S is for Silence by Sue Grafton: Grafton’s latest Kinsey Millhone mystery is one of her best. In 1935, Violet Sullivan and her new car disappeared. Was she murdered by her abusive husband? Did she run off with one of the men she ran around with? Few people in town care about the town floozy, but Daisy Sullivan, Violet’s daughter, continues to wonder what happened to her mother. Thirty-four years later, she asks Kinsey to spend five days looking into her mother’s disappearance. As the story slowly unravels, with flashbacks to the week of July 4, 1935, Kinsey ties together the stories people have hidden. The intriguing story builds up speed, careening to a satisfying ending in Grafton’s latest mystery. It’s a cold case worth digging up. 12/05 Lesa Holstine

THE SABOTEURS by W.E.B. Griffin:  Griffin and his son reactivate a series first published in the 1980’s in paperback under the pseudonym Alex Baldwin featuring the Office of Strategic Services; its fabled chief, Col. William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan; and OSS agent Maj. Richard M. Canidy.  Two primary plot lines drive this new adventure: the U.S. preparation for the invasion of Sicily and mainland Italy in 1943, and the tale of four German saboteurs who have landed in America.  The German saboteurs are eventually dealt with, but the behind-the-lines Sicilian operation led by Canidy is only hastily outlined after a long buildup, which makes it likely that the Sicilian story will appear in a future installment.  If you know Griffin, you know this is “formula” writing, but he probably does it better than anyone else today. 06/06 Jack Quick

SACRED by Dennis Lehane:  It starts with a kidnapping.  Boston sleuths Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro are grabbed and brought to the side of dying billionaire Trevor Stone.  He wants them to find his missing daughter Desire who, grief-stricken over the death of her mother, has disappeared.  The first investigator Stone hired, Patrick’s mentor, Jay Becker, has also disappeared.  Its “through the looking glass” for Patrick and Angie as they follow the trail to Florida after a brief encounter with a group of religious swindlers who may be involved with the disappearances.  The problem isn’t a lack of clues, its clues too many as every person they meet adds more confusion and conflicting information to the puzzling case. Some humor, some violence, some excitement and a pinch of romance.  Bake until done. 02/07 Jack Quick

SACRED COWS by Karen E. Olson: Police reporter Annie Seymour finds herself way over her head in Olson’s debut mystery. A phone call from her editor gets her out of bed at the beginning of the story, and Annie never seems to catch up. First, she’s sent to the scene where a young woman has died from a fall from an apartment building. Then she’s told to tone down the story when it’s discovered the girl was a Yale student, and she was murdered. She’s given information leading to the girl’s work at an escort service, only to be told not to use it. A city employee is not only linked to the Yale student, but also to an investigation involving Annie’s mother, and some of the most influential people in New Haven, including her boss, who pulls her off the story. Annie finds the links between the three stories, but she’s frustrated by the powerful forces shutting down her investigation. This book has multiple plotlines and characters that disappear in and out of the story. At times it’s difficult to remember which plot or character you’re following. Annie herself can be a frustrating character to deal with, since she tries to avoid relationships with her mother, her co-workers, her neighbors, and even her boyfriend. Sacred Cows seems to have too many storylines, although it did win the first Sara Ann Freed Memorial Award. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

SACRIFICE by S.J. Bolton: The discovery of a body on the small island of Shetland sets off a chilling chain of events and uncovers a dark and ancient secret in Bolton’s page-turning debut. Tora Hamilton has only been on Shetland for a short time when she discovers a body buried within the boundaries of her new property. At first, officials believe that the remains may be one of the famous “bog bodies”—ancient remains preserved in peat—and therefore none of their concern. Evidence points to a ritualistic murder: the woman’s heart has been cut from her chest and runes carved into her flesh. Tora realizes, however, that the body cannot be as old as the police think, and her suspicions are confirmed; the body is that of a young woman killed just two years ago. Though she is warned off of the case, Tora can’t help but feel some responsibility toward the dead woman and begins to assist one of the investigators on the case. Tora’s discoveries lead her to one of the island’s oldest folk legends, and evidence that that the tale may be more fact than not. Bolton’s heroine is really put through the wringer in this one. I love the combination of folklore and mystery in this one, it makes for one of my favorite kinds of thrillers.  06/09 Becky Lejeune  

