Carol's Reading Log - 2016

January - 23
February - 26
March - 21
April - 24
May - 20
June - 20
July - 26
August- 17
September - 19
October - 24
November - 17
December - 16

Best Books of 2016 - The House on Cold Hill by Peter James
The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter
The Executioner by Chris Carter

2016

January
1) The Corners of The Globe by Robert Goddard
2) This Air by Ann Cleeves
3) The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
4) Simon Said by Sarah R. Shaker
5) Murder As A Fine Art by David Morrell
6) Ghost of A Smile by Simon R. Green
7) Ghost of A Dream by Simon R. Green
8) What Lies Behind by J.T. Ellison
9)1222 by Ann Holt -
10) Dead Man's Grip by Peter James
11) Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz
12) The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen
13) The Truth According To Us by Annie Barrows
14) Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCraight
15) After She's Gone by Lisa Jackson
16) The Children's Home by Charles Lambert
17) Travelers Rest by Keith Lee Morris
18) Beside Myself by Ann Morgan
19) The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag
20) On Jordan's Stormy Banks by Jefferson Bass (Novella)
21) Overlord by David L. Golemon
22) Boneyard by Michelle Gagnon -
23) The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves -
23 read in January

February
25) The Black Country by Alex Grecian
26) Descent by Tim Johnston
27) The Ends of The Earth by Robert Goddard
28) The Dungeon House by Martin Edwards
29) Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary
30) The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge
31) The Killing Forest by Sara Blaedel
32) A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
33) Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf
34) Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey
35) Find Her by Lisa Gardner
36) Dying Falls by Elly Griffith
37) Harrison Squared by Daryl Gregory
38) The House on Cold Hill by Peter James
39) Standing In Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin
40) The Wheatfield by Steve Thayer
42) I Can See In The Dark by Karin Fossum
43) The Girl In The Red Coat by Kate Hamer
44) Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz
45) Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante
46) Embrace the Twilight by Maggie Shayne
47) I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
48) Collection of Short Stories by Jeffrey Archer
49) Not Dead Yet by Peter James -
48) Collection of Short Stories by Jeffrey Archer
50) The Crooked House by Christobel Kent
26 read in February

March
51) My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorr- by Fedrik Backman
52) The Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo
53) Paradise Falls by Jonnie Jacobs
54) The Road To Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson
55) Real Encounter, Different Dimensions by Brad & Sherry Steiger
56) Hush, Hush by Laura Lippman
57) Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves
58) Far From True by Linwood Barclay
59) Driven by Kelley Armstrong
60) The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society by Augusta Tombaugh
61) Thread of Fear by Laura Griffin
62) War Games by Douglas Jackson
63) The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
64) Dark Promise by Christine Feehan
65) No one Knows by J.T. Ellison
66) Death Come To The Village by Catherine Lloyd
67) Return To Tradd Street by Karen White
68) American Ghost by Karen White
69) No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
70) How To survive A Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith
71) Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
21 read in March

April
72) Dead Tomorrow by Peter James
73) Dark Matter by Peter Straub
74) Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein
75) The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes
76) Scandalous Behavior by Stuart Woods
77) The Wedding Journey by Carla Kelly
78) The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill
79) The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffith
80) Last To Die by Kate Brady
81) All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
82) Family Jewels by Stuart Woods
83) Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley
84) Harmony House by Nic Sheff
85) Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
87) Flawless by Heather Graham
86. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
88) The Witness by Nora Roberts
89) Killer Dust by Sarah Andrews
90) The Devil's Workshop
91) A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
92) Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben
93) The Killing Hour by Paul Cleave
94) The Blood Gospel by James Rollins
95) The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
24 read in April

May
96) The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne
97) My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh
98) Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
99) Breakdown by Jonathon Kellerman
100) The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
101) Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
102) City of The Lost by Kelley Armstrong
103) The Last Rose of Kashmiri by Barbara Cleverly
104) The Sacred Stone by Clive Cussler
105) Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet
106) The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman
107) The Last Mile by David Baldacci
108) Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
109) Playing God by Kate Clark Flora
110) Amber House by Kelly Moore
111) Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves
112) Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
113) Beyond The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
114) When Will There Be Good news by Kate Atkinson
115) Innocent Blood by James Rollis & Rebecca Cantrell
20 read in May

June
116) Entry Island by Peter May
117) Extreme Prey by John Sandford
118) Bent Road by Lori Roy
119) A Head Full of Ghost by Paul Treblay
120) Blood, Salt, Water by Denise Mina
121) The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
122) The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton
123) Field of Graves by J.T. Ellison
124) Dishonorable Intentions by Stuart Woods
125) End of Watch by Stephen King
126) Follow You Home by Mark Edwards
127) Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham
128) Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
129) Drawn in Blood by Andrea Kane
130) Blood Infernal by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell
131) My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
132) The Submission by Amy Waldman
133) The Emperor's Revenge by Clive Cussler & Boyd Morrison
134) The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
135) Cross by ken Buren
20 read in June

July
136) Redemption Road by John Hart
137) Touch by Claire North
138) The Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw
139) Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay
140) Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope
141) The Unsuspected by Charlotte Armstrong
142) Dark Watch by Clive Cussler & Jack DuBrul
143) The Cyclopes Initiative by David Wellington
144) The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns
145) Motion to Suppress by Perri O'Shaughnessy
146) Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni
147) Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves
148) Among the Wicked by Linda Castillo
149) Noah's Wife by Lindsay Starck
150) Wolf Lake by John Verdon
151) The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza
152) Pyramid by David Gibbon
153) The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
154) The Dramatist by ken Bruen
155) The Magpies by Mark Edwards
156) The Hour Game by David Baldacci
157) On The Edge by Peter Lovesey
158) The Dogs by Allan Stratton
159) Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure
160) Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
161) Lock Down by Sean Black
26 read in July

August
162) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
163) The Interrogation by Thomas H. Cook
164) Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne
165) Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer
166) Until Thy Wrath be Past by Asa Larssen
167) The Fall by John Lescroart
168) Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
169) Smooth Operator by Stuart Wood
170) Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint
171) Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong
172) Deep Dark by Laura Griffin
173) The professionals by Owen Laukkanen
174) Caught in the Light by Robert Goddard
175) In The Clearing by Robert Dugoni
176) The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey
177) Ghost Song by Sarah Rayne
178) The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves

September
179) The Other Child by Joanne Fluke
180) Insidious by Catherine Coulter
181) The Keeper by John Lescroart
182) Liar, Liar by M.J. Aldridge -
183) The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
184) Skeleton Coast by Clive Cussler & Jack DuBrul
185) The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen
186) Apprentice in Death by J.D. Robb
187) No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill
188) The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
189) Tough Customer by Sandra Brown
190) The Intercept by Dick Wolf
191) The Guards by Ken Bruen
192) The Ophelia Cut by John Lescroart
193) Killer Takes All by Erica Spindler
194) Started Early Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
195) The Stolen Ones by Owen Laukkanen
196) Ice Hunt by James Rollins
197) Nightwatching by John Zunski
19 read in September

October
198) Reckless Creed by Alex Kava -
199) The Hunt Club by John Lescroart
200) No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
201) Simple Genius by David Baldacci
202) Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson
203) Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin
204) The Complaints by Ian Rankin
205) Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass
206) Cordelia Underwood: Or, the Marvelous Beginnings of the Moosepath League by Van Reid
207) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
208) Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little
209) Winter Chill by Joanne Fluke
210) The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry
211) The Harvest Man by Alec Grecian
212) The Original Battle Creek Crime King: Adam "Pump" Arnold's Vile Reign - by Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester
213) The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue
214) Even in Darkness by Lynn Hightower
215) Walking by Night by Kate Elis
216) Escape Clause by John Sandford
217) An Evil Mind by Chris Carter
218) The Executioner by Chris Carter
219) The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter
220) Campfire Tales of the Great Lakes by Christpher Larsen -
221) The Executioner by Chris Carter
24 read in October

November
222) Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge
223) Sex Lies & Serious Money by Stuart Woods
224) The Obsidian Chamber by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
225) Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves
226) The Jury Master by Robert Dugoni
227) The White Devil b Justin Evans
228) The Conviction by Robert Dugoni
229) The Button Man by Mark Pryor
230) One of Our Own by Tawni O'Dell
231) Natural Causes by Michael Palmer
232) Lightening by Dean Koontz
233) Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
234) Beyond Recall by Robert Goddard
235) Behind closed Doors by B/A. Paris
236) Angels Burning by Tawni O'Dell
237) No Man's Land by David Baldacci
238) The Hunters by Chris Kuzenski
17 read in November

December
239) Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhus
240) The Graveyard Aprartment by Mariko Koike
241) In the Dark of the Night by John Saul
242) The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly
243) Those We Left Behind by Stuart Neville
244) The Good Cop by Brad Parks
245) That Darkness by Lisa Black
246) The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves
247) All The Colors of Darkness by Peter Robinson
248) In The Cold, Cold Ground by Stuart MacBride
249) Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
250) Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause by Mignon Ballard
251) The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry
252) Love You Dead by Peter James
253) If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle
254) Seeking the Dead by Kate Ellis

255 of 255 goal for 2016

>1 Carol420: Why not? 😊
A prodigious total already!

Blood, Salt, Water by Denise Mina
Alex Marrow series
3★'s

I've read several other books by this author and even thought I have to say that i really enjoyed the book...it wasn't one of her best efforts. The story was choppy and the events just didn't fit together. The parts devoted to the investigation by Alex Morrow and the Glasgow Police were extremely well done. Alex could have well carried the entire storyline to completion. The side characters...while having been meant to weave the story together with the missing woman just fell short and became more of a distraction. I wish Denise Mina had taken the time to help us understand Morrow's obsession with the missing woman and to give us more closure on the woman's death. Actually I believe the final reveal had been done before in a previous book.

>2 Andrew-theQM: HA! HA!:)

The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton
Nick Mason Series Book #1
5★'s

Nick Mason...Chicago born and bred...married and the father of a 4 year old daughter...finds himself serving a 25 year to life prison sentence for a murder that he didn't commit in a breaking and entering that went horribly wrong because he trusted the wrong man. Five years into his sentence Nick is summoned to a part of the prison that few people had ever seen...no bars...glass cells...and luxuries beyond any convicts expectations. Darius Cole...a Chicago kingpin serving multiple life sentences wants to meet with him to make him an offer that he can't refuse but comes to wish he had. Darius has the power to free Nick from prison but that freedom comes with a terrible price.

I have always had a soft spot for Steve Hamilton's Alex McKnight series that takes place in Michigan's Upper Peninsula but the last of those appeared in 2013...so I had begun to think we weren't going to ever get another by this author. Then I read that a new series was on the horizon...one that offered a different type of hero. If anything this series...and I hope that is what this is going to be...my be even better. Nick Mason is a protagonist that you can admire, feel sorry for and root for him to get ahead all at the same time. Thank you Steve Hamilton!

>5 Carol420: Sounds an author to keep an eye out for.

Field of Graves by J.T. Ellison
Part of the Taylor Jackson series
5★'s

This was an unpublished book, written between 2003 and 2005 that should have been Book # 1 in the Taylor Jackson series. Her agent advised J.T. Ellison to write another for her first published book so she instead wrote All The Pretty Girls, which became Book #1 in the Taylor Jackson series and sentenced Field of Graves to a drawer to be forgotten for 11 years.

This should have taken it's rightful place as it reveals the origins of some of J.T. Ellison's most famous creations: the haunted Lieutenant Taylor Jackson; her blunt, exceptional best friend, medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens; and troubled FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. Anyone that has followed the series through the years, or has started Dr. Samantha Owens' own series, will want to put Field of Graves at the top of you tbr list. Why this book was thrown in a drawer and forgotten until now...who knows? But I am for one glad that J.T remembered. I highly recommend it for all fans of J.T. Ellison's works.

I bow to both you and Lynda, Carol - fantastic reading rate...

>8 Sergeirocks: We are not worthy!

Keep on trucking, Carol! You're truly amazing! OM too!

>10 eadieburke: >8 Sergeirocks: >9 Andrew-theQM: Thank you Eadie. You're not doing so bad yourself:) Everyone is "worthy" fellows. I get so many of the books I want to read from the QM and the Meerkat.

>11 Carol420:
We keep each other's TBR growing all the time! lol

>12 eadieburke: That we do. There's no doubt about that.

>14 Carol420: This is one author I have not read yet.

>15 Andrew-theQM: Didn't you read the Forensic Instinct book The Girl Who Disappeared Twice when we did it for the group read on the Mystery and Suspense Group? I didn't put the date...just started doing that but I think we did the discussion on Shelfari. Anyway... Andrea Kane wrote that series.

>16 Carol420: No, I think we read two books that month (?) and I read the other one. Never managed to get a hold of that book. The discussion was on Shelfari.

Dishonorable Intentions by Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington series Book# 38
3.5★'s

Readers travel around the United States, Europe and Russia in this latest Stone Barrington novel. Stone and his lady friend, Gala Wilde, is a Hollywood screenwriter with an ex-husband who is stalking her and just won't take "NO" for an answer. Her ex-husband is Boris Tirov, a Hollywood producer with ties to the Russian mob who makes life miserable for anyone who gets in his way. There's no hope of him going back to Russia because of an outstanding warrant could be waiting for him since he had been accused of killing one of his young leading ladies.

Readers will also find that some changes are about to take place with some major characters that have appeared throughout the series. There is just something about the Stone Barrington books that keeps me returning again and again, despite for a period of time hating what Stuart Woods had done to Stone Barrington's morals and common sense. Everyone has more money than they know what to do with and they spend it freely indulging in the very, very best of everything without blinking an eye. One thing I really like is that all the characters in his other series has been successfully blended into this storyline. Old friends are always making an appearance.

This series does need to be read in order to even begin to understand where it all began with any hope of knowing where it's going. Another recent trend is that one book is continued into the next one. So if you have a couple of years to devote to reading this series from Book #1...go for it:)

End of Watch by Stephen King
Book #3 in The Bill Hodges Trilogy
5+ ★'s

Stephen King has always had a way with characters and settings in addition to having an incredible imagination…so readers are never disappointed with the fantasy and horror that spills from his mind and into his keyboard. Actually we can’t get enough of it.

In this trilogy his Bradley Hartsfield character is just amazing. From the start of the trilogy he has been horrifying and demented… a broken man who is just smart enough to cause mayhem. His vicious hatred is mixed with just enough dark genius to make him absolutely terrifying. Even when he is absent from the world in a state close to death…he manages to reek havoc. Hartsfield’s character in this trilogy is pure Stephen King genius at work. As we have seen in so many of his other works, he can take someone unpleasant and frightening to begin with and slowly turn them into a monster that will make themselves at home in our nightmares for a long time. To represent the side of good in humanity…King gives us retired detective Bill Hodges who takes on saving his city with the help of his young friends Holly Gibney and Jerome Robinson. As is the nature of this author… King builds on the events of the first two books using them to build a foundation that creates a tale of horror as well as a hard driven detective tale. From the title of the book…End of Watch… we know that this is indeed the end of a truly amazing adventure by the “Master of Horror”.

Drawn In Blood by Andrea Kane
FBI Series Book #2
3.5★'s

From The Book:
Former FBI Special Agent Sloane Burbank has seen her share of danger. She's faced down a serial killer and survived life-threatening injuries . . . but she never expected that danger to invade the lives of her family. Then her mother is viciously attacked in the posh Manhattan apartment her parents share and it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary robbery. The thieves were too clever, too knowledgeable, and so obviously after something of her father's. But what could a respected art dealer have done to merit such violence? When a mysterious message is left for him, Sloane knows her father's in over his head. Determined to find out the truth, Sloane discovers a deadly secret buried in his past that has made him the target of a power-hungry mobster with a lethal agenda and nothing to lose. Sloane is desperate to save her father, but to do so she must hold on to secrets of her own—especially from FBI Special Agent Derek Parker, the man she has grown to love deeply. She knows she must tell him everything, but how can she betray her father's confidence? Can a couple who's faced so much survive this ultimate test of trust? Will they survive at all?

My Thoughts:
This story line continues from the book before it...Twisted…but it isn’t necessary to read Twisted first to understand what is happening. I like Andrea Kane’s writing style. She manages to throw in a twist or a turn just when you think you have it all figured out. Sloane and Derek have proven to be interesting and complex characters in both this book and the first book. The way they work together gives them a greater feeling of reality. Drawn in Blood is a fantastic story of love, hate, life, lust, and motive. This is a story you will hate to see end.

Follow You Home by Mark Edwards
4★'s

From The Book:
It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, a final adventure before settling down. After a perfect start, Daniel and Laura’s travels end abruptly when they are thrown off a night train in the middle of nowhere. To find their way back to civilization, they must hike along the tracks through a forest…a haunting journey that ends in unimaginable terror. Back in London, Daniel and Laura vow never to talk about what they saw that night. But as they try to fit back into their old lives, it becomes clear that their nightmare is just beginning.

My Thoughts:
Intriguing story to say the least. From the setting...Romania...the reader at first suspects...you guessed it...vampires. I have to say that the author did a great job of building on that idea through the first 200 pages without ever actually saying the word. The plot and the chapters that follow are so cleverly done that you find yourself reading "just one more chapter...and then just one more...well maybe one more..." Yeah...it's that kind of book. I lost a lot of respect for the main characters though after their return to London and things began to effect everyone they came in contact with. I wanted to shake some sense into Laura...good heavens woman sit down and talk this thing out with Daniel. The story began to be a tad too long about 320 pages into the book but the epilogue is worth it all. Never expected this. Really good book and I highly recommend it...but stay OUT OF THE WOODS!
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Blood infernal by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell
Book #3 in The Order of the Sanguines Trilogy
4.5★'s

From The Book:
As an escalating scourge of grisly murders sweeps the globe, archaeologist Erin Granger must decipher the truth behind an immortal prophecy foretold in the Blood Gospel, a tome written by Christ and lost for centuries: The shackles of Lucifer have been loosened, and his Chalice remains lost. It will take the light of all three to forge the Chalice anew and banish him again to his eternal darkness. With the Apocalypse looming, Erin must again join forces with Army Sergeant Jordan Stone and Father Rhun Korza to search for a treasure lost for millennia. But the prize has already fallen into the hands of their enemy, a demon named Legion, before whom even the walls of the Vatican will fall. The search for the key to salvation will take Erin and the others across centuries and around the world, from the dusty shelves of the Vatican's secret archives to lost medieval laboratories, where ancient alchemists were employed to horrific ends. All the while, they are hunted, besieged by creatures of uncanny skill and talent. As clues are dug free from ancient underground chapels and found frozen in icy mountain caverns, Erin will discover that the only hope for victory lies in an impossible act--one that will destroy not only her, but all she loves. To protect the world, Erin must walk through the very gates of Hell and face the darkest of enemies: Lucifer himself.

My Thoughts:
The first two books and this one are filled with fast paced action along with complex mysteries... good and bad vampires...(although the "V' word is never actually mentioned)...and no end to demons and other creatures literally straight out of Hell. It all makes for a strong series and a trilogy conclusion that reveals bitter betrayal and unexpected redemption. There is a mix of religion, history and supernatural events that puts a different yet effective spin on the apocalypse genre. The authors take some liberties with religion as most of us know it but if you just suspend your disbelief for awhile and don't rely a great deal on credibility you will thoroughly enjoy this trilogy.

Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham
Krewe of Hunters series Book #18
3★'s

When it comes to things that go bump in the night, Heather Graham has a knack for making them come alive....no pun intended. Graham takes the paranormal and weaves it into the story in such a way that the reader starts to believe it's plausible. After all doesn't everyone see and talk to dead people? I have read all of the Krewe of Hunters series and found that this one was different from the others. It was missing the constant action, sharp edges in the story, and turbulent emotions. Taking place on a cruise ship restricts the environment of the action...the cast of characters...the possibilities to investigate and especially when the storm hits the agents have to use the old fashion way to investigate the murders. A lot more attention is also paid to the living and entertainment on the ship. I found that the story line became a little repetitive. The characters manner of speech and rigid ways made it sound more like a story from another era....which may appeal to other readers. It's not a bad book but just not something I would read again.

Extreme Prey by John Sandford
Lucas Davenport series Book #26
4.5 Stars

From Book:
After the events in Gathering Prey, Lucas Davenport finds himself in a very unusual situation—no longer employed by the Minnesota BCA. His friend, the governor, is just cranking up a presidential campaign, though, and he invites Lucas to come along as part of his campaign staff. “Should be fun!” he says, and it kind of is—until they find they have a shadow: an armed man intent on killing the governor . . . and anyone who gets in the way.

My Thoughts:
I thought at the close of Gathering Prey that it read like John Sandford was planning to shut down this series that Lucas Davenport fans had enjoyed for a quarter of a century…so I was so very happy when I learned of this new one.

Lucas is enjoying his “retirement” from the BCA. While working on his fishing cabin and planning long weekends with his family and many friends Lucas gets a call from the Governor asking him to help the local police investigate and find the person or persons that may strongly be planning the execution of Presidential candidate Michaela Bowden. Since Lucas finds that he really is missing the excitement of police work…he readily accepts. This is a very timely story with the current political climate. Appearances are made by many old friends from the series and some new ones are introduced that will more than likely appear in books to come. While the ending seemed a tad rushed it presented a very pleasant surprise to take place in Lucas’s life and promises many more offerings of this great series.

Bent Road by Lori Roy
3.5★'s

From The Book:
For twenty years, Celia Scott has watched her husband, Arthur, hide from the secrets surrounding his sister Eve's death. But when the 1967 Detroit riots frighten him even more than his Kansas past, he convinces Celia to pack up their family and return to the road he grew up on, Bent Road, and the same small town where Eve mysteriously died. And then a local girl disappears, catapulting the family headlong into a dead man's curve.

On Bent Road, a battered red truck cruises ominously along the prairie; a lonely little girl dresses in her dead aunt's clothes; a boy hefts his father's rifle in search of a target; and a mother realizes she no longer knows how to protect her children. It is a place where people learn: Sometimes killing is the kindest way.

My Thoughts:
I believe that someone on Amazon summed up the heart of this debut novel. "Bent Road is a difficult book to wedge into any particular genre other than "fiction." And that's a good thing. There is a mystery at the heart of it, a bit of romance, and some coming-of-age and coming-to-terms elements, but debut author Lori Roy has created a work that is more of a dark parable than a tale designed for entertainment or amusement."

Buried family secrets and the powers and destruction that such secrets hold are felt from the opening pages to the end of the book. You just know that in the midst of this Kansas farm country something foreboding is going to settle in and change the lives of every one of the characters Life on the farm is ordinary, Death and violence are major themes throughout the book but family ties and interactions will give true to life insight into what made this the perfect background for this story.

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
2.5★'s

From The Book:
The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.To her parents’ despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts’ plight. With John, Marjorie’s father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend. Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface—and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.

My Thoughts:

Okay...what to say about this book? I guess I wasn't really very impressed overall. I found the TV script part difficult to read and make any sense of. it wasn't scary in the least...if anything it was very sad. The entire family was all border-line psychotic to a degree and making a TV series of Marjorie's schizophrenia severed absolutely no useful purpose other than monetary. Maybe I just didn't get it.

The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
Ruth Galloway series Book # 7
5★'s
A construction worker near University Professor and Forensic Archaeologist Ruth Galloway's home on the coast of Norfolk, England, discovers a buried WWII-era fighter plane with the pilot still inside....or it is assumed that the body is that of the pilot. Ruth is called to investigate along with DCI Harry Nelson who just happens to be the father of Ruth's 5 year old daughter.

The discovery of the grisly human remains ignites a series of mysteries that all seem to evolve around the Blackstock's...a family of nobility who has lived in the area since the Bronze Age and who may have a few more skeletons stashed in the closet and elsewhere. Soon Ruth and Harry Nelson's team are investigating throughout the countryside, from the developer’s digging site to a derelict WWII American airfield—one of many known as “ghost fields”.

The success of this wonderful series is due to the intriguing and ever developing cast of characters that readers of this series look forward to meeting again and again. Characters like Ruth and Harry...Kate the 5 year old...Judy, Cloughie and Tim...Harry's sometimes bumbling but competent team of investigators..and Cathbad the ever lovable and not always right Durid, whose presence the story would just not be the same without. There is no need to say that I really enjoyed The Ghost Fields. Long may the series run.

Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
3.5★'s my rating
5★"s Brian's rating

From The Book:
Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in broken-down Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, his dad works nights and Finley is left alone to take care of his disabled grandfather. He’s always dreamed of somehow getting out, but until he can, putting on that number 21 jersey makes everything seem okay.
Russ has just moved to the neighborhood. The life of this teen basketball phenom has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he won’t pick up a basketball, and yet answers only to the name Boy21—taken from his former jersey number.
As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, “Boy21″ may turn out to be the answer they both need.

I read with a 10 year old boy that up until two years ago...thought he didn't like to read and no one in his family taught him any differently. He is now choosing his own books and enjoys reading them aloud to the dog, the cat, the goldfish...anything that will lie still long enough to listen or at lease pretend to. We usually take turns reading chapters and this was our latest one.

My Thoughts:
I have to admit, I didn't think I would enjoy this book. It got off to a slow start, and I initially didn't enjoy the author's writing style, which is slow and methodical. However, as my little reading buddy and I kept reading, I grew to love the characters, especially Russ. Matthew Quick is brilliant at writing in the voice of troubled teenagers, especially those who are different, and showing them growing throughout the story. This is the type of book that sneaks up on you, and breaks your heart slowly and painfully. I highly recommend it even if you are not a teenager or ten years old.

Entry Island by Peter May
5★'s

The book reflects Peter May's use of Scottish history and the Highland Clearances of the nineteenth century's effect on the modern day murder on Entry Island in primarily French- speaking Canada.

Most of the one hundred or so inhabitants of Entry island are English speaking and all think the murder couldn't have happened to a better person than the victim. As is usually the case, the victim's wife is the most obvious suspect. The different directions that the investigation takes will keep the reader turning pages and trying to guess who the killer was. The wonderful writing style of Peter May combined with the backstory and the history aspect makes Entry Island another outstanding contribution.

My Sunshine Away by M.O. Walsh
3★'s
May 2106

From The Book:
My Sunshine Away unfolds in a Baton Rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering summer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish, and passionate football fandom. But in the summer of 1989, when fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson—free spirit, track star, and belle of the block—experiences a horrible crime late one evening near her home, it becomes apparent that this idyllic stretch of Southern suburbia has a dark side, too.

My Thoughts:
We learn in the opening paragraph of the book that 15 year old Lindy has been knocked off her bike and raped. Then it's almost like the rape is a sideline in the story rather than the main focus. The narrator/main character only brings it up in the narration to claim his innocence or some other neighborhood boy's innocents. No one is looking for the rapist. From that point on the narrator tells his life story as he looks back upon his adolescence and the girl across the street and two doors down that he's had a crush on since elementary school. It seems like a typical school boy crush. As his story unfolds, however, it becomes more clear that it's much closer to obsession. While his story is interesting enough to hold the readers interest...it doesn't tell us anything about the rape or who did it. Seems the biography got in the way of the main story line. 3 stars because as I said...it was interesting but not what I thought the book was about.

Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
Arkady Renko series Book #1
2★'s
May 2016

From The Library Catalog:
A triple murder in a Moscow amusement center: three corpses found frozen in the snow, faces and fingers missing. Chief homicide investigator Arkady Renko is brilliant, sensitive, honest, and cynical about everything except his profession. To identify the victims and uncover the truth, he must battle the KGB, FBI, and the New York City police as he pursues a rich, ruthless, and well-connected American fur dealer. Meanwhile, Renko is falling in love with a beautiful, headstrong dissident for whom he may risk everything.

My Thoughts:
From other reviews that I have read I know that I'm clearly in the minority but I just didn't find anything about this book or the characters to like. Ardaky Renko has possibilities but it may take some very creative writing on Martin Cruz Smith's part to bring out his "inner man" and turn him into a detective that readers will cheer for. As for this book...the murders in the park were a good beginning to the book but it soon became so wrapped up in Russian politics, mixed with corrupt Americans and a slut that had the morality of an ally cat and the intelligence of a Barbie doll...that the whole thing soon reached "train wreck" status. I'm not sure that I ever want to give this series any more time or effort...and believe me, it took effort to finish it.

Breakdown by Jonathon Kellerman
Alex Delaware series Book #31
4★'s
May 2016

From The Library Catalog
Psychologist sleuth Alex Delaware is surprised to get the call when well-known TV actress Zelda Chase turns up half-naked, half-mad in the LA’s rural Westside. He has little connection to the starlet, save a psychiatric evaluation he performed on her adopted son several years ago, a child who has since vanished without a trace and whom Zelda refuses to talk about. When the actress turns up dead a few weeks later without a scratch on her, Delaware calls in police lieutenant Milo Sturgis to help him crack the case—or at least the wall of silence surrounding it. When the body of a second actress turns up with the same mysterious cause of death, Delaware and Sturgis start to wonder—is this a copycat case or a coincidence? When they uncover the death of another actress, a star from another era who vanished decades ago, never to be found, they realize they’re facing one of their most baffling, mind-bending cases yet.

My Thoughts:
This is book #31 in The Alex Delaware series so you should expect some of the story lines to become repetitive and this is true here to some extent but it did nothing to erase or distract from the enjoyment factor. Milo and Alex worked together to bring about another satisfying and believable conclusion. I'm so glad to see that Jonathan Kellerman has brought these two characters back to their close working relationship as it was in the beginning.

The Book of Speculations by Erika Swyler
3.5★'s
May 2016

From the Library Catalog:
Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home, a house perched on the edge of a cliff that is slowly crumbling into the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. One day, Simon receives a mysterious book from an antiquarian bookseller; it has been sent to him because it is inscribed with the name Verona Bonn, Simon's grandmother. Simon must unlock the mysteries of the book, and decode his family history, before fate deals its next deadly hand.

My Thoughts:
Not exactly what I thought it would be but not at all a bad read. It was a rather engrossing fantasy about women that could hold their breath under water for 10 minutes or more and a 16th century boy that could make himself invisible. Add the present day librarian and his less than likable sister and you get what seems to be a tangled mess but actually comes together and makes sense in the end. The past events are told in the third person which will bug some people to no end...but the present is a really fascinating story of the attempt of a middle aged librarian trying to figure out the mystery that has plagued all the women of his family...they all have died by drowning and all on July 24th. July 24th is only 10 days away in the story line and his sister has returned home...and she's the next female in the family. This is a first novel for the author Erika Swyler and she has done a remarkable job of enticing us with the next clue just around the corner..Keep reading you won't be sorry.

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
4,5★'s
May 2016

From the Library Catalog:
Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She begins her day at 6 a.m., because only lunatics wake up later than that. And she is not passive-aggressive. Not in the least. It's just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination,bigger dreams, and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes.

My Thoughts:
Who ever would have known that the way knives, forks, and spoons, were arranged in a drawer or the many uses for baking soda would be fascinating? To Britt-Marie those things are not only necessary but absolutely must be done with the correct rhyme and reason. Fredrik Backman has introduced to us to an adult Britt-Marie from his small child in his first novel that went around trying to make amends from her grandmother. In many ways the character is amusing in her picky, finicky ways and in another so very sad. She is used to being the one to put aside her hopes and dreams to fulfill those of those that she loves. She is used to being overlooked and taken for granted by, first her mother who told her the wrong daughter had died, to her lying, cheating husband. Using the courage to step out of her comfort zone, Britt-Marie finds herself with the first job she has held in many years as the head of a rundown recreation center in the middle of a town that is dying a slow death with a rat who she feeds Snicker's bars promptly at 6:00pm because that is when all civilized people eat dinner...for a room mate. With the help of a group of children and her newly appointed position as their soccer coach...which she knows absolutely nothing about, and a half blind old woman, Britt-Marie finds the person she thought was long dead and gone...herself...and she likes this woman a lot. Seems that Mr. Backman is on a roll...hope it continues.

The Last Kashmiri Rose by Barbara Cleverly
5★'s
May 2016

From the Library Catalog:
In a land of saffron sunsets and blazing summer heat, an Englishwoman has been found dead, her wrists slit, her body floating in a bathtub of blood and water. But is it suicide or murder? The case falls to Scotland Yard inspector Joe Sandilands, who survived the horror of the Western Front and has endured six sultry months in English-ruled Calcutta. Sandilands is ordered to investigate, and soon discovers that there have been other mysterious deaths, hearkening sinister ties to the present case.Now, as the sovereignty of Britain is in decline and an insurgent India is on the rise, Sandilands must navigate the treacherous corridors of political decorum to bring a cunning killer to justice…knowing the next victim is already marked

My Thoughts:
I love the psycho killers and the serial murders that abound aplenty in the book world that I inhabitant, so I was thinking that this one might be a bit tame for my taste. I'm happy to say that it more than lived up to my expectations in spite of the absence of the "usual suspects". This book stands out by the unique motive behind the murders of a bunch of "memsahibs" -- wives of Englishmen killed over a period of 12 years in India before it's independence. Barbara Cleverly has so cleverly plotted the deaths of the ladies to deceive the eye and appear as mere accidents or the work of an evil spirit. Scotland Yard Detective, Joe Sandilands, a young Indian police officer, and a friend of one of the murdered women believe that "something is rotten in Denmark" and set out to prove their theory that all the deaths are the work of one murderer. Suspense builds on top of suspense. I highly recommend this to any reader that loves mystery and suspense books mixed with historical annotations.

City of The Lost by Kelley Armstrong
Casey Duncan series Book #1
3.5★'s
May 2016

From the Library Catalog:
Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: when she was in college, she killed a man. She was never caught, but he was the grandson of a mobster and she knows that someday this crime will catch up to her. Casey's best friend, Diana, is on the run from a violent, abusive ex-husband. When Diana's husband finds her, and Casey herself is attacked shortly after, Casey knows it's time for the two of them to disappear again. Diana has heard of a town made for people like her, a town that takes in people on the run who want to shed their old lives. You must apply to live in Rockton and if you're accepted, it means walking away entirely from your old life, and living off the grid in the wilds of Canada: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, no computers, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. As a murderer, Casey isn't a good candidate, but she has something they want: She's a homicide detective, and Rockton has just had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, soon after arriving, Casey realizes that the identity of a murderer isn't the only secret Rockton is hiding―in fact, she starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives.

My Thoughts:
This is Book #1 in this new series and to be truthful the jury is still out on this one. It had one really good point that will make it worth reading book 2, however there were more than one difficult points. To start with, Casey Duncan...the homicide detective, was the only character in the entire book that I liked and she is the reason I would even consider continuing with this series. The whole idea of a town devoted to deliberately housing people that have committed crimes or drawn the attention of unsavory types seems ludicrous to me not to mention extremely dangerous. They aren't in prison...they are escaping the law. The only way the sheriff and his department has of controlling them is by being bigger bullies than they were. Casey's friend(??) Diana was just a complete idiot and a total jerk. The sheriff spent most of his time withholding information that would enable Casey to solve the murder and trying to devise ways to make her "prove herself a good detective." Time will tell, but I probably will give book 2 a chance but I'm not going to be in any big hurry.

Sweet Lamb of Heaven by Lydia Millet
2.5★'s
May 2016

From The Library Catalog:
Lydia Millet’s chilling new novel is the first-person account of a young mother, Anna, escaping her cold and unfaithful husband, a businessman who’s just launched his first campaign for political office. When Ned chases Anna and their six-year-old daughter from Alaska to Maine, the two go into hiding in a run-down motel on the coast. But the longer they stay, the less the guests in the dingy motel look like typical tourists―and the less Ned resembles a typical candidate. As his pursuit of Anna and their child moves from threatening to criminal, Ned begins to alter his wife’s world in ways she never could have imagined.

My Thoughts:
It was an okay book. Anna, the mother, was the main reason I gave the book the extra half star. Unfortunately this just wasn't enough to make this into a 4 or 5 star book.

There were a couple of things that needed to be clearer in the story line and there needed to be a few less themes. I never understood why Anna starting hearing the voices after Lena was born and why only through Lena. She never sought help of any kind and it seemed that there was a lot of meaningless rambling with the characters doing unbelievable things. The whole thing just felt unresolved in the end.

The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman
2.5★'s
May 2016

From The Library Catalog:
Andrew Ranulf Blankenship is a handsome, stylish nonconformist with wry wit, a classic Mustang, and a massive library. He is also a recovering alcoholic and a practicing warlock, able to speak with the dead through film. His house is a maze of sorcerous booby traps and escape tunnels, as yours might be if you were sitting on a treasury of Russian magic stolen from the Soviet Union thirty years ago. Andrew has long known that magic was a brutal game requiring blood sacrifice and a willingness to confront death, but his many years of peace and comfort have left him soft, more concerned with maintaining false youth than with seeing to his own defense. Now a monster straight from the pages of Russian folklore is coming for him, and frost and death are coming with her.

My Thoughts:
There were parts of this that I really enjoyed and parts that I just didn't understand at all. I had read Christopher Buehlman's book Those Across The River and found it enjoyable and with just the right amount of "creep factor" . This one didn't even begin to be equal to it and the only "creep factor" it possessed was the title and the cover of the book. It became very confusing to be constantly jerked back and forth from New York to Russia and most of the characters were just plain weird. If it's goal was to be a horror story or a fantasy...it missed the boat.

Sacred Stone by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo
Oregon Files series Book #2
5 ★'s
May 2016

From The Library Catalog:
Two opposing groups seek a 50,000-year-old radioactive meteorite known as the Sacred Stone. Muslim extremists have stolen a nuclear device and need the stone to give them the power to vaporize any city in the west. A megalomaniacal industrialist leads a group seeking to carry out the utter annihilation of Islam itself. And caught between the two militant factions is Juan Cabrillo and his crew, who must do whatever they can to stop the impending doom.

My Thoughts:
I have read all 11 of the books in the Oregon Files series and thoroughly enjoyed each and every one. This was a reread and I have to say the fast-paced action of this story, the crew of the Oregon, and the details the authors pay to the historical and factual settings make this one of my absolutely favorite series. On a lighter note…. something that rather amused me was that at the beginning of the book, Eric The Red needed two men to lift the meteorite when it was first discovered. Centuries later, the Corporation and their enemies juggled the stone as if it were a pizza: one person handling it with no difficulty whenever and wherever it was moved during the adventure; up hills, into and out of helicopters, trains, cars…. Try lifting a 100 pound, bowling-ball-sized, smooth-sided sphere. I can only conclude that all of the characters in the book, with the exception of Eric the Red's men, had exceptional strength:)

The Last Mile by David Baldacci
Amos Decker series Book #2
5 ★'s
May 2016

From The Library Catalog:
Convicted murderer Melvin Mars is counting down the last hours before his execution--for the violent killing of his parents twenty years earlier--when he's granted an unexpected reprieve. Another man has confessed to the crime. Amos Decker, newly hired on an FBI special task force, takes an interest in Mars's case after discovering the striking similarities to his own life: Both men were talented football players with promising careers cut short by tragedy. Both men's families were brutally murdered. And in both cases, another suspect came forward, years after the killing, to confess to the crime. A suspect who may or may not have been telling the truth. The confession has the potential to make Melvin Mars--guilty or not--a free man. Who wants Mars out of prison? And why now?

My Thoughts:
I am a huge David Baldacci fan although I like some of his series more than others. Loved the King and Maxwell series and was so disappointed when he ended it...but then Baldacci brought us Amos Decker and I have almost forgiven him. In the first book we met a devastated Amos Decker...ex cop...all star football player that had just discovered his entire family slaughtered and set the course to find and distribute justice to the person or persons responsible. A football head injury had given Amos a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it...he NEVER forgets anything and he sees some numbers and words in brilliant colors. In book 2...

Amos is slowly pulling his life together and is on a special team formed by the FBI that will investigate not only cold cases but cases that seemed to be unfinished. Thus we meet Melvin Mars who is awaiting execution in Texas for the the murder of his parents. The case catches Amos's attention and the facts presented in the case just don't add up. From the time that Decker and the team meet Mars in the prison hospital the book takes so many different directions as the FBI team races back and forth from Texas to Alabama in search of the truth. All of the characters are very believable though some are not very likable. The story is riddled with surprise after surprise right up to the superlative ending. Keep up the good work here Mr. Baldacci.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
2.5★'s
May 2016

From the Library Catalog:
You stop fearing the Devil when you're holding his hand...
Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White's sleepy, seaside town... until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet's crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet's grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet's already so knee-deep in love, she can't see straight. And that's just how River likes it.

My Thoughts:
It wasn't a bad book but it's not going to be anything to write home to mother about. I know that the "put-offs" that I had with the book was in no way because it was a YA book...I've read other YA books and found them well written and very enjoyable. The main things that lost the book stars was that the writing was often awkward. For some unknown reason the author repeated words in the same sentence throughout the book...."down, down. down" "hard, hard, harder" ... The characters would have been good if the author hadn't made Violet...the 17 year old girl...read like she was 10. Actually of all of the characters in the book, Violet had the most sense. There was some real moral issues with River... the character that just showed up out of nowhere and rented the guest house. Overall it was interesting but not enough to encourage me to recommend it or to read the sequel.

