GALLOWS VIEW by Peter Robinson: This is the first of the Inspector Banks series for which Robinson has become justly famous. Former London policeman Alan Banks has relocated to small Yorkshire village of Eastvale seeking some small measure of peace, but crime and violence are not limited to large cities. . Soon he is dealing with a brazen Peeping Tom who spies on attractive, unsuspecting ladies as they prepare for bed. When an elderly woman is found brutally slain in her home, Chief Inspector Banks wonders if the voyeur has progressed to more violent crimes. I am looking forward to continuing the series. 09/06 Jack Quick

GALWAY BAY by Mary Pat Kelly: We meet Honora Kelley as she’s preparing to enter the sisterhood, something that has been planned for her to do since she was a young girl. Instead, though, she sees a man who appears to be drowning in Galway Bay. This man is Michael Kelly, and they fall in love at first sight. Despite many challenges, they eventually marry. Galway Bay is the tale of one Irish family's quest for survival, despite the many tragedies that come their way. One can't help but feel enlighten and encouraged by the Kelly family's triumphs and dedication to the future and survival of their family. The characters were strong, well rounded and unforgettable. Mary Pat Kelly, a descendent of the Kelly family, definitely has a great talent for writing. Her research and passion for her descendant’s history is evident. Her portrayal of the Kelly family experience was never sugar coated, it was always true to history. It was an honor for me to be able walk with this family and learn about a part of history that is not often detailed. Galway Bay touched my soul like no other book has for some time. If you haven't picked up a copy of Galway Bay, do it now. You won't be sorry.  03/09 Jennifer Lawrence 

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin:  Have you ever read fantasy? Have you ever tried? OK time to try. George RR Martin has created a series that will blow your mind. And good riddance to your mind I say! These books are so totally captivating that you will stay up long into the night to read them. You will gasp as you read, and smirk, and fill with tears, and tell all your friends the next morning. They are big and juicy and so clever! The first is A GAME OF THRONES where you'll meet all the key players. The second is A CLASH OF KINGS. The third is A STORM OF SWORDS. The fourth is hopefully due out next spring. I know you'll hope so if you begin #1. There is nothing to do but gush over how good these books are. The characters are terrific. The settings are perfect - - Kings and Queens and swords and wolves and lions and dragons and castles - - Ghosts and shadows and forts and battles. They are great for kids 11 and up too. But like all great books they are meant for everyone and every age. I could write another 3 pages about the fast pace, the intrigue, the jaw dropping scenes . . . but go ahead and read the first book and write to me! I can think of no better series to spend a summer with than this.  ~This review contributed by Ann Nappa

The Garden of Eden and Other Criminal Delights by Faye Kellerman:  As with any collection of short stories, some stories are much better than others. Kellerman’s fans will probably appreciate the four stories featuring Peter Decker or Rina Lazarus, her series characters. “Holy Water,” a story combining humor and religion is fun, with an appealing rabbi as the main character. It would be nice to see him in a continuing role in his own series. But, many of the stories were weak, particularly the ones co-written with Kellerman’s children. Kellerman shines as the thoughtful author of the meatier Decker/Lazaurs books, not as a writer of short stories. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

A Garden of Vipers by Jack Kerley: Kerley brings back police detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus in an absorbing thriller. Neither man realizes how personally involved they will become when the race two other detectives to a murder scene. How does that murder, the death of a prisoner, and a job promotion connect to a powerful Mobile, Alabama family? The detectives discover how much dirt money can hide in this intriguing story. 07/06 Lesa Holstine

A GARDEN OF VIPERS by Jack Kerley: Three dead women, each killed in a different way.  One is a friend of the girlfriend of Mobile, Alabama, detective Carson Ryder.  What Ryder and partner Harry Nautilus aren't sure is whether the three seemingly dissimilar cases are in fact related.  Then Ryder learns that Lucas Kincannon, son and scion of one of Mobile’s nouveau rich is after his television reporter girlfriend.  Coupled with some follow the money clues, this puts Ryder and Nautilus on a collision course with the city power structure.  This is Kerley’s third (after The Hundredth Man and The Death Collectors) and he is rapidly making Mobile the epicenter of new millennium crime detection.  The villains are flawed, as are the protagonists, and you are kept in suspense as to just who will overcome their own defects first.  While not yet a Burke or a Parker, Kerley is already on my “don’t miss” list. 07/06 Jack Quick

GARDEN SPELLS by Sarah Addison Allen: Bascom, North Carolina is a crazy place where legends are firmly believed about the local families. The Hopkins men marry older women. The Clark women have sexual charms. And then there’s the Waverley magic. Claire Waverley inherited the gift that comes from the garden, a knowledge of plants and the use of them to change moods. Her younger sister, Sydney, ran away to escape the Waverley stories, but turned to the shelter of home when she needed help for her daughter and herself. Garden Spells is the story of two sisters who never understood each other. As they both seek the safety of home, they’ll learn to appreciate each other, and the opportunities provided in Bascom. This is a magical, enchanting book. Alice Hoffman fans who appreciated Seventh Heaven will want to find this book. 09/07 Lesa Holstine

THE GARGOYLE by Andrew Davidson: The narrator is a gorgeous porno actor that crashes his car while driving on a winding mountainous road. He ends wakes up in a burn unit with third degree burns over most of his body. To make things worse, if that is even possible, he spilled a bottle of bourbon in his lap right before his accident, and his “livelihood” is burnt beyond repair and is removed. He wants his life to end. Throughout his recovery, rather than planning what he will do once he is released from the hospital, he plans his suicide. And then a beautiful ,but visibly disturbed, gargoyle sculptress appears in his room and is certain that they were lovers in medieval Germany. He is released into her care and he is ultimately convinced that the story she tells of their history must be true. This second chance at love is completely implausible, but I was drawn in from the beginning. Davidson’s tale of love is strange yet mesmerizing. This debut author has immense talent and I look forward to reading more of his work.  08/08 Jennifer Lawrence

THE GATE HOUSE by Nelson DeMille: DeMille returns to his roots, so to speak, in this long awaited sequel to The Gold Coast, originally published almost twenty years ago. That book offered a glimpse into the lifestyle of the rich and privileged, the old money who lived on the North Shore of Long Island on the fabulous estates dubbed the "Gold Coast". In DeMille's version, the Mafia moves in next door and all sorts of bedlam follows.  It's a great read that still holds up well.  This sequel, unfortunately, does not hold up quite as well. Our main protagonists, John and Susan, are back, only they are divorced and haven't seen each other in a number of years.  An old family servant is dying, and both return for the imminent funeral, John in his role as attorney and executor of the estate, and Susan in her role as friend and employer.  Unfortunately, the Bellarosa family is still in the neighborhood too - while the Don is long dead, his son is still around and seeking revenge against his father's murderer.  The problem with the sequel lies in that the story centers around John and Susan reconciling, and not much else really happens in this overly long book.  If you like family dramas, then this is your book, but if you're looking for the action and thrills and even the wit of a more typical DeMille book, you won't find it here until the very end. While it is not necessary to have read The Gold Coast to read the sequel, it is a real disservice not to - it is a far superior book. 11/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE GATEKEEPER by Michelle Gagnon: Michelle Gagnon’s third Kelly Jones/Jake Riley thriller is a timely and somewhat disturbing read. Jake Riley’s venture into the private sector is slowly paying off when he and his partner are hired for one of their toughest cases yet. A scientist’s teenage daughter has been kidnapped and the ransom is quite different from the usual. This time, the people responsible want information rather than money, and it’s information that could mean the safety of the nation. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Kelly Jones has been assigned to investigate the recent murder of an Arizona senator who had some sensitive and very public opinions on immigration. Evidence strongly suggests that a local gang is behind the killing, but things are just a little too neat for Jones’s taste. Could it be that open and shut or is there much more to this case hidden below the surface? Fans of the series will once again be on the edge of their seats throughout The Gatekeeper, but the end will leave them dying to know what comes next for the pair. 12/09 Becky Lejeune 

GATEKEEPER by Philip Shelby: Hollis Fremont, a functionary at the American embassy in Paris, is duped by her superior and boyfriend, Paul McGann, into accompanying a man she believes to be a small-fry criminal back to the States for country-club prison incarceration. In fact, the rumpled old man turns out to be "the Handyman," a freelance assassin on a mission. Think Le Carre and Forsyth updated for today. Perfect for anyone with international conspiracy paranoia, like me. 02/06 Jack Quick

GATOR A-GO-GO by Tim Dorsey: Tim Dorsey’s loveable psychotic Florida history buff/murderer, Serge Storms, is on the road again. He is doing his best Ken Burns impersonation as he tries to film a documentary about EVERYTHING. Since nothing but Serge’s sidekick, slacker par excellence Coleman, moves slowly in Dorsey’s humorous crime novels, the focus of the movie swiftly narrows down to a history of that collegiate ritual - Spring Break in Florida.

A strange chemistry envelops our two heroes, Serge and Coleman, as they begin to mingle with the hordes of fun-seekers. First, Coleman attracts a throng of followers who treat him as near god-like for his ability to provide expert advice on such critical matters as the best way to keep your beer cold at the beach and his special brownie recipe. Then, Serge attracts his old female friends, City and Country, and adopts a reluctant spring-breaker who is being pursued by both the mob and the authorities after his father’s witness protection identity is exposed.

This group’s road trip travels backwards in Spring Break history, starting in the Florida Panhandle, moving to Daytona and finally ending in Ft. Lauderdale where Spring Break began because that’s “where the boys are.” Craziness and humor are a part of the journey as Serge dispatches various bad guys in his normal creative fashion and dispenses a history lesson at every turn, including a little homage to John D. MacDonald.

My personal favorite part of the book is a review of Serge’s kindergarten graduation address. “Don’t try to be different. That will make you different. Don’t try to be popular. If you’re already popular, you’ve peaked too soon. Always walk away from a fight. Then ambush…Now get out of there, class of 2020, and take back our state.”

If there was ever a book that screamed “Take me on Spring Break,” this is it. However, if you happen to read it before or after, you will still be transported on a hilarious journey in your mind. Cheers. 02/10 Geoffrey R. Hamlin

GAUNTLET by Richard Aaron:  Somewhat rambling but very enjoyable debut thriller that pits Afghan Yousseff Said al-Sabbhan, a drug-smuggling terrorist, against the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, a secret agency staffed by men and women drawn from every sector of the U.S. intelligence community. The plot is complex, the characters are interesting and the suspense is palpable.  A primary figure in the battle is an autistic mathematician Hamilton Turbee, a TTIC employee, who is surely one of the more interesting and endearing heroes ever to star in an action adventure novel.  While there are lots of toys and cutting edge technology it all comes down to boots on the ground old fashioned police work, but isn’t that always the case.  There is already talk of not one, but two, sequels. Hope they come through. 08/09 Jack Quick 

G’DAY TO DIE by Maddy Hunter: Hunter’s latest “Passport to Peril” mystery brings back Emily Andrew, tour guide for a group of senior citizens from Iowa. This time the unconventional group is in Australia for a tour of the continent, accompanied by Emily’s suitors, retired Swiss police detective Etienne Miceli and tour director Duncan Lazarus. As the two compete for Emily’s hand, she’s preoccupied with the death of a fellow tour member. Her over-active imagination, fueled by discussions with her grandmother, convinces her that the woman was murdered, probably because of a rare fern photographed by Emily’s grandmother, Nana. Feuding members of the group are representatives of companies that sell anti-aging cures, people who might have killed for that fern. Hunter’s mystery is for those who want a light cozy with a little romance and an eccentric group of characters. The greatest strength of the “Passport to Peril” series lies in the descriptions of the various countries toured by Emily’s group. 11/06 Lesa Holstine

GENGHIS: BIRTH OF AN EMPIRE by Conn Iggulden: Born Temujin, son of Yesugei Khan of the Wolves, Genghis Khan was destined to be a leader. At twelve years of age, it became Temujin’s responsibility to protect and provide for his family after their own people betrayed them. Yesugei had been murdered and his second in command took over the role of Khan, denying Yesugei’s heirs their rightful position. In order to protect himself from factions within the tribe who disagreed with this decision, the man exiled the family, leaving them with only the clothes on their backs and hoping that they would die of starvation. The family survives, but Temujin is forced to kill his own brother after discovering that he has been stealing much needed food from the others. Years pass and the Wolves return to the area. The new Khan sends scouts to find out if the family has survived and Temujin’s chance for revenge is close at hand. Temujin begins uniting the wandering tribeless Mongols, creating and becoming Khan of his own tribe. In his latest work, Conn Iggulden brings this legendary figure to life, chronicling the start of his rise to power. Readers of historical fiction will appreciate this realistic and gripping look at a young Genghis Khan. 05/07 Becky Lejeune 

GENTLEMEN AND PLAYERS by Joanne Harris: No one suspects that the new student at St. Oswald’s is actually the porter’s kid in disguise. The student who calls himself Pinchbeck infiltrates the school, at first with only the intention of observing. Soon, Pinchbeck befriends another student at St. Oswald’s and the two wreak innocent havoc on campus. All the while, no one suspects that Pinchbeck does not belong at all. Then, Pinchbeck’s innocent prank results in a horrible accident and everything changes. Now, Pinchbeck is back and intent on revenge at St. Oswald’s. Of particular interest to Pinchbeck is Classics teacher Roy Straitley who he holds singularly responsible for that terrible accident that occurred so long ago. Harris is one of my absolute favorite authors. She is able to appeal to such a wide variety of readers thanks to her very diverse collection of work. Gentlemen and Players is more of a mystery than any of her previous work and is sure to delight new readers as well as old. 02/07 Becky Lejeune

THE GENTLING BOX by Lisa Mannetti:  It’s 1863 and Mimi and Imre are happy beyond compare. At least until a messenger sent by Mimi's mother warns of her impending death. In spite of their troublesome relationship, Mimi wants to see her mother one last time, to say goodbye. Imre begs her not to, but Mimi is insistent. Upon their arrival, they find that they are too late, Mimi's mother Anyeta is already dead. They also find a caravan of people who are more than happy to be rid of Anyeta and her evil, but unfortunately are still under her terrible spell. To rid themselves of her torment, they are been planning to burn the body and warn Imre not to allow Mimi get too close. Imre is too late, however, and the peoples’ worst fears are realized when Anyeta transfers her spirit not into Mimi, but into her cousin, Zahara. Imre’s judgement is clouded by his own feelings for Zahara and his fears of Anyeta and soon falls under her spell as well. If he cannot gather enough will to fight, he may lose his wife and his young daughter to the witch as well. Lisa Mannetti explores the fascinating mythology and superstition of the Romany/Gypsies in this chilling tale of love and evil. 01/09 Becky Lejeune  

GERM by Robert Liparulo: Liparulo takes the concept of germ warfare to a higher level. The Ebola virus has been modified so that it can seek and destroy specific individuals based on their DNA. Ten thousand people are on the list for infection, and it's up to special agent Julia Matheson to stop the horror. While the narrative wanders a bit and the cast of characters is extensive, the action is fast paced with lots of technical details especially in the gathering and communication of information that help differentiate this story from the run-of-the-mill thriller. 11/06 Jack Quick

GET LUCKY by Katherine Center: Sarah Harper screwed up. After sending an email full of boobs around the office mailing list, she’s predictably let go from her high-profile advertising job. Her plan is to travel home for the holidays and regroup, returning to New York to start fresh after a short vacation. Her plans changed. Sarah’s sister, Mackie, has discovered that she cannot have children. In a stroke of genius that will turn Sarah’s world upside down, she decides that she will carry her sister’s child for her, giving her the life-changing gift of motherhood. But nothing goes exactly as planned and Sarah has taken the first steps on a journey that will teach her the true meaning of love and happiness. Center’s latest is a heartwarming read that fans will surely fall in love with. Get Lucky is both funny and touching. 04/10 Becky Lejeune

Getting Old Is Murder by Rita Lakin: Seventy-five-year old Gladdy Gold is one of a group of retirees who live in Lanai Gardens in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It isn’t unusual for deaths to occur among the residents. It is unusual for them to die the night before their birthday, reaching for the telephone. Gladdy, a former librarian who reads mysteries, is convinced it’s murder. Together with Gladdy’s Gladiators, her retired cronies, she sets out to convince the police that these women did not die natural deaths. Lakin’s first mystery is a light, fun story filled with oddball characters. 03/06 Lesa Holstine

Getting Over It by Anna Maxted: British import a la Bridget Jones, with a slightly more serious side, dealing with a family death amidst the romance.  Not as serious as it sounds, it's still a fun read.

The Ghost and the Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly: Kimberly combines the best of two mystery worlds in her second book in the Haunted Bookshop series. Jack Shepard represents the hard-boiled private eye type, which is what he was until he was killed in a bookshop. Penelope Thornton-McClure, a young widow with a son, owns that bookshop. She represents the cozy element. Since Jack and Pen discovered they can communicate, they can also team up to solve the mystery when a true crime author who appeared at the bookstore is found murdered. They have able assistance from the Quibblers, the Quindicott Business Owners Association, who are eager to stop crime in the business district. Throw in a little romantic spice, and Kimberly once again has a fun, intriguing mystery on her hands. 03/06 Lesa Holstine

The Ghost and the Dead Man’s Library by Alice Kimberly: Kimberly combines a 1940s detective story with a modern cozy in the third in her Haunted Bookshop series. Rhode Island bookstore owner, Penelope Thornton-McClure and her Aunt Sadie agree to sell a collection of books about Edgar Allan Poe on the same night that the eccentric owner dies. Penelope suspects murder, and her suspicions grow when the first person to buy one of the books also dies tragically. When the store’s resident ghost, private detective Jack Shepard, agrees with her, the two team up once again to delve into the mystery. As always, one of Jack’s cases from the 1940s, before his murder, is the clue to deciphering the modern day tale. These are fun mysteries for those of us who enjoy bookstores, ghosts, and the detectives from the 1940s. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

GHOST DANCER by John Case: Jack Wilson is the Ghost Dancer, an ex-con with a burning hatred against the US fueled by his losing a patent idea and the country’s treatment of his Native American ancestors. He thinks he has the secret to re-creating a harmonic resonance weapon, alleged to have been used by Nikolai Tesla to cause the explosion that left the Tunguska crater in Siberia in 1908. Partnering with an Al-Qaeda offshoot, Wilson plans his attack, while US intelligence services are portrayed as being incompetent and out of touch. As a consequence it falls on accidental participant Mike Burke to stop the plot. Far fetched, but what do you expect in a techno-thriller. Recommended. 09/06 Jack Quick

Ghost Image by Joshua Gilder:  In this medical thriller à la Michael Palmer and Robin Cook, Dr. Jackson Maebry, heir-apparent to Dr. Brandt, plastic surgeon to the stars, happens to be the surgeon on call when a brutally beaten and burned young woman is brought into the trauma center at San Francisco's Memorial Hospital. As Jackson begins working on her, he slowly realizes that beneath the bruising, broken bones and burns, this heretofore unrecognizable woman is actually his lover, Allie Sorosh. Somehow, he keeps that fact to himself as he assists the surgical team in its first attempt to repair the damage that was inflicted. As the story convolves, Allie's mysterious past proves troubling, friends and colleagues are not what they seem to be, and people start dying under questionable circumstances. Meanwhile, Jackson becomes the prime suspect in the attack while having to deal with hospital politics as well as his own personal demons. Ghost Image is a very gripping debut novel that fairly hurtles towards its final pages. 

