Lisa's Dozen Plus One 12-12 Challenge

Welcome to my first thread for my 12-12 Challenge. I plan to read 156 books in total, 12 categories with 12 books and an overflow category because I am easily swayed when I see what others are reading and what I find at the library.

Categories

1) Happy Birthday (7/12)
2)1001 List (3/12)
3) Food for Thought (11/12)
4) Hot Off the Press (7/12)
5) Next in the Series (12/12)
6) From my Nook (8/12)
7) Off My Shelf (8/12)
8) Award Winners (12/12)
9) In Short ( 5/12)
10) Chills and Thrills (7/12)
11) It's New To Me (6/12)
12) At the Movies (5/12)
13) Overflow (0/12)

Happy Birthday- each month I will choose a book from an author who was born in that month.

Jan- John O'Hara Appointment in Samarra January 19th ****

Feb-Ruth Rendell The Vault February 17th *** 1/2

March- James Patterson Kill Alex Cross March 13th ***1/2
April-Barbara Kingsolver The Bean Trees April 19****
May- Daphne du Maurier The Doll
June-Deborah Crombie No Mark Upon Her June 7 ****
July- Michael Connelly The Reversal July 2 ****
August-Georgette Heyer, Carolyn Hart, Mary Roberts Rinehart
September-Minette Walters, Agatha Christie
October- J.D. Robb, Anne Tyler
November- Karin Fossum, Louisa May Alcott
December-Rex Stout

1001 List

Possibilities:

White Teeth
Under the Skin
Moonstone
Hound of the Baskervilles
Forsythe Saga
American Rust
The Shining
Them February 11 ****
The Name of the Rose
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Great Expectations February ***
Them February

Food For Thought-

Possibilities:

Through the Grinder February 19 ***1/2
Cinnamon Roll Murder March 24 ***
Hail to the Chef January 8 ***1/2
Eggsecutive Orders March 2nd
Red Velvet Revenge July 4 ****
Tragic Toppings May 7 ***1/2
Evil Eclairs April 1st ***
Buffalo West Wing April 2nd ****
Killer Crullers June 9 ***
Affairs of Steak May 17 ****
The English Breakfast MurderApril 24 ****
Drop Dead Chocolate

Hot off the Press- Books released in late 2011 or in 2012

Possibilities

Betrayal of Trust February 20 ****
Catch MeFebruary 2nd ****
No Mark Upon Her June 7 ****
Explosive Eighteen January 12th *** 1/2
Elegy for Eddie May 6 ****1/2
Criminal-Karin Slaughter July 12 ****
Helsinki White **** February 17
The Boy in the Suitcase May 12 ***
Gone Girl June 16 *****
And When She Was Good
Kill You Twice

Next in the Series

CATEGORY COMPLETE

Lucifer's Tears January 16th ****
The Man Who Cast Two Shadows February 15 ****
Unnatural Death February 15 ***
Night Frost March 8th ****
Killing Critics March 19 ****
Elegy for April April 16 ****
Prayers for Rain May 27 ****
10th Anniversary June 20 ****
When The Sacred Ginmill Closes June 11 ****
VanishJune 7 ****1/2
Moonlight Mile June 8 ****
A Death in Summer June 27 ***1/2

From My Nook

Possibilities- Endless!

Iron House January 7 ****1/2
Deadly Valentine February 1 *** 1/2
The Daffodil Mystery March
Winter of Our Discontent
The Surgeon April 21st ****
Catching FireMarch
The MockingjayMarch
Dare to Die May 11 ***1/2
Those Who Save Us May 29 ****

Off My Shelf- See above possibilities are endless!

Drink Before the War January 8 ****
Uncivil Seasons January 24 ****
Valentine Murder February 11 ***
Night Passage March *** 1/2
Stone Angel April 6th *****
All the Colors of Darkness
High Country Fall April 14 ****
The Burglar in the LibraryMay 12 **
April Fool Dead April

Award Winners and Runner Ups
CATEGORY COMPLETE

The Last Child March 6 ****1/2 2010 Edgar

Iron Lake January 26th **** 1999 Anthony
Letter from Home January 3rd ****
Mallory's Oracle January 2nd ****
A Beast in View February 5th ****
Raven Black February 8th ****
Up Jumps the Devil March ****
The Brass Verdict April 1st ****
Storm Track April 8 ****1/2
Last Lessons of Summer May 25 ***
The Lock Artist May 30 ****1/2
Three-Day Town ***1/2 June 14

In Short- Novellas, short story collections, one word titles

A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories March 15th *****
Four Novellas of Fear January 27th ***1/2

Killer in the Rain and Other Stories
The Best American Short Stories 2011 March 23 ****
Full Dark No Stars Jun 25 ****
Miss Muriel and Other Stories
Not The End of the World****1/2 June 20

Chills and Thrills

Trust No One
Three Seconds
Tell No One January 13 ****
No Second Chance February 23 ****1/2
Third Degree March 21 ***1/2
No Time for Goodbye April 17 ****
Darkness Take My Hand May 5 ****
Too Close To Home May 22 ***1/2
Sacred May 8 ****
Bone By Bone July 12 ****1/2
Gone July 1 ****

It's New To Me-my first time reading various authors

Cold Granite
A Place of Execution
Above Suspicion January 17th ****
A Free Man of Color January 21st ***1/2
Silent in the Grave March ****
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter April 26 ****
Little Face May 20 ***
Half Broken Things **** May 20
The Killing at Badger's Drift

At the Movies-Books that were made into a movie

Rum Punch
Wiseguy
Devil in a Blue Dress February 5 ****
Hunger Games March 25th *****
Some Must Watch
American Psycho
Count of Monte Cristo
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil June 25 *** 4 1/2
Gone Baby Gone May 23 ****
Night Shift June 24 *****

Overflow ???????

Wow, 156 books? That's an impressive goal! Best of luck to you, and I look forward to seeing what you read!

You are such a fast reader, I have no doubt you can do it. Got you starred!

Another star from me, loloking forward to following your reading again next year. Looks like it's going to be a good one. Maybe we can get together on a Georgette Heyer or something.

#16 Thanks Christina! Between my train commute back and forth to work, my not so great sleeping and my lunch break, I manage to somehow get a lot of reading in. This should keep me occupied for the whole year I think:)

#17, Hi Victoria! It's so much fun trying to get to our goals isn't it?

#18, Hi Judy! Definitely let me know if you decide to read any Georgette Heyer. By the way, I forget if you have a Nook or a Kindle, but B&N is offering about 50 of her books for download for 1.99 in honor of her birthday. I only bought the mysteries so far, but I am considering a romance or two as well.

I've got all of you starred, and I think 2012 will be a great reading year for all of us!

love the Happy Birthday category!

The birthday category is a great idea!

#20, 21 Thank you!

Yep ditto the birthday category is great fun. I also like the new releases one, allows (nay forces you) to seek out recent fiction.. something that tends to get lost sometimes.

A movies category has been a staple of mine since I started with this challenge so will be particularly interested in that one but so much more to look out for as well. Good luck with your challenge!

Love the Happy Birthday category!

#23. I'm hoping that I can control myself with the new releases! We'll see.

#24 Hi Wolfy: I'm always so curious when I see a movie was based on a book. Many people have told me that it's a waste of time to see both the movie and read the book, but I don't think so!

#25 Thanks!

I am following you for next year. You have some very interesting categories and books. I love that birthday category too. I hope to be able to read 144 books for next year.

Monica

I've been focused on 11 in 11, not really looking around much in 12 in 12 yet but you've got some great categories, Lisa.

I like Happy Birthday. This could lead to a wide variety of books and it forces steady progress on the category.

I've got my own food for thought-type category so I'll be interested in seeing what you read for yours.

#28 Thanks Linda! Before I started reading the food type mysteries, I had no idea how many there are! I really want to stay focused with these categories and spread them out so that there aren't all 1001 List books left at the end.

Same here, Lisa. I was about 50/50 nonfiction and mystery for 2011.

With 12 books to go, I've got only 2 nonfiction books left to finish. I'm reading a mystery and then intend to read the last two nonfiction books so that I can ease to the finish line with 9 mysteries.

loved Killer Crab Cakes enough to buy Pumpkin Muffin Murder :)

I see you have Herman Wouk as one of your possibilities. I bought Don't Stop the Carnival at a library book sale recently. He lived in St. Thomas and wrote the book shortly after my family moved there. There is a brief appearance of a French teacher that might have been my mother. I was in school with his younger son for 1/2 a year. The book is close to the top of my TBR list.

>32 mamzel: Lucky you, mamzel, to have lived in St. Thomas!

It's been a long time, and I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression that Don't Stop the Carnival was set on St. Croix, even though he lived at St. Thomas. It was the first Herman Wouk book I read, back when I was in high school and it was brand new; I immediately back-tracked to his earlier books and have read most of the subsequent ones.

Lisa, do you have in mind any particular books of his?

#33 Hi Ivy, Happy New Year! I have two Herman Wouk books Marjorie Morningstar and Caine Mutiny. Marjorie Morningstar is a defiinite, Caine Mutiny is a possibility.

I think it was your rating of Marjorie Morningstar that convinced me to finally read it.

#32 Don't Stop the Carnival sounds really good, I think I will check that one out also.

Ivy - That's why I bought the book again. It's been too long and there's lots I don't remember.

Lisa, Don't Stop the Carnival is very different than Marjorie Morningstar or the war novels. One of the things I find interesting about Wouk is that he's written books in so many genres -- even a sci fi book The "Lomokome" Papers (which I haven't read). I hope you enjoy Marjorie Morningstar!

mamzel, I don't remember all that much, either. I'll be watching for your review on Don't Stop the Carnival.