Playing God by Kate Clark Flora
Joe Burgess series Book #1
4.5★'s
May 2016

From The Book:
On an icy February night, the body of Steven Pleasant, a prominent Portland, Maine physician, grows cold in his parked Mercedes. All signs point to a john killed by a disgruntled hooker: his pants are unzipped, wallet is gone, and the good doctor has a reputation for entertaining girls in his car. But the deeper Detective Sergeant Joe Burgess digs, the muddier the case becomes. While juggling hookers, wives, ex-wives, fathers, stepfathers, dealers and doctors, a nurse on Pleasant's staff suggests another angle-disgruntled patients. Now, ensconced in the darkness of a sleeping hospital, Burgess comes face-to-face with ghosts from his past and must decide what being a detective really means.

My Thoughts:
Kate Flora has come up with an interesting and intriguing new character in Joe Burgess...the "meanest cop in the city of Portland." Even though there was no love lost between Joe and Dr. Stephen Pleasant... he was the best detective to get the murder case since he is also Portland's number one detective. Burgess pretty much said it all when he said, "This case has everything - unhappy wife, angry ex. Hookers. Drugs. Money problems. Maybe blackmail, and a vic nobody liked, including his patients." Joe Burgess reminds me a great deal of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch,,,he won't stop looking until he gets his man. Playing God was a great introduction to this new series...just what I need...another series. deep sigh

Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed
3.5★'s
Book #1 in The Amber House Trilogy
May 2016

From The Book:
Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for the lost diamonds in its walls. But after her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the House comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the House's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. Sarah grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when her ghostly visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the House's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.

My Thoughts:
"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died." Now that will surely get the attention of a ghost story lover...and it did. Sarah's mother returns to Amber House for her mother's funeral. She has always had equal parts of hate and fear of Amber House and can't wait to leave. However Sarah... who is just shy of sixteen... has an entirely different view of the house, For Sarah and her six year old autistic brother, Sam... the house takes on a mysterious and haunting quality. It's almost like it's alive and has been waiting for her to come home. The walls of the house are rumored to hold a treasure of diamonds which intrigues Sarah and her new friend Richard but it also holds ghosts that quickly let Sarah know that only she can fix the mistakes of past generations and if she doesn't do this soon they will all be trapped with no way back. Amber House is a mixture of all the elements that make up a good ghost story.

Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope series Book #3
4.5★'s
May 2016

I have read all of Ann Cleeves' Shetland Island series, and was intrigued with the setting and the original story lines. I have also been a long time of the Vera Stanhope books of which Hidden Depths is the 3rd book. The setting for both series embraces very different...but equally beautiful settings. Inspector Vera Stanhope is a very different protagonist This story is essentially a dark drama peopled with a cast of unhappy, spiritually wounded and struggling characters. Two murders have been committed. The victims are both very young and unusually beautiful. One is a young male and the other a young woman. Inspector Stanhope... a woman with personal issues of her own... starts out on an investigation that gradually sorts through suspects and their misdeeds, to track down the killer who is about to add a third victim. The story builds well toward the revel which is provided by numerous clues that readers will have to pay very close attention to throughout the book if they hope to solve it.

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Jackson Brodie series Book # 1
4 ★'s
May 2016

From the Library Catalog:
Case one: A little girl goes missing in the night.

Case two: A beautiful young office worker falls victim to a maniac's apparently random attack.

Case three: A new mother finds herself trapped in a hell of her own making - with a very needy baby and a very demanding husband - until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape.

Thirty years after the first incident, as private investigator Jackson Brodie begins investigating all three cases, startling connections and discoveries emerge .

My Thoughts:
At first it was somewhat difficult to make sense of the 30 odd years between the three cases. Then Jackson Brodie makes his first appearance and it becomes obvious that these are cases that he is investigating. Not just investigating mind you...but solving. Jackson seems to go where "angels fear to tread". The fact that I hd just watched season 1 of the TV series based on the books was very helpful.

The chapters do jump between the different story lines, and the plots unravel sometimes at a snails pace. There is some humor, some bits of human insight mixed with irony here and there. There are some aspects that are not handled all that well. As the real reason is reveled for the missing Olivia...the 3 year old girl from the first case...and the adult development or lack of same...of one of the other sisters...just seems to be ridiculously forced. Jackson's dark secret bout his past was unnecessary and had no real purpose in relation to his character. The homeless girl who appears throughout the book... whose identity the reader will figure out very early....should have been either left out or made to appear closer to the close of the case so as not to give away the closure so quickly. I do have to admit that the author doesn't give away everything and ties up every loose end. I will be reading more in this series.

Beyond The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Gideon Crew series Book #2
May 2016

From The Library Catalog:
That thing is growing again. We must destroy it. The time to act is now. With these words begins Gideon Crew's latest, most dangerous, most high-stakes assignment yet. Failure will mean nothing short of the end of humankind on earth. Five years ago, the mysterious and inscrutable head of Effective Engineering Solutions, Eli Glinn, led a mission to recover a gigantic meteorite--the largest ever discovered--from a remote island off the coast of South America. The mission ended in disaster when their ship, the Rolvaag, foundered in a vicious storm in the Antarctic waters and broke apart, sinking-along with its unique cargo-to the ocean floor. One hundred and eight crew members perished, and Eli Glinn was left paralyzed.
But this was not all. The tragedy revealed something truly terrifying: the meteorite they tried to retrieve was not, in fact, simply a rock. Instead, it was a complex organism from the deep reaches of space. Now, that organism has implanted itself in the sea bed two miles below the surface-and it is growing. If it is not destroyed, the planet will be doomed. There is only one hope: for Glinn and his team to annihilate it, a task which requires Gideon's expertise with nuclear weapons. But as Gideon and his colleagues soon discover, the "meteorite" has a mind of its own-and it has no intention of going quietly.

My Thoughts:
This according to the authors is a follow up to a standalone book they wrote in 2001 entitled The Ice Limit. Readers felt the story was unfinished so they decided that Gideon Crew would make a perfect character to carry out the remainder of the mission...that at the close of the first book was just to rescue and study the 25,000 ton meteorite. Today the mission is to kill whatever it is before it destroys life on Earth.

The book is at times violent...with equal parts of science and even a little romance... but like all books by this duo...it is exciting and intriguing,with some of the best storytelling you have ever been privileged to read.

When Will Three Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
Jackson Brodie Series Book #2
4★'s
May 2016

On a hot summer day, Joanna Mason's family slowly wanders home along a country lane. A moment later, Joanna's life is changed forever. On a dark night thirty years later, ex-detective Jackson Brodie finds himself on a train that is both crowded and late. Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly hears a shocking sound. At the end of a long day, 16-year-old Reggie is looking forward to watching a little TV. Then a terrifying noise shatters her peaceful evening. Luckily, Reggie makes it a point to be prepared for an emergency.

My Thoughts:
At the start you wonder just who are all these seemingly unrelated cast of misfit characters...and where is Jackson Brodie? After all this is supposed to be a Jackson Brodie novel. Kate Atkinson lets us view what's happening through the eyes of each of these characters... even the dog. Picking up information from each we begin to answer the questions about the others Even thought the story comes together nicely in the end...I will have to say that I found this tremendous amount of information a little annoying. There is a small amount of clues handed out...and you would have to be brain dead not to know from the prologue and the first chapter exactly what is going to happen and why. The search for the missing woman by a hard-headed much determined Reggie and a reluctant, train-wrecked...literally... Brodie made the last half of the book worth the 4 star rating.

Innocent Blood by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell
Book 3 in the Order of the Sanguines Trilogy
May 2016

What we think we know from the first book, like the identities of the Knight of Christ as well as the Warrior of Man and the Woman of Learning may not be accurate and a large part of the plot hinges on the quest to determine who has what role. Plus we have a new role to determine…the First Angel. We also get to experience several intriguing new characters that are woven into the story line... Rasputin and Judas Iscariot. With the assembled group we now have the potential for the launch of Armageddon. The conclusion left almost as many unanswered questions as answered ones but it does a great job of setting up the third book in the trilogy.

One of the things that set the book on a high mark for me was the fact that was brought out in the story that human nature is an unpredictable character itself. The "good guys" aren’t always good and the "bad guys" aren’t always bad. There are shades of "gray guys" that don’t always make the right choices or always make the wrong ones. This is just very, very good story telling.

The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill
Inspector Simon Sarrailer series Book #1
3.5★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
As the story begins, a lonely woman vanishes while out on her morning run. Then a 22-year-old girl never returns from a walk. An old man disappears too. When fresh-faced policewoman Freya Graffham is assigned to the case, she runs the risk of getting too invested--too involved--in the action. Alongside the enigmatic detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrallier, she must unravel the mystery before events turn too gruesome. Written with intelligence, compassion, and a knowing eye--in the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P.D. James--The Various Haunts of Men is an enthralling journey into the heart of a wonderfully developed town, and into the very mind of a killer.

My Thoughts:
Author, Susan Hill, blends a reflection on alternative medicine into a taut and suspenseful mystery. The entire story is well written with a real ind=sight into human behavior....and the ending..while dark...is entirely convincing.
Suan's Hill's writing should appeal to fans of other psychological thrillers, such as as P.D. James, Elizabeth George and Ruth Rendell,

Dead Tomorrow by Peter James
Roy Grace series Book #5
4★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
IN AN EVIL WORLD, EVERYTHING IS FOR SALE...The body of a missing teenager is dredged from the seabed off the Sussex coast, missing vital organs. Soon after, a further two more bodies are found ...Caitlin Beckett, a fifteen-year-old in Brighton will die if she does not receive an urgent transplant. When the health system threatens to let her down her mother takes drastic action and goes to an online broker in black-market organs. The broker can provide what she wants, but it will come at a price. As Superintendent Roy Grace investigates the recovered bodies, he unearths the trail of a gang of child traffickers operating from Eastern Europe. Soon Grace and his team will find themselves in a race against time to save the life of a young street kid, while a desperate mother will stop at nothing to save her daughter's life.

My Thoughts:
How far would you go to save your child's life if they only had months left to live? This is the question that faced Laura Beckett when her 15 year old daughter's liver started to fail and a donor was not on the radar. The book not only portrays the mother's desperate battle to buy a liver but it also puts a human face on the trade in people and the black market organ trafficking as bodies of missing street people and missing teenagers start to turn up in the English Channel missing, hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys...

The story is a grim one, dealing with a macabre subject, but was obviously well researched by the author. Where I usually love anything that has Peter James' name on the cover I didn't find this one as entertaining as his previous ones. Maybe because the book went into a lot of description that really didn't add an depth to the story. Still it was interesting and well worth the time to read it.

A Dark Matter by Peter Straub
2★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
On a Midwestern campus in the 1960s, a charismatic guru and his young acolytes perform a secret ritual in a local meadow. What happens is a mystery—all that remains is a gruesomely dismembered body and the shattered souls of all who were present. Forty years later, one man seeks to learn about that horrifying night, and to do so he’ll have to force those involved to examine the unspeakable events that have haunted them ever since. Unfolding through their individual stories, A Dark Matter is an electric, chilling, and unpredictable novel that proves Peter Straub to be the master of modern horror.

My Thoughts:
The book blurb really made the story sound promising but I can say that it never lived up to the hype, even with Stephen King's glowing recommendation. The events of what took place in that meadow in 1960 was straight out of a teen horror movie and just retold over and over by each individual involved. Turns out it wasn't spine-chilling or scary...just short of totally boring. On the bright side...it did give me lots of ammunition for a reading challenge...so not a total waste.

Raven Stole The Moon by Garth Stein
2.5 Stars
April 2016

From The Library Catalog:
Jenna Rosen walks out of her comfortable, but empty life in Seattle to return to a small community in Alaska, the home of her late grandmother, a Tlingit Indian, a year after the drowning of her son, Bobby.Jenna herself does not know why she stepped unprepared onto a ferry for the uncomfortable trip into her past. But there are forces at work here that do not obey the laws of Seattle, nor even the laws of physics. Jenna meets a dog, a fisherman and a Tlingit shaman, each of whom plays a role in her quest. She even seems to meet her lost son.Suspend disbelief, visit a culture different from our own and revel in Mr. Stein’s way with words – and hope he has another book percolating in his fertile mind.

My Thoughts:
Not at all what I expected. I had some issues with the tone and writing in the book. I couldn't form any real feelings for Jenna or her husband in spite of the fact they had lost their son in a boating accident. These people seemed to always be working at odds with one another and neither one had any compassion for the others feelings...so how could the reader? The Indian legends were interesting to a point but even they were presented half halfheartedly. The book was advertised to lead the reader/buyer to believe that it was a new debut novel but this wasn't true. It was a reprint of a book that received very low marks when it was first released in 1998. I guess if first you don't succeed , try, try again. I would have expected more from the author of The Art of Racing in the Rain.

The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes
3.5 ★'s
April 2016

From the Book:
Helen Walsh doesn't believe in fear - it's just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good jobs - and yet she's sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced. Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is tight and Jay is awash with cash, so Helen is forced to take on the task of finding Wayne Diffney, the 'Wacky One' from boyband Laddz. Things ended messily with Jay. And she's never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it's all going well. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she'd left behind. Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly the only person she feels connected to is Wayne, a man she's never even met.

My Thoughts:
There could have been a bit more chemistry between Helen and her boyfriend, Artie...but otherwise it was an amusing and entertaining read. Loved the Laddz's swan outfits and Helen's parents were sometimes hilarious and sometimes just plain depressing. I had read somewhere that this was written as the author herself was battling severe depression and I think it was reflected in her writing here. I believe that I will try anther of her books but overall this wasn't a bad read at all.

Scandalous Behavior by Stuart woods
Stone Barrington series Book #36
3.5★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
After a series of nonstop adventures, Stone Barrington is eager for some peace and quiet in a rustic British setting. But no sooner does he land in England than he’s beset by an outrageous demand from a beautiful lady, and an offer he can’t refuse. Unfortunately, Stone quickly learns that his new acquisition comes with some undesired strings attached—namely, a deadly mystery involving the complex relationships of the local gentry, and a relentless adversary who raises the stakes with every encounter. Stone’s restful country vacation is looking like yet another troublesome situation, but with his tireless aplomb—and the help of a few friends—he is more than up to the challenge.

My Thoughts:

One thing that has brought me through 36 books in the Stone Barrington series is that Stuart Woods never wastes space with unnecessary words or descriptions and that he has brought Stone from a New York police detective to one of the most successful and richest men in the world...a man that has the ear of the United States President as well as European royalty...yet Stone has remained honest and humble through it all. The books don't have the blood and grit that I prefer in most mysteries but there is just something about the personalities that Woods has created with these characters that keep you turning pages to see where the situation is going to lead. For several previous books it seemed that Woods had gone around the bend making Stone into a rich playboy, sleeping with everything that walked...but even though the ladies are still very much willing and available...the sex has been toned down considerably and our Stone has become respectable again. I am so glad for the return of Billy Barnett (aka Teddy Fay), who was missing for the last few books. I wish Stuart Woods would develop a series around Billy, as he is one interesting character- a perfect mix of good and evil. Also happy to see that I can again give a decent star rating to this series.

The Wedding Journey by Carla Kelly
4★'s
April 2016

Set against the vivid historical background of the Napoleonic Wars, The Wedding Journey is the unforgettable story of Captain Jesse Randall, assistant surgeon of Marching Hospital Number Eight, and his undying love for beautiful, young Nell Mason. A battlefield is no place to wage a campaign of love, and even if it was, Jesse is far too shy to ever confess his love to Nell, who helps the surgeons in the field hospital. Her father is a compulsive gambler, and when Nell's mother dies, he desperately agrees to marry her to the despicable Major William Bones to relieve his crushing gambling debts. To prevent such a fate, Jesse hastily weds Nell. He doesn't dare hope she'll ever return his devotion. A marriage on the front lines of the Napoleonic Wars would be difficult enough, but now Major Bones is out for vengeance. As the British army retreats from Burgos for Portugal, Jesse, Nell, and a handful of the sick and stragglers are left behind to fend for themselves. The newly married couple must now draw on all their strength to survive and save their small band, and somehow nurture a love that can endure the most trying of journeys.

My Thoughts:

This was my Blind Date With a Book for April. One of the things I like about participating in this is that it "forces" me to read genres that I probably would never have read...and it allows me to appreciate all my friend's literary likes through their recommendations. This was the case with The Wedding Journey. I became so wrapped up in the story that I completely forgot that it wasn't my usual type of book.

The characters all had individual personalities and lives, and it was interesting to see how the war affected each of them. All in all, this was a very good read, with a story with the right amount of romance, action, suspense and drama. Thank you, tealady for delightful date.

The Last To Die by Kate Brady
4★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
A ruthless killer hides in plain sight, someone no one believes is capable of murder. Within a week, six women will be murdered, all punished for their dark pasts. Detective Dani Cole is determined to track down this serial killer whose victims include a young woman she pulled out of a life of crime. Her investigation leads her to a photography foundation and the renowned photographer Mitch Sheridan, a man she she fell in love with years ago but has tried to forget. Dani and Mitch are instantly attracted to each other again, though their troubled pasts keep them from getting too close. Together, through the course of the investigation, they unearth a dark chain of deception that leads to a killer who is closer than they think.

My Thoughts:
The book was well done and extremely engaging with many subplots running throughout. The only thing I found slightly frustrating was that Mitch and Dani are supposed to be partners investigating the murders but it seemed that Dani's charterer was much stronger and overpowered Mitch, making him come off as weak. The killer was unique...both in identity and in the motive....a killer hiding in plain sight. Overall...a great romantic, suspenseful read.suspenseful read .

All Things Cease To Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
2.5★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
Late one winter afternoon in upstate New York, George Clare comes home to find his wife killed and their three-year-old daughter alone—for how many hours?—in her room across the hall. He had recently, begrudgingly, taken a position at a nearby private college (far too expensive for local kids to attend) teaching art history, and moved his family into a tight-knit, impoverished town that has lately been discovered by wealthy outsiders in search of a rural idyll. George is of course the immediate suspect—the question of his guilt echoing in a story shot through with secrets both personal and professional. While his parents rescue him from suspicion, a persistent cop is stymied at every turn in proving Clare a heartless murderer. And three teenage brothers (orphaned by tragic circumstances) find themselves entangled in this mystery, not least because the Clares had moved into their childhood home, a once-thriving dairy farm. The pall of death is ongoing, and relentless; behind one crime there are others, and more than twenty years will pass before a hard kind of justice is finally served.

My Thoughts:
This sounded like something that was right up my alley and I was very excited and anxious to begin reading it. The story of a young wife and mother, the victim of an ax murderer... the husband who found her and becomes the perfect and most logical suspect and his relentless search for the truth. Guess that was another book as it certainly wasn't this one. From the grand opening that held my interest straight off the bat we are suddenly taken back decades to the original owners and their history is told in page after page after page of details that went on forever it seemed. More than half the book is done before we ever see George and his dead wife again. I kept reading as we are occasionally offered the hope of getting on with the original story we were promised with a big, surprising reveal in the end...but the ending came and went with more questions raised than were answered. If a great psychological thriller that will keep you hooked for days is what you are hoping for you'll have to keep looking.

The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffith
Ruth Galloway series Book #6
4.5★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway uncovers the bones of a Victorian murderess while a baby snatcher threatens modern-day Norfolk in this exciting new entry in a beloved series.
Every year a ceremony is held in Norwich for the bodies in the paupers' graves: the Service for the Outcast Dead. Ruth has a particular interest in this year's proceedings. Her recent dig at Norwich Castle turned up the body of the notorious Mother Hook, who was hanged in 1867 for the murder of five children. Now Ruth is the reluctant star of the TV series Women Who Kill, working alongside the program's alluring history expert, Professor Frank Barker. DCI Harry Nelson is immersed in the case of three children found dead in their home. He is sure that the mother is responsible. Then another child is abducted and a kidnapper dubbed the Childminder claims responsibility. Are there two murderers afoot, or is the Childminder behind all the deaths? The team must race to find out-and the stakes couldn't be any higher when another child goes missing.

My Thoughts:
You cannot pick up a book in this series and read a few pages and walk away. The plot demands your undivided attention. It is also a series that diffidently needs to be read in order as each book builds on the lives of the characters in the previous books. It is a wonderful series that combines a well told mystery with history and archaeology that is sure to appeal to anyone looking for a plot with a real challenge to solve. The Outcast Dead certainly does not disappoint,

Starvation Lake by Brian Gruley
2 stars
April 2016

From The Book:
In the dead of a Michigan winter, pieces of a snowmobile wash up near the crumbling, small town of Starvation Lake—the same snowmobile that went down with Starvation’s legendary hockey coach years earlier. But everybody knows Coach Blackburn's accident happened five miles away on a different lake. As rumors buzz about mysterious underground tunnels, the evidence from the snowmobile says one thing: murder.

My Thoughts:
I found that I had read this book in 2012 and had only given it 2 stars at that time. Since I couldn't remember anything about it, I thought I'd give it another try. I know now why it got 2 stars and why I couldn't remember it. If you are a fan of the game of hockey you might really find it fascinating. The plot sounded like it could develop into a fairly good mystery with some spooky over tones...underground tunnels...a snowmobile that was never found the first time that shows up again in a different lake 5 miles away...evidence of not one but two murders...sounds good...right? The murders turned out to be a sideline of the many, many, many hockey games played by these ageing men in this small, northern Michigan town. I don't mean a mention or a couple of paragraphs about their games...but pages and entire chapters of the blood and mayhem they produced and how many stitches it took to put them back together so they could do it all over again the next weekend. As I said... anyone that really likes hockey will probably love it.

Family Jewels by Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington series Book #37
3.5★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
Stone Barrington’s newest client seems to be a magnet for trouble. A poised lady of considerable wealth, she’s looking for help discouraging the attentions of a tenacious gentleman. But no sooner does Stone fend off the party in question than his client becomes involved in two lethal crimes. With suspects aplenty, Stone must probe deep into his client’s life to find the truth, and he discovers that the heart of the mystery may be a famous missing piece of history, a stunningly beautiful vestige of a bygone era. It’s a piece with a long and storied past and untold value . . . the kind of relic someone might kill to obtain.

My Thoughts:
The story line is starting to be fun again and the characters are becoming interesting again and not just degenerate sex objects as they were being portrayed for a while. One of the things I always liked about Stuart Woods writing was his ability to carry off an entire story with one line action shots. He is a man that doesn't waste words on needless descriptions. Everyone is richer than God and everyone owns more than one multi-million dollar homes and cars and takes off for Paris or other worldly destinations at the drop of a hat without blinking an eye or counting their bank balance....but maybe that is the charm of these books. This one had a good mystery... a necklace with a bit of pre-war history and we were reacquainted with some old friends... Kate and Will Lee, Holly Barker and Ed Eagle...who all have series of their own. Glad to see that Stuart Woods is toning down the "lets fall in bed with the first person we meet" line and letting Stone and the other characters be more like their old selves that those of us that have read all or most of the 37 books had come to love.

Harmony House by Nic Sheff
3★'s
April 2016

From the Book:
Something’s not right in Beach Haven. Jen Noonan’s father thinks a move to Harmony House is the key to salvation, but to everyone who has lived there before, it is a portal to pure horror. After her alcoholic mother’s death, Jen’s father cracked. He dragged Jen to a dilapidated old manor on the shore of New Jersey to start their new lives—but Jen can tell that the place has an unhappy history. She can feel it the same way she can feel her anger flowing out of her, affecting the world in strange ways she can’t explain. But Harmony House is more than just a creepy old estate. It’s got a chilling past—and the more Jen discovers its secrets, the more the house awakens. Visions of a strange boy who lived in the house long ago follow Jen wherever she goes, and her father’s already-fragile sanity disintegrates before her eyes. As the forces in the house join together to terrorize Jen, she must find a way to escape the past she didn’t know was haunting her—and the mysterious and terrible power she didn’t realize she had.

My Thoughts:
It was a fairly good ghost story that displayed shades of Stephen King's The Shinning, and Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House...both of which are favorites of mine. The fact that is a YA book may explain why the author didn't develop his characters to a greater extent. He relied on the "scare factor" to carry out the story. Might have worked for a 14 year old but fell short for an adult. The main characters, Jen and her father, are the most damaged people I have ever encountered. Their personalities throughout the book go from perfectly happy to murderous rage in 0.2 seconds and the constant throw back and forth between the present and the past will give you whiplash. This flaw is present in every single character in the story.

If you are looking for a scary, chilling, dark read...Harmony House will certainly fill the bill but if you are expecting something in the same class with the Stephen King and Shirley Jackson novels...you might want to pass it by...otherwise a worthwhile read.

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter (Standalone)
4.5★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia's teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed. The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

My Thoughts:
I really liked the book...but the future reader needs to be very aware of what the book is really about before becoming involved in the story...and you WILL become involved. If you cannot read books about torture...rape...or other downright disgusting things that humans can do to one another...this book is NOT in any way for you.

Right from the beginning, Pretty Girls takes you through so many twists turns and unexpected moments. After chapter one you cannot stop reading. It's a story of lies...secrets...and half truths. You will begin to have very strong likes and dislikes among the characters. The main thing that you may feel as the characters work through the plot...is helplessness...it becomes a physical feeling. The surprises are numerous It's suspenseful and powerful with a lot to say for family relationships.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
4★'s
April 2016

From The Book:
Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.

My Thoughts:

I felt really felt sorry for Agnes...but in 1829 justice wasn't what it is today. I liked that each chapter had a small part of the a witness's testimony or correspondence. it helped to understand what each character was feeling. The book was well worth the time to read but you could see the miserable lives that all of the characters had at that time...even the one's that weren't awaiting execution. Being thrown out in an Icelandic winter to die for the smallest offense or imagined offense... must have been horrible. It was a beautifully written, moving and compelling story...especially from Agnes's point of view.

Flawless by Heather Graham
3★'s
April 2016

From The Book;
There's a pub in New York City that's been in the Finnegan family for generations. Now Kieran and her three brothers own it. Kieran Finnegan is also, as it happens, a criminal psychologist—a fitting reaction, perhaps, to her less-than-lawful teenage past. Meanwhile, New York's Diamond District has been hit by a rash of thefts. No one's been killed—until now. FBI agent Craig Frasier is brought in to investigate; he and Kieran meet at a jewelry store in the middle of a heist. She's there to "unsteal" a flawless stone taken by her light-fingered youngest brother as an act of vengeance. Craig's there to stop the gang. But the police and FBI begin to wonder if there are two gangs of diamond thieves, the original and a copycat group of killers—who seem to think their scheme is as flawless as the stones they steal. Thrown together by circumstance, drawn together by attraction, Kieran and Craig are both assigned to the case. But to Kieran's horror, there's more and more evidence that, somehow, the pub is involved. Because everyone goes to Finnegan's.

My Thoughts:

**** May Contain Spoilers****
I generally find Heather Graham's books to be easy and enjoyable reads...but this one's story line was just not totally believable. The characters did mindless things without really having any purpose behind them...like one of the characters getting a man that had a criminal background and was trying to go straight to steal a multi-million dollar diamond just to get her lying, slimy, almost ex-husband fired. Why would either of them ever think of doing that much less actually do it? The cops were good characters but one refused to even listen to the others theory about the crime even though it made perfect sense. And the alleged crooks were totally off the wall. How they even thought they could do what they did even once was beyond belief. I can't give it 2 stars because it did have some good parts but I have read better from this author. A generous 3 star rating.

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
5★'s
March 2016

From The Cover:

From the author of the internationally bestselling 'A Man Called Ove', a novel about a young girl whose grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters, sending her on a journey that brings to life the world of her grandmother's fairy tales. Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy, standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-men-who-want-to-talk-about-Jesus-crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal. When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother's letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

My Thoughts:

I loved the title and the cover picture. I know that isn't "adult" criteria for choosing a book to read but in this instance it served me well.

You think you know all these crazy characters...who they are..why they're there...what Granny really wanted Elsa to do...but think again. "There is nothing wrong with being different. Granny said that only different people change the world." (from the book). Granny was right but this is not only the story of a seven...almost eight, as Elsa continuously tells us...year old girl that has more than a bond with her grandmother. It's a brilliant, endearing and insightful story of human weakness, forgiveness, trust, and a refusal to conform. The reader will laugh, cry, and realize that no matter how much you love somebody...you may never really know them.

Paradise Falls by Jonnie Jacobs
3★'s
March 2016

From the Cover:
A missing daughter. A stepson who knows more than he's telling. A detective with her own tragic past. The abduction of a teenage girl that sends a happily blended family into a tailspin.

My Thoughts:
A good story line but an ending that most readers will see... or at least suspect about mid-way through the book. It's not just a mystery; It's also the story of complex family dynamics and how a tragedy can quickly tear down the fragile framework no matter how carefully constructed. It's also the story of one very determined police detective, Rayna Goodwin, who must investigate the case knowing exactly what it feels like to have a child go missing; Rayna is perhaps the best and most likable character in the entire book.

In spite of the good things the book had going for it...it was about 100 pages too long and way too much time spent on the unnecessary details that not only didn't add anything constructive to the story but took away any empathy the reader may have developed for Grace, the mother. Not a bad book by any means but one I wouldn't rush to add to the top of a TBR list.

The Road To Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson
4.5★'s
March 2016

From The Book:
In 1995 Bill Bryson got into his car and took a weeks-long farewell motoring trip about England before moving his family back to the United States. The book about that trip, Notes from a Small Island, is uproarious and endlessly endearing, one of the most acute and affectionate portrayals of England in all its glorious eccentricity ever written. Two decades later, he set out again to rediscover that country, and the result is The Road to Little Dribbling. Nothing is funnier than Bill Bryson on the road—prepare for the total joy and multiple episodes of unseemly laughter.

My Thoughts:
If you speak any form of the English language, you can not read this with chuckling most of the way through it and laughing out loud the remainder. Bill Bryson married an English girl and they currently make their home in Iowa but for about 15 years they resided in England and Bill holds duel citizenship. However he will be the first to admit that he simply can not speak his own language...that he British citizenship test needs a lot of work or rather the people who designed it need a lot of work....and he will not be allowed to EVER enter another McDonald's on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. He also shares that you can not make a reservation for the ferry in Scotland from the flatland of Iowa by phone... but for a fairly hefty price they will let you have a seat once you arrive. Poor Bill stood on the dock in the pouring rain while two bus loads of tourist boarded the boat he was denied passage on, only to be informed when he asked why he was told, "Well mate...they made a reservation." At least that's what he thought the driver said but he's not sure since he's found he no longer speaks the English language.

Bill does have feelings for his adopted Isle as he writes that "The British countryside is is the world's most perfect accidental garden - now all the British have to do is take care of it."

Fans of Bill Bryson know exactly what to expect when they pick up one of his books...a little history...Bill's thoughts on the history and information...a lot of self criticism...and a great deal of humor.

The Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo
Oregon Files series (Juan Cabrillo) Book #1
4.5 stars
March 2016

From The Cover:
Juan Cabrillo skippers a disguised spy ship - for hire for covert missions. In this adventure he must find and seize a golden Buddha - the artifact and its contents are vital to striking a deal with the Russians and the Chinese and restoring the Dalai Lama to power in Tibet.

My Thoughts:
I first read this book in 2003 when it first appeared. It immediately became a long love-affair with the characters, the story line, the magnificent scientific wonder of the ship, The Oregon, which has a personality and a characterization all it's own. The reread of this one came about these 13 years later as the the result of a group read and discussion with a group of friends on the Mystery and Suspense Plus group and I am happy to say that it gained half a star over the 13 years. Nothing changed about the book but I think some things changed in the reader.

This series contains plenty of action...and this as true of this first addition as the other 10... and will most likely appeal to fans of Steve Berry and Matthew Reilly. There is some history given of the exile and reinstatement of the Dalai Lama and the take over of Tibet by the Chinese, which seems upon investigation to various web sites to be accurate. History buffs will like that fact. The only things that I didn't especially care for...but I knew was present in every Clive Cussler book...was the vintage car inserts into the story and the explanations of the technological jargon. Those however did nothing to distract me from a wonderful and exciting adventure for the mind.

Hush, Hush by Laura Lippman
2 ★'s
March 2016

From The Book Cover:
On a searing August day, Melisandre Harris Dawes committed the unthinkable: she left her two-month-old daughter locked in a car while she sat nearby on the shores of the Patapsco River. Melisandre was found not guilty by reason of criminal insanity, although there was much skepticism about her mental state. Freed, she left the country, her husband and her two surviving children, determined to start over. But now Melisandre has returned Baltimore to meet with her estranged teenage daughters and wants to film the reunion for a documentary. The problem is, she relinquished custody and her ex, now remarried, isn't sure he approves.

My Thoughts:
It sounded interesting...for about 5 pages. After that I started intensely disliking 98% of the characters as well as the justice (?) system that declared of all things a mistrial for Melisandre. Which part of she left her 3 month old daughter in a closed car to die didn't the people involved here understand? That was not only wrong on so many levels it was downright insanity! Did she get stuck away in a mental institution for the rest of her miserable life??? Oh no...she waltzes off to another country leaving her other two daughters with her soon to be ex-husband without a word for 14 years. Now she wants to play "Mother of The year" again??? And some stupid media is going to film her reunion with the girls...and PAY her for it??? Come on!! Enough said. Let's just say it excruciatingly boring, unbelievable on every level and very difficult to read. 2 stars and that was generous.

The Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society by Augusta Trobugh
4★'s
March 2016

From the Cover:
The women of a small town's bird watching society secretly plan to eliminate the husband of one of their members in this new novel - a modern spin on the classic film Arsenic and Old Lace. Founding members of the Tea-Olive Bird Watching Society in tiny Tea-Olive, Georgia, are Beulah, Sweet, Wildwood, and Zion, each named after a hymn. Pillars of the community, seemingly beyond reproach, two of these ladies are nonetheless conspiring to murder retired Judge L. Hyson Breed, a newcomer to Tea-Olive. It all begins when the judge tricks Sweet into marriage, steals her land for a development project, and sweet- talks his way right onto the town council. By the time Beulah and Zion discover his evil plans and realize that Sweet has endured personal harm, with more to come the judge is already a permanent fixture in town. Or is he? When Beulah and Zion attempt to do away with the judge while always remaining unfailingly polite the novel takes a wild turn. The result is a delightful black comedy from a novelist at the peak of her powers.

My Thoughts:
Don't you just love those names? I really loved this book. It had moments of sweetness and sadness and just pure fun, both the good and the naughty kind. It was a rare book that transcends age. If a murder story can can be called whimsical, this is it. And, at the end you are left wondering whether there was a murder or not.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
4★'s
March 2016

From The Cover:
Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

My Thoughts:
An excellent read and recommended by a friend. The book is classed as "Young Adult" but that didn't erase anything from the well told story line. I have read other books buy this author and she has an easy, smooth writing style that really keeps the reader staying around, anxious to see what happens next. Other than a cast of mostly young, (teens)...characters the reader soon forgets that it was written and designed for a younger audience. One of the outstanding things that I found in this story was that Mackie understood why his parents behaved the way they did and he respected and loved them in spite of he not agreeing.

Driven by Kelley Armstrong
Otherworld Stories Book #13.5
3 ★'s
March 2016

From The Cover:

Cains are known for being big, brutish and not-too-bright. The mutt clan embodies all the supernatural world’s worst stereotypes about werewolves. But not even the Cains deserve to be hunted down and skinned like animals. When young Davis Cain comes to the Pack for help, Alpha Elena Michaels can’t refuse him. It isn't about morality or justice. It’s about not letting anyone think they can do this to werewolves and get away with it. But Elena is also dealing with the Pack’s homegrown monster—Malcolm Danvers, onetime enforcer, full-time psycho. Malcolm is now under Elena’s control, as part of the most difficult decision she’s had to make as leader. But if she has to let Malcolm in, she’s going to make full use of him…and the best person to catch monsters is one who knows exactly how they think.

My Thoughts:

I believe I have finally outgrown this series or the series has changed so much from the original that it has left me behind. The characters are the same but there is so much politics within the clan and the stories have been getting shorter and shorter over the years. I was able to garner enough information from Driven that I felt like I knew enough about the past of the characters to be able to enjoy the read. I don't think I will be deliberately pursuing this series in the future.

Thread of Fear by Laura Griffin
2.5★'s
March 2016

From The book Cover:

Forensic artist Fiona Glass is the best in the business -- which is precisely why she's quitting. Her skill at mining victims' memories to re-create the faces of sadistic criminals has left her haunted and wary, and only Jack Bowman's dogged persistence convinces her to help him. The rugged police chief is hunting a serial killer who's targeting teenage girls. But what seems like a simple assignment is fraught with complications, including a searing attraction to Jack that's tempting Fiona to let her guard down in potentially dangerous ways. Jack never intended for Fiona to become so deeply involved in the case -- or in his life. But every instinct tells him she's his best hope for finding a psychopath who's lurking in plain sight, growing more ruthless with each passing day. And now that Fiona is right in the killer's cross-hairs, the only way to keep her safe is to unravel a small town's darkest secrets, one terrifying thread at a time.

My Thoughts:

This is the second of this author's books that I have read and I gave them exactly the same rating. I am happy to announce that I'm not too dense to learn and this will be my last.

The story left a lot of loose ends. The case is never really tied up -- no resolution, no explanation. There is a small amount of explanation while it's happening but nothing to tie it together, at all. The characters were bland and we never learned anything meaningful about them...even the one that claimed to have been so close to his mother and sister. 2.5 is a generous offering...2 stars for the story and the half star for duping me into reading a second book.

Far From True by Linwood Barclay
Book #2 in the Promise Falls Trilogy
5 Stars
March 2016

From The Cover:
After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theater collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father’s house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it’s clear that salacious activities have taken place—as well as evidence of missing DVDs. But his investigation soon becomes more complicated when he realizes it may not be discs the thief was actually interested in. Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to solve two murders—one of which is three years old—he believes are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound. As the lies begin to unravel, Cal is headed straight into the heart of a dark secret as his search uncovers more startling truths about Promise Falls. And when yet another murder happens, Cal and Barry are both driven to pursue their investigations, no matter where they lead. Evil deeds long thought buried are about to haunt the residents of this town—as the sins of the past and present collide with terrifying results.

My Thoughts:
Wish this was going to be a series instead of a trilogy. Lots of characters from Book#1, Broken Promise cascade through the story to add to the already excellent plot line. The ex-mayor remains just as unlikable...the sheriff remains just as desperate and determined to save the town....and we get a sneak peak at the final book in the trilogy being released in November, The Twenty-Three. Anyone that is follows this trilogy knows that this is the mysterious number that repeats over and over throughout the stories. What it means is anyone's guess. Far From True is a book that will please and excite Linwood Barclay fans while taking us on a wild ride to the finish.

War Games by Douglas Jackson
Book # in the Glen Savage series
4.5★'s
March 2016

From The Cover:
Falkland's War veteran Glen Savage came out of the army with two skills. He knew how to kill and he knew how to survive. Fortunately, he also had a special gift that's provided him with a living ever since. Savage is a psychic, the cops' last resort when all the other last resorts have struck out: the man they turn to when they have a murder, but no body. But not everybody believes in the Savage myth, and just lately the gift is looking more like a curse. Glen is forced to take any job that comes along just to make ends meet. An Asian girl vanishes. Has she been kidnapped, as her father claims, or is she running away from an arranged marriage? A Pakistani boy is snatched from a Glasgow street and turns up dead in the ruins of a Borders castle. As he tries to track down Gurya Ali, Glen gradually realizes the two events are linked, and when the body count begins to rise he knows he's involved in a desperate race against time to save her life. It quickly becomes clear the killer knows more about Glen Savage, than Savage does about the killer, and as he's drawn into a web of intrigue dating back centuries, Glen has is increasingly certain his opponent is playing games with him.

My Thoughts:
Visited so many historical places with Book #1 that it makes your head swim. I read the write-up on the author as I was unfamiliar with him and found that he has an intensive background in historical fiction. Anyone that is a fan of this genre will certainly want to check out this one as well as his other books. As for this one...let me just say "an investigation into a crazed serial killer who is driven by madness and an odd identification with a long-dead crusader to murder those he sees as enemies of the faith." Can' ask for anything more riveting than this story line.

Dark Promise by Christine Feehan
Book #29 in the Dark Series
3★'s
March 2016

From The Book Cover:
Gabrielle has had enough of battles, of wars, of seeing Gary Jansen, the man she loves nearly lose his life when it isn’t even his fight. Once he was a gentle and very human researcher. Now he’s a fearless and lethal Carpathian warrior with the blood of an ancient lineage coursing through his veins—a man Gabrielle still needs and desires and dreams of with every breath she takes. All she wants is a life far away from the Carpathian mountains, far from vampires and the shadows cast by the crumbling monastery that hides so many terrible secrets. But Gabrielle soon learns that promises made in the dark can pierce the heart like a dagger. And she isn’t the only one in search of answers in the corners of the unknown. Trixie Joanes has come to the Carpathian mountains in search of her wayward granddaughter, fearing that she has been lured there by something unspeakable. Instead, Trixie has stumbled into the path of a desperate man and a woman in love and on the run. And they’re all fated for the lair of a mysterious ancient with revenge in his soul and the undying power to make bad dreams come true.