GHOST OF A CHANCE by Amy Patricia Meade:  It’s two guys and a doll, or maybe that should be two pros and a new guy.  Any way in 1935 it’s not ladylike to mix in murder but for mystery writer Marjorie McClelland, its part of the job, and for her fiancé, police detective Robert Jameson, it’s why he was hired.  The joker in the case is wealthy Englishman Creighton Ashcroft.  Is he really interested in crime solving or in one of the crime solvers?  Thickening the plot is the fact that the victim left behind two wives and a huge gambling debt.  The only thing round in this batch of triangles is the Ferris wheel upon which the victim is found death.  No more clues, you’ll have to read it yourself. 05/07 Jack Quick

THE GHOST ORCHID by Carol Goodman: What happens when the past and present collide at this haven for artists? Ellis Brooks, a first time novelist, is about to find out as she unravels the mysteries of Bosco in this picturesque tale. The dual story line of this novel provides a thrilling and captivating read. Present day, Ellis and fellow artists are experiencing strange occurrences that seem to be an almost exact repeat of what happened in the home a century earlier. In 1893, Milo Latham, the original owner of the Bosco estate, hosted a séance to contact her dead children. The rest is a mystery that still haunts the house today. What really happened on that fateful night nearly 100 years ago? Are there really ghosts at Bosco? What Ellis discovers while researching her novel is ultimately one family's eerie and well-kept secret - a secret that will connect Ellis to Bosco in ways she could never imagine. 11/06 Becky LeJeune

GHOST ROAD BLUES by Jonathan Maberry: Thirty years ago, the town of Pine Deep put a killer to rest. Today, the town has become one of the top Halloween destinations, and the events of all those years ago have been all but forgotten. All that is about to change, though, as evil rises once again. Malcolm Crow hasn’t forgotten about the killings. His own brother and his best friend’s sister were victims. He knew the true identity of the killer and knows that the town lynched the wrong man. He also knows that the man who was accused of the crimes was supposed to have killed the real perpetrator, but when a criminal hiding out in Pine Deep whispers a name Crow thought he would never hear again, he knows Pine Deep is in for a lot of trouble. Ghost Road Blues is just the first in Maberry’s Pine Deep trilogy and sets the bar for what looks like a great new talent in the horror industry. Winner of the 2006 Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. 11/08 Becky Lejeune

THE GHOST WRITER by John Harwood: At thirteen, Gerard discovers a key that unlocks a drawer in his mother’s bedroom. In the drawer, he discovers three things: a book, an envelope containing a sheaf of typewritten pages, and a photograph of a young woman. His mother’s fury at discovering her son stooped over these items is terrifying. Later, in an attempt to discover more about the photo and the reason that these items are kept under lock and key, Gerard tried to get his mother to reveal more about her childhood in England. She had always been more than happy to tell Gerard about her childhood at Staplefield, her grandmother Viola and her best friend Rosalind. After discovering Gerard snooping though, she refuses to speak of England again. That same year, through a school pen-pal program, Gerard meets Alice, a girl his own age, living in England, who was orphaned and crippled in an accident. A later search of his mother’s room reveals that all items, save the book, have since been moved. The book contains a Victorian ghost story penned by a V. H. As an adult, Gerard finally takes a trip to England to meet Alice and discover more about his family’s history. Alice refuses to meet him and his attempts to find both her and Staplefield are futile. Gerard tries again, after his mother’s death and he discovers that his mother may have been hiding a shocking and dangerous secret. The novel itself contains multiple creepy ghost stories all providing clues about Gerard’s mother and her hidden past. Harwood’s fiction debut is nothing short of brilliant. A fantastically modern gothic tale. 10/06 Becky LeJeune

GHOSTGIRL by Tonya Hurley: Charlotte Usher would give anything to be the popular girl and to get her dream guy, Damen Dylan. But just when it seems like everything is going her way, she chokes on a gummy bear and dies. Now Charlotte’s the new girl in a whole different “school,” Dead-Ed. Turns out, there are a handful of dead teens haunting the halls of Hawthorne High and each of them has unresolved issues that are keeping them from crossing over. Charlotte is sure that her own issue somehow involves Damen and the Fall Ball. When she discovers that a living student can actually see her, Charlotte’s plans finally begin to fall into place. But Charlotte’s fraternizing with the living is not pleasing her new dead friends. Can she find a way move on and still get what she wants more than anything else in the world? A spunky teen tale that’s silly and touching, Ghostgirl is all about finding out who you are and learning to love yourself. Hurley’s debut runs more along the lines of, say, Meg Cabot than Stephenie Meyer and will appeal to teen readers who enjoy lighter stories (no major scares in this one). 09/08 Becky Lejeune   

GHOSTS OF SLEATH by James Herbert:  Paranormal investigator David Ash returns in this chilling and atmospheric sequel to Haunted. Ash specializes in investigating and disproving paranormal activity, but he is still suffering the ill effects of his investigation three years ago at Edbrook. Still, cynical and slightly too reliant on his flask of vodka, he is one of the best the Psychical Research Institute has on staff. It is with some hesitation that the institute sends David out to the village of Sleath where multiple hauntings have been reported. The local vicar’s daughter has requested the institute’s help after her own father admits to having seen one of the specters. It begins with the death of a local woman’s son. After the funeral she becomes a shut-in unwilling to leave or even admit guests. It’s not that she’s upset by her loss, it’s that she believes her son has been visiting her from beyond the grave. Then, a local teenage girl wakes to find her childhood abuser standing over her in her sleep. The man died in prison not long after being sentenced, though. Something is very wrong in the village of Sleath and it’s David’s job to uncover the dark secrets behind these events. Herbert is great at combining psychological horror with the truly grotesque. Ghosts of Sleath is unfortunately currently out of print in the US but still readily available in the UK. 10/08 Becky Lejeune    

GIMME A CALL by Sarah Mlynowski: What would you do if you had the chance to change your life? If you were able to talk to your younger self and thus avoid the pitfalls and bad decisions of your past? This is what happens to seventeen-year-old Devi. After a bad breakup with her boyfriend, a trip to the mall leaves her phone waterlogged and able to call just one number: her own at age fourteen. It doesn’t take long for Devi to decide that this is her chance to step in and change things. She can get better grades and get into a better school, she can spend more time with her friends before it’s too late, and she can make sure that she never falls for Bryan, the boy who broke her heart. But every step past Devi makes does change things for future Devi and not always for the best. Mlynowksi’s latest is a quick and fun read for teens that will also have adult readers wondering “what if?”  05/10 Becky Lejeune 

THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON by Sarah Addison Allen: Emily Benedict’s world has been turned upside-down. Her mother has died and Emily is faced with returning to a home that was never her own. Emily’s mother left Mullaby, North Carolina and never looked back. Emily never heard the stories of what happened there and she never met her grandfather, Vance, or any of her mother’s old friends. But Emily has nowhere else to go. Her arrival in Mullaby is met with suspicion and unease, for Emily’s mother has long been held responsible for one of the town’s most tragic events. In spite of this, Julia Winterson is determined to make Emily feel welcome. Julia knows all too well the pains of being an unpopular teenager, but Julia also knows how to move on with your life and make the best of what you’re given. The Girl Who Chased the Moon is a charming read that’s as delicious as BBQ and hummingbird cake on a warm Southern night. 03/10 Becky Lejeune

THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE by David Cristofano:  I loved this amazing debut novel that's a little off the well-beaten track of murder and mayhem.  "She used to be" six-year-old Melody Grace McCarthy, until she and her parents accidentally witnessed a Mafia execution.  The whole family is whisked into the federal Witness Protection Program, and this is the story of how a young girl grew up in the program, changing her name and address as necessary - every mysterious phone call, or suspicious behavior was cause for another move.  Then one day a tall, handsome stranger approaches Melody and knows her real name, her real story.  Talk about opposites attracting; he's the son of the murderer. Thus begins a romance on the run and against the odds, but can it work? I won't tell, but I will tell that Cristofano is a very gifted storyteller. 03/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE GIRL WITH BRAIDED HAIR by Margaret Coel: It’s a mystery to me why Margaret Coel isn’t as well known as Tony Hillerman. Her latest book is a top-notch cold case mystery, filled with fascinating information about the Arapaho Indians, and the American Indian Movement of the 1970s. Thirty-four years after a young woman disappears, her skeleton is found on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. The Arapaho women immediately contact lawyer Vicky Holden, wanting her to investigate, and find out the woman’s name and story. When Father John O’Malley’s housekeeper pushes him to investigate, he finds the elders reluctant to help. After the death is pinpointed at 1973 by forensic evidence, everyone is afraid that the murder is involved with AIM. The movement tore apart the Indian community in the 70s, and the repercussions thirty-some years later include fear and murder. Once again, Father John and Vicky are linked by an investigation into the past. As usual, the course of events will affect the Arapaho tribe, the Wind River Reservation, and the mission.  The Girl with Braided Hair is one of Coel’s best books. 09/07 Lesa Holstine

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 

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson:  Stieg Larsson’s U.S. debut is by far one of the most talked about books of 2008, and the praise is well deserved. Financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist has made a mistake that could cost him his career and his reputation. After being convicted of slander and libel against a local businessman, Blomkvist agrees to accept a job from business mogul Henrik Vanger. In 1966, the Vanger family was gearing up for a huge meeting when Henrik’s great niece Harriet vanished. At the time of her disappearance, much of the family was present at the Vanger estate on the island of Hedeby. That afternoon, the island was completely cut off thanks to an accident that occurred on the bridge connecting it to the mainland. No sign of Harriet’s body was ever found, but Henrik strongly believes that Harriet was murdered that night and that one of his own family is responsible. Henrik hires Blomkvist to try and uncover the truth about Harriet and  Blomkvist reluctantly accepts even though he believes the effort is futile. Larsson’s debut is just the first installment of his bestselling and award-winning Millennium Series. Like the best mysteries and thrillers, every twist in this tale is completely unexpected. I absolutely loved it. The translation is smooth and the story itself really drew me in. Lisbeth Salander (the girl with the dragon tattoo) is an intriguing character all by herself and her own involvement in the tale is utterly enthralling. The next title in the trilogy is due out in 2010 and I can’t wait. 09/08 Becky Lejeune   

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson:  Mikael Bloomkvist, a Swedish financial journalist, is convicted of committing libel against a powerful and manipulating businessman, Hans-Eric Wennerström. As he awaits the start of his jail sentence, Bloomkvist is approached by Henrik Vanger, an aging industrialist and is hired to investigate the disappearance of Vagner's niece, Harriet. Harriet went missing forty years ago from the family's small island village. Teamed up with Lisbeth Salander, an eccentric and tattooed computer hacker, Bloomkvist begins to delve into the Vanger family history. They uncover a horrid past littered with abuse, lies, and murder. The storyline of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was a little slow at first, but it quickly reveals itself to be an amazing story that any fan of mystery would love. The characters are powerful and the story line, once it picked up, was faced paced and thrilling. Fortunately, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is the first of a Millennium trilogy. Unfortunately, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (2009 release), and CASTLES IN THE SKY (2010 release) are the last books written before Larsson died of a heart attack in 2004. All three have become international best sellers. I anxiously and impatiently await their release in the US. 09/08 Jennifer Lawrence  

THE GIRL WITH THE LONG GREEN HEART by Lawrence Block: Never, ever, ever promise a female employee you are going to marry her unless you really intend to. Real estate entrepreneur Wallace Gunderman of Olean, New York will tell you that this is a lesson he learned the hard way in this Lawrence Block thriller, Hardcase Crime Number 14. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, particularly a good looking one like Evelyn Stone, Gunderman’s secretary, lover, and worst enemy. With her help Johnny Hayden and Doug Rance are going for the gold, and they aren’t in the Olympics either. Another great Lawrence Block tale. 02/07 Jack Quick

Girls' Poker Night by Jill A. David:  Light and frothy contemporary romance between NYC columnist and her boss from a former writer of the The Late Show (David Letterman).  Fast & fun.

THE GIVEN DAY by Dennis Lehane: It's been several years since the last Lehane novel, but all I can say is it was worth the wait.  Set at the end of WWI, Lehane paints an utterly fascinating picture of life in Boston from the North End to the South End. No story about Boston would be complete without mentioning the Babe, and Lehane takes us through early baseball prior to the curse of the Bambino, and in fact, Babe Ruth is one of the richly drawn characters whose story is secondary to those of mere mortal men; particularly, Danny Coughlin, son of a powerful, Irish police captain, and Luther Laurence, a man of color on the run from gangsters and the law.  Danny's a beat cop who is appalled at the way his fellow police officers are treated; terribly underpaid (the janitors make more), working 70 hours a week as a matter of course in station houses that are overrun with vermin and filth.  Luther lands a job as houseman to the Coughlin family, and their lives and their stories overlap, violence and race always a part of it, until the dramatic ending. Cameo appearances include Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge and a young Federal agent named John Hoover.  A thoroughly fascinating and engaging read, sure to land on many best books of the year lists, including my own. 10/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE GLASS BOOKS OF THE DREAM EATERS by Gordon Dahlquist: When Roger Bascombe abruptly breaks off their engagement, Celeste Temple is determined to discover why. She follows him to a strange mansion in the countryside where glamorous masked guests view a strange demonstration. From that moment on, Miss Temple’s life is forever changed. Cardinal Chang, known for his scarlet colored coat and the violent scars that cover his face, has been hired to kill a certain soldier. Chang finds the soldier, already dead by someone else’s hand. Doctor Abelard Svenson has been charged with the safety and well being of the Prince of Macklenburg, until he loses his prince. These three unlikely allies will soon find themselves fighting together against an evil cabal and the invention that would allow them to rule the world. Dahlquist’s grand and ambitious novel is an intricate work of art and a perfect debut. 09/06 Becky LeJeune

GLASS TIGER by Joe Gores: Brendan Thorne has escaped from his past as a former CIA assassin, taking refuge as the lone white camp guard at Kenya's premier game park. But Thorne is deported back to the States on a trumped-up poaching charge and forced to track down a would-be presidential assassin. The assassin, Hal Corwin, is a former Vietnam sniper who has apparently killed his own daughter, a campaign advisor to President Gustave Wallberg. Now Corwin has his sights set on Wallberg himself, and Thorne is the only one who has a chance of stopping him. But is everything as it appears? Sometimes it’s hard to tell right from wrong, even with a program. Well written, and engaging right up to the surprising conclusion. 02/07 Jack Quick

GLITTER OF DIAMONDS by N.J. Linquist:  Be careful what you wish for – or at least be careful what you say.  Outspoken Sports Talk-show host Stasey Simon asked on-air for a volunteer to knock some sense into the one of the home team’s temperamental pitchers.  Maybe she was kidding, but it doesn’t look good when a body is found in the team’s bullpen.  This is the second outing for Toronto detectives Paul Manziuk and Jacqueline Ryan, with a cast of characters with a capital C – all manner of players, a Marilyn Monroe wannabe and the potential for an international incident.  The bases are loaded, it’s the bottom of the ninth, who is on first, I don’t know, keep reading to find out the answer in this nicely done “classical” mystery.  The only criticism is the “pre-game is excessively long – almost a third of the book before the serious action starts. 05/07 Jack Quick 

GLOVER'S MISTAKE by Nick Laird: Glover’s Mistake is Irish poet Nick Laird’s second novel and shows considerable growth while continuing his clever use of language and mordant look at society. His first book, Utterly Monkey, almost felt like a lark - as though he were simply out to prove that poets could too write novels. Perhaps an effort to tease his then-girl friend, now wife, novelist Zadie Smith.

This time, Laird is serious. Well, more serious anyway. Glover’s Mistake seemed to me to be in many ways, a novel of manners. I was reminded of Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth. Just as Wharton examined the plight of those who were cursed to be born into a class without advantages, Laird examines the plight of the educated but unattractive and lonely man in contemporary urban society.

That man is a pedantic private school teacher, David Pinner. The story revolves around his relationships with his roommate, Glover, a bartender, who has the advantages of looks and likeability and, Ruth, a former teacher who has become a relatively well-known artist and has the advantage of real talent. David bumbles his way into the beginning of a relationship with Ruth and then, unfortunately, brings her back to his flat. There, Ruth and Glover are taken with each other. David is gradually left behind as the relationship between Ruth and Glover gets deeper and deeper, leading to sex (which he sadly happens to stumble on) and an intended marriage.