SACRIFICE by S.J. Bolton: Sacrifice is a dark, grim debut, set in the Shetland Islands. Tora Hamilton is a lonely woman, a consultant surgeon who moved to her husband’s home, but he’s always away on business. It doesn’t make her life any easier when she digs up the body of a murdered woman on her property. Despite opposition from her boss at the hospital, and even the police, Tora pushes into the case, searching for the woman’s identity. What she finds endangers her life and the life of the community. For Tora Hamilton uncovers horrors reminiscent of the superstitions and legends of the Shetland Islands. Between this book, and Ann Cleeves’ Raven Black, the Shetland Islands will have a reputation as a place to be avoided. 06/08 Lesa Holstine

The Sacrifice of Tamar by Naomi Ragen: Also Sotah and Jephte's Daughter, all books about Orthodox Jewish women that I've heard about for years but they are all out of print.  I tracked them down at the library and loved them all.  Her newest one and the only one still in print is the Ghost of Hannah Mendez.  

THE SAD TALE OF THE BROTHERS GROSSBART by Jesse Bullington: The brothers Grossbart are a nasty and nefarious pair. Ugly and violent grave robbers set on leaving their home for the Middle East, the brothers begin their journey by murdering their neighbor’s family and running. Throughout their adventures, as they travel from Germany and through Italy on their way to “Gyptland,” they encounter a slew of strange characters including beasts, bandits, and even witches, and leave a streak of dead bodies and ruined villages in their wake. A crazy sort-of adventure story, The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart is not for innocent readers. Bullington’s imaginative debut is a dark and twisted fairy tale for adults who don’t mind laughing at the dirty stuff. 11/09 Becky Lejeune  

The Saddlemaker’s Wife by Earlene Fowler: Readers of Fowler’s Benni Harper mysteries might be surprised at her mainstream novel, but the main character will make them feel at home. Ruby McGavin is also a sympathetic, likeable widow. Ruby only had six months with her husband when he died, and shocked her by leaving a will revealing he had lied to her. Ruby discovers she inherits a quarter of a ranch in California. He also had a family he had said had been killed. She intends to sell her share of the ranch, but she discovers her husband wasn’t the only one with secrets. His entire family has secrets that Ruby is desperate to uncover. If there’s a sequel to this book, readers will look forward to it. Fowler has written a satisfying book, in the tradition of Barbara Samuel. 05/06 Lesa Holstine

SAFE HOUSE by Christine Duncan: (e-book)  This title has been used for a number of mystery and thriller outings.  This time it’s about a 14 year old – Elissa Pappas, gone missing from her home in Arvada, an upscale suburb of Denver, Colorado.  Her mother knows she has been hanging out with older “goth” kids doing drugs and alcohol, but now she is missing.  Then they find her body.  The main character, Kaye, – the mother of Elissa’s former best friend - works as a counselor in an abused women’s shelter – a “safe house.”  When Kaye’s son RJ becomes a suspect in Elissa’s death, it’s all she can do to hold it together.  As someone who raised three teenagers, I have empathy for her, but the entire story came across more as “chic lit” than as a mystery, even of the cozy variety. 06/08 Jack Quick  

A SAFE PLACE FOR DYING by Jack Fredrickson: When Dek Elstrom saw a mansion in Crystal Waters blow up on television, he cheered. Following his divorce two years earlier, he had been politely escorted from the secure enclave. When representatives of the Chicago development show up with an extortion letter, he realizes his ex-wife and her house might be in danger. Despite the fact that he only runs an information service, he reluctantly agrees to investigate. Dek soon realizes the case is too big for him, and he begs the representatives to call in the feds. Dek is a reluctant, somewhat naïve, hero. He’s a rebellious character with quirky friends, and an understanding ex-wife. Fredrickson’s debut mystery is an engrossing story, with likeable characters. I’ll be watching for the return of Dek Elstrom. 01/07 Lesa Holstine