My Thoughts:
I loved this series at one time... and loved Christine Feehan's writing style...but a so much seems to have changed in the last few books, The men are more abusive and you have just have a hard time liking them. The Gary Janson character...which is the feature in this story...is one that we met back many years ago...a human that helped the Carpathian race in many trials and nearly died several times to keep their existence their secret. I would have expected Christine to do better by Gary than she did in this book. It isn't just the weak plot line...it's that the originality is gone. Sadly, after 29 books, I am considering not reading this series anymore. But there are so many recurring characters that I love that still holds me, so time will tell if it will keep me here.

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison
4.5★'s
March 2015

From The Cover:
The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

My Thoughts:
I liked the book a lot. The plot was nothing new...life was good...husband suddenly was missing and wife was the main suspect. The difference in this story from all the others like it was the back story that lead up to this. At time you thought "What does this have to do with anything?" ... and then down the road the author ties it all together. The last half of the book had so many twists that you never saw happening. I believe that this is J.T. Ellison's first standalone novels and I had my doubts when first starting it but suddenly I became so engrossed in the story that I found I was on the last page. I highly recommend that the fans of her series novels...as well as 'newbies" ...give this one a try.

Death Comes To The Village by Catherine Lloyd
Kurkland St, Mary Murder Mystery series Book #1
4★'s
March 2016

From The Cover:
A wounded soldier and a rector's daughter discover strange goings-on in the sleepy village of Kurland St. Mary in Catherine Lloyd's charming Regency-set mystery debut. Major Robert Kurland has returned to the quiet vistas of his village home to recuperate from the horrors of Waterloo. However injured his body may be, his mind is as active as ever. Too active, perhaps. When he glimpses a shadowy figure from his bedroom window struggling with a heavy load, the tranquil façade of the village begins to loom sinister. Unable to forget the incident, Robert confides in his childhood friend, Miss Lucy Harrington. As the dutiful daughter of the widowed rector, following up on the major's suspicions offers a welcome diversion--but soon presents real danger. Someone is intent on stopping their investigation. And in a place where no one locks their doors, a series of thefts and the disappearance of two young serving girls demands explanation. As Robert grapples with his difficult recovery, he and Lucy try to unearth the dark truth lurking within the village shadows, and stop a killer waiting to strike again.

My Thoughts:
Historical mysteries are usually not my cuppa tea...but this one had that little something going for it...that while I couldn't say exactly what it was...it just wouldn't let me stop reading.

The author successfully captures the social and personal nuances of the time...which makes the modern day woman grind her teeth in annoyance...but that was the way it was THEN, and thank Heaven it isn't the way it is NOW. Nevertheless, the mystery is far too obvious. For all who are drawn to Downton Abby and Upstairs Downstairs, you should definitely be drawn into the mysteries of Kurland St Mary.

Return To Tradd Street by Karen White
3★'s
March 2016

From The Cover:
Facing her future as a single mother, psychic Realtor Melanie Middleton is determined to be strong and leave her past with writer Jack Trenholm behind her. But history has a tendency of catching up with Melanie, whether she likes it or not. Melanie is only going through the motions of living since refusing Jack’s marriage proposal. She misses him desperately, but her broken heart is the least of her problems. Despite an insistence that she can raise their child alone, Melanie is completely unprepared for motherhood, and she struggles to complete renovations on her house on Tradd Street before the baby arrives. When Melanie is roused one night by the sound of a ghostly infant crying, she chooses to ignore it. She simply does not have the energy to deal with one more crisis. That is, until the remains of a newborn buried in an old christening gown are found hidden in the foundation of her house. As the hauntings on Tradd Street slowly become more violent, Melanie decides to find out what caused the baby’s untimely death, uncovering the love, loss, and betrayal that color the house’s history—and threaten her claim of ownership. But can she seek Jack’s help without risking her heart? For in revealing the secrets of the past, Melanie also awakens the malevolent presence that has tried to keep the truth hidden for decades.

My Thoughts:
A bit too much romance and hard-headed silliness for me to give it any more stars but it was a pretty good ghost story...hence the 3 stars. I didn't really form any feelings except boredom for any of the characters. I believe with the great idea that the book actually started out with it could have worked into something so much better than the drivel that went back and forth between Melanie and Jack.

American Ghost by Hannah Nordhaus
3★'s
March 2016

From The Cover:
The award-winning journalist and author of The Beekeeper's Lament attempts to discover the truth about her great-great-grandmother, Julia--whose ghost is said to haunt an elegant hotel in Santa Fe--in this spellbinding exploration of myth, family history, and the American West. The dark-eyed woman in the long black gown was first seen in the 1970s, standing near a fireplace. She was sad and translucent, present and absent at once. Strange things began to happen in the Santa Fe hotel where she was seen. Gas fireplaces turned off and on without anyone touching a switch. Vases of flowers appeared in new locations. Glasses flew off shelves. And in one second-floor suite with a canopy bed and arched windows looking out to the mountains, guests reported alarming events: blankets ripped off while they slept, the room temperature plummeting, disembodied breathing, dancing balls of light. La Posada--"place of rest"--had been a grand Santa Fe home before it was converted to a hotel. The room with the canopy bed had belonged to Julia Schuster Staab, the wife of the home's original owner. She died in 1896, nearly a century before the hauntings were first reported. In American Ghost, Hannah Nordhaus traces the life, death, and unsettled afterlife of her great-great-grandmother Julia, from her childhood in Germany to her years in the American West with her Jewish merchant husband.

My Thoughts:
I really am a sucker for a good ghost story and lets face it...many families have one...real or not...somewhere in their history. I was really expecting this one to be more about the proof or lack of proof than it turned out to be... since the author that went looking for the alleged ghost of her great-great grandmother was an accomplished, published writer before her journey even began. She admits that she knows very little about her great- great grandmother other than she came as a young bride from Germany. Unfortunately this turned more into a history of the Jewish immigration to America and a history of early New Mexico. While this is all interesting, it wasn't what the book promised. What I believe the book did accomplish was to serve as a kind of cautionary tale, in which we are reminded how myths can grow to the outlandishness, leaving only a particle of truth behind. The myth and legend of this haunting will be impossible to put to rest now that it's been embedded in the minds of the public. The host of physics and other paranormal investigators that accompanied Hanah Nordhaus on her quest never really gave a diffident answer to the question of the question...was Julia Staab still there?

How To Survive A Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith
4★'s
March 2016

From The Book:
Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. From ghosts, vampires, and zombies to serial killers, cannibalistic hillbillies, and haunted Japanese videocassettes, How to Survive a Horror Movie shows how to defeat every obstacle found in scary films. Readers will discover:
• How to Perform an Exorcism
• What to Do If You Did Something Last Summer
• How to Persuade the Skeptical Local Sheriff

My Thoughts:
You will have to admit that everything listed above could and will come in very handy if you find yourself the prisoner of a horror movie..good or bad. How to Survive a Horror Movie covers everything from slashers, evil spirits, haunted houses, possessed cars, exorcism, zombies, aliens, demonic dolls, and even animal attacks. I picked up this book after reading a review from my friend, Lynda and her little dog, Oliver. I couldn't stop laughing. I ended up reading it to my mother and she though it was hilarious. So...2 recommendations if you love horror movies but become frustrated by some of the stupid things the people do. At least you will not let there mistakes do you in.

No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
5★'s
March 2016

From The Book:
"When the first bullet hit my chest, I thought of my daughter..."

Dr. Marc Seidman has been shot twice, his wife has been murdered, and his six-month-old daughter has been kidnapped. When he gets the ransom note-he knows he has only one chance to get this right. But there is nowhere he can turn and no one he can trust.

My Thoughts:
Many times in thrillers, once you know how it ends, you tend to think the characters should have known it sooner or done something differently. Not in this book. The twists flow naturally and the characters all act as they should. The reader will quickly form feeling for Marc Seidman in his quest to find his missing daughter. The author will throw out situations that form questions that beg to be answered and the surprising ending will leave you not knowing if you are coming or going. In other words it's a well written mystery that keeps you guessing until the end.

Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
In Death series Book #42
4.5★'s
March 2016

From The Book:
Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy. . . .
Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head. Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze. As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming.

My Thoughts:
Book # 42 in this series...It just doesn't seem possible. Like watching you children grow up. In some ways that is exactly what fans of the "In Death" series have done. Each installment has seen changes and growth in our favorite Lieutenant Eve Dallas. She has gone from the frightened, nightmare ridden young woman that took a chance on a life with the multi-billionaire, Roark, to a wife that is learning to create triumphant over tragedy. There are still some steamy love scenes...wouldn't expect anything different with that "hunky Irishman" she's married to. These don't dominate the story though. I love the way that we see Eve and her excellent, hand-picked team, work out the twists and turns in the investigation with some teasing and joking along the way. New characters are added and developed in each book but our old favorite friends are always very much evident. The most touching part of the book was seeing the friendship grow and blossom between Eve and Professor Dennis Mira...while the thing that I missed the most in this rendition was the dialog that always takes place between Eve and Summerset. Readers also should be aware that this book is also about a really dark subject...rape...and not just rape...but rape that high ranking men have gotten away with for 50 years. This may be a turn-off or a real button pusher for some readers. Otherwise... a worthy 4.5 ★'s.

Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz
3★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

Eve Hardaway, newly single mother of one, is on a trip she's long dreamed of—a rafting and hiking tour through the jungles and mountains of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. Eve wanders off the trail, to a house in the distance with a menacing man in the yard beyond it, throwing machetes at a human-shaped target. Disturbed by the sight, Eve moves quickly and quietly back to her group, taking care to avoid being seen. As she creeps along, she finds a broken digital camera, marked with the name Teresa Hamilton. Later that night, in a rarely used tourist cabin, she finds a discarded prescription bottle—also with the name Teresa Hamilton. From the camera's memory card, Eve discovers Teresa Hamilton took a photo of that same menacing looking man in the woods. Teresa Hamilton has since disappeared. Now the man in the woods is after whoever was snooping around his house. With a violent past and deadly mission, he will do anything to avoid being discovered.

My Thoughts:

It was a good story line idea and in many ways Hurwitz really pulled it off...but somewhere along the way it fell flat. I believe it was in the attitude of the tour guides when members of their party started to disappear and their refusal to listen to anyone. I know it was the middle of a jungle and it wasn't one of the 50 states but still the attitudes went a long way in influencing the outcome of the book. The constant jungle descriptions as the characters kept running around the jungle from the bad guy seemed to be a bit long...and the “bad guy” in this story was a bit unbelievable. I gave it 3 stars because it was a workable idea that just didn't quiet come off.

A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante
2.5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Book Cover:
When Dr. John Taylor turns up dead in a hotel room, the local police uncover enough incriminating evidence to suspect foul play. Detective Samantha Adams, whose Palo Alto beat usually covers petty crimes, is innocently thrown into a high-profile case that is more complicated than any she has faced before. A renowned reconstructive surgeon and a respected family man, Dr. Taylor was beloved and admired. But beneath his perfect façade was a hidden life—in fact, multiple lives. Dr. Taylor was married to three very different women in three separate cities. As the circumstances surrounding his death emerge, Detective Adams finds herself tracking down a murderer through a tangled web of marital deception and revenge.

My Thoughts:
The book asks the question..."Who would want to murder Doctor John Taylor?" My question is "Who wouldn't want to murder Doctor John Taylor?" Even as a dead man from the beginning of the book he wasn't very likable. Also the question yet begs to be answered as to his purpose in marrying three woman and becoming engaged to a fourth. He stood absolutely nothing to gain. That the police captain would give a case of this magnitude to a rookie detective just didn't make any more sense than the actions of this detective in trying to solve the murder. Another book with a really good story idea but totally unable to make it work in the end...which any reader of mystery and suspense genre had figured out in the first 50 pages.

Embrace The Twilight by Maggie Shayne
Wings in the Night series Book #8
3.5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:
A creature of the night, Sarafina lives only for pleasure, but love is an emotion she has deemed forbidden. Experience has taught her that love leads only to betrayal and pain, and she wants no more of pain. She cares for no one, tolerating only the presence of those she can control utterly. With her powers, she is convinced she can break anyone. Willem Stone cannot be broken. He is a challenge Sarafina cannot resist--a man as boldly alive as she is, a man with a will of iron, yet a mere mortal. And the only thing stronger than the clash of their wills is the power of their desire. But when vampire hunters take Amber Lily, the only child ever born to a vampire, Sarafina and Willem must put their struggle aside and combine their strengths in a rescue attempt that could cost them their very lives. And in the process, they find the most powerful force of all: love.

My Thoughts:
I remembered this series from many, many years ago so when I needed a "purple" book for the Birthstone challenge...here it was.

A paranormal romance with two unlikely participants...a vampire and a human. I had forgotten how unlikely but entertaining the story line was in these books. It made a good side read and an interesting revisit to a series and an author that I used to really enjoy. 3.5 stars for old times sake ❤

I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
4★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:
This horrifying thriller, partly based on a true story, is the scariest novel yet from an international bestseller. The crunching noise had resumed, now accompanied by a disgusting, indefinable smell. It could best be described as a blend of kelp and rotten meat. The voice spoke again, now slightly louder and clearer: Don't go. Don't go yet. I'm not finished.
In an isolated village in the Icelandic Westfjords, three friends set to work renovating a derelict house. But soon they realize they are not alone there - something wants them to leave, and it's making its presence felt.
Meanwhile, in a town across the fjord, a young doctor investigating the suicide of an elderly woman discovers that she was obsessed with his vanished son. When the two stories collide the terrifying truth is uncovered .

My Thoughts:
The story is told in duel narrative that switches with every chapter. Sometimes books that are translated loose something in the translation but I don't think that this one does in the least. To me the most terrifying thing would have been stuck in this nearly abandoned village...in the middle of winter... in a house that has no electricity, no heat, no bathroom, no water...and even though they left their cell phones off they find they have dead batteries with no way to call for help or the boat to take them home. To make matters worse...if that is even possible...these three people know absolutely nothing about renovations and they are nearly out of money.

The characters in this book are sometimes unbelievable in their naive belief that they could handle this project and actually accomplish anything. The most memorable character was the psychiatrist, Freyr, whose son had disappeared. The author did a lot of past history in order to bring the story into the present...which became a bit boring, and don't even try to pronounce those Icelandic names:). Overall...it was a story with a very descriptive text and some truly bone-chilling sections. Ghost story fans will love it. 4 stars and I will be looking for another of her books.

Not Dead Yet by Peter James
Inspector Roy Grace series Book #8
4.5 ★'s
Feb. 2016

From The Book Cover:

Days before one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, Gaia Lafayette, leaves her Bel Air home for a movie role on location in Brighton, England, there is a bungled attempt on her life. The whole city of Brighton awaits Gaia’s arrival, including her dangerously obsessive Number One fan looking for revenge and an anxious Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, charged with protecting Gaia. When a mutilated torso is found on a chicken farm miles away in the countryside, Roy Grace has no reason at all to connect this to the star’s visit to the county. But as events rapidly begin to unfold, Roy Grace and his team find themselves in a desperate race against time to save Gaia’s life from a clever maniac who will stop at nothing to kill her.

My Thoughts:

There are several investigations going on at the same time which involves the Brighton detectives and an American superstar along with some very bad guys. Some humor is injected from Grace's squad and a baby Grace is on the near horizon. The history of the Royal Pavilion and King George IV was very interesting also.

Peter James seems to have the ability to make Roy Grace and his team feel like old friends. Even the "bad'guys" take on unique personalities. One of the things that I really like about these books is that the author doesn't waste words with endless descriptions and mile long chapters...yet he provides endless twists and turns to the plot with believable endings. The books are better if read in order since there are some over reaching story lines but they can hold their own no matter what order they are read in. The one story line that I wish James would put an end to is Roy Grace's missing wife, Sandy. She just left the house and never came back and it's been now 10 years. Time to deep six her and move along. Otherwise it was another enjoyable offering to the Roy Grace series.

The Crooked House by Christobel Kent
3★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

One fateful night. One unthinkable family tragedy. One survivor. This is Alison's story. Alison is as close to anonymous as she can get: with no ties, no home, a backroom job, hers is a life lived under the radar. She's a nobody; she has no-one and that's how she wants it. But once Alison was someone else: once she was Esme Grace, a teenager whose bedroom sat at the top of a remote and dilapidated house on the edge of a bleak estuary. A girl whose family, if not happy, exactly, was no unhappier than anyone else's - or so she thought. Then one night a terrible thing happened in the crooked house, a nightmare of violence out of which Alison emerged the only witness and sole survivor and from which she has been running ever since. Only when she meets academic Paul Bartlett does Alison realise that if she's to have any chance of happiness, she has to return to her old life and confront the darkness that worked its way inside her family and has pursued her ever since. As she seeks to uncover the truth of what happened that terrible night, Alison begins to question everything she thought she knew. Is there anyone she can trust?

My Thoughts:

The story line and the plot sounded like it would be a very interesting and intriguing story and it was. I wanted to find out what happened to Esme/Alison. That and the fact that it was a group read with people that I really enjoy discussing books with kept me reading. Otherwise I probably would have given it up about half way through. The 3 star rating came about because of the author's confusing and all over the place writing style. There were way to many words that lead to the reader not really understanding or comprehending what the author was talking about. I had to keep going back and rereading as the timeline kept jumping with no obvious separation point. Would I recommend this book to someone else? Yes I can say that I would but just be prepared to use your brain...a lot.

The Black Country by Alex Grecian
Scotland Yard Murder Squad Book #2
4★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

The British Midlands. It’s called the “Black Country” for a reason. Bad things happen there. When members of a prominent family disappear from a coal-mining village—and a human eyeball is discovered in a bird’s nest—the local constable sends for help from Scotland Yard’s new Murder Squad. Fresh off the grisly 1889 murders of The Yard, Inspector Walter Day and Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith respond, but they have no idea what they’re about to get into. The villagers have intense, intertwined histories. Everybody bears a secret. Superstitions abound. And the village itself is slowly sinking into the mines beneath it.

My Thoughts:

At first I wasn't sure exactly what genre this book fell into...paranormal...missing person...historical...? Actually it was a little of all of those with a great deal of total mystery thrown in. It all began with a young child of the village discovering an eye-ball in a birds nest and the disappearance of a mother, father and a toddler.

The black country is an isolated and bleak part of the British countryside where old legends and superstitions still abound. This is the atmosphere that greeted Inspector Walter Day and his Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith when called from London to help locate the missing family. As in most of these types of books...nothing is easy. A blinding, three day blizzard...a village that is daily sinking into the numerous coal mine shafts that run for miles under the village...over 100 mysteriously ill villagers and the presence of death in the form of a mysterious American soldier all combine to make the task of finding anyone almost impossible.

The reader will quickly love the two London detectives...begin to hate the villagers...mistrust everyone and wait to see if they were right about what really happened to the family. The book lost a star for me because of the long, drawn out path to the conclusion that you had more than likely guessed 100 pages prior to the ending. Overall...it was a solid 4 star book and I will certainly read another.

Descent by Tim Johnston
3★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

The Rocky Mountains have cast their spell over the Courtlands, a young family from the plains taking a last summer vacation before their daughter begins college. For eighteen-year-old Caitlin, the mountains loom as the ultimate test of her runner’s heart, while her parents hope that so much beauty, so much grandeur, will somehow repair a damaged marriage. But when Caitlin and her younger brother, Sean, go out for an early morning run and only Sean returns, the mountains become as terrifying as they are majestic, as suddenly this family find themselves living the kind of nightmare they’ve only read about in headlines or seen on TV.

My Thoughts:

I have mixed thoughts about this book. On one hand it is a story with more complex plots going on than you can imagine. One that makes you want to keep reading to see where Caitlin's disappearance is going to take us. However the weaving of the story becomes so confusing and complex that you feel lost. Just trying to determine who is now telling the story...what decade it's taking place in...as the story line skips around from the time that Caitlin and Sean are children, to the times before they were born, to the present day...makes your head swim. Up to the time that Caitlin disappears is riveting...after that it falls into the "trying too hard to be believable category". There is way too much history of Angela and Robert's relationship both prior to Caitlin disappearing and their life...if you can call it that...afterwards. It's as if they have forgotten that they have a surviving child. The ending was just okay...IF you buy the "everyone riding off into the sunset and living happily after after" scenario The book did have some very good parts...it's just you began to have to really search for them.

The Dungeon House by Martin Edwards
Book #7 in the Lake District Mystery series
4★'s
Feb 2016

From Book Cover:

The magnificent Dungeon House and gardens overlook Cumbria’s remote western coast with its mix of beaches, dunes, and fells, Roman ruins, and nuclear plant. Twenty years ago the wealthy Whiteleys called it home. But not a happy one. Malcolm Whiteley had begun to disintegrate under financial and emotional pressures. He suspected various men in their social circle of being his wife’s lover. After a disastrous party for the neighbours, Lysette told Malcolm their marriage was over. Sadly an old Winchester rifle he had been hiding was at hand….
Fast forward to today. Hannah Scarlett’s cold case team is looking into the three-year-old disappearance of Lily Elstone whose father Gray had been Malcolm’s accountant. The investigation coincides with yet another disappearance of a teenage girl: Shona Whiteley, daughter of Malcolm’s nephew Nigel, who now lives in the Dungeon House despite its tragic history. As Hannah’s team digs down into the past, doubts arise about what really happened the night Malcolm killed his wife and 16-year-old daughter Amber, then himself.
Most of the people once close to the Whiteleys still live nearby. And one Joanna Footit, and her secrets, now returns from London. While Hannah leads the complex police inquiries, it is her lover, historian Daniel Kind, who supplies Hannah with the lead that unlocks the whole. Does it come too late?

My Thoughts:

This is the third of Martin Edward's books that I have read and I must say they just keep getting better and better. The writing style is smooth an very easy to read.

The drama begin twenty years ago with Malcom Whiteley...a most unlikable character if ever there was one. He is jealous...egotistical...paranoid and irrational. He spends his time between questionable business deals drinking and accusing his wife of being unfaithful. When tragedy comes to "Dungeon House" the community and the local police believe that he has finally snapped...but did he?

The book jumps ahead twenty-years and we met the children of the characters from twenty years ago and well as some of the original ones....older but none the wiser. Nigel Whiteley, the nephew of Malcolm reports his 15 year old daughter has disappeared. The local police believe that he is responsible in some way since it's obviously in the Whiteley blood. In the meantime Joanna Footit returns to the village aftera twenty year absence seeking answers and to look up an old love. Now the police are wondering if Joanna had more involvement with the events of twenty years ago when another young girl whose family was friends of Malcolm's also goes missing.

There are a lot of characters from two different eras that due to relationships are at first a bit hard to keep separate. However the second half of the book... when the police become more involved, is much easier to keep straight. As usual, Martin Edwards offers a first rate mystery. Anyone that wants less blood and grit in their mysteries will enjoy this immensely.

Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary
5★'s
Feb 2016

Tragedy is no stranger to DI Marnie Rome...and she continues to struggle with it while not letting it affect her job. But when she encounters a horrific crime at the local women's shelter it almost is more than she can bear. Thus begins the thrilling roller coaster ride to find justice for the victim. The women you will meet are strong and weak, brave and scared all at the same time. Hilary has managed to open the door to domestic violence and will drag you through it no matter how much you protest.

I love her partner and "side-kick"...DS Noah Jake...a Jamaican and a gay who has his own problems with the homophobic macho bully...Ron Carling.

Hillary has done a brilliant and clever job of presenting a very real issue treating it with sensitively and realistically burying it in the heart of an almost perfect crime novel.

The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge
Helen Grace series Book #3
5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

A young woman wakes up in a cold, dark cellar, with no idea how she got there or who her kidnapper is. So begins her terrible nightmare. Nearby, the body of another young woman is discovered buried on a remote beach. But the dead girl was never reported missing - her estranged family having received regular texts from her over the years. Someone has been keeping her alive from beyond the grave. For Detective Inspector Helen Grace it's chilling evidence that she's searching for a monster who is not just twisted but also clever and resourceful - a predator who's killed before. And as Helen struggles to understand the killer's motivation, she begins to realize that she's in a desperate race against time .

My Thoughts:

This is the third book in the Helen Grace series and I have to say that neither this one...nor the first two... have disappointed in any way. If you are not a fan of gritty, dark thrillers...then this series is NOT for you. However if you like the darker side of things...pick up Eeny Meeny...the first book and go from there.

The story flips back and forth between the thoughts of the captive young woman and the man that has taken her....and we learn that she's not the first...Helen Grace and her team are working to be sure she will be his last. We find that all is not roses with Helen's team. Treachery, lies and deceit runs rampant through the squad that should be working together and watching one another's backs. Her friend and fellow detective, Charley, is about to become a mother, and her supervisor does the most underhanded, unbelievable thing hoping to discredit and remove Helen... not only from the case but permanently from the police squad.

As with all this author's books...this one is well written with plots and subplots within subplots. The chapters are short and the reader will quickly make friends and enemies of the characters. Love the series and can't wait for book four.
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The Killing Forest by Sara Blaedel
4.5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

Following an extended leave, Louise Rick returns to work at the Special Search Agency, an elite unit of the National Police Department. She's assigned a case involving a fifteen-year-old who vanished a week earlier. When Louise realizes that the missing teenager is the son of a butcher from Hvalsoe, she seizes the opportunity to combine the search for the teen with her personal investigation of her boyfriend's long-ago death . . . Louise's investigation takes her on a journey back through time. She reconnects with figures from her past, including Kim, the principal investigator at the Holbaek Police Department, her former in-laws, fanatic ancient religion believers, and her longtime close friend, journalist Camilla Lind. As she moves through the small town's cramped network of deadly connections, Louise unearths toxic truths left unspoken and dangerous secrets.

My Thoughts:

Not exactly dark and gritty but not a "cozy" either. I believe all who seek something in between will find that The Killing Forest exactly fits the bill.

In the very beginning we learn something about the "Asatro"...the ancient religion of some of the Scandinavian countries that worshiped the old Norse Gods. We also find that almost the entire population of this quaint small village in Denmark still actively practice it ...still embracing the ancient sacrifices and fertility rites. To this comes the 15 year old Sune...eager to become "a man" and join the ancient brotherhood. Very soon he finds himself a fugitive in the dark forest trying to escape what he saw that unforgettable night and knowing that he can never betray the brotherhood that he has become an unwilling member of....and live.

The book is fast paced and suspenseful...with very believable characters. I did some researching about the Asatros and was very surprised to have found found that Thor and Odin are still going strong 1000 years after the Viking Age. Many think that the old Nordic religion... the belief in the Norse gods...disappeared with the introduction of Christianity. However, it did not, but was instead practiced secretly or under a Christian cloak. Today there are between 500 and 1000 people in Denmark who believe in the old Nordic religion and worship its ancient gods.

The Ends of The Earth by Robert Goddard
Book #3 in the Wide World Trilogy
5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

July 1919. Ex-flying ace James ‘Max’ Maxted’s attempt to uncover the secret behind the death of his father, Sir Henry Maxted, murdered while serving as an adviser with the British delegation to the Paris peace conference, has seemingly ended in failure – and his own death. The trail uncovered by him leads to Japan and a mysterious prisoner held by Sir Henry Maxted’s old enemy, Count Tomura. Unaware of Max’s fate, the team he has recruited to finish the job are already there, where their paths cross that of former German spymaster, Fritz Lemmer, now rebuilding his spy network in the service of a new, more sinister cause. In the days and weeks ahead, the quest Max embarked on in Paris will reach its dizzying end at Tomura's castle in the mountains of Honshu - and the full truth of what occurred thirty years before will finally be laid bare.

My Thoughts:

One of the best trilogies that I have ever read. This is the final book in the Wide World Trilogy and believe me Goddard has saved the best for last. The first two books concentrated on setting up the characters and the storyline...but the last book moves along at a rockets pace revealing the ingenious and sometimes madding plots and tying up the story in one big beautiful package. Could there be yet a fourth book? The ending leaves the reader with the idea and the hope that such a thing is possible.

A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
Ian Rutledge series Book #1
4.5★'s
Feb 2016

From the Cover:
In 1919, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge remains haunted by World War I, where he was forced to have a soldier executed for refusing to fight. When Rutledge is assigned to investigate a murder involving the military, his emotional war wounds flare. It is a case that strikes dangerously close to home--one that will test Rutledge's precarious grip on his own sanity.

My Thoughts:

There was certainly a plentiful amount of suspects. Eventually it seemed it would have been to Inspector Rutledge's advantage to just arrest them all.

For a first book in the series the authors did a wonderful job of slowly letting us get to know the main character...Ian Rutledge. He has not had an easy time. He has vivid memories of the "Great War" he has just survived while memories of those that didn't continue to haunt him night and day. His condition would be diagnosed as PTSD today...but in 1919 it was unheard of.

The actual "mystery" takes a while to take off..but that's okay as we get to see Rutledge's working style as he questions the many suspects. The small town is very well drawn with characters that all have secrets to hide. The story explores the questions of why bad things happen to good people and why people that are viewed as bad sometimes surprises us with good deeds.

There was a really great ending that I didn't see coming although there were clues aplenty. I will diffidently continue this series.

Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf
4★'s
Feb 2016

From The Book Cover:

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, hospitalized in a coma, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded. Upon arriving in Penny Gate, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago—barely a trace of the wounds that had once devastated them all. But as facts about Julia's accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Caught in a flurry of unanswered questions, Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack's past. But the farther in she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for.

My Thoughts:

Missing Pieces was intriguing from the very beginning. Even though it didn't have a hard, gritty story line...it continued to move along and hold your attention until the very last page. I never guessed who the "bad guy" was and there was such a small group of suspects to choose from that it should have been simple. Just goes to Heather Gudenkauf's writing abilities to present the cluses clocked in their own mystery.

Some of the characters were shady but not mean or vindictive. Still you have a tough time really getting close to any of them. One of the main characters had been away from the family for 20 years and had only returned for his aunt's funeral. I couldn't imagine how he had kept so much important information from his wife and how easily he fell for his old flames stories.

In spite of some questionable parts it is a good story and will keep the reader reading. So 4 stars.

Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey
3.5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

In this darkly riveting debut novel—a sophisticated psychological mystery that is also a heartbreakingly honest meditation on memory, identity, and aging—an elderly woman descending into dementia embarks on a desperate quest to find the best friend she believes has disappeared, and her search for the truth will go back decades and have shattering consequences.

My Thoughts:

Poor Maud. This was a character that you just couldn't help feeling sympathy for. The story line went back and forth from the time after the war when Maud's sister disappeared to the present day, where we find Maud in her home with no clear mind about what is taking place around her. I just couldn't wrap my mind around what ever was wrong with this picture? And then I saw the problem was everyone around her. She had the idea that her friend, Elizabeth was missing, and for her that was certainly the reality of it. Clearly there was something not at all right about Maud. Everyone should have been able to see it from the time they attempted a conversation with her...but no one...including the police or her daughter and granddaughter gave her ramblings much credence nor did they attempt to get her any help other than some caregivers that came in and seemed to not care at all. She confused constantly her past with her present and forgot why she was doing something and where or what time period she was doing it in.

The book was very well written but I just became so frustrated at the way Maude was treated and ignored. Why in Heaven's name didn't someone just tell her about her friend Elizabeth? Instead they encouraged her to write notes to herself...notes that she couldn't make any sense of 20 minutes later. It didn't so much impress on the reader the effects of dementia on the person involved but the attitude of the populace. I did really like the book, but you felt that you were trapped in Maude's mind all the time you were reading it...and you just wanted OUT!

Find Her by Lisa Gardner
D.D. Warren Series Book #8
3.5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure. Flora Dane is a survivor. Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home.

My Thoughts:

I've read this series for some time now and have formed a "love/hate" relationship with it. Maybe "hate" is too strong a word..."Indifferent" probably would more accurately describe it. I have found that the theme doesn't change much throughout the 8 books...just different "victims" but the same abduction...torture...theme.

The thing I believe most of this series presents very well is what it means to be a victim. The reader understands... in no uncertain terms... what the victim went through... and will more than likely go through... for the rest of their lives. The books are dark with many insights not only into the victims mind but into their abductor/killer's mind. The one thing you absolutely cannot do with this novel is close it and walk away.

Harrison Squared by Daryl Gregory
2.5★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

Harrison Harrison—H2 to his mom—is a lonely teenager who’s been terrified of the water ever since he was a toddler in California, when a huge sea creature capsized their boat, and his father vanished. One of the “sensitives” who are attuned to the supernatural world, Harrison and his mother have just moved to the worst possible place for a boy like him: Dunnsmouth, a Lovecraftian town perched on rocks above the Atlantic, where strange things go on by night, monsters lurk under the waves, and creepy teachers run the local high school.

On Harrison’s first day at school, his mother, a marine biologist, disappears at sea. Harrison must attempt to solve the mystery of her accident, which puts him in conflict with a strange church, a knife­wielding killer, and the Deep Ones, fish­-human hybrids that live in the bay. It will take all his resources—and an unusual host of allies—to defeat the danger and find his mother.

My Thoughts:

This will be short and to the point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any aspect of this book...it's all me. I don't really care much for Science Fiction and it probably should have been in the "Young Adult" section. Can't fault the writing or the story line...just not my type of book.

A Dying Fall by Elly Griffith
Ruth Galloway series Book # 5
5★'s and a big heart
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway investigates her most heart-stopping case to date after an old university friend and fellow archaeologist is murdered in an arson attack.

My Thoughts:

Book 5 and I have to say this one was my absolute favorite of all of them. Loved the subject...loved seeing more of Cathbad...was fascinated with Cathbad's friend, Pendragon and who couldn't love "Thing"? The characters are larger than life and the "King Arthur" angle was very well presented. I read this and the previous four as a group read on the Mystery and Suspense group and this always gives a book something extra as you have feedback from other readers and see sides of the story that perhaps differed from yours. No matter how you read it or where you read it you are in for a treat.

The House on Cold Hill by Peter James
10+ ★'s and a row of big hearts.
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

Moving from the heart of Brighton and Hove to the Sussex countryside is a big undertaking for Ollie and Caro Harcourt and their twelve-year-old daughter Jade. But when they view Cold Hill House - a huge, dilapidated Georgian mansion - Ollie is filled with excitement. Despite the financial strain of the move, he has dreamed of living in the country since he was a child, and he sees Cold Hill House, with its acres of land, as a paradise for his animal-loving daughter, the perfect base for his web-design business and a terrific long-term investment. Caro is less certain, and Jade is grumpy about being separated from her friends. Within days of moving in, it becomes apparent that the Harcourt family aren't the only residents of the house. A friend of Jade's is the first to see the spectral woman, standing behind her as the girls talk on FaceTime. Then there are more sightings, as well as increasingly disturbing occurrences in the house. As the haunting becomes more malevolent and the house itself begins to turn on the Harcourts, the terrified family discover Cold Hill House's dark history, and the horrible truth of what it could mean for them .

My Thoughts:

I have had a favorite ghost story that I have reread over the past 40 or so years. Even though I've read other "good" ones...I had never read another outstanding one...until now. Peter James... of the Roy Grace series fame...has brilliantly penned something here that I will be reading again and again and again.

From the first page...which takes place 30 years before the story of the present day owners...the reader is captured by the house. Cold Hill House is ALIVE and what walks there is determined that it will never again walk alone. They say "The dead can't hurt you...but they are So wrong."

If I could possibly give a book 10 stars this one would have them all.

Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin
John Rebus series Book #18
4★'s
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

For the last decade, Nina Hazlitt has been ready to hear the worst about her daughter's disappearance. But with no sightings, no body, and no suspect, the police investigation ground to a halt long ago, and Nina's pleas to the cold case department have led her nowhere. Until she meets the newest member of the team: former Detective John Rebus. Rebus has never shied away from lost causes - one of the many ways he managed to antagonize his bosses when he was on the force. Now he's back as a retired civilian, reviewing abandoned files. Necessary work, but it's not exactly scratching the itch he feels to be in the heart of the action.

My Thoughts:

I'm not at all sure that I like Rebus in his new role....but guess it's better than no rebus at all. Seems that Rankin trying to be actual in portraying how things are done in the Scotland police...retired Rebus at the required age of 60 and after leaving poor Rebus in the "retirement limbo" then discovered that there was a unit of one of the precincts that had hired three retired detectives to work their cold case files...LA DA...Rebus is reborn. As an interesting sidebar it seems that the retirement age has been raised and Rebus is thinking of reapplying to the force for active duty.

Rebus may not be a cop any longer but no one has told his brain or his heart yet. When a woman approaches him asking for another retired detective that had worked the disappearance of her daughter many years ago...Rebus quickly sees that the police are sweeping her and her insistence that the same thing is happening today.... under the proverbial rug... in Rebus style, he immediately slips his way into working it as a cold case. The bad guys don't have a retirement age requirement so many of the shady characters that Rebus had dealt with in the past reemerge and most are not as happy as we were to see Rebus back.

Overall it was an enjoyable read and it's good to see our Rebus back and fun to watch him trying to cope with not only his "no authority" status and the high tech world that's leaving him way behind. His taste in music hasn't changed one iota.

The Wheat Field by Steve Thayer
Pliny Pennington series Book #1
3★'s
Feb 2016

From The Book Cover:

Steve Thayer introduces Deputy Pennington of the Kickapoo Falls, Wisconsin, Sheriff's Department, in a gripping story of sex, politics, and betrayal-where the lust for power leads one man through the explosive secrets of a small town. Maggie and Michael Butler are found naked and very dead in a Wisconsin wheat field, murdered by two vicious shotgun blasts. No one ever gets murdered in Kickapoo Falls, and it is up to Deputy Pennington, the trusted number-two man in the Sheriff's Department, to find the killer. Pennington had loved Maggie from afar ever since high school, but he has a hard time holding on to his fantasy when he discovers what the real Maggie was mixed up in. The town's ruling elite close ranks as Pennington zeros in on the truth. He is convinced the answer lies back in the wheat field, and in a missing reel of movie film that will shut the door on the murder investigation but open another into a far-reaching assassination plot set for election night.

My Thoughts:

This book is straight forward in every way...in some ways almost TOO straight forward. Be warned there is a lot of descriptive sex in it's pages...but if you can get by that...there is a fairly descent story hiding. The author tries to give some background history on each of his characters and that does tend to bog the pace of the story down a lot. His main character of Pliny Pennington does carry off his part of the story very well and I believe that he will make an interesting addition to future additions. I became rather frustrated with the attitude of some of the characters but then remembered that this was 1960. Overall it kept my interest and kept me turning pages and that's all that counts in the end. Was it the best book I've read this year? No...but it was certainly worth the time and earned itself 3 stars.
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Pale Blue Eyes by Louis Bayard
4 stars
Feb 2016

From the Cover:

From the critically acclaimed author of Mr. Timothy comes an ingenious tale of murder and revenge, featuring a retired New York City detective and a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe.
At West Point Academy in 1830, the calm of an October evening is shattered by the discovery of a young cadet's body swinging from a rope just off the parade grounds. An apparent suicide is not unheard of in a harsh regimen like West Point's, but the next morning, an even greater horror comes to light. Someone has stolen into the room where the body lay and removed the heart. At a loss for answers and desperate to avoid any negative publicity, the Academy calls on the services of a local civilian, Augustus Landor, a former police detective who acquired some renown during his years in New York City before retiring to the Hudson Highlands for his health. Now a widower, and restless in his seclusion, Landor agrees to take on the case. As he questions the dead man's acquaintances, he finds an eager assistant in a moody, intriguing young cadet with a penchant for drink, two volumes of poetry to his name, and a murky past that changes from telling to telling. The cadet's name? Edgar Allan Poe.

My Thoughts:

In the beginning I found the 18th century "Poe-ish" language difficult to deal with...but as the story went on I became so intrigued that I forgot all about it. Perhaps I had just become more accustomed to it. At any rate that was a fault of mine and not of the book. The reader will find themselves listening to the telling of the tale by Gus almost as if they are sitting with him sharing a cup of tea. Often he address the reader in the story line. That alone elevated the story to a much higher level. The ending was easily guessed but still a bit of a surprise as Bayard managed to write this entire book without dropping a single clue along the way. Some will like that and some won't. A friend recommended the book and I sincerely thank her.

I Can See In The Dark by Karin Fossum
2.5 ★'s
Feb 2016

From The Book Cover:

Riktor doesn't like the way the policeman comes straight into the house without knocking. He doesn't like the arrogant way he observes his home.The policeman doesn't tell him why he's there, and Riktor doesn't ask. Because he knows he's guilty. But it turns out that the policeman isn't looking for a missing person. He is accusing Riktor of something totally unexpected. Riktor doesn't have a clear conscience, but this is a crime he certainly didn't commit.