Although I was initially inclined to feel some sympathy for David, it turns out that he is not only one not to give up, but one willing to act underhandedly and maliciously to simply destroy what he can’t have. Glover’s mistake is his continuing assumption of David’s support and good intentions as evidence mounts to the contrary.  Some reviewers have been put off by Laird’s occasional use of obscure or especially high-flown or slangy language. Poets are fascinated with words and I like that kind of thing. I am looking forward to Laird’s next book. 08/09 Geoffrey R. Hamlin   

GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Victor Gischler:  “This is how Mortimer Tate ending up killing the first three human beings he’d laid eyes on in nearly a decade:” What an opening line.  Mortimer Tate, a recently divorced insurance salesman holes up in a cave on top of a mountain in Tennessee to ride out the end of the world.   Nine years later he emerges to a post apocalyptic landscape covered with abandoned automobiles, where the only source of electricity is provided by indentured servants pedaling stationary bicycles.  The only semblance of life as it was revolves around Joey Armageddon's Sassy A-Go-Go strip clubs, where the beer is cold, the lap dancers are hot, and the bouncers are armed with M16s.  Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Tate picks up some needy companions – cowboy Buffalo Bill, former stripper Sheila, and mountain man Ted.  Together they journey to the lost city of Atlanta in a desperate attempt to save what is left of mankind.  James Rollins says it best in his blurb, “Who would have guessed the book was even better than the title?”  I concur. 08/08 Jack Quick 

THE GODMOTHER by Carrie Adams:  Tessa King is a thirty-ish single unemployed attorney in London. She's out of work because her boss was sexually harassing/stalking her, so she revs up her social life and becomes friend on call for all her godchildren ("always a Godmother, never a mother"); the oldest, Caspar, is a teen in trouble.  Then there's sickly Cora, whose single mom is so hung-up on her ex she's letting him get away without supporting them.  Finally, the newest godchildren, infant twins Bobby and Tommy, whose parents have a very rocky marriage and lots of dark secrets.  But Tessa's relationships aren't all about the kids, this is a very tight group of friends, including the parents of the aforementioned godchildren, plus fertility-challenged Claudia and Al, and Tessa's best friend Ben and his wife, Sasha.  Rather than being just another chick-lit, happy, sexy book, Adams takes a more serious look at what makes marriage and parenting and friendships work, often in a humorous way, but also in some very troubling ones.  A thought-provoking yet very entertaining read.  12/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

GODMOTHER: THE SECRET CINDERELLA STORY by Carolyn Turgeon: Imagine if Cinderella never made it to the ball at all? Imagine if, instead, the one person responsible for helping Cinderella meet her fate betrayed her in the worst possible way? That’s exactly what happened in this tale. Lil, Cinderella’s fairy godmother, became so entranced by the human world, and so enamored with the prince herself, that she attended the ball in Cinderella’s place and fell in love with the prince. For that she was banished from her kingdom, sent to live out her days as a human in New York City. She spends her days working in a used bookstore, taking solace in the tales from her old life, and nights dreaming about a world she can never return to. Until she meets Veronica, that is. In Veronica, Lil sees a possible chance of redemption. Maybe, if she does it right this time and fulfills her duty as a godmother, maybe she can return home. Turgeon’s lovely and sad tale is not so much a fairy tale re-told as one would expect it to be. Instead, it’s a tale that stands all on its own, heartbreaking and beautifully told. 03/09 Becky Lejeune   

GODS BEHAVING BADLY by Marie Phillips: The twelve Greek gods are still alive...and are residing in a run-down townhouse in London. Their lives are quite pathetic. Artemis, the goddess of hunting is a dog walker. Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, is a phone sex operator. And Apollo, god of the sun, is a TV psychic. The gods, in their boredom, are in constant battle with one another. Aphrodite decides to pull a trick on Apollo. Using the powers of Eros, the god of love and sexual desire, she makes Apollo fall in love with an audience member during his TV show. The unknowing victim is Alice, a quiet and meek janitor for the television station. The battle between the gods escalates when Alice doesn't reciprocate Apollo's love. The future of humankind is in question, and it's up to two lowly mortals to save it. GODS BEHAVING BADLY is a hysterical take on the Greek gods. It starts out quite humorous, but takes on a serious spin when love and the fate of the fate of the world comes in to play. A very quick read; you definitely won't want to put this one down. 02/09 Jennifer Lawrence 

GODS IN ALABAMA by Joshilyn Jackson: First effort leans toward chic-lit although there is a murder, maybe. Arlene Fleet thinks so anyway. Attempted 1987 date rape foiled by a tequila shot (in the bottle) to the head of the star football player has led Arlene away from her small town Alabama home forever, but events a decade later bring her, and her black boyfriend, home for a family gathering. Is she really a murderer? Why wasn’t the body ever found? Why after ten years is her old friend Rosa Mae Lolley on the case? Not really Steel Magnolias, but more of a treatise on how dysfunctional a family can be. Well written, but not my cup of tea. 04/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

GODS OF ABERDEEN By Micah Nathan: This one is so far off the beaten path of my usual pursuits that I have to issue kind of a disclaimer here. I had to read this TWICE to end up liking it. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
    This is a book steeped in the closed world of college academia, a world I have not been around in 30 years,
but the story that's told here has great merit.  First time author Micah Nathan tells a lost youth/teen angst & ennui story to the max here. Sixteen year old Eric Dunne has been accepted as a charity case at Aberdeen College (sort of a second-tier Yale.) He skipped a grade, and he's really confused; sexually, personally, and academically.  He's a poor boy who gets dumped amongst the sharks. But he proves his worth with his knowledge of Latin and is recruited to work on Dr. Cade's project.  He's befriended by a collection of eccentric geniuses, mostly his best pal Art. I don't want to blow the story here, it gets better as time goes on.  Eric finds out that Art ain't exactly a stand up guy, plus he's fooling around with stuff that ends up getting a kid killed tragically. Whether it was murder or not is kind of left up to you to decide.  One caveat to the author, don't use so much time to set it up...hook 'em to the ribs early.  A very nice first effort, and I suspect more's to come. Recommended, even by me. 04/06 DOC

GOLD FIRE by Ed Mitchell: Third in the series (after Gold Lust and Gold Raid) this techno-thriller grabs you up front and doesn’t let go.  Khalid Jafar, the son of Osama bin Laden, is proposing to end global terrorism.  But he has nuclear warheads stolen from Russia's Strategic Rocket Forces.  Is he sincere or is this a ploy?  Will his target be Washington, Moscow or Tel Aviv, or all three?  It is up to FBI agent Cholo Cantera to team with an Israeli counter-terrorism unit and find the missing weapons before it is too late.  The big clock is ticking and midnight ain’t far away.  A juiced Tom Clancy stay up all night read, and you won’t even need any black coffee.  Go for it. 08/07 Jack Quick 

THE GOLIATH BONE by Mickey Spillane and Max Alan Collins:  Imagine Stacy Keach’s narrative voice-over and the strains of "Harlem Nocturne".  The deeply melancholy saxophone sets a gritty tone as Keach walks in wearing his wrinkled suit, fedora and trench coat.  He reaches into an inner pocket and pulls out, not a rod or a stogie – but a Blackberry.  A week before his death Mickey Spillane turned this, his last manuscript, over to his good friend Max Allan Collins to complete and Collins has done a marvelous job.  It’s a post 9-11 world, Hammer and Velda are about to get married, Homicide Captain Pat Chambers is about to retire – but there is still one more case to be solved.  Matthew Hurley and his half sister Jenna Sheffield, have made a spectacular find in the Valley of Elah: a buried thigh bone whose owner stood over ten feet tall.  Could this be Goliath?  Al-Qaeda, Homeland Security, the FBI, Mossad, an Israeli vigilante group and a megalomaniac theatrical impresario all think so enough to take their best shot at stealing the giant's bone and eliminating anyone in their path.  Its Mike and Velda against the entire lot, but don’t bet against them. 03/09 Jack Quick 

GONE by Mo Hayder: Six months after the events of Skin, DI Jack Caffery has been called to work what seems to be a simple carjacking; simple but for the fact that the victim’s young daughter was in the backseat when the car was taken. Jack is sure that the girl will be returned safe and sound until fellow officer Flea Marley approaches him with a theory: Flea believes that this is just the latest in a string of jackings where the child is actually the target. Now the cops are looking at a kidnapper with an agenda that may prove to be the break in the case that they need, if they can figure it out. And time is running short. Each new installment in this series builds off the last. Even so, each new book can still be read completely on its own. If you follow the series, the buildup is fantastic, but if you’re a new reader, one Mo Hayder title is enough to completely hook you. Never for the fainthearted, always intense, and always excellently plotted, Mo Hayder remains one of my absolute favorites. NOTE: Gone has just been released in the UK; US release date to be determined. 02/10 Becky Lejeune 

Gone for Good by Harlan Coben:  TELL NO ONE made my top ten list for 2001. His new one, GONE FOR GOOD, is among the first contenders for 2002.  The strong writer of the Myron Bolitar series (THE FINAL DETAIL, FADE AWAY, etc.) left Myron behind and had a breakout success with TELL NO ONE. His new novel, GONE FOR GOOD, should firmly entrench Coben in the big leagues.

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien: It's been called the definitive novel of the Vietnam War and deservedly so.  The truth about that war is eloquently expressed in a story that dissolves into hallucination.  Where one begins and the other ends gives the reader something to think about.  A totally engrossing, thought provoking read.

A GOOD AND HAPPY CHILD by Justin Evans: Fatherhood has not bought George Davies any sense of happiness. In fact, he finds himself terrified of being alone with his new son. George will not touch, change, or otherwise care for the child in any way. His strange behavior prompts him to begin seeing a therapist where he begins to recount certain events of his own childhood and his previous experience with therapy. At the age of 11, George Davies is an outcast amongst his peers. His is highly intelligent but also very awkward. Things seem to get worse for George after his father dies on a mission trip in Honduras. George does manage to make a new friend - a friend that only he can see, a friend who promises to tell him all sorts of secrets. Then George’s new friends turns on him and people around him begin to suffer strange accidents. Could George’s invisible friend really be some sort of demonic presence or is George suffering from some sort of delusion or dementia? His own father claimed to have visions himself but was never violent. Is there any merit to George’s fear of his child? The question of psychological versus demonic causes for all the trouble that George experiences is fascinating and guaranteed to draw readers in from the very first page. Evans’s engaging debut is definitely one that sticks with you long after you put it down. 06/07 Becky Lejeune

A Good House by Bonnie Burnard:  I loved this family saga set in Canada.  I couldn't put it down.

THE GOOD LIAR by Laura Caldwell:  Kate has been separated from her husband for ten months when her best friend Liza decides enough is enough. She sets Kate up with an older man, an acquaintance of hers, named Michael Waller. Michael and Kate really hit it off and are married four months later in spite of the fact that Liza thinks things are moving a little too fast. See, Liza knows more about Michael than Kate ever will. That’s because Liza and Michael work together for a group called The Trust. The Trust, set up by Liza’s father, is a secret organization whose job is to protect American interests. Kate was never meant to know about The Trust, but she soon learns that Michael has been keeping secrets. She could never imagine that her best friend has been keeping them as well. Then Liza’s lover is killed in a plane crash, and she begins to suspect that Michael may have been involved. Could Michael have gone rogue and has Liza inadvertently put her best friend in the line of fire? As their web of lies continues to grow, everyone becomes suspect and no one knows who can be trusted. The Good Liar is a puzzle that Caldwell seems to have put together with ease. As each piece is revealed, the plot becomes more intricate and involved. A definite up-all-nighter and a must read for any thriller fan. 01/08 Becky Lejeune

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner:  America's answer to Bridget Jones and Jemima J, all rolled up into one funny, heartwarming feel-good novel. A great beach read, light and entertaining, a real page turner. The characters are well defined and believable, even in their eccentricities, which is not always easy to do. This is not great literature, but it doesn't aspire to be. It is a "chick book", and a good one.

THE GOOD OLD BOYS by Paul Hemphill: Growing up in the South. In 1974, Atlanta Journal newspaper columnist Paul Hemphill captured the essence of the experience with chapters in this book like “Praise the Lord and pass the Ball to Fuqua,” “God Bless Lester, He Means Well”, and “Welcome to the Death Hilton”. These are the best of the best of Hemphill’s daily columns expanded and combined to provide a vivid word picture of country music, stock car racing, moonshine, hard living and high-power preaching. If you were there this will bring back memories, if not, open a door to an era that is gone forever. Dated, but still a great read. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

GOOD PEOPLE by Marcus Sakey: Sakey pushes into Harlan Coben territory with this thriller about an ordinary family finding themselves in extraordinary circumstances.  Tom and Anna Reed have exhausted their life savings and their credit line on infertility treatments in hopes of having a baby.  They own a two family house and rent out the downstairs to a man who pays his rent on time every month, even though he appears to be a bit of a hermit.  One night the smoke alarm goes off in his apartment, and when it doesn't stop, Tom and Anna go down to investigate.  There's a grease fire on the stove, and no sign of their tenant.  Anna grabs a container of flour and dumps it on the fire, putting it out.  But then she notices what appears to be cash hidden in the flour.  The next thing you know, they find $400,000 in cash hidden in the cabinets and one very dead tenant from an overdose of pain meds.  No relatives claim the body, he has no friends that they've ever seen, so what to do with the money?  The obvious.  Except that their tenant wasn't quite the hermit they thought he was; he stole that money from some very bad men who have been looking for him and want it back, at any cost.  Tom and Anna find themselves in way over their heads in this nail-biting, action packed thriller that in Sakey's very capable, very smart hands, leads to a solution that is not quite as simple as you would think.  One of the best thrillers of the year. 8/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE GOOD THIEF’S GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM by Chris Ewan: They say that an author should write what he knows. Charlie Howard certainly does. He is a full-time author and part-time thief whose main character is a mystery-solving burglar named Faulks. While working on his latest novel in Amsterdam, Charlie is contacted by an American who wants him to steal two seemingly worthless monkey figurines. The figurines complete the see no, hear no, speak no evil trio and the American already has the third in his possession. Charlie refuses the job at first, there’s not enough preparation time and he’s uncomfortable with the fact that he has no idea how this person got his name in the first place. Charlie is also a bit confused as to why the man would be willing to shell out such big bucks for two plaster monkeys of no value. His curiosity eventually gets the best of him and Charlie does, in fact, carry out the job. When he gets to the meeting point though, the American is gone. The American is found, beaten into a coma, and Charlie is the number one suspect. No surprise, but the third monkey is now missing. Charlie must figure out just what is going on before he ends up spending the rest of his days in a Scandinavian prison. This is a fun play on the traditional who-done-it and is a bit reminiscent of Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief.  Ewan’s debut was the second annual winner of the Long Barn Books First Novel Contest. Long Barn is a small British house that publishes one novel each year. It’s easy to see why this appealing novel was their winning choice. 11/07 Becky Lejeune

THE GOODBYE COUSINS by Maggie Leffler: Di Linzer has not returned to the states for many years. In fact, the last time she was stateside was when her own mother kidnapped her as a young girl. Fearing a wicked custody battle, Di’s mother whisked her off to Europe, moving every so often just to keep the trail cold. Now, Di’s mother has died and Di has her own son to deal with. She has finally decided to return home, but it’s too late for a reconciliation with her father. Di’s remaining connection is her soon-to-be-married reporter cousin, Alecia, a woman dealing with her own issues. Readers are taken on a sweet and touching ride as both women really begin to discover who they are as individuals and where they want their lives to be. And both will learn, that even with all the dysfunctions and issues, family is what keeps everything in their lives together. Leffler’s story is one about families and how wonderful they really can be if you let them. 07/09 Becky Lejeune

GOODNIGHT NOBODY by Jennifer Weiner: Weiner has taken us from single gal pal/chick lit (Good in Bed, In Her Shoes) to married life and becoming a mom (Little Earthquakes) to Goodnight Nobody, the housewife life in ritzy suburbia.  Kate Klein is married with children and bored, bored, bored.  She also doesn't understand why she is bored when all the other mommies seem quite engrossed with potty training, play dates and organic snacks.  When she finds one of her neighbors dead on the kitchen floor, Kate decides to do a little investigating of her own.  She has her best gal pal Janie Siegel, heiress to the Seigel carpet fortune, helping her out while she sneaks around trying to solve the murder.  Chapters flow back and forth between Kate's background story and the investigation but all the chapters have wonderful characters, lots of laughs and as always with Jennifer Weiner, lots of heart.

Got Your Number by Stephanie Bond:  Romantic suspense with lots of humor makes this a fun read.  Fans of Janet Evanovich would probably enjoy this fast moving mystery with all it's twists and turns and it's cast of zany characters.  

GOTCHA! by Christie Craig: In Christie Craig’s latest romantic mystery, Houston girl Macy Tucker has had it with men: All they bring is disappointment. So now it’s time to swear them off and make her own plans for the future, plans that certainly don’t include a new love interest. When her little brother inadvertently lands his whole family in trouble, and escapes jail trying to protect them, Detective Jake Baldwin is forced to get involved. Something about Macy really turns him on and all he can think about is keeping her safe from trouble. And as hard as headstrong Macy tries to resist Baldwin’s charms, she has to admit that he’s getting under her skin. But now’s not the time for romance. Not with her brother on the run from the law and a crazy psychopath stalking Macy. Just goes to show that the best-laid plans sometime fail. Before long, bullets are speeding past, a couple of hospital visits are involved, and Macy is head over heels for a guy she is sure is completely wrong for her. Gotcha. makes for great forget-all-your-worries reading. It’s funny and really hooks you from the very beginning. A fun way to kick off summer. 06/09 Becky Lejeune 

GRAND CAYMAN SLAM by Randy Wayne White:  Captain Wes O’Davis has been having a fling with the nanny hired to mind the son of  Sir Conan James and Lady James, British aristocracy with powerful connections.   When the boy is kidnapped and the nanny’s body is found in Davis’ Grand Cayman cottage, it got a bit dicey.  But O’Davis had a food reputation and a solid alibi, so he enlists friend Dusty MacMorgan, ex-Seal and now charter boat captain to work with him to find the kidnappers, rescue the boy, and avenge the young lady who had come from England to Caymans only to die.  Not world class literature but a good action yarn. 06/09 Jack Quick 

THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY by Joe Moore and Lynn Sholes: It would be easy enough to dismiss this as another entry in the DaVinci Code genre, but it is nicely written and tightly edited, if a bit far fetched at times. Television journalist Cotten Stone accidentally stumbles upon an archeological dig while escaping Iraq that uncovers the world's most-sought-after religious relic: the Holy Grail. Stone smuggles the wooden box back to New York not sure what is in it. She looks up a priest/professor on the Internet who has a book telling how to open the box, which does contain a chalice. People around her start dying while others give her messages in a secret language shared with her long dead twin sister. She and the priest then go, not to Paris, but to New Orleans during Mardi Gras to “save the world.” If you can accept the string of coincidences, not a bad read at all.  11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

GRAVE DESCEND by John Lange: Hard Case Crime Reprint #26 of the 1970 Edgar nominated story of the sinking of the yacht Grave Descend. McGregor is hired to dive the wreck and see if the boat is salvageable. Before the dive there is one problem – each person he talks to has a different story – the insurance adjuster who is the owner’s brother, the chorus line dancer whose presence the owner wants kept hidden, the vessel’s captain – why are none of the stories adding up? Why did the boat sink, why is its position so precisely known, what is to be gained by delaying the news of its sinking twenty-four hours, why has no one already been inquiring, and lastly what is on the boat that is so valuable? McGregor needs to get answers and survive. Well-written, fast read. 11/06 Jack Quick

Grave Endings by Rochelle Krich: I was really looking forward to this book because I really enjoyed the first two in the series, so I hate to admit I was disappointed with her latest.  The popular Molly Blume series returns with this well written whodunit that somehow falls flat. As mentioned in Blues in the Night (2002) and Dream House (2003), Molly’s best friend Aggie Lasher had been murdered six years earlier but the case was never solved. Two weeks before her wedding day, Molly is asked to identify a necklace that contains the symbolic red thread of celebrity-hot Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) which she had given to Aggie. It’s turned up in the personal effects of a dead drug dealer, leading the cops to finally close the case, but Molly isn’t so sure they’ve got their man and becomes obsessed with finding the truth. Everyone becomes suspect, the cops aren’t as forthcoming as she’d like, the murdered girl’s family and old co-workers tell conflicting and confusing stories, as do the drug dealer’s friends and relatives. Molly eventually ferrets out the facts, has a few close calls, and marries her fiancé, but gone are any hints of romance or those warm and funny moments we’ve come to expect from the Blume family, making the book feel very one dimensional and ultimately unsatisfying. Recommended for larger fiction collections.  Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