THE SAFETY OF SECRETS by DeLauné Michel:  Fiona and Patricia have been utterly inseparable since they first met in grade school. Today, they’re each navigating the treacherous world of Hollywood, but their careers have taken very different paths. Fiona has had minor success with small television roles, but is still waiting for her career to take off. She’s happily married and maybe, finally expecting her first child. Meanwhile, Patricia lives the life of Hollywood’s elite. Her career has been a major success ever since she was lucky enough to get a job hosting a popular reality show. She’s become flighty and somewhat wild compared to Fiona’s stable life, though, and Fiona no longer seems to be anywhere near the top of her priority list. The worst happens, though, when Patricia reveals a secret that the two have kept for over two decades. Fiona is forced to reevaluate their friendship and decide whether it is worth having Patricia in her life. Safety of Secrets is a moving story that any woman can relate to. Michel manages to keep a refreshingly light tone throughout in spite of the somewhat serious subject matter. It seems genetics may be partially responsible for literary talent considering Michel’s who’s who of literary family members! She’s a wonderful author whose talent really shows in her writing.  07/08 Becky Lejeune  

SAIL by James Patterson & Howard Roughan: Dr. Katherine Dunne plans a sailing vacation for her and her three children in hopes that it will bring them back together. Since her husband died four years ago, her family has been in a quick downward spiral. Carrie, her teen daughter, has an eating disorder and is suicidal. Mark, her teenage son, is an irresponsible pot-smoker. And poor Ernie, just ten years old, is too wise and mature for such a young age. Katherine’s mandatory vacation seems to be the perfect bonding experience, until things start to go very wrong. Carrie attempts to drown herself, the boat begins to malfunction, and just when the Dunne’s think the issues have been resolved, disaster strikes and this time the damage irreparable. The Dunne’s are instantly forced to work together; their survival is at stake. This book lives up to the Patterson name. It has all the suspenseful twists and turns that Patterson is famous for. 07/08 Jennifer Lawrence

SAIL by James Patterson & Howard Roughan:  Purely by happenstance I have been reading books this month alphabetically, starting with At The City’s Edge through The Spies of Warsaw.  Sail breaks the pattern and not for the best.  Anne Dunne is a widow with three children and mega-problems that, of course, can all be solved by an elaborate sailing vacation.  Less than an hour into this great adventure, teenage daughter Carrie is planning her own drowning, teenage son Mark is higher than the masthead on dope, and ten year old Ernie is nearly catatonic (Apparently he read this book in pre-publication ARC form).  I have long given up on buying James Patterson books, and alas, I think I will now forego getting them from the library. Per the blurb, Written with the blistering pace and shocking twists that only James Patterson can master, SAIL takes "Lost" and "Survivor" to a new level of terror.  My fear is that this will become a television series and/or Patterson will release a sequel. 08/08 Jack Quick 

SAINT CITY SINNERS by Lilith Saintcrow:  Dante Valentine is finally coming home to Saint City and you’d better watch out. Danny has just learned that one of the four demons Lucifer has hired her to track down is none other than Eve, the end result of Santino’s evil scheme in Working for the Devil. The revelation has caused serious trust issues in her relationship with Japhrimel and has set the devil on her trail. Too late to back out of her deal with Lucifer, her only choice is to stall long enough for the contract to finally run out. Japh has been keeping secrets though and Danny has no idea what she is in for. Then she receives a message from a friend in Saint City. Gabe and her husband Eddie have both been murdered and Danny is pissed. She promises to avenge their deaths and not even Japh or the devil himself can stop her. Unfortunately, her return has not gone unnoticed and Danny becomes the prime suspect in the case. Things have changed in Saint City but Danny still has plenty of allies on her side. She’s going to need them with the number of enemies she has against her. With only one book left in the series, readers can only guess what will happen next.  01/08 Becky Lejeune