My Thoughts:

I can't put my finger on it but there was just something missing from this book. I've read other of her work and really enjoyed them so I know it's not the author. In all honesty...I don't really know what the book was supposed to be about. I absolutely found nothing engaging about Riktor, the protagonist. I kept reading to try to understand his motivation killing but it just didn't happen. If you are a fan of Karin Fossum or just a fan of mystery/thrillers...you may want to skip this offering.

The Girl In The Red Coat by Kate Hamer
3 stars
Feb 2016

From The Cover:

Carmel has always been different. Carmel's mother, Beth, newly single, worries about her daughter's strangeness, especially as she is trying to rebuild a life for the two of them on her own. When she takes eight year-old Carmel to a local children's festival, her worst fear is realised: Carmel disappears. Unable to accept the possibility that her daughter might be gone for good, Beth embarks on a mission to find her. Meanwhile, Carmel begins an extraordinary and terrifying journey of her own, with a man who believes she is a savior.

My Thoughts:

This was billed as a thriller but I believe it fell really short of that category. What it did was provide an interesting insight into family relationships from the view point of the mother, the eight-year old daughter, and the man that passed himself off as the grandfather. This child was gone for 10 years yet the mother never gave up hope that she would return. The child lived through the ten years believing the man that took her and thinking her mother was dead.

The thing that I never really thought the book provided was the WHY and the HOW of the entire scheme. The man brought her far from her home...all the way from England to the shores of America. What was his reasoning behind this and how did he know that the child could do what he thought she could? Also you don't take a child into a foreign country without a lot of documentation which he didn't have. These unanswered questions lost the book some points with me as I felt they were paramount to making the story line work. Overall...not at all bad on the whole for a debut book.

Ghost of A Smile by Simon R. Green
Book 1 in the Ghost Finders series
3.5★'s
Jan 2016

The Book Cover:

The Ghost Finders answer a distress call from the private research center of one of the biggest drug companies in the world, where a team of police enforcement agents have vanished. They have no idea what they're facing-except a deadline that threatens to remove the entire building from existence if they fail to get to the bottom of the mystery.

My Thoughts:

It is my absolute belief that science would diffidently be interested in Simon Green's brain. Where does this man come up with the things he writes about?

I found the story interesting...especially in the beginning. The team of Ghost Finders are a likable group but they are in no way believable. Suspend your disbelief and the story carries you along. The only thing that I saw "wrong" with the book was that the dialog, while sometimes funny, was actually rather childish. But I guess that's it's rather hard to be "adult" when writing about giant demon dogs, living, giant human organs that plop across the floor searching for a human host or dead people that just won't stay dead. This is the first book in this series but it is in no way the first book that Simon Green has ever produced. I'm going to read the next one but this one gets 3.5 stars.

Simon Said by Sarah Shaber
Book 1 in the Professor Simon Shaw Murder Mysteries
5★'s
Jan 2016

From Amazon:

Forensic historian Simon Shaw likes his murders old and cold, and his first case fits the bill. An archaeologist friend has found a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull under historic Bloodworth House, and Simon investigates with his usual doggedness until he discovers that the corpse is Anne Bloodworth, an heiress who disappeared in 1926. Shaw feels compelled to find out who killed her. But this turns out to be more than an academic exercise when someone who wants to hide past secrets tries to murder him!

My Thoughts:

I'm not a big reader of the cozy mystery sub-genre but from the start I fell in love with Simon and his friends. Throw in the mystery and a well told story and they combine to make a light and fun tale. Those that are not big fans of the darker, gorier mysteries will find that this is a pleasant surprise. The characters are not especially "deep" but they hold their own in bringing the story alive and keeping the mystery intriguing. This is the first of the Simon Shaw Mysteries but i will be looking for more when I want something that is light and fun to read. 5 stars.

1222 by Anne Holt
Hanne Wilhelmsen series Book #8
4★'s
Jan 2016

From The Book Cover:

A train on its way to the northern reaches of Norway derails during a massive blizzard, 1,222 meters above sea level. The passengers head for a nearby hotel, centuries old and practically empty. With plenty of food and shelter from the storm, the evacuees think they are safe, until one of them turns up dead. With no sign of rescue and the storm raging, retired police inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen is asked to investigate. Paralyzed by a bullet lodged in her spine, Hanne has no desire to get involved. But when another body turns up, panic takes over. Complicating things is the presence of a mysterious guest, a passenger who traveled in a private rail car and now stays secluded on the top floor of the hotel. No one knows who the guest is, or why armed guards are needed. Hanne has her suspicions. Trapped in her wheelchair, trapped by the storm, and now trapped with a killer, Hanne knows she must act before the killer strikes again.

My Thoughts:

This is a first book by this author that I have read in a very long time...and I have to say I need to get back to her books and especially this series. The story is interesting and loaded with mystery from the first page as the train derails in the middle of an approaching snowstorm...and not just any snowstorm but one that promises to deliver more snow that than this region of Norway has seen in many, many years.

The lead character of Hanne was so different. She was a detective forced to a wheelchair by a bullet in her spine from a previous case. Her personality comes across in living color...she is bitter about her situation... stubborn, sardonic and irascible, doesn't suffer fools lightly but doesn't encourage close friendships either. She is, however... highly observant and a tremendous judge of people and situations. Something of a Norwegian Vera Stanhope...but Vera does call everyone "pet" and "love" occasionally:)

There was plenty of clues but the author kept the story line very close to the chest. It was difficult to decide who the killer was and their identity remains a mystery until the very end. The hotel is packed with so many possible candidates. And who are the mystery people from the train that are now the mystery people occupying the top suites of the hotel with an armed guard no less? Good job Anne! Have to give it 4 stars for a very interesting character and a more than entertaining story.

Dead Man's Grip by Peter James
Roy Grace series Book #7
5★'s and a heart
Jan 2016

Book Cover:

Carly Chase is still traumatized ten days after being in a fatal traffic accident that kills an American student from Brighton University. Then she receives news that turns her entire world into a living nightmare. The drivers of the other two vehicles involved have been found tortured and murdered. Now Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Sussex Police force issues a stark and urgent warning to Carly: She could be next.

My Thoughts:

Four lives collide in one moment of a series of seemingly harmless mistakes. A single mother that had a little too much to drink the night before...a truck (lorry) driver that has exceeded his hours in his desire to get back to his pregnant girlfriend... a man with a less than stellar reputation driving a van, and an American college student riding his bicycle on the wrong side of the road by mistake. One is now dead and the others are paying the highest price possible for what was an accident because the dead American student is the grandson of a New York crime family determined to bring down vengeance even though two of the people are innocent.

This award winning seventh book in the Roy Grace series introduces us to a cast of interesting characters. Some are not so likable...some are down right evil and some are just doing their jobs...but all are a great addition to a fast moving story line. Peter James has created a group of police officers that are unquestionably dedicated and care about the responsibility they have to the people they have sworn to protect. The Roy Grace books are undoubtedly one of the best police procedural series on today's market. Highly recommend them as I haven't read a bad or mediocre one yet.

Thin Air by Ann Cleeves
Shetland Island series Book #6
5★'s
Jan 2016

From Cover:

A group of old university friends leave the bright lights of London and travel to Shetland to celebrate the marriage of one of their friends. But, one of them, Eleanor, disappears―apparently into thin air. It's mid-summer, a time of light nights and unexpected mists. And then Eleanor's body is discovered lying in a small loch close to the cliff edge. Detectives Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves are dispatched to investigate. Before she went missing, Eleanor claimed to have seen the ghost of a local child who drowned in the 1920s. Her interest in the ghost had seemed unhealthy―obsessive, even―to her friends: an indication of a troubled mind. But Jimmy and Willow are convinced that there is more to Eleanor's death than they first thought. Is there a secret that lies behind the myth? One so shocking that someone would kill―many years later―to protect?

My Thoughts:

Book #6 of the Shetland Island series...sees Detective Jimmy Perez, Sandy Wilson, and Willow Reeves on the most northern of the Scottish Islands investigating not only murders but a local legend that may have developed "legs". That of a ten year old girl known as "Lizzie" who drowned nearly 80 years ago but may have returned.

As with all of Ann Cleeves' books in this series...there are no easy answers and the reader is lead down one path after another as craggy and rocky as the landscape that she portrays. In spite of nothing seeming to be connected through out the story she always manages to bring it nicely together in the end and you find yourself saying "Now why didn't I see that?" Have to give it 4.5 stars and looking forward to the continuation of Jimmy and friend's stories in Earth To Earth book #7 in this series that was only intended to be a trilogy.

The Children's Home by Charles Lambert
3★'s
Jan 2016

The Cover:

In a sprawling estate, willfully secluded, lives Morgan Fletcher, the disfigured heir to a fortune of mysterious origins. Morgan spends his days in quiet study, avoiding his reflection in mirrors and the lake at the end of his garden. One day, two children, Moira and David, appear. Morgan takes them in, giving them free reign of the mansion he shares with his housekeeper Engel. Then more children begin to show up. Dr. Crane, the town physician and Morgan’s lone tether to the outside world, is as taken with the children as Morgan, and begins to spend more time in Morgan’s library. But the children behave strangely. They show a prescient understanding of Morgan’s past, and their bizarre discoveries in the mansion attics grow increasingly disturbing. Every day the children seem to disappear into the hidden rooms of the estate, and perhaps, into the hidden corners of Morgan’s mind.

My Thoughts:

What a strange little book. I'm still not sure exactly what it was really about and I've read some strange books in my lifetime. I will have to call the story "inciting" but so much of it is left open to the readers interpretation. It seems to have been the authors debut novel and it is short. perhaps a few more chapters would have given it more body. I will give it 3 stars because it diffidently had possibilities.

What Lies Behind by J.T. Ellison
Book #4 in the Samantha Owen Series
5★'s
Jan 2016

From The Cover:

Waking to sirens in the night is hardly unusual for Samantha Owens. No longer a medical examiner, she doesn't lose sleep over them, but a routine police investigation in her neighborhood has her curious. When her homicide detective friend, Darren Fletcher, invites her to look over the evidence, she jumps at the chance and immediately realizes the crime scene has been staged. What seems to be a clear case of murder/suicide—a crime of passion—is anything but. The discovery of toxic substances in hidden vials indicates that something much more sinister is at play.

My Thoughts:

We first met Dr. Samantha Owens years ago when she was the medical examiner in an office in Tennessee and the best friend of sheriff Taylor Jackson. She progressed through the years with family and career until her family was taken away tragically in a freak summer storm. Now she is in Washington D.C and working as a forensic consultant with the FBI and rebuilding her life with Alexander...known to his friends as Xander.

As a consultant for the FBI, Sam is working on a series of twenty year old unsolved murders . The only link is a tenuous one...they are all from New Orleans. Sam and her boss, John Baldwin believe they are the work of the same killer. Although they have just begun their investigation, the case will take on a life of it's own...and now Sam is faced with a double homicide.

What Lies Behind is an extremely complex murder mystery with lots of twists and turns and a cast of intriguing, well developed and complex characters that keep the action going and the story line interesting. The main mystery is completely solved by the conclusion, but J.T. Ellison gives us a cliffhanger ending that will leave us impatiently awaiting the next adventure in the life of the Dr. Samantha Owens series.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
4★'s
Jan 2016

Kate's in the middle of the biggest meeting of her career when she gets the telephone call from Grace Hall, her daughter’s exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amelia has been suspended, effective immediately, and Kate must come get her daughter—now. But Kate’s stress over leaving work quickly turns to panic when she arrives at the school and finds it surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. By then it’s already too late for Amelia. And for Kate. An academic overachiever despondent over getting caught cheating has jumped to her death. At least that’s the story Grace Hall tells Kate. And clouded as she is by her guilt and grief, it is the one she forces herself to believe. Until she gets an anonymous text: She didn’t jump. Reconstructing Amelia is about secret first loves, old friendships, and an all-girls club steeped in tradition. But, most of all, it’s the story of how far a mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she couldn’t save.

My Thoughts:

My Thoughts:
The book is a well told story that brings out the horrible truth that often takes place in the teenage world...the cruelty...bullying...and sexual crisis that is often suffered at the hands of even their best friends. It also brings out that the mistakes and secrets of the past can...and do... come back to haunt the present and influence the future. If you are parent of a teenager or have ever raised one will see how little parents may actually know about their child...even the seemingly "perfect in every way" child.

Ghost of A Smile by Simon R. Green
Book 1 in the Ghost Finders series
3.5★'s
Jan 2016

The Book Cover:

The Ghost Finders answer a distress call from the private research center of one of the biggest drug companies in the world, where a team of police enforcement agents have vanished. They have no idea what they're facing-except a deadline that threatens to remove the entire building from existence if they fail to get to the bottom of the mystery.

My Thoughts:

It is my absolute belief that science would diffidently be interested in Simon Green's brain. Where does this man come up with the things he writes about?

I found the story interesting...especially in the beginning. The team of Ghost Finders are a likable group but they are in no way believable. Suspend your disbelief and the story carries you along. The only thing that I saw "wrong" with the book was that the dialog, while sometimes funny, was actually rather childish. But I guess that's it's rather hard to be "adult" when writing about giant demon dogs, living, giant human organs that plop across the floor searching for a human host or dead people that just won't stay dead. This is the first book in this series but it is in no way the first book that Simon Green has ever produced. I'm going to read the next one but this one gets 3.5 stars.

The Corners of the Globe by Robert Goddard
Book #2 in the Wide World Trilogy
5★'s and a heart
Jan 2016

From Cover:

Spring, 1919. James ‘Max’ Maxted, former Great War flying ace, returns to the trail of murder and treachery he set out on in The Ways of the World. He left Paris after avenging the murder of his father, Sir Henry Maxted, convinced the only man who knows about the mysterious events leading up to Sir Henry’s death is elusive German spymaster, Fritz Lemmer. To find out more, he enlists in Lemmer’s network under false colours and is despatched to the Orkney Isles, where the German High Seas Fleet has been interned in Scapa Flow. His mission: to recover a document secreted aboard one of the German battleships. But the information it contains is so explosive Max is forced to break cover and embark on a desperate and dangerous race south, pursued by men happy to kill him to recover the document. The breathless chase will take Max from the far north of Scotland to London and on to Paris, where the world’s governments are still bartering over the spoils in the aftermath of the Great War. The stakes could not be higher. It is life and death for all concerned.

My Thoughts:

Book #2 in Robert Goddard's Wide World Trilogy finds our valiant hero James Maxted (Max) still on the hunt for the people responsible for the death of his father. Book #2 features as many possible victims as it does suspects. It involves the Germans, the Japanese, an American and the Secret Service in England and Scotland...so there are needless to say a host of characters to keep straight.

In spite of the many characters...the story is brilliantly written and the period that the story takes place in is vividly brought to life. The author is a master at creating cliffhangers and so we are left to await Book #3.

The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry
5★'s

From The Cover:

In an unnamed city always slick with rain, Charles Unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency. All he knows about solving mysteries comes from the reports he's filed for the illustrious detective Travis Sivart. When Sivart goes missing and his supervisor turns up murdered, Unwin is suddenly promoted to detective, a rank for which he lacks both the skills and the stomach. His only guidance comes from his new assistant, who would be perfect if she weren't so sleepy, and from the pithy yet profound Manual of Detection (think The Art of War as told to Damon Runyon). Unwin mounts his search for Sivart, but is soon framed for murder, pursued by goons and gunmen, and confounded by the infamous femme fatale Cleo Greenwood. Meanwhile, strange and troubling questions proliferate: why does the mummy at the Municipal Museum have modern-day dental work? Where have all the city's alarm clocks gone? Why is Unwin's copy of the manual missing Chapter 18? The Manual of Detection will draw comparison to every work of imaginative fiction that ever blew a reader's mind - from Carlos Ruiz Zafón to Jorge Luis Borges, from The Big Sleep to The Yiddish Policeman's Union. But, ultimately, it defies comparison; it is a brilliantly conceived, meticulously realized novel that will change what you think about how you think.

My Thoughts:

The Manual of Detection reads like a giant game of "Clue"...only without Professor Plum, Col. Mustard and the rest of the gang. It is incredibly well written and the reader soon discovers that part of the fun is that they have to unlock the mysteries of the story they're reading just as Unwin has to. Everything is interlinked like and we get to feel as if we’ve solved a momentous case of our own. This was probably one of the most fun books I have read in a long, long time. It's a book that you need to slowly savor do don't be in a hurry when you read it.

Beside Myself by Ann Morgan
3★'s

From The Cover:

Beside Myselfis a literary thriller about identical twins, Ellie and Helen, who swap places aged six. At first it is just a game, but then Ellie refuses to swap back. Forced into her new identity, Helen develops a host of behavioral problems, delinquency and chronic instability. With their lives diverging sharply, one twin headed for stardom and the other locked in a spiral of addiction and mental illness, how will the deception ever be uncovered? Exploring questions of identity, self-hood, and how other people's expectations affect human behavior, this novel is as gripping as it is psychologically complex.

My Thoughts:

First off...it's a first novel at least of this type, for the author. The main problem I had with it was I didn't like any of the characters. Just couldn't even work up any sympathy for the twin whose personality was stolen. The good side of it was that it was very well written and came together very nicely. The plot line was also very imaginative. How many of us have known identical twins that didn't at one time or another "fool" people into thinking that one was the other one? The problem here is that even the mother didn't know one of her 6 year old twins from the other. I also was bothered by the mother labeling the first born twin as the "perfect one". No wonder the other was not willing to trade identities back. Overall...I have to say that it was interesting but not outstanding.

The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag
Book #6 in the Kovac and Liska series.
4★'s

From The Cover:
A murder from the past. A murder from the present. And a life that was never meant to be... As the dreary, bitter weather of late fall descends on Minneapolis, Detective Nikki Liska is restless. After moving to the cold case squad in order to spend more time with her sons, she misses the rush of pulling an all-nighter, the sense of urgency of hunting a murderer on the loose. Most of all she misses her old partner, Sam Kovac. Sam is having an even harder time adjusting to Nikki's absence, saddled with a green new partner younger than pieces of Sam's wardrobe. Sam is distracted from his troubles by an especially brutal double homicide: a middle-aged husband and wife bludgeoned and hacked to death in their home with a ceremonial Japanese samurai sword. Nikki's case, the unsolved murder of a family man, community leader, and decorated sex crimes detective for the Minneapolis PD, is less of a distraction: Twenty years later, there is little hope for finding the killer who got away.

My Thoughts:

It seems rather odd at first to have Kovac and Liska to not be working as a team. I wasn't sure at first I was going to like the book because of this. Just a few pages into the story though, Kovac shows up with new partner that is being "welcomed" into the squad. The scene presented in really funny and lets us know right away that Kovac is far from finished here. Liska is now on a cold case assignment so that she can spend more time with her boys. The case becomes very interesting from the start so we see plenty of both of our favorite detectives.

The book is an extremely complex police procedural with so many twists and turns that keeps the reader reading and also guessing the outcome. Tami Hoag is a master of offering hints but keeping the killer concealed until the very end of the book. The Bitter Season is a great 6th addition to this series with the two major story lines weaving together beautifully at the end.

Jordan's Stormy Banks by Jefferson Bass (Novella)
4★'s

From The Book Cover:

In the summer of 1990, Dr. Bill Brockton a bright, ambitious young forensic scientist is hired by the University of Tennessee to head, and to raise the profile of, the school's small Anthropology Department. Six months later, the ink on his contract barely dry, Brockton is called to a gruesome crime scene in a rural area to identify a corpse and determine how the woman died. But the case one of Brockton's first murder investigations in Tennessee could also prove to be his last when he runs afoul of both the county sheriff and an angry mob intent on administering their own swift, rough brand of "justice." With his back to the wall, Brockton is forced to think fast, talk faster, and hope for a miracle.

My Thoughts:

I have read every Body Farm book that this duo has produced and have to say they are two of my favorite authors. Dr. Bill Bass founded the forensic anthropology Research Facility known as the Body Farm located at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville...so along with writing partner, Jon Jefferson they have created true to life stories based around the facility. A word of warning to those with weak stomachs...sometimes the sceans they create are TOO vivid and real to life for some people. I don't particularly care for novellas as they just seem to wet the appetite for more and are often used to sell a series. This one is not an exception... but it would hold an interest to previous readers as it told of Dr. Bill Brackton's first case after his appointment to the University. Because I really like the series I would have to give it a 4.

Overlord by David L. Golemon
Event Group series Book #9
2.5★'s

From The Cover:
Some speculate that the war between the two worlds began 700 million years ago, while others say it started in 1947 over a small town in New Mexico called Roswell. Regardless of dates, the war is now upon us, and after centuries of watching, the enemy attacked. The plans of a million years are finally ready for what we have always known was coming---Armageddon.

My Views:
Too many characters and too long between this book and the last one, not to mention that it is incredibly long and drawn out and not very well written. I had all but forgotten who Matchstick man was. And lets face it...seven hundred million years is a long, long, long time. Sorry, David. I know a book of this length took a massive amount of time and effort but you have done SOOOO much better.

Boneyard by Michelle Gagnon
FBI Kelly Jones series Book # 2
5★'s

From the Cover:

A mass grave site on the Appalachian Trail puts FBI special agent Kelly Jones the lead investigator. She soon finds that may of these graves are twenty years old or more and some have been recently moved. Kelly searches for a killer that is not only clever but is devious and worse yet-knows every move the police make.

My Views:

The held the usual standard "Good Guys and some really, really bad "Bad guys" in the guise of the killer and the copycat. Gagnon does an excellent job of giving the reader brief glances into the minds of both. The book is dark and sometimes may be disturbing to some readers and there are some graphic torture scenes depicted throughout. Even thought the reader can pretty much figure the killer and the copycat early on it still has all the qualities of a well done mystery. Gotta give it 5 stars.

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope series Book #1
4.5★'s

From The Book Cover:

At the isolated Baikie's Cottage on the North Pennines, three very different women come together to complete an environmental survey. Three women who, in some way or another, know the meaning of betrayal. For team leader Rachael Lambert the project is the perfect opportunity to rebuild her confidence after a double-betrayal by her lover and boss, Peter Kemp. Botanist Anne Preece, on the other hand, sees it as a chance to indulge in a little deception of her own. And then there is Grace Fulwell, a strange, uncommunicative young woman with plenty of her own secrets to hide. When Rachael arrives at the cottage, however, she is horrified to discover the body of her friend Bella Furness. Bella, it appears, has committed suicide - a verdict Rachael finds impossible to accept. Only when the next death occurs does a fourth woman enter the picture - the unconventional Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, who must piece together the truth from these women's tangled lives.

My Thoughts:

Vera Stanhope is not like any detective you have or will ever meet. She reminds me a little of a female Colombo. She's not a fashion statement that you would ever want to make but she is very, very good at what she does and that's catching the "bad guys". She'll never win a personality contest but she diffidently understands human nature...both the good and the bad.

The Crow Trap was the first book in this series and it had some flaws. The biggest being that Vera and her team never made an appearance until 2/3 of the way through the book. She also did a few things that were unbelievable but for the most part it was an enjoyable adventure that kept the reader guessing all the way to the nicely tied up end. 4.5 stars for a great beginning.

The Truth According To Us by Annie Barrows
4★'s

Book Cover:

In the summer of 1938, Layla Beck’s father, a United States senator, cuts off her allowance and demands that she find employment on the Federal Writers’ Project, a New Deal jobs program. Within days, Layla finds herself far from her accustomed social whirl, assigned to cover the history of the remote mill town of Macedonia, West Virginia, and destined, in her opinion, to go completely mad with boredom. But once she secures a room in the home of the unconventional Romeyn family, she is drawn into their complex world and soon discovers that the truth of the town is entangled in the thorny past of the Romeyn dynasty. At the Romeyn house, twelve-year-old Willa is desperate to learn everything in her quest to acquire her favorite virtues of ferocity and devotion—a search that leads her into a thicket of mysteries, including the questionable business that occupies her charismatic father and the reason her adored aunt Jottie remains unmarried. Layla’s arrival strikes a match to the family veneer, bringing to light buried secrets that will tell a new tale about the Romeyns. As Willa peels back the layers of her family’s past, and Layla delves deeper into town legend, everyone involved is transformed—and their personal histories completely rewritten.

My Thoughts:

This wasn't my usual genre of book. However I found that the more I read the more of a "mystery" it became...so the mystery groups here are going to get the review:)

The story is told from alternating view points and from different age related perspectives...12 year old Willa and her 36 year old Aunt Jottie. You know the old saying that there are actually 3 sides to every story...his, hers and the truth? So into the two perspectives we get to hear another version from the young woman that is staying at Willa's while writing a history of the small West Virginia town of Macedonia, West Virginia... Layla Beck.

The book seemed to take way to long too actually have anything happen...but once it began I couldn't stop reading. Some of the characters could have been better developed. Loved the twins but they only made brief appearances. If you are after an action packed book...then keep on looking. But if a charming, sweet story is to your liking...and you know we all sometimes need one of those...then take this one home and enjoy. 4 stars.

Ghost of A Dream by Simon Green
Ghost Finders Series Book #3
3.5★'s
Jan

From The Book:
The Ghost Finders are investigating a haunting at the long-abandoned Haybarn Theater, which is being renovated. But work has been thrown off-schedule by the some peculiar and unnatural activities. And after the potentially world-altering recent events of their previous assignment, the team thinks that a haunted theater (aren't they all?) will be a walk in the park. Until they encounter the Phantom of the Haybarn—an ancient evil whose ability to alter reality itself will test the skills, science, and blind luck of the Ghost Finders to the limit.

My Thoughts:
You don't know weather to take this series seriously or not. Sometimes it's down right funny and at other times can scare you to death. As a series Green does a great job of resolving immediate conflicts in the work, while dropping enough hints and information to move the story forward as well. Circles within circles.

Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz
2.5★'s
Jan 2016

From The Book:
At twenty-two, Bibi Blair’s doctors tell her that she’s dying. Two days later, she’s impossibly cured. Fierce, funny, dauntless, she becomes obsessed with the idea that she was spared because she is meant to save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell. This proves to be a dangerous idea. Searching for Ashley Bell, ricocheting through a southern California landscape that proves strange and malevolent in the extreme, Bibi is plunged into a world of crime and conspiracy, following a trail of mysteries that become more sinister and tangled with every twisting turn

My Thoughts:
Personally I liked Dean Koonz more in his early days of writing when you knew that you were going to be scared and his characters were more other worldly. This story was so slow moving. It was packed with so many threads and side stories, and flashbacks, and so on..that I kept losing track of where it was headed in the first place.

The Absent One by Jussi Alder-Olsen
Department Q series Book #2
4★'s
Jan 2016

From The Book:
Now, Mørck is back. He’s settled into Department Q and is ready to take on another cold case. This time, it’s the brutal double-murder of a brother and sister two decades earlier. One of the suspects confessed and is serving time, but it’s clear to Mørck that all is not what it seems. Kimmie, a homeless woman with secrets involving certain powerful individuals, could hold the key—if Mørck can track her down before they do.

My Thoughts:
We know who the villains are, so the plot evolves around Carl's attempts to get evidence against them. In the background is a dangerous woman who used to be part of the gang and is now out to get them. Kimmie is a fascinating creature, part villain, part victim; a rich girl turned bag lady.

I found the criminals and their doings a bit unbelievable, but I enjoyed the book anyway. I loved Carl's oddball team (a mysterious Muslim and a fierce feminist). And I was amused by Carl's lustful attraction to the woman shrink who's assigned to fix his personality disorders.

After She's Gone by Lisa Jackson
West Coast series Book #3
3★'s
Jan 2016

From The Book:
Ten years after a serial killer tormented retired movie star Jenna Hughes and her two daughters, Cassie and Allie Kramer, in bestseller Jackson’s Deep Freeze (2005), mother and now-grown daughters must contend with further angst and violence in this disappointing sequel. Allie, who’s become a big movie star, disappears while Dead Heat, her latest film, is wrapping up in Portland, Ore. In addition, a prop gun turns out to be the real thing when the actress doubling for Allie is shot and almost killed. Psychologically unstable Cassie, who has a bit part in Dead Heat, embarks on a mission to find her missing sister. Flashbacks reveal the tortured relations between the sisters, their rivalry over roles and men, as Cassie flits between Los Angeles and Portland in search of answers.

My Thoughts:
I have read all of Lisa Jackson's books & usually end up really enjoying the majority of them! However I must admit this book was pretty boring & didn't hold my attention. Too many weird things going on throughout the book & the ending was no better. I was expecting a great story with this one since the characters returned from the book Deep Freeze & that book itself was an excellent thriller! Hopefully the ones she writes in the future will be just as well written & appealing as her older novels! With wonderful characters, a great plot, & just overall scary enough to keep me up all night!

Traveler's Rest by Keith Lee Morris
3.5★'s

From The Book:
A family of four – mother Julia Addison, husband Tonio, 10-year-old son Dewey and Tonio’s wayward brother Robbie, a recovering alcoholic – are on their way home to South Carolina from Seattle when they pass a sign to a town in Idaho called Good Night. It’s snowing, they’re tired and they enter an old mining town. “It seems like a nice place,” says Julia. “Look, they have a beautiful old hotel… This can be like a little adventure along the way.” What they should have done of course, as every reader realizes is immediately hightail it out of there. But they don’t and the adventure begins.

My Thoughts:

This was one intriguing story. The author had everyone running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. The hotel, the Travelers Rest, is empty and seemingly under repair; the owner is an odd-looking man with a large nose and thick mustache; the room they’re shown to is “sober and serious”. Soon, the family becomes separated. Robbie finds a bar across the street, Tonio and Dewey are parted after visiting a nearby diner and Julia, who seems to hold the key to the whole mystery, drifts off to sleep and wakes in a different room. From then on each character enters their own personal heaven and hell.

>Well done!

132> Thank you

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
Tracy Crosswhite series Book #1
4.5★'s
June 2016

From The Book:
Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House—a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder—is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers. When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past—and open the door to deadly danger.

My Thoughts:
I really liked the Tracy Crosswhite character. She hits the pages as a person with good common sense, a career driven cop, and a take no nonsense type of character. She is at times, emotional and introspective and not always perfect. There's an emotional resonance and a core of truth in her character that make her both believable and empathetic. First books in a series often find the author trying too hard to get everything into a single book that he plans to build on in the future books of the series...but not so with this one. We meet Tracy..we follow Tracy as she takes on the demands of her job as Seattle's first woman homicide detective, as she returns to her home town and fights for justice for her murdered sister and as she tries to correct a huge mistake and in the process just may have found love in an unexpected place. Robert Dugoni has created a vivid world and an engaging mystery. Looking forward to many more.

The Submission by Amy Waldman
3.5 ★'s
June 2016

A nation's tragedy brings out the best and the worst in its citizens. Amy Waldman places her story at the center of America's tragedy, two years after the devastation. A contest for a 9/11 memorial where the World Trade Center once stood brings to a boil all the simmering hurt and mistrust and fear about the future. What is it that causes this firestorm of media distortion and political posturing? What revelation leads to threats and accusations and even violence? Just a name. The name of the contest winner.

"Mo" is as American as can be. He's an architect, born and raised in Virginia. His immigrant parents proudly gave him the name of a beloved prophet. Never would they have imagined that a few decades later that name would become like poison to many. "Mo" is Mohammad Khan. A Muslim name. Suddenly his design, "The Garden," becomes suspect, and the selection committee backpedals on its decision.

This story felt so real that it sometimes made my heart ache for Mo and his parents and his hopes and dreams as an American. When the media and special interest groups push our buttons, they can make us forget why we've come together and what we hoped to accomplish. It must have been challenging to give a plausible ending to a novel with such real-life parallels. The book actually poses more questions than it answers...which is as it should be...given the complexity of the issues.

The Emperor's Revenge by Clive Cussler & Boyd Morrison
Oregon Files series Book #11
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon face their toughest challenge yet when a violent bank heist during the Monaco Grand Prix decimates the Corporation’s accounts. To get the money back, Juan joins forces with an old friend from his days in the CIA so they can track down a rogue hacker and a ruthless former Ukrainian naval officer. It is only after the hunt begins that the enormity of the plan comes into focus: the bank theft is just the first step in a plot that will result in the deaths of millions and bring the world’s economies to a standstill. The catalyst for the scheme? A stunning document stolen during Napoleon’s disastrous invasion of Russia. But two hundred years later, it may be the thing that brings Europe to its knees.

My Thoughts:

It doesn't take you long to guess who the "Emperor" is after Cussler's historical prologue which opens all of his books. From there the story enters the present day and you wonder "what did that have to do with what's happening now." That's just what Clive Cussler does well...blends the past with the present and presents a story that you just have to read more and more of.

This one is well written with lots of a variety of action. I especially enjoy the various crew members of the Oregon. Each one has a surprising range of skills and talents. This and the great story lines keeps the series from getting dull. I have heard rumors that this is to be the last book in the Oregon series. I hope that is just a nasty rumor.

Cross by Ken Bruen
Jack Taylor series Book #6
4.5★'s

Jack Taylor used to be cop...a very good cop... and then life got in the way and Jack's life unraveled. Along with a Cody...a young man that refused to take no for an answer...they set out on the next best thing than being a cop that Jack could find... being a private investigator. Jack's personal life gets in the way in this endeavor also and Cross opens with Cody in a coma in the hospital barely hanging onto life and Jack taking up residence at any local Galway pub. It seems there are times when Jack is merely reacting to events and appears lost in a world he no longer understands.

Ken Brune's writing is like no one else's that I can think of. He brings his characters to life with such imagination. Jack Taylor reminds me of a train wreck on it's way to happen. You don't want to watch but you can't turn away. My grandmother and mother came from Ireland and I can see where the author gives the reader a real sense of the Irish...the religion...the cultural and the historic influences on their lives. This series and the characters are diffidently unique.

The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
Cotton Malone series Book # 1
3.5★'s

From The Book:
The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power over kings and popes . . . until the Inquisition, when they were wiped from the face of the earth, their hidden riches lost. But now two forces vying for the treasure have learned that it is not at all what they thought it was-and its true nature could change the modern world. Cotton Malone, one-time top operative for the U.S. Justice Department, is enjoying his quiet new life as an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen when an unexpected call to action reawakens his hair-trigger instincts-and plunges him back into the cloak-and-dagger world he thought he'd left behind. It begins with a violent robbery attempt on Cotton's former supervisor, Stephanie Nelle, who's far from home on a mission that has nothing to do with national security. Armed with vital clues to a series of centuries-old puzzles scattered across Europe, she means to crack a mystery that has tantalized scholars and fortune-hunters through the ages by finding the legendary cache of wealth and forbidden knowledge thought to have been lost forever when the order of the Knights Templar was exterminated in the fourteenth century. But she's not alone. Competing for the historic prize-and desperate for the crucial information Stephanie possesses-is Raymond de Roquefort, a shadowy zealot with an army of assassins at his command. Welcome or not, Cotton seeks to even the odds in the perilous race. But the more he learns about the ancient conspiracy surrounding the Knights Templar, the more he realizes that even more than lives are at stake. At the end of a lethal game of conquest, rife with intrigue, treachery, and craven lust for power, lies a shattering discovery that could rock the civilized world-and, in the wrong hands, bring it to its knees.

My Thoughts:
I couldn't get the print copy of this book before our group read so I got the CD book. I know that it takes real talent to read a book so that even 95% of the listener/readers will be satisfied but I think my 3.5 star rating of this book was mostly the reader and not the author's writing. There were times when Brian Corrigan's attempts at the French accent of this book's arch-villain, Raymond De Roquefort, that he sounded so much like Peter Sellers's Inspector Clouseau with a bad head cold. In spite of that the story line was absolutely magnificent. The clues that Cotton Malone and his band of merry men and women were tasked with finding and interpreting were well over this readers head but I did so enjoy the journey. This is the perfect blend for thriller fans and history buffs alike.

Redemption Road by John Hart
5★'s

From the Book:
Imagine:

A boy with a gun waits for the man who killed his mother. A troubled detective confronts her past in the aftermath of a brutal shooting. After thirteen years in prison, a good cop walks free as deep in the forest, on the altar of an abandoned church, a body cools in pale linen…This is a town on the brink.
This is Redemption Road. Brimming with tension, secrets, and betrayal.

My Thoughts:
Redemption Road is not your cut and dried murder mystery. There are many secrets and puzzles along the way that are complex and multi-layered. Some are fairly obvious, but even they will lead the reader to yet more questions. Throw in several red-herrings and the plot becomes even more complicated with small amounts of truth clinging to each one. The characters are nothing but flawed...and that may be putting it mildly. Before it ends you can't separate the good guys from the bad guys. It all will eventually boil down to choices. Their choices are what brought them to this point and it's their choices that will take them down Redemption Road.

Touch by Claire North
3★'s

From The Book:
He tried to take my life. Instead, I took his. It was a long time ago. I remember it was dark, and I didn't see my killer until it was too late. As I died, my hand touched his. That's when the first switch took place. Suddenly, I was looking through the eyes of my killer, and I was watching myself die. Some people touch lives. Others take them. I do both.

My Thoughts:
I was defiantly a fan of Claire North's first book, The Fifteen Lives of Harry August so I didn't hesitate to pick up Touch, her second book. This novel is build on the premise that there are body-hopping ghosts that can inhabit any body...or "skins" as they refer to them..with a simple "touch". One of the problems is that the main "ghost" character in the story changed "skins" so many times that it became difficult to keep up with who he was at any given time. Also when another "ghost" was added...who just happened to be a psychopath...the changing became chaotic. I can't say I entirely disliked the book...it did have some interesting parts... but it's not one that i would consider for a recommendation. Hope her next offering meets the standards of her first and this is just a fluke.

Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw - a.k.a Daglichht
4★'s

"A single mother and lawyer, Iris has a colorful caseload, a young son with behavior issues, and a judgmental mother. She also has a brother—shocking news she uncovers by accident. Why did her mother lie to her for her entire life? Why did she hide the existence of Ray Boelens from her?
Curious about this sibling she has never known, Iris begins to search for long-buried truths. What she discovers surprises—and horrifies—her. Her older brother is autistic—and in prison for brutally murdering his neighbor and her daughter. Visiting Ray, she meets a man who looks heart-breakingly like her own son. A man who is devoted to his tropical fish and who loves baking bread. A man whose naivete unnerves her. There is no question that Ray is odd and obsessive, unable to communicate like the rest of us. But is he really a killer?"

My Thoughts
The reader will in turns feel pity for Ray and at times will feel admiration while alternating between guilty and not guilty every few chapters. Girl in the Dark is a compulsive, page-turning, dark thriller about lies, murder and dogged determination. If you enjoy psychological suspense stories about dysfunctional families, or twisted endings...and I have to say I never expected the ending that I got... then you'll definitely want to read this one.

Disappearance at Devil's Rock by Paul Tremblay
4★'s

From The Book:
Late one summer night, Elizabeth Sanderson receives the devastating news that every mother fears: her thirteen-year-old son, Tommy, has vanished without a trace in the woods of a nearby state park. The search isn’t yielding any answers, and Elizabeth and her eleven-year-old daughter, Kate, struggle to comprehend Tommy’s disappearance. Feeling helpless and alone, their sorrow is compounded by anger and frustration. Neither the state nor local police have uncovered any leads. Josh and Luis, the friends who were the last to see Tommy before he vanished, may not be telling the whole truth about that night in Borderland State Park, when they were supposedly hanging out at a landmark they have renamed Devil’s Rock connected them all. As the search grows more desperate, and the implications of what happened become more ominous and sinister, no one is prepared for the shocking truth about that night at Devil’s Rock.

My Thoughts:
I read Paul Tremblay's first book... A Head Full of Ghost and thought that while it was good for a first book he could do so much better. He has lived up to that expectation with his second book... Disappearance at Devil's Rock. The author has produced a blend of psychological suspense, and supernatural horror into an absorbing tale that feeds off every parent’s darkest fears . . . and an adolescent’s darkest secrets. The thing that I like most about Paul Tremblay's writing is that he leaves the reader with a head full of "possibilities"...how and why did something happen as it did playing on the readers own reactions and interpretations of events. I look forward to many more books by this author.

The Unsuspected by Charlotte Armstrong
4★'s

From the Book:

Why did Rosaleen Wright hang herself in a soundproof room? She left an unsigned note, peppered with stiff religious references and no trace of her trademark vitality or wit. The police believe it was suicide, but Rosaleen’s best friend, Jane, is suspicious. To prove Rosaleen was murdered, she takes a job with the man who killed her. Luther Grandison, Rosaleen’s boss, is a New York theatrical impresario with a lethal charm. To the world at large, he’s powerful and charismatic, but Rosaleen’s letters to Jane described a greedy man who stole from his adopted daughter when his bank account ran low. Jane thinks Grandison killed her to protect his secret, but to prove it she will have to face down one of the finest murderers Broadway has ever seen.

