LATEST REVIEWSTRUE CONFECTIONS by Katharine Weber: It's not often that a book can be summed up in one word, but this book can: sweet. The title hints at it, as does the candy swirl cover, but it's more than the fact that it's about a family in the candy business. Not all the characters are sweet, but enough are. Alice Tatnall is still a child when she becomes the town pariah. She accidentally burns down a friend's house and is railroaded by her family and attorney into pleading guilty to arson. Her family never forgives her, nor do the townsfolk. She ends up working at the Zip's Candies factory right out of high school and falls in love with the sweet air, and the owner's son, Howard Ziplinsky. This story meanders through the Ziplinsky family history and how they came to the candy business, a family saga of Hungarian Jewish immigrants to Ellis Island to success. The story gets bogged down from time to time with all the candy industry details, but it really is about three generations of family. A sweet read. 02/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch BROKEN PLACES by Sandra Parshall: Cam and Meredith Taylor are murdered within hours of one another, and veterinarian Rachel Goddard is dragged into the case because she heard - but didn't see - Cam’s murder. The Taylors had arrived in Mason County as volunteers in the 1960s War on Poverty, and they stayed on, making loyal friends and bitter enemies, so there is no shortage of suspects. Cam had been badgering a number of people including newcomer Ben Hern, a cartoonist, for money to help him keep his local newspaper afloat. Rachel grew up with Ben and can’t believe he could be involved. Further complicating the situation - the victims’ daughter Leslie is the former girlfriend of Deputy Sheriff Tom Bridger, who is now dating Rachel. Passions run as high as the Virginia summer heat as Rachel and Tom try to solve the crimes before others get hurt. 02/10 Jack Quick FINAL TARGET by Stephen Gore: Steven Gore spent his career as a private investigator in the San Francisco Bay Area. His international thrillers draw on his investigations throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. In FINAL TARGET, private investigator Graham Gage is trying to help his closest friend Jack Burch, who is lying unconscious in a hospital bed, the victim of a violent assault the police are calling "road rage." If he recovers, prosecutors are waiting to indict him for conspiracy, eager to send him to prison for the rest of his life. Gage believes Burch had no part in the ever-widening criminal conspiracy surrounding the collapse of defense contractor SatTek Industries, but his search for the truth is rocketing him to hot spots around the globe and making him the target of lies, greed, and terror perpetrated by an assortment of traitors, killers, and international gangsters. The body count rises quicker than the plot but eventually we learn the FINAL TARGET is not Burch, but instead the entire country. 02/10 Jack Quick CALIFORNIA FIRE & LIFE by Don Winslow: My second Don Winslow. Is he ever good. Captures the California surfing scene as well as producing great procedurals. Jack Wade is "basically a Dalmatian" - when a fire happens he's there. Jack, who works to live and lives to surf, was a sheriff's department fire investigator until he got caught planting evidence in a warehouse arson to protect a witness, and is now the top claims adjuster for California Fire and Life. When Pamela Vale passes out drunk and accidentally burns down the west wing of her Dana Point mansion, along with half a million dollars of her husband's antique furniture, Jack thinks maybe it wasn't an accident. It turns out the victim was the half-sister of his ex-girlfriend which made it really personal. Jack’s opponent is Pamela's estranged husband, Daziatnik Valeshin, now known as Nicky Vale, who has survived a Russian prison camp to make himself over into the model of a perfect Southern California gentleman. The more Jack learns the dirtier it gets and the more danger for him. A great read. 02/10 Jack Quick TAROKO GORGE by Jacob Ritari: A rambling first person stream of consciousness narrative about a disillusioned American reporter, and three Japanese schoolgirls who disappear into a dense and imposing Taroko Gorge, Taiwan's largest national park. The journalists-who are themselves suspects-investigate the disappearance along with the girls' distraught teacher, their bickering classmates, and a seasoned and wary Taiwanese detective. I just couldn’t get into the stream of things, but maybe others will find it satisfying. I came away feeling I had learned too much about things I didn’t care about and too little about the things I did care about. 02/10 Jack Quick CITY OF DRAGONS by Kelli Stanley: PI Miranda Corbie, a former escort who made the papers thanks to her first big case, is not known for backing down or playing it safe. When she happens upon a young Japanese man who’s been beaten to death in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Miranda is not satisfied to simply give her statement and move on: she knows that the cops have little interest in the case and decides to have at it herself. Her digging attracts some unwanted attention, however, and Miranda finds herself under the scrutinizing eye of the authorities and some unsavory characters as well (and in some cases, they are one and the same). Meanwhile, Miranda has been hired to track down a missing teen whose own stepmother claims the girl is responsible for her father’s death—a multi-layered plot with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. Stanley’s gritty noir style is a wonderful complement to her well-researched and impressive 1940s setting. City of Dragons is rich in detail and unforgettable characters; a grand start to what I am sure is going to be a fabulous new series. 02/10 Becky Lejeune