1. It's official, I am a big "Mallory" fan now. Thanks Victoria for the recommendation!

Mallory's Oracle is an extremely engrossing read about NYPD Sgt. Kathy Mallory's quest to solve the murder of her beloved father Louis Markowitz, also a police officer, who was in the middle of investigating a series of murders when he was killed.

Mallory is a little bit scary, a computer hacker with almost no social skills who was taken in by Markowitz and his wife when she was a little girl, after she was about to be arrested for theft. She shows no emotion, and much like Dexter, she appears to have a "code".

The dynamic between Mallory, her father's partner Riker, and Charles Coffey is what made the book for me.

I am so tempted to read book # 2, but I think I will pace myself.

You're welcome Lisa! I knew you'd like Mallory...

2. Letter From Home I'm a big fan of Carolyn G. Hart's Death on Demand series, and thought that I would give one of her stand alones a try. I thought it was very good, and it won the Agatha Award in 2003.

Told in retrospect, Gretchen Gilman, now in her 60's reflects on tragic events which took place in her small Oklahoma town in the summer of 1944. Gretchen would rather forget that summer, but is forced to relive it all when she receives a letter that stirs everything up again.

Faye Tatum, artist, and looked down on by most of the "good women" in town is killed and her husband, Sgt Clyde Tatum, who was home on leave is suspected of her murder. Caught in the middle is the couple's daughter Barb, who happens to be friends with Gretchen.

I loved that this book was so rich in historical detail. For example, that the diner owned by Gretchen's grandmother is named the Victory Cafe, which was changed from it former German sounding name, and that "nice women" didn't hang out in bars dancing the jitterbug, while their husbands were off fighting for their country.

In fact, I got so caught up in the historical detail, that I missed an early clue as to who the murderer was. All in all, a very good read.

I have been fascinated by Dexter so I will definitely keep an eye out for Mallory! Thanks for sharing.

3. A Drink Before the War I greatly enjoyed this first in the series, set in Boston, featuring PI's Kenzie and Gennaro. They work in a blue collar neighborhood, out of a church belfry, when they take a case for a well-known politician who wants to to find a black cleaning woman who allegedly stole confidential state documents. We learn later of course, that there is so much more to the story, which becomes a tangled web of child prostitution, gang wars and extortion.

At first I was worried that the book may get a little "preachy" with the class differences and the racial tension, but it was so important to the plot that those elements definitely had an important place in the storyline. I am curious to read the rest of the series. I also have Gone Baby Gone to read, but I think I should probably read the other books in the series first.

4. I don't think that I can gush enough about Iron House. I mean, when an author can make you root for the bad guy, in this case a killer, then they are exceptional, in my opinion.

This story of two brothers, abandoned by their mother, and spending their early years in an institution, until they became separated, with one brother adopted by a senator's wife and one finding a family with a notorious crime lord. Michael's attempts to leave his life of crime were at times, a little unbelievable, but the suspense is so powerful and the characters so well developed, that it doesn't seem to matter.

I honestly didn't see the end coming in this one, and loved it!

I'm so glad you liked Kenzie and Gennaro.

#43 Thanks Kay, I hope to get around to the rest of the series at some point.

I haven't posted her as much as I would like to, I've been keeping later work hours trying to catch up on things, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel soon.

5. Hail to the Chef I find the White House Culinary series to be very well written, and I plan on getting caught up with it fairly soon. This second in the series, finds Ollie as the new executive chef, busy with Thanksgiving dinner preparations and then Christmas festivities not long after.

Added to the food preparation chaos is the the sudden death of a White House electrician and the the apparent suicide of the First Lady's nephew.

6. Explosive Eighteen I can always count on the Stephanie Plum series to make me laugh. I found that I enjoyed this installment a little more than the last few.

Stephanie returns from her Hawaiian vacation with a tan and also evidence that she had been wearing a wedding ring at one point. She won't say what happened, but it involves Ranger, Morelli and the two of them coming to blows.

In addition, her seatmate on the flight never returned after their LA layover is later found dead in a garbagecan. Somehow Stephanie wound up with a photo that the dead man was carrying that everyone, including the FBI is interested in.

I reallly enjoyed this one, although I would like to see a new wrinkle in the storyline at some point, like Ranger with a girlfriend, or his daughter coming back.

I've found and starred your thread. You're discovering some of my very favorite series -- Lehane's Kenzie & Gennaro series, and the Mallory series by O'Connell. And I'm amazed by the same thing as you are with Iron House -- how the writer can get me to understand and root for someone who has killed people for a living.

I have the first two of the White House Cullinary series on my shelf, and hoping to get to them soon. I may add Letter From Home to my list, thanks to your comments.

I have Letter from Home in a TBR box somewhere. I'm kind of like others who haven't liked her mystery series quite as well, but I picked this up at a bargain and have kept putting it off. Maybe your review will motivate me to dig it out later this year.

#45 Thanks for stopping by my thread Terri! I plan on doing my best to get caught up with the White House Culinary series.

#46 Letter From Home was a nice change of pace from the Death on Demand series for me. I love the series, but I think I was reading too many of them at one time.

7. Tell No One This was my first Harlan Coben.

Dr. David Beck hasn't been able to get over the death of his wife which occurred eight years ago. Then one day out of the blue, a message appears on his computer, seemingly from his dead wife Elizabeth, referencing certain phrase that only the two of them know about. Is she really alive or is someone playing a cruel joke?

This was a pretty good thriller, although some parts of the story were a stretch, it kept me engaged right up to the end. I will probably try to read a few more books by this author in the near future.

8. Lucifer's Tears

I read Snow Angels not too long ago, and loved it. This second installment in the series finds Inspector Kari Vaara and his very pregnant wife Kate, in Helsinki, a city full of bad memories for him, but hopefully where his wife will feel more comfortable as she continues to adapt to the Finnish way of life.

Assigned to the graveyard shift in Homicide, he finds himself teamed up with a rookie partner who may be a little unstable, while also finding himself thrust into an investigation involving a 90 year old national hero for war crimes, which may have also involved his grandfather.

Vaara is also suffering from a scarred face, chronic insomnia, and terrible migraines, all courtesy of his last case which went terribly wrong.

I enjoyed this book very much, although the dark tone and characterization may not be for everyone.

9. Above Suspicion I really enjoyed this first in the series police procedural featuring DS Anna Travis .

Anna, the daughter of a police officer is assigned to her first murder case, a series of murders of prostitutes over an eight year period. When the seventh body is found, that of a young schoolgirl, the profiler of the killer changes.

Anna stumbles on information that links a well known actor to the killings, but the force would never live it down if they arrested the wrong man. Anna doesn't want her career to come to a halt before it even starts, so there is a lot riding on the case.

The question then becomes why oh why did she do naughty things with her superior officer and almost fall for the suspect as well?

All in all, she is a believable character caught up in the male world of law enforcement. I wouldn't mind reading book #2 in the series in the near future.

Hi Lisa, I am hoping to get to Red Dahlia, which is the second in the Anna Travis series sometime this year. Let me know if you want to read it together.

#51 Hi Judy, yes I would like to read Red Dahlia let me know when you think you might be ready and I will request it from the library.

Lisa, it will probably be in April or May, I will let you know closer to the time.

# 53 Sounds good Judy, I made a note for myself.

10. Appointment in Samarra my birthday honoree for the month of January is John O' Hara, born January 31st.

The story takes place around Christmas 1930, in the town of Gibbsville Pa, with all of its well to do residents busying themselves for the endless stream of parties set to take place, complete with good music and illegal liquor.

There were many characters introduced, but it soon became evident who the primary character was supposed to be.

Julian English is the envy of just about everyone in town, but in one of those moments when he used bad judgment, he quickly becomes persona non grata and rapidly self destructs.

This book is wonderful in setting the tone of the social elite in the 1930's and the cattiness of small town life.

I enjoyed Butterfield 8 and From the Terrace also by this author.

11. A Free Man of Color I am so glad that I listened to everyone else who has read this book and remained patient the plot development.

Just over half-way I found myself enjoying it more and I now realize that setting the tone of 1830's New Orleans and describing the culture and history is very important in learning more about Ben January's background.

I found myself horrified at the way his mother treated him, but as often mentioned in the book, it's the "custom of the country".

Odd plot twist at the end, but it worked for the storyline. I will definitely try the second book in the series.

>55 lsh63: Just over half-way...

Yes, that seems to be the place...

Glad you liked it, too!

12Uncivil Seasons-

This was a very well written police procedural set in the town of Hillston, North Carolina. It features two detectives, Justin Savile who comes from a genteel family background, and his partner Cuddy Mangum who doesn't.

Justin and Cuddy are investigating the murder of one of Justin's family members, while constantly being reminded that wealthy people can't possibly be criminals.

I love the opening line which prety much set the tone for the whole book : " Two things don't happen very often in Hillston, we don't get much snow, and we hardly ever murder each other, suicide is more our style". I think that there are two more books in this series which I plan to read at some point.

13 Four Novellas of Fear

Cornell Woolrich is often referred to as the "Father of Noir" with good reason. Best known perhaps, for Rear Window and The Bride Wore Black, he effortlessly creates wonderful tense suspense-filled situations where every day people find themselves in more trouble than they could ever imagine.

Four Novellas of Fear features four of his specialties:

Eyes That Watch You- Vera Miller plots to murder her husband with her mute, paralyzed mother in law watching her every move.

The Night I Died- Ben Cook, at the behest of his common-law wife, who was trying to kill him, fakes his death in order to obtain the large life insurance policy she has on him.