GRAVE IMPORTS by Eric Stone:  Interesting second entry into an apparent series.  Ray Sharp, former journalist and now business investigator in Hong Kong becomes involved in the sordid but lucrative trade in stolen Cambodian art.  The action leads back from Hong Kong into the Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen, through Thailand; and finally into the killing fields of Cambodia.  Well conceived, but suffers from the tendency of the author to provide “dumps” of information, which while interesting, get to be overwhelming.  Also, the reader is somewhat adrift if they have not read the preceding book because of the references back to that outing.  The above notwithstanding, the characters are interesting, the action flows, and the locales are exotic.  Lets hope number three is even better. 09/07 Jack Quick 

GRAVE WEB by Betty Sullivan LaPierre:  The death of her father, with whom she lived, causes Becky Simpson to want to re-open the issue of her missing mother, who left the family without explanation years earlier.  When she opens the safe in her father’s office, she finds letters from her mother and a box containing her mother’s wedding ring, along with a note that blames her father’s affair for her leaving.  She then hires “Hawkman”, Tom Casey, P I, to track down her mother.  The ensuing adventure reminds me of the Rolling Stones tune “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’  Answers are uncovered, but at a price.  Labeled number 10 in the series, I found this overall to be a light weight, breezy read, but probably would not bother working through the Hawkman backlist. 11/07 Jack Quick   

THE GRAVING DOCK by Gabriel Cohen:  In his second outing, Detective Jack Leightner is dealing with the corpse of a small boy whose body floats off a Red Hook pier in a small coffin.  The box was made without nails and the body was treated carefully.  But by whom?  Its wintertime and Jack is back in his old neighborhood.  The case is just what he needs to take his mind off his personal problems.  Another good police procedural and a haunting portrait of a world that has irrevocably changed.  Recommended. 01/08 Jack Quick

GREASING THE PINATA by Tim Maleeny:  San Francisco reporter-turned-PI Cape Weathers is at Puerto Vallarte Mexico, looking for the son of a California state senator.  Both the son and his father have become gator bait – literally.  In spite of this development, Weather’s client, the senator’s daughter, wants him to continue to pursue the matter.  This is fine with Weathers who has his own score to settle.  With the help of Sally Mei, they pursue the action from Mexican drug cartel to the San Francisco mob as well as the city's boardrooms.  With each outing Maleeny gets better, and his main characters, Weathers, Sally Mei and the Sloth, are all unique.  Looking forward to number four. 02/09 Jack Quick

THE GREEN ROOM by Deborah Turrell Atkinson: Atkinson returns to Hawaii with the sequel to Primitive Secrets. Once again, lawyer Storm Kayama is caught up in secrets surrounding her extended family. Her cousin, Nahoa, a surfer, refers a client to her, so she attends a local surfing contest to watch Nahoa and other surfers in action. Although others might not know it, she and Nahoa are both aware of the threat behind a gift he receives, an ancient Hawaiian weapon that is a call to battle. Neither can predict the violence and terror that will follow the threat. Atkinson does a masterful job intertwining the surfing culture with ancient Hawaiian lore, but most readers will definitely need the glossary of Hawaiian terms. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

GRIFTER’S GAME by Lawrence Block:  As a first entry in the Hardcase Crime Series, it would have been hard to pick a better story.  Block’s Joe Marlin is a grifter who spends his days skipping out on hotel bills and double-crossing gold-diggers.  He makes a practice of stealing checked luggage to use to check into his next hotel (after all we must look respectable), but this bag contains a huge cache of heroin. Later that same night he meets Mona Brassard and to his chagrin eventually finds that Mona and the heroin are connected, in a way than spells danger to Marlin.  Classic writing, a good story, and an awesome cover.  Anyone who cut their teeth on pulps should love this series. 05/06 Jack Quick

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is going to be this year's 84, Charing Cross Road. I predict this book will be the most popular book for book groups.  Mary Ann Shaffer's book was finished by her niece, Annie Barrows, after her death.  It’s a beautiful epistolary novel, telling the story of Juliet Ashton, a British author in 1946, searching for her next project.  When a resident of the island of Guernsey writes her, looking for a book, she learns of their literary society, formed during the war years, because of a roasted pig.  Guernsey was occupied by the Germans for five years during the war, and, during that time, the people valiantly tried to survive.  Books and their literary society helped them get through, and they told Juliet about their lives in their letters to her.  Juliet not only finds a new interest to write about, she finds new friends in the people of Guernsey.  This is a little gem, a charming book about wonderful  people.  It’s this year’s must read novel. 08/08 Lesa Holstine

THE GUILTY by Jason Pinter: Pinter’s second outing with character Henry Parker is a great read. Parker, easing back into his roll as a junior reporter after the incidents in last summer’s The Mark, is assigned to the high profile killing of pop superstar Athena Paradis. Paradis was gunned down in the wee hours of the morning while exiting a New York City nightclub. The killer uses a very distinct weapon and leaves behind a note, strangely enough, quoting Parker himself. The following day, a cop is killed by what seems to be the same weapon - the killer was aiming for the mayor this time. Two more high profile murders follow and Parker is the only one to make a startling connection regarding the killer’s weapon of choice. It seems that the killer is using a Winchester 1873, the gun that won the West. Even more startling, the specific gun the killer appears to be using is said to have belonged to notorious criminal Billy the Kid. Parker’s discoveries lead him straight into the killer’s cross hairs and he soon finds that his own loved ones have become the primary targets. Can Henry uncover the killer’s twisted motive and reveal his true identity before he loses everyone he loves? The Guilty is an explosive thriller with a fascinating plot and an unforgiving pace. With just two books under his belt, young Pinter has already proven himself to be a truly overwhelming new talent in the industry.  03/08 Becky Lejeune

GUN WORK by David J. Schow:  When the Mexican kidnapping cartel took Carl Ledbetter’s wife, they though he was just another rich American tourist.  What they didn’t know was that before Carl had made his fortune, he was a journalist with a camera who had been to Iraq and had saved the life of one Barney.  Barney is not a journalist and he doesn’t carry a camera.  Barney is a shooter and he carries a gun.  As the San Francisco Chronicle said, it’s “take no prisoners fiction that rarely pulls away from the grisly heart of the matter.”  Nicely done and recommended.  Number 49 from Hardcase Crime. 10/08 Jack Quick   

THE GUTTER AND THE GRAVE by Ed McBain: First published as I'm Cannon—For Hire by "Curt Cannon" in 1958, this updated Number 15 from Hardcase Crime shows the breadth of McBain’s ability and his noir skills at their best. Former PI Matt Cordell has fallen hard and become a bum in New York City's Bowery district after being betrayed by a dame. His decision to help old friend Johnny Bridges, a tailor, investigate petty larceny at his store soon leads to a series of murders and steamy encounters with lies piling up faster than tokens in a subway station. You may not like Cordell but you have to pull for him to succeed, knowing he is the best and worst of all of us. An oldie but a goodie from one of the masters. 05/07 Jack Quick

THE HA-HA by Dave King: Howard Kapostash is the most damaged, endearing and memorable character to haunt my dreams in a very long time.  Howard is a Vietnam vet with a brain injury that has left him uncommunicative - he can't speak, he can't write, and reading is very difficult at best.  Yet, as the cards he carries with him explain, he is of normal intelligence.  Howard lives in a house that he has inherited from his parents, and he rents out a few rooms to a couple of house painters and a soup chef who also uses the kitchen for her business.  The four of them live together yet they all live in their own separate worlds.  But when Howard's high school sweetheart has to go into drug rehab, she dumps her nine year old son Ryan on him, claiming she has no one else to take care of the boy.  At first Ryan is uncommunicative too, but slowly he becomes the impetus for all the people living in the house to come together and form a new kind of family.  More importantly, Howard learns that there can be more to a damaged life than he ever dreamed possible.  King has created a legacy with his eloquent, sparse prose and his unforgettable characters. 03/05

THE HA-HA by Dave King: It's not fair that The Ha-Ha is Dave King's first novel. It's extraordinary; well-written, brilliantly conceived, sympathetic without ever getting near cloying. The protagonist is someone who, if the author were less skilled, might evoke pity. But this book works, and works well. It tells the story of a man who has lost almost all ability to communicate. After spending only a couple weeks in Vietnam years ago, Howard Kapostash was severely brain-injured and has spent his time since in a peculiar world. He does not speak, lacks the ability to use alternatives such as writing or signing, and has major trouble reading. He's clearly been traumatized and may have some other concomitant psychological problems; who wouldn't? But he's a smart man, a caring man, when he can be. There's nothing wrong with the guy's intelligence. He's spent a good part of his life maintaining huge barricades against emotional involvement, also with understandable reasons.

All my gripes about the ending are minor; this is a fluid story, a stunning debut from someone who so totally grasps the issues his protagonist lives with. Howard is 100 percent real to me. There's sympathy but no pathos, realism without any tirades about how crappy our disabled veterans are treated. This is a powerhouse of a book and it needs to be read. 08/05 ~This review contributed by Andi Shechter.

THE HADES PROJECT by Lynn Sholes & Joe Moore:  Well written but derivative religious icon thriller featuring the Holy Lance used to pierce the side of Christ at the Crucifixion.  Allegedly forged by the seventh generation grandson of Adam, the Lance has been possessed by powerful men – both good and evil – until the present time.  Now the Forces of Evil intend to use the ancient relic to launch the Hades Project and bring humankind to its knees.  SSN reporter Cotten Stone is drawn into the fray when her best friend from high school Lindsay calls her concerned about Lindsay’s daughter, Tera.  When Cotton returns to Kentucky Lindsay and Tera have both disappeared leaving behind some very disturbing evidence.  Cotton calls in her friend, Cardinal John Tyler, for help.  Now it’s up to Cotten Stone to save the world and confront the man who holds in his hand our destiny, a man who died more than 85 years earlier.  You can blame it all on The Davinci Code.  11/07 Jack Quick   

HAIKU by Andrew Vachss: In his first post-Burke book, Vachss (Another Life) pens the story of a ragtag band of homeless men living on the streets of a cold, unnamed city. Ho is an elderly sensei who walked away from a successful life as a martial arts instructor after the death of one of his students, and the band includes damaged veteran Ranger, degenerate gambler Michael, ex-con and ex-gang leader Lamont, the mentally ill Target, and Brewster. Ho leads them around the city, scrounging for money, food, and shelter. One night a woman in a Rolls Royce dumps something in the river, and they decide to try to identify what it is and blackmail her. But that plot is soon forgotten in favor of a story line about the demolition of the abandoned building that houses Brewster's pulp fiction collection. Lots of description and character development slow the pace of this bleak look at living on the street, and the story just meanders along without ever really getting anywhere. Fans of the grittier Burke series may miss the rapid pace and violence they've come to expect. 11/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch. Copyright © 2009 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission.

HAIKU by Andrew Vachss:  I had enjoyed every one of the Burke books penned by Vachss, and was hoping for the best with this new series.  Unfortunately, it just didn’t take for me. The characters are interesting - Ho, an elderly martial arts teacher who once was the master of a successful dojo; Michael, once a high-flying stockbroker; Ranger, a Vietnam war vet; Lamont, an ex-gang leader and poet; Brewster, a psychotic; and Target, who speaks only in repetitive verbal explosions. It starts with a mysterious white Rolls Royce and then morphs into another plot concerning Brewster's book collection. I won’t give up, but definitely not a good start. 12/09 Jack Quick .

HALF PRICE HOMICIDE by Elaine Viets: Helen Hawthorne has a new dead-end job working at a high end designer consignment shop. Wealthy women come in to sell their clothes and pocket the cash, but one woman is caught and confronted by her husband. They disappear to the dressing room to continue their argument until he storms out. But when Helen goes back there, she finds the woman with her head bashed in by a decorative pineapple, and hung by a designer scarf. Another job, another body in this series that somehow manages to combine real humor with real tragedy. Meanwhile, Helen's fiancé insists on taking Helen home to St. Louis to get her legal troubles straightened out. To complicate things further, Helen's ex-husband shows up trying to shake her down for more money again. Lots of plot twists and lots of laughs in this latest installment in the Dead-End Job series. 07/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost: Half vampire and half human, Cat Crawfield is the result of an attack on her mother by a recently turned vampire who retained a few specific human traits. Cat spends her leisure time trolling clubs and bars for vamps, playing the innocent coed, and luring them to remote places. One such evening almost lands her in trouble when she targets the wrong man. Bones, a vamp who kills his own kind, strikes a deal with Cat. In exchange for her help, he promises to find her father. Bones has been stalking a very powerful vampire who has been responsible for a kidnapping ring that has been around for decades. Recently, the kidnappings seem to have spiked in the Ohio area and Bones is determined to finally stop it. Problem is, vampires can easily detect one another. Cat, with her mixed heritage, is able to sneak amongst them without being discovered, thereby making her the perfect partner for Bones’s plan. Balancing her new hobby with her everyday life is becoming more and more difficult, however, and things are further complicated when Cat finds herself extremely attracted to this mysterious vamp. Frost’s debut is a perfect blend of romance and action. This spunky heroine and her leading man make a great team and I hope to see much more of them in the future. 11/07 Becky Lejeune

THE HALO EFFECT by M.J. Rose: Once you pick up this book, don't plan on putting it down - you get hooked on page one when a mutilated body in a nun's habit is found. A serial killer is on the loose in New York City and he's going after prostitutes with a vengeance - a religious fervor, you might say.  Dr. Morgan Snow is a sex therapist with a client, a top shelf call girl (at $2000 and up a pop) named Cleo Thane, who goes missing.  Meanwhile Detective Noah Jordain is heading up the serial killer investigation for the NYPD and calls on Dr. Snow for some outside psychological profiling.  They trade info and join forces to try and find the missing Cleo and the serial killer. Rose writes erotic better than just about anyone and with the twisting plotline and surprise ending here, apparently she can do thrillers just as well as the big boys. This is the first book of a new series and I can't wait for the next one!

THE HALO EFFECT by M. J. Rose: The Butterfield Institute is a Manhattan sex therapy clinic and employer of psychiatrist Dr. Morgan Snow. A patient, Cleo Thane, is a successful and selective call girl who has written a memoir which includes thinly disguised portraits of many of her clients. She leaves the manuscript with Dr. Snow and then disappears. In the meantime, NYPD Detective Noah Jordain and his team are investigating a series of gory, ritualistic murders of prostitutes. Snow and Jordain are drawn to each other, but she can’t persuade him that Thane may be a victim. In a desperate attempt to find Thane, Snow goes undercover and meets some of Thane’s principal clients herself. Could be subtitled, “A Catalogue of Sexual Dysfunctions and Obscure Perversions," but, so long as graphic sex doesn’t dissuade you, it’s a pretty interesting read. As the South Alabama judge said at the obscenity trial, “I don’t know what’s pornographic, but I know what I like.” 06/07 Jack Quick

THE HANDMAID AND THE CARPENTER by Elizabeth Berg: The story of the courtship and marriage of Mary and Joseph comes alive in this touching little book. Berg brings the young couple to life, with all their misunderstandings. Mary was just thirteen and Joseph almost seventeen when they first fell in love. Mary was a young innocent girl who couldn’t read. She loved and honored nature, sharing her family gifts of curing and strong perceptive abilities. Joseph was always more earthbound, a skillful stonemason, carpenter and woodcarver from a well-off family. He never did understand Mary’s deepest nature and her insatiable curiosity. It was even harder for him to accept her pregnancy, and he planned to set her aside and divorce her. It took a miracle for him to agree to continue their marriage, the voice of an angel. Despite the voice, the appearances following Jesus’ birth, and the angel that warned them to go to Egypt, Joseph never fully believed. To the end of his life, Joseph was reluctant to believe Mary’s story. Despite his disbelief, this is a beautiful story of two people who loved and honored each other. Berg brings the young couple to life in this lovely book. 11/06 Lesa Holstine

THE HANGING VALLEY by Peter Robinson: In this fourth outing for Chief Inspector Alan Banks, a rotting corpse is identified by dental work and a receipt found in the trousers pocket of the murder victim as Bernard Allen, a local youth on a visit home from Canada. The investigation leads back five years to the unsolved murder of a Private Investigator hunting for a young girl's killer and the nearly simultaneous disappearance of a village woman. Banks ends up traveling to Canada as part of his journey through a maze of passion and possible blackmail before finding the solution in long-kept secrets. Pour yourself a pint, light up a Silk Cut and join us as we make England a safer place. A really, really good police procedural series. 10/06 Jack Quick

HANGMAN BLIND by Cassandra Clark: After the death of her husband, Hildegard devotes her life to the church, and is now an abbess with the goal of starting her own small abbey. On her way to speak to the local abbot, Hildegard discovers a young man murdered in the woods. She does her duty and makes her report to the abbot’s men, also helping to recover the body. Then, with the gruesome discovery behind her, and with the abbot’s blessing, Hildegard continues on to the next part of her journey: an attempt to now secure a home for her venture. Fortunately her destination, Castle Hutton, is a familiar place for Hildegard and it’s master, Lord Roger de Hutton, a longtime friend of hers. But when Roger is poisoned and almost killed, Hildegard finds herself in the position of having to unmask the would-be murderer. While Hangman Blind neatly sets up readers for the next installment of the series, the conclusion of the two mysteries is a little too neatly wrapped up. The body in the woods is the more interesting of the two parts, but takes a backseat to the Hutton family/political intrigue. This is also a read that requires a bit of concentration if one is not familiar with the history of the time period and the hierarchy of the church: one look away, and you will find yourself lost.  11/09 Becky Lejeune 

Hanna's Daughters by Marianne Fredericksson: Interesting, well written book about three generations of women living in Scandinavia, an enjoyable read.

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 

Hard As Nails by Dan Simmons: This is a hard-nosed mystery story set in Buffalo, New York and I recommend it without any reservations. Could any town be more appropriate for a tough guy than Buffalo? [Editor's note: the reviewer is from Buffalo.] And make no mistake about it, Kurtz, the hero, is a tough guy. After seeing all of the references in    Ilium, I have to believe that the invocation of Conrad's character is no accident, as well as a tip of the hat to the ethnic stew that is the best part of the fading Queen City of the Great Lakes.
    In previous books in this series, Kurtz has been to Attica, courtesy of the State of New York, for throwing his partner's killer off a rooftop. He is still on parole, which makes it impossible for him to return officially to his old private eye business. As this book opens, Kurtz and his parole officer are walking into a parking garage when all hell breaks loose. The ride has started and it is exciting as the old wooden roller coaster at Crystal Beach amusement park which Kurtz points out is now defunct.
    The story finds Kurtz in the middle of a power struggle between the remnants of two old Mob families for the drug trade in the region, as well as fending off members of the Aryan Brotherhood he offended while in the slammer. The story climaxes in a small company town bearing a strong resemblance to the Coudersport of the Rigas family. And in this case, the roller coaster is filled with bodies.
    This is the book I am sending to friends for Christmas with a note, saying "I found him first."  ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

HARD AS NAILS by Dan Simmons: Same war, next generation. The Farino and Gonzaga crime families continue to fight over Buffalo and on killing Joe Kurtz. Neither family trusts the other and each fears that Kurtz is working for the other side. Both sides eventually hire him to find a killer who has been taking out their low-level drug dealers. In addition, Joe and his parole officer get shot in the head in an ambush at her office. What events are related? Who is on which side? Is there anyone Joe can trust? Add the newspapers and the police and you have a fine stew. To survive all this you had better be hard as nails. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

HARD CURRENCY by Stuart Kaminsky: In the ninth Inspector Rostnikov novel, our hero is sent from Moscow to Cuba to solve a sensitive murder case.  He takes along his assistant Elana leaving Karpo, “The Vampire” to track down a brutal serial killer in Moscow.  Since the good Inspector is an avid fan of Ed McBain I thought it appropriate to share McBain’s own blurb about this one – “In Hard Currency, Stuart Kaminsky gets Russia right, and Cuba right, but best of all he gets his superb cop Rostnikov altogether right yet another time.  Bravo. ”  Kind of hard to add anything to that. 03/08 Jack Quick 

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich:  Another delicious adventure featuring Stephanie Plum et al, with the usual dead body, exploding cars, with just a hint of hot sex. This time Stephanie has to find her Grandma's next door neighbor's missing daughter & granddaughter with nastier-than-usual bad guys on her case.  Kudos to Evanovich for keeping this series amazingly fresh.  A special holiday treat: the next adventure, Visions of Sugar Plums, comes out November 5!