"The whole family is a bunch of dangerous freaks...Most are ex-cons or junkies or deranged from inbreeding. Five have died violently, three are back in prison, two have gone insane from untreated venereal disease, and one writes book reviews." Triggerfish Twist by Tim Dorsey
LAST MONTH'S REVIEWS:9 DRAGONS by Michael Connelly: Imagine Dave Robicheaux in Paris, Stephanie Plum in Ethiopia, or Dragnet’s Sergeant Friday in Oslo. Now think Harry Bosch in Hong Kong. In this 14th Bosch outing, Connelly sends him overseas in a tightly wound thriller that, while interesting, just doesn’t feel totally correct. Bosch is called out to investigate the shooting death of a Chinese liquor store owner and discovers the dead man was paying a weekly protection fee to a man Bosch suspects is part of a Chinese triad. When Bosch doesn’t back off as warned, the triad kidnaps his 13-year-old daughter, Madeline, who lives in Hong Kong with her mother - Bosch's ex-wife, a former FBI agent. Bosch flies to Hong Kong to try to rescue Madeline in 39 hours and get back to the United States to keep the triad bad guy in jail and while Bosch is Bosch, the pace is more DaVinci Code or Mission Impossible which takes away from some of Connelly’s adept character development. If you are Connelly fan, 9 Dragons is acceptable, but if you are not familiar with Connelly, don’t judge him solely on this outing. 01/10 Jack Quick BEYOND THE NIGHT by Joss Ware: For fifty years, while the world was coming to a virtual end, Dr. Elliot Drake and his friends slept, totally unaware. They entered a cave system in Sedona in 2010, emerging to discover that decades had passed while they were inside. None of them has aged at all and the world as they knew it has vanished. What is left is a wasted wreck where the tattered remains of the human race fight for survival in a land with little resources. Elliot and his friends have been traveling for six months, searching for answers that will explain the events that have led them to this point. When they encounter a group of teens from Envy, they believe that their luck may finally have changed for the better. What they find in Envy—once Las Vegas—is a struggling resistance: a group searching for a way to defeat The Strangers, beings Elliot and his friends have been lucky enough to avoid. Until now. Jade, one of those fighting the Strangers, knows more about these enemies than anyone else. Her experience has left her wary and on edge, but also stronger than most. Now she’ll have to open up and trust Elliot and his friends so that they may save the remaining survivors. This first in the Envy series is an exciting blend of romance and suspense in a post-apocalyptic setting. And did I mention there are zombies? 01/10 Becky Lejeune BLACK & WHITE AND DEAD ALL OVER by John Darnton: There is murder afoot in a major national newspaper which bears an uncanny resemblance to the New York Times. The first victim is a widely disliked egomaniacal (aren’t they all?) Assistant Managing Editor named Theodore S. Ratnoff who is found with an editor’s spike plunged deeply into his chest. Other murders soon follow. It represents quite a puzzle to young ambitious female NYPD lieutenant Priscilla Bollingsworth who has a plethora of suspects, the mayor breathing down her neck and her every move under the intense scrutiny of big city news people. The story is some ways mirrors the declining, some same dying print newspaper industry and Darnton has included all the key players in the rapidly changing situation - the resentful old guard, the clueless publisher, the aggressive career builders, the talented but unappreciated reporters, the self-centered columnists, and the ruthless international media tycoon. Probably enjoyed better by people outside the newspaper industry, Darnton has drawn a painfully accurate picture of the challenges facing today’s journalists, or as he prefers “hacks.” 01/10 Jack Quick THE BIG WAKE-UP by Mark Coggins: “I know as much about Argentine politics as you probably know about the San Francisco Giants.” Before Coggins's fifth mystery to feature San Francisco PI August Riordan is over, Riordan knows enough about Argentine politics to stick with his beloved Giants. A random fatal encounter at a Laundromat with 23-year-old Araceli Rivero leads to a job from her Argentine family – find the location of Araceli's dead aunt, whose body was transferred from a Milan cemetery to somewhere in the Bay Area in 1974. After quickly getting a promising lead, Riordan learns that his clients have been less than straight with him - the missing corpse is actually that of Evita Peron. Riordan needs all of his wits, his network of friends and associates, and an unexpected legacy from the dead father he has never known to help him survive the deadly intrigue between powerful Argentine movers and shakers, ex-military men, and a mysterious woman named Isis who is expert in ancient techniques of mummification. Very nicely done. 01/10 Jack Quick DEEPER THAN THE DEAD by Tami Hoag: In 1984, four kids discover the body of a woman in a park. She was buried with only her neck & head showing, her mouth and eyes glued shut. Their teacher, Ann Navarre, heard the children scream and went to investigate. There's a hotshot new detective, who is into this new high tech strategy of profiling serial killers. He investigates and finds two other women have been killed in a similar manner. He calls in a friend from the FBI, who recently came back from medical leave after being shot in the head. Meanwhile, the entire town is in turmoil. The