My Thoughts:

Although the plot seems a bit improbable, you are so involved with the story that you don't really think about it. The main character, Grandy, is one of the most unique creations that I have encountered in some time.... and the bewildered heroine was quite...bewildered...but appealing also. Overall, it was a delightfully enjoyable work of fictional intrigue. Just suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride. You will be amazed how much you'll enjoy it.

Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Magnus "Steps" Craig is part of the elite three-man Special Tracking Unit of the FBI. Called in on special cases where his skills are particularly needed, he works as a tracker. The media dubs him "The Human Bloodhound," since Steps is renowned for his incredible ability to find and follow trails over any surface better than anyone else. But there's a secret to his success. Steps has a special ability---a kind of synesthesia---where he can see the 'essence' of a person, something he calls 'shine,' on everything they've touched. His ability is known to only a few people---his father, the director of the FBI, and his partner, Special Agent Jimmy Donovan. When the remains of a murdered woman are found, Steps recognizes the shine left by the murderer from another crime scene with a physically similar victim. And he uncovers the signature at both scenes---the mark of a sad face. At the same time, another killer, one Steps has dubbed Leonardo and has been trying to track for over ten years, appears again, taunting Steps. But while Steps tries to find a clue that will lead him to Leonardo, the case of the Sad Face Killer heats up. The team uncovers eleven possible victims: missing women who fit the same pattern. Using his skill and the resources of the Bureau, it is a race against time to find the killer before it's too late.

My Thoughts:
Maybe because the author has had personal experience in his "non-author" life at bringing serial killers to justice is why his book Collecting the Dead resounds with the ring of truth. He has created a very unique character with Magnus "Steps" Craig and surrounded him with a mystical ability and a team of top-notch agents. At times the exchange between "Steps" and his partner and best friend Jimmy...is humorous but it never takes away from the seriousness of their task. Nowhere does it indicate that this is a start or a part of a series but this book just begs to have many "brothers". I will be awaiting Spence Kopes future books.

Dark Watch by Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul
Oregon File Series Book #3
4.5★'s

From The Book:

Cabrillo and his motley crew aboard the clandestine spy ship Oregon have made a very comfortable and very dangerous living working for high-powered Western interests. But their newest clients have come from the Far East to ask for Cabrillo's special brand of assistance: a consortium of Japanese shipping magnates whose fortunes are being threatened by brutal pirates trolling the waters of Southeast Asia.

Normally, such attacks on the high seas are limited to smaller ships and foreign-owned yachts-easy targets on the open ocean. Now, however, giant commercial freighters are disappearing. But when Cabrillo confronts the enemy, he learns that the pirates' deprecation to hide a deadly international conspiracy-a scheme of death and slavery that Juan Cabrillo is going to blow out of the water.

My Thoughts:
This has to rank as the best of this series thus far. Clive Cussler teams with adventure/thriller writer Jack DuBrul for the this...the third book... in the "Oregon Files" series. Non-stop action throughout and plots and schemes by the Oregon crew to bring the bad guys down that would equal "Mission Impossible" or an episode of "McGeyver". The authors juggled complicated, multiple plots throughout the story and tied them together into a believable, exciting, and interesting package at the end that pulled the Oregon crew out of the frying pan and the fire....while offering a special surprise for them all. Looking forward to the next adventure with Juan Cabrillo and friends.

The Cyclops Initiative by David Wellington
5★'s

Someone has taken over an entire fleet of government drones and is using them to spread chaos throughout the U.S.

From The Book:
To save an innocent friend, soldier and spy Jim Chapel will risk his own life and reputation to stop a deadly conspiracy from threatening the country. Jim Chapel pledged his life to protect his country from its enemies. But now, the one-armed Special Forces soldier turned spy is on the wrong side of the law. The person he trusts most in the world, the brilliant hacker known only as Angel, is suspected of terrorism. When his boss calls for Angel’s arrest, Chapel—certain it’s a frame job—has only one option: to go rogue. To protect Angel—a woman he’s never actually met—Chapel must clear her name. But first he has to find her, before a deadly Marine sniper, a drone aircraft gone feral, and the entire intelligence community closes in. With the aid of old friends and his ex-lover Julia, the search to find who framed Angel leads Chapel deep into the dark and lethal underbelly of the covert intelligence world . . . to a conspiracy with deep roots that shocks even this hardened veteran—and a plan that will destroy the United States as we know it if it succeeds.

My Thoughts:

The Cyclops Imitative has many sub plots going at the same time and characters that constantly overlap between good and bad. Introduced into this story is the character of Brent Wilkes ...a Marine sniper that works on the theory of "find, fix, finish", and will kill on command without a second thought. Jim Chapel is a one-armed Army vet working for the same people as Brent Wilkes but his philosophy is to use his wits and his sniper training and kill as a last resort. It becomes obvious that the two are going to have to combine their skills if they are going to survive, save their comrades and protect the nation they would both die for. Also combined into the story is an interesting contract between present and past generations and how America honored her returning soldiers. Author, David Wellington summed it up well in his quote about the book...“I wanted to write about how those veterans who lost limbs still have a meaningful life. I hoped I showed how they cope differently, that their life will never be easy, and now it is much more complicated. For me, the struggle they are going through is just as heroic as anything they did on the battlefield. We as Americans should understand that war is so complicated, dangerous, and serious. It is not as depicted in the video games that turn it into a cartoon.”

Motion to Suppress by Perri O'Shaughnessy
Nina Reilly series Book #1
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Returning from her late shift as a barmaid at a casino in Lake Tahoe, Misty Patterson struck her violently jealous husband in self-defense. She admits that–but did she kill him? She says she can’t remember. Like so many times before, Misty blacked out and the rest of the evening is a blank. Now her husband has disappeared, leaving behind a trail of blood, and she’s the number-one murder suspect with no one to turn to for help.

San Francisco attorney Nina Reilly is also on the run—from a bad marriage and a worse career setback. Relocated to Lake Tahoe, Nina is resolved to recover her spirit, give her young son a secure home, and build up a small solo practice. But, when Misty Patterson walks in the door, a blond Barbie doll of a cocktail waitress accused of murder, it triggers a harrowing series of events that will change both women’s lives forever.

My Thoughts:
In this first book of the Nina Reilly series we are introducted to Nina who is a truly likeable character. We learn how Nina's marriage to Jack ends, and how as a newly-single mom, heads off to Tahoe to start a new life. We are also meet Sandy Whitefeather, Nina's receptionist, Nina’s brother Matt Reilly and his family.

Usually first novels are set in larger towns but Lake Tahoe works out well for the setting. I liked how the author provided so many possible suspects for Anthony’s murder. She never ruled out Misty or Anthony’s ex-wife, her husband, Misty's lover, Misty's therapist and his wife, and employees at the casino where the couple worked all have possible motives. Even Misty's parents cast suspicion on themselves with their strange behavior. There's enough crime to form a great story and deliver a good level of suspense right up to the trial. The court proceedings are quite dramatic, similar to that which you would find on television. Real justice is rarely that exciting. The story is easy to follow and relatively light, making this a quick, fun read.

The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns
2.5★'s

The novel is set in a quiet little Rhode Island town called Brewster but the opening is anything resembling quiet. A nurse…Alice “Spandex”…so called for her shapely uniforms is the duty nurse in the maternity ward and has managed to lose a newborn baby while she was “entertaining” one of the doctors. The bassinet isn’t empty however…it now contains a six-foot snake…harmless in it’s nature…but able to produce hysterics in Alice Spandex. Not so much as the baby is gone…eaten by the snake is Alice’s opinion…but she is now in danger of loosing her job if she tells the truth. Then Woody Potter arrives on the scene and finds the hospital is full of cops checking under beds and in broom closets for snakes. Woody, a newly single Desert Storm veteran is known locally for having a cool head and a deceptively overwhelmed demeanor that makes him stand out as the novel’s hero. Woody can’t figure out the local’s reaction and that in the crucial early moments of the investigation, people are acting as if the nonexistent snakes…Woody doesn’t believe for a moment that the hospital is crawling with reptiles of any type… are more important than the missing baby.

Since paranoia and mass panic are the main themes throughout the book…the reader is set for the remainder…to believe anything. The book has an enthusiastic endorsement by Stephen King so that helps to add to the expected excitement. Unfortunately the book seemed doomed from the first few pages after the snakes. It had a mechanical feel to it and way, way, way too much character introduction. This type of hoped for horror works best when it comes quickly and is to the point. This drags out for 464 pages. I have read this author’s Church of Dead Girls and Boy in the Water and I assure you they far surpass this…so I know he’s capable of so much more.

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni
Tracy Crosswhite series Book #2
5★'s

From The Book:
Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life. A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?

My Thoughts:
This, the second book in the Tracy Crosswhite series is just as good, if not better than first...My Sister's Grave. Robert Dugoni is fast becoming one of my favorite authors....and Tracy Crosswhite one of my favorite characters. The action is well paced and suspects are everywhere. Just when you think you have it all sorted out...the focus changes. There are also plenty of the "good guys" that are less then they should be and you can spend some time hoping they "get what's coming to them" also. Anyone that enjoys a good suspense thriller needs to add this to their collection. The story flows smoothly without anything to take you away from the characters. Several are easily liked while others are easily despised. A well earned 5 stars.

Noah's Wife by Lindsay Starck
3.5★'s

Book Description:
When young minister Noah and his dutiful wife arrive at their new post in the hills, they've reached a gray and wet little town where it’s been raining for as long as anyone can remember. Noah’s wife is determined to help her husband revive this soggy congregation but soon finds her efforts thwarted by her eccentric new neighbors, among them an idiom-wielding Italian hardware store owner, a towering town matriarch, and a lovelorn zookeeper determined to stand by his charges. Overwhelmed, Noah’s wife fails to realize that Noah, too, is battling his own internal crisis. Soon the river waters rise, flooding the streets of the town and driving scores of wild animals out of the once-renowned zoo. As the water swallows up the houses, the telephone poles, and the single highway out of town, Noah, his wife, and the townspeople must confront not only the savage forces of nature but also the fragile ties that bind them to one another, all before their world is washed away.

My Thoughts:
The setting for this whimsical tale is a spot that was once a charming tourist destination in the hills but which, after the nonstop downpour, has become almost a ghost town. Throw in that it's the 21st century... complete with TV, cars and trucks, and a visiting weatherman who warns the townsfolk that no end to the rain is in sight and that they are doomed unless they evacuate within the next week. Of course the townspeople ignore his advise...when has the weather people ever been right after all? The local zoo animals aren't fairing so well so the townsfolk set about a rescue. This is where the comedy in the situation comes to light with penguins in the walk in freezer...ostrich and emu's in the general store... and Noah...who is the town's new, young minister, sadly fails to live up to his predecessor in the Bible whose name he is either fortunate or unfortunate to share. As the waters continue to rise the towns people learn to work together for a common cause...the animal's show them the way to safety....and Pastor Noah and Mrs. Noah learn a valuable lesson about life and love. Overall, it is an upbeat, and fanciable tale and well worth the read. And my mother handed me the book and said "Here, read this." Can't argue with Mom.

Among the Wicked by Linda Castillo
Kate Burkholder series Book #8
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and "English" communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman, and infiltrate the community. Kate's long time love interest, State Agent John Tomasetti, is dead set against her taking on such an unorthodox assignment, knowing she'll have limited communication - and even less in the way of backup. But Kate can't turn her back, especially when the rumor mill boils with disturbing accounts of children in danger. She travels to New York where she's briefed and assumes her new identity as a lone widow seeking a new life. Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone... trapped in a fight for her life.

My Thoughts:
The clues were staring us in the face the whole time and I didn't see them and start putting 2 and 2 together until the last 20 pages. Linda Castillo is a fantastic writer and presents Kate Burkholder as a capable, dedicated Chief of Police in the small Ohio hamlet of Painters Mill,...loyal to her small staff of officers but haunted at times by her strict religious past. In this book we again get to intermingle with the Amish and see what happens when the worlds of the "plain people" and the "Englishers" collide. The entire series is more than worth anyone's reading time and all the others have received a 5 star rating. The only reason that this one didn't was I wasn't especially happy with the ending that gave the reader no real explanation for the actions of the perpetrator

Wolf Lake by John Verdon
Dave Gurney series Book # 5
5★'s

The plot plays out in the latest in the latest Dave Gurney thriller at Wolf Lake Lodge, in the remote Adirondacks. It is certainly not without a tantalizing history. Shortly after it became an inn in the early 1900s, wolves devoured its founder on the property. The entire setting screams gothic horror starting with the raving gray man carrying an axe and raving about a hawk that knows evil. The inn itself reinforces this concept with it’s creepy vestige standing in the shadow of two mountains with names that continue the theme…Devil’s Fang and Cemetery Ridge. We then have vague cell phone service…wolves howling, and an attic that holds a terrifying tableau…all adding to the festering scene. Add in that the crimes that Dave Gurney is there to investigate…while not letting the client know that he’s investigating…all take on a horrible, unbelievable life of their own. Four men…all from different parts of the country have allegedly committed suicide after being hypnotized by the same man…Richard Hammond…and have experienced the same nightmare involving the wolves. The story now takes on the resemblance of The Shinning on steroids. Madeline…Gurney’s wife that has accompanied him is greeted in the bathroom of the inn by the vision of a former lover of hers dead in the bathtub. Our hero, Dave Gurney keeps a steady hand and a cool head and begins the task of sorting out this giant mess that the local police have somehow managed to botch and answer the glaring question of the century…can a nightmare be used as a murder weapon? I loved the book. The entire idea was intriguing and held my interest from page 1. Lots of clever twists, plenty of good… though sometimes unusual characters, and a creepy, isolated old inn with a sordid past….what more could you ask for?

Silent Voices by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope series Book #4
4.5★'s

From The Book:
When DI Vera Stanhope finds the body of a woman in the sauna room of her local gym, she wonders briefly if, for once, it's a death from natural causes. But closer inspection reveals ligature marks around the victim's throat . . .Doing what she does best, Vera pulls her team together and sets them interviewing staff and those connected to the victim, while she and colleague Sergeant Joe Ashworth work to find a motive. While Joe struggles to reconcile his home life with the demands of the job, Vera revels being back in charge of an investigation. Death has never made her feel so alive.
And when they discover that the victim had worked in social services – and was involved in a shocking case involving a young child – it seems the two are somehow connected.But things are rarely as they seem .

My Thoughts:
There are a lot of characters in this book and they are mostly all potential suspects. Vera is...well she's just Vera. Love or hate her...I don't think she would care very much either way. The reader does get a better view and understanding of what makes her what she is and the way she is. Since this was the book that set the scene for the television series...it may have been structured to help the viewer as well as the reader. There are quite a few twists throughout the story and I changed my mind about who I thought was guilty many times. I love the way Vera comes to the end conclusions. It's been an interesting journey watching Vera and her team grow and learn. I wish that Ann Cleeves would be a tad more kind to Vera in her looks but then...I guess that just wouldn't be our Vera.

The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza
Erica Foster series Book #1
4.5★'s

From the Author's Page:
Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one. When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation. The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London. What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?

My Thoughts:
It is an interesting and intriguing beginning of a new series. Erica Foster didn't want the case...she wasn't even ready to return to work..but she found herself as lead in the investigation of a rich and powerful man's daughter. Not only did she need to tread softly with the family...but she found that she was not so popular with the team she has been tasked to lead. Actually the only flaw I found with the book as a whole was the relationship between Erica and her boss, Marsh. He allowed Ericka to push him so much that it began to seem unrealistic on his part. There were loads of potential suspects and a few red herrings for the reader to try and find the killer among, that the minor flaw become unimportant as a whole...but it was the reason it lost half star in my opinion. I will certainly pick up the next book in this series.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
2 ★'s

From the Book:
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

My Thoughts:
The book sounded as if it would be a really good read but when I saw the comparison to Agatha Christie...I knew this was going almost nowhere for me. I am not an Agatha Christie fan but I can 100% guarantee you she was so much better than this on her worst day. The heroine was a drunk and absolutely obnoxious and whiny. She didn't care about anyone ...not even herself. No one believed she had seen a body dropped overboard because she was roaring drunk at the time. DUH! There were so many incidences tied together without any explanation of how they came to be to start with. I can't even tell you what the plot of this story was supposed to be.

>155 Carol420: Oh dear!

Pyramid by David Gibbins
Jack Howard series Book #8
3.5★'s

From The Book:
For thousands of years, Egypt was a rich, ingenious civilization. Then it became a fertile hunting ground for archaeologists and explorers. Now the streets of Cairo teem with violence as a political awakening shakes the region. In the face of overwhelming danger, Jack Howard and his team of marine archaeologists have gathered pieces of a fantastic puzzle. But putting it together may cost them their lives. Howard has connected a mystery hidden inside a great pyramid to a fossilized discovery in the Red Sea and a 110-year-old handwritten report of a man who claims to have escaped a labyrinth beneath Cairo. For that his team is stalked by a brutal extremist organization that will destroy any treasure they find. As people fight and die for their rights above ground, Jack fights for a discovery that will shed an astounding new light on the greatest story ever told: Moses' exodus from Egypt and the true beginnings of a new chapter in human history.

My Thoughts:
I have read and enjoyed several of these books but eve though it is a good story, you really need to be interested in Egyptian and biblical history to really get into it. It’s a very fast moving book and at times it is difficult to keep up with what is taking place. I especially enjoyed the parts that featured Jack Howard and the under water archaeological finds. However this is a series that is greatly in need of a glossary or a list of character bios since one book builds on the previous one and often touches on the next... I had trouble remembering who was who in the previous books. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would certainly recommend it to fans of historical thrillers but it is a series that diffidently should be read in order. 3.5★'s and I think that's the lowest rating I have ever given a book in this series.

The Dramatist by Ken Bruen
Jack Taylor series Book # 4
3 ★'s

From the Book:
Seems impossible, but Jack Taylor is sober---off booze, pills, powder, and nearly off cigarettes, too. The main reason he's been able to keep clean: his dealer's in jail, which leaves Jack without a source. When that dealer calls him to Dublin and asks a favor in the soiled, sordid visiting room of Mountjoy Prison, Jack wants to tell him to take a flying leap. But he doesn't, can't, because the dealer's sister is dead,and the guards have called it "death by misadventure." The dealer knows that can't be true and begs Jack to have a look, check around, see what he can find out. It's exactly what Jack does, with varying levels of success, to make a living. But he's reluctant, maybe because of who's asking or maybe because of the bad feeling growing in his gut. Never one to give in to bad feelings or common sense, Jack agrees to the favor, though he can't possibly know the shocking, deadly consequences he has set in motion. But he and everyone he holds dear will find out soon, sooner than anyone knows,

My Thoughts:
I discovered the Jack Taylor series quiet by accident and I have really enjoyed the first three books. This one seemed to lack the excitement and the character development that the previous ones had and the search for the killer was put on the back burner until almost the last pages and then Jack suddenly discovers who it was. The Dramatist was the shortest of the four books...I read it in 4 hours.... so maybe that was the problem. I did begin to become acquainted with Jack Taylor through the movies and started reading the books afterwards so there was probably some preconceived ideas as to how the books should be as a result. I love the atmosphere of Galway and the Irish life style that the Jack Taylor series portrays. So many of the people remind me of my grandmother…those that aren’t killing people that is.) Looking forward to book five.

The Magpies by Mark Edwards
4★'s

From the Book:
When Jamie and Kirsty move into their first home together, they are full of optimism. The future, in which they plan to get married and start a family, is bright. The other residents of their building seem friendly too, including the Newtons, a married couple who welcome them to the building with open arms. But then strange things start to happen. Dead rats are left on their doorstep. They hear disturbing noises, and much worse, in the night. After Jamie's best friend is injured in a horrific accident, Jamie and Kirsty find themselves targeted by a campaign of terror. As they are driven to the edge of despair, Jamie vows to fight back—but he has no idea what he is really up against .

My Thoughts:
A quote from the book cover pretty much says it all. "The Magpies is a gripping psychological thriller in which the monsters are not vampires or demons, but the people who live next door. It is a nightmare that could happen to anyone."

It seems from the authors note in the back of the book that that is exactly what happened to him. When he was in his late 20's...the same age as the main characters in the story... Jamie and Kristy. He ad his then girlfriend had rented a ground floor apartment and soon were besieged with hoaxes, and complainants that were not so the average. They even complained that they were being too noisy when cleaning the toilet bowl. When coming up with ideas for a new book he thought of that and build on the idea of "what if". What if these acts were carried to the extreme and what if the good guys decided to try to fight back? What if??? It isn't a supernatural story but in some ways so much more scary than ghost or monsters. It's human nature on steroids at it's very worse. You find yourself feeling all kinds of emotions for Jamie and Kristy.

The author says that while it's not a series he intends to build on one of the "bad guys" in his next book. I'll be waiting.

On The Edge by Peter Lovesey
3★'s
From The Book:
Soon after World War II, two former co-workers in the operations room of a Royal Air Force squadron meet in the street. Their lives have diverged dramatically but each wants to get rid of her husband. And so a mutual-assistance pact is made. Rose and Antonia had a good war. As WAAF plotters they had all the excitement and independence of a difficult and fulfilling job, and all the fun of being two women on an RAF base. But peacetime is a disappointment. Rose’s war-hero husband has turned brutal out. Antonia, bored with her rich manufacturer, wants to move to America with her lover. But what are plotters for, if not to plot? Antonia’s ruthless scheme would give them what they both want. If Rose doesn’t lose her nerve, they could get away with murder.

My Thoughts:
I can't actually say that it was a great book but it had some very good historical elements and a story that is reminiscent of Strangers on a train. The book was turned into a British TV movie... Dead Gorgeous that was broadcast on the PBS Mystery series. Of the two women Rose Bell was the much more interesting as the reader watches her evolve from an innocent to an accomplice in a murder. Not exactly what i would label a mystery but it does hold a great deal of intrigue. I love the opening paragraph..."Smiling serenely in the September sun, Rose Bell strolled along Regent Street. Mentally she was miles away, having her husband neutered like the cat." Now how could you not continue reading after that?

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald
-1★'s

From The Book:
In her twenties, journalist Sarah MacDonald backpacked around India and came away with a lasting impression of heat, pollution and poverty. So when an airport beggar read her palm and told her she would return to India—and for love—she screamed, “Never!” and gave the country, and him, the finger.

But eleven years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah’s life is posted to India, she quits her dream job to move to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. For Sarah this seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love, and it almost kills her, literally. Just settled, she falls dangerously ill with double pneumonia, an experience that compels her to face some serious questions about her own fragile mortality and inner spiritual void. “I must find peace in the only place possible in India,” she concludes. “Within.” Thus begins her journey of discovery through India in search of the meaning of life and death.

Holy Cow is MacDonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.

My Thoughts:
I read this to complete a challenge and the cover looked interesting. Both bad reasons to read a book. Shame on me! I found her entire approach to "investigating" the people and beliefs of this country to be obnoxious and condescending. No one forced her to return to India and I'm sure the people of India were more than happy to see her backside getting on the plane. The author's attitude toward India and Indians combines the worst of both the old and the new west by patronizingly sneering at a culture she doesn't understand and obviously has no desire to, much less offer any sign of respect. I guess I've read worse books but I can't remember when.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
3.5★'s

From The Book:
On the day she was abducted, Annie O'Sullivan, a thirty-two-year-old realtor, had three goals―sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent captive in a remote mountain cabin―which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist―is the second narrative recounting the nightmare that follows her escape: her struggle to piece her shattered life back together, the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor, and the disturbing sense that things are far from over.

My Thoughts:
The most enlightening part of the entire book was the sessions that Annie has with her therapist. She recounts her yearlong ordeal of being held hostage in a mountain cabin and being raped, beaten, and controlled by the psychopath who kidnapped her. Te story is then told from a present perspective and a past perspective. That would be fine except it's like two entirely different people are telling it. A few of the psychological elements were too convenient as a result they just didn't ring true. But overall it was an entertaining and sometimes chilling novel.

The Dogs by Allan Stratton
3★'s

From The Book:
Cameron and his mom have been on the run for five years. His father is hunting them. At least, that’s what Cameron’s been told. When they settle in an isolated farmhouse, Cameron starts to see and hear things that aren’t possible. Soon he’s questioning everything he thought he knew and even his sanity. What's hiding in the night? Buried in the past? Cameron must uncover the dark secrets before they tear him apart.

My Thoughts:
Cameron is a very likable character. He’s 15 years old and has moved with his mother 4 times already in just a single year to escape a father that has the uncanny ability to stalk and fine them wherever they go. Needless to say Cameron has problems making friends so it wasn’t really surprising when his best friend was reveled to be the ghost of a boy that had died on the farm that Cameron and his mother are renting…or is he an active figment of Cameron’s imagination? This is a YA book but it was a page turning little offering. It is a quick read with a good plot and a surprising ending. I don't believe you have to be 12 years old to enjoy it.

Lockdown by Sean Black
Ryan Lock series Book 1
3.5★'s

It may be Christmas Eve in New York, but for ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock it's business as usual. His task: to protect the CEO of the world's largest bio-technology company from a group of radical, and highly determined, activists. When a failed assassination attempt leaves the streets of midtown littered with bodies, and hours later the son of the company's chief research scientist is abducted from his Upper West Side prep school, Lock's hunt for the boy turns into an explosive game of cat and mouse. Through the corporate corridors of power and dark alleys of Manhattan, Lock's search leads him towards a deadly confrontation with one of the world's most dangerous women, a deadly Chechen black widow seeking revenge against America. As the clock ticks towards midnight on New Year's Eve, and the crowds gather in Times Square, Lock realizes that not only is his own life in terrible danger but so are the lives of millions of others.

My Thoughts:
After giving it a great deal of thought I realized that there is no way that I can cover the ratings for this book in a single number of stars. This book was written in 2009 so there are already 7 books in the series but since they were only just released in the United States I’m treating this as a new series.

The characters: The chief characters of Ryan Lock and his friend and co-worker, Tyrone (Ty) I would have to give them a 5. Both are competent and likable characters with a lot of promise for future novels. I hope that Angel, the rescued dog, stays in the series also. She gets a 5 all by herself.

The series overall: This is the start of a new series...at least in the U.S. that fans of David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, Lee Child and other great thriller writers will more than likely enjoy and find that the characters of John Puller, Mitch Rapp, and Jack Reacher have a lot in common with Ryan Lock without being carbon copies. Since this is only the first book I will cautiously give the series a 4 but have expectations of it being one that I will add to the mountain of series I already read.

The story line: Here is where I had the most problem with the book and I’m sure that it is going to present a problem for other readers. I wish that Sean Black had kept this subject in reserve and used it in book 3 or 4 instead of the first that many will judge the entire series by and be afraid to take a chance on another one. The story is about a bio-technology company that does research on animals and has graduated to living human beings. I found that the animal part was so much harder to take than the human…since they were hardened criminals and the animals had done nothing to find themselves in this situation. Having said that…I would have to give the story line a big red 1 with maybe even minus signs. Animal lovers and people with a heart will hate the subject.

Since I do have hope for this series I will await Book 2 in the series Deadlock.

>165 Carol420: At 5 Stars it is likely to be a very good review.

Hour Game by David Baldacci
King & Maxwell series Book #2
5 ★'s

From The Book:
A woman is found murdered in the woods. It seems like a simple case but it soon escalates into a terrible nightmare. Someone is replicating the killing styles of the most infamous murderers of all time. No one knows this criminal's motives...or who will die next.

Two ex-Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, have been hired to defend a man's innocence in a burglary involving an aristocratic family. Then a series of secrets leads the partners right into the frantic hunt that is confounding even the FBI. Now King and Maxwell are playing the Hour Game, uncovering one horrifying revelation after another and putting their lives in danger. For the closer they get to the truth, the closer they get to the most shocking surprise of all.

My Thoughts:

It will come as no surprise to the people that have known me for a while that I would give this book, and for that matter this entire series 5 stars.

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are indeed most memorable characters who are in business together as private investigators in small-town Wrightsburg, Va. David Baldacci as brought this dynamic duo together in this utterly absorbing, complex mystery-thriller that spins in unexpected directions many, many times during the story. From the opening of the book we meet characters that seemed to have almost stepped from a comic book... a murderer who's whose selection of victims appears random but we soon see that his/her modus operandi, differing from kill to kill, and mimicking the work of notorious serial killers—the Zodiac killer, John Wayne Gacy, etc. Add to that a dysfunctional southern family straight out of the worst television production you have ever had the fortune or perhaps misfortune to view. Just about the time that you think you have the whole thing sorted out...have a second thought because your main suspect just got murdered. As the bodies pile up and your head begins to feel that's going to explode...you will begin hoping that someone will be left to be the killer. If you are a reader that likes trying to solve a well done mystery with a different twist at every turn then Hour Games is right up your ally.

The Interrogation by Thomas H. Cook
4.5★'s

From The Book:

Albert Jay Smalls sits in an interrogation room accused of an unspeakable crime. The police have no witnesses, no physical evidence, but they are certain he is hiding the truth. With less than twelve hours before he must be released, Smalls will be put through one final interrogation. It is a search that leads into the shadowed recesses of one man’s shattered mind–and to the devastating secrets buried in a desolate seaside town. It is a quest that takes three desperate cops down a dark, twisting road as they race against the clock to find out what really happened one rainy autumn afternoon in 1952. The answers will be more shocking than anyone can imagine, blurring the boundaries between pursuers and prey, between the innocent and the guilty, between the truth that sets us free and the tragedies that haunt us to the grave.

My Thoughts;

It was basically based in the police stations interrogation room with a small man that was suspected of killing 8 year old Cathy Lake in the park next to the playground. The two veteran police detectives in charge of getting the truth from the suspect had been at it for days and still the man declares his innocence...but they know that he's guilty of something if not the murder of Cathy. From there the story spreads out to include a junk dealer...a small time con man...two trash collectors...and several other police officers that are several degrees of unprofessional...from slightly dishonest and hiding secrets that would put them off the police force if not in jail....to deceitful and highly untrustworthy. How will these people all come together? With an explosion that will rock your mind. This has been an incredible journey through the darkest depths of human nature.

Sounds worth an explore.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
3.5 ★'s

From the Book:
“Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.” In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable…..something impossible. Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe. Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bending strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.

My Thoughts:
It’s a book about “What if’s”. What if you could live the life that you always thought you should have had? What if you could change anything about the life you have that you don’t like? What if??? Dark Matter asks the reader to remember a time in their life where they made a decision that made them who they are now…the moment that defined them. If given that chance, would they make that same decision? If you knew the second chance offered you the wealth and prestige you let slip from your grasp, would you take it? But with those questions comes the biggest one, at least for me….what if the family you created and loved was not a part of that second chance? Would you regret your final decision?

It was a fast paced, exciting, sci-fi adventure with a lot of possible outcomes.

Everything She Forgot by Lisa Ballantyne
2.5★'s

From The Book:
Some things aren't meant to be remembered . . .

They're calling it the worst pileup in London history. Margaret Holloway is driving home, but her mind is elsewhere—on a troubled student, her daughter's acting class, the next day's meeting—when she's rear-ended and trapped in the wreckage. Just as she begins to panic, a disfigured stranger pulls her from the car seconds before it's engulfed in flames. Then he simply disappears. Though she escapes with minor injuries, Margaret feels that something's wrong. She's having trouble concentrating. Her emotions are running wild. More than that, flashbacks to the crash are also dredging up lost associations from her childhood, fragments of events that had been wiped from her memory. Whatever happened, she didn't merely forget—she chose to forget. And somehow, Margaret knows deep down that it has something to do with the man who saved her life.

As Margaret uncovers a mystery with chilling implications for her family and her very identity, Everything She Forgot winds through a riveting dual narrative and asks the question: How far would you go to hide the truth—from yourself?

My Thoughts:
A first book for this author so I didn't expect it to be outstanding...but I did have a reasonable expectation for it to be more closely related to the what the description described. It started out with the accident and the stranger saving Margaret's life. It was a good exciting start...then it switched to a mob type man...George McLaughlin's story of his lost love and the seven year old daughter that he hasn't seen since her birth. When it returns to Margaret she seems to just be drifting through life and spending every moment she can with the man who saved her life and is now in a coma. Back and forth it goes between 1985 and 2013. Both stories by themselves would have made an excellent book but together...they are just two stories with no merging.

Until Thy Wrath be Past by Asa Larsson
3★'s
Rebecka Martinsson series Book #4

From The Book:
the body of a young woman surfaces in the River Torne, in the far north of Sweden. Meanwhile, Rebecka Martinsson is working as a prosecutor in nearby Kiruna. Her sleep has been disturbed by haunting visions of a shadowy, accusing figure. Could the body be connected to the ghostly young woman in her dreams? Joining forces once again with Police Inspector Anna-Maria Mella, Rebecka is drawn into a murder and missing-person investigation that becomes entangled with old rumors of a German supply plane that mysteriously disappeared in 1943. Shame and secrecy shroud the locals' memories of the war, with Sweden's early collaboration with the Nazis still a raw wound. And on the windswept shore of a frozen lake lurks a faceless killer determined to keep the past buried forever beneath half a century's silent ice and snow.

My Thoughts:
This is a mystery novel with a not too complex story line, time shifting from the WWII, to the present day, to the spirit world. Parts of the story are told by the spirit of the young diver left to drown under the ice along with her boyfriend. A word of Warning The story was very interesting...hence the 3 stars...but the author seems to have a penchant to include horrific animal abuse in her stories. some people won't mind. I do. I don't think I'll be reading another one.

The Fall by John Lescroart
Dismas Hardy series Book #16
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Late one night, a seventeen-year-old African American foster child Tanya Morgan falls from the overpass above San Francisco’s Stockton tunnel, landing on the windshield of a car driving on the street below. She is killed instantly. But did she fall...or was she pushed?

My Thoughts:
Rebecca is the star of the show, as she struggles to put together a defense, and then learns the ropes of presenting that defense in Court. The court room scenes are well done and you find that you are becoming frustrated with the justice system and the way it works. The narrative is dynamic and interesting alternating among the different characters and their particular perspective about the case. I thought how it was going to resolve and I was wrong about my early assessment but not disappointment by the outcome. I highly recommend this series for all court room drama buffs.

Mariana by Susanna Kearlsey
5★'s

From The Book
The first time Julia Beckett saw Greywethers she was only five, but she knew at once that it was her house. Now, twenty-five years later, by some strange chance, she has just become the new owner of the sixteenth-century Wilshire farmhouse. But Julia soon begins to suspect that more than coincidence has brought her there. As if Greywethers were a portal between worlds, she finds herself abruptly transported back in time. Stepping into seventeenth-century England, Julia becomes Mariana, a beautiful young woman struggling against danger and treachery, and battling a forbidden love for Richard de Mornay, handsome forebear of the present squire of Crofton Hall. Each time Julia travels back, she becomes more enthralled with the past, falling ever deeper in love with Richard...until one day she realizes Mariana's life threatens to eclipse her own--and that she must find a way to lay the past to rest, or risk losing a chance for love in her own time.

My Thoughts:
This was such an intrigue book from start to finish. The small town life that Julia acquired when she bought Greywethers and the townspeople were among my favorite parts but my absolutely and undoubtedly favorite part was the time travel. 300 years before it had been the home of a young woman named Mariana. Julia, unwillingly at first begins to experience a series of time regression events at which time she realizes that she is Mariana. Julia begins to eagerly welcome these time trips as she is anxious to know more about Mariana and the events in her life . As the past unfolds it Julia sees Mariana's romance with a neighboring aristocrat, Richard. When Julia learns what happened to Mariana and Richard, she realizes that in order to close the circle, find happiness for herself and closure for Mariana, she must find the present-day man who embodies Richard just as she embodies Mariana. It's not a gooey romance but it is a delightful tale of an old house retaining the passions of past events with just a smidgen of the supernatural.

The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer
4★'s

From the Book:
"Six minutes from now, one of us would be dead. None of us knew it was coming."

So says Wes Holloway, a young presidential aide, about the day he put Ron Boyle, the chief executive's oldest friend, into the president's limousine. By the trip's end, a crazed assassin would permanently disfigure Wes and kill Boyle. Now, eight years later, Boyle has been spotted alive. Trying to figure out what really happened takes Wes back into disturbing secrets buried in Freemason history, a decade-old presidential crossword puzzle, and a two-hundred-year-old code invented by Thomas Jefferson that conceals secrets worth dying for.

My Thoughts:

I loved the story line and will say that I had given the book a 4.5 star rating with the expectation of a perfect 5...until... It had exciting action at every turn. A story with characters that you could love and trust in one chapter and hate and distrust before the next page. Everyone could have been the good guy and everyone could have been the bad guy. So what happened? An ending that went on and on and on and then an epilogue that was about ten minutes longer than it needed to be. Just didn't have the punch that the first 114 chapters had, not to mention that we never really found out what the tie in was with the Masons. That being said...it was an enjoyable book. I loved Brad Meltzer's television series, "History Decoded" so I will certainly read another of his future books.

Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint
4.5★'s

From the Book:
The portly, methodical Inspector Singh is a thorn in the side of his bosses on the Singapore police department, so they send him off to Malaysia to monitor the trial of Chelsea Liew, a Singaporean beauty queen accused of killing her abusive millionaire ex-husband. The plot, revolving around the difference between secular and Islamic custody laws, is unexpectedly intricate and surprising. But the keenest pleasures of this book center on Inspector Singh, and his attempts to see justice served while somehow maneuvering around his excessively zealous sergeant, keeping his white sneakers clean, and scoring the occasional tasty snack.

My Thoughts:
I really liked this book and will plan to read the remainder of the series. The story had everything a good murder mystery novel should have....very well written...many interesting characters... many suspects with good motives to have committed murder, and it brought focus on the destruction of the Borneo rainforest...and don't even get me started on that topic. I couldn't figure out who the killer was and that is always a good thing for me as it encourages me to use the old gray cells. Overall an excellent book and the beginning of a promising series.

>176 Carol420:
I hadn't heard of this series .... interesting premise.

>177 BookConcierge: It was my Blind Date With A Book on the Treasure Trove site. Lynda (OM) recommended it. I'll have to admit that without the blind date challenge I probably would have never read it.

Smooth Operator by Stuart Woods
Teddy Fay series Book # 1
4.5★'s

From The Book:
When President Kate Lee calls Stone Barrington to Washington on an urgent matter, it’s soon clear that a potentially disastrous situation requires the kind of help more delicate than even he can provide... and he knows just the right man for the job. Teddy Fay: ex-CIA, master of disguise, and a gentleman not known for abiding by legal niceties in the pursuit of his own brand of justice.

My Thoughts:
Teddy Fay is one of the most fascinating characters that Stuart Woods has ever imagined. He has appeared at some point in all of the Stone Barrington, Holly Barker, Will Lee and Ed Eagle books and brought a touch of adventure, excitement and intrigue to what was already a good story. Teddy rides the fence between being a good guy and a bad guy...dispensing, when called upon...his own brand of justice. I thought from the very first time I met him in a Stone Barrington book that this character should have his very own series. If Teddy's book #1 is any indication Mr. Woods has an automatic hit on his hands. I just hope that he will continue along the lines that he has written in Smooth Operator and doesn't feel that it is necessary to turn this amazingly wonderful character into a sex crazed manic as he has some of his others. I will have to say that he has toned down the hormones in his other characters in the last couple of books. Great beginning Mr. Woods and thank you.

Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong
Cainsville series Book #4
3.5★'s

From The Book:
When Olivia's life exploded--after she found out she was not the adopted child of a privileged Chicago family but of a notorious pair of convicted serial killers--she found a refuge in the secluded but oddly welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois. Working with Gabriel Walsh, a fiendishly successful criminal lawyer with links to the town, she discovered the truth about her parents' crimes in an investigation that also revealed the darker forces at work in the place that had offered her a haven. As if that wasn't enough, she also found out that she, Gabriel and her biker boyfriend Ricky were not caught in an ordinary sort of love triangle, but were hereditary actors in an ancient drama in which the elders of Cainsville and the mysterious Huntsmen who opposed them had a huge stake. Now someone is killing street kids in the city, and the police have tied Ricky to the crimes. Setting out with Gabriel's help to clear Ricky's name, Olivia once again finds her own life at risk. Soon the three are tangled in a web of betrayals that threatens their uneasy equilibrium and is pushing them toward a hard choice: either they fulfill their destinies by trusting each other and staying true to their real bonds, or they succumb to the extraordinary forces trying to win an eternal war by tearing them apart.

My Thoughts:
I couldn't really get into this one as it was a great deal like reading book 2 with some slight character and plot changes. Rick needs to go wherever unnecessary people in Cainsville go. He's a slick, snarky character and the story would read better without him. In all fairness to Rick... he did do the "right thing" in the end and he might have come off in a better light if the plot hadn't been so weak. It's not a bad series it's just becoming repetitive. It got the 3.5 rating because the new myth was very good even if the plot in this one was a bit on the silly side.