Hard Feelings by Jason Starr:  This is a perfect pitch Jim Thompson-esque noir novel set in modern Manhattan.  Our dubious hero has a lot of problems - -  a sales slump at his job, a worrisome wife and a pesky pooch among them, but his life is manageable until he bumps into an old Brooklyn neighbor at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Forty-eighth Street. The downward spiral that results takes only a few weeks and it is told in taut prose that keeps you turning the pages all night.  HARD FEELINGS gets under your skin.  Well written, well executed and well worth your time.  PS: Interesting note - - the Black Lizard Crime series has some of the greatest noir novels of all time.  Reasonably priced, lots of great authors - - definitely worth checking out, published by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard books. ~This review contributed by Ann Nappa

HARD FEELINGS by Jason Starr:  Richie Segal doesn’t feel so good.  First there is the job.  His career as a computer systems salesman isn’t going anywhere – literally, he hasn’t closed a single sale in the six months he has been in his current job.  Then there is the marriage.  He suspects his wife is cheating on him, again.  What not? She has just gotten a big promotion so she is the primary breadwinner, although there is the little matter of possible morning sickness.  Is she pregnant?  Is that why she so adamantly scolded him about “moving to the burbs and having a family?”  Finally, there is Michael Rudnick, a prosperous lawyer, who had taken advantage of Richie when the two boys were neighbors growing up.  All this is leading Richie back to drinking – and he can’t hold his liquor.  Count on Starr to put you down and then apply a solid kick to the ribs. First rate is you are a fan of noir. 09/08 Jack Quick  

HARD FREEZE by Dan Simmons: Buffalo, New York ex-con and former P.I. Joe Kurtz survived his initial case after a twelve-year prison term. Now he is taking on a new challenge. While continuing to dodge a contract on his head, Kurtz takes on the task of finding a child-murderer for a gravely ill client. It’s going to be a tough winter in Buffalo – cold enough to freeze the blood. Joe continues to be in the middle between the Farino and Gonzaga crime families and his efforts to avoid being killed by them actually lead to the solution of his new case. This series is as cold as the Buffalo winters and hard as the ice that forms around Niagara Falls in January. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

THE HARD WAY by Lee Child: This is one of my favorite series for pure escapist fiction.  The tenth Jack Reacher thriller begins while he's enjoying an espresso in a sidewalk cafe in New York City.  He is approached by a man, obviously ex-military; that is, to Jack it's obvious as he is an ex-Army MP and extremely observant.  That observing nature gets him involved in helping to solve a kidnapping for the very mysterious Edward Lane and his band of disreputable mercenaries, but nothing is quite as it seems.  Fast paced as always with some nice twists, this is another exciting adventure for the hero that all women want and all men want to be.   06/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE HARD WAY by Lee Child:  In Child's 10th Jack Reacher novel, Reacher agrees to help sinister ex-army officer Edward Lane track down his kidnapped daughter and trophy wife.  Since the kidnapping of wife number one five years earlier ended in her death, Lane cautions Reacher that he will not tolerate police interference.  Child’s excellent descriptions on Manhattan add to the sinister quality of the story, which is a page-turner all the way to the inevitable showdown, on a farm outside a tiny English village.  06/06 Jack Quick

HARDBALL by Sara Paretsky: The 13th novel to feature gutsy PI V.I. Warshawski, last seen in 2005's Fire Sale, has our intrepid P.I. looking for a black man who disappeared during the racial turmoil of 1967.  In her search for Lamond Gadsden, Vic reconnects with some of her policeman father’s old pals as well as crooks on both sides of the law with whom she herself has a history.  The path leads to a murder conviction (for the death of Harmony Newsome a young black woman from Atlanta in Chicago for the civil rights protests) that may have been tainted.  Back in the current era, the apparent kidnapping of Vic's fresh-out-of-college cousin, Petra, who's come to Chicago to work on a senatorial campaign, makes solving the problem even more critical.  Nicely done. 11/09 Jack Quick 

HARDLY KNEW HER by Laura Lippman: Laura Lippman has long been a favorite of the mystery genre - readers and fellow writers sing her praises alike. Their appreciation is well deserved and this collection of twisted tales is a great place for new readers to familiarize themselves with her talent. Three of the tales feature Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan. There is also a novella, Scratch a Woman, which features a recurring character from “One True Love.” Each story features a strong, manipulative, or even murderous woman. In the title story, “Hardly Knew Her,” a daughter has her revenge against her gambling father. A Mardi Gras reveler gets a little surprise when he follows two girls in “Pony Girl,” and in “Black Eyed Susan” a young boy discovers some of the strange folks drawn to Baltimore’s Preakness. A great collection of darkly humorous and slightly disturbing tales from one of the biggest talents in the genre.  10/08 Becky Lejeune 

HARK! by Ed McBain: The first crime novelist that I ever read was Ed McBain. My Mother gave me one of her dog-ear'd paperbacks, and told me... "You'll like this..."  I did... That's why it kind of pains me to review this,
I wish it went better. Led by Carella, and the gang, the 87Th precinct has always been the place to go to learn the ways of the Police procedural.  All the boys usually worked in concert, to solve the gig. Here's a brief synopsis...the Deaf Man is back. He kills a broad who crossed him, and of course, the 87Th gets the squawk...
Initially, nothing seems to be there, but the DEAF man starts sending Carella, and the rest of the detectives letters, delivered by various couriers. Meanwhile, the Deaf Man has enlisted the help of a very opportunistic hooker, to further his cause. They become a symbiotic relationship.....Right here, He should have stopped, and went on with the mayhem. Instead, what he did was get a bunch of non-needed subplots involved, and made this all a literary game, i.e.: axioms, palindromes, oxymoron's, any type of literary subterfuge he could think of was involved here. Personally, I don't like to have to read when I'm reading. With that being said, it gets good towards the end. Keep your eye on the enterprising hooker.   01/06 DOC

HAROLD ROBBIN'S THE DECEIVERS by Junius Podrug:  The very first book I ever read in galley proof was The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins, back in the mid 60’s.  Since Robbins’ death in 1977, his estate has tried to continue the legacy with books like this one, supposedly20completed by Podrug from notes left by Robbins.  It’s kind of like delivery pizza, not that bad, not that good.  Basically it’s the story of disgraced New York City art expert Madison Dupre struggling to get by with a freelance business, who ends up in Cambodia tracking art smugglers.  With references to Phnom Penh as the “pit stop before hell,” and that Buddhism’s Noble Eightfold Path to enlightenment apparently permitted “endless varieties of illicit sex, some of which involved young girls who should have been in classrooms rather than backrooms” and where “household pets even got into the act.”  All in the first chapter which ends in a whorehouse, well you have been forewarned.  There is enough of a story to tie it all together, but basically it’s a rather tawdry romp through sexual adventure land. 11/08 Jack Quick 

THE HARROWING by Alexandra Sokoloff: It is Thanksgiving break at Baird College and everyone is returning home for the holiday. Everyone, that is, but five misfits in Mendenhall dorm. They are a jock, a brain, a loner, a musician and a phony. These five have one thing in common though - each one of them feels like they don’t belong. When the teens discover an old Ouija board in the common room, they awaken a new entity in Mendenhall. This ghost calls itself Zachary and is all at once charming and terrifying. Who is Zachary and what does he want? As the teens dig deeper into this mystery they come to realize that Zachary is not what he seems. Alexandra Sokoloff’s debut is a hauntingly original and eerie spin on the standard ghost story. I think Sokoloff is a fresh new voice in the genre and sincerely hope to see more from her in the future. I highly recommend this book; it’s a perfect rainy day read.  09/06 Becky LeJeune

HATER by David Moody: It begins with seemingly random attacks—a bar fight that gets out of control here, a fight in the streets there—seemingly normal occurrences in a crowded and populous area. Danny McCoyne witnesses one of the first on his way to work: a man chases and attacks an older woman, beating her to death before authorities can stop him. Just a few days later, while eating in a pub, Danny and his wife witness yet another fight. It builds so slowly that the public almost isn’t aware. Then it explodes. They say that only ten percent of the population is affected, but those who are turn on a dime. One minute they’re fine, the next they get this look in their eyes and they’re off in a fit of rage. Families have locked themselves away in their homes, afraid of turning on one another. Even the slightest hint that someone might become a “Hater” can have terrible results. Before long it’s unclear who “they” are anymore as “Haters” and suspected “Haters” come under attack themselves. Hater is a dark and brutal viral apocalypse tale, and the first in a projected trilogy. It’s a quick and shocking train-wreck of a read and definitely a new twist in horror. This first has already been optioned for film (Guillermo del Toro’s production team has purchased the rights). 06/10 Becky Lejeune   

HAUNTED by Kelly Armstrong: Smart-mouthed Eve Levine may be dead but as a witch she can still raise hell in the hereafter. The Fates, three elusive sisters, are the rulers of this new dimension, and they have a job for Eve. If she can defeat a demonic Nix who's inducing people in the human realm to kill, she'll earn her wings—literally. The catch is she can't capture the Nix without the powers that angelhood affords. Following the action in the ever changing netherworld can be a hassle but, if you are looking for spunk, sass and strong-arm savvy, Eve is your lady. 03/06 Jack Quick

HAUNTED by James Herbert: Renowned paranormal investigator David Ash has made a career out of debunking supernatural occurrences. It is just this reputation that has earned him a request from the tenants of Edbrook. It seems this stately manor may have some guests from the other side and they want Ash to investigate. Ash is welcomed to the home by Nanny Tess, her lovely niece Christina Mariell, and Christina’s two older brothers, Robert and Simon. On his very first evening in the home, Ash himself has a brush with the ghost of Edbrook. Ash is certain there must be some rational explanation behind the so-called haunting and stubbornly vows to find it before his stay at the home comes to an end. This dogged determination springs from the fact that he himself has a dark secret in his past, one that he might just have to face if life after death does in fact exist. It is my opinion that Herbert has been wrongfully overlooked by American horror fans. This melancholy ghost story is one of three intended tales featuring David Ash and is followed by The Ghosts of Sleath and an as yet unwritten third book. Though this chilling ghost story was originally published almost twenty years ago, it has recently been republished and is readily available to readers once again and can be read without its accompanying title.  11/07 Becky Lejeune  

Havana by Stephen Hunter: This is a book for anyone who enjoyed the Walking Tall movies and the tough simplicity of Buford Pusser.  Hunter's protagonist is Earl Swagger, like Pusser, a war hero and a cop who previously cleaned up gangs in a rural community.
       Havana is set in the early 1950's, in the last days of the Big Sugar, I mean Batista, regime.  Castro is coming and the effete Ivy League lads of The Company want to eradicate him.  They think that sharpshooter Swagger is just the man to do it.
       At the same time, the mob in New York has exiled one of their wayward troops to assist Meyer Lansky in protectng their casino operations in Havana.  New York has become too hot for young Frankie who has committed the cardinal sin of whacking a cop's horse.
       The third ingredient in this mojito is the Russian secret service.  They have rehabilitated a zek named Speshnev from the gulag to protect and mentor Castro and thwart Swagger.
       If you like simple stories, simple heroes and believe in simple virtues, you will like this book.  I personally think that the world is a much more complicated place.  What saved the book for me was the Russian, Speshnev.  He is a fascinating character who is two steps ahead of everyone in the game and enjoying life fully along the way.  He is the Crash Davis to Castro's Nuke Laloosh.  He saves Swagger's butt a couple of times and manages to keep Castro out of trouble too. 
       My suggestion to Mr. Hunter is that he ditch Swagger (unless he is making a lot of money with these books) and start a new series detailing Speshnev's adventures throughout the Cold War period. Available 10.07.03.  ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

HAVE MERCY ON US ALL by Fred Vargas: It’s easy to see why Fred Vargas is an international bestseller!  In Mercy her first American release, a plague-monger is terrorizing modern-day Paris.  Cryptic messages regarding an upcoming outbreak of the “black death” appear in the local town crier’s box.  At the same time, an odd symbol appears on doors all over the city.  Chief Inspector Adamsberg believes it is nothing more than a coincidence until the first body appears.  Adamsberg will no doubt draw comparison to a roguish Columbo.  However, this brilliant, if absentminded, inspector brings with him a whole cast of supporting characters who help solve the crime at hand.  Insight into Adamsberg’s private life as well as heavy character development, are what makes this an especially fascinating read.  This is not a traditional mystery in the sense that the reader is not given all of the clues to solve the mystery but rather follows along as Adamsberg reveals his own deductions.  Mercy will leave readers longing for more.  The good news is that book two is being released in October, so they won’t have to wait much longer! 09/06 Becky LeJeune

HEAD GAMES by Craig McDonald:  Its hard to top what Ken Bruen had to say about this debut outing – “”You’ve got to find what you love and let it kill you.’  Jesus, I’d kill for those lines.  This book just took my breath away.  I am beyond impressed.”  Its 1957 and Senator Prescott Bush (hmmm) wants Pancho Villa’s head.  Aging writer Mason Lassiter gets caught in the cross fire between Mexican nationalists and frat boys out to place Villa's head in Yale's Skull and Bones Society trophy case.  Following the yellow brick road, Lassiter encounters Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, Jack Webb and a young National Guardsman named “George W.” along with lines like “it's a tricky thing, firing for flesh wounds with a machine gun at close range”.  Call this one a comedy caper historical fiction road novel with chords of myth, history, loss and redemption, but mostly call it hilariously funny. 11/07 Jack Quick  

HEART OF THE WORLD by Linda Barnes: Boston PI Carlotta Carlyle is doing some “big digging” of her own in this 11th adventure. This time, however, the case is a very personal one. Paolina, Carlotta’s teenaged “Little Sister” whom she loves like a daughter, has disappeared and no one except Carlotta seems to care. Carlyle, a part-time taxi driver and part-time PI is very believable in her native Boston as she struggles with her relationship with Mafioso Sam Gianelli. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to travel well. It doesn’t take long for Carlyle to begin to suspect that Paolina didn’t run away on her own, but was in fact kidnapped. She hopes the kidnappers were in the employ of Paolina’s biological father, a Colombian drug lord known as Roldan. However, there is the possibility that it was enemies of Roldan who engineered the snatch. Carlotta travels first to Miami and tracks down Roldan’s lawyer and from there it is on to Bogota. While well written, as were previous Carlyle adventures, it is here that the story begins to break down a bit. With her height and red hair, Carlotta fits pretty well into Irish dominated Boston. In Bogotá both work against her, even though she conveniently speaks Spanish. In the midst of all this Sam decides to propose to Carlotta, which leads to an emotional ending that screams for a sequel soon. Overall another good entry from Ms. Barnes, but I would suggest that future adventures remain fueled on New England clam chowder. 08/06 Jack Quick

HEART-SHAPED BOX by Joe Hill: Aging rocker, Judas Coyne is a collector of the strange and macabre. Some of the items in his collection include artwork by a serial killer, a used hangman's noose and a snuff film. When the opportunity to purchase ghost online is presented to him, it's too good to resist even if he believes it's a fake. The seller promises to send the dead man's favorite suit and that the ghost of her father will surely follow. When the suit arrives, in an oversized, black, heart-shaped box, Jude hides the thing away in a closet, resigned not to think anymore about it. That night, the ghost appears. Jude soon realizes that he's been duped in the worst way. This is no ordinary ghost. Jude has allowed an evil spirit, hell-bent on revenge, into his home and his life and now, he can't get the ghost to leave. The not so well-kept secret about this author - he's Stephen King's son. By choosing the same genre as his famous father, Hill will no doubt draw comparison. This creepy debut proves, however, that Joe Hill is a superb addition to the horror genre with a style and voice all his own. 02/07 Becky Lejeune

THE HEARTBREAK LOUNGE by Wallace Stroby:  Former New Jersey State Trooper Harry Rane is back in New Jersey and his wife, Cristina, is away in Seattle trying to determine how to keep their marriage together.  Nikki Ennis used to work as a dancer at the Heartbreak Lounge in Asbury Park.  She was pregnant when Johnny Hartow was convicted in Florida for attempted murder.  She knew the best thing for her baby was to give him up at birth.  Now seven years later, Johnny is back and looking for his son. Harry picks up some more bruises in this gritty sequel to the Barbed Wire Kiss, but there are a few glimmers of hope in this grim, but first rate effort. 03/10 Jack Quick 

HEARTSHOT by Steven F. Havill:  If you waited as long as I did to discover Steven F. Havill's Posadas County mysteries, you've missed some wonderful police procedurals. Heartshot, the first in the series, introduces readers to the New Mexico border county, as well as to a small county sheriff's department that works well together. Undersheriff Bill Gastner is still working, although he's quite overweight, can't quit smoking, and is over sixty. But, team him up with the department's only detective, Estelle Reyes, and they make a shrewd investigative force. Unfortunately, when the county is hit by a slew of drug-related deaths, including a car accident that kills five teens, Gastner and Reyes have their hands full. And, just when they think they might have a handle on the case, everything blows up in their faces. It couldn't get much worse for Gastner, but he's determined to solve the case, or die trying. This is a fascinating start to the series that now includes fifteen books. Anyone who likes police procedurals, with strong, interesting characters, along with an interesting setting, should pick up Heartshot. 10/08 Lesa Holstine

Hell to Pay by George Pelecanos:  Strange & Quinn are back in this sequel to Right as Rain, and the streets of D.C. are as black and gritty as ever.  The private investigators are hired to find a fourteen-year-old runaway girl from the suburbs, and it turns out she is working as a prostitute for one very bad guy.  Things really spin out of control when one of the boys on Derek Strange's PeeWee football team is killed, and Strange takes it personally.  This fast moving, suspenseful story kept me turning pages until the wee hours. 