characters are really well developed, even the children who are often just used as props have their stories told in this fast paced, riveting yet somewhat predictable read. 01/10 Ariel Alesi DOUBLE BLACK by Wendy Clinch: Stacey Curtis wants to forget her cheating ex and live the life of a ski bum. And it’s working for her so far. Hitting the slopes by day and tending bar by night, she wants for nothing more than a warm place to spend her nights. When she finds the keys to the local condos, her dreams seem to have come true. But then she finds the body of a dead man and everything changes. Now she’s renting a room from the local sheriff and hoping that her identity as the body’s discoverer remains secret long enough for her to uncover the killer’s identity. This solid, if somewhat predictable, mystery makes for a satisfying series opener and Stacey Curtis is a likeable lead that will no doubt be a new favorite amongst cozy fans. 01/10 Becky Lejeune AN EYE FOR AN EYE by Irene Hannon: The second installment of the Heroes of Quantico series, this was billed as romantic suspense. Frankly, it just didn’t work for me. FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Mark Sanders is sent to St. Louis to work as a field agent after he accidentally shoots a teenager at a tense standoff. Just weeks away from returning to Quantico to resume his work on the HRT, Mark has a chance encounter with an old flame, Emily Lawson. But their reunion is cut short by a sniper. Now Mark must find the shooter, keep Emily safe, and rekindle a long-dead relationship at the same time. With lines like “While Emily’s faith gave her obvious spiritual comfort, he suspected her emotional needs went unmet,.” I seem to have missed the suspense part. 01/10 Jack Quick FACES OF THE GONE by Brad Parks: Carter Ross is an investigative reporter for a Newark, NJ newspaper who is assigned to look into the execution of four drug dealers that the cops are blaming on a bar robbery. Ross doesn't buy it, and does his own investigating, putting himself, his cat Deadline, and pretty much everyone else he interviews in harm's way. The characters are strongly defined, from the go-go dancer's mother to the editor with a ticking biological clock. The Newark projects and their inhabitants come to life as do the local politicians and the cops. The newsroom rings true, especially the budget issues and there are some funny moments with the competition between the newspaper journalists and the TV news reporters. New Jersey seems to produce some of the funniest mystery writers, and Parks joins the ranks of Janet Evanovich and David Rosenfelt with his gritty, humorous debut. 01/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch FIRST RULE by Robert Crais: In this book, the "first rule" refers to a code lived by organized crime members of the former Soviet Union. The code is simple: one must forsake all family members, wives, mothers, children for his crime family. They come first, and if this rule is broken, it means death. Frank Meyer is murdered, along with his wife and children, in what appears to be another in a string of home invasions. The police believe he was involved in something shady, but Joe Pike does not. Frank was one of Joe's team back in the day when they were mercenaries, but Frank left the life to marry and built a successful business, and had a happy family. Pike determines to find out who did this to his friend, and bucks the police, the FBI, and some scary gangsters to do so. Pike may not have much to say, he is the strong, silent type for sure, but he gets the job done. Elvis Cole, his partner, is just a minor character in this taut, complicated thriller - this is Pike's story, and it is an excellent piece of crime fiction writing. 01/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch THE GIRL WITH GLASS FEET by Ali Shaw: Midas Crook has lived his whole life on St. Hauda’s Land, a tiny island where everyone knows everyone and no one can keep secrets. Ida Maclaird has returned to the island in hopes that she can track down the one person who may be able to help her. See, Ida is turning into glass. When Midas happens upon Ida one afternoon, the two find themselves drawn to one another in a way that they’ve never experienced. As time runs out for Ida, she begins to fall in love with Midas. But Midas’s own feelings are guarded and hidden thanks to his strange childhood. The small, secluded setting, mythical beings and occurrences, and haunting tone of this story bring to mine the fairy tales that inspire Shaw’s writing. The Girl With Glass Feet is a beautiful, touching, and heartbreaking story. A wonderful book that leaves the reader wondering, what if… 01/10 Becky Lejeune HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAMNED by Mark Henry: Amanda Feral may be new to Seattle’s supernatural scene, but the smart and stylish ghoul is not about to let a little thing like death stand in her way or slow her down. In fact, one night into her new gig and she’s already breaking and entering at a mortuary in search of decent cover-up. Plus, she may no longer be able to stomach Starbucks coffee, but it’s something of a relief to learn that even abovegrounders can still hold their alcohol. Course the taste for human flesh is a little less trendy, but Amanda’s even worked out a way to keep the blood off her designer duds. And when she learns that one of her fellow paranormal friends might be in trouble, she immediately sets out to help. But Amanda and her friends may be way over their heads when it starts to look as though a zombie outbreak is in the works. Mark Henry’s twisted and dirty humor makes for great Seattle underworld fun. Definitely not suitable for readers without a strong stomach, but for those of us who are blessed with such, Mark Henry delivers combination laugh-out-loud and cringe-worthy scenes that truly entertain. 