You'll Never See Me Again- Ed Bliss's new bride takes off after a rude remark about her biscuits. When days pass and he can't find her, he becomes suspect #1 in her disappearance.

Murder Always Gather Momentum- Dick Paine, for his wife's sake, approaches his former employer about his back wages, and things go horribly wrong.

I've been waiting to read Iron Lake for a while now. Set just before Christmas, the descriptive setting of the snowy woods is mesmerizing.

Cork O'Connor, part Irish and part Anishinaabe Indian, is no longer sheriff of Aurora, but feels a responsibility to his community anyway. When a young boy doesn't come hom from his paper route, and the town judge is found dead, Cork vows to get to the truth behind it all. Also plagued by his separation from his wife, his affair with the town waitress, and his relationship with his oldest daughter, Cork is quite the complex character.

Full of town secrets, political deals, and very good details about Indian culture, I found Iron Lake to be a book I had trouble putting down. Of course, the library is missing books 2 and 3, so it may be a while before I can continue with this series, but I hope it's not too long!

Glad you finally got to read Iron Lake Lisa!

Yes, glad to hear Cork O'Connor has garnered another fan!

My brother recently purchased a couple of Cornell Woolrich books which I am sure he will be passing on to me eventually. That Four Novellas of Fear sounds like a good one to be on the lookout for.

Glad you liked Iron Lake. I'm looking to continue that series, too.

Uncivil Seasons & Four Novellas of Fear both sound right up my alley.

#61 Hi Judy : I envy the fact that your brother was able to obtain any Cornell Woolrich books, they are definitely hard to find, but well worth the effort.

#62 I look forward to continuing with the Cork O' Connor series at some point.

#15 Deadly Valentine

I always enjoy reading the Death on Demand series. I've been reading them out of order, as I can find them, and it hasn't hampered my enjoyment at all.

In this 6th installment of the series, It's Valentine's Day in Broward's Rock, and Annie does not want to attend their neighbor Sydney Cahill's masked ball. This is because earlier that morning, the sexy man hungry Sydney got a little too close to Annie's husband Max, which of course he thinks is amusing.

When Annie's mother-in-law, Laurel shows up, Annie thinks her problem of what to do about going to the ball is solved, but alas, Laurel accepts the invitation to the ball for all three of them.

Sydney is later found dead in the gazebo with seemingly no end of suspects that wanted her out of the way. This was a fun read with interesting characters, and of course I always learn a few fun mystery facts as well.

#16 Catch Me December ER book

I'm a big fan of Lisa Gardner. I've enjoyed her stand alone novels, and have just started to delve into the Pierce/Quincy FBI Profiler series. My favorite series of hers, however, is that of Boston Homicide Detective D.D. Warren, who up until now hasn't been all that likeable of a character, but in Catch Me, she shows her softer side.

D.D. fresh from maternity leave after giving birth to her son Jack, is dreading her parents visit, wondering how she will do her job with sleep deprivation, and trying to figure out her relationship with Jack's father Alex, who has offered to marry her.

That's just for starters though. D.D. who is pretty cynical, is thrown for a loop when Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant is found at her latest crime scene and asks for D.D.'s help because she fears that she will be killed on January 21st, as her two best friends were. Charlene has heard that D.D.'s the best, and she wants her to handle the investigation.

The reader is left wondering if Charlene is suffering from another personality or is someone really trying to kill her?

This was a very good thriller that had captivated throughout. As a side note, I really enjoyed the mention of some of the author's other characters in this book.

#17 Devil in a Blue Dress I vaguely remember seeing the movie version of this book but I may have to see it again because the details are fuzzy. Anyway, I don't know why it took me so long to read this author!

The setting is late 1940's Los Angeles, which just screams noir doesn't it? Easy Rawlins, a Black war veteran, and transplanted from Texas in search of a better life, is laid off from his job at Champion Aircraft. While having a drink at his friend Joppy's bar, and wondering how he will pay his mortgage, Joppy tips him off to a way that he can make a little money. He knows a man, Dewitt Albright, who may be able to help Easy out.

DeWitt Albright hires Easy to find Daphne Monet, because well, she likes to hang out in a places where he can't go and Easy can. Once Easy finds Daphne, he gets way more trouble than he was looking for.

This book is filled with racial conflict and slurs, but it fits with the storyline, and I don't think it was overdone. It's a little uncomfortable to read in 2012, but I think it's important to this plot line not to "gloss" over certain details.

I will definitely read more of this series.

18. Beast in View Ok, everyone else in the world probably knew that the author of this book was married to Ross MacDonald of Lew Archer fame. I did not.

I was intrigued about this for some reason, and found that her books are a little difficult to obtain. As big as the library system is here in Philly, I think there are only two or three books of hers available.

I was happy to see that Beast in View, winner of the 1956 Edgar Award was available. It's a short book, and I easily devoured it in about a day.

The writing style reminded me a bit of Ruth Rendell or P.D. James, not really mysteries so much, as psychological studies of murder with good paced suspense.

The reclusive Helen Clarvoe is being harrassed with threatening phone calls by her former sister in law and former best friend, Evelyn Merrick. Or is she?

Helen decides that she can't deal with Evelyn on her own and hires her father's investment lawyer Paul Blackstreet, to find Evelyn and put a stop to the harrassment.

This book had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out what was going on with Helen and Evelyn, who was insane and who wasn't. Plenty of bodies pile up, and the ending was excellent. One could probably guess the outcome, but I was in no rush to figure it all out.

Perhaps this book may be a little dated for some, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

@Lisa, glad you enjoyed Devil in a Blue Dress. It's the only one in the series that I've read so far as well and keep meaning to go back at some point as the next couple are already residing on the tbr shelves. This reminder might be just the push I need to move them up the reading order a notch or two.

Oh I liked Devil in a Blue Dress, like Dave I keep meaning to try the next one. They remind me (probably because of the racism of a less angry Chester Himes.

her books are a little difficult to obtain. As big as the library system is here in Philly, I think there are only two or three books of hers available.

You're not kidding! I checked the whole Pennsylvania inter-library loan system, and only a handful of libraries (the Free Lib. of Phila. included) has her Beast in View.

I know that library system firsthand, having formerly lived in the "City of Brotherly Love." One of my favorite outings used to be a trip in to the main library on the Parkway. Heaven!

#68 Hi Dave, I honestly don't know why it took me so long to pick up Devil in a Blue Dress. I will be seeking out #2 in the series shortly.

#69 Hi Claire: Chester Himes is another author whose works I'm in the process of tracking down.

#70 Terri, going to the main branch of the library is one of my fondest, earliest memories. I couldn't believe it when the librarian gave me my own card,. I also remember the look of pleasure on my mom's face, because it was one of her best memories also, when my grandfather took her to the same library, also for the first time!

Alas, the cycle has broken, my son is only interested in reading sports scores lol!

19 Raven Black It was my reading of DeltaQueen (Judy)'s thread which made me seek out this first in the Sheltand Islands series, as I read her review of the second in the series, White Nights. Big time book bullet!

Since we are having such a mild winter this year, I enjoyed the chilling, dismal setting of this book. Magnus Tait is an older, developmentally challenged man who sits alone in his house waiting for visitors on New Year's Eve. Two teenage girls do stop by, after a night of heavy drinking and partying.

When one of the girls is later found strangled, the entire town believes that Magnus is the guilty party since he was suspected of another girl's death years earlier.

Although it was a little slow to start, I quickly found myself engrossed in the story, and I was surprised at the culprit. Although, now that I think about it, the clues were there, I just didn't pick up on them. I will be reading White Nights very soon, as it must go back to the library at the end of the month.

20 Valentine Murder Bitsy Howell, the new librarian, is found dead in the library basement, shot just before the children's story hour is supposed to begin.

Any one of the library board members had reason to kill her, as she was not very well liked. Of course they all assume that Bitsy was killed by an outsider, but Lucy and Detective Horowitz figure that one of them is the killer.

Between baking cupackes and watching the relentless snow fall, Lucy snoops into the lives of the board member and discovers some of their secrets as the killer tries to stop her.

These books are not big "tada" reveals of the murderers by any means, but they are fun reads.

Hey Lisa! Just dropping by and checking up on your reads. As usual, you are outpacing me. Any thoughts as to when you want to read Night Passage or Burglar in the Library? I'm not in any hurry, just wanted to be sure I wasn't holding you back. Let me know.

Ooh, our library has the first of those Lucy Stone mysteries. Perhaps I'll try it sometime when I'm in the mood for a fun cozy.

Glad you liked Raven Black. I love that series. I'm planning to read the third, Red Bones, next month.

21 Them This was an interesting read, although I did not realize that it is in fact, the third book of a quartet. Them refers to anything or anyone who is to blame for a generational cycle of poverty according to each character's perspective. The story is told from the points of view of three main characters: mother Loretta, son Jules, and daughter Maureen. Each character made choices which affected their lives dramatically , with each one experiencing important life lessons.

I enjoyed the progression from the late 1930's Depression Era Midwest to the 1960's burnt out Detroit during the race riots. An overall good read, except for the parts during the end when the reader experienced each character's thoughts, which made for slightly confusing reading.

22The Man Who Cast Two Shadows Mallory scares me; I would never want to get on her bad side:) I am however, becoming a big fan of the series. When a young woman is killed who could be Mallory's twin, there's no stopping her from getting to the bottom of the murder. Like she could be stopped anyway...... In addition to the murder, there is a secondary story involving a young boy who is accused of trying to do in his stepmother and who tries to match wits with Mallory.

I find myself fascinated by the tidbits about Mallory's background and want to learn more about how she wound up as she did. I find myself wondering if she will have an emotional breakthrough at some point. I plan on reading the next installment in the series soon.