HELL’S BAY by James W. Hall:  Thorn is back in his wildest adventure yet.  He is leading a fishing expedition into the isolated lakes and mangrove swamps of Hells Bay in the Everglades when he meets up with the Bates family.  They are one of Florida’s aristocratic pioneer clans with huge holdings in real estate and mining.  The family matriarch Abigail has been killed and her heirs want Thorn to solve the case, claiming he is, in fact, a long lost relative.  Deliverance, meet Cape Fear, in what is probably Hall’s best effort to date.  You can cut the tension with one of Thorn’s sharp fishing knives while in the background the sound of banjos can be heard over the surf.  Hall certainly knows his Florida and with lines like “the air smelled of snakes and damp mud and an occasional gust of a sharp insistent citrus scent that made her think of a teenage boy’s first cologne,” you are pulled right into the swamps and sloughs. 04/08 Jack Quick   

THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett: Jackson, Mississippi is the setting for this amazing debut novel about the civil rights movement in the early 1960's.  Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is an old school, moneyed Southern belle who, unlike all her friends, is unmarried.  Skeeter wants to be a writer, and applies for a position at a New York publishing house.  The editor offers her the advice to "write about what disturbs you" and Skeeter does just that.  Constantine, the black maid who helped raise her, mysteriously quits and moves away while Skeeter is away at college. Her parents won't tell her why, and Skeeter is bereft.  She turns to her friends' maids, but they won't tell her either.  Then she gets the idea to write a book about how these maids really feel about their jobs, their employers and their lives.  But this is the deep south, where a young man is beaten and blinded for using a white restroom even though it wasn't labeled as such, and fears run deep. Eventually one maid agrees to talk to her, and then another, and their stories make for mesmerizing reading. Stockett includes an author's note at the end that adds to the authenticity of the book.  Book clubs are going to love this as much as I did - don't miss it.  08/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

Henry's List of Wrongs by John Scott Shepherd:  A hilarious romp through one man's attempt at repenting for all the wrongs he's committed.  Very enjoyable, quick read.  Footnote: I read that the film rights had been sold with Jim Carrey (not my favorite actor) to star, which sort of threw a pall over the book for me.

HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Audrey Niffenegger:  It's been a few years since The Time Traveler's Wife but I have to admit, it was worth the wait. Niffenegger is just a great storyteller, and she keeps turning my preconceived ideas on their heads. I don't generally care for ghost stories, at least not since I was a kid, but this book - a ghost story in its simplest incantation - kept me mesmerized. Perhaps it was the twins angle; like many people I've always been fascinated by identical twins. The symmetry here is in two generations of identical twins. Edwina and Elspeth had a falling out and hadn't spoken in decades, helped by the fact that Edwina moved to America while Elspeth stayed in London. When Elspeth dies, she bequeaths her worldly goods to Julia and Valentina, Edwina's identical twin daughters whom she never met, with the unusual request that in order to collect, the girls must live in Elspeth's flat for one year. The bigger catch, however, is that Elslpeth's ghost hasn't left the flat. Julia and Valentina are delighted; the twenty year olds have dropped out of college and just floundering, and an adventure abroad for a year seems like just the escape they need. During the course of their year, they learn about their interesting neighbors, and the famous Highgate Cemetary that borders the property. Lots of family secrets are eventually revealed, but it's the truly interesting characters that propel this story forward. A great read. 10/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch.

HER ROYAL SPYNESS by Rhys Bowen: Bowen, an award-winning mystery writer, starts her new series featuring Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, better known as Georgie. She’s the daughter of a duke who gambled away his fortune, and the sister of the impoverished duke. Lacking money, she heads off to London, to try to make a living, despite the fact that she’s thirty-fourth in line to the throne in 1932. Her career as a salesclerk lasts five hours, and she’s only slightly more successful cleaning houses. It’s just as well, since she has to attend a house party, acting as a spy for Queen Mary, who is suspicious about her son, David, and his relationship with a certain American woman. Georgie also has to rescue her brother, Binky, who is suddenly the suspect in the murder of a man who produced documents to show their father lost the family estate gambling. When Georgie herself becomes a target, she realizes she can’t even trust her friends. Her Royal Spyness is a fun debut, poking sly fun at the ruling class in England. 11/07 Lesa Holstine

THE HERETIC’S DAUGHTER by Kathleen Kent: Between February 1692 and May 1693, over 150 men, women, and children from Salem and the neighboring villages were accused of witchcraft. They would all be imprisoned, and some tortured and hanged, before the harrowing event would finally come to an end. On August 19, 1692, after being prosecuted and convicted, Martha Carrier was hanged and killed. Author Kathleen Kent is a tenth-generation descendant of this fascinating woman. The Heretic’s Daughter is Martha’s story as told through the eyes of her ten-year-old daughter Sarah. Their mother daughter relationship is a strained one, but in the months leading to her mother’s arrest and death, Sarah finally begins to understand and open up to her mother. Kent’s debut is an incredible read and her passion for her subject really shines through. It’s also one of the most emotionally turbulent books I’ve read in quite a while. The Heretic’s Daughter is a powerful novel that proves what a great talent Kathleen Kent has already become. This should be on everyone’s must read list for fall. 09/08 Becky Lejeune  

THE HEROINES by Eileen Favorite: The Prairie Homestead is not your typical bed and breakfast. The average guest could be rubbing elbows with some of the most famous ladies of literature and never know it. Penny Entwhistle and her mother have successfully kept their infamous guests secret up until now. Penny’s own typical teen angst threatens to blow the lid on everything her mother has worked for. When Penny reveals to members of the public that the likes of Madame Bovary and Scarlett O’Hara have been hanging out at her house, her own mother lies and says that her daughter is imagining things. This lands Penny a vacation in a mental institution she calls the Unit. Desperate to get out, Penny again risks everything by having her own knight on a white horse rescue her - not her knight of course but one visiting from yet another classic tale of romance and woe. The results could be disastrous but the trip along the way is mighty entertaining. Favorite’s debut is a fanciful tale of mothers and daughters and growing up, with a twist of romantic literature. The Heroines is an amusing read for book lovers everywhere. 12/07 Becky Lejeune

HEX AND THE CITY by Simon R. Green: John Taylor is a private detective in The Nightside, "that hidden magical heart of London, where gods and monsters walk side by side, and sometimes attend the same self-help groups." It's a place that "runs on secrets and mysteries." Knowing his skill is finding things, Lady Luck hires John to find the origins and true history of The Nightside. He knows the Authorities oppose this quest, so he signs up an interesting crew, Madman, Sinner and a demon, Pretty Poison. His quest leads them to some of the oldest Powers in The Nightside, and each clue leads him closer to finding the truth about his mother, a truth so horrible that his father committed suicide rather than reveal it. Hex and the City is the fourth in this compelling series. If you decide to read the series, you'll be signing on to a stomach-churning roller coaster ride. It’s worth the chills. 05/07 Lesa Holstine

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson: Although Erickson normally writes biographies, she turned to the novel to allow Marie Antoinette to tell her own story. At the age of thirteen, just prior to her engagement to the future Louis XVI of France, Marie Antoinette starts a journal. Her final entry is on the day of her execution. During the course of the story, we watch her grow from a frivolous young girl to the woman who desperately loved her children and tried to assist the weak husband who did not want to be king. It’s difficult to read the last one hundred pages, as Marie Antoinette hears the crowds taunt her, faces capture and imprisonment, and learns of her husband’s death. It’s hard to imagine the fear she must have felt, but Erickson brings Marie Antoinette and her emotions and feelings to life in this tragic story. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

THE HIDDEN MAN by David Ellis: Jason and Sammy grew up together, best friends until high school; Jason went on to college and law school, while Sammy coasted after his baby sister was kidnapped and never found. Jason became a star at a top law firm but left to practice solo after his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. Then the past comes back to haunt them both. Jason receives a $10,000 cash retainer from a mysterious “Mr. Smith” to defend Sammy, who is accused of murdering the man long ago suspected of kidnapping his sister. But he won’t plead temporary insanity, which would allow the dead man’s past into evidence, and Jason is frustrated. “Mr. Smith” has explicit ideas about how he wants the defense handled, and things start going awry when Jason deviates from the plan. Edgar-award winner Ellis (Line of Vision, Eye of the Beholder) has created an interesting character, a damaged lawyer who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, to build this new series around. 09/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch. Copyright © 2009 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission.

HIDE by Lisa Gardner: Boston Police Sergeant D. D. Warren hooks up with Massachusetts State Detective Robert Dodge (Alone) to investigate a long abandoned underground cavern found on the grounds of the former Boston State Mental Hospital. The hospital had been shut down decades earlier, but the mummified bodies of six young girls are found below ground, somewhat reminiscent of a previous case. Annabelle Granger has spent her life running, moving from city to city with a new name every eighteen months or so at her paranoid father’s whim. Annabelle is thought to be one of the dead girls until she strolls into the police station, a beautiful young woman who bears a striking resemblance to a previous victim. Former patients and staff members of the hospital become the prime suspects in this fast paced, twisty thriller. The point of view occasionally shifts from Annabelle’s first person perspective to an omniscient narrator to easily give the reader more information than Annabelle has, but the introduction of a new, critical character towards the end of the book was rather unsettling.  02/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

HIGH PROFILE by Robert B. Parker: It is not a good day in Paradise when the body of Walton Weeks is found hanging from a tree. Weeks hosted a popular national radio gabfest, wrote a newspaper column, and churned out best-selling books until someone shot him and left him hanging from a tree. The next body to be found is that of Weeks’ pregnant lover. Paradise Chief of Police Jesse Stone finds himself in the middle of the highest profile case of his career as he tries to solve the double homicide with his 12-person force and remain sober during the process. He also has to contend with his ex-wife Jenn, now an investigative reporter, as well as private investigator Sunny Randall--a sometime lover—that he needs to help with Jenn. A typical Parker outing. Taut language, complex emotions, and a good mystery. One of his best. 02/07 Jack Quick

HIGH MIDNIGHT by Stuart Kaminsky:  Its number 6 in the World War II era adventures of LA PI Toby Peters, Detective to the Stars.  This one ain’t High Noon but like that famous 1952 classic, it does feature Gary Cooper. Someone wants to make a movie with him so badly they resort to threats, blackmail, and murder. With a little help from a writer type named Ernest Hemingway, Peters stumbles over corpses, avoids stray bullets, and tries to keep from being turned into a Kosher hot dog by some menacing East Coast thugs. Remember the words of Client Eastwood as Dirty Harry, “Nobody, I mean, nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog.” If you are a movie buff, this series is for you. 05/09 Jack Quick

THE HINDI-BINDI CLUB by Monica Pradhan: This is such a beautiful book about history, culture and relationships that it’s hard to summarize it all. But, if your book club is looking for something similar to Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, grab this book. It’s the story of three women, emigrants in the 1960s from India, and their three daughters, all in their thirties. The women are all highly educated, but they struggle with relationships, and conflicts due to culture and the historical past. The daughters’ stories introduce the mothers, and the mothers’ stories reveal so much about their daughters. There’s a great deal of information about the events of 1947 that changed India. The book includes stories of Indian culture from birth to weddings, and the Indian recipes are a treasure-trove in themselves. The Hindi-Bindi Club is a story filled with warmth and friendship, cultural clashes and tragedy. It’s a celebration of family and the differences that make everyone special. It’s a treasure for anyone who enjoys learning about the world through fiction. 06/07 Lesa Holstine

Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews:  This is just a fun read.  It's about a woman who catches her fiancé banging her best friend/maid of honor on the board room table at the country club during their rehearsal dinner.  She goes wild, pitches an historic "hissy fit" and storms out, then meets a wealthy young man who's amused at her misspelled keying of her ex-beloved's car in the parking lot.  She spends the rest of the book decorating his newly purchased plantation style home (this is Southern fiction) so he can impress some hot lawyer he saw on a PBS fundraiser.  She pals around with her gay best friend who convinces her she has abandonment issues since her mother's disappearance 25 years earlier, lending a pinch of suspense to the plot.  It's light, fast moving, entertaining fun and I couldn't put it down (and just the perfect antidote to hurricanes.)  Then I went back and read SAVANNAH BLUES, which was also great fun.

THE HISTORY OF LOVE by Nicole Krauss:  This is an amazing book - I borrowed it from the library, read it, then ran out and bought a copy and read it again.  The "love" in the title is a love of literature, of books, of family, of laughter despite the pain of life.  Unforgettable characters, a book within a book within a book that all comes together in the end, a joy!  Leo Gursky is an old man who creates disturbances wherever he goes just so people will notice him - for who notices an old man?  His losses are numerous, yet he keeps on keeping on and making us laugh while he does it.  His lost novel, appropriately titled The History of Love, unbeknownst to him was published by another.  The woman he loved and wanted to marry who couldn't wait and married someone else.  His son, a revered author, who doesn't even know who he is.  Then there is a young girl, Alma Singer, named for the main character in the book Leo doesn't even know was published.  Her search for the truth while dealing with the death of her father adds a haunting suspense that enriches the story even further.  To be drawn into this world is a delight, and I am grateful. 06/05

HIT AND RUN by Lawrence Block:  Keller is like most of us.  He has a job that he works at in order to pay his bills, feed his hobby (stamp collecting) and hopefully prepare for his eventual retirement.  The major difference is Keller's a hit man.  After all these years and many successful assignments he is now ready to begin that retirement, but there is just one more job.  Keller really doesn’t want to go to Des Moines for the job but it has been paid for so what else can he do? After all, there are no refunds in this business.  While he is in Des Moines looking at additions to his stamp collection, someone kills the charismatic governor of Ohio.  Normally this would have little impact on Keller – except the police have released a picture of the alleged killer.  Guess who?  Now Keller is stranded in Des Moines, cut off from his associate Dot in White Plains, New York, every cop in America's just seen his picture, his ID and credit cards are no longer good, and he just spent almost all of his cash on the stamps.  The best Keller yet. 07/08 Jack Quick

HIT MAN By Lawrence Block: Block is a multi talented writer, the winner of two Edgars and numerous other awards for his Scudder series, yet being the creative genius he is, he strays afield from time to time. He wrote a short story for "Playboy" called "Answers To Soldier" back in the late 70's or early 80's that becomes the lynch pin of this novel; what follows is a collection of brilliantly linked short stories that were published as individual efforts, but eventually became linked together.

    Keller is his own man. He's the guy on the next bar stool to you. He's a lonely guy, on the one hand craving companionship, and on the other hand, doing his job ruthlessly. He could be your next door neighbor, the guy you wave hi to every day. But when he gets the call, packs his bag, and heads out, he's a stone killer. The problem is that Keller is not sure that this is his calling.  He's a middle aged guy who's thinking about getting out of the biz. Block balances Keller's skill against his own self doubt. (My favorite one in this is called "Keller's Therapy") And eventually Keller (and his pal Dot) realize that things have to change. After all, it's Keller's only gig, and Dot's true hope. By the way, Block parlayed this into a second collection called HIT LIST, and one soon to be released (July 4, 06) called HIT PARADE.  The beauty of this is that these are short stories that are all interlinked. Block is a damn genius who deserves the accolades he's received. This is a series that both Scudder and Bernie R. fans can equally get behind. Enjoy the master at work. 05/06 DOC

HIT PARADE by Lawrence Block: John Keller is a working man who ponders questions like: Does this assignment compromise my ethics? Will I ever get another job? Like all careers, his has its challenges, some imposed by circumstance, others generated by introspection. He also ponders a retirement in which he will abandon his Manhattan lifestyle for a trailer in the southwestern desert. The main difference between Keller and the rest of us is that Keller is a hit man, a contract killer who takes on assignments within his own code of ethics and performs them in how own style. You get the feeling that when Block writes about Keller he is really fantasizing for all of us about a life with no rules, or just those we make for ourselves. In any event, the stories in Hit Parade are at times humorous, thoughtful and quintessential Block at his best.  07/06 Jack Quick

Hit Parade by Lawrence Block: Block’s latest book is a collection of stories that flow together to tell one story. John Keller is an introspective hit man, a stamp collector who talks of retirement, while still continuing to do contract killings in order to have money for his hobby. In Block’s latest addition to the Keller anthologies, he asks, what do you do with an aging hit man whose world has changed? Keller is a fascinating, frustrating character in an enjoyable book. 07/06 Lesa Holstine

HOAX by Robert Tanenbaum: I was prepared to not like this book. Instead of buying it, I waited until I could get it from the library. Apparently Mr. Tanenbaum used Michael Gruber as the ghost for the first 15 Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi books, all of which were most enjoyable. Whoever has succeeded Gruber has a way to go to match his style and ability. Much of the book is a rehash of the first fifteen books while the plot is mundane – crooked politicians and priestly pedophiles. At 490 pages, it has the feel of being padded by at least a hundred pages. Nevertheless, the characters are like old friends, and while this visit wasn’t as good as some previous ones, it was acceptable. However, hopefully the new guy/gal will catch on quickly, otherwise, I will regretfully say goodbye to Karp, et al. 11/06 Jack Quick

HOLD TIGHT by Harlan Coben: A night with a Harlan Coben book is a guaranteed night without sleep. In his latest stand-alone, parents come face-to-face with their worst nightmares. Tia and Mike Baye are concerned when their son, Adam, becomes more reserved and introverted after the suicide of one of his classmates. They go to extremes by installing a program on his computer that will track all of his activities online. Each day, the company responsible sends them a report, and each day is the same mundane stuff. Everything changes when Tia comes across a disturbingly cryptic instant message, and an e-mail about a party Adam is to attend. Mike plans to take Adam to a hockey game, to keep him from going to the party, but Adam disappears. It’s not the first time their son has run off, but Mike and Tia know there has to be something more than teen angst at play here. Coben is the absolute king of suspense - no one does it like he can. In Hold Tight he weaves multiple plot lines together to create yet another page-turning thrill ride that will keep you awake all night. If you pay attention, you just might recognize some familiar faces, too. 04/08 Becky Lejeune

THE HOLLOWER by Mary SanGiovanni:  Dave Kohlar has seen it, so has his sister Sally, and so did the man from Sally’s therapy group who committed suicide. Dave would like to think that he’s a fairly rational man, but when he sees the faceless creature in an overcoat and hat following him around, he’s sure he must be losing it. Then Sally flips out and has to be committed. Shortly after that, she escapes without a trace and Dave knows the creature he calls The Hollower is behind it. Then Dave meets Erik and Cheryl. They see the creature too and it’s possible that the three of them working together may be able to fight this thing. They’re joined by two unlikely allies as they set off to kill something that none of them could possibly understand. Mary SanGiovanni’s debut was a 2007 Stoker nominee for best first novel. Her story is refreshingly original and features a villain who could rival Freddie himself. The Hollower is creepy without ever going over the top. The chills are there and the ending is a killer. No worries, though, the sequel Found You is already out. 09/08 Becky Lejeune 