01/10 Becky Lejeune THE HONOR OF SPIES by W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV: Like father, like son, and so far the father-son collaboration has worked well in extending Griffin’s long running multiple series about men in uniform. The date is August 6, 1943: and twenty-four-year-old Cletus Frade of the Office of Strategic Services is in a doozy of a situation. A German lieutenant colonel named Wilhelm Frogger is in a Mississippi prisoner-of-war detention facility. Frade's job? To help Frogger escape. Frogger's parents are in Frade's custody in Argentina, because of their involvement in a secret German plan to establish safe havens for senior Nazi officials in South America, and the younger Frogger has agreed to help find out what they know. Even more important, however, is the secret within the secret. Before he was captured in Africa, Frogger was part of a conspiracy - its goal: to assassinate Adolf Hitler. It’s away all hands as the Germans, the Americans and the Argentines all try to get to the Froggers for their own ends. Maybe the best one yet in the Honor Bound series. 01/10 Jack Quick I, SNIPER by Stephen Hunter: The latest Bob Lee Swagger starts with the sniper murder of four prominent aging Viet Nam anti war protestors starting with Joan Flanders, a Jane Fonda knock off. The FBI quickly zeroes in on a scenario involving a Viet Nam vet with an axe to grind and a very specific set of skills. The list of prospective suspects isn't that long and the authorities settle on retired Marine Carl Hitchcock. When Hitchcock commits suicide, he leaves the FBI empty handed. Enter our hero, Bob Lee Swagger, who doesn't believe that Hitchcock was the culprit and for reasons of his own decides to prove it. As you would expect he ends up in real killer’s sights but perseveres so we can look forward hopefully to another Swagger outing. This book is much better than the last couple, so maybe Hunter is back in his groove. 01/10 Jack Quick IRON RIVER by T. Jefferson Parker: With Iron River T. Jefferson Parker has written a trilogy that is gritty, emotional, action packed, and most of all entertaining. In L.A. Outlaws, Parker introduced Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy Charlie Hood, plunging him into a glamorous, fast-moving world of antiheroes-and antiheroines. In The Renegades, Hood was ensnared in a major case of police corruption. This time around, Hood is running the California-Mexico border with the ATFE, searching for the iron river-the massive and illegal flow of handguns and automatic weapons that fuels the bloody cartel wars south of the border. Gunrunners by nature aren't exactly ethical, but the lengths they'll go to, and the innocent lives they'll risk, are shocking even to Hood. Most shocking of all is the close personal connection Hood finds wrapped up in events south of the border-a connection that shakes him to his core. These three must be read in order for maximum effect – and are not for the faint-hearted. 01/10 Jack Quick JANE BITES BACK by Michael Thomas Ford: Michael Thomas Ford joins the multitude of authors playing with famous literary characters these days with his take on Jane Austen as a centuries-old vampire. The first of three proposed titles finds the authoress living in modern times and running her own bookstore. She’s also trying to get published under her now assumed name, Jane Fairfax. As she watches droves of others make money off her famous works, Jane struggles just to get one new book released. Imagine, 116 rejections while the Jane Austen Workout Guide becomes a hit in your own store. Meanwhile, her maker has reappeared and is threatening the new life Jane has made for herself. And, the creator of Mr. Darcy is finally delving into the dating world once again, and at something of a loss as to how to proceed, or even recognize a potential Darcy in her midst. What’s a vampire to do? Such a fun read. I especially love to imagine Austen duking it out with fellow literary blood-suckers, both literal and figurative. 01/10 Becky Lejeune THE LOCK ARTIST by Steve Hamilton: Michael, The Miracle Boy, has a story to tell. And though he hasn’t spoken for years, he’s decided that it is time to recount that tale as best he can. As a child, Michael survived a terrible crime, but it left him mute and emotionally scarred. Raised by his uncle, Michael discovers that he has a talent for locks. At first it’s nothing more than a hobby, then it becomes a bragging point with his fellow high school students. But a stunt lands him in trouble with the law while eventually earning him a position as a much sought after “box man”; he can open any lock. The story is told in two alternating timelines: Michael’s early progression in his talent, and Michael’s time working professionally. The closer the two lines become, the more complete Michael’s story becomes, rewarding readers with a growing understanding of the character and his motivations. And the unfolding of the tale is spectacular: a completely gripping and clever one sitting read. 01/10 Becky Lejeune LULLABY by Claire Seeber: Jess Finnegan was having a nice day out with her husband and baby, when she realized that she was alone. One moment her family was by her side, the next they were simply gone. She searches high and low but can find no sign. Resigned, she returns home hoping that they will be waiting for her. Not so. The authorities are quick to brush aside her concerns: her husband is a responsible adult, after all, and it’s only been a matter of hours. But then Jess’s worst nightmares come true when her husband is found beaten and apparently left for dead. The baby is nowhere to be found. With every moment that passes, the trail goes colder. Jess, unable to sit idly by, begins her own search, leading her to suspect almost everyone of possible involvement in her son’s kidnapping. Lullaby is a tightly plotted and intense story in the tradition of UK suspense made famous by the likes of Nicci French, Minette Walters, and Ruth Rendell. Though Lullaby debuted in the UK in 2007, this is Seeber’s first U.S. release. Definitely an author to watch. 