23. Unnatural Death While having a meal with Inspector Parker, Lord Peter meets a doctor whose terminally ill patient died, but the doctor is convinced that she was murdered. Everyone considers this to be a closed case, but Lord Peter is intrigued by the details and starts to dig for the truth.

At times, as the body count rises, he wishes that he had left well enough alone. It's pretty obvious "whodunnit", but the fascinating part is the unraveling of how the murder was committed and the red herrings thrown about along the way.

Some of the racial slurs are a bit jarring, but the book is about 85 years old. I love Miss Climpson and hope that she appears in future books!

24 Helsinki White This was my January ER book and third in the Inspector Vaara series.

In this installment, we find Inspector Vaara celebrating the birth of his baby girl, Anu, while also confronting the fact that he has a brain tumor and may die. He has also made a deal with the devil, which will pit him against some of the most powerful, evil men in Finland.

Inspector Vaara has been chosen to run a rogue black-ops unit, supposedly fighting crime with even more crime which leads to dire consequences for his family.

There is also a second storyline, which explores the murder of an immigant rights advocate, and the unsolved kidnapping of a billionaire's children.

While Kate, Inspector Vaara's American born wife struggles to fit in and adapt to Finnish customs, (i.e. a mandated 9 month maternity leave), she tends to her newborn daughter and watches her husband turn into someone she no longer recognizes. She also faces her own identity crisis which jeopardizes their marriage.

This book was very gritty and violent, much more than the previous two books in the series, and the author left just enough issues unresolved for the next book in the series. I can't wait!

Hi Lisa, I was already to add the Inspector Vaara series to my wishlist when I realized it's already there - probably from when you read the earlier books. Anyway, I will be adding this third book to my wishlist, and try to nudge this series closer to the top of the list.

25. Through the Grinder

I'm getting addicted to these mysteries. I love the coffee atmosphere, even though I only let myself have one cup a day, I make sure that I enjoy it. I like that there is factual information about latte and expresso making, as well as the various types of coffee available, who knew?

As with many mysteries, some of the situations Clare finds herself in are slightly over the top, but great fun to read. In this second in the series, she reacts nervously to the idea of her young daughter Joy, using various on line dating services and decides to check them out for herself.
To her surprise, while checking out potential candidates, Clare actually meets a man that she likes and seems to good to be true. When various women who have all used the same dating service turn up dead, Clare's new man is the primary suspect. Of course she wants to clear her name, and enlists the help of her ex-husband Matteo in finding the real killer.

I never guessed the outcome and was truly surprised all the way to the end. This particular "cozy" had a sad undertone which was unexpected, and an "icky" moment concerning a certain body part which had no place in the story. Other than that, it was a fun read. I look forward to continuing with the series.

My son has been working in a coffee shop (not a S***s!) for the past few months. I will try and find one of these books for him.

#26 Betrayal of Trust Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series is beautifully written and I devoured this sixth installment shortly after bringing it home from the library.

The story opens with the small town of Lafferton under torrential flash floods, which loosens the shallow grave of a young girl who had been missing for over twenty years.

Simon is forced to do most of the investigating of this cold case himself, as the town is experiencing budget cuts and staff shortages. Days later, another body is found which may or may not be related to the first murder.

There is of course, non work related turmoil surrounding Simon. His sister Cat, struggles with being widowed, a single parent to three children, and raising a moody teenage boy. Simon, may have finally experienced love again, but there is a complication. And his stepmother Judith, after finally being accepted by Simon may be having problems with his cold and distant father.

I was totally immersed in this story and then....... it ended abruptly with no warning and with many loose ends. I'm fine with some things unresolved, but I didn't get the sense of any resolution of anything at all! It was slightly frustrating, but I eagerly await book number 7. It will be a while though, as this one was just released in November.

27. No Second Chance I'm becoming a fan of Harlan Coben.

In No Second Chance, Dr. Marc Seidman wakes up in the ICU to find out that his wife has been murdered and his six month old daughter is missing One day out of the blue, he receives a ransom note and agonizes over whether to bring in law enforcement officials or not. When he loses the chance to get his daughter back, he thinks that all hope is lost and gets a second chance at being reunited with her. Along the way he finds out disturbing secrets about his friends, his wife, and other members of his family. I just couldn't believe the ending!

This was an excellent thriller with a multi-layered plot that kept me interested all the way to the end.

28. The Vault I absolutely adore Ruth Rendell. Granted, when I read about the characters in her most recent books, it makes me slightly uncomfortable, it's almost as is the reader should be making value judgements about sexual preferences, culture etc.

This 23rd installment featuring the now retired Inspector Wexford, was just a so so read for me.

It's very realistic (so I've been told) for a newly retired person to feel a little out of sorts as to what to do with themselves.
When Insp Wexford is asked to consult on a case where four bodies were found in a sealed former coal cellar, he welcomes the chance to do what he does best, as he doggedly interviews witness after witness chasing down one false lead after another, until he finally arrives at the truth.

Overall, even a so so read from this author is worth the time, it just didn't wow me as much as some of her earlier works.

I agree that her books are still worth reading, but they are definitely being written by a very old lady. Can't you hear her complaining about "kids today"? And she's big on ethnic stereotypes, which seems so archaic.

I might have to try one of the Susan Hill novels, but if she never wraps anything up, I promise to throw book 1 against the wall!

Great reviews here, Lisa. You've been doing some interesting reading!

I have the first of both the Simon Serrailler series and the Coffeehouse mysteries on my shelf. I really must get to them!

I also have the first of the Inspector Vaara series on my list (I think because of one of your earlier reviews) and have access to an audio version through library sources.

So many books, so little time!

# 86 Cam, I think you will enjoy Suan Hill. I'm ok with some loose ends, but there seemed to be quite a bit in this latest one.

#87 Thanks Terri! You are so right, so many books and so little time!

# 29 Great Expectations I sighed with relief when I finally finished this book! I'm glad to have re-read it though, I think the last time was in 8th grade if memory serves me correctly.

The characters were memorable, and the plot was interesting, it's just that it seemed to drag at times. In my head at the end, I was hoping that Pip would tell Estella where to go and how to get there, but that wouldn't be very Victorian, now would it?

I got the sense that Pip redeemed himself slightly for his treatment of Joe, so I was happy about that. My favorite chacters were Wemmick and Joe.

#30 Faceless Killers This is the first in the series of the Kurt Wallendar series. I wasn't bowled over, but I may revisit the series at some point.

An elderly farm couple is slaughtered and the last word that the wife utters is "foreign", which leads everyone to believe that the grisly crime was committed by immigrants, who are blamed for just about everything.

In addition to trying to solve the crime, Wallender is dealing with a separation from his wife, his not so great relationship with his daughter, and his feelings for a married prosecutor.

The resolution of the crime and the overally mystery itself left me a little underwhelmed.

I finished Great Expectations last night..... It was a long read but I was happy to get more out of it this time than I did during my school days!

I'm due for another Great Expectations read too. I read it once in high school and once in college, so it's probably about time. I think it's been about 13 years since my last visit with Pip - maybe I should read another one of his instead? I've only read 1 or 2 others, and I do own copies of all of them....

90 I enjoyed Faceless Killers OK, but didn't rush to check out the next installment, though I keep thinking I'll eventually try it.

31 Eggsecutive Orders In this third installment of the series, Executive Chef Ollie Paras is trying to prepare for Easter dinner and the Annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House.

When NSA agent Carl Minkus dies after eating the food that she and her staff prepared, they are banned from the kitchen and any type of meal preparation while the investigation takes place.

Ollie's mother and grandmother are in town for a visit, which is a nice touch, and her relationship with Tom faces difficulties that they may not be able to work out. I thought he was so mean to her!

I was surprised at the identity of the guilty party and I greatly enjoyed the book all the way to the end.

32. Night Passage Ok, I will admit that I still have a thing for Tom Selleck. One Sunday afternoon I think I watched about six hours of the made for tv movies of the Jesse Stone series. So when my LT pal Victoria *waves* suggested a joint read of the first book in the series, I was game.

I found this book to be a very quick read (maybe a day and a half) with short chapters and a pretty good plot.

Jesse Stone is let go from LA Homicide due to his drinking and general self destruction. He is greatly surprised when the small town of Paradise Massachusetts offers him the job of Police Chief. Little does he know that the political bigwigs and riff raff have their own agenda for hiring him.

Faced with political corruption and murder, Jesse isn't sure who he can trust, but vows to get to the bottom of things and do his job.

I guess the only part that I thought was weird was the drunken telephone conversations between Jesse and his wife Jennifer, who cheated on him and is partly to blame for his self destruction. All in all, the movie is pretty true to the book, and I wouldn't mind reading others in the series at some point.

Thought Night Passage was a decent introduction to a series. I have the 2nd book, Trouble in Paradise, on my tbr shelves but still need to find the time and inclination to pick it as my next read. Thanks for the reminder that it's there. Not seen any of the movies yet though.

33.The Daffodil Mystery

Thomas Lyne, owner of Lyne's stores, makes an unwanted advance against one of his employees, a young lady named Odette Rider who promptly resigns after the incident.

When Detective Jack Tarling(Lyne's cousin) shows up at Lyne's to investigate a theft matter, Lyne who is still angry with Odette for spurning his advances, decides that he will pin the theft crime on her. Detective Tarling wants no part of this set up and declines to offer his assistance.

Later, Lyne is found dead with his hands crossed against his body with a handful of daffodils. All indications point to Odette, but did she really kill him or is she covering for someone?

This was a cleverly plotted mystery complete with red herrings galore.

suicide with daffodils?

