Susan Plunkett

Midnight in Death:
It's the 8th in the In Death series, and Nora compensates for the shorter length by leaving out some of the secondary characters, and by having Eve know from the beginning whodunit.

The killer is a psychopath Eve helped put away some years ago, a spiritual heir of Mengele who tortures his victims to death to study their bodies' pain and fear responses. His mission since his escape from prison is both to further his "research" and to get revenge on those responsible for show more locking him up.

Despite its short length, Midnight in Death is a complete story, and we get some good character insights into the recurring characters. And the killer is a refreshing change from the serial killers who are killing their mothers over and over again. show less

This is a character driven book. I'm not sure I would call this a traditional mystery--many of the "mysteries" are more about people and the reasons behind things than it is a "who done it", but the characters were so intriguing that I didn't mind that the series title (Mysteries of Sparrow Island) wasn't as descriptive as some might think. I also cared about Abby's character enough to care about her passion for birds.

The traditional "who done it" mystery isn't introduced until later in the show more book, possibly making it seem a slow starter to those looking for the traditional mystery genre.

It will be interesting to see how Henry's relationship with Mary progresses and if Hugo and Abby will develop more than a professional relationship.

I first suspected, then guessed that one of the characters might not be dead long before it was revealed that that was the case. This is rare for me as I'm usually thrown off by the red herrings that mystery authors insert into their works. I was still interested enough to keep reading to see what happened though.

My only complaint is how this book ended. It's obvious that they want you to buy the next book to see if the response is what you think it will be. show less

Soldiers Rafe Stricter and Craig Blackstone are in Bolivia to locate a deadly chemical lab, when Craig is wounded. Unable to make their rendezvous site they hide in a cave in the mountain about to blow up. After the ground shakes and the mountain starts collapsing Rafe prays for a safe place for Craig. When he comes to he and Craig are in another cave with a very surprised woman. Lorilie McCaully and her friend, Marica are the last of their people in a valley being terrorized by the show more Ketchums. The Ketchums fear their Gifts but want the gold they think Lorilie's grandfather hid. Lorilie is attuned to the animals who have kept her safe so far. She is opposed to killing except for food. The year is 1847 and the are located near Sutter's Fort. While Craig heals Rafe determines to protect the women while trying to understand their culture. This was very complex story about the struggle between violence and peace; between two cultures and lifestyles; as well as two different centuries. Well done. show less

I've read other Mysteries of Sparrow Island books. A friend passed this one on to me after she'd read it.

I found it a compelling read. I liked Bobby and Jose and their friendship. I like how the islanders always seem ready to help each other. I liked that Jose took in Zorro (the dog). I'm glad Jose's father was receptive to some of the islanders's attempts to reach out to him.

I think finding buried treasure is probably a common childhood fantasy. Bobby and Jose get to fulfill that fantasy. show more I liked learning a little bit about pottery and Faberge eggs (for some reason I'd never heard that each contains a surprise). I liked learning a little bit about the interests of some of the islanders. show less