01/10 Becky Lejeune THE MIDNIGHT ROAD by Tom Piccirilli: I don’t usually try to compare authors directly, but in this case I would describe this new-to-me author as Stephen King-esque, at least in this outing. Suffolk County Child Protective Services Investigator Flynn has no idea when he responds to the possible child abuse call on a snowy wintry night that his life is about to be radically changed. Escaping the Shepards’ million-dollar Long Island home with daughter Kelly and an abused autistic uncle in hand, he is pursued by her gun toting mother, who has already shot her husband, and is finally forced off the road onto a frozen lake. He manages to get Kelly and her uncle out of the car to safety before the ice caves and takes him and his prized Dodge Charger with it. The cold is so intense he is flash frozen and then successfully revived after a 28 minute underwater ordeal. Unfortunately no one noticed Zero, Kelly’s French bulldog, who was also in the car. As a consequence Zero’s ghost is now is a near constant companion of Flynn (which raises some interesting mental health issues) and provides him with insights and guidance. Not long after a known prostitute approaches Flynn and hands him a note saying THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT. Before Flynn can learn more, the woman’s head explodes, victim of a sniper shot from over one hundred yards away. Now a determined homicide detective and a beautiful, inquisitive reporter are both all over Flynn and he is clueless. Certainly not your typical mystery, but nicely done. 01/10 Jack Quick MR. SHIVERS by Robert Jackson Bennett: Horror meets the great depression in this genre-bending debut. Connelly’s daughter has been murdered. For him, life will never be the same, but the possibility that carrying out revenge might bring him close is enough. He sets off west, following the scarred man known to most as Mr. Shivers. Shivers leaves a wake of death and sorrow in his path, a path that spares some but brings great pain to many. Throughout Connelly’s journey, he meets others who also seek vengeance against the scarred man. Each person shares the same tale and each person is willing to sacrifice everything to see Shivers suffer as they have. But their payback comes at a hefty price. Robert Jackson Bennett creates a bleak and dark world that is virtually unforgiving to all. His characters’ suffering and pain is clear, making Mr. Shivers a macabre sort of read and a window into a world that one hopes to never enter themselves. 01/10 Becky Lejeune THE MURDERER’S DAUGHTERS by Randy Susan Meyers: Lulu’s mother told her not to let her father inside. But when he came knocking, young Lulu opened the door to her father’s bidding. That fateful day, Lulu’s father killed her mother. Merry, just five at the time, was stabbed and would bear the scar for the rest of her life, a reminder of the event that changed things forever. Afterwards, Lulu and Merry were left virtually orphaned with no one to care for them but each other. Through the story each sister grows, taking their secret with them, and dealing in their own way with the burden of their past. Lulu, an overachiever, pushes herself to great accomplishment while closing herself off emotionally. Merry, on the other hand, is always trying to please others first, including Lulu. Eventually, they must both recognize the ways that that pivotal moment has shaped their lives in order to finally move on. Randy Susan Meyers approaches her subject with grace and sensitivity. A thoughtful, if somewhat sad (but ultimately hopeful), story about family, sisters, and the tragic effects of domestic abuse and violence on children. 01/10 Becky Lejeune NO MERCY by Lori Armstrong: Mercy Gunderson is one tough chick. For twenty years, she has been serving in the Army, a part of a secret group of women soldiers trained as rangers. Now on medical leave, Mercy has returned to the family ranch to take charge in the wake of her father’s death. After working so hard to leave behind her past, Mercy is once again thrust into the life she thought she didn’t want. Faced with having to sell the ranch or take over, she finds the decision is not as easy as she’d believed it would be. And when bodies begin cropping up on her own land, Mercy is dragged into the investigation. But it’s when one of her own is murdered that Mercy, the sheriff’s daughter and Army sniper, gets really pissed. The bodies in this book start stacking up before the story even begins! Armstrong starts off her latest with a bang and introduces a tough, smart heroine who is definitely up for the challenge of heading up a new series. 