34. THe Last Child Thirteen year old Johnny Merriman just wants his old life back, when his parents were together and happy, and before his twin sister Alyssa disappeared. A year later, Johnny, a very smart, very resourceful child is determined to find her, hopefully alive. He travels on his bike with a map doggedly pursuing leads which takes him to very dangerous places, but he will not be stopped by any means.

This book had a very suspenseful storyline, with so many unexpected plot twists, that I couldn't keep count and it was excellent reading. Yes, some parts were just a bit farfetched, like maybe the FBI should have been brought in, and the fact that Johnny was able to gather evidence before the police, but it didn't detract from my reading enjoyment.

I've read all of John Hart's books now, (I think) and I guess I have to wait a while for another.

35 Night Frost

I have to try and pace myself with the Jack Frost series. This 3rd in the series finds the crude, disheveled inspector trying to juggle several murders while half of the department is out sick with the flu. His antics involving his new partner Gilmore and driving his Supt Mullet crazy are priceless, and add a great deal of humor to the mystery/police procedural storyline.

36 Up Jumps The Devil I'm quickly becoming addicted to this series, so I had better pace myself with this one also.

I don't even try to keep tack of Deborah's 11 brothers, assorted cousins and other relatives, I just sit back and enjoy the mystery and the fact that judge Deborah tries not to get involved in the murder mysteries, but finds herself smack in the middle of them all the time. In Up Jumps the Devil Deborah finds herself facing a not so fun reminder of her past youth, her elderly neighbor and his son are killed, and there is plenty of fighting over the development of farmland. I didn't guess the murderer at first but then when it was revealed, I could see a few clues that I didn't pick up on at first.

37 Kill Alex Cross I've always enjoyed the Alex Cross books by James Patterson, so I was looking forward to reading this one. The title is slightly misleading as Alex is never really in danger of being killed. Alex works to find the President's two kidnapped children and also deals with terrorist activities. This was kind of a ho-hum read for me.

I haven't read the Jack Frost series of books but I have watched the "Touch of Frost" British ITV series with David Jason as Frost. Brilliant!

Hi Lisa, I love Frost, but definitely have to pace them. I have only one left in the series to read, but I have been told about First Frost by James Henry, a prequel to the Frost series. I have been told that it is pretty good, so I will give it a try.

BTW, I am going to be starting Silent In the Grave tomorrow.

#101 I have to see if I can get a hold of "Touch of Frost" the tv series.
#103 Hi Judy: I'm all set to start Silent in the Grave as well, I was trying to finish A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories which give me a good segue:

38. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories a first rate, wonderfully written collection of short stories which take place in the South. They all depict realistic situations with odd colorful characters. A few that I really enjoyed:

The Life You Save May Be Your Own- a drifter comes to town and charms a woman into thinking he'd make a good match for her blind daughter, only for him to marry the daughter, then leave her at a diner.

A Good Man is Hard to Find- a difficult grandmother in a dysfunctional family makes it known that she does not want to go to Florida for their vacation. They go anyway, and find themselves lost, to be be murdered by a dangerous criminal.

Displaced Person - a story about black and white hired hands working for a widow on her farm and their feelings about the Polish refugee she has also hired.

David Hartwell included one of the stories from A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories in his history of horror anthology. O'Connor really did write psychological horror! It's a great collection.

39 Silent in the Grave

I found this book to be more of combination of mystery and romance rather than a full mystery, and I thought at times that the plot was a tad dull. I did however find it to be an interesting read.

I enjoyed the fact that the author made the characters modernized but set the story in 19th Century London. I will eventually read books # 2 and #3, since I already have them, but I am in no rush to do so. Yet I rated this book with 4 stars, why????

40 Killing Critics Mallory investigates the murder of an artist which may be linked to a case her father worked on 12 years ago that was never really closed because the department didn't have the funds to go further with the investigation. I'm becoming quite the fan of Ms Mallory, don't call me Kathy!

41 Third Degree An average thriller which takes place in the span of one day when a doctor finds out that his wife is having an affair and holds her hostage until he finds out who her lover is. She's also pregnant, and not quite sure who the baby's father is.

I was slightly annoyed by a few loose ends, but overall it was a good not great read.

42 The Best American Short Stories 2011

I found this collection of short stories to be a very good read overall. A few of the more memorable items were:

Bridge Under Water- newlyweds discover that there are a few things that they differ on while enjoying their Italian honeymoon.

The Sleep- an entire town embarks upon hibernation so as not to have to deal with day to day things that stress us out, like heating bills, not having enough money for holidays, etc.

Ceiling- a Lagos resident realizes that he has the wrong wife, wrong life, and realizes that his upper class life is not all that he dreamed it would be.

Housewifely Duties- a woman travels many miles to visit her dead mother's parrot, hoping that she will hear the bird mimic her mother's voice.

43. Cinnamon Roll Murder This 15th in the Hannah Swenson series interested me a bit more than the last few installments.

A member of the Cinnamon Roll Six ban is injured in a bus accident and is later found dead at the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. As his death is investigated, it turns out that the victim isn't who everyone thought he was .

While of course nosing around in the investigation, Hannah is also trying to come to terms with the impending change in her relationship with Norman.

There seemed to be a tad more recipes in this one.

44. Hunger Games
45. Catching Fire
46. Mockingjay

I will spare everyone more commentary about this trilogy. Iand I also don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read the books yet.

Immediately after reading Hunger Games I stopped what I was doing to start Catching Fire, I just had to read further! Mockingjay dragged a little for me at times, and I didn't think that it had the same effect on me as the others. I thought that Mockingjay had a good bittersweet ending that I expected, even though there was that one part which was so unbelievably sad!

I definitely want to see the movie now!

I'm reading The Hunger Games now, since my daughter loved it.

#110 Hey Kay:

I started reading the trilogy because my almost 12 year old niece begged me to and I am hooked!

I'm on book # 3 now.

I saw the movie yesterday and it was true to the book. Fabulous!

#47 The Brass Verdict This was a good follow-up to The Lincoln Lawyer, but it didn't have quite as much "wow" factor as the Lincoln Lawyer, in my opinion.

In this second installment of the Mickey Haller series, Mickey is about to return to practicing law after a two year absencewhich was due to his battle with a prescription drug addiction.

He inherits the case of Walter Elliott, a studio exec who allegedly killed his wife and her lover. Elliott's previous lawyer, was Jerry Vincent, a colleague of Mickey's who was killed.
The police detective handling the Vincent murder is none other than Harry Bosch.

What was so entertaining to me in this book was how Bosch and Haller played cat and mouse with each other, cop vs. lawyer, but then realizing that they would have to work together to keep Mickey safe. There was a reveal of a relationship between the two that seems promising, and may even cause me to warm up to the Mickey Haller character in the future.

48. Evil Eclairs It just so happens that I am on the fourth installment of quite of a few of my cozy culinary type mysteries. In Evil Eclairs, Suzanne Hart gets into trouble when a local radio host is found dead with one of her eclairs stuffed into his mouth.

49.Buffalo West Wing A new First Family is about to take residence in the White House and executive chef Ollis Paras wants to make a good impression. When a box of chicken wings arrives with the names of the First Children on it, she refuses to serve them because she doesn't know where they came from. This decision does not endear her to the First Lady, and possibly places her job in jeopardy.

It also looks like Ollie may be about to embark on a new romance, which is good, because Tom's character makes me slightly angry!

50. April Fool Dead It's always a delight to pick up a Death on Demand mystery. I'm reading them out of order which is working out for me just fine.

Someone is playing an April Fool's joke on Annie Darling. Someone takes the flyers she's printed for one of her contests and changed them to make it appear as though she's accusing her neighbors of murder.

51. Stone Angel I've turned into a big time Mallory fan girl. There's something about her character, seemingly unlikeable, yet sympathetic at the same time. In this 4th installment, the setting changes from the usual New York, to that of the tiny Louisiana town where Mallory is from and where her mother was murdered. She's out for blood while Charles and Riker of course, try to stop her.

I loved the southern setting and also how little bits of Mallory's past are slowly revealed. I think that so far, this one was my favorite read.

Wow, a bunch of good books on here! My opinion on Silent in the Grave - I liked it, but the leading man was pretty unbelievable. The second book didn't get any better, so I'm done with the series. She seemed to be trying to say - "Look how my characters are set in the past, but are so modern in their outlook! Aren't I clever?" It got old.

#116 Hi Cindy: Thanks. You are on point with your take on Silent in the Grave, it was a constant "look at my Victorian characters with modern pov's!". I may try the second book in the series at some point, since I believe it's on my Nook.

# 52 Storm Track I just have to say I am having way too much fun tearing through the Deborah Knott series! I want to pass them along to my Mom when I'm done.

I agree re: the comments about Silent in the Grave. I have read and enjoyed the first three books in the series, but the characters are definitely way too modern in their outlook! I can understand a historical fiction author wanting to make her characters relatable to a modern audience, but too-modern characters spoil the setting, in my opinion.

>118 lsh63: Glad you're enjoying Deborah Knott, Lisa! She's one of my favorite series heroines, and I raced through them, too (I think there were 10 or 12 at the time I discovered them). You're coming up to some of my favorites: Uncommon Clay, High Country Fall, Winter's Child.

Glad you're enjoying the Mallory series! It's a favorite series of mine, too.

Hi everyone: I've been in some kind of allergic haze and haven't been posting much, reading when I can, hoping the pollen would take a break etc...

Here's what I've read since my last post:

53 High Country Fall
54 Elegy for April
55 No Time for Goodbye
56 The Bean Trees
57 The English Breakfast Murder
58 The Surgeon
59The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

I doubt that I will finish anything else this month, although it's possible if I get my chores done lol.

