners in this contrived novel of romantic suspense set in the high-stakes arena of black-market arms and art. Rafaella Holland, wealthy, shapely, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter with a powerful karate kick, goes undercover at a Caribbean resort owned by the gangster who seduced and discarded her besotted mother many years before. Rafaella is his daughter. When her mother is hit by a car owned by the gangster's estranged wife, Rafaella decides to expose him for the snake he is. Charming her way into the resort, she runs up against the manager Marcus Devlin (actually a good guy working for U.S. Customs), whom she instantly distrusts and immediately beds. The pair dodge bullets, bicker and try to unmask each other while a mysterious third party makes repeated attempts on her father's life.
January 2008 Reads
6. The Big Nap - Ayelet Waldman - 227 pages - This a new series to me and I am reading it out of order as the books come in at the library. I enjoy the series and it is a quick fun read.
Juliet Appelbaum, Waldman's Harvard-trained lawyer turned stay-at-home mother--Nursery Crimes (2000)--is wondering if she will ever sleep again. Her second child, four-month-old Isaac, loathes naps, and her three-year-old daughter, Ruby, thinks she will never go to the park again. Her screenwriter husband seems to spend more time at work with an attractive producer than he does at home. The desperate Juliet hires Freydle Finkelstein, a rabbi's daughter and member of the Hasidic community in the Applebaums' Los Angeles neighborhood, to babysit. Then Fredyle disappears suddenly, and Juliet wonders why. Is she fleeing an arranged marriage? What about the mysterious non-Hasidic man who was talking to her before she vanished? When Freydle's parents refuse to call the police, Juliet feels that she must try to find the missing woman herself. Waldman treats the Los Angeles scene with humor, offers a revealing glimpse of Hasidic life, and provides a surprise ending. This is an entertaining mystery with a satirical tone.
Juliet Appelbaum, Waldman's Harvard-trained lawyer turned stay-at-home mother--Nursery Crimes (2000)--is wondering if she will ever sleep again. Her second child, four-month-old Isaac, loathes naps, and her three-year-old daughter, Ruby, thinks she will never go to the park again. Her screenwriter husband seems to spend more time at work with an attractive producer than he does at home. The desperate Juliet hires Freydle Finkelstein, a rabbi's daughter and member of the Hasidic community in the Applebaums' Los Angeles neighborhood, to babysit. Then Fredyle disappears suddenly, and Juliet wonders why. Is she fleeing an arranged marriage? What about the mysterious non-Hasidic man who was talking to her before she vanished? When Freydle's parents refuse to call the police, Juliet feels that she must try to find the missing woman herself. Waldman treats the Los Angeles scene with humor, offers a revealing glimpse of Hasidic life, and provides a surprise ending. This is an entertaining mystery with a satirical tone.
January 2008 Reads
5. The Second Time Around - Mary Higgins Clark - 373 pages - I know some people feel that Mary Higgins Clark is not as good as she once was but I did enjoy this book. It was easy to read some of the mystery early on, some of the mystery to time to develop. It all wrapped up neatly in the end but still a good read.
A feature writer for a newspaper, Carley DeCarlo has been assigned to do an article on the life and death of Nicholas Spencer, an eminent researcher who was on the verge of developing a pharmaceutical cure for cancer. Since millions of specially donated dollars are missing from his firm, his airplane accident may have been a faked suicide, or murder. Occasional chapters feature a disturbed man as he retaliates for the death of his wife, which he blames on Spencer's firm. Carley's portion of the story is written in first person so readers follow her doubts and triumphs as clues are revealed. She is a true sleuth; she often gets a clue that confuses her, but she keeps on investigating. Tension builds gradually as readers see both the heroine and the schizophrenic at work. But is he the only villain? Short chapters help to keep the suspenseful plot moving along.
A feature writer for a newspaper, Carley DeCarlo has been assigned to do an article on the life and death of Nicholas Spencer, an eminent researcher who was on the verge of developing a pharmaceutical cure for cancer. Since millions of specially donated dollars are missing from his firm, his airplane accident may have been a faked suicide, or murder. Occasional chapters feature a disturbed man as he retaliates for the death of his wife, which he blames on Spencer's firm. Carley's portion of the story is written in first person so readers follow her doubts and triumphs as clues are revealed. She is a true sleuth; she often gets a clue that confuses her, but she keeps on investigating. Tension builds gradually as readers see both the heroine and the schizophrenic at work. But is he the only villain? Short chapters help to keep the suspenseful plot moving along.
January 2008 Reads
4. No Time for Goodbye - Linwood Barclay - 338 pages - I sat down and read this book from start to finish in one sitting. The story was based on an interesting premise, a teenage girl wakes up one morning and her entire family has disappeared. She appears on a Dateline type show 25 years later in hopes of discovering what happened.
Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge wakes up one morning to find her entire family gone. Twenty-five years later, their unexplained disappearance still haunts her. She agrees to appear on the reenactment show Deadline, hoping the TV exposure might provide her with some answers, although her husband, English teacher Terry Archer, is considerably more skeptical. Indeed, not long after the show airs, the two are shaken down by a psychic, receive a series of bizarre phone calls, and become the victims of a break-in, although nothing is taken; instead, something is left—a hat that Cynthia is convinced belonged to her father. As Cynthia's paranoia escalates, Terry's patience wears thin, and the two decide to hire a private detective. That's when the mayhem starts. Despite a few implausible plot turns, this fast-paced read is bound to please, offering an especially intriguing premise and plenty of irreverent humor.
Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge wakes up one morning to find her entire family gone. Twenty-five years later, their unexplained disappearance still haunts her. She agrees to appear on the reenactment show Deadline, hoping the TV exposure might provide her with some answers, although her husband, English teacher Terry Archer, is considerably more skeptical. Indeed, not long after the show airs, the two are shaken down by a psychic, receive a series of bizarre phone calls, and become the victims of a break-in, although nothing is taken; instead, something is left—a hat that Cynthia is convinced belonged to her father. As Cynthia's paranoia escalates, Terry's patience wears thin, and the two decide to hire a private detective. That's when the mayhem starts. Despite a few implausible plot turns, this fast-paced read is bound to please, offering an especially intriguing premise and plenty of irreverent humor.
January 2008 Reads
3. Tilt A Whirl - Chris Grabenstein - 321 pages - I enjoyed this book. It was a qucik good read.
The ending was not my favorite but didn't ruin the entire book.
An unusual setting (Sea Haven, a summer resort in an unnamed state that sounds a lot like New Jersey) and two police protagonists with contrasting personalities lift Grabenstein's debut mystery. A former military policeman in Iraq, John Ceepak has brought his considerable physical strength, crime-solving skills and morality to the beachside town; "a cop 24/7," he spends his spare time reading about forensics and watching true-crime shows on TV. Assisting Ceepak is 24-year-old Danny Boyle, a part-time summer cop who joined the force largely to impress college girls. The only thing they have in common is a love for Bruce Springsteen. But the murder of a Trump-like real estate magnate, knifed to death while meeting his young daughter at the town's sleazy amusement park, brings the unlikely pair of police officers closer together.
The ending was not my favorite but didn't ruin the entire book.
An unusual setting (Sea Haven, a summer resort in an unnamed state that sounds a lot like New Jersey) and two police protagonists with contrasting personalities lift Grabenstein's debut mystery. A former military policeman in Iraq, John Ceepak has brought his considerable physical strength, crime-solving skills and morality to the beachside town; "a cop 24/7," he spends his spare time reading about forensics and watching true-crime shows on TV. Assisting Ceepak is 24-year-old Danny Boyle, a part-time summer cop who joined the force largely to impress college girls. The only thing they have in common is a love for Bruce Springsteen. But the murder of a Trump-like real estate magnate, knifed to death while meeting his young daughter at the town's sleazy amusement park, brings the unlikely pair of police officers closer together.
January 2008 Reads
2. The Pack - Jodi Picoult - 496 pages - This book was a powerful story. It was a very
sad commentary on how parents expectations can ruin children's lives. I wish it had been explored more than just implied. Not sure the parents even ever really understood what they had done and how those expectations played a hugh role in the ultimate tragedy of this book.
Teenage suicide is the provocative topic that Picoult plumbs, with mixed results, in her fifth novel. Popular high-school swimming star Chris Harte and talented artist Em Gold bonded as infants; their parents have been next-door neighbors and best friends for 18 years. When they fall in love, everyone is ecstatic. Everyone, it turns out, except for Em, who finds that sex with Chris feels almost incestuous. Her emotional turmoil, compounded by pregnancy, which she keeps secret, leads to depression, despair and a desire for suicide, and she insists that Chris prove his love by pulling the trigger. The gun is fired in the first paragraph, and so the book opens with a jolt of adrenaline. But Picoult stumbles in delineating both sets of parents' responses to the tragedy. Unconvincing behavior and dialogue inappropriate to the situation (plus, most importantly, the fact that the parents fail to discuss crucial topics) never touch the essence of bereavement and thus destroy credibility. Picoult redeems herself in flashbacks that reveal the two marital relationships and the personalities of both couples; and she sensitively explores the question of how well parents can ever know their children. After Chris is accused of murder and jailed, the narrative acquires impressive authenticity and suspense, with even the minor characters evoked with Picoult's keen eye for telling detail. The courtroom scenes (reminiscent of Picoult's 1996 novel, Mercy), are taut and well paced. Readers may remain unconvinced, however, that an intelligent young man like Chris would not have sought some help rather than respond to his lover's desperate request.
sad commentary on how parents expectations can ruin children's lives. I wish it had been explored more than just implied. Not sure the parents even ever really understood what they had done and how those expectations played a hugh role in the ultimate tragedy of this book.
Teenage suicide is the provocative topic that Picoult plumbs, with mixed results, in her fifth novel. Popular high-school swimming star Chris Harte and talented artist Em Gold bonded as infants; their parents have been next-door neighbors and best friends for 18 years. When they fall in love, everyone is ecstatic. Everyone, it turns out, except for Em, who finds that sex with Chris feels almost incestuous. Her emotional turmoil, compounded by pregnancy, which she keeps secret, leads to depression, despair and a desire for suicide, and she insists that Chris prove his love by pulling the trigger. The gun is fired in the first paragraph, and so the book opens with a jolt of adrenaline. But Picoult stumbles in delineating both sets of parents' responses to the tragedy. Unconvincing behavior and dialogue inappropriate to the situation (plus, most importantly, the fact that the parents fail to discuss crucial topics) never touch the essence of bereavement and thus destroy credibility. Picoult redeems herself in flashbacks that reveal the two marital relationships and the personalities of both couples; and she sensitively explores the question of how well parents can ever know their children. After Chris is accused of murder and jailed, the narrative acquires impressive authenticity and suspense, with even the minor characters evoked with Picoult's keen eye for telling detail. The courtroom scenes (reminiscent of Picoult's 1996 novel, Mercy), are taut and well paced. Readers may remain unconvinced, however, that an intelligent young man like Chris would not have sought some help rather than respond to his lover's desperate request.
January 2008 Reads
1. Misteltoe Murder - Leslie Meier - 222 pages - I enjoy this series but this one I did read after
reading several of her books. I was definately not my favorite but I will stick with the series.
reading several of her books. I was definately not my favorite but I will stick with the series.
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