THE SALARYMAN’S WIFE by Sujata Massey:  Rei Shimura is a 27-year-old Japanese American English teacher.  Her tiny paycheck barely allows her to exist in Tokyo, the world’s most expensive city, but she is determined to not use the plane ticket home to California that her parents have offered.  She discovers the body of the wife of a wealthy businessman when she visits the ancient castle town of Shiroyama.  Her subsequent involvement (crashing a funeral and posing as a bargirl among other things) angers the conservative police and the local citizenry but she presses on.  Interesting character in a very different environment.  Although the plot sounds like an Evanovich caper, this is totally different. 07/06 Jack Quick 

THE SALON by Nick Bertozzi: I am not a graphic novel aficionado, and in fact I've only read half a dozen in the past several years.  The books I've been drawn to (no pun intended) are of a more serious nature; books like Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi or In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman. Without the political punch of a memoir of growing up during the Islamic revolution, or the introspection of 9/11, there is an immediate disadvantage to a lightweight pseudo-mystery like The Salon.  The Salon refers to a group of Modernist writers and artists, notably Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Alice B. Toklas, among others, and a murderer who has ripped the head off his victim.  There are some interesting references to the emergence of Cubism and Modernism, which I enjoyed, but I mostly found the storyline confusing. There is also drug use, in the form of a hallucinogenic "blue absinthe" that allows the artists to travel into their paintings, thus seeing them from an entirely different angle.  But it was the full frontal nudity and sex which has generated the most publicity for this book, although I didn't find it the least bit offensive or really even all that interesting. So the bottom line: is it worth the $20?  I don't think so.   05/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE SALT MAIDEN by Colleen Thompson:  Heiress Dana Vanover has recently suffered some great disappointments in life. After a hysterectomy to remove what was a benign tumor, her fiancé left her saying he had always wanted a family. Then, Dana’s mother pleads with her to find her sister. Angela Vanover is a wanderer addicted to many things. She doesn’t stay in touch with her family, and her monthly stipend from her inheritance is more than enough to support her habit. Angie had a daughter who was given up for adoption. That daughter is in desperate need of a bone-marrow transplant and Angie’s mother is determined to save her. Unfortunately, Angie appears to have gone missing, her last two checks uncashed. Dana drives out to the remote town of Devil’s Claw to discover that her sister had made many enemies. She was obsessed with a legend of someone called the Salt Woman and with saving the desert from a proposed waste-management contract – a contract that would have brought much needed funding to this dying town. Then, a body is discovered in the heart of the desert. Could it be Angie? Was someone angry enough to kill her? Dana is determined to find out what happened to her wayward sister and nothing, not even her burgeoning romance with newly elected chief of police, Jay Eversol, will stop her. A romantic suspense that is sure to please fans of authors such as Heather Graham and Iris Johansen. 11/07 Becky Lejeune

Sammy's Hill by Kristin Gore:  It should come as no surprise that Al and Tipper Gore's daughter has written a first novel with a political bent. Samantha Joyce is 26, single, and the most neurotic yet endearing character to come along since Bridget Jones. Her foibles include befriending telemarketers, unwittingly killing a steady stream of Japanese fighting fish, and having a penchant for pratfalls. But she's also unfailingly honest, principled, and passionate about her work in public service. Sammy is an assistant to the junior senator from Ohio, giving Gore plenty of opportunity to share her insider knowledge of how things really work in Washington and on the campaign trail (hint: don't leave home without your Blackberry). Smart writing, lots of laughs, and a captivating story line move what could have been a rather ordinary boy-meets-girl story well ahead of the pack. In addition, Gore tackles national healthcare, making this a timely debut. Expect lots of buzz. Strongly recommended for all public libraries. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SAMMY'S HOUSE by Kristin Gore:  In this sequel to Sammy's Hill by former Vice President Al Gore'd middle daughter, Samantha Joyce is back, only this time she’s in the White House.  The senator she works for has been promoted to Vice President, and while she’s only the assistant to an assistant of the VP, she still gets to bend some pretty important ears with her vast knowledge of the health care industry.  Gore has some fun with her fictional President, a former alcoholic who’s been sober for twenty years; that is if you don’t count whiskey mixed with Diet Dr. Pepper at ten in the morning as drinking.  This time Sammy takes on the pharmaceutical industry, blogging, reality TV, Canada and India, pointing out some very sobering realities. Gore brings back a great character and creates an interesting storyline; the writing is crisp and funny, and although it does get a bit repetitive at times, it moves along briskly.  Anyone who delights in knowing what really goes on behind White House doors, even fictional doors, will recognize enough truth here to really enjoy this romp through D.C. 07/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch Copyright © 2007 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission. 