Deep Dark by Laura Griffin
Tracer series Book #10
3.5★'s

From The Book:
The moment detective Reed Novak steps onto the crime scene, he knows the case is going to rock his world. A beautiful young woman murdered at home. No sign of forced entry. No motive. She’s obviously not the killer’s first victim, and Reed’s instincts tell him she won’t be his last. Reed’s first clue comes via a mysterious text that links to a dating profile, but even more intriguing than the clue is the person who sent it. As a white-hat hacker in the Delphi Center’s cyber investigation unit, Laney Knox sneaks into some of the deepest, darkest corners of the Internet looking for predators. Laney would prefer to stay away from Austin PD’s most recent murder case, but she can’t ignore the chilling similarities between that crime and her own brutal attack years ago. Laney offers to help the sexy lead detective, but he wants more from her than just a promising tip—Reed wants her trust. Laney resists, but as their relationship deepens she’s tempted to reveal the closely guarded secrets that could make her a key witness…or the killer’s next victim.

My Thoughts:
It was an excellent murder/crime novel with some outstanding characters. It seemed that the "romance" element was inserted as an afterthought and really did nothing for the story other than that it was there. Fortunately for me...it didn't distract from the story either. People that like or need a little romance in their reading will like it...those that don't can tolerate it. As for the plot...it's doesn't make a lot of sense to start with but it does come together in the end. It will give you second thoughts about using dating sites or any social media for that matter. There is also a lot of geeky computer language but you don't need a Phd to understand it or just skip over it. I wouldn't make this a part of my "must read" list but once in awhile is okay.

The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen
Windermere and Stevens series Book #1
5★'s

From The Book:
Four friends, caught in a terrible job market, joke about turning to kidnapping to survive. And then, suddenly, it’s no joke. For two years, the strategy they devise works like a charm—until they kidnap the wrong man.
Now two groups are after them—the law, in the form of veteran state investigator Kirk Stevens and hotshot young FBI agent Carla Windermere, and an organized crime outfit looking for payback. As they crisscross the country in a series of increasingly explosive confrontations, each of them is ultimately forced to recognize the truth: The real professionals, cop or criminal, are those who are willing to sacrifice everything.

My Thoughts:
A really great new author for me that was recommended as my Blind Date With A Book. This whole endeavor started for these four young friends as a game that not one of them took seriously until they just tried it once and found that it worked better than they ever imagined. They were selective...they never asked for huge amounts of ransom...they always released their victim unharmed immediately after the ransom was dropped...they moved from state to state never staying in one place very long...and they didn't even have guns. All went smoothly... until it didn't. Luck was always on their side and then it went horribly wrong and from there continued to spin faster and faster out of control taking them on a ride with catastrophic consequences.

The strange thing is that the author makes you really like these kids. You find yourself wanting them to come out ahead even though you know everything is headed south. The FBI agent, Windermere and the Minnesota detective, Stevens are both dedicated cops that just won't give up. Owen Laukkanen has produced a 5 star first book in this series. I have already asked the library for the other 3 and I hope he is busy writing number 5.

>174 Carol420: Glad to see you enjoyed this book, one of my favourites.

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni
Tracy Crosswhite series Book #3
4 ★'s

From The Book:
Detective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime.

So when Jenny, a former police academy classmate and protégé, asks Tracy to help solve a cold case that involves the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years earlier, Tracy agrees. Following up on evidence Jenny’s detective father collected when he was the investigating deputy, Tracy probes one small town’s memory and finds dark, well-concealed secrets hidden within the community’s fabric. Can Tracy uphold the promise she’s made to the dead girl’s family and deliver the truth of what happened to their daughter? Or will she become the next victim?

My Thoughts:
Most of the book deals with a forty year old cold case involving the apparent suicide of Kimi Kanasket, a Native American teenager in Klickitat County, Washington. The former sheriff who is now deceased...was just a young deputy when he answered the call that Kami hadn't come home from her waitress job. He began to keep a file on the case as he couldn't get the investigating detectives to listen to him that there was something very wrong. He had taken dozens of pictures of the crime scene that showed that there had been several people and a truck in the clearing the night that she was supposed to have jumped into the river and drowned... that said it had not happened this way. Forty years later we find his daughter is now sheriff and she has found her father's file. Since it's a small town and may be considered a conflict of interest she asks Tracy Crosswhite...A Seattle detective to work on the case in her spare time.

What actually happened and who the killer is is fairly obvious early on but the way that Tracy follows the evidence that is brought to light by technology that wasn't available forty years ago is amazing as well as fascinating. Knowing how Tracy Crosswhite works the crime scene and how she digs deep for all the unknowns is what I love about her character. Overall this is a great series and well worth the time to meet Tracy and her friends.

Caught in the Light by Robert Goddard
4★'s

From the Book:
On assignment in Vienna, photographer Ian Jarrett falls desperately in love with a woman he meets by chance, Marian Esguard. Back in England, he breaks up with his wife and goes to meet Marian at an agreed rendezvous. Marian fails to show.

Searching desperately for her, he stumbles on a Dorset churchyard full of the gravestones of dead Esguards. He also meets a psychotherapist, Daphne Sanger. She too is looking for someone: a former patient who has come to believe she is the reincarnation of Marion Esguard, who lived in Regency times and, it emerges, may have invented photography ten years before Fox Talbot. But if so, why is she unknown to history? And where is the woman he met in Vienna? Ian sets out to solve a mystery that may be 170 years old. At the end of his search a trap awaits him.

My Thoughts:
Robert Goodard is an author that can, and will, take a topic and construe the most complex story lines around it. This is what he has done in Caught in the Light. Ian Jarrett is a man processed by "true love"...so much so that he constantly throws good common sense into the wind. I became so frustrated with him at times that I wanted to scream at him to just call the police...or use the invention called the telephone instead of driving all over England searching for a "ghost".

One thing that he has done brilliantly here is blend the past and the present to create a plot that has the reader guessing from page 1 if our "hero" is coming or going. He has also shown how seemingly simple it is for a totally outside force to take control of your life and turn your world on it's ear. This is a novel of love, loss, deception and amateur detection. Part ghost story, part historical mystery. I will say that I was a little disappointed in the ending but there was so much more of the rest of the book to make up for that.

The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey
Maeve Kerrigan series Book #4
2★'s

From The Book:
He meets women. He gains their trust. He kills them. That's all London police detective Maeve Kerrigan knows about the man she is hunting. Three women have been strangled in their homes, and it appears to be the work of the same sadistic killer. With no sign of break-ins, every indication shows that the women let their attacker in willingly. The victims' neighbors and friends don't seem to remember anything unusual or suspicious, and Maeve is almost at a loss about how to move forward with the investigation.

Then the evidence starts to point to a shocking suspect: DCI Josh Derwent, Maeve's partner on the police force. Maeve refuses to believe he could be involved, but how well does she really know him? Secrets Derwent has long kept locked away are coming back to haunt him, and the more Maeve learns about her partner's past, the more difficult it is to dismiss him as a suspect. After all, this is hardly the first time Derwent's been accused of murder.

My Thoughts:
This is supposed to be a mystery??? The only mystery I could see is where was the mystery? In the opening pages a woman is found dead in the trunk of a car. Maeve and her partner, Josh Derwent , are called to the scene. Derwent must think he is the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes and obviously likes himself a great deal and thinks every word out of his mouth is funny and absolutely the gospel. The entire police force including the commander is dirty. Not a single one that you could say you like even a little. We learned of Maeve's past cases...hope she did more investigating on those and we learned more than we needed to know about her sex life. I guess the woman is still in the trunk but I won't be reading any more to find out.

Ghost Song by Sarah Rayne
4.5★'s

From The Book:
The old Tarleton music hall is the subject of a mysterious building restriction that has kept it closed for more than 90 years. When Robert Fallon is asked to survey the structure, he finds clues indicating that its long twilight sleep may contain a sinister secret. Joining forces with researcher Hilary Bryant, Robert discovers the legend of the Tarleton's ghost, a mysterious figure that was first glimpsed during the era of Toby Chance, a charismatic performer who vanished suddenly and inexplicably in the early 1900s. After almost a century the Tarleton's dark silence is about to end, but there are those who find its reopening a threatening prospect. As Robert and Hilary delve into the macabre history, they both become menaced by the secrets of the past.

My Thoughts:
Loved the whole idea behind this book. The ghost was always there but you were never really allowed to see it...it just lurked in the shadows and waited. The old theater and the people that populated it in it's heyday in 1914 to the people that were curious about the legends and the stories that surrounded it in the present were more than intriguing. The story has several twists and turns as it takes the reader through the decades but it never allows the reader to guess the ending. Highly recommend this to all historical buffs...paranormal enthusiasts and anyone that just wants to brave a dark and stormy night with a shivery tale.

The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope series Book #5
4★'s

From The Book:
DI Vera Stanhope is not one to make friends easily, but her hippy neighbors keep her well-supplied in home-brew and conversation so she has more tolerance for them than most. When one of them goes missing she feels duty-bound to find out what happened. But her path leads her to more than just a missing friend.

My Thoughts:
I first met Vera Stanhope in the television series, 'Vera', played by Brenda Blethyn. I love this series and the Vera character that Ann Cleeves and the television producers created. It's difficult to put Brenda Blethyn's persona with the Vera character of the book. While Brenda isn't fashion model trim...she's not fat, overbearing, and sometimes bull headed as the book Vera is. Frankly if I hadn't seen the TV series I probably would have really disliked what the series began from. I just keep this Brenda "Vera" in mind when reading the books. The cases and the mysteries are the same high quality begging to be solved as only Vera Stanhope...TV or book...and her team can.

I don't believe that this book showed as much investigation as the others. A lot of time was spent interviewing suspects and seemed to be going over and over the same material. But it seems that no case is too much for our Vera. Vera does not waste time with petty issues. She looks for the clues, builds her case, and goes in for the capture. The ending seemed a little off to me after Ann Cleeves spent much of the book with character development. We didn't really learn the "HOW' that lead Vera and her team to the killer or even "HOW" they came to be where they were. It was Vera and I do love the character so I gave it a 4 instead of a 3.5.

The Other Child by Joanne Fluke
5★’s

From The Book:
Where Innocence Dies. . .

Expectant parents Karen and Mike Houston are excited about restoring their old rambling Victorian mansion to its former glory. With its endless maze of rooms, hallways, and hiding places, it's a wonderful place for their nine-year-old daughter Leslie to play and explore. Unfortunately, they didn't listen to the stories about the house's dark history. They didn't believe the rumors about the evil that lived there.

. . .The Nightmare Begins.

It begins with a whisper…. a child's voice beckoning from the rose garden…. crying out in the night. It lures little Leslie to a crumbling storm door and down a flight of broken stairs. It calls to their unborn child. It wants something from each of them….something in their very hearts and souls. Tonight, the house will reveal its secret. Tonight, the other child will come out to play.

My Thoughts:
A small boy huddled in the dark. His mother had promised she would never leave him… not in this awful house… not in this evil town. She was dead and gone and he was alone….accidentally trapped in the root cellar with no one to answer his call or hear his final cry. One hundred years later he has found he has company…a playmate… and best of all…a mother. You almost knew from the time the Houston’s bought the old house what was going to happen but you just had to continue reading. In the beginning the little ghost seemed to be friendly and just lonely but it didn’t take very long before you knew that the time he had spent alone dying in the root cellar and calling for is lost mother, had changed him. From that point on the entire family was doomed in their own way and for individual reasons.

I love a good ghost story. I had only been familiar with Joanne Fluke as a cozy mystery writer. The Other Child is a well done mystery/horror/ghost story that is guaranteed to produce mega goose bumps and is anything but cozy. The story reminds me of the works of John Saul who writes some of the best ghostly horror I have ever read. I see she has a few other books in this vein that I will have to check out very soon. I recommend it to all ghost story lovers.

Insidious by Catherine Coulter
FBI series Book #20
3★’s

From The Book:
FBI agents Savich and Sherlock must discover who is trying to murder Venus Rasmussen, a powerful, wealthy society icon. They soon find out that the danger may be closer than expected.

Venus Rasmussen, a powerful woman who runs the international conglomerate Rasmussen Industries, believes someone is poisoning her. After Savich and Sherlock visit with her, someone attempts to shoot her in broad daylight. Who’s trying to kill her and why? A member of her rapacious family, or her grandson who’s been missing for ten years and suddenly reappears? Savich and Sherlock must peel away the layers to uncover the incredible truth about who would target Venus.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Cam Wittier leaves Washington for Los Angeles to work with local Detective Daniel Montoya to lead the hunt for the Starlet Slasher, a serial killer who has cut the throats of five young actresses. When a sixth young actress is murdered, Cam comes to realize the truth might be closer than she’d ever want to believe.

My Thoughts:
I have read this series from the very beginning and always liked agents Sherlock and Savich. I liked their camaraderie and their often times humor in situations that weren’t particularly humorous. This book…? I’d have to say just so..so. I know it’s book 20 but I’ve read other series that had 40 or more books and they have thus far remained fresh and exciting. This one… not so much. To start with there wasn’t much plot and what plot there was really didn’t make a great deal of sense and the motive was left to the reader’s imagination. The dialog that had in the past been humorous was just silly. I’m not sure if I’ll read the next one or not. I know every author has an occasional let down so perhaps this was the case here. I gave it a 3…for old times sake and a sincere hope of better things to come.

The Keeper by John Lescroart
Dismas Hardy Series Book #15
4.5∝'s

From the Book:
On the evening before Thanksgiving, Hal Chase, a guard in the San Francisco County Jail, drives to the airport to pick up his step-brother for the weekend. When they return, Hal’s wife, Katie, has disappeared without a clue.

By the time Dismas Hardy hears about this, Katie has been missing for five days. The case strikes close to home because Katie had been seeing Hardy’s wife, a marriage counselor. By this time, the original Missing Persons case has become a suspected homicide, and Hal is the prime suspect. And the lawyer he wants for his defense is none other than Hardy himself. Hardy calls on his friend, former homicide detective Abe Glitsky, to look into the case. At first it seems like the police might have it right; the Chases’ marriage was fraught with problems; Hal’s alibi is suspect; the life insurance policy on Katie was huge. But Glitsky’s mission is to identify other possible suspects, and there proves to be no shortage of them: Patti Orosco—rich, beautiful, dangerous, and Hal’s former lover; the still unknown person who had a recent affair with Katie; even Hal’s own step-mother Ruth, resentful of Katie’s gatekeeping against her grandchildren. And as Glitsky probes further, he learns of an incident at the San Francisco jail, where Hal works—only one of many questionable inmate deaths that have taken place there. Then, when Katie’s body is found not three blocks from the Chase home, Homicide arrests Hal and he finds himself an inmate in the very jail where he used to work, a place full of secrets he knows all too well. Against this backdrop of conspiracy and corruption, ambiguous motives and suspicious alibis, an obsessed Glitsky closes in on the elusive truth. As other deaths begin to pile up he realizes, perhaps too late, that the next victim might be himself.

My Thoughts:
Most of the story is told from the point of view of former homicide detective Abe Glitsky. Hardy has hired him to find out who killed his client's wife. Glitsky is a retired detective, so he knows what to do and wastes no time in doing it...but runs into road blocks that are doing more harm than good at every turn. Just when he thinks he will never be a "real cop" again the DA needs a new investigator to take over when one of his people is killed. Hardy talks the D.A. into hiring Glitsky so that it will give him back his police authority but still with the imperative to find out the truth. The truth takes many different turns and even though everyone knows what the truth is....a major problem is the truth can't be proven.

About half way through the book I was enjoying the story and was sure that Glitsky and I had it all figured out...but think again. Well done Mr. Lescoart. The story didn't seem to move along very fast in places but it was a excellent read but somewhat lacked t the usual amount of suspense. No court action...which Dismas Hardy is famous for in these books...which was a little disappointing.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
3.5★'s

From The Book:
Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

My Thoughts:
The dinner party was only next door and the hostess had specifically expressed that there be no children. When their babysitter cancelled at the last minute due to her grandmother's death, they were stuck and seeing as how they were the only guests at the small birthday celebration dinner for one of the hosts...Anne saw no reason why six-month old Cora wouldn't be an exception. Marco, her husband disagreed...Cora was a child. Anne said she's just stay home but Marco said that would also be unacceptable. After arguing the pros and cons they said they would leave Cora asleep in her crib and take turns checking on her every 30 minutes....it was only next door after all. All went well until...it didn't. Anne took her turn at 11:00 and stayed to feed and change the baby. Marco missed his turn at 12:00 since he was up to no good with the sexy, slightly intoxicated, hostess. When Anne talked Marco into leaving the party shortly after 12:30 they were faced with a parents worse nightmare...no baby. Cora was GONE.

This was Shari Lapena's first attempt at a suspense novel and I have to say she wrote a dozy. There are so many scenarios that make perfect sense. So many times that you think you know exactly what happened and who is responsible...only to have it take a different turn. You love the parents, the police detective, and the grandparents one minute and hate them the next. The story shows how one small bad decision can turn your world upside down in a heartbeat. Believe me when I tell you you won't figure it out...but you will have a blast trying.

Liar, Liar by M.J. Arlidge
Helen Grace series Book #4
5★’s

From the Book:
Detective Helen Grace has never seen such destruction. Six fires in twenty-four hours. Two people dead. Several more injured. It’s as if someone wants to burn the city to the ground. With the whole town on high alert, Helen and her team must sift through the rubble to find the arsonist, someone whose thirst for fire—and control—is reducing entire lives to ashes. One misstep could mean Helen’s career—and more lives lost. And as the pressure mounts and more buildings burn, Helen’s own dark impulses threaten to consume her

My Thoughts:
DI Helen Grace is faced with a new kind of challenge: a serial arsonist is terrorizing the city, seemingly intent on burning it to the ground. This arsonist shows no pity, targeting suburban homes in the dead of night while their residents are fast asleep inside. With ever-present bureaucratic roadblocks standing in her way, Helen finds herself in a race against time to identify the arsonist and stop him from condemning more innocent lives to his fiery infernos. Helen also has a new supervisor that she can’t decide if he is just overly friendly and genuinely concerned about her or if he has another agenda in mind. The story does have plot twists of its own. I certainly never saw the ending coming…never guessed who the arsonist was…and the story had more than enough momentum to keep me reading. M,J. Arlidge’s writing has the same fast-paced quality as that of Peter James…one of my favorite authors. I was not disappointed in the ending but it opens up a creepy possibility that I hope the author doesn’t forget to explore in future books.

The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen
Stevens & Windermere series Book #5
5★'s

From The Book:
Kirk Stevens and Carla Windermere of the joint BCA-FBI violent crime task force have handled shocking cases before, but this one is different. Stevens’s daughter, Andrea, is distraught over a classmate’s suicide, but what the two investigators find is even more disturbing—an online suicide club of unhappy teenagers, presided over by an anonymous presence who seems to be spurring them on. Soon, it becomes apparent that the classmate wasn’t the first victim—and won’t be the last, either, unless they can hunt down this psychopath once and for all.

My Thoughts:
It appears that there is someone encouraging teenagers on a suicide website to enter into a pack with the administrator of the site to not only kill themselves but are encouraged to film their death. This person leads them to believe that they are also suicidal and will die with them. Stevens and Windermere realize that there is a very sick and evil internet predator that is preying on susceptible youngsters and selling these recordings on the black websites.

A back story is taking place at the same time. A 15 year old boy is brutally abused by his alcoholic step-father. For some reason he feels that he has the right to prey on his step-sister and encourage her to kill herself. He has been watching her for several months and seeing her die is the high point of his life and he tries again and again to reach this high point again by watching others die.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, the reader needs to be aware that it is a very, very dark topic. You will want so badly to tell the 16 year old girl that is on a bus from Tampa to Louisville to meet, what she believes is a 16 year old desperate boy named Brandon…to just turn around and run…DON”T get off the bus. Unfortunately the story has so much truth to it that it should scare every parent to watch what and who your child is meeting on line. Don’t be too busy or too trusting…they are children and don’t always have good judgment.

Skeleton Coast by Clive Cussler & Jack DuBrul
Oregon Files series Boo# 4 (group read)
4 ★'s

From The Book:
juan Cabrillo and the crew of the covert combat ship Oregon have barely escaped a mission on the Congo River when they intercept a mayday from a defenseless boat under fire off the African coast. Cabrillo takes action, saving the beautiful Sloane Macintyre - who's looking for a long-submerged ship that may hold a fortune in diamonds. But what surprises Cabrillo is her story about a crazy fisherman who claims to have been attacked on the open sea by giant metal snakes in the same area.What begins as a snake hunt leads Cabrillo onto the trail of a far more lethal quarry - a deranged militant and his followers who plan to unleash the devastating power of nature itself against all who oppose them.

My Thoughts:
The story reads from start to finish like a James Bond movie. The crew of the Oregon barely has time to catch their breath before they find them selves in another battle.

Even though I didn't completely understand it all, I found Cussler's brief information on the evolution of hurricanes and the importance of ocean currents and water temperature in their development interesting. This book also offers yet more brief glimpses into the lives of the Oregon's crew. While this wasn't exactly my favorite book in the series it certainly rated very high. I recommend this series to anyone that wants a well formed and executed adventure with likable and believable characters even if they are a cross between James Band and Superman.

Apprentice in Death by J.D. Robb
In Death series Book #43
5★'s

From The Book:
The shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people were dead at Central Park’s ice-skating rink. The victims: a talented young skater, a doctor, and a teacher. As random as random can be. Eve Dallas has seen a lot of killers during her time with the NYPSD but never one like this. A review of the security videos reveals that the victims were killed with a tactical laser rifle fired by a sniper, who could have been miles away when the trigger was pulled. And though the list of locations where the shooter could have set up seems endless, the number of people with that particular skill set is finite: police, military, professional killer. Eve’s husband, Roarke, has unlimited resources—and genius—at his disposal. And when his computer program leads Eve to the location of the sniper, she learns a shocking fact: There were two—one older, one younger. Someone is being trained by an expert in the science of killing, and they have an agenda. Central Park was just a warm-up. And as another sniper attack shakes the city to its core, Eve realizes that though we’re all shaped by the people around us, there are those who are just born evil.

My Thoughts:
How can J.D. Robb, (Nora Roberts) have possibly produced 43 books in this series and still kept the series fresh and exciting and the host of characters growing and developing? I don't know the answer but she has succeeded beautifully. Even the relationship between Eve and Sommerset took a turn in this one. I have to say Ms. Robb succeeded in giving us a scary moment there. There were also moments of joy and celebration as little Bella turns 2 years old and Eve gets her first view of her new, state of the art, work station. Although many of the later books can be read out of order unless you are one of those people whose head will implode...if you are just starting the series you will benefit in learning how the characters develop and mesh together by starting at book 1, Naked in Death. And you'll have the adventure and the joy of 42 others...a marathon reading fest! I keep forgetting just how good this series is until I have the newest one in hand. Looking forward to two new ones in 2017.

No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill
5★’s

From The Book:
Darkness lives within ...Cash-strapped, working for agencies and living in shared accommodation, Stephanie Booth feels she can fall no further. So when she takes a new room at the right price, she believes her luck has finally turned. But 82 Edgware Road is not what it appears to be. It's not only the eerie atmosphere of the vast, neglected house, or the disturbing attitude of her new landlord, Knacker McGuire, that makes her uneasy - it's the whispers behind the fireplace, the scratching beneath floors, the footsteps in the dark, and the young women weeping in neighboring rooms. And when Knacker's cousin Fergal arrives, the danger goes vertical. But this is merely a beginning, a gateway to horrors beyond Stephanie's worst nightmares. And in a house where no one listens to the screams, will she ever get out alive?

My Thoughts:
Creepy… scary… super creepy… super scary...who could ask for more? She should have listened to the saying ‘If it looks to good to be true it probably is’ Her landlord Knacker McGuire and his dilapidated house give her the creeps. During the day she thinks she sees girls who turn out not to be there, and at night she is kept awake by weeping, whispers and footsteps. Just when Steph thinks that things can’t get any worse Knacker’s cousin Fergal arrives and soon Steph realizes that she will have to get out of the house at any cost, before she becomes trapped there too.

The bad thing about this book is it is a hefty tomb at over 600 pages but I never felt that it was a challenge; except to hold it I found that I was hooked from the time I red the fly-leaf until the brilliantly done ending. What characters we met! Knacker and Fergal are totally sinister giving the whole story a very overwhelming sense of foreboding from the start…Steph’s first night she hears scratching under the bed. Who has not in the dark of night put off looking under the bed until good daylight? You know something bad is going to happen, but the plot unfolds in such a way to make your dread build and build, and even when you think it’s all over at last…it’s not. This is definitely one of the best books of his I have read. To quote another reviewer “A menacing novel that gets under your skin and stays there.”

The Intercept by Dick Wolf
Jeremy Fisk series Book #1
5★’s

From The Book:
Days before the July Fourth holiday and the dedication of One World Trade Center at Ground Zero, an incident aboard a commercial jet reminds everyone involved that vigilance saves lives. But New York Police Detective Jeremy Fisk—from the department's Intelligence Division, a well-funded anti-terror unit modeled upon the CIA—suspects that the event is a warning sign that another, potentially more extraordinary scheme has been set in motion. So when a passenger from the same plane disappears into the crowds of Manhattan, it's up to Fisk and his partner, Krina Gersten, to find him before the celebrations begin . . . and time is running out.

My Thoughts:
My Blind Date With A Book for September. He’s a busy guy. I was surprised he even had time to go out on the town. He was a great guy and a lot fun. I know we’ll be going out again in the near future.
Over all I found this to be an exciting thriller, filled with suspense from the creator of the Television show “Law and Order”…. and it reads a lot like a screenplay. The plot it’s self was a bit more complex than it needed to be, but it was in keeping with just how devious the planned attack was. He characters were all very real and Jeremy is going to be one of my new favorite heroes.

Tough Customer by Sandra Brown
3.5★’s

From The Book:
When a deranged stalker attempts to murder her daughter Berry, Caroline King has no doubts who to contact for help: Berry’s father, the cagey private investigator Dodge Hanley. It’s been thirty years since Dodge last saw Caroline, but the savvy real estate mogul still haunts his dreams. He has a whole bagful of grudging excuses for ignoring Caroline’s call—and one compelling reason to drop everything and fly down to Texas to protect the daughter he’s never met: guilt. As always, Dodge’s perseverance knows no bounds as he teams with a small-town sheriff, but the alarming situation worsens when the stalker claims other victims, leaving a trail of clues lethally pointing toward Berry. And Dodge—a street-smart fighter who has always put his life on the line—realizes that this time, he’s risking his heart as well.

My Thoughts:
This was my “Blind Date With A Book” for September. I’ll probably date his friends but I’m not sure I want to date him again. He was a nice enough guy but we just didn’t mesh. However, I will have to say there were times throughout when he was lots of fun.

I’ve read Sandra Brown books before this one and have always found them to be sometimes heavy on the romance angle and fairly predictable in the outcome. This one was just slow. I can’t really think of another word to describe it. The characters were for the most part just uninteresting…but not entirely unlikable. The deputy and Berry were good but you had to get to page 360 before it picked up and the fabric of the story began to weave together. This is one case where the back story to the 1970’s actually saved the entire book.

The Guards by Ken Bruen
Jack Taylor series Book #1
3 ★’s

From the Book:
Still stinging from his unceremonious ouster from the Garda Siochana--The Guards, Ireland's police force--and staring at the world through the smoky bottom of his beer mug, Jack Taylor is stuck in Galway with nothing to look forward to. In his sober moments Jack aspires to become Ireland's best private investigator, not to mention its first--Irish history, full of betrayal and espionage, discourages any profession so closely related to informing. But in truth Jack is teetering on the brink of his life's sharpest edges, his memories of the past cutting deep into his soul and his prospects for the future nonexistent. Nonexistent, that is, until a dazzling woman walks into the bar with a strange request and a rumor about Jack's talent for finding things. Odds are he won't be able to climb off his barstool long enough to get involved with his radiant new client, but when he surprises himself by getting hired, Jack has little idea of what he's getting into.

My Thoughts:
Jack Taylor is the tough cop who loves books; the beating victim who insists on checking himself out of a hospital too soon…everyone’s and no one ones friend. The Irish seaside city of Galway is the setting for all of these books. Sometimes you can’t figure out if Bruen loves the town or hates it…but he has certainly put it on the literary map. His character of Jack Taylor is Galway born and bred and is such an unusual character. Taylor is a former member of the Garda Síochána, the Guards, Ireland's shadowy police force. Drink…not an unusual thing in Ireland… and general attitude has gotten Jack removed from their ranks and this has not made him exactly a bosom pal to the rest of the Guards. To support himself and also if the truth is told…his habit…Jack takes on the role of a private detective.

I have read several of the other books in this series and found them to be much better than this first attempt which is often the case. If I had not ROO (read out of order) and this had been the first one that I had read…I fear it would have also been the last one. It’s full of very predictable, standard crime novel cop cliques and several very nasty characters. Jack Taylor goes from a drunken cop to a drunken P.I. that meets his clients in a bar and laces his morning breakfast…also in the bar… with coffee. The one thing this book served to do was build the character of Jack Taylor…a man tormented by his demons and searching for something that seems to have evaded him his entire life. Believe me when I say that the series does get better and even Jack shows some promise.

The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
Ruth Galloway series Book #8
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Known as England’s Nazareth, the medieval town of Little Walsingham is famous for religious apparitions. So when Ruth Galloway’s druid friend Cathbad sees a woman in a white dress and a dark blue cloak standing alone in the local cemetery one night, he takes her as a vision of the Virgin Mary. But then a woman wrapped in blue cloth is found dead the next day, and Ruth’s old friend Hilary, an Anglican priest, receives a series of hateful, threatening letters. Could these crimes be connected? When one of Hilary’s fellow female priests is murdered just before Little Walsingham’s annual Good Friday Passion Play, Ruth, Cathbad, and DCI Harry Nelson must team up to find the killer before he strikes again.

My Thoughts:
It doesn't seem possible that it's been 8 books ago that we first met this eclectic group of characters. The past is never far away from any Elly Griffiths novel and The Woman in Blue is no exception. We are introduced to a group of believers that are a bit over enthusiastic in some of their worship practices and of course we have a murder to solve. Elly Griffiths has again written an excellent murder mystery complete with creditable characters and enhanced by the wild and beautiful landscapes and history native to the region. The conflicted relationship between Ruth Galloway and Harry Nelson as well as several others provides an interesting counterpoint to the entire story.

The Ophelia Cut by John Lescroart
Dismas Hardy series Book #14
3★'s

What the Book Promised:
When a brutal rapist is murdered, a loving father stands accused of the crime and defense attorney Dismas Hardy must defend his brother-in-law and old friend Moses McGuire in a thrilling case that hits far too close to home.

What I Found:
Moses McGuire's flighty twenty-three year old daughter, Brittany... has horrible taste in men and frequently flits from one boyfriend to another. Brittany has begun dating Rick Jessup, who is not only politically connected, but also arrogant, narcissistic and if you look up "jerk" in the dictionary....there will be a big picture of Rick. She realizes much too late that her dream lover is a cruel and immoral misogynist. Major trouble ensues, and Dismas Hardy finds himself representing his brother-in-law, Moses, who finds that the whole huge mess could cost him his freedom.

That being said and when I am about 80% through the book...the bombs begin to drop and what started out as another great Dismas Hardy story...falls totally flat. It leaves most of the real questions unanswered and the final segment regarding the flaky Brittany...made absolutely no sense whatsoever. The plot had been interesting although it took way too long to conclude and I don't think the author knew just how to end the book. Up to this book this has been a well done, "can't wait to read the next book" series.

Killer Takes All by Erica Spindler
4★'s

"The White Rabbit beckons you to follow him, down the rabbit hole, into his world. He's a deceiver, a trickster. You won't know what is truth and what is a lie. He aims to best you. Beat you. And when he does, you die."

"A friend's brutal murder turns former homicide detective Stacy Killian's life upside down. Unwilling to trust Spencer Malone, the overconfident New Orleans detective assigned to the case, Stacy is compelled to return to the investigative role she had fled."
From the Book:
The investigation leads Stacy and Spencer to White Rabbit, a cultish fantasy role-playing game. White Rabbit is dark, violent -- and addictive. As the body count mounts, they find themselves trapped in a terrifying game that's more real than life and death. Because anyone can die before the final moment when White Rabbit is over . . . and the killer takes all."

My Thoughts:
For those of us that feed on mysteries the villain will come as no real surprise. What was surprising was how many red herrings Erica Spindler threw us and how many of those red herrings we believed.

Role playing games are the main focus of the plot line and you really need to know or at least have a general idea of exactly how these "games" work. One thing the reader does learn about them from this work is that sometimes they are not a "game" and many times they are even deadly. Anyone can be a victim and anyone can be a murderer.

As for the characters...they were okay. The author would have made Stacey Killian more believable if she had left her as still a member of the Dallas Police Department instead of an ex-member. Maybe the New Orleans Police would have been more grateful for her help and she would have come across more as helping not impeding a murder investigation. I'm amazed she wasn't arrested in spite of her good intentions. Overall...it was an enjoyable read with just enough intrigue to make it interesting.

Started Early Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
Jackson Brody series Book #4
2★'s

From The Book:
Tracy Waterhouse leads a quiet, ordered life as a retired police detective-a life that takes a surprising turn when she encounters Kelly Cross, a habitual offender, dragging a young child through town. Both appear miserable and better off without each other-or so decides Tracy, in a snap decision that surprises herself as much as Kelly. Suddenly burdened with a small child, Tracy soon learns her parental inexperience is actually the least of her problems, as much larger ones loom for her and her young charge.

Meanwhile, Jackson Brodie, the beloved detective of novels such as Case Histories, is embarking on a different sort of rescue-that of an abused dog. Dog in tow, Jackson is about to learn, along with Tracy, that no good deed goes unpunished.

My Thoughts:
Call me dense...call me stupid even...but I just didn't get it. I find it almost impossible to describe this book. I've read the other three in this series and really, really enjoyed them. I love the Jackson Brody character and I will have to admit that his parts in the story with the dog were beautifully done but the woman selling her child to Tracy or Tracy actually buying a child...I just couldn't wrap my head around the why of that at all. The skipping back and forth didn't help either. I probably would have given the book another half a star except for the unresolved issues at the end and the really depressing outcome for some of the characters.

Nightwatching by John Zunski
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Do the dead forgive? The question haunts Sondra McAfee. After the death of their three year-old son, Sondra and husband Travis escape Seattle’s society for a fresh start in the mountains of Montana, only to learn what awaits is as horrific as their past. On the fringe of civilization, something sinister lurks within moonlit shadows, preying upon the anguish of tortured souls. Feel Sondra’s isolation in a mountain cabin, the torment of a schizophrenic shut-in, and the desperation of a broken hearted musician as they struggle to overcome personal demons. Together, can they defeat what feeds upon their souls? The answer lies within this tale of horror, betrayal, addiction, and lust.

My Thoughts:
This sounded perfect and it met a challenge category that I had almost given up on. The book for it's wonderful description...started out really slow. I know the author had to set the stage with the little boys' death and the relocation of Sondra and Travis to the wilds of Montana...but I nearly gave this story up. I am so glad I didn't. It is one of the best horror stories that I have read in a very long time. There's the little boy in the woods that only comes to visit in the full moon and the footprints on Sondra's ceiling. The author brings the horrifying events to a slam - bang climax that may not be good for the weak of heart.

Ice Hunt by James Rollins
5★'s

From The Book:
Carved into a moving island of ice twice the size of the United States, Ice Station Grendel has been abandoned for more than seventy years. The twisted brainchild of the finest minds of the former Soviet Union, it was designed to be inaccessible and virtually invisible.

But an American undersea research vessel has inadvertently pulled too close – and something has been sighted moving inside the allegedly deserted facility, something whose survival defies every natural law. And now, as scientists, soldiers, intelligence operatives, and unsuspecting civilians are drawn into Grendel’s lethal vortex, the most extreme measures possible will be undertaken to protect its dark mysteries – because the terrible truths locked behind submerged walls of ice and steel could end human life on Earth.

My Thoughts:
James Rollins has shown time and time again that he possesses one of the most creative imaginations of any writer I have ever read. Ice Hunt takes readers on a roller coaster ride of good guys, bad guys, could be good or bad guys, complications of Arctic weather and to make it interesting...a horde of monsters that have you on their dinner menu. In addition to all that Rollins has created a very interesting array of characters. If you like lots of action, suspense, narrow escapes, original plot lines, and likable characters, you really can't go wrong with or James Rollins in general.

The Stolen Ones by Owen Laukkanen
Stevens & Windemere series Book #4
4★'s

From The Book:
When you’ve got nothing left, you’ve got nothing left to lose. Cass County, Minnesota: A sheriff’s deputy steps out of a diner on a rainy summer evening, and a few minutes later, he’s lying dead in the mud. When BCA agent Kirk Stevens arrives on the scene, he discovers local authorities have taken into custody a single suspect: A hysterical young woman found sitting by the body, holding the deputy’s own gun. She has no ID, speaks no English. A mystery woman.

The mystery only deepens from there, as Stevens and Carla Windermere, his partner in the new joint BCA–FBI violent crime task force, find themselves on the trail of a massive international kidnapping and prostitution operation. Before the two agents are done, they will have traveled over half the country, from Montana to New York, and come face-to-face not only with the most vicious man either of them has ever encountered—but two of the most courageous women.

My Thoughts:
I read the first three books previously and they were all 5 star books. This one looses some of the rating...not because it isn't well written or as dynamic as the past three but because for one thing...it deals with a horrific subject...human sex trade trafficking...and two...because Windermere's horrible treatment of Mathers is becoming almost unbearable. If she doesn't want him to live with her just tell him and stop insulting him.

I really like Owen Laukkanen's writing style and will certainly read more of his works. I just hope he brings back the Windermere that we met in the first three books. She was flawed but she was at least reasonable in her thinking.

Reckless Creed by Alex Kava
Ryder Creek series Book #3
4.5★'s

From The Book:
In Chicago, a young man jumps from his thirtieth-story hotel room; along the Missouri river, a hunter and his son stumble upon a lake whose surface is littered with snow geese, all of them dead; and in southern Alabama, Ryder Creed and his search-and-rescue dog Grace find the body of a young woman who went missing in the Conecuh National Forest...and it appears she filled her pockets with rocks and walked into the river. Before long Ryder Creed and FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell will discover the ominous connection among these mysterious deaths. What they find may be the most prolific killer the United States has ever known.

My Thoughts:
Ryder Creed and his amazing dogs take on an enemy that is virtually invisible until it makes it's self known when it is often too late. Some one is using human carriers to spread a newly concocted strain of bird flu. Creed's kennel of dogs have been trained to detect this virus along with many other virus and cancers. Of course the government is involved and are actually helpful. Creed works out a deal for additional dogs from a kill shelter by getting the government to agree to finance it to become a no-kill shelter with at least 20 dogs a month being trained as air sniffers and sent to other facilities to begin their new "careers". Good job Ryder. Wish reality was that simple and successful. Agent Maggie O'Dell has her place in the story line searching for a physicists that she has chased for over a year and is suspected of inventing the new bird flu virus and infecting the human guinea pigs. Overall...it was another good addition to Kava's newest series. I like her books as she is a dog owner and therefore no dogs are ever harmed in any of her books.

How many books have you read this year?

>209 Andrew-theQM: I just finished the 199th one and am working on 3 more...so 202 when these 3 are done. One of them is the group read one coming up.

>210 Carol420: Around 200 in 275 days! Very impressive - well done!

Awesome total, Carol...

>212 Sergeirocks: You're doing really well this year especially with the "Round tuits".

No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series Book #14
3.5★'s

From the Book:
Olympic rowing hopeful and senior Metropolitan Police officer DCI Rebecca Meredith goes out alone to train on the river in Henley on a dark afternoon in late October - and doesn't return. When a desperate search by the police and a K9 team reveals the possibility of foul play, Scotland Yard wants one of their own on the case. Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, returning from celebrating his marriage to long-time partner Detective Inspector Gemma James, is called to Henley to investigate. He soon finds that the world of elite rowing can be brutal, and that Rebecca Meredith's ex-husband was not the only person with good reason for wanting her dead. Then, when a search-and-rescue team member is threatened, Kincaid realizes the case may be even more complex and more dangerous than he believed.

My Thoughts:
I really liked the setting and the story line but the one early draw back that mainly is the reason that it cost it a star in the rating was that the case and the mystery were very nearly lost in details of Duncan Kincaid and his wife Gemma’s life. While that adds to the understanding and filling out the picture to the characters and story, it became overwhelming and distracting. There was enough tension and very well-done plot twists to make it a good read...but not a great book or even one of Deborah Crombie's best offerings. I like working a little to identify the killer and in this one I knew who it was almost from the very first appearance. Overall...a worthwhile read with believable characters.

>213 Carol420: Thanks, Carol. Making a concerted effort to get to some of my round tuits this year while still finding time for untried authors.

The Hunt Club by John Lescroart (pronounced less-kwah)
Wyatt Hunt Series Book #1
4.5★'s

From The Book:
At first, The Hunt Club had a membership of one: private investigator Wyatt Hunt. Since then, others have joined with a common interest in obtaining justice. One member, inspector Devin Juhle, has just caught a major case: the shooting of a sixty-three-year old federal judge and his twenty something mistress...