1/10 Becky Lejeune ORIGINAL SIN by Allison Brennan: Moira O’Donnell was raised with one purpose: to serve a specific role in her mother’s coven. You see Moira’s mother, Fiona, is one of the strongest of her kind, but she wants more. Ever since her escape, Moira has been working to help a secret brotherhood of priests whose purpose is to defeat people like Fiona. In spite of the black mark of her heritage, Moira will be an important ally and a secret weapon when the final battle comes. Moira’s mentor knows this and has made sure that she will be prepared when that day arrives, but many of the brotherhood have their doubts, including Anthony Zaccardi. When Moira follows her mother’s trail to the tiny town of Santa Louisa, she finds signs of a terrible ceremony gone wrong. Fiona wanted to trap the demon incarnations of the seven deadly sins. Instead, she unleashed the demons on an unsuspecting world. Now, Moira is the only one who can stop the evil. Brennan’s first paranormal outing is a winner. I love the detail that has gone into this book and can’t wait to learn more as the series develops. 1/10 Becky Lejeune OVERKILL by Eugenia Lovett West: In this follow up to Without Warning, Emma Street is called to Italy to intervene when her opera singer niece gets involved with a rich playboy. It seems the girl is ready to throw everything away on a romantic whim. When Emma arrives, however, things take a drastic turn and the singer’s accompanist is found dead in her hotel room. Although it appears to be an obvious suicide, further investigation reveals evidence of foul play. Meanwhile, Emma and her niece are allowed to return home, where the girl falls ill as the result of an unknown virus. Emma finds herself once again involved in a grand conspiracy that threatens the safety of the nation. I enjoyed this mystery, though I’m not sure how much of it is entirely plausible. Fortunately, West does a good job of distracting readers with fun characters and an interesting plot. 01/10 Becky Lejeune ROGUE THREAT by A.J. Tata: Matt Garrett, a paramilitary operative with the CIA, is still recovering from his last mission when the U.S. government calls on his services once again. A number of uavs (unmanned aerial vehicles), called Predators, have gone missing and a terrorist plot is suspected. Everyone’s worst nightmares are realized when a group of public landmarks are destroyed by devastating attacks. And more targets will be hit way unless the plotters’ demands are met, or unless Garrett can stop them. The man behind the plot has a personal vendetta against Matt Garrett, though, and his mission in the Philippines is connected to the current threat in ways that Garrett could never imagine. Tata delivers an entertaining military thriller with intriguing technothriller aspects. The strength of this read lies in Tata’s evident military expertise and in the Garrett brothers themselves, heroes worthy indeed of Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy) comparison. Rogue Threat is second in Tata’s Threat series and can be read as a stand-alone, but I’d recommend tracking down Sudden Threat to get the whole story before Garrett’s return in the third title of the series. 01/10 Becky Lejeune SECRETS TO DIE FOR by L. J. Sellers: Another top notch outing from the author of THE SEX CLUB. Someone is raping lesbians in generally gay friendly Eugene Oregon. When the dead body of Raina Hughes, a 20-year-old social worker, is found, Detective Jackson gets the case. Jackson, the father of a 14-year-old daughter and divorced from her substance-abusing mother, is particularly affected by the brutal attacks, all too easily envisioning his own daughter as a potential victim. At first he suspects the father of the eight year-old boy Raina is trying to help, until additional evidence points elsewhere. A young woman journalist helps Jackson find the clues that give him the connection he seeks, and then it becomes a matter of time and the chase to see if he can find the answer in time to stop another brutal death. Sellers manages to maintain suspense as well as treating a potentially salacious subject with dignity Hopefully this series will continue. There is ample material and Sellers’ writing style is superb. 01/10 Jack Quick SLEEPLESS by Charlie Huston: Over ten percent of the population is now infected with SLP, a prion that attacks the thalamus, rendering its victims sleepless until they finally succumb to death. The only treatment, the only thing that offers any ease of their symptoms, is Dreamer. Parker Haas, a cop who has always followed the rules, has been assigned an undercover position tracking the illegal trade of Dreamer. Unfortunately, in a world that has become a virtual war zone, it’s becoming harder and harder for Parker to do his job. Although he himself is not sleepless, his wife is. And their baby is showing symptoms as well. When Parker stumbles onto a murder scene in the course of his work, he unknowingly attracts the dangerous attentions of a disturbed mercenary for hire. As Parker gets closer and closer to a lead on Dreamer, this assassin learns more about Parker and his family. With this much resting on his shoulders, it’s no wonder Parker is finding it harder to sleep. Mesmerizing! Sleepless should come with a warning label. Huston’s character and world building are excellent and his trademark noir style makes this semi-apocalyptic read a true standout of the year. 1/10 Becky Lejeune THE SOUL CATCHER by Alex Kava: Kava dives headfirst into the headline-grabbing worlds of cult religions and FBI standoffs in this third novel to feature FBI Special Agent and profiler Maggie Odell is called to attend the autopsy of an agent with whom she has previously worked. He was killed when a standoff in the Massachusetts woods results in the deaths of five young cult members holed up in a backwoods cabin. Then a U.S. senator's daughter is found murdered in Washington, D.C., and her death seems to be related to the cult and its charismatic leader, Rev. Joseph Everett. It becomes even more personal for Maggie when she learns her former alcoholic mother has joined Everett's church and partner Tully's daughter was with the senator's daughter on the night she was killed. Twistier than a