SAN FRANCISCO THRILLERS edited by John Miller:  If you love Herb Caen’s Baghdad by the Bay as I do, then you will love this eclectic collection of fact, fiction, and drama.  With writers like Bill Pronzini, Dashiell Hammett, Jim Thompson, Martin Cruz Smith, Joe Gores, and Marcia Muller, among others, how can you go wrong.  From the early days of the city to the 1995 print date of this volume, its one portrait after another of what Smith calls “that most elusive and feminine of American cities.  And to add to your enjoyment, there are stunning surrealist photographs from Francis Bruguiere to help place you into each setting.  So, sit down with an Irish coffee (first served in the US at the Buena Vista in San Francisco on November 10, 1952), a few fortune cookies (invented in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Japanese Tea Garden in 1909) and enjoy.  09/07 Jack Quick  

SANCTUARY by Ken Bruen:  Reading a Bruen book is not unlike seeing a bad automobile accident – you know you shouldn’t gawk, but you just can’t help yourself.  Jack Taylor’s plans to go to America have been postponed because Ridge, his former partner, is diagnosed with cancer, so he stays to support her: “It’s God’s own vicious joke, the only woman I managed to keep in my life was gay.”  He gets involved in the hunt for a killer, falls off the wagon, climbs back on, and somehow or other, manages to keep it loosely together.  Let’s hope there are at least one more pint and a fag in his Xanax and whisky driven future. 06/09 Jack Quick 

SANTA FE DEAD by Stuart Woods:  Santa Fe lawyer Ed Eagle, who escaped a murder-for-hire plot in Woods’ previous Santa Fe Rules is endangered again.  Wife Barbara has escaped from police custody, so Ed knows neither he, his new girlfriend, nor any unlucky rich man who might cross her path, will be safe until she is re-captured.  At the same time, Ed’s new client, Doc Wells, may or may not have murdered his own wife and son.  From Southern California to the New Mexico desert to Tijuana, Mexico, there is little in the way of domestic bliss, but even that little bit is better than being Santa Fe Dead.  Another good one if you are a Woods fan like me. 05/08 Jack Quick  

SATURDAY by Ian McEwan:  McEwan deals with the aftermath of 9/11 with an interesting premise - a day in the life of a British neurosurgeon.  However, this Saturday is not just any Saturday; it's set on February 15, 2003, the day of the great London anti-war march and indeed, a historic date that saw millions worldwide protest the imminent invasion of Iraq.  Brought down to a smaller, personal scale makes the impact that much more memorable. 

    Dr. Henry Perowne wakes early that morning to see what appears to be a plane crash.  He immediately wonders if it's terrorists, because that's what we do in this day and age.  His day off from brain surgery continues with a trip to the gym to meet a friend for their weekly squash game, but he is delayed by a detour because of the protest march.  That detour triggers a minor fender-bender which turns into something with much more sinister repercussions.  The other driver, Baxter, is of criminal ilk and attacks Henry, who manages to save himself by pointing out a health issue that Baxter is suffering.

    Henry had been looking forward to this day because he is hosting a small family reunion; his daughter, a newly published poet living in Paris, and his father-in-law, a famed eccentric poet, will be there in time for dinner.  But the day doesn't turn out as planned; he argues with his daughter about the war, Baxter shows up at Henry's home with calamitous results, and he eventually finishes his day off by returning to the hospital to work.