HOLLYWOOD CROWS by Joseph Wambaugh:  In LA police jargon, “crows” are the members of the LAPD Community Relations Office (CRO) which handles quality of life issues.  “Hollywood Nate” Weiss and partner Bix Ramstead are both crows mesmerized by Margot Aziz, a stunner in the middle of a particular; ugly divorce proceeding.  Margot tries to use her feminine wiles to gain the upper hand over about to be ex-husband Ali, whose seedy night club requires regular infusions of cash to various police charities to stay in business.  Hollywood and Bix are the main characters n a bunch that includes surfer cops Flotsam and Jetsam, and two female cops Cat Song and Ronnie Sinclair. The book is filled with cop humor like Officer F. X. Mulroney, who fires a taser dart into a tangle of wet steel fencing upon which three homies are sitting.  The fifty thousand volts made a crackling sound and arced a blue dagger like in Frankenstein’s lab.  Mulroney’s response, “But I was only doing a spark check! Shit happens!  Mulroney spread his arms wide, looked up at the darkening sky, and cried, “God knows I’m innocent.  Even Bill Clinton had a premature discharge!”  Its Wambaugh, same as always, in his thirteenth fictional outing about the real life of LAPDs. 06/08 Jack Quick 

HOLLYWOOD MOON by Joseph Wambaugh: No one would mistake the misfits from Wambaugh's Hollywood Division for the straight arrow boys in blue of McBain’s 87th Precinct, but they can be incredibly funny and also do pretty good police work.  The main thread of the book involves a husband-and-wife team of identity thieves, the weak-willed Dewey Gleason and his domineering mate, Eunice, who cross paths with Malcolm Rojas, a creepy teenager with major anger-management issues.  It is in the trimmings, however, that make the book with characters like Hollywood Nate Weiss, the actor turned cop; Weiss's beautiful partner, Dana Vaughn; and the surfer duo, Flotsam and Jetsam, who conduct on the spot sobriety tests involving tourists and balloons among other mischief. The language is adult but often laugh-out-loud funny, like the lawyer who charged the arresting officer with fanny burping him. The defense – frijoles from Taco Johns – or the charge that an officer had called a street citizen a name.  “After I threatened to sue him for false arrest, he called me frogative, and I ain’t no frog.” What the officer said was, “that’s your prerogative.” Never mind. 12/09 Jack Quick 

THE HOME TEAM: UNDECLARED WAR by Dennis Chalker & Kevin Dockery:  Ted “Grim” reaper was a casualty of a coverup and scandal in Bosnia which ended his career as a Navy SEAL.  When drug dealing terrorists threaten his family and intrude on his early but well earned retirement, Reaper hooks up with some other special forces operators to deal with the dealers.  Using all forms of combat, weapons, explosives, special equipment, and tactics learned while in service to their government, they are now on their own, with no government agency to hold them back, no congressional committee to supervise them, and no obstacles in their win at any costs private war.  Let the blood letting begin.  10/08 Jack Quick    

HOME TO BIG STONE GAP by Adriana Trigiani: This book came out last year but it had been so long since I'd read the earlier books in the series that I wanted to re-read them first.  I enjoyed the first three books so much I forgot to read the newest one!  But I'm glad I finally did - Trigiani writes great characters that I really enjoy spending time with.  This book is a bit short on plot, but it doesn't really matter.  Jack Mac has some health issues, Etta is married and living in Italy, Ave Maria and Iva Lou have a falling out, Theodore comes to visit, and Ave thinks she sees a grown up Joe walking in the woods behind the house.  If you haven't met these characters, start with Big Stone Gap and work your way here, and if you know them, you'll want to read this book too; it's sweet, funny,  heart wrenching, and most of all, charming.  08/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

HOME TO HOLLY SPRINGS by Jan Karon: In the first in the Father Tim novels, a spinoff of Karon’s popular Mitford series, she takes Father Tim Kavanaugh home to his childhood home in Holly Springs, Mississippi. When he receives a note that says only, “Come home,” he’s not sure about going. He’s been gone too many years, and many of his memories are bittersweet. When he arrives in Holly Springs, he finds people who remember him, and some familiar sites. Even more important, he finds people willing to take him in, and help him in his search for his own past. The book is starts slowly, but Karon’s fans will find it worth digging into the stories of Father Tim’s childhoold. It’s a rewarding book, for readers, and for Father Tim, who finds surprises in his life. 12/07 Lesa Holstine

A HOMECOMING FOR MURDER by John Armistead: It’s the Friday of Homecoming Week in Sheffield, Mississippi in this dated (1995) but excellent police procedural. Homecoming means high school football, homecoming queen pageantry, and murder for Sheriff Grover Bramlett of Chakchiuma County. The first victim is schoolteacher Jesse Bondreaux, shot in the head execution style with a .25 caliber automatic. Before the weekend is over, another teacher, Jo Ann Staples, is found dead, killed in the same fashion. As the body count mounts, Bramlett realizes his own grandson Marcellus may be in danger as well. While the identity of the murderer is telegraphed fairly early, who will be assigned the new patrol car – a Corvette confiscated from a drug dealer – is not revealed until the very end. 09/07 Jack Quick 

HOMICIDE 69 by Sam Reaves: At 568 pages, this is a real “plow through” book but well worth the effort. Its 1969, the Vietnam War is raging; teens are trying to sneak in to the theatre to see Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy (after all, wasn’t The Graduate the dirtiest movie yet made?). Mike Dooley is a world-weary Chicago cop, worried about his Marine son in Vietnam and trying to solve the sadistic murder of former Playboy Bunny Sally Kotowski, a mobster's ex-girlfriend. In the process he becomes fascinated by one of Sally’s friends, and refuses to accept the “official” version of the killing. If you are a “boomer” and lived this as I did, you will remember things long forgotten like draft numbers, Chicago Police corruption, rioting in Belfast, Jimmy Hoffa, a new major league baseball team in San Diego and the Cubs blowing a late summer lead. If you are too young (or too old) to remember the late ‘60’s, this is the way it was. One of my best of the year. 10/07 Jack Quick  

HONEYMOON by James Patterson: Overhyped by Bookspan as the "2005 International Thriller of the Year" Patterson tells the story of FBI agent John O’Hara tracking down a serial killer. While almost all serial killers are male, this one happens to be a female – a black widow.  Nora Sinclair is a widow who works as an interior designer for the very rich.  She had inherited from her first husband when she killed him, is now married to a best-selling author in Boston, and is having an affair with a hedge-fund manager in upstate New York.  She plans to kill both, but O’Hara gets involved after the poisoning of the hedge-fund manager. Instead of solving the case, he falls under her spell.  Above average for the recent Patterson, but not up to its hype. 07/09 Jack Quick     

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 

HOOKED: A Thriller About Love and Other Addictions by Matt Richtel:  Journalist Nat Idle is hanging out in an Internet Cafe when a note is dropped into his lap, warning him to get out of there.  Intriguing of itself, but even more so when Nat realizes that the handwriting is just like that of Annie - his dead girlfriend.  He follows the note dropper out, but she disappears, just in time for a bomb to go off in the cafe.  The plot weaves in and out of Silicon Valley conspiracies and Nat's flashbacks to his relationship with Annie, building suspense and keeping those pages turning.  Despite the blinding, horrific - and I do mean horrific - cover, (I quickly turned it inside out, even the edges were annoying and distracting,) it's a good read with lots of action, suspense, a little romance and the uncomfortable thought that someone is plotting to turn us all into Internet junkies - not that we need the help. 07/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

Hornswoggled by Donis Casey: Casey’s latest historical mystery is a worthy sequel to The Old Buzzard Had It Coming. In Oklahoma in 1913, Alafair Tucker, mother of ten, isn’t too concerned about the murder of the local barber’s wife since it doesn’t affect her family. But when her daughter, Alice, sets her cap for the widower, Alafair flings herself into the investigation to find the murderer. It’s a baffling, fascinating story, reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Casey’s attention to detail is wonderful, as she tells about life in Oklahoma without detracting from the mystery story. 09/06 Lesa Holstine

Hostage by Robert Crais:  Tense thriller that kept me up until I turned the last page.  Don't miss it!

THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer: They call themselves souls. They can live essentially forever transferring themselves from one host to another, and Earth is just their latest conquest. Wanderer has lived more lives on more planets than most of her kind. It is for this reason that she is chosen to be placed inside one of the remaining resistant humans. The Seekers know that Melanie was with others and they hope that Wanderer will be able to tell them where these people are hiding. From the beginning, this host is different from the others. Melanie’s consciousness seems to have remained, and her memories of loved ones haunt Wanderer day and night. Melanie’s increasingly insistent voice drives Wanderer to the desert where she hopes to finally track down Melanie’s hiding family. Along the way, Wanderer begins to bond with Melanie and the other humans, and as a result, she becomes unsure where her place is in this life. In a utopian society that lives a collective, but perfect existence, there is no room for individuality. Humans embrace this aspect of life and though it is new and foreign to Wanderer, it offers her something that her previous existences never have. This is a more complex story than any synopsis can really express, but it’s essentially a tale of love, friendship, and the need to belong somewhere. Meyer has already conquered the teen scene, and captured the hearts of many adult readers as well, with her Twilight series. The Host is an absolutely amazing book that will give those few remaining holdouts the opportunity to see just what all the fuss is about. I’ll tell you now, it’s all true - I loved The Host and can’t recommend it highly enough.  05/08 Becky Lejeune

THE HOSTAGE by W.E.B. Griffin: Delta Force Major Charley Castillo of the Department of Homeland Security is asked by the president to go to Buenos Aires, where the wife of the deputy chief has been kidnapped and her husband has been murdered. Terrorists threaten to kill her children if she doesn't tell them how to find her brother, who, it seems, may have knowledge about the UN-Iraqi oil-for-food scandal. The Hostage has a typically Griffin convoluted plot with lots of twists and action that could just as easily be in tomorrow’s headlines. Griffin’s formula approach worked for him in chronicling the exploits of the Army, The Marines, the Navy SEALS, and the Philadelphia Police Department. In his second Homeland Security tome, it continues to work well. 01/06 Jack Quick

HOT BLOODED by Lisa Jackson: Psychologist and radio talk show host Dr. Samantha Leeds returns home from vacation to find a disturbing message on her machine and a mangled photo of herself in the mail. Then someone calling himself John begins harassing her on her show and an upsetting event from Leeds’s past is revealed to her audience. Meanwhile, detectives are investigating a string of murders in the Big Easy that seem to point to a possible serial killer. Detective Rick Bentz suspects the two cases are linked somehow, but is on probation with his new department and needs more evidence before he can speak up. Sam receives some help in the form of new neighbor and beau Ty Wheeler, but Ty’s  got his own agenda and is not being completely honest with her. Will Sam survive this and will Bentz be able to unravel the mystery before it’s too late for Sam and for another young victim of this so-called serial killer? Jackson’s novels are always quick paced and full of suspense. Hot Blooded marks to first in her New Orleans "series” and introduces readers to Bentz.  12/08 Becky Lejeune 

THE HOT KID by Elmore Leonard: If Elmore Leonard has ever written a bad book, it must have been published under another name.  Taking a break from his recent work, Leonard returns to the classic western format in The Hot Kid.  Set in the1930s, Carlos (Carl) Webster is a Cuban Indian Oklahoma boy who becomes a United States Marshal, the result of an unfortunate childhood experience.  Too bad the Duke has gone, because the part of Webster has John Wayne written all over it, down to the “I only draw my gun to shoot.” dialogue.  At 21, Webster has already shot and killed two men while True Detective writer Tony Antonelli, who sees Webster as his own ticket to fame, makes Webster’s exploits even larger than life.  Excellent read and hopefully the beginning of a series. Publication date is May 1. 04/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

HOT MAHOGANY by Stuart Woods:  A lightweight but entertaining Stone Barrington outing with all the usual suspects.   In this case, Stone is asked by his friend and sometime ally – CIA whiz Lance Cabot, for help.  It turns out that Lance has an older brother, Barton, who has suddenly reappeared in Lance’s life as the result of the amnesia Barton has as the result of a mugging.  It seems that Barton is a spy and a thief who builds and restores antique furniture, as well as minting counterfeit coins.  Dino and Holly are enlisted in Stone’s efforts to recover a stolen antique secretary valued in the millions of dollars.  Amusing diversion. 10/08 Jack Quick    

HOT ROCKS by Lev Raphael:  College teacher and amateur sleuth Nick Hoffman is facing that challenge we all hope for one day – middle age.  Its putting extra strain on his life and the discovery of the body of the head trainer and all-around stud Vlado Zamario in the health club steam room brings further complications.  Because of his history in previous outings, Nick is tabbed as a suspect and realizes the only way to permanently clear his name is to solve the crime (sound familiar?).  Soon Vlado’s extreme and varied exploits with women in and out of the health club lead to the discovery of compromising photographs guaranteed to promote marital discord and provide motivation for a number of suspects.  Hoffman is openly gay but, honestly, if his partner had been named Stephanie instead of Stefan Borowski, and a few pronouns were changed, I think the story would be otherwise unchanged.  I think that reflects the strength of Raphael’s talent.  This is a mystery first and foremost. 08/07 Jack Quick 

HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford: Henry Lee lost his wife to cancer in 1986. The novel jumps back and forth from that time to when he was twelve years old during World War II and living in Chinatown in Seattle. His father forces Henry to only speak English at home, and since he doesn't understand it, they cannot communicate very well. Henry is a scholarship student at an all white prep school where he is taunted and very lonely, until he meets the new scholarship student, Keiko, a Japanese American. Henry's father hates the Japanese since they have been at war with China. Nevertheless, Henry and Keiko form a strong bond until her family is sent away to an internment camp. In 1986 Seattle, the hotel where Keiko's family's belongings were stored is under renovation, and a virtual museum is found in the basement. This historical novel tugs at the heartstrings as it goes back and forth in time, and while the history is interesting, the story just seems rather cliché. David Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars had similar themes, but is a much better novel.  12/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

HOTHOUSE ORCHID by Stuart Woods: It’s old home week when CIA agent Holly Barker returns to Orchid Beach, FL where she was once chief of police.  Renegade ex-CIA agent Teddy Fay, has chosen to settle in nearby Vero Beach.  Lauren Cade, a former military comrade, is now a sergeant with the Florida State Patrol, until Holly makes it possible for her to transfer to a new state investigative unit headed by Hurd Wallce, Barker’s successor as Orchid Beach police chief. Then she learns that James Bruno, her former commanding officer who was tried and acquitted of raping Lauren and who once tried to rape Holly herself, is Orchid Beach's new police chief.   When Barker almost becomes a victim of a serial rapist and killer, she gets drawn into the manhunt. Not heavyweight, but a good read. 10/09 Jack Quick 

HOUR GAME by David Baldacci:  Two disgraced former Secret Service officers, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, first introduced in Split Second, are now partners in a private investigation firm in a small Virginia town that King had fled to after a presidential candidate he'd been guarding was assassinated a few feet from where he stood.  Maxwell’s career ended under a similar cloud when she lost a "protectee" to an ingenious kidnapping scheme.  The partners are hired to investigate a burglary at the home of a wealthy local family.  This leads them to a string of murders, each of which copies the techniques of another madman, from San Francisco's Zodiac Killer to Chicago's infamous John Wayne Gacy.  Leave the lights on for this one. Nicely done. 01/09 Jack Quick  

THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON by Kate Morton:  It’s 1999 and ninety-eight year old Grace Bradley has lived an amazing life. An archaeologist with a grown daughter and a famous grandson who writes mysteries, Grace has not given much thought lately to her early career as a maid at Riverton House. That is until a film director announces that they are making a movie about the tragic event that occurred at the estate in 1924. Memories of her years at Riverton quickly resurface and Grace decides that it is time to tell all. She begins to record her memories on tapes that she sends to her grandson. It is in these tapes that she will finally reveal long hidden secrets about her time working for the Hartford family and the events that led to that tragic evening so long ago, when a famous British poet killed himself in the midst of a grand party. Unbeknownst to everyone but the two Hartford daughters, Grace was witness to the act and she’s never told anyone the truth about that evening. A lovely and haunting tale about family, loyalty, and the pain of keeping secrets. This is Morton’s U.S. debut. It has also been published as The Shifting Fog.  09/08 Becky Lejeune  

A HOUSE DIVIDED by Deborah Leblanc: Sometimes a terrible event can leave a stain on a place, the evil soaking into every nook and cranny just waiting to be awakened. Laura Toups and Matt Daigle are about to learn this the hard way. Both Laura and Matt have just moved their respective businesses into two halves of the same house. Keith Lafleur, a building contractor in the area, bought the house at a steal but could only move it in pieces. Lafleur made each half into a building on its own with business space on the bottom floor and apartment space upstairs. What no one realizes is that the house has a dark and sinister past. Neighbors say that Morgan Devilier was already a sick woman but the death of her fifth child pushed her over the edge. She killed her own family in that house years ago. Now, Lafleur’s decision to split the house has unleashed something terrible in their small Louisiana town and no one will be safe until the house and it’s spirits are once again reunited. Deborah Leblanc is no longer a rookie in the horror business. With three titles under her belt and another three set to come, she is a force to be reckoned with! Her macabre creations are sure to keep you up all night. This is a must read for fans of the horror genre. 05/07 Becky Lejeune 

THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT by Lucie Whitehouse: When Joanna’s longtime friend, Lucas, inherits his uncle’s home, he offers to make it a sort-of party-pad for all of his old friends. It’s an attempt to move on with his life and get past the all too recent death of his mother and his uncle’s unexpected suicide. The friends meet each weekend, eating and drinking, enjoying time away from their hectic everyday lives. Soon, Joanna and Lucas are an item, something she has longed for almost the entire time they’ve known each other. The more time everyone spends at the country home, however, the more they begin to change. Lucas and another of the friends, Danny, decide to say goodbye to city life altogether and make the home their full-time residence – abandoning full-time careers as well. Then, Lucas’s increased drinking and mood swings cause a rift between the newfound couple that is finally blown apart when Joanna is caught cheating. Over the course of a year, the friends find that everything they have known has irreversibly changed, but whether their growing up and growing apart will be of benefit to them is yet to be seen. I didn’t find that this was the gothic piece many said it was. Instead, it was a rather tragic look at the changes young adults (post-college and pre-career) go through, how people grow apart and begin to become the adults that they will be. A fine literary debut even if it is a bit gloomy. 06/08 Becky Lejeune 

HOUSE DICK by E. Howard Hunt:  Hardcase Crime #54 is a reprint of a novel originally published in 1961 under the name of Gordon Davis, one of Hunt’s many alter egos.  It is ironic that the action is set in a Washington hotel, although not the one for which Hunt became infamous in the mid 1970’s.  In this well-written tale, Pete Novak, the house detective and assistant personnel manager for the Hotel Tilden in Washington DC compares his job to garbage collecting but at least, as he mutters to himself, “You promised your Mom you would get a white-collar job.”  Novak has 340 rooms to deal with but it seems the fifth floor is the scene of all the action.  In room 515, Mrs. Boyd, reports that $90,000 of jewelry has been stolen from her room.  Meanwhile Mr. Boyd seems to have a relationship with Paula Norton, the blonde dish in room 516, and the neglected Mrs. Boyd is playing footsies with a slimy "herb doctor" in room 522.  It all leads to blackmail and murder.  It is what you would expect from a former CIA agent. 04/09 Jack Quick 

THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR by Anne Rivers Siddons: Colquitt and Walter Kennedy have a blessed life. Or, they did have a blessed life. When they first hear that the lot next door is under development, Colquitt is disappointed, to say the least. Their new young neighbors build a gem of a home, though, and everyone is in awe. But when the new neighbors’ lives are shattered in a truly scandalous way, Colquitt begins to suspect that there is something strange about the house next door. More accidents and dark events follow and Colquitt and Walter can no longer hide what they know. Now, as the house sits empty, waiting for its next victims, the Kennedys have decided that they must tell their tale. Originally published in 1978, Anne Rivers Siddons’s only “horror” story has pretty much stood the test of time and is still in print today. I’d recommend a quiet evening at home (with all of the lights on) for this atmospheric ghost story rather than a busy airport, though: I found myself easily distracted where I normally really enjoy the slow and deliberate pacing of this kind of story. 07/10 Becky Lejeune 

THE HOUSE OF LOST SOULS by F.G. Cottam: Paul Seaton stumbled upon the story of Fischer House and Pandora Gibson-Hoare quite by accident, but it was a story that would change his life forever. Paul had been planning on helping his overwhelmed girlfriend with her thesis when he first heard of the photographer and her sad demise. Gibson-Hoare was by no means famous, but she was well known for her work in the 20s. Quite suddenly, though, she left the scene. She surfaced, literally, floating in the river after an apparent suicide. But Paul found out all about Pandora’s secret fascination with the occult world. As he delves deeper into this decades-old mystery, Paul becomes more certain that there is something sinister waiting for him in Fischer House, the home where Pandora and her friends experimented with the dark side. Ten years later, four students entered the house. Now three students remain and Paul is the only one who may be able to help. The House of Lost Souls is a chilling ghost story penned in the classic gothic style. It’s rich in atmosphere, has an excellent pacing, and is filled with hair-raising creepy undertones. Though this is not Cottam’s debut, it is the first of his works to be released here in the States (other titles released overseas under the name Francis Cottam). Highly recommended.  07/09 Becky Lejeune

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III:  This is a beautifully written tragedy of Shakespearian dimensions.  We watch the story unfold, the clash of the Iranian and American cultures.  The characters spiraling out of control, knowing there is nowhere for them to go but further and further into the abyss.  A most compelling read.