Six Flags roller coaster ride, you will want to hold on throughout this one. 01/10 Jack Quick MY SOUL TO SAVE by Rachel Vincent: It’s only been a matter of months since Kaylee Cavanaugh learned that she was a bean sidhe—a banshee—responsible for singing a song that allows the soul of the dead to travel on. Kaylee never thought things could get any weirder than they already were, but when she and her fellow bean sidhe boyfriend, Nash, attend a concert and witness a pop star die on stage, that’s just what happens: things get weirder. Kaylee expects the soul song to begin, but it never does. In fact, what leaves the star’s body is not a soul at all, but something called Demon’s Breath, the substance takes the soul’s place after the soul is signed away. Kaylee may have been too late to save the girl, but she and her friends soon learn that there is another who will suffer the same fate if they don’t try to help. Helping will come at a cost, though. Kaylee will have to learn all she can about the Netherworld in order to track down and negotiate with the demon. And Netherworld is no place for the living, especially not a novice bean sidhe. Vicent’s Soul Screamers series is a stand out for so many reasons: First, the premise is totally original. Second, My Soul to Save enters some truly hair-raising territory with the Netherworld. And third, the story rocks (for teens and adults, I might add). 01/10 Becky Lejeune ROGUE THREAT by A.J. Tata: Matt Garrett, a paramilitary operative with the CIA, is still recovering from his last mission when the U.S. government calls on his services once again. A number of uavs (unmanned aerial vehicles), called Predators, have gone missing and a terrorist plot is suspected. Everyone’s worst nightmares are realized when a group of public landmarks are destroyed by devastating attacks. And more targets will be hit way unless the plotters’ demands are met, or unless Garrett can stop them. The man behind the plot has a personal vendetta against Matt Garrett, though, and his mission in the Philippines is connected to the current threat in ways that Garrett could never imagine. Tata delivers an entertaining military thriller with intriguing technothriller aspects. The strength of this read lies in Tata’s evident military expertise and in the Garrett brothers themselves, heroes worthy indeed of Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy) comparison. Rogue Threat is second in Tata’s Threat series and can be read as a stand-alone, but I’d recommend tracking down Sudden Threat to get the whole story before Garrett’s return in the third title of the series. 01/10 Becky Lejeune SKIN by Mo Hayder: DI Jack Caffery and police diver Phoebe “Flea” Marley return straight off the events of Ritual in this fourth Caffery thriller, and second in the Walking Man trilogy. After analyzing the tapes again and again, Caffery is convinced that there was another party involved in the case now being referred to as Operation Norway (see Ritual). His determination to prove this is not earning him any points, though, as everyone would prefer that the case be shut for good. So when Caffery insists that a local suicide may be connected, his superiors are not at all thrilled. But Caffery is stubborn, eventually earning himself time off the books to investigate. Meanwhile, Flea is dealing with some troubling family issues that are tied to a different high-profile case. Hayder once again pushes her characters to the limits in this twisted and well-plotted installment to the series. Hayder’s completely unpredictable and brutal thrillers are utterly addicting. Skin will leave fans breathless and desperate for the next chapter in Caffery’s and Marley’s stories. (Gone hits shelves in the UK in February.) 01/10 Becky Lejeune A SPORTSCASTER’S GUIDE TO WATCHING FOOTBALL by Mark Oristano: Whether you are a casual fan like my wife, or live for fall weekends as I do, you will enjoy this concise guide to American Football. Focusing primarily on the pro game, the principles are applicable at all levels, with some relatively minor rules variations. Oristano even includes neat things you can say like “The first time you recognize zone blocking, say softly to yourself but loud enough for others in the room to hear – Nice Zone Blocking Scheme. They will be impressed with your knowledge level and if they ask you to elaborate just respond, “Keep watching. You will pick it up.” He explains Zebras – the men in the striped shirts who attempt to maintain order, the laundry – flags thrown by zebras to indicate infractions, the two minute drill and remember “they pay them to play through pain.” Quite enjoyable. 01/10 Jack Quick STILL ALICE by Lisa Genova: Alice Howland is 50 years old, a happily married mom of three grown children and a world renowned professor of psychology at Harvard when she starts noticing that she is getting somewhat forgetful. She initially attributes it to the onset of menopause, but soon becomes uncomfortable enough about it to go see her doctor. A battery of tests are run and eventually the devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. This is Alice's story from start to finish, we see how her world changes month by month through her eyes. We watch her get lost while out running a few blocks from the home she has lived in for many years. We watch her contemplate suicide. We watch her rapid deterioration, and how her family deals with it. This is not an easy read. I found myself crying and having to put the book down and walk away from it more than once - several times, in fact. But it is also a fascinating story and a very personal look at a frightening disease from the perspective of the person going through it. Book groups will find