    McEwan was interviewed on PBS and he spoke about how he couldn't write fiction for a couple of years after 9/11.  He felt people needed to be informed, and in fact, he himself was hungry for information to help make sense of what happened.  His only published writings during that time were essays and letters to the newspaper.  But his métier has always been fiction.  McEwan obviously had something to say about the war in Iraq and chose this fine novel as his medium.  While I don't think he achieves the brilliance he reached with Atonement, my favorite of all the McEwan novels, perhaps it is his most personal and cathartic book, and certainly a very worthwhile read. 03/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SATURDAY WIFE by Naomi Ragen: If you can imagine Emma Bovary as a contemporary, Orthodox Jew, you have the gist of this latest Jewish family saga from Ragen.  Delilah Goldgrab, whose name is completely symbolic of her personality: Delilah is a "bad girl," an Orthodox Yeshiva student who falls for & has sex with the son of a famous rabbi, who promptly dumps her.  Goldgrab is interested in only one thing: grabbing the gold, as in making a successful marriage to a man who can keep her in the style to which she would like to become accustomed.  Delilah is a beauty, which definitely helps ensnare rabbinical student Chaim Levi.  But no matter what he does for her, no matter what she has, it's never enough and never what she feels she deserves. It's a fascinating story and a mesmerizing one, rather like watching a train wreck; you know it can't possibly end well, but you can't stop reading.  08/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE SAUDI CONNECTION by Jack Anderson and Robert Westbrook: Well written but predictable thriller from the Pulitzer Prize winning and former syndicated muckraking journalist Jack Anderson about Pulitzer Prize winning and former syndicated muckraking journalist Ron Wright. The essence of the story is that the wife of the Saudi ambassador to the United States may have secretly given $20 million to an American white supremacist group, the White Brotherhood of Christian Patriots. When Anderson/Wright seeks to confirm the story to reclaim his professional status, people start dying. Not a bad read, but the U.S. supporting Saudi Arabia supporting Al Qaeda fighting the U.S. has been done so many times, it has almost become a cliché. 09/07 Jack Quick 

SAVAGE GARDEN by Denise Hamilton:  L.A. Times reporter Eve Diamond continues to be involved in more murders than most LAPD members.  This time the victim is diva and erratic actress Catarina Velosi, coincidentally a former lover of Eve’s boyfriend Silvio Aguilar.  Eve has an unwelcome sidekick, slick fast track African-American intern Felice Morgan.  Together they pursue the case, conducting interviews and unearthing side stories, which may or may not lead to further adventures.  An underlying theme throughout is the impact of Jason Blair, the New York Times African-American reporter who was found to be fabricating stories, on the entire journalism profession.  I don’t know if Ms. Hamilton is getting tired or if it’s my own burnout, but this one just didn’t have the sparkle of her previous efforts. 01/08 Jack Quick

Savage Run by C. J. Box: This is the sequel to Open Season, featuring Wyoming game warden and all around likeable guy, Joe Pickett.  An exploding cow, ecoterrorists and beautiful scenery just keep those pages turning.  Ignore the cover; it has little to do with the story.

SAVAGES by Bill Pronzini: Can you believe 32 episodes in the Nameless Detective series?  In this outing Nameless is working for a former client, Celeste Ogden.  Several years ago he had done a background check on her sister’s fiancée.  Now the sister is dead and Ogden is convinced her brother-in-law was responsible.  Meanwhile a routine subpoena service by Jake Runyan turns into an entirely different adventure when Runyan discovers a body, is himself knocked unconscious and pulled into the conflicts of a small California town. Tightly written and well crafted as always.  Let’s just hope that these keep on coming. 07/07 Jack Quick 

SAVANNAH BREEZE by Mary Kay Andrews:  This is a quasi-sequel to the very popular Savannah Blues; quasi because Andrews uses a device common to romance writers.  She takes a secondary character and puts them front and center in the next book.  The heroine of the first book, Weezie, has a much smaller, secondary role here to her best friend BeBe Loudermilk.  Bebe's been married & divorced three times and her taste in men doesn't seem to be improving when she hooks up with con man Ryan Edward "Reddy" Millbanks.  She falls fast and hard for him and he skips town even faster with almost everything she owns.  He leaves her with a ramshackle old motel and out of desperation she moves in and renovates, along with handyman/fisherman Harry, who was already ensconced and working on the motel.  Determined to get her money and pride back, Bebe does some private detecting to try and track Reddy down, learning she wasn't the first woman he'd scammed.  Count on a little mystery, a little romance, and some laughs from this author because she always delivers.  I zipped through this lovely bit of fluff in a few hours and enjoyed every minute.  04/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT by Beth Hoffman: The trend of writing adult books with a child as main protagonist continues with this sweet and funny Southern debut novel. This book strongly reminded me of Montgomery's Ann of Green Gables, a book I love to be sure, but would recommend to teens and tweens and then only to adults looking for something light and entertaining.