I've become slightly obsessed with the Deborah Knott series, and have no doubt that I will finish them all before the next book comes out later this year. Ditto for the Rizzoli and Isles series and I also enjoyed my first Sharyn McCrumb, which I finished in one day.

Now it's time to get creative with my challenge and try to fit some of my newer discoveries in!

Yeah, those allergies have been getting to me, too. Down here, we skipped from late winter to early summer over a weekend and so everything is blooming at once.

Hope you both start to feel better soon. The Flonase has been working well for me, so I'm not suffering like you have been. Hang in there!

I hope the two of you feel better soon as well. Allergies are the pits, and often the medication can be just as bad. I'm lucky in that I only seem to react to one type of pollen and usually hits me toward the end of May and doesn't last too long.

# 60 Darkness Take My Hand

Ah, yet another series that I am enjoying tremendously. Patrick and Angie try to help their client, a Boston psychiatrist, who is being threatened by the Irish mob.

While investigating the case, Patrick soon learns that the past is coming back to haunt him in ways he never imagined.

An event also takes place which could mean a new beginning for Patrick and Angie, maybe......

#61 Elegy for Eddie This ninth in the Maisie Dobbs series takes place April 1933. A group of men from Maisie's old life come to her office to request her help in finding out what happened to their friend Eddie, described as perhaps a little slow, but not someone that anyone would want to murder.

As Maisie looks into Eddie's death, she also struggles more and more with her old world and her new world which includes her romance with James, and her guilt over her inheritance left to her by her mentor, Maurice.

This book is more political than previous installments; there is mention of Winston Churchill, the fear of another World War, and rthe rise in power of Adolph Hitler.

I enjoy reading about this independent woman who has reinvented herself while staying true to her roots.

62Tragic Toppings I enjoy reading the Donut Shop series, although I have no intentions of ever making doughnuts, the recipes are fun to read.

In this 5th installment in the series, Suzanne's friend asks her to find the person responsible for killing her honorary "uncle", handyman Tim Leaner, who Grace and Suzanne found dead.

Suzanne's relationship with her boyfriend Jake seems to be progressing nicely and her mother and the Police Chief have started to date.

I'm looking forward to the next in the series Killer Crullers.

I love the Kenzie/Gennaro series and I 'm glad you like them too!

>127 lsh63: I raced through the first 7 Maisie Dobbs books last year, and then decided to wait for the paperback of the 8th. It must be out now, but then I'll have to decide whether to wait for the paperback of Elegy for Eddie! Glad to see you're still enjoying the series!

I picked up a bunch of Kenzie/Gennaro books at the last library book sale. Looking forward to them! Looks like you've done tons of good reading despite the allergies. Get well!

Thanks for stopping by my thread this morning, Lisa. That Kenzie & Gennaro series is addictive. And I like the Maisie Dobbs series -- a friend loaned me a bunch of them, and I'm slowly making my way through Maisie's adventures.

Sorry to hear about your allergies. For some unknown reason, my allergies never kicked in too badly this year. It may help that I didn't (knock on wood) get a cold or flu so far this year. (Seems like once illness stirs my sinuses up, they're awake for the season!) But my son has had an unusually difficult spring with his asthma.

I really like the Maisie Dobbs series. I haven't read this one yet. Sounds good.

My allergies are killing me here too. We had such a mild winter than everything started growing (and pollinating) early this year, and it hasn't slowed down!

#129- Thanks for visiting Kay! I think you were the one who told me to read the Kenzie/Gennaro series in order and I thank you!

#130- Hi Ivy! I think I raced through the Maisie Dobbs series last year also. I know what you mean about waiting for the paperback versions. Sometimes I just can't wait though!

#131 Hi Katie: Lucky for you that you were able to obtain quite a few of the Kenzie Gennaro series at your library book sale. I am deliberately not taking my library books back until Monday so that I won't be tempted by today's sale. I just don't have any more room for more books.

#132 Hi Terri, Yes the oak, birch and maple have been wreaking havoc since March. I can only imagine how much worse it would be when one has asthma.

#133 Hi Cindy! I am off to visit your thread!

63. Sacred As if I haven't mentioned the Kenzie and Gennaro series enough in the above posts, Sacred is the third book in the series.

After the devestating events which took place in Darkness Take My Hand, Patrick and Angie have taken a break from investigative work when they are both kidnapped by a wealthy man who wants to hire them to find his beautfiul young daughter. The man is desperate because he's dying and wants to know what has happened to his daughter before he passes away.

Supposedly griefstricken over the death of her mother, her boyfriend and devestated by her father's illness, it appears that she has fallen victim to some sort of cult which preys upon the griefstricken.

Patrick and Angie quickly learn that nothing is at it seems and stumble into a very complicated father and daughter relationship.

LOL! I understand avoiding the library! I missed the Southdale bag sale that was 2 weeks later than the one that got me... and I pouted! How ridiculous is that! I'm already buried in unread books, and I'm telling myself I can't get an e-reader until I dig myself out - which means I'll NEVER get an e-reader.

64 Dare to Die

Everyone is on edge when a strange young woman named Iris arrives on the island alone, on a bicycle. It's been ten years since she waslast seen, and many people fear what will happen upon her return.

Annie and Max, who are celebrating their impending move into their new home, are holding a party to celebrate. Annie, feeling sorry for the strange Iris, invites her to the party where she is later killed.

Annie and Max feel responsible for Iris's death and vow to find out the truth, even while putting their own lives in jeopardy.

This book wasn't my favorite of the series but it still held my interest.

65 The Boy In The Suitcase I found this book while wandering around the New Fiction section at the library. It was just an ok read for me.

The book began with a confusing plot and many points of view, there were times when I wasn't sure whose point of view was being expressed.

Nina Borg, a nurse, wife and mother regrets helping her estranged friend Karin when she asks Nina to take a key and open a locker in a Copenhagen train station. When Nina opens the suitcase, she finds a three year old naked boy, who is drugged but still alive.

Nina never finds out what is going on, because shortly thereafter, Nina is brutally murdered. Nina realizes that she and the boy are in danger, and tries desperately to get him back to his mother, if she can find her.

I was very glad that this story did not take the pedophile turn that I feared it would, and the ending was a bit odd for me.

66. The Burglar In The Library I love Lawrence Block, but this book didn't do much for me at all. As a matter of fact, I struggled to finish it.

Bernie Rhodenbarr, bookseller and thief, plans a weekend getaway with his girlfriend, who informs him that she's getting married, so he takes his good friend Carolyn on the getaway instead.

In typical Christie fashion, Bernie, Carolyn and many guests are staying at an English type inn, complete with snow and bodies piling up all over the place. Bernie of course has an ulterior motive for the getaway, he is there to steal a copy of The Big Sleep which he believes is still in the library at the inn.

At about midpoint in the book, I just didn't care anymore, and found Carolyn infuriating.

I have The Burglar Who Thought He was Bogart in the pile to read, but I may just stick to the author's excellent Matthew Scudder series.

67. Affairs of Steak I'm all caught up with the White House chef series and I hope the next book comes out soon!

Ollie finds herself working alongside her nemesis Peter Sargeant when the two of them stumble upon the bodies of two White House employees while scouting locations for a birthday party that the First Lady wants to hold for the Secretary of State.

While trying really hard to stay clear of the investigation, of course eventually Ollie's curiousity gets the best of her which puts her at odds once again with her old boyfriend Tom, and possibly complicating her new relationship with Gavin.

The Burglar in the Library is the only Lawrence Block novel I've ever read. I didn't care for it much so I never picked up another. If you like his books in general, but didn't like this one, it sounds as if I should give him another try now - with his other series.

I've read the first in the Bernie Rhodenbarr series and I've not been in a rush to continue. Good to hear that it's not totally representative of Lawrence Block's other work though.

@139, Did you mean The Burglar in the Library?

#142 Oops, yes I did mean Burglar in the Library, I had Christie on the brain. I corrected it, thank you!

Hey Lisa! I'm glad we agree about The Burglar in the Library. Since I know that you share my love of Bogart, I still believe you will enjoy The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart, it's quite different than Library.

I had The Boy in the Suitcase on my list too, but I wasn't completely sure about that one. It sounded good, but could easily have been super depressing with that title. Still not sure about it!

68 The Doll I greatly enjoyed this collection of short stories by Daphne du Maurier.

Most of these are dark with ironic twists and were written in the 1920's and 1930's . I can imagine each and every one of them being made made into episodes on Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

My favorite was the creepy title story, which is almost Steven King like in its characterization.

69 Little Face This was just a so-so read for me. New mother Alice Fancourt leaves her infant daughter at home for the first time with her husband David, to treat herself to a little pampering after giving birth.

Having had a C-section, it kept nagging at me that she felt like going anywhere after two weeks, but that's beside the point..... Not important, after all it is fiction lol!

Anyway, when Alice returns home to find her husband asleep, she claims that the baby in her crib is not her daughter, and that she has been switched with another baby. Of course no one believes her, and chalks up her hysteria to postpartum depression.

By the end of the story, I felt kind of let down.

70 Half Broken Things I greatly enjoyed this psychological thriller by new to me author, Morag Joss, whose writing style is reminiscent of Ruth Rendell.

The story of lonely house sitter Jean, and the two lost souls Michael and Steph is haunting, and sad.

Jean has seem to forgotten that she is just temporarily house sitting, and decides to stay in the house permanently. She also longs for family and companionship, so she decides to invite Michael and Steph to live with her, while they all vow to stay together no matter what.

I found myself feeling sorry for the characters and I thought that the ending was a satisfying conclusion.