While Juhle works, Hunt plays, hooking up with TV star and legal analyst Andrea Parisi. But before Hunt knows it, Juhle's case will be of great interest to the members of The Hunt Club. Especially to Hunt himself-as Andrea's card is found in the wallet of one of the victims.

My Thoughts:
I was surprised that this was actually considered a part of an individual series since all the characters including Wyatt Hunt has been incorporated into the Dasmas Hardy series. It was fun to learn about private investigator Wyatt Hunt's early days before joining the Hardy law firm as Dasmas Hardy's investigator.

The case that he and his partner were investigating involved so many possible suspects. In addition to the death of the federal judge and his young mistress it seems that the disappearance of a popular TV personality and lawyer who is an acquaintance and hopeful new girlfriend of Wyatt's...is also very closely tied to the shooting. As a result of the numerous suspects and the fact that the hunt for the missing woman went into so much detail and took so much of the story line...you almost forgot what started the entire case off to begin with. The reader is presented with good solid material for speculation but no real evidence to help you select a killer and believe me when I say you will never in a million years guess the killer and how this saga turns out. Good job keeping us guessing Mr. Lescroart.

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson
Evie Blackwell Cold Case series Book #1
3★’s

From The Book:
Evie Blackwell loves her life as an Illinois State Police detective . . . mostly. She's very skilled at investigations and has steadily moved up through the ranks. She would like to find Mr. Right, but she has a hard time imagining how marriage could work, considering the demands of her job.

Gabriel Thane is a lifetime resident of Carin County and now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have.

When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes across the state. Spearheading this trial run, Evie will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she reexamines old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths a surprising connection . . . possibly to a third cold case. Evie's determined to solve the cases before she leaves Carin County, and Sheriff Thane, along with his family, will be the key to those answers.

My Thoughts:
This is a new author for me and a new series. The cold cases are very interesting and the main reason why I picked this book up to begin with. There is just too much side story involving Evie’s old and new romances. I am not a fan of romances so I found this annoying right off the bat. There was no real action to the story and I became rather bored just waiting for something to please happen. The good parts were…as I said…the cold cases and two wonderful dogs. It was too bad there wasn’t more time and effort devoted to those things. It isn't a bad book or an unreadable book...just not enough of the things that are interesting to me. I’m not sure if I will tackle another book by this author.

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin
4.5★’s

From The Book:
It’s 1995. Tessa (Tessie) Cartwright, 16, healthy, happy, the star of her high school track team, is abducted near her home in Fort Worth. More than 30 hours later, battered and torn, she awakes partially buried in a field carpeted with black-eyed Susans. Sharing her grave are a dead college student and the bones of two other victims. Feverish news organizations dub the victims the “Black-Eyed Susans” with traumatized Tessie as the surviving Susan. Thus begins Julia Heaberlin’s brilliantly conceived, beautifully executed novel about one woman’s fight against relentless evil.

My Thoughts:
I found myself immersed in Tessie’s story. It’s a fascinating rendition for any fans of physiological novels. The story is told in alternating past and present sections that describe the two parts of Tessie’s life. One as a teenager in the months leading up to the trial of the man accused of abducting her and killing the others… and as a 34-year old adult resuming her story as the accused faces his long-delayed execution.

Many vivid, strange, and sometimes suspicious characters march throughout the story. We have the psychiatrist and the chief prosecutor who work to manipulate Tessie to serve a purpose all their own. Then there is the handsome young attorney fighting to save the accused man’s life that soon finds his interest in Tessie becoming more than professional. Tessie’s closest childhood friend, Lydia is without a doubt the strangest one of them all. As a student, when the other wrote about the Beatles, Lydia wrote about Jack the Ripper. Lydia has always shared Tessie’s secrets but has not always kept them. When she testifies at the trial and then vanishes….more unanswered questions come into play.

I would have to say that Black-Eyed Susans overall is an exercise in the expert, and agonizing withholding of facts. The questions that have spanned more than two decades are chiefly … Who is menacing Tessa? Will the seemingly innocent Goodwin die? If he is innocent, who is the serial killer? Will he… or she…kill again? Finding the answers will hold you spellbound and are as astonishing as they are finally believable.

>218 Carol420: A very enticing review, Carol. The book sounds hard to resist.

>219 Sergeirocks: The odd thing was when I first started it and found that it jumped back and forth I didn't think I was gong to be able to deal with it. After a few chapters it didn't really matter anymore and I just had to see how it turned out.

My library has it in e-books, I've placed a hold...

The Complaints by Ian Rankin
Book 1 in the Malcolm Fox series
4 ★’s

From The Book:
Nobody likes The Complaints--they're the cops who investigate other cops. It's a department known within the force as "The Dark Side," and it's where Malcolm Fox works. He's a serious man with a father in a nursing home and a sister who persists in an abusive relationship, frustrating problems about which he cannot seem to do anything.

Then the reluctant Fox is given a new case. There's a cop named Jamie Breck, and he's dirty. The problem is, no one can prove it. As Fox takes on the job, he learns that there's more to Breck than anyone thinks--dangerous knowledge, especially when a vicious murder takes place far too close to home.

My Thoughts:
Rebus has retired and Ian Rankin has provided us a suitable replacement…Malcolm Fox. Is he Rebus?…no. Does he share the same values as Rebus?...absolutely. Fox is a reformed drinker, and much like Rebus, in that he is honest and fights for the rights of the innocent. As the book opens we find that “The Complaints” as Fox's department is known, is investigating corruption within their ranks…other cops…that’s what the Complaints Dept. does. He and his colleagues are not particularly well liked as you can imagine.

Fox is asked to help investigate an officer, Jamie Breck who has been implicated as a pedophile. The problem is that Jamie Breck has found himself part of an investigation has begun in the death of Fox's sister’s boyfriend. Fox is asked to get close to Breck to find out as much as he can. What Fox does discover is that there isn't much evidence to support the accusations and he actually begins to like and trust Breck. That doesn’t mean there is nothing to uncover. What he does discover may bring down some high and mighty people that cannot allow…and will stop at nothing to keep their secrets from coming to light.

Ian Rankin has a well earned reputation of being the master of complex plots and characters and The Complaints has proven to be no exception. The book is a little too long and at times seems to go in directions that seem unnecessary to the storyline…hence the 4 stars….but overall If you do not compare Malcolm Fox to previous characters or the plot to previous novels...you will really enjoy the book.

Cordelia Underwood: Or, the Marvelous Beginnings of the Moosepath League by Van Reid
4.5★’s

From The Book:
Step back in time to Portland, Maine, in 1896. When the young, beautiful, redheaded Cordelia Underwood inherits a parcel of land from her seafaring uncle, it sets in motion a chain of events that leads to the unearthing of a family secret two centuries old. Cordelia soon crosses paths with Mister Tobias Walton and finds herself aided in her quest by the warmhearted gentleman, who has never heard of an adventure he isn't eager to join. Together with his hapless trio of friends, the Moosepath League, they embark on an entertaining and audacious adventure. Teeming with Cupid's arrows flying hither and yon, apparitions, a kidnapping, smuggling, and thievery, and filled with wonderment, romance, and adventure, Cordelia Underwood is a splendid yarn of the old-fashioned variety.
My Thoughts:

The book takes place in a much gentler by- gone time of1896 among the well-to-do of Portland Maine. It’s a romance, a treasure hunt, and a mystery all rolled into one beautiful package…with a touch of modern humor and sensibility. I stumbled onto this intriguing book as a recommendation as a Blind Date With a Book from “tealady” one of my friends in another group. The story is character-driven from beginning to end....and what fascinating characters and great tales they do tell. Everyone from 10 to 100 will absolutely love it and I am looking forward to making friends with the remainder of the series.

And Then There Were None aka Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie
5★’s

This is a new one for me!! I have often said I was the only breathing human on the planet that didn’t like Agatha Christie..so where in the world did those 5 stars come from? I will have to reevaluate my statement to I am the only breathing human on the planet that doesn’t like Agatha Christie…EXCEPT for And Then There Was None

A group of ten strangers is invited or hired for a long weekend on Indian Island, a mile off the Devon coast. It is somewhat improbable that these ten would all accept such a vague invitation from a host they do not know to a place they have never seen before, but each for his or her own reasons accepts. They include a doctor, a games mistress, a soldier of fortune, a rich playboy, a retired policeman, a judge, a spinster, a retired general and a married couple who are to be the servants. They arrive on a bleak rocky island to a completely modern house with all the amenities. The fires are welcoming, there is an ample supply of food, the servants are impeccable, but their host is absent. In each of the bedrooms, the Ten Little Indians nursery rhyme is posted on a prominent wall. It begins:

"Ten Little Indian boys went out to dine…
One choked his little self, and then there were nine.---

Drinks are served, and one guest chokes, turns blue and falls over dead. Now the tension begins to build. Fright runs in the hearts of the stranded people as one by one they are picked off…each in accordance with that cursed nursery rhyme. As the number of victims increase, the survivors' suspicions of each other also increase. When the police arrive and find them all dead….the question remains “Who is the murderer? It has to be one of the survivors…but which one?

And Then There Were None is told in short choppy chapters. The strange thing is that none of the characters are even likable. Christie toys with the idea of a serial killer long before such an animal was even heard of. This is an excellent story, and the author is so far ahead of the reader’s reasoning that you will never guess who the guilty party is. If you do manage to figure out the “who" and the "how" then you have my highest respects.

>224 Carol420: I feel rather dizzy, I think I need to lie down in a darkened room!

>225 Andrew-theQM: LOL! I'll bring some ice for your head.

Simple Genius by David Baldacci
Maxwell & King series Book #3
4★’s

From The Book:
In a world of secrets, human genius is power.
And sometimes it is simply deadly . . .

Near Washington, D.C., there are two clandestine institutions: the world's most unusual laboratory and a secret CIA training camp. Drawn to these sites by a murder, ex-Secret Service agent Sean King encounters a dark world of mathematicians, codes, and spies. His search for answers soon leads him to more shocking violence-and an autistic girl with an extraordinary genius.

Now, only by working with his embattled partner, Michelle Maxwell, can he catch a killer...and solve a stunning mystery that threatens the entire nation.

My Thoughts:
I am probably one of David’s Baldacci’s top fans…especially of his John Puller, Will Robie and the newest…Amos Decker series… but Maxwell and King will always hold a favorite place in my heart. I was so sorry to see this series end. I was overjoyed when the Mystery & Suspense group voted to read this series as a book discussion. That being said…I had an issue with this book…not too serious but it did lose it half a star…at least for me.

In this… the 3rd book… we find Michelle Maxwell hitting an all time mental low as she nearly kills a total stranger for no other reason that he was dressed in military gear and he was simple there. The events after that incident offered some very good storyline and some very exciting moments. However…nothing is as it seems, in this tortuous tale.

As Michelle struggles with her emotional problems, Sean nearly bankrupts himself and their company paying for Michelle’s much needed help which brings us to his taking a job from his former lover, Joan, to investigate a compound of geniuses that have super computers and complicated codes at their finger tips. Here is where the majority of the remainder of the book takes place. Be warned…unless you have a degree in physics and computer sciences…you will want to skip over some parts of this or your head will implode. From here on it reminded me of the old adage "absolute power corrupts absolutely ". It is hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys and involves every spook agency in the government. I did find the look into code breaking and Alan Turing's work cracking the Enigma Code during WWII fascinating and very much enlightening..

The ending of the book…while diffidently being a wild ride of twists and turns was what lost it the extra half star that I had originally awarded it. David Baldacci is a superb writer…one of my favorites… who keeps the reader turning pages, and there is plenty of suspense, mystery and action….character development galore. You really get to know much more about King and Maxwell. It was exciting, fun, with an excellent plot. Those were the good points that got it the 4 stars to start with. What I had the main issue with was that Baldacci turned all the good people into bad people, the bad people into good people, and in one case back into a good person saying he was “just following orders”. Now where and how many times have we heard that excuse for bad manners, behavior and judgments? That defense failed at Nuremberg and it fails here.

Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass
The Body Farm series Book #10
4★’s

From The Book:
Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton has spent twenty-five years solving brutal murders—but none so bizarre and merciless as his latest case: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found chained to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his assistant Miranda dig deeper, they uncover warning signs of a deadly eruption of hatred and violence.
But the shocking case is only the beginning of Brockton’s trials. Mid-case, the unthinkable happens: The deadliest criminal Brockton has ever foiled—the sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield—escapes from prison, bent on vengeance.

But simply killing Brockton isn’t enough. Satterfield wants to make him suffer first, by destroying everything he holds dear: Brockton’s son, daughter-in-law, grandsons; even Miranda, his longtime graduate assistant, now on the verge of completing her Ph.D. and launching a forensic career of her own.

The dangers from all directions force Brockton to question two things on which he’s based his entire career—the justice system, and the quality of mercy—and to wonder: can the two co-exist?
If not, which will Brockton choose in his ultimate moment of truth?

My Thoughts;
Anything that deals with forensic science or anthropology interests me. That is one big reason why I have always been fond of The Body Farm series. Following Dr. Bill Brockton through the times of his life since he established the research facility known as The Body Farm’ located just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee at the University, has been an adventure in itself. Yes…the facility does indeed exist but Dr. Brockton is fictitious.

I have enjoyed the previous 9 novels and #10 was no exception. However I found myself struggling with it. The story was interesting enough…a man chained to a tree…perhaps for weeks…perhaps even months…. and kept alive by his captor as bait not only for the bear that killed him, but as bait for Dr, Bill Brockton. Somehow the story felt climatic. I just had the feeling that something dramatic was going to happen that would change the course of the entire series. Miranda was graduating…The sheriff’ officers from Cook County that had been such a big part of the stories previously, just didn’t come across as their usual selves…and Bill Brockton was visiting the past more and more often in his thoughts. Those particular feelings played out for me throughout what was actually a very good plot but I just could shake it. I won’t go into the ending as it would really be a spoiler. You just have to wonder if this is the end of the series. I hope not.

>228 Carol420: Interesting thoughts about the series.

>229 Andrew-theQM: It was much like waiting for your child to tell you that he's joined the Foreign Legion.

>230 Carol420: :)

Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little
2.5★’s

From The Book:
Former “It Girl” Janie Jenkins is sly, stunning, and fresh out of prison. Ten years ago, at the height of her fame, she was incarcerated for the murder of her mother, a high-society beauty known for her good works and rich husbands. Now, released on a technicality, Janie makes herself over and goes undercover, determined to chase down the one lead she has on her mother’s killer. The only problem?... Janie doesn’t know if she’s the killer she’s looking for.

Janie makes her way to an isolated South Dakota town whose mysteries rival her own. Enlisting the help of some new friends (and the town’s wary police chief), Janie follows a series of clues—an old photograph, an abandoned house, a forgotten diary—and begins to piece together her mother’s seemingly improbable connection to the town. When new evidence from Janie’s own past surfaces, she’s forced to consider the possibility that she and her mother were more alike than either of them would ever have imagined.

My Thoughts:
Jane Jenkins is a smart-alack. Every word out her mouth is laced with sass. She’s also a silver-spoon fed and bred rich girl that has been imprisoned for 10 years for the supposed murder of her equally disgusting mother. At age 27 her murder conviction has been overturned and she’s set to be released from prison. Too bad she didn’t have any lessons in how life really works in those 10 years.

Jane’s conviction is overturned because of an “ongoing investigation into the deliberate mishandling of evidence by LAPD crime lab technicians.” This doesn’t mean that the general public buys her innocence though. This point of view is especially noticeable from the vicious rants of a blogger calling himself Trace Kessler who has been writing Jane letters for the past 10 years that she’d been imprisoned. Free now and with the help of her lawyer Noah Washington, Jane plans to disappear from public life somewhere near Chicago — at least this is what she’s told Noah. Jane has other ideas and is soon ensconced on an out of state train with quite another destination in mind. From this point on the stupidity takes on an entire new meaning and we begin to suspect that she just might be as guilty as sin… or at least you hope she is so she can just go back to prison and shut up!

She makes believing her innocent difficult for the reader with all her “I’m smart and important and can take everything I want” attitude that she carries throughout the story making her impossible to like or feel one shred of sympathy for. Let’s see…she can be described with adjectives like bitchy, vain, annoy, shallow, and always with a need to look "hot". This seemed to be an “I loved it” or”I hated it” novel with almost no in betweens. 2.5 stars. Guess which camp I’m in.

Winter Chill by Joanne Fluke
3 ★'s

From the Book
The moment Marian Larsen sees the patrol car stop outside her house; she feels a shiver of foreboding. The news is even worse than she feared. Marian's husband and young daughter have been in a snowmobile crash. Dan is paralyzed and Laura is dead, her body broken on the icy ground. .

Friends and colleagues in Marian's Minnesota hometown rally around to try and ease her grief. But soon there are more horrible accidents. Then the rumors start--that these are not coincidences at all, that someone is picking off victims one by one. And as winter deepens, the search for answers will reveal a killer whose blood runs colder than the blinding snow.

My Thoughts:
The story started out tragically and progressed to a haunting tale of two people’s unresolved grief. A mother that couldn’t come to grips with her young daughter’s accidental death and a father that is suffering from what his doctor calls hysterical paralyze.

We follow these two people…both teachers…as they are caught in the crosshairs of a situation that is having deadly results for everyone in their small town. The book had its good points but they were mixed with far more unexplained, dangling suppositions. To begin with there was no investigation what so ever by the local lawman into what turned out to be the deaths of six people in the course of a month. When someone told the sheriff who they thought the killer might be… instead of opening an investigation he runs off and tells the doctor and between them they set up a competency hearing in secret no less to have the man committed.

All through the book the reader will switch back and forth between the most likely killers. However contrary to what the description says…the ending was disappointing because there simply wasn’t an ending and we are still not sure exactly what happened or who the real killer was. That seems to me to be unacceptable when a reader spends the time to read the book you wrote and sold.

3 stars for a book there carried a great deal of promise but never really delivered.

Hi Carol, I thought you might be interested in my new book I've just launched on Kindle Scout!

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Sincerely,
JP Cawood
jpcawood.com

Carol, this message above was flagged on other groups already as spam. It's a bit rude that she put it on your personal thread.

>235 Darth-Heather: I wondered who the heck this person was. I never respond to authors that are pushing to get their books published...have enough with the one's that already have their books published:) And yes...that was a tad rude.

The Original Battle Creek Crime King: Adam "Pump" Arnold's Vile Reign by Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Adam "Pump" Arnold was both feared and regaled in Victorian- era Battle Creek. He was a bootlegger and a pimp, a robber and a con artist, an arsonist and a loan shark and even an assassin. Arnold faced off with the city over illegal liquor sales and flaunted his victory with a life-size statue of the mayor dressed as a hobo. Called the "greatest criminal in the history of Battle Creek," Arnold was convicted in a captivating public trial for the murder of his own son. Join authors Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester as they explore the life and misdeeds of the unabashed criminal mastermind who rocked Battle Creek to its core.

My Thoughts:
There were actually several reasons why I read this book. 1. Blaine Pardoe is a Battle Creek, MI native and I felt some "home town loyalty" as I have lived in Battle Creek a few years longer than I lived in my native Florida. 2. He has written and given local discussions on two other books that he wrote about murders that currently remain unsolved that took place in Battle Creek and 3. The man is a wonderful presenter and careful researcher. My husband and I had the privilege last evening attending his discussion of this recently published book. Now before anyone thinks that we live in the crime mecca of the country let me assure you that it's not so but we have had some interesting ones.

This "Crime King" would have been better portrayed as "The Crime Jester". A comment that Blaine Pardoe opened with says a great deal about Mr. Arnold. "If you are going to partner with someone to run a con scam be sure you don't chose someone that is dumber than you are."

It was an interesting look at how crime was treated in that era. I couldn't believe all the crimes "Pump" got away with. He was a criminal and treated by the law as just a rascal. His trial...when it finally happened was a joke. The man argued with his attorney and actually sued him as was his habit when anyone dared to disagree with him about anything. He slept through 98% of the proceedings and even had a couch delivered to the courtroom and rugs delivered to his cell. He was joined in his crime spree by his son George who he later had murdered and dumped in the river and then had the river drained to "search for the body." The amount of stupid crimes he managed to enact and have the authorities look the other way was unbelievable and would fill this entire page and then some.

Anyone that likes true crime and needs an afternoons reading...it's only 176 pages...check out this interesting and informative little treasure.

The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian
Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad series Book #4
4.5★’s

From The Book:
When London discovered that Jack the Ripper was back, it sent Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad into chaos. But now it is even worse. There are two of them. When the Harvest Man begins killing, carving people’s faces off their skulls, the men of the Yard know they need Inspector Walter Day to find him before more families are murdered. Meanwhile, Saucy Jack is playing his own games—and when the two killers come together, the men of the Yard may never be the same.

My Thoughts:
This was the most suspenseful and the most enjoyable of all the books thus far…even with… or maybe I should say especially with… the rather grotesque murder gains a much deeper insight into the lives of Walter Day and Nevil Hammersmith. Grecian has provided a deeply atmospheric book that is rich in historical detail as well as filled with intense plotlines, deplorable murders, intriguing characters and family situations of the era…interspersed throughout the book. The level of tension and excitement will keep the reader turning the pages. I would recommend The Harvest Man to anyone who enjoys historical thrillers and have been fans of Grecian’s previous books.

The Motion of Puppets by Keith Donohue
3 ★’s

From The Book:
In the Old City of Québec, Kay Harper falls in love with a puppet in the window of the Quatre Mains, a toy shop that is never open. She is spending her summer working as an acrobat with the cirque while her husband, Theo, is translating a biography of the pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Late one night, Kay fears someone is following her home. Surprised to see that the lights of the toy shop are on and the door is open, she takes shelter inside.
The next morning Theo wakes up to discover his wife is missing. Under police suspicion and frantic at her disappearance, he obsessively searches the streets of the Old City. Meanwhile, Kay has been transformed into a puppet, and is now a prisoner of the back room of the Quatre Mains, trapped with an odd assemblage of puppets from all over the world who can only come alive between the hours of midnight and dawn. The only way she can return to the human world is if Theo can find her and recognize her in her new form. So begins the dual odyssey of Keith Donohue’s The Motion of Puppets: of a husband determined to find his wife, and of a woman trapped in a magical world where her life is not her own.

My Thoughts:
Not sure what to think about this book. It wasn’t actually what I was expecting but it had some very good parts…so I believe it was deserving of the 3 rating. Those that are true fans of the horror or the science fiction genres will probably rate it higher.

I think that the author did an excellent job of making the reader feel the helplessness/hopelessness of the unknown and the fear that Kay and her poor husband, Theo were feeling throughout the story. Of course the believably was absent since I’m sure no one reading this actually believes that someone can be turned into a puppet or a big red ball or any other inanimate object. We can build our own conclusions based on the glimpses we are given of what Kay and Theo’s lives were like before this event and what they may now possibly be destined to become.

The story is intriguingly creepy in spite of being a bit slow getting started. I found myself wondering how much of our actual being is perceived and how is it perceived by those that are supposed to know us best? This question became important since the only way that Kay could return to her human form was for Theo to find and recognize her in her puppet form. I felt that in spite of the creep factor… it left many unanswered questions and Kay’s attitude throughout her “puppet life” bothered me a bit. Overall…it can be summed up as “horror without the blood and gore.”

Even in Darkness by Lynn Hightower
3★’s

From The Book:
Joy Miller, once a famed TV evangelist, retired years before when two tragedies struck her family: the first leading her husband to suicide; the second leaving her son dead and his wife and daughter estranged from her.

She now lives a lonely, reclusive life, until a package arrives in the mail containing graphic photographs of three people she knew long ago - all brutally murdered. When Joy reads the note in the package, she knows immediately who it's from: a ghost from her past, a dangerous individual who knows far too much about the skeletons in Joy's closet. Then people start disappearing.

My Thoughts:
The best thing about this novel was that it was short. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. There just wasn’t enough “meat” on the bones of this book to keep it going.

The beginning did a great job of setting the plot but Joy’s interaction with some of the characters did nothing to bring it forward. Understanding the reasons that Joy isolated herself was easy but her reactions to her fellow “bookmates” didn’t come across with any ring of truth. Her relationship with her dog was, as our Brit friends would say, “spot on.” Actually thinking about it the dog was the best character in the book and added more to the storyline that the heroine. In a nut shell…it’s not a bad book…just not a memorable book. If you want to read Lynn Hightower at her best read The Piper.

The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry
Cotton Malone Series Book#2
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Cotton Malone retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for the U.S. Justice Department to lead the low-key life of a rare-book dealer. But his quiet existence is shattered when he receives an anonymous e-mail: “You have something I want. You’re the only person on earth who knows where to find it. Go get it. You have 72 hours. If I don’t hear from you, you will be childless.” His horrified ex-wife confirms that the threat is real: Their teenage son has been kidnapped. When Malone’s Copenhagen bookshop is burned to the ground, it becomes brutally clear that those responsible will stop at nothing to get what they want. And what they want is nothing less than the lost Library of Alexandria.

My Thoughts:
Great story with loads of action and excitement. Is it 100% accurate? No.. and for those that are looking for that element it can be found in your library under the category of "Non-Fiction". Is some of it accurate? Yes. The author has taken some fact and some historical real people and mixed the combination in with just enough of his rich imagination to create a fast-paced, work that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat and guessing until the very climatic end.

If you wish to read this series start with Book #1 The Templar's Legacy. Not that one has anything to do with the other, but you will better understand the working relationship of some of the major characters.

Walking By Night by Kate Ellis
4★’s
Joe Plantagenet series Book # 5

From The Book:
When taking a short cut beneath the ruined abbey in the centre of the historic North Yorkshire city of Eborby, a teenage girl on her way home from a night out reports stumbling across a body. She also claims to have seen a mysterious nun-like figure watching her from the shadows. But during the subsequent search, no body is found. Due to the girl’s inebriated state and troubled history, the police are skeptical of her story. Only Detective Inspector Joe Plantagenet is inclined to believe her.
Then a woman is reported missing, and Joe finds himself caught up in a complex investigation involving a production of The Devils at the local Playhouse. Could the play, with its shocking religious and sexual violence, have something to do with the woman’s disappearance? And is there really a connection with the tragic death of a young nun at the site many centuries before? As Joe is about to discover, nothing is as it first appears

My Thoughts:
Detective Joe Plantagenet, is thoughtful, dignified and with such complexity in his history and in his personality that you can’t help but like him right off the bat. He had studied for the priesthood at one time and gave t up to marry the love of is life only to have her die in a horrible accident a mere year later.

This is the fifth book in the series although it reads like a standalone. Joe has always show a great deal of compassion for the underdog…the unbelieved…the person that just doesn’t know where to seek help. In this case a young woman walking home in the thick fog and believes she is being followed. In her attempt to avoid detection she slips into an alley way and stumbled over the body of a woman in a long coat. No one but Joe believes her. However the story becomes more believable when a woman is reported missing. Does it have something to do with a local play dealing the religious and sexual violence? Or could it even connect to the death of a young nun centuries before?

Kate Ellis captures the reader’s attention from the very first with the combination of a young woman, fog, an abandoned abbey, the sense of being followed, and a dead body. For what more could one ask?

Escape Clause by John Sandford
Virgil Flowers series book # 9
2★'s

From The Book:
The first storm comes from, of all places, the Minnesota zoo. Two large, and very rare, Amur tigers have vanished from their cage, and authorities are worried sick that they’ve been stolen for their body parts. Traditional Chinese medicine prizes those parts for home remedies, and people will do extreme things to get what they need. Some of them are a great deal more extreme than others—as Virgil is about to find out.

Then there’s the homefront. Virgil’s relationship with his girlfriend Frankie has been getting kind of serious, but when Frankie’s sister Sparkle moves in for the summer, the situation gets a lot more complicated. For one thing, her research into migrant workers is about to bring her up against some very violent people who emphatically do not want to be researched. For another…she thinks Virgil’s kind of cute.

My Thoughts:
Well...a first for me. A John Sanford book I didn't care much for. It wasn't the writing or the characters...all of that was the usual magnificent talents of John Sandford. It was the subject. A great portion of the book dealt with the trade in exotic animal parts and skins with the sacrifice two endanger Amur tigers, stolen from the Minnesota Zoo, becoming the first victims. I know this goes on...still...in spite of stricter laws... although perhaps not as much as it did 15 or 20 years ago, but still a terrible waste of an innocent, beautiful animal's life. I also know that the author was more than likely trying to make people aware of this despicable practice since he doesn't regularly destroy animals in his books. it was just more than I cared to read about from an author that I have so enjoyed all his books.

I have read some of the other reviews and people describe the book as humorous, quirky, exciting, light and breezy. Sorry...but I couldn't get past that tiger hanging from a hook. If I didn't give Mr. Sandford's book a fair shake...I sincerely apologize. I will certainly continue this series. Just hope there are no more on this subject.

An Evil Mind by Chris Carter
Robert Hunter series Book #6
4.5★'s

From The Book:
A freak accident in rural Wyoming leads the sheriff’s department to arrest a man for a possible double homicide, but further investigations suggest a much more horrifying discovery: a serial killer who has been kidnapping, torturing, and mutilating victims all over the United States for at least twenty-five years.

The suspect claims he is a pawn in a huge labyrinth of lies and deception—but can he be believed?

The case is immediately handed over to the FBI, but this time they’re forced to ask for help from ex-criminal behavior psychologist and lead detective with the Ultra Violent Crime Unit of the LAPD, Robert Hunter. As he begins interviewing the apprehended suspect, terrifying secrets are revealed, including the real identity of a killer so elusive that no one, not even the FBI, had any idea he existed…until now.

My Thoughts:
This was a reread for me. I really liked it the first time I read it so when my little brain finally grasped the fact that it sounded familiar because I has already read the book....I was so hooked into the story that I continued to read and I'm very glad that i did.

The story was a tad different form others that I'd read since the majority of the book had the killer already behind bars. LAPD detective and expert on Criminal Behavior, Robert Hunter, was on loan to the FBI because the killer had asked for him...would only speak to him and him alone. Robert Hunter knew the killer...had gone to college with him and during that period of time, was his roommate. So how could he refuse?

Thus begins the interview and the story is slowly rolled out of how this monster...who Robert thought was his friend...had killed 31 known victims and possibly more... because death fascinated him. During the interview he delivered the final atrocity...his last capture was still ALIVE...SOMEWHERE. At this point the reader knew where this was headed but were still hopeful. Without revealing the unbelievable ending I will say that the end had quite an interesting twist. Seriously people...this book should only be read by those that are willing to take a trip to the very, very dark side.

11 Campfire Takes of the Great Lakes by Christopher Larsen
5 ★'s

From the Book:
11 spooky campfire tales based on legends and true events in and around the Great Lakes region. Filled with creepy and sometimes humorous details, each has historic significance. Shiver as you read about the ghosts in Duluth, Minnesota, haunting the Glensheen Mansion, and the myth of a giant moose terrorizing tourists off the North Shore of Lake Superior. Meet the Melon Head Creatures, living in a dark and forbidden forest off Lake Michigan, the result of a mad scientist’s experiments, or a classic Lady in White. Discover the Manitous water gods, Native American spirits living at the bottom of the lake always looking for unsuspecting prey. Find a giant man-eating turtle, storm Hags, and the Red Devil of Detroit. Learn about Niagara Falls' Maid of the Mist, the real legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the Michigan Dogman.

My Thoughts:
Are they true? Some say they are... while others are skeptical. No matter if you believe in the supernatural or not these 11 stories are sure to bring you chills and perhaps even have you reassessing your opinion if you are a non-believer. I can almost guarantee that you won't be taking any after dark strolls along the shore any time soon.

You may wonder why so many paranormal stories grow around lakes, rivers and streams. Some say that it is because water attracts and binds the spirits to a locality. My personal favorite of these tales is the story of Melon Head Creatures living in a dark and forbidden forest off Lake Michigan. I won't give too much away but I will tell you that each the lakes holds it's own when dealing with the possible unknown living within it's boundaries.

The Executioner by Chris Carter
Robert Hunter series Book #2
5★'s

From The Book:
Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest's head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim's chest, the figure 3 has been scrawled in blood. At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims? Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims' minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.

My Thoughts:
If asked to choose one word to sum-up Chris Carter's second Robert Hunter book I...without a doubt would have to say "Exceptional".

If you have already met Robert Hunter in the first book The Crucifix Killer you already know what a brilliant detective he is and how he won't rest until the killer is caught, tried, and convicted. Although his books are on the dark, violent and gritty side, they told in such a way that you feel your fingers are glued to the pages and you just can't put them down. If dark, gruesome murder is your cuppa tea then The Executioner is exactly what your are looking for.

The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter
Robert Hunter series Book #1
5★'s

From The Book:
When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in the middle of Los Angeles National Forest, Homicide Detective Robert Hunter finds himself entering a horrific and recurring nightmare. Naked, strung from two parallel wooden posts, the victim was sadistically tortured before meeting an excruciatingly painful death. All the skin has been ripped from her face - while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer. But that's impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true? Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him? Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining.

My Thoughts:
I read out of order so I have read other Chris Carter books before this one that we read as a group read. I knew what an incredible writer Chris Carter was and what fascinating, believable, liable characters he has created in this series that just keeps getting better and better...so I was expecting nothing less than a stellar performance with the The Crucifix Killer and Carter delivered 100%.

One of the reasons that this author writes with such knowledge about serial killers is that he is somewhat of an expert on the subject. In reading his bio I discovered that Carter studied psychology and criminal behavior and went on to be a part of the Michigan State District Attorney's Criminal Psychology Team. Because of that he spent a lot of time interviewing and studying a lot of criminals, some of whom were serial killers. This he has very successfully transferred into his ultra-ego , Robert Hunter and why his books portray such real-life horror.

They're not for everyone. They tend to be very dark but then they are dealing with a very dark subject.

Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge
Helen Grace series Book #5
4★’s

In the darkest corners of the city, there is a thriving nightlife where people can let loose and cross the lines of work and play, of pleasure and pain. But now that sanctuary has been breached. A killer has struck and a man is dead.

In a world where disguises and discretion are the norm, one admission could unravel a life. No one wants to come forward to say what they saw or what they know—including the woman heading the investigation: Detective Helen Grace.

Helen knew the victim. And the victim knew her—better than anyone else. And when the murderer strikes again, Helen must decide how many more lines she’s willing to cross to bring in a devious and elusive serial killer.

My Thoughts:
I have really liked this series from the very beginning. The only problem I had with it was Helen’s pastime and addiction to S &M. It seemed way over the top and unnecessary to what was already a great story. In the last book she was making a real effort to distance herself from her dominatrix, Jake... and was doing a fairly good job. Jake, who had a major crush on Helen, had also met someone and was moving on. Now… Jake is dead…murdered by someone he thought he could trust.

I know when Helen began lying her way through the first few chapters that all was not going to end well for her. As she investigates the unexpected murder it begins to look as if it was a tragic accident…just a sex game gone wrong. Unfortunately everything begins to go wrong for Helen and soon threatens Helen's private life and the secrets that she would rather not have exposed to the light of day.

M.J. Arlidge has done what he does best…He has left the reader hanging on a cliff and just waiting to see how this all turns out.

Sex, Lies and Serious Money by Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington series Book #39
3.5★'s

From The Book:
Fresh off the runway at Teterboro, Stone Barrington arrives home to find an unexpected new client on his doorstep, anxiously soliciting his help. But everything is not as it seems, when the client reveals the true nature—and value—of his recent turn of fortune. From luxury New York high-rises to the sprawling New Mexico desert, his client is pursued from all angles...and Stone quickly learns that easy money isn’t always so easy.

My Thoughts:

Stuart Woods is doing so much better than he was a few months ago. Once again he's managed to produce another Stone Barrington book without the main theme being noting but sex with a little "oh yes...maybe I should throw in a story line." Like all these books everyone is richer than God and spends money like it grew on trees...and for these characters...maybe it does. One thing that I have always liked about these books is that they are a fairly quick read with little time wasted on unnecessary description...and it is so entertaining seeing how the other one-third lives. I do wish that Mr. Woods would invest in a map of the U.S. so that he can see there are many more cities in this country than Delano, Georgia. Nice town but does every character have to have originally come from there..and if that is true...why don't they ever know one another? I will await the next two books of 2017. After all you did leave us hanging.

The Obsidian Chamber by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Agent Pendergast series Book # 16
4.5★'s

From The Book:
After a harrowing, otherworldly confrontation on the shores of Exmouth, Massachusetts, Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is missing, presumed dead. Sick with grief, Pendergast's ward, Constance, retreats to her chambers beneath the family mansion at 891 Riverside Drive--only to be taken captive by a shadowy figure from the past. Proctor, Pendergast's longtime bodyguard, springs to action, chasing Constance's kidnapper through cities, across oceans, and into wastelands unknown. And by the time Proctor discovers the truth, a terrifying engine has stirred-and it may already be too late .

My Thoughts:
I have enjoyed this series...which I discovered by sheer accident...for many years. Agent Pendergast is a strange character that borders on the mystical and paranormal side but is a brilliant detective that like Sherlock Holmes...always gets his man...or is that the Mounties? Anyway... you may be amazed...you may be befuddled... you may be exasperated at times...but the one thing you will absolutely never be is bored.

The story is packed with action..sometimes a bit too much. Old nemesis return that should have stayed dead and buried...and the ending was rather bittersweet...but luckily for fans of this series the saga continues to play out.

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope series Book #6
4.5★'s

From The Book:
As the snow falls thickly on Newcastle, the shouts and laughter of Christmas revelers break the muffled silence. Detective Joe Ashworth and his daughter Jessie are swept along in the jostling crowd onto the Metro. But when the train is stopped due to the bad weather, and the other passengers fade into the swirling snow, Jessie notices that one lady hasn't left the train: Margaret Krukowski has been fatally stabbed. Arriving at the scene, DI Vera Stanhope is relieved to have an excuse to escape the holiday festivities. As she stands on the silent, snow-covered station platform, Vera feels a familiar buzz of anticipation, sensing that this will be a complex and unusual case. Then, just days later, a second woman is murdered. Vera knows that to find the key to this new killing she needs to understand what had been troubling Margaret so deeply before she died - before another life is lost. She can feel in her bones that there's a link. Retracing Margaret's final steps, Vera finds herself searching deep into the hidden past of this seemingly innocent neighborhood, led by clues that keep revolving around one street. Why are the residents of Harbour Street so reluctant to speak?

My Thoughts:
I'm a real fan of both the Vera Stanhope TV series..."Vera" and these wonderful books featuring this character. This book was made so much more enjoyable because it was read as a group read and I got not only to share my feelings and opinions as we went along but got to read and how my fellow readers saw the story.

An elderly woman, who resides at a remote boarding house located on Harbour Street in a small coastal town that has few visitors...is dead. Those few visitors, as well as the dead woman herself... all hold pieces as to how and why she was brutally killed. This is just Vera's cuppa of tea...she can' t wait to sink her teeth into it and root out the suspects and the entire truth, which these people are so reluctant to tell.

It's addictive storytelling at it's best. The character of Vera is a larger than life force to be reckoned with. The tenacity and single mindedness she brings to each murder inquiry confounds suspects, her own team, and readers as well. It soon becomes obvious that Vera is the one in charge and we...rather first time or long time readers... are simply along for the enjoyable ride.

The Jury Master by Robert Dugoni
David Sloan series Book#1
4★'s

From The Book:
David Sloane is the best wrongful death attorney in San Francisco. But despite his professional success, he's plagued by a nightmare of a childhood he cannot consciously remember. When he receives a package from a White House confidant who then turns up dead, the contents reveal a history he could never have imagined.

My Thoughts:

I love Robert Dugoni's flowing, easy to read writing style and the way he makes the reader feel that they are right in the midst of the story.

Although the title makes you think it's a legal thriller...it actually has more of a political trend. David Sloan is a brilliant defense attorney...never lost a case. He's also an ex-Marine whose past has come back to haunt him and seemingly everyone he loves and is acquainted with...when he is mailed a document by a long ago friend and fellow soldier who just happens to be the Presidents best friend who has just committed suicide. Someone will stop at nothing to retrieve this package and the bodies begin to pile up.

I am not being a huge fan of political thrillers, but I definitely became involved with the characters, caught up in the suspense and loved the twist at the end. This is Robert Dugoni’s first novel and it wasn’t perfect, by any means, but it was exciting and compelling. I shall definitely hunt down his next book in this series.

>252 Carol420: Sounds very interesting.

>253 Andrew-theQM: It was good but again the first book in a series. I'm currently reading the 6th book in the series and it is SOOOO much better as far as plot and character goes.

The White Devil by Justin Evans
3.5★'s

From The Book:
Set in a four-hundred-year-old boys' boarding school in London, a chilling gothic thriller...A fierce and jealous ghost . . .A young man's fight for his life . . .