We meet CeeCee Honeycutt when she is about 7 years old or so. Her father is a traveling salesman and is rarely home, which is probably a good thing because when he is home, he's usually drunk and somewhat abusive to his wife.  CeeCee's mother is a southern belle who's been transplanted to her husband's home in Ohio, and can't seem to make the adjustment. The reader may start out thinking the mom has some humorous personality quirks, but quickly we learn that there is something much darker and scarier going on. CeeCee loses her childhood pretty fast, and by the time she's twelve years old she goes to live with her great aunt in Savannah, where she learns what being a southern belle is all about, but more importantly, what being loved is all about. Pure escapist fiction, and a lovely way to spend a few hours. 03/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SAVING PAULO by David J. Walker: Pretty decent thriller from the author of two different mystery series. Like his series, this one is set primarily in Chicago where Charlie Long, formerly employed by the city of Chicago, gets involved with a Brazilian boy (“Paulo”) who has been abducted and brought to Chicago. Professional Russian hitmen are after the boy as well as Maria “Mary” McGrady, an heiress who has come home from Brazil where she had been working at the Porto de Dues Orphanage when Paulo was abducted while under her care. Also involved is an elderly fortune-teller Zorina who has a certain amount of ESP. As with most thrillers you have to suspend belief at some of the coincidences, i.e. Maria finding her way to Charlie in Chicago in one outing, but all in all it’s a good read. A caution, Paulo has been abused but the book doesn’t focus on the actual abuse so much as it effect on the boy. 09/08 Jack Quick 

SCANDAL SHEET by Gemma Halliday:  Tina Bender, gossip columnist for the L.A. Informer, makes a living digging up other people’s dirt and turning it into witty headlines. Lately, though, someone has been less than pleased about making it into the papers. All it takes is one threatening phone call and Tina’s boss calls in a private bodyguard. Tina’s not one to sit back and wait for things to blow over, though, and she plans on using all of the resources at her disposal to unmask her celebrity stalker. But when the calls escalate to physical threats, and even murder, Tina has to admit that she could use some help on this one. This first in the new Hollywood Headlines series is a fun and sexy mystery. Scandal Sheet is sure to satisfy longtime Halliday fans and hook new readers as well. Hilarious and highly recommended. 10/09 Becky Lejeune

THE SCARECROW by Michael Connelly: Former journalist Connelly pays tribute to the troubled newspaper business with the return of Jack McEvoy (The Poet.) The L.A. Times is downsizing, and Jack is next on their hit list.  Determined to go out with a bang, he goes after a story about how an African American teenager turns murderer.  Except the boy's family blames McEvoy for their troubles, insinuating that it is his story that will ultimately put their "innocent" child in jail. McEvoy digs and soon finds that the boy's confession is tainted, to say the least, and realizes that there is a serial killer on the loose. He hooks up with FBI agent Rachel Walling, and together they go after the Scarecrow. a brilliant, high tech, very scary whacko. If you like multiple plot twists, terrific suspense, engaging characters and a completely gripping story, then you won't want to miss this.  Connelly is the master - run to your nearest bookseller/library and settle in for a hell of a ride.  (And check out all the websites that are mentioned throughout the book, they exist...) 06/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch.