71 Too Close to Home

Linwood Barclay is becoming one of my favorite new to me authors. I didn't have the same "wow" factor as I did when I read No Time For Goodbye, but it was still a very good read.

Young Derek Cutter has everything planned, his friend Adam Langley and his family are going away for a whole week and Derek plans to make the most this opportunity to use the Langley's house to be alone with his girlfriend Penny.

Derek sees Adam and his parents off, then hears them coming back to the house. He quickly hides in a crawl space and then he hears a series of gunshots. When he is certain that the killer is gone, he comes out of hiding to find Adam and his parents dead. Instead of notifying his parents or the police, Derek returns home because he doesn't want anyone to know he was there.

The question which baffles everyone is why would anyone want to kill the Langleys, or was it a case of mistaken identity?

I have one book left on my shelf by this author, Fear The Worst, which I plan to read very soon.

Hi Lisa, I remember feeling a little let down by Little Face as well. Half Broken Things is definitely on my wishlist as Morag Joss has become a favorite, and I have quite a few of Linwood Barclay's books on my wishlist as well, I just have to get around to him!

The Doll is going to have to go on my wishlist - and I'm thinking it's time for a reread of Rebecca.

72 Gone Baby Gone I've been devouring the Kenzie/Gennaro series and while all the books that I've read so far, are excellent, this book provided something a little extra, and had me thinking about it after finishing it.

Patrick and Angie are hired to find 4 year old Amanda McCready, who went missing after her mother left her alone to watch telelvision and have a drink next door. The two team up with two police officers in an effort to find Amanda, while being frustrated by her spaced out mother and dealing with the powerful drug dealer who everyone thinks is responsible for the child's disappearance.

This case also tests Angie and Patrick's relationship when their disagreements become unsurmountable.

I look forward to Moonlight Mile.

73 Last Lessons of Summer I have become a big fan of this author's Deborah Knott series, and decided to try this stand alone which was nominated for an Agatha award in 2003.

I thought that the plot moved just a tad too slow, but otherwise it was a satisfying read.

Amy Steadman, heir to Pink and Blue Publishing, returns to the North Carolina house where her grandmother was recently killed and where her mother committed suicide when Amy was three years old.

While cleaning out the house , Amy hopes to find answers about her mother's suicide. Dwight Bryant and Terry Wilson show up to help Amy and keep her safe when it appears that someone in her family doesn't want her digging in the past.

74 Prayers for Rain In this 5th book of the series, which reads like it's the last (did the author change his mind years later?) Patrick is not the same, working without Angie, after she leaves their partnership.

He's hired by Karen Nichols to discourage a man who is stalking her. Months later she commits suicide, and Patrick vows to find out why. The story doesn't pick up until Angie actually joins him, and boy is Bubba good to have around, as he pulls out all the stops in a showdown with a sadistic killer.

It's like a case of sociopath vs. psychopath and as usual, was an excellent read.

Good reviews - I definitely want to read more of the Kenzie/Genero and the Knott series. So, let me guess. Amy isn't 100% thrilled to have Dwight and Terry trying to protect her???

#155 Thanks Katie! Well I don't want to spoil things for you, but let's just say Amy doesn't mind having Dwight and Terry around because she's feeling just a tad bit insecure about her marriage!

147> New mother Alice Fancourt leaves her infant daughter at home for the first time with her husband David

That probably was a tip off since most new mothers that I have known wouldn't leave their new babies for a couple of months or so!

Really? No going out for an hour just to be out and about? Maybe I was negligent, but I had no trouble leaving my babies with their father for an hour while I ran an errand or two or got a haircut.

#157, 158 I guess it depends on the situation. It was mostly the part about even feeling like putting on regular clothes and going anywhere two weeks after a C-section. I guess people's energy levels are different also.

Anyway, I'm closing out May with two excellent reads: Those Who Save Us and The Lock Artist.

75 Those Who Save Us This was a fascinating and very compelling story of Anna and her daughter Trudy. Anna's story is told in flashback during WWII, while Trudy's story is told during the 1990's. I found Anna's story to be far more captivating than Trudy's, but it was still an excellent read. overall

Anna and Trudy have a very strained relationship, mostly because of the shame Anna feels for the things she did in the past to keep herself and her daughter alive. Anna fell in love with a Jewish doctor, became pregnant with Trudy, but never had a chance to tell him before he was sent away to a prison camp with other Jews. Anna eventally becomes a baker's apprentice and helps with the resistance effort. When the baker is killed, Anna is forced to become the mistess of a high ranking SS official in order to keep herself and Trudy alive.

Trudy begs her mother to tell her about her life during the war, but Anna cannot tell her daughter what she did. Trudy mistakenly believes that she is the daughter of the high ranking SS official whom she remembers from her childhood.

During the course of one of Trudy's history projects for school, she inadvertently stumbles upon the truth.

76 The Lock Artist

I loved this 2011 Edgar Award winner, however, I had to pay close attention to the details, as each chapter skipped from year to year and location to location, which was a little confusing at first.

The story is told by Mike as he sits in prison and tells the story of how he wound up there in a first person point of view. A traumatic childhood experience left Mike unable to talk, however he learned that he had a talent for picking locks at a young age, and then graduated to cracking safes, which led to his life of crime.

As the story unfolds, you can see clearly how he wound up the way he is, and he becomes a sympathetic character, even though he is a criminal. This is a character I rooted for and hoped that he got his happy ending one day.

I've wondered about The Lock Artist, thanks for the review.

You've read a ton of books so far. I can never keep up with you!

It's so interesting when we have different reactions to the same book, especially since we like so many of the same books. I liked Little Face quite a bit and hated Those Who Save Us. At least we can agree that the Kenzie/Gennaro books are awesome! You'll like Moonlight Mile, although it is different from the earlier books.

I'm a big fan of the Kenzie/Gennaro series, too. (Heck, I'm a big fan of Dennis Lehane's writing in general.) Next up for me is Prayers for Rain. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

I've been remiss in posting my reads:

77.Vanish I've become slightly addicted to the Rizzoli and Isles series. This is book #5 and finds Dr. Maura Isles going to check on one of her corpses and finds one of them with her eyes open. Maura quickly rushes the Jane Doe to the hospital where she shoots a security guard and takes a few hostages, one of whom just happens to be Det. Jane Rizzoli who is in labor and without her gun.

Maura works with Jane's husband, an FBI agent, to bring the hostage situation to an end safely, but the situation is far worse than they realize.

A good, fast paced read. I hope to be caught up relatively soon, but not by the time the latest book Last To Die comes out later this summer.

#78. No Mark Upon Her As usual, another good read from one of my favorite writers, Deborah Crombie.

Gemma and Duncan are adjusting to being newly married and dealing with their newly blended family: his son Kit, her son Toby, and their foster child Charlotte. (Charlotte's presence was explained in the last book before this one)

It took me a little longer to read this book than usual, I think it's because I didn't care for the background story about competitive racing. It was different, but at the end, I didn't remember the murderer, and the reveal didn't seem to matter too much.

#79 Moonlight Mile I was a little sad reading my last Kenzie/Gennaro offering!

This I'm assuming last in the series, finds Patrick and Angie married with a young daughter. I have to say that I missed Bubba's presence a little bit. I know he's nuts, but I like the character.

The story picks up ten years after Patrick returned little Amanda to her mother. Amanda, believe it or not, is missing again, and her aunt asks Patrick to work his magic once again and find her.

All signs point to him leaving this case alone and staying out of it, but of course he can't do that.

This book was different than the rest, but I enjoyed it very much.

I don't know what I have left to read by this author, maybe Shutter Island.........

80 Killer Crullers I have no intention of ever making doughnuts, but I enjoy these fun reads in the Donut Shop mystery series.

Suzanne Hart sells a bos of crullers to a stranger who then promptly throws them at the storefront of her friend Gabby's thrift store because he claims that valuable items were left in donated items and rightfully belong to him.

When he stranger turns up dead, Gabby is the prime suspect and Suzanne sets out to clear her friends name, and to keep her crullers from being associated with murder.

Not a lot of plot, but these are fun reads.

81 When the Sacred Ginmill Closes

This 6th in the Matthew Scudder series is a retrospective into how Matthew wound up the way he did, and the circumstances that made him take a good look at himself.

It was a little strange to have a retrospective plopped into the middle of a series, because in the previous book, Eight Million Ways to Die, Matthew had decided to stop drinking and start attending AA meetings, but this book takes the reader back to his heaviest drinking days.

Matthew Scudder, ex-cop, unlicensed PI, does favors for people and always donates 10% to the church. as a form of penance. Here, he tries to solve the murder of one client's wife, and the holdup of two different bars, both with different mo's, but which are somehow related.

This character is a dark one, and is the atmosphere , but this series is a good one!

Hmm, haven't heard of the Donut Shop series before, sounds like I could do a little investigating. :)

The Lock Artist sounds interesting. Looks like it received an Alex award too, which is an award for an adult book that would be of interest to teens.

82 Three-Day Town This book was peeking at me last time I was at the library. I'm reading just a little bit out of sequence, but I would like to be caught up with this series when the new book comes out in November.

At any rate, I haven't read any of the Sigrid Harald series as yet, so I was wondering about sudden crossover of the Sigrid and Deborah characters. I suppose this is just a little nitpicky, but are Sigrid and Deborah now supposed to be around the same age?

Deborah and Dwight are in NYC for a delayed honeymoon and are staying in Dwight's sister's apartment for the week. Deborah has been asked to deliver a package to Lt. Harald from her Colleton County grandmother, who's not doing too well health wise.

When she comes to pick it up, Deborah finds the package missing and the building super murdered. From then on, most of the story involves the police deparment's handling of the case, so not too much Deborah and Dwight. I'll have to read the Sigrid books to see how I feel about the crossover.