a lot to discuss here, and there is a reading group guide and an interview with the author at the back of the book. Genova, a professor of neuroscience at Harvard, discusses her research, and how the book came to be published. Readers will not soon forget Alice - I know I won't. 01/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch TEXTS FROM LAST NIGHT: All the Texts No One Remembers Sending by Lauren Leto & Ben Bator: First thing, Lauren Leto & Ben Bator are not authors, they are collectors. Their collection is available online at their website, Texts From Last Night. As to what they are collecting, well, here's my understanding of it. People go out and party, get drunk or stoned or whatever, and send embarrassing/funny text messages to their friends and/or significant others. Then someone - either the sender or the receiver - posts these little gems on the website, where they are read by millions of eager fans, and Leto & Bator's favorites end up in this little book. Credit this book's publication to the Julie & Julia phenomenon. Take a successful blog/website, turn it into a book, hope for a movie and pray for millions of dollars to roll in. I liked the Julie & Julia book, and loved the movie. This book? Not so much. On the other hand, my seventeen year old daughter is an avid fan of the website, and so are some of my college age co-workers. Target audience, I suppose, are Millennials. I am a Boomer, and don't find chapters on Farts, Cheaters, Drinks or most of it especially funny. Why the publisher felt the need to turn this into a book is beyond me. Their target audience is way happier reading them online or on their iPhones, so I'm not really sure who is going to buy this book. Maybe as a gag gift? This book made me feel like a cranky old fart. 01/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch TRUE BLUE by David Baldacci: Mace Perry was a kickass cop – before she became a con. Actually she was just an inmate serving all but the last 48 hours of her two year sentence, before being released into the custody of her old sister Beth, chief of the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police. Mace had been seized by bandits, drugged and taken along on a series of armed robberies around Washington. Now she is willing to risk everything to clear her name and reclaim her life as a cop by cracking a big case on her own. The rape-murder of a powerful lawyer and the killing of a prominent U.S. attorney provide Mace an opportunity to vindicate herself. Full of non-stop action this one bodes well for the planned series featuring the Perry gals. 01/10 Jack Quick THE VALLEY OF FEAR by A.C. Doyle: Number 63 in the Hardcase Crime series was the last of the Sherlock Holmes novels published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and originally appeared in "Strand Magazine" serially between September 1914 and May 1915. The novel concerns the real-life activities of the secret Irish organization, the "Molly Maguires", and of Pinkerton agent James McParland who investigated them. The two part novel is first concerned with Holmes investigation of an apparent murder victim whose identity is mistaken and secondly with the story of the man originally thought to be the murder victim. Notable for its involvement of Professor Moriarty, which seems to contradict the timeline of the other Sherlock stories, "The Valley of Fear" was one of the last great chapters in the literary legacy of Doyle's most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes. 01/10 Jack Quick A WHISPER TO THE LIVING by Stuart Kaminsky: Unfortunately Stuart Kamisnky died in the fall of 2009, so A Whisper to the Living is probably our last look at Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, an honest policeman in a very dishonest post-Soviet Union. Rostnikov and his team are searching for a serial killer who has claimed at least 40 victims. Also on their plate is the job of protecting a visiting British journalist who is working on a story about a Moscow prostitution ring. In the middle of all this Rostnikov and his team uncover a chain of murders that lead to a source too high to be held accountable if the police want to keep their jobs or their lives. A typically good Kaminsky read with an eerie title, under the circumstances. If this is the end of the series, it is a fitting one. 01/10 Jack Quick WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? by Ed Gorman: Richard Conners, a notorious liberal in the small Iowa town of Black River Falls where PI and lawyer Sam McCain makes his living, shows up at McCain’s door, near death, and succumbs without naming his attacker. McCain has no faith in the investigative ability of local law enforcement, so he proceeds on his own. In short order, he's also confronted with the deaths of a former FBI agent now fronting an anti-Communist organization and two other right-wing activists. Just as Ed McBain made the fictitious 87th precinct famous, Gorman has created a microcosm of late 1950’s America and populated it with interesting and sometimes offbeat characters who reflect the thoughts and conflicts of that time. A most enjoyable series. 01/10 Jack Quick
Additional lists include my lists of favorite books, along with brief reviews: 2009 Favorites, 2008 Favorites, 2007 Favorites, 2006 Favorites, 2005 Favorites, 2004 Favorites, 2003 Favorites, 2002 Favorites, 2001 Favorites, 2000 Favorites, 1999 Favorites and 1998 Favorites. The visitors to this site have chosen their favorites for 2001 and 2002 as well. For information about reading group titles & events, including a list of favorite book group selections, see the Book Groups page. Back to Top
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