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN by Chuck Hustmyre:  I bought this to tide me over until the next James Lee Burke.  Turned out to be pretty good.  Ex-New Orleans vice cop Ray Shane has served almost five years in federal prison and is now working as security for the mob owned casino/brothel known as The House of the Rising Sun. Four masked gunmen rob the place and kill the mentally handicapped adult nephew of the New Orleans mafia boss.  Now its up to Ray to solve the crime, because there are some in the mob who think he was the one responsible.  Fast read, fairly predictable, but well written. 07/07 Jack Quick

THE HOUSE ON FORTUNE STREET by Margot Livesey: The lives of four people intertwine in an absorbing story about how chance can turn a life around. Although Dara and Abigail met at the university, they were both changed by an incident in their lives at the age of ten. Part of the story tells how the two women coped with their lives as a result of their childhood, as a result of their friendship, and, as a result of a man. Livesey skillfully relates the story through the eyes of four characters, Dara and Abigail, as well as that of Cameron, Dara’s father, and Sean, the man Abigail loved. The House on Fortune Street tells of the roles people take in their own lives, and the choices made to get there. It’s a fascinating story. 05/08 Lesa Holstine

Househusband by Ad Hudler: First novel about a California "landscape architect to the stars" becoming a "househusband."  Lincoln gives it all up so his wife, Jo, can accept a promotion to COO of a hospital that moves them to New York.  He is looking for a job, but meanwhile he cleans, even under the cushions on the couch; cooks California gourmet at every meal; supervises all the kids on the playground; and is raising his precocious three-year-old daughter with impeccable manners.  He's also dealing with the psychopathic part-time nanny, pretending not to notice gal-pal Marilyn's groping and lascivious looks,  and trying to keep his sanity while making the Stepford wives look like slackers.  Lots of laughs in this feel good, light and entertaining treatise on men & women and their roles, but after a while the sheer perfection of man-as-mom was making me yawn.  Also included are recipes for things like "Mexican Curry Sauce over Grilled Vegetables" and "Salad with Roasted Poblanos, Stilton Cheese and Pomegranate Seeds." And the above mentioned prodigy eats this stuff.  Hudler was a journalist who gave it all up to stay home.

HOW DOLLY PARTON SAVED MY LIFE: A Novel of the Jelly Jar Sisterhood by Charlotte Connors:  This is another one of those novels that are so popular about women’s friendships. Four women in Atlanta join together, hoping to build a catering business that will be successful, while allowing them to put their families first. The women are very different; a Junior League wife and mother, the daughter of a prominent African-American family, a single mother who is a renowned pastry chef, and a woman who just broke up with her boyfriend of eight years. This is one of the weaker novels of the type since some of the women never gain strong personalities and motivation during the story. However, one character, Daisy, the pastry chef, is a shining star. The story is worth reading just for Daisy’s part in it. It’s an enjoyable story, but nothing special.  08/08 Lesa Holstine

HOW HIGH THE MOON by Sandra Kring: If you’re in the mood for a charming and quirky read, How High the Moon is going to hit the spot. It’s 1955 and Isabella “Teaspoon” Marlene has spent the past five years being raised by Teddy, her mother’s ex. Catty Marlene, the missing mom, is chasing down her dream of stardom in Hollywood. Everyone agrees that Teaspoon could use a strong female influence in her life and so she is signed up for the Sunshine Sisters program, a big sister program that teams young girls with teenagers who can teach them manners and grace. Brenda Bloom has everything: money, class, looks, and brains. But Brenda will find that Teaspoon has just as much to teach her as she has to teach Teaspoon. I was swept up in this story, completely and utterly enamored with Kring’s cast of characters.  04/10 Becky Lejeune

HOW TO BE BAD by David Bowker: This satiric crime novel has as many laughs as dead bodies.  Mark Madden, a twenty-three year old shy book collector still carries a torch for his high school sweetheart, Caro.  When they hook up again he gets in way over his head as she asks him to kill her father, another old boyfriend and a loan shark named Bad Jesus.  Psychotic though she is, he's mad for her and somehow accidentally ends up with the requested dead bodies.  She inherits a fortune, they marry and still the bodies continue to pile up.  A fast, fun read.  09/05

THE HOWARD HUGHES AFFAIR by Stuart Kaminsky:  Having survived Chicago in YOU BET YOUR LIFE, thanks to a cold cure that makes you almost want to keep the cold, Private Eye to the Stars Toby Peters is back in his native Hollywood, with sore feet, a bad back, and assorted bruises, scrapes, and a healing gunshot wound all because his ex-wife wants him to help a young but nervous billionaire who is convinced he has discovered a nest of spies.  It is 1941 and the United States is on the verge of war.  Since neither the LA police nor the FBI will look into the matter, it’s up to Toby to help out Mr. Hughes, Mr. Howard Hughes, that is, and with the help of Basil Rathbone, Toby, saves the day.  A side note. The copy I read was originally published in 1979, and had the original “check out” card intact with the title and author typed in with a manual typewriter. That’s authenticity. 04/09 Jack Quick  

HULA DONE IT? by Maddy Hunter: This is the fourth in Hunter’s Passport to Peril cozy mystery series. At thirty, Emily Andrews is a full-time coordinator of global excursions for a senior travel club. The fun-loving travelers from Iowa are joined by an eccentric cast of characters on a cruise advertised as excursions to sites visited by Captain Cook. When the guest lecturer disappears, and his grad assistant claims she saw someone push him overboard, Emily suspects that a rare book and a buried treasure may be the cause. This is a fun book with a group of characters ranging from an accident-prone man who’s convinced he’s cursed to three Norwegians who denounce Captain Cook. It’s mystery, travel and humor with a little romance thrown in. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

HUNDRED-DOLLAR BABY by Robert B. Parker: The 34th entry in the Spenser series features April Kyle, the damsel in distress that Spenser rescued in two earlier books, Ceremony (1982) and Taming a Sea Horse (1986). April is now running a high-class Boston whorehouse, and seeks Spenser’s help in persuading some local mutts that she doesn’t need their help. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This is vintage Parker, with Spenser exchanging witty dialogue with the faithful Hawk, sexy dialogue with his beloved Susan and smart-alecky dialogue with cops and villains as he follows trails to New York City that involve the mob, a con artist and various other complications. Which is Parker’s best – Spenser? Sunny Randall? Jesse Stone? Does it really matter? 11/06 Jack Quick

HUNDRED-DOLLAR BABY by Robert B. Parker: In 1982, April Kyle first appeared in the Spenser mystery, Ceremony. At the time, she was a teenage runaway involved in prostitution. Spenser couldn’t do much to change her lifestyle, but at least he tried to ensure she had a safe environment and an education by hooking her up with a high-class madam. Twenty years later, April returns to Boston and asks Spenser for help. She’s now a high-class prostitute running her own all-woman enterprise. According to April, some men are trying to take that away from her. As usual, Spenser, the white knight, agrees to try to save his damsel in distress. There’s a little more suspense than usual in this latest mystery. But the pleasure of a Spenser novel still is in the witty conversation, and the relationship between Spenser and Hawk. If you’re looking for that, you’ll be pleased with the latest in the Spenser series. 11/06 Lesa Holstine

THE HUNT by Allison Brennan:  Seven known victims and nine more women missing.  One survivor who escaped “The Butcher” twelve years ago.  A threesome determined to catch the killer.  Miranda Moore, a former FBI trainee, who is the only known survivor of The Butcher, is now a member of the local search and rescue squad in Montana.  Nick Thomas, Miranda’s former boyfriend, who is still in love with her, is now the Sheriff.  Quincy Patterson, the FBI agent who investigated Miranda’s abduction, is back to help Nick and Miranda catch the killer.  Miranda’s feelings about Quincy are unresolved as are hers about him.  The tension among these three only adds to the mix, as they try to prevent the Butcher from kidnapping, torturing and then executing his next victim – by turning them loose in the woods and hunting them down like animals.  Another good one. 04/08 Jack Quick  

HUNT AT THE WELL OF ETERNITY by Gabriel Hunt and James Reasoner: Unbuckle your swashes and lay in extra ammunition.  Adventurer extraordinaire Gabriel Hunt is off on a swash buckling mission with plenty of fireworks. It starts with gunfire and the kidnapping of an Hispanic woman at a museum fund raiser. She leaves behind a bloodstained Confederate flag and a whiskey bottle full of water.  From Manhattan, Hunt heads to St. Augustine, FL, dodging another attempted assassination enroute to the airport. The shooting resumes in Florida and follows Hunt to Mexico where he hooks up with the beautiful, gun-toting museum director Dr. Cierra Almanzar. Together they follow a path marked by fist fights, bullwhips and more gunfire.  Often outnumbered but never outwitted, pulp adventure fans will be thrilled to see the genre revived in this series from Hard Case Crime. 07/10 Jack Quick

The Hunt Ball by Rita Mae Brown: Once again, Brown brings back the fascinating world of foxhunting in a mystery featuring Jane Arnold, master of foxhounds for the Jefferson Hunt Club in Virginia. Jane, known as Sister, is the shrewd character that holds the Hunt Club, and the story together. The Hunt Club has long been involved with Custis Hall, the local girls’ prep school. They hold balls there, and the students and faculty often ride with the club. When a faculty member is murdered following the school’s Halloween dance, Sister suspects the killer is very close to the Jefferson Hunt Club. Since she sits on the board at Custis Hall, Sister straddles both worlds involved in the murder, making her an ideal observer to work with the sheriff and the school’s headmistress. Brown creates an intriguing world of foxhunting and prep schools, unfamiliar to most readers. However, the vivid characters and setting draw readers back to these books. The reader is very reluctant to close the book on Sister’s world. 09/05  ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette by R.T. Raichev: The premise is there for a typical British country house crime – a house isolated by circumstances, a writer as witness to the crime, and a typical set of characters including a lord and lady, an ex-military man, Russian expatriates, a nanny and a little girl.  However, Raichev’s mystery featuring Antonia Darcy, librarian and mystery writer, is set in 2001. The story and atmosphere are a little darker than the Golden Age country house mysteries. Readers who like the old-fashioned mystery might want to take a chance on this updated version. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

THE HUNTED by Wayne Barcomb: Twenty-one years ago, a little girl witnessed her father killing her mother. She was told to lie when the police came, but she told the truth about what she saw instead. Now her father has served his time and is ready for his revenge. The girl herself, nicknamed Lucky, was not left without damage, and she’s begun her own murder spree, seeking out a certain types of men and killing them in order to quiet her demons. Detective Frank Russo is on the case, but with little evidence and no leads, he’s not even sure where to begin looking. Barcomb’s latest is a bit disappointing. According to his bio, this is his third mystery, but The Hunted reads a bit like a first effort. There are so many characters introduced in the beginning of the book, an attempt to keep the true killer’s identity a surprise until the very end, but it ends up muddling up the story itself. Overall, I thought the book needed more development to reach its true potential. 04/09 Becky Lejeune   

THE HUNTER by Asa Nonami: Officer Takako Otomichi is unfortunate in that she is one of few female officers in the Tachikawa Central Station Criminal Affairs Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.  As a member of the task force set to investigate a fire that erupted in an all-night family restaurant, she is paired up with fellow officer Tumotsu Takizawa, an older gentleman of the belief that women should not be police officers.  The investigation soon becomes one of homicide rather than arson when it is discovered that the one casualty in the fire was a targeted victim.  This victim is soon linked to two more murders, the victims of which appear to have been mauled by a large dog.  Although this mystery starts off quite promisingly, it soon degenerates into an unfortunately disappointing read.  The characters’ inner dialogues, which are nothing more than arguments with each other, are more distracting than informative and Otomichi’s “bonding” with the killer wolf-dog was more than a bit over the top for my taste. 04/07 Becky Lejeune

HUNTER KILLER by Patrick Robinson: Moderation is not an issue here as Robinson crafts a takeover in Saudi Arabia mounted by a Saudi Arabian prince with French backing. Since the collapse of the Saudi Arabian oil industry and indeed the world economy is highly likely, the United States must jump in to prevent the coup. The showdown pits US Admiral Arnold Morgan against his arch rival, Ravi Rashood. Its big time global action with the future of the free world hanging in the balance. Yes, it’s been done before, even by Robinson, but you have to give him credit – he does it so well. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

HUNTER’S MOON by Randy Wayne White: If the typical Randy Wayne White is a WOW, then this one is a WOW WOW. Kal Wilson, the Clinton-esque former President of the United States is dying from cancer. In his last month of life, he wants to avenge the death of his wife who was killed in a plane crash, while on a charitable mission in Central America. He enlist Doc Ford and Tomlinson as helpers promising them he can effect a full pardon for Tomlinson and make certain aspects of Ford’s previous government service “disappear.” It turns out Ford is actually battling his nemesis from 2004”s Tampa Burn (2004), the psychotic pyromaniac Lourdes, who had kidnapped Ford’s son. There is some philosophizing and appropriate concern for the environment, but mostly its kick-ass action as only White can write it. May be his best ever. 04/07 Jack Quick

THE HUNTERS by W.E.B. Griffin: Griffin has written the Brotherhood of War Series, The Corps Series, the Men At War Series, the Badge of Honor Series, the Honor Bound Series, and now the Presidential Agent Series. Together there are a total of thirty-five novels, with more than forty million copies in print in more than ten languages. Yet you can make the case that Griffin has written one very successful novel, which he keeps repeating. It’s true that the current series ranges more widely afield than the previous military thrillers, but its still the same basic plot. An independently wealthy individual surrounds himself with a band of co-conspirators who then use their skills and his wealth to further our country’s interests. Along the way, he risks his life, usually in exotic locales, meets and loves beautiful women, and somehow, ends up healthy, with the respect of his commanders and prepared to set forth on the next adventure. In this particular version, Presidential agent Charley Castillo continues his adventure previously begun in The Hostages following the malfeasance associated with the Iraq oil for food program. In Uruguay, a man is murdered before he can spill the secrets of an elaborate scam aimed at destroying the international reputation of the U.S. So it’s up to Castillo to follow up and solve the plot. Repeat or not, I enjoyed this Griffin just as I enjoyed the previous 34 and will probably enjoy the next one as well. He is just a darned good writer, even if you have the plot memorized, as I think I do. 03/07 Jack Quick

The Husband by Dean Koontz: “What would you do for love?” “Would you die for love?” “Would you kill?” Mitchell Rafferty is only a landscaper, so it’s a horrible shock to him when someone kidnaps his wife of three years and demands two million dollars in ransom. How does an ordinary man handle that problem? As Mitch maneuvers the twists and turns of this fast-paced thriller, he has to come to grips with his own capabilities, and what he’s willing to do for the love of his wife. This is a gripping story of one couple in an unthinkable situation. 06/06 Lesa Holstine

HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick:  Nora Grey is not happy when she’s teamed up with the new guy in her Bio class. Patch is creepy and mysterious, in spite of being good looking, and he pushes all of Nora’s buttons. Then when she begins running into him outside of school, she has to wonder if he might be following her. But why would he bother? When Nora’s best friend is attacked, she’s forced to admit that something strange is going on around her, but is Patch behind it all or is it just a coincidence? Unfortunately for Nora, it seems that someone may have it in for her and whether it’s Patch or not, it’s clear that he’s hiding something. Hush, Hush is the first in an upcoming string of fallen angel fiction. Fitzpatrick’s story is original and engaging; definitely one that’s going to appeal to the thirsty horde of teen readers looking for something new to sink their teeth into.  10/09 Becky Lejeune

THE HYPNOTIST by M. J. Rose:  "The Hypnotist" is a centuries old statue currently at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art which has just been re-discovered after languishing for almost a century in a mislabeled carton in the Museum’s vast underground storage area.  Iran has claimed the work was stolen from their country and wants it returned. Greece has filed a counter-claim that the work was created in Greece, but the Met is not going to give the piece away without a fight.  The Iranians are not content to allow the matter to slowly proceed through the layers of bureaucracy that comprise the legal process.  They think the statue is more than an art work, and indeed may hold the secrets of how man can tap the unused power of his imagination. Everything rests on the shoulders of Lucian Glass, special agent with the FBI's Art Crime Team, who himself is suffering from a brutal attack, impossible nightmares and his own crisis of faith. Can he sort out fact from fiction before the mystery takes him as well? 05/10 Jack Quick 

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