83 Gone Girl Wow! I rated this book with five stars, it was excellent, and will easily be on my "best of 2012" list. If you like the dark and twisted psychological tale, this is the book for you!

This wonderfully written tale of the courthip, marriage, and unraveling of Nick and Amy is riveting, terriftying, sometimes humorous, and full of revenge and psychotic characters.

Amy disappears on her and Nick's fifth wedding anniversary, seemingly abducted with blood found in their kitchen. You know where this is going , the husband is usually suspect #1 right?

The book is written in alternating pov's, Amy's diary entries, and Nick's tale told in the present. These are not likeable characters by any means, but that doesn't matter.

I don't want to give anything away, just read this book!

Arghh! I'm waiting for this one, but may have to just go and buy it. It is my birthday in a few weeks, so maybe if I beg for bookstore gift cards, what with this Flynn novel and new ones by Denise Mina and Chelsea Cain and Tana French.

#174 Hi Kay: Looks like we have the same summer reads planned!

I didn't know about the Denise Mina, but of course Archie and Gretchen are already on my radar, as is Tana French.

Your'e a July baby too, excellent! I already know that my family and friends won't be giving me any bookstore gift cards. The conversation usually goes something like : "Don't you have enough books?" Hah, enough books, that will never happen!

No, it's not Denise Mina. It's Dennis Lehane. But you like him too, anyway.

I'm getting lots of great ideas on your thread, Lisa. Gone Girl is now firmly on my radar. I have to get back to both Chelsea Cain and Tana French as I am still behind on their books.

# 177 Hi Judy: I hope you get your hands on a copy of Gone Girl soon!

# 84 Not The End of The World

I really enjoyed this whimsical collection of short stories from Kate Atkinson. A few were interconnected, with the common theme for the majority of the stories being mythology and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

My favorites were the stories featuring the Zane sisters, I would like to read more about them, they were very interesting characters.

#85 10th Anniversary I enjoy the Women's Murder Club series a lot, but I think my head was swimming a little bit with the various plot lines going on.

Lindsay searches for a missing baby, Yuki is trying a case involving a doctor accused of killing her husband, and Yuki is getting to know Lindsay's very married boss. Interesting! cliffhanger at the end.

Not the End of the World sounds interesting. Might have to check that out!

86 Night Shift I got the idea to read this book while watching a movie with one of my favorite actresses of all time, Ida Lupino. She wasn't an in your face type, but she could make even a so-so movie a little better. I think her "claim to fame" would be They Drive By Night, with Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, and Ann Sheridan.

Night Shift was the basis for the movie The Man I Love, which gives the reader a glimpse into the life of several individuals who share an apartment house in the early 1940's. Sally, Virginia, and Joe Braun are all struggling to make ends meet when their sister Petey breezes into town during the Christmas holidays with her furs, evening gowns and dazzling jewels. Petey is not the type of woman to stay in one place too long, but she decides to stay in town to help out her siblings. She becomes a singer in a nightclub owned by a mobster referred to as the Nicky.

Nicky, who had his advances rebuffed by the very married Sally quickly decides to pursue Petey. Things go along fine until Petey falls for a broken down piano player named San, who's really no good for her but she can't help herself.

Also living in the apartment house is the young wife and mother, the beautiful blonde Gloria, who is bored with marriage and her newborn baby and decides she needs excitement in her life. Her poor husband tries to keep her happy but to no avail.

I found all of the characters in this book to be so interesting, I became engrossed in their lives. The movie is a little toned down from the book, but I can see why it would have been a 1942 best-seller. It was a five star read for me.

87. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil I really enjoyed this book! It took me a little while to finish, only because I got distracted with my library read, Gone Girl and other things.

I thought it was ingenious how a non-fictional event was turned into a fictional work. A murder was committed in one of Savannah's greatest mansions in May of 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? Hmmmmm.

For me what made this book so special was the wonderful cast of characters: the well-to-do society ladies, Chablis the black drag queen, who I found hilarious, a piano playing con artist, a voodoo priestess, a recluse with a bottle of poison that could take out the whole town, a gigolo, and of course, the story's main character Jim Williams who was tried for the murder of his companion, Danny Hansford.

I've never seen the movie all the way through, and I love Kevin Spacey, so I will make a point to watch it all the way through soon.

88 Full Dark No Stars Excellent novellla collection in which all of the characters confront their impulses and inner demons.

My favorites were:

1922- the story of what happens when Wilfred James and his wife differ in opinion on whether to sell her 100 acres of land. She wants to sell them and use the money to move to a city, he wants to stay on the farm. Creepy good.

A Good Marriage- Darcy and Bob have been married for 30 years when she finds that she doesn't know her husband as well as she thought she did. A good " what would you do"?

89 A Death in Summer Fourth in the Quirke series, this one finds the lonely pathologist working with Inspector Hackett to find out why newspaper tycoon Richard Jewell blew his head off. Did he, or did he have help? What appears to be a simple case of suicide turns out to be so much more.

I can't wait to read Vengeance: A Novel!

90 Gone I'm a big Lisa Gardner fan, having read most of her stand alones, I love the DD Warren series and I am finally getting around to finishing her FBI profiler series.

Rainie is kidnapped from her parked car, and her husband, FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, tries to find her before it's too late.

91 The Reversal I was a bit skeptical of the Harry Bosch/ Mickey Haller combos, but they are growing on me.

Third in the Mickey Haller series, and 16th (I think) in the Harry Bosch series, The Reversal finds defense attorney Mickey becoming prosecutor, with his ex-wife Maggie as his 2nd chair and Harry is their investigator, while they re-try a 24 year old case of the murder of little Melissa Landy. Truck driver Jason Jessup was convicted, but new DNA evidence leads to the conviction being overturned.

I found this book to be a very good police procedural/legal thriller. The ending was a little so so for me, but their potential for future storyline.

92 The Body in the Attic I read this book because I have been accumulating them for my mother and she marked a recipe in the back for me to make for her. A cake with no baking powder, we were intrigued!

In this 14th installment, Faith and her family are temporarily living in Cambridge when they find a diary in the attic.

Faith becomes caught up in finding out what happened to the author of the diary, while also meeting up with an old boyfriend who is hiding something.

I think I will read more of these in the future, I enjoyed it.

93 Red Velvet Revenge Fourth in the "Cupcake Series" this one features Melanie and Angie providing cupcakes at a rodeo, and find themselves in trouble when their sponsor is shot, and the star of the rodeo is killed.

There's a nice "awww" moment at the end.

Glad to see you enjoyed Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I read it last year and loved how the it reads like a fiction novel!

But Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is non-fiction. Chablis really exists. It's marketed as non-fiction. Now when you see the movie, that's fiction. I love both of them, but only by considering the movie as a derivative work, kind of like the relationship between the book Pride and Prejudice and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I first learned about Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil when I went to Savannah. The trolley tour guide kept talking about places in "the book" and pointing them out so I decided that I had to get a copy of the book and read it. I really enjoyed it then, and I've enjoyed subsequent trips to Savannah even more that I know what happened in those places they pointed out!

Midnight is one of my favorite books. I've lost track of how many times I've read it. On a trip to Savannah we actually went to Bonaventure and a creepy guy followed us around in a pickup truck and insisted on pointing out the graves of several individuals in the book. The cemetery sits right on the river and we were absolutely eaten up by black flies though. We also ate at Clary's Cafe, which I really, really enjoyed. Never made it to Mercer House.

Sorry, I wasn't clear in my posting... and my grammatical error didn't help! What I meant was that it is non-fiction that reads like fiction, because of the storytelling element. I have read somewhere here on LT that this type of non-fiction is called "Narrative non-fiction".

@194 Yes, I thought that might have been what you meant. It isn't edited like fiction, but yes it is narrative non-fiction. If it had been fiction, Chablis really would've been a witness in the trials.

You've been reading some good books! I, too, loved Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Full Dark, No Stars. When in a cozy mood, I like those Faith Fairchild mysteries, too. Gone Girl is on a list of books I must get around to checking out of the library!

# 196 Thanks Terri, I hope you enjoy Gone Girl when you get around to reading it. Hopefully your library has several copies and you won't have to wait that long!

94 Criminal I read this latest from Karin Slaughter with my bud Victoria *waves*.

Her books are not for the faint of heart, the descriptions are usually very graphic and she pulls no punches.

Criminal is told in alternating pov's, one in 1975, when Will Trent's boss Amanda was new to the police force, as was his partner Faith's mother, Evelyn.

The other is in the present day as Will tries to solve the mystery of his past and struggles a bit in his relationship with Sara.

The basic premise is to provide the reader with background into the relationship between Will and his boss Amanda. We learn why she's the way she is, and what she knows about Will's past. The past and present flowed flawlessly, but I felt that there was too much of the 1975 perspective, which overshadowed the book just a bit.

What I love about Karin Slaughter is her ability to leave me staring at the end of the book with my mouth open. The ending here is a "wow" one.

95 Bone By Bone I've been having a bit of a Mallory love fest this year, so I decided to try a non Mallory book to see if I liked it. I did!

Oren and his brothe Josh both go into the woods one day, but only Oren comes back. No one knows what happened to Josh, until 20 years later when his bones begin to appear on the family porch.

Oren, an ex investigator for the army, decides to solve his brother's murder.

This was a very good read, although I wasn't that surprised by the murderer.

*waves back* Hi Lisa! I think you're right about Criminal being too heavy on the vintage side. So glad you enjoyed Bone by Bone. Have you read O'Connell's Judas Child yet?

Eeeyou! Bone By Bone sounds creepy! Horror-mystery.