The Harrow School is home to privileged adolescents known as much for their distinctive dress and traditions as for their arrogance and schoolboy cruelty. Seventeen-year-old American Andrew Taylor is enrolled in the esteemed British institution by his father, who hopes that the school's discipline will put some distance between his son and his troubled past in the States.

But trouble—and danger—seem to follow Andrew. When one of his schoolmates and friends dies mysteriously of a severe pulmonary illness, Andrew is blamed and is soon an outcast, spurned by nearly all his peers. And there is the pale, strange boy who begins to visit him at night. Either Andrew is losing his mind, or the house legend about his dormitory being haunted is true.

When the school's poet-in-residence, Piers Fawkes, is commissioned to write a play about Byron, one of Harrow's most famous alumni, he casts Andrew in the title role. Andrew begins to discover uncanny links between himself and the renowned poet. In his loneliness and isolation, Andrew becomes obsessed with Lord Byron's story and the poet's status not only as a literary genius and infamous seducer but as a student at the very different Harrow of two centuries prior—a place rife with violence, squalor, incurable diseases, and tormented love affairs.

When frightening and tragic events from that long-ago past start to recur in Harrow's present, and when the dark and deadly specter by whom Andrew's been haunted seems to be all too real, Andrew is forced to solve a two-hundred-year-old literary mystery that threatens the lives of his friends and his teachers—and, most terrifyingly, his own.

My Thoughts:

The story was intriguing...even though I didn't think it was exactly "chilling". " The Tsucon Citizen" gives a fairly true account of just what the story is about when it says "Evans has fused a literary mystery, sinister ghost story and Gothic romance with the story of a boy’s intellectual and sexual awakening.”

The author has also made the characters as likable as 14-17 year old boys can be...you can't help be work up some sympathy for the main character...16 year old Andrew Taylor...an American boy sent to this old English school by his domineering and controlling wealthy father without a clue of the differences in cultures and even the language... that you would think would be somewhat the same.... that he will be forced to live with for the next year.

I can recommend this novel but not as a Gothic thriller. If a thriller is what you are expecting you will be disappointed. But for an atmospheric Gothic mystery with well drawn characters...absolutely

>254 Carol420: Have you read any of the others?

>256 Andrew-theQM: No. According to Fantastic Fiction he has only written two. The first one was in 2007, A Good and Happy Child and this one in 2011.

I have read both of Justin Evans' books and gave them both 4 stars.

>257 Carol420: If he has only written two how are you reading the sixth book in the series?

>259 Andrew-theQM: I'm reading the 6th book in the David Sloan series by Robert Dugoni not the 6th book by Justin Evans. I was answering a question about the Robert Dugoni book but it was for another group entirely. Sorry about that. Maybe I could have a crystal ball and see into the future:)

>260 Carol420: Lol! I'm only a simple soul, and it did confuse me.:) 🙄

The Conviction by Robert Dugoni
David Sloan series Book #5
5★'s

From The Book:
father takes the law into his own hands to save his son, trapped in a juvenile detention center from hell. Lawyer David Sloane is desperate to get through to his troubled teenage son Jake. Still reeling from the devastating loss of his mother in a brutal murder, Jake has spiraled out of control and Sloane has barely been able to keep him out of jail. So when his old friend, detective Tom Molia, suggests that they take their sons on a guys-only camping trip, Sloane gratefully accepts.

What Sloane imagines will be the perfect excursion turns into a horrifying nightmare when the boys are arrested for vandalizing a general store late at night while their fathers are asleep. The next morning, before Sloane and Molia even realize they’re gone, their sons are tried, convicted, and sentenced by the presiding judge to six months in the county wilderness detention camp, Fresh Start. For the teenagers, a grueling physical and psychological ordeal begins.

My Thoughts:
This is a story that we have seen in reality in recent years although perhaps not to this extent. From the very beginning of Jake and T.J.'s ordeal the reader knows that this is just going to take one wrong turn after another and hoping that justice will finally win out.

The entire story line is one surprise after another. No one is who you think they are and after a while you have no idea who or what to trust. I will have to admit that I skipped some of the financial stuff...way more than this brain could digest... but had to give the complexity of the plot 5 stars. Good job Mr. Dugoni.

The Button Man by Mark Pryor
3.5★'s
Hugo Marston series book #4

From The Book:
Former FBI profiler Hugo Marston has just become head of security at the US Embassy in London. He’s asked to protect a famous movie-star couple, Dayton Harper and Ginny Ferro, who, while filming a movie in rural England, killed a local man in a hit and run. The task turns from routine to disastrous almost immediately. Before Hugo even meets them, he finds out that Ferro has disappeared, and her body has been found hanging from an oak tree in a London cemetery. Hours later a distraught Harper gives Hugo the slip, and Hugo has no idea where he’s run off to. Taking cues from a secretive young lady named Merlyn, and with a Member of Parliament along for the chase, Hugo’s search leads to a quaint English village. There, instead of finding Harper, more bodies turn up. Teaming with local detectives and then venturing dangerously out on his own, Hugo struggles to find connections between the victims. Is this the work of a serial killer—or something else entirely? Knowing he’s being tailed, the killer prepares for the final, public act of his murderous plan, and Hugo arrives just in time to play his part.

My Thoughts
This was the first book by Mark Pryor and the first in this series that I had read. The writing style flowed very well and was very easy reading. The premise of the story was also very good...a body hanging in the graveyard and plenty of suspects. The main problem I had with the story was that the lead character...a former member of the FBI and the head of the American Embassy security...would lose the man he was supposed to be protecting in the first place...and then chase him all over London and the outlying villages with the aid of people that he knew absolutely nothing about other than what they had told him. That just didn't seem believable and it bothered me throughout the entire book. I do plan on reading others in this series as I found that Hugo is a very likable character on the whole.

Anyone looking for a murder mystery to enjoy without the blood and guts will find this series fits the bill perfectly.

Lightening by Dean Koontz
5★'s

From The Book:
In the midst of a raging blizzard, lightning struck on the night Laura Shane was born. And a mysterious blond-haired stranger showed up just in time to save her from dying. Years later, in the wake of another storm, Laura will be saved again. For someone is watching over her. But just as lightning illuminates, darkness always follows close behind.

My Thoughts:
Laura has been a haunted woman from the moment of her birth. Now she is a married...not especially a happy life but it's about to get worse...someone has come to kill her. She has a guardian angel...someone that has always protected her. Laura will finally find out the truth but it may not be what she was expecting as she learns the answers to the questions...what are are this stranger's intentions? Does he really mean her well? Just where does he come from, and why doesn't he seem to age?

I am a huge Dean Koontz fan so I may be just a bit over the top here...but this is one of the best of Dean Koontz offerings even if it wasn't one of his longest. I have talked to people that listened to the book and they all say that it needs to be read to fully appreciate the terror and the evils that people are capable of... and I agree.

One of Us by Tawni O'Dell
2.5★'s

From The Book:
Dr. Sheridan Doyle—a fastidiously groomed and TV-friendly forensic psychologist—is the go-to shrink for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office whenever a twisted killer’s mind eludes other experts. But beneath his Armani pinstripes, he’s still Danny Doyle, the awkward, terrified, bullied boy from a blue-collar mining family, plagued by panic attacks and haunted by the tragic death of his little sister and mental unraveling of his mother years ago.

Returning to a hometown grappling with its own ghosts, Danny finds a dead body at the infamous Lost Creek gallows where a band of rebellious Irish miners was once executed. Strangely, the body is connected to the wealthy family responsible for the miners’ deaths. Teaming up with veteran detective Rafe, a father-like figure from his youth, Danny—in pursuit of a killer—comes dangerously close to startling truths about his family, his past, and himself.

My Thoughts:
If any story proves the old saying "You can't go home again", this one certainly does. The main problem was that the mystery had no mystery. From the book description the reader would expect more to the story. It started out to be interesting. The story of a little boy's relationship with his almost /sometimes abusive father and the grandfather that was always there to save him...and then it started a giant roll down hill. The characters were like stand-up silhouettes cut from cardboard. I think the author lost interest in portraying anyone that was remotely likable about the 3rd chapter. I have read other books by this author and I really have to say that based on that I was expecting a lot more.

Natural Causes by Michael Palmer
3.5★'s

From The Book:
Dr. Sarah Baldwin races to a Boston hospital with a young woman whose normal labor has suddenly become a matter of life and death. As she struggles to save both mother and baby, she doesn't know that two other women have already died under horrifying identical circumstances. And so begins Sarah's own nightmare, as she learns that the prenatal herbal vitamins she prescribed are the only thing these women have in common. Soon Sarah is fighting to save her career, her reputation--her life. For she's certain there must be some unknown factor linking these women, and as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone will do anything--even murder--to keep a devastating secret.

My Thoughts:
Interesting to see the world of medicine through the eyes of Dr. Sarah Baldwin. She's the type of doctor that almost anyone would want to have. One that is not afraid to employee methods such as Western science medicine as well as using holistic practices such as acupuncture. But she gets into trouble after two women die and one woman is maimed in their pregnancies after taking her herbal supplement which she recommended instead of the usual vitamins. An investigation follows which delves into the politics and money of the medical profession.

The book started out as a whirlwind page turner that had so much promise....exciting passages that detailed medical emergencies as this bizarre blood clotting illness that consumes its victims with horrific speed... and realistic insights into internal hospital politics...and believe me there are many. Eventually it dissolved in the average hospital melodrama of big money...corporate greed...and institutionalized medicine versus the persecuted doctor. It seemed that Michael Palmer just couldn't figure a way to end it all on a different note than all the previous medical thrillers.

The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian Mckinty
The Troubles Trilogy Book #1
5★'s

From The Book:
Spring 1981. Northern Ireland. Belfast on the verge of outright civil war. The Thatcher government has flooded the area with soldiers, but nightly there are riots, bombings, and sectarian attacks.

In the midst of the chaos, Sean Duffy, a young, witty, Catholic detective in the almost entirely Protestant Royal Ulster Constabulary, is trying to track down a serial killer who is targeting gay men. As a Catholic policeman, Duffy is suspected by both sides and there are layers of complications. For one thing, homosexuality is illegal in Northern Ireland in 1981. Then he discovers that one of the victims was involved in the IRA, but was last seen discussing business with someone from the Protestant UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force). Fast-paced, evocative, and brutal, this book is a brilliant depiction of Belfast at the height of the Troubles and a cop caught in the cross fire.

My Thoughts:
The story was very close to my heart as my grandparents left Northern Ireland with my 3 year old mother and her 5 year old sister in 1926. They decided that the The Troubles were not a time that they wanted to raise a family in and my grandfather was Scottish and that was another story.

The time is 1981. It was a time when the technology that we rely so much on today was in it's infancy and the police for the most part, had to rely on what we now nostalgically refer to as "good old fashion detective work". DNA analysis was just coming on the forefront in criminal investigation, Enter Detective Sean Duffy...a really likable, imaginative character. If you were to take the best of John Thaw's Inspector Morse , Ian Rankin's John Rebus and add a bit of Peter James's Roy Grace stir well with some unexpected humor...you'll begin to see what this man is all about. I can not recommend this book highly enough. I only hope the next two in the trilogy are as intriguing as this one.

Beyond Recall by Robert Goddard
5★'s

From The Book:
On a bright autumn afternoon in Truro, the Napier family celebrates one couple’s golden wedding anniversary and another’s marriage. But for one member of the clan, the day turns dark. Chris Napier, prodigal son, suddenly spots the ragged specter of a former friend, Nicky Lanyon—a man whose own family was ruined by the same twist of fate with which the Napiers were blessed. And the next morning, Chris is horrified to find Nicky dead, hanging from a tree where the boys once played.

For Chris, the suicide opens a floodgate of doubt and suspicion. How did his family’s wealth slip out of the hands of a great-uncle, brutally murdered before he could change his will? Were the men convicted of the crime truly guilty? And who is the mysterious, seductive woman who claims to know the Napiers’ darkest secrets? As the crimes of two families are exposed, a series of violent acts shadows him and suddenly Chris knows he’s in uncharted waters…until a killer drops one last disguise—for the ultimate act of revenge.

My Thoughts:
The story is incredibly complex, and absolutely believable. The family history leading up to the present events is brilliantly depicted in each chapter and each witness that Chris uncovers adds a piece of information to the building blocks making up the final chapter. I did find it a challenge to keep who, what and why straight at times...but the end result was so well worth it. I would highly recommend this to anyone that loves a tangled mystery with lots of "I never saw it coming" plots.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
5★'s

From The Book:
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better. But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.

Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.

Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.

My Thoughts:
Jack is a monster in sheep's clothing....and he's proud of it. There have been few times throughout a book that I have actually hoped and prayed for one of the characters to die but I found myself hoping with each new chapter that he would finally get his just rewards. I have to say that this was one of the best and yet most terrifying psychological thrillers I have ever read. The most terrifying thing about Jack was that he was so entirely "normal" to the rest of the world. He practiced cruelty that doesn't leave a single physical mark and takes domestic control to entirely new levels. This will really bother some people so approach it with extreme caution.

Angels Burning by Tawni O'Dell
3★'s

From The book:
On the surface, Chief Dove Carnahan is a true trailblazer who would do anything to protect the rural Pennsylvanian countryside where she has lived all fifty of her years. Traditional and proud of her blue-collar sensibilities, Dove is loved by her community. But beneath her badge lies a dark and self-destructive streak, fed by a secret she has kept since she was sixteen.

When a girl is beaten to death, her body tossed down a fiery sinkhole in an abandoned coal town, Dove is faced with solving the worst crime of her law enforcement career. She identifies the girl as a daughter of the Truly family, a notoriously irascible dynasty of rednecks and petty criminals.

During her investigation, the man convicted of killing Dove’s mother years earlier is released from prison. Still proclaiming his innocence, he approaches Dove with a startling accusation and a chilling threat that forces her to face the parallels between her own family’s trauma and that of the Trulys.

My Thoughts:

This was the second book by Tawni O'Dell that I have read this month and I do have to say it was much better than the first one. There is still way too much time spent on descriptions and unnecessary histories of the characters and not enough time on the investigations and the progress in solving the crime.

The plot is very complex at times and there are insights and discoveries in this one that were absent from the first book. I was hoping that Angels Burning might be the beginning of a new series but it seems to be going to remain as a standalone thus far. Some of the character's actions are beyond belief but I believe there is hope for this authors books.

No Man's Land by David Baldacci
John Puller series Book #4
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Two men...thirty years. John Puller's mother, Jackie, vanished thirty years ago from Fort Monroe, Virginia, when Puller was just a boy. Paul Rogers has been in prison for ten years. But twenty years before that, he was at Fort Monroe. One night three decades ago, Puller's and Rogers' worlds collided with devastating results, and the truth has been buried ever since. Until now.

Military investigators, armed with a letter from a friend of Jackie's, arrive in the hospital room of Puller's father--a legendary three-star now sinking into dementia--and reveal that Puller Sr. has been accused of murdering Jackie. Aided by his brother Robert Puller, an Air Force major, and Veronica Knox, who works for a shadowy U.S. intelligence organization, Puller begins a journey that will take him into his own past, to find the truth about his mother.

Paul Rogers' time is running out. With the clock ticking, he begins his own journey, one that will take him across the country to the place where all his troubles began: a mysterious building on the grounds of Fort Monroe. There, thirty years ago, the man Rogers had once been vanished too, and was replaced with a monster. And now the monster wants revenge. And the only person standing in his way is John Puller.

My Thoughts:
This has proven to be another excellent series by David Baldacci. John Puller is one of the most compelling characters that I have encountered in some time. An excellent investigator although not always by the book but ever mindful that he represents the United States Army. This one contains some unexpected discoveries along the way, including futuristic military science. The end of each chapter simply insists that you to continue on to the next. Extremely enjoyable and highly recommendable.

The Hunters by Chris Kuzneski
3.5★'s

THE TEAM:
Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team—a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief—is tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.

THE MISSION:
Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country’s treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state—paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts—were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the Romanian treasure was scattered and lost.

THE PRIZE:
The collection is now valued at over $3.5 billion. Despite several attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery…until now.

From The Book:
THE TEAM:
Financed by a billionaire philanthropist, this elite team—a soldier, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief—is tasked with finding the world’s most legendary treasures.

THE MISSION:
Fearing a German victory in WWI, the Romanian government signed a deal with Russia to protect the country’s treasures. In 1916, two trains full of gold and the most precious possessions of the Romanian state—paintings, jewelry, and ancient artifacts—were sent to the underground vaults of the Kremlin. But in the turmoil of war, the Romanian treasure was scattered and lost.

THE PRIZE:
The collection is now valued at over $3.5 billion. Despite several attempts to find it, its location has remained a mystery…until now.

My Thoughts:
In order for a the reader to have a visual in their minds of what is taking place on the page, the author needs to be able to provide enough dialog for this picture to form since there is no wide screen TV. This didn't happen in this book. Lots of action...almost too much if that is possible...but not enough interaction among the characters for the reader to get the "why" this was happening.

The "Team" was composed of a mix of personalities that had never worked together before. This is fine in the office but when you are planning to steal a treasure that more than one group of people are willing to kill you to keep....this is far from ideal. Of course these are strong minded stubborn types for the most part, with a computer nerd and a translator that the author was actually thinking we would buy that she learned to drive a train just from watching the old engineer...who was one of the best characters in the book by the way.

The book received the half-star because I read with a group where we took the book in sections and each person added there comments. Seeing the others perspective on the story let me see the story from a different angle. I really like this author and have read others of his books and enjoyed them immensely. I enjoyed this one more because of the group I read it with. Anyone who likes non-stop action thrillers combined with lots of history will love this book.

Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus
4★'s

From The Book:
She looked at herself in the mirror, touched her fingertips to the little red hood on her head, and laughed. The dress was a real dirndl, with a short skirt and apron. Papa had plaited her hair into two braids, and she really looked exactly like Little Red Riding Hood in her fairy-tale book.
He always brought presents―it was a secret that she and Papa shared, because he never brought anything for the others. Only for her. She was his favorite.
The door opened, and she uttered a frightened cry when she saw the wolf. But then she had to laugh. It wasn't a real wolf after all; it was only Papa, who had put on a costume. How lovely it was that she was the only one to share this secret with Papa. Too bad she could never remember anything afterward.

On a hot June day, the body of a sixteen-year-old girl washes up on a riverbank outside of Frankfurt. She has been brutally murdered and shows signs of long-term abuse, but no one comes forward with any information as to her identity. Even weeks later, the local police have not been able to find out who she is. Then a new case comes in: A popular television host is attacked, raped, and locked in the trunk of her own car. She survives, barely, and is able to supply only vague hints to the police, having to do with her recent investigations into an organization whose members are from the highest echelons of society, and the potential uncovering of a shocking history they'd prefer to keep from the public eye. As the two cases collide, Inspectors Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein dig deep into the past and underneath the veneer of bourgeois society to come up against a terrible secret that is about to impact their personal lives as well. It is almost too late for a person very close to Pia before she and Oliver finally track down the big bad wolf.

My Thoughts:
A word of warning: This book deals with one of the most disgusting of crimes, child molestation, and how frequently it occurs.

The book has a slow beginning but it's not too far into it that it really picks up speed and you find that you just can't put it down. Combining police procedural and a favorite Grimm’s fairy tale is a winning combination. It begins with the discovery of a girl's body on a river bank in Frankfurt and evolves from there into a masterfully told tale of crime and evil.

Much of the first few chapters was devoted to setting up the situation...but from there it was non-stop action once the story was in place. Be prepared for false clues and betrayals, along with genuine leads. The novel leads to a satisfactory but not necessarily believable conclusion I think the author's main purpose of this novel was to show how child abuse can affect everyone...victims...families and many, many others.

The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koiki
4★'s

From The Book:
This tale of a young married couple who harbor a dark secret is packed with dread and terror, as they and their daughter move into a brand new apartment building built next to a graveyard. As strange and terrifying occurrences begin to pile up, people in the building start to move out one by one, until the young family is left alone with someone... or something... lurking in the basement. The psychological horror builds moment after moment, scene after scene, culminating with a conclusion that will make you think twice before ever going into a basement again.

My Thoughts:
Talk about creepy...this is it! The things that this family and the other apartment residents encountered were unrelenting and down right terrifying. It shows what a typical family...no matter what the nationality...experiences when faced with supernatural forces. It will also make you think twice about venturing into the basement alone and especially in the dark. I was a little disappointed with the ending. I wanted some more concrete answers to the why of the things that were happening and more information about the entity... but overall it was an excellent, atmospheric horror story.

>274 Carol420: You do like your horror books :)

>275 Andrew-theQM: I'm a real sucker for a good paranormal story....book or movie. I don't like movies and books that just see how much blood they can cram into an hour and a half film or 400 pages of a book. I like believable horror...something with a reasonable explanation. I think That's why i like mystery books about serial killers and such.

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly
Harry Bosch series Book #21
4,5★'s

From The Book:
Harry Bosch is California's newest private investigator. He doesn't advertise, he doesn't have an office, and he's picky about who he works for, but it doesn't matter. His chops from thirty years with the LAPD speak for themselves.

Soon one of Southern California's biggest moguls comes calling. The reclusive billionaire is nearing the end of his life and is haunted by one regret. When he was young, he had a relationship with a Mexican girl, his great love. But soon after becoming pregnant, she disappeared. Did she have the baby? And if so, what happened to it?

Desperate to know whether he has an heir, the dying magnate hires Bosch, the only person he can trust. With such a vast fortune at stake, Harry realizes that his mission could be risky not only for himself but for the one he's seeking. But as he begins to uncover the haunting story--and finds uncanny links to his own past--he knows he cannot rest until he finds the truth.

At the same time, unable to leave cop work behind completely, he volunteers as an investigator for a tiny cash-strapped police department and finds himself tracking a serial rapist who is one of the most baffling and dangerous foes he has ever faced.

My Thoughts:
Back in 1992 I read the first of Michael Connelly's new series about a take-charge, by the book, no holds barred police detective...Harry Bosch. I was hooked after the the last page of that book was turned and I can say that absolutely nothing has changed.

After the book before this one...The Crossing...we saw some big changes coming for Harry including his leaving the San Francisco Police Department after throwing his commanding officer through a plate glass window. We as fans thought that perhaps Harry was going to ride off into the sunset. I was really glad to see this book appear to take it's place as #21 and bring Harry back.

Harry is working for a smaller department investigating cold cases as well as doing some private investigating work on his own. The difference is he doesn't get paid for his police work because of a new program that the department is working to allow detectives that aren't quiet ready to throw in the towel to continue to work and feel productive while lending their many years of expertise. At first it seemed the police case and the private case were not going to exist too well in the same story line but as usual Michael Connelly brought both to a glorious conclusion. Mickey Haller...the Lincoln Lawyer from another of Connelly's series and Harry half brother...has a major role in the story also. So what more could Michael Connelly's fan ask for?

In the Dark of the Night by John Saul
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Summer vacation becomes a season in hell for an ordinary family who unwittingly stir something invisible, insidious, and insatiable from its secret slumber–unleashing a wave of horror only the darkest evil could create, that only a master of spine-tingling terror like John Saul could orchestrate. For deep in the shadows in the dark of the night lurks something as big as life . . . and as real as death.

It has waited seven years for someone to come back to the rambling lakeside house called Pinecrest, which has stood empty since its last owner went missing. For upscale Chicago couple Dan and Merrill Brewster, the old midwestern manse is an ideal retreat, and for their kids, Eric and Marci, it’s the perfect place to spend a lazy summer exploring. Which is how Eric and his teenage friends discover the curious cache of discarded objects stowed in a hidden room of Pinecrest’s carriage house. The bladeless hacksaws, shadeless lamps, tables with missing legs, headless axe handle, and other unremarkable items add up to a pile of junk. Yet someone took the trouble to inventory each worthless relic in a cryptic ledger. It has all the makings of a great mystery–whispering, coaxing, demanding to be solved.

But the more the boys devote themselves to restoring the forgotten possessions and piecing together the puzzle behind them, the more their fascination deepens into obsession. Soon their days are consumed with tending the strange, secret collection–while their nights become plagued by ever more ghastly dreams, nightmares that soon seep into reality. And when a horrifying discovery surfaces, so does the chilling truth–about the terrifying events that rocked the town seven years before, the mysterious disappearance of Pinecrest’s last resident, and a twisted legacy with a malevolent life of its own . . . and a bottomless hunger for new victims.

My Thoughts:
This is a reread for me but several years have past since I read it the first time. I discovered John Saul's books almost forty years ago and eagerly read every book he wrote from that time on. It's more than just a horror story. It's seemingly impossible things happening to real families that could be your next door neighbors...your friends... or Heaven forbid...even your own family.

The plot is not especially unique...at least not to ghost story and horror story regulars but there are plenty of twists and turns. Overall just good creepy fun along the way as John Saul is famous for his creepy things happening to ordinary people type of writing. If you like that type of book then this authors writings will never disappoint.

Those We Left Behind by Stuart Neville
Serena Flanagan series Book #1
3.5★'s

From The Book:
Ciaran Devine, who made Belfast headlines seven years ago as the “schoolboy killer,” is about to walk free. At the age of twelve, he confessed to the brutal murder of his foster father; his testimony mitigated the sentence of his older brother, Thomas, who was also found at the crime scene, covered in blood. But DCI Serena Flanagan, the only officer who could convince a young, frightened Ciaran to speak, has silently harbored doubts about his confession all this time.

Ciaran’s release means several things: a long-anticipated reunion with Thomas, who still wields a dangerous influence over his younger brother; the call-to-action of a man bent on revenge for his father’s death; and major trouble for Ciaran’s assigned probation officer. Meanwhile, Serena Flanagan has just returned to the force from her battle with breast cancer, only to endure the pitying looks of her coworkers and a mountain of open case files. She will soon discover that even closed cases can unleash terror on the streets of Belfast.

My Thoughts:
Not a bad book or a bad story plot but not much investigation taking place since that was pretty much done years ago. Anyone that reads this type of book figured out what had actually happened and who had done it shortly after the first few chapters. Still a fairly well done story when you consider that there was constant going back and forth from seven years ago to the present.

The story dealt with a topic that every cop wants to believe is impossible...children that kill. This not only dealt with that subject but also with children who convincingly lie and makes finding the truth a thankless job. I can't say that I particularly developed any like or dislike for DCI Serena Flanagan. More development may take place in later books but at this time she seems rather bland and not particularly interesting. Not a bad effort for a first book so I'll give it 3.5 stars.

The Good Cop by Brad Parks
4★'s

From The Book:
As long as Newark Eagle-Examiner reporter Carter Ross turns in his stories on deadline, no one bats an eye if he doesn't wander into the newsroom until 10 or 11 in the morning. So it's an unpleasant surprise when he's awakened at 8:38 a.m. by a phone call from his boss, telling him a local policeman was killed and to get the story. Shaking himself awake, Carter heads off to interview the cop's widow. And then he gets another call: the story's off, the cop committed suicide.

But Carter can't understand why a man with a job he loved, a beautiful wife, and plans to take his adorable children to Disney World would suddenly kill himself. And when Carter's attempts to learn more are repeatedly blocked, it's clear someone knows more than he's saying about the cop's death. The question is, who? And what does he have to hide? Carter, with his usual single-minded devotion to a good story―and to the memory of a Newark policeman―will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth.

My Thoughts:
A good story with a believable plot and characters that even though they are not especially over-the -top exciting...they are people you can like and feel some empathy for. Carter Ross has a real sense of humor which is evident through out the story. The widow is a strong willed woman...maybe a bit too strong for having just lost her husband and finding herself alone with a 7 year old and a 5 month old...but never the less she adds a lot to the story. Her pastor however is straight out of the "make me rich at any cost" camp. I don't see how people fall for this dribble. The widow is absolutely certain that her cop husband was murdered and not a suicide as almost the entire police department wants her to believe. Carter Ross is also convinced that there is much more going on than is being said. Who will profit the most from this is just one of the questions he finds himself facing to try and find justice for this "Good Cop".

That Darkness by Lisa Black
A Gardiner & Renner novel
4★'s

From The Book:
Lisa Black draws from her experience as a forensic investigator to create two of the most fascinating characters in crime fiction: a killer with a unique sense of justice and a woman in a lifelong relationship with death.

My Thoughts:
This book certainly takes a 360 degree turn with the killer's identification. It took another 360 degree turn at the end. I don't think I have ever seen this in any of the thousands of books I have read over the years. I had to go back and reread the first few chapters to make sure I was reading it right and hadn't missed something along the way. Very clever turn of events Ms. Black.

I won't say anything else...you'll just have to read it for yourself and be prepared to be amaze

The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves
Vera Stanhope series Book #7
4★'s

From The Book:
Life seems perfect in the quiet community of Valley Farm. Then a shocking discovery shatters the silence. The owners of a big country house have employed a house-sitter, a young ecologist, to look after the place while they’re away. But his dead body is found by the side of the lane―a lonely place to die.

When DI Vera Stanhope arrives on the scene, she finds the body of a second man. What the two victims seem to have in common is a fascination with studying moths―and with catching these beautiful, intriguing creatures.

The others who live in Valley Farm have secrets too: Lorraine’s calm demeanor belies a more complex personality; Annie and Sam’s daughter, Lizzie, is due to be released from prison; and Nigel watches, silently, every day, from his window. As Vera is drawn into the claustrophobic world of this increasingly strange community, she realizes that there may be many deadly secrets trapped there .

My Thoughts:
You can't be in a hurry when indulging yourself in an Ann Cleeves book. This is a writer that keeps many "secrets" close and only throws them out occasionally. Separating the facts from the red herrings does require the expertise of one such as DI Vera Stanhope. Lucky for the reader that she always shows up.

The title of this book, The Moth Catcher can be interpenetrated to indicate the trap itself or the one catching in the trap. Throughout this book the reader will feel "caught". In her usual manner Vera Stanhope cleverly works her way through the many entanglements and like the Mounties..."gets her man".

It was an enjoyable read and the only problem I had with the book was the complete lack of enough information to let the reader figure out who the killer was. This is evident in most of Ann Cleeve's books. One thing that she is excellent at is "layering" each of her characters so that the reader has a multitude of suspects to choose from. I had to give this one 4 stars because I just happened to pick the correct suspect. This was accomplished through no talent of my own...just blind good luck.

All The Colors of Darkness by Peter Robinson
Alan Banks series Book #18
4 ★'s

From The Book:
In a world of terror and uncertainty, what does one small death matter?

The body hanging from a tree in a peaceful wood appears to Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot to be a suicide. Further investigation into the sad demise of Mark Hardcastle, the set designer for the local amateur theater company, leads to the corpse of Mark's older, wealthier lover, brutally bludgeoned to death.

Suddenly the case demands the attention of Chief Inspector Alan Banks, called back from his vacation even though nothing suggests this wasn't a crime of passion followed by remorse and self-destruction. But machinations within the shadow world of secret government only add to the colors of darkness already shading this troubling affair. And a stubborn policeman who will not be frightened away could lose everything in one terrifying, explosive instant.

My Thoughts:
This book draws on elements of espionage and Cold War treachery, yet it is another solid installment in the Inspector Alan Banks series.

Boys playing in the woods find a body hanging from one of the trees. Alan Banks is away with playing house with his much younger girl friend, Sophie... so Annie Cabot is own her own until she is ordered to call Banks and bring him back. It looks like a domestic quarrel where one partner bludgeoned the other and then hanged himself in grief so Annie thinks she hardly needed assistance with this case. Banks returns and all of a sudden no one wants the case investigated...they want it closed. Of course that raises red flags to Alan and Annie who continue to investigate on their own.

There are many subplots to the main story and investigation, so at times, the whole thing becomes confusing...and in the end it still leaves you wondering if any of the motives for the murder were ever really believable. There are personal developments with our main detective that fans of the series will want to see but I have to say I've read better Alan Banks novels.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
4.5★'s

From The Book:
Elfrida Phipps, once of London's stage, moved to the English village of Dibton in hopes of making a new life for herself. Gradually she settled into the comfortable familiarity of village life -- shopkeepers knowing her tastes, neighbors calling her by name -- still she finds herself lonely.

Oscar Blundell gave up his life as a musician in order to marry Gloria. They have a beautiful daughter, Francesca, and it is only because of their little girl that Oscar views his sacrificed career as worthwhile.

Carrie returns from Australia at the end of an ill-fated affair with a married man to find her mother and aunt sharing a home and squabbling endlessly. With Christmas approaching, Carrie agrees to look after her aunt's awkward and quiet teenage daughter, Lucy, so that her mother might enjoy a romantic fling in America.

Sam Howard is trying to pull his life back together after his wife has left him for another. He is without home and without roots, all he has is his job. Business takes him to northern Scotland, where he falls in love with the lush, craggy landscape and set his sights on a house.

It is the strange rippling effects of a tragedy that will bring these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan.

It is in this house, on the shortest day of the year, that the lives of five people will come together and be forever changed. Rosamunde Pilcher's long-awaited return to the page will warm the hearts of readers both old and new. Winter Solstice is a novel of love, loyalty and rebirth.

My Thoughts:
It's a magical tale of ordinary folks. The Estate House in a small village in Scotland at the holiday season and filled with characters that exhibit both richness and depth. Through the author's descriptions, the reader feels as if they are sitting in the house with them planning the Christmas holiday and having a cuppa tea.

If it had not been my Blind Date With A Book, I don't know if I would have ever picked the book up but I have to say that I'm glad I did and I thank the person that recommended it for a delightful, heartwarming experience.

Miss Dimple Rallies to the Cause by Mignon F. Ballard
3★'s

From the Book:
life in small-town America during World War II springs vividly to life as schoolteacher Miss Dimple and her fellow townspeople battle valiantly against worry, rationing, and crime at home as well as abroad.

It's September 1943, and the town of Elderberry, Georgia, including their beloved first-grade teacher, Miss Dimple Kilpatrick, has exciting plans for the Bond Rally to support the troops fighting the war abroad. Miss Dimple's friend, Virginia Balliew, has agreed to chair the big event, with the help of Buddy Oglesby. But when children discover a skeleton at the edge of a field, and Buddy disappears along with the war bond money, it's clear that something is amiss in the little town; and Miss Dimple, along with her fellow teachers, is soon on the case.

My Thoughts:
First I need to say that "Cozy" Mysteries are NOT my cuppa tea...at all. I read this one for two reasons...my mother loves "Miss Dimple" and it was for a sub-genre challenge on another group.

I guess I just don't get how these non-professionals without any training that would even classify them as private investigators, can insert themselves into crime solving situations...and manage to not only catch the bad-guy but live to tell the story. Not just once, mind you, but through 20 or more books.

It does have some historical value however. A small Georgia town during WWII is the setting and Miss Dimple, the heroine is a teacher. Soon she is joined by some fellow teachers and several locals. She's not very grateful for the extra help as she considers them to be in the way. I wondered how the local police viewed her. Even though I will never go out of my way to read this genre I do have to say that Mignon Ballard has managed to produce a pretty good period piece and will appeal to those that 1. love this slant on history and 2. don't care for lots of blood, guts and violence in their reading.

In The Cold, Cold Ground by Stuart MacBride
Logan McRae series Book #10
4★'s

From The Book:
Trouble is coming…Sergeant Logan McRae’s team find a body dumped in the woods – but is it the missing businessman they’ve been searching for, or something far more sinister? It doesn’t help that his ex-boss is taking over the case, a new Superintendent has it in for him, and Professional Standards are looming.

Even worse: Aberdeen’s criminal overlord, Wee Hamish Mowat, is dying and rival gangs all over the UK are eyeing his territory. There’s a war brewing and Logan’s trapped right in the middle, whether he likes it or not.

My Thoughts:
Stuart MacBride is one of my many favorite authors and Logan McRae is one of my many favorite series. Usually the series and the book would rate much higher with me than a mere 4 stars...but this book was on again-off again with me. Logan has always had problems with his boss, Chief Inspector Steel...but she is really over the top with undeserved attitude in this one. It became boring reading the back and forth bickering between not only her and Logan but the entire team. The story started off with an unidentified body that Logan and his team were investigating and that was interesting but then the story just went off in so many different directions that it lost the entire story line. Whenever it would pick up again with the investigation... I would begin to think that it had hope of being the great stories that this series has always been. A little more than half the book was very good and for that it gets the 4 stars. Better luck with the next one.

If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle
Bibliophile Mystery series Book #2
3.5★'s

From The Book:
Murder is easy-on paper. Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is attending the world- renowned Book Fair when her ex Kyle shows up with a bombshell. He has an original copy of a scandalous text that could change history-and humiliate the beloved British monarchy.

When Kyle turns up dead, the police are convinced Brooklyn's the culprit. But with an entire convention of suspects, Brooklyn's conducting her own investigation to find out if the motive for murder was a 200-year-old secret-or something much more personal.

My Thoughts:
In spite of my continued avoidance of the cozy mystery genre I found that I did rather enjoy this one. Again I have to confess if it had not been for the sub-genre challenge on the Mystery & Suspense Extra group on LibraryThing I would never have picked the book up and would have missed this well written mystery that is populated with lots of devious suspects, daunting detectives, and a few humerus Scots. I even learned some very interesting information about book restoration.

The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry
Cotton Malone series Book # 3
4★'s

From The Book:
n 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place–unknown to this day–remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone–former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer–will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game.

After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength.

And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history’s ultimate conqueror.

Backed by a secret cabal of power-brokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great–in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years.

Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and out think the forces allied against them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people–depending on who finds the lost tomb first.

My Thoughts:
Anyone that is a history fan will surely find that this series is well worth your time to pursue. Steve Berry admits that he does take literary license with some of the facts but for the most part he does well planned research and stays as close to actual historical recollection as the story line allows.

The twists and turns in this book are truly amazing. I will have to confess that following the plot line from one place to another sometimes became truly exhausting. Also there is so much going on that it makes it nearly impossible for the reader to possibly solve the riddle. The characters however are extremely interesting and very diversified in personality. Overall it was a very good read but I believe I was more interested in the previous two books dealing with The Templar treasure and the lost library of Alexandria.

Seeking The Dead by Kate Ellis
Joe Plantagenet Series Book #1
4.5★'s

From The Book:
When Carmel Hennessy begins a new job in North Yorkshire, she finds the historic city of Eborby gripped by fear. A killer is on the prowl - a killer who binds and asphyxiates his victims before leaving their naked bodies in isolated country churchyards. The press are calling him the Resurrection Man.

Tragic events from the past link Carmel with new-kid-on-the-block DI Joe Plantagenet, who, with his new boss, DCI Emily Thwaite, faces the unenviable task of identifying the killer before he claims another victim. The victims appear to have nothing in common but the manner of their deaths, but as Joe's investigations lead him to a pub with a sinister history, he is forced to consider that the case may have occult connections. Then Carmel becomes aware of a malevolent presence in her new flat and, when she starts to receive mysterious threats, it is Joe she turns to first. And that is when Joe is forced to get into the mind of a cunning and scarily ruthless killer.

My Thoughts:
I've been a long time fan of Ellis's Wesley Peterson series and had only read one or two from this one. I do believe that I have enjoyed this series as much or more than the Peterson series....which came as a bit of a surprise to me. The characters seem to have more substance and the plots moves along at a quicker pace. The structure of the plot is interesting and we learn of events from a number of different characters, including the killer. We are taken along parallel paths until events slowly start to merge and the killer is more easily identified. Great series and I would recommend it to all Kate Ellis fans or just someone that enjoys a good who-done-it.

Love You Dead by Peter James
Roy Grace series Book #12
5 ★'s

From The Book:
An ugly duckling as a child, Jodie Bentley had two dreams in life - to be beautiful and rich. She's achieved the first, with a little help from a plastic surgeon, and now she's working hard on the second. Her philosophy on money is simple: you can either earn it or marry it. Marrying is easy, it's getting rid of the husband afterwards that's harder, that takes real skill. But hey, practice makes perfect . . .

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is feeling the pressure from his superiors, his previous case is still giving him sleepless nights, there have been major developments with his missing wife Sandy, and an old adversary is back. But worse than all of this, he now believes a Black Widow is operating in his city. One with a venomous mind . . . and venomous skills. Soon Grace comes to the frightening realization that he may have underestimated just how dangerous this lady is.

My Thoughts:
Another great read in this series featuring DS Roy grace and his "Serious Crimes" team. The characters have so much depth and are so incredible in their dealings with their investigative abilities and their vulnerabilities in their everyday lives that you can't help but love and admire them.

Grace and Chloe have almost more on their plates than they can handle with Roy and his team investigating a series of murders that a highly unlikable character is perpetrating on rich, older men and the resurfacing of Roy's first wife, Sandy... who he had previously had declared dead. Along with Sandy comes more trouble that I'm sure will be the subject of a future book.

I would highly recommend this series to all mystery & suspense fans and have to say that it is just an all round compelling read...as is most everything this author writes.

>290 Carol420: I second your recommendation and can't wait for the new one in May, Need You Dead.

>291 Andrew-theQM: Me too. I wonder how many more plays on "Dead" they can come up with. This one will be #13.