THE SCARECROW by Michael Connelly:  This is one is painfully realistic to those of us in the newspaper industry.  Jack McEvoy is number ninety-nine of the last hundred layoffs at the Los Angeles Times.  Before he begins his long waited second career as a novelist, (isn’t that the dream of all journalists?), he has one more story to write.  It turns out to be the biggest of his career, as he focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder.  But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus.  The kid might actually be innocent.  Soon, Jack is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar--and with perfect knowledge of any move against him, including Jack's.  Bosch, Mickey Haller, and now Jack McEvoy – unforgettable Connelly creations. 08/09 Jack Quick 

SCAREDY CAT by Mark Billingham: Billingham's second thriller (after Sleepyhead) featuring London Detective Inspector Tom Thorne offers double the challenge as Thorne and his colleagues track a serial killer after two women are strangled on the same day. Slowly, as the evidence mounts, the team becomes convinced they have not one, but two serial killers, acting in concert. The pace picks up as the hunt intensifies. Thorne remains a morose and intense character, who thinks deeply about death and guilt. Another reviewer said this one has more red herrings than a fish and chips shop. While I didn’t find it quite that twisty, it did make me want to continue to read subsequent Thorne adventures.  10/06 Jack Quick

SCENARIOS: A “NAMELESS DETECTIVE” CASEBOOK: by Bill Pronzini – a 2003 collection of fourteen short stories tracking the evolution of the “Nameless Detective” from his first case in 1968 to the time of the writing of this book. Only a master could evolve a character over a thirty-five year period, without even giving him a name. A real treat for existing and going to be Nameless fans. These stories fill in some of the gaps between the twenty eight novels and include one adventure never before published in English, only Japanese.  Recommended. 05/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING by Nancy Pickard: Jody Linder was just three when her life changed forever: Her father was brutally murdered and her mother disappeared, never to be heard from again. Now, twenty-three years later, her father’s accused killer is being set free. The Linders have always been known for their generosity and charity towards folks who need a second chance. It was this that left them vulnerable to Billy Crosby in the first place. When his son, Collin, fresh out of law school, uncovers gaping holes in the evidence, though, even Jody has to wonder if the man is truly guilty of murder. Though some of the Linders’ neighbors believe Billy Crosby to be innocent, everyone agrees that he belongs in prison, if only for the safety of those around him. As the truth about the night in question is finally revealed, Jody will have to face the realities that have long been hidden from her. Nancy Pickard’s work is so amazingly visual. In reading her fiction, you can imagine that you are there with the characters as the story unfolds. I also love her manipulation of the facts. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, it turns out you’re wrong. 05/10 Becky Lejeune  

THE SCENT OF SHADOWS by Vicki Pettersson: In all honesty, trying to describe this book and do it justice is extremely difficult. Vicki Pettersson’s supernatural fantasy debut is fresh and exciting. In a genre that is full of vampire hunters and witches, she has given us superheroes: Joanna Archer, the central character in this tale, is the daughter of an agent of the light – a member of Zodiac troop 175, paranormal division, Las Vegas. Joanna knows nothing of this thanks to the fact that her mother disappeared shortly after her sixteenth birthday. New initiates of the Zodiac are typically trained as children. Joanna’s own violent initiation as a member occurs on her twenty-fifth birthday. She soon discovers that she is also a descendant of the Shadows, the enemy of the Zodiac. She alone is said to be the one who can rebuild the Zodiac and bring balance to the war between good and evil. Fans of the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison and Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series will absolutely love Vicki Pettersson’s Zodiac series. 02/07 Becky Lejeune

SCHEMERS by Bill Pronzini: Pronzini's 34th Nameless Detective novel connects pulp magazine collector “Bill” with a wealthy collector of first edition mysteries. Someone has stolen eight volumes from the locked room in which Gregory Pollexfen stores his treasures. Just as stealing pennies from the collection plate inevitably leads to serial killing, Nameless also has to contend with the subsequent shooting death of Pollexfan’s tramp brother-in-law in the same locked library. Meanwhile, Tamarah as her groove back and is anxious to tell all, and Jake Runyon, has finally begun to emerge from the emotional shell after the death of his wife. Runyon is trying to find the stalker who is after a Los Angeles couple. Another solid outing for the Grand Master. 04/09 Jack Quick

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd: Beautifully written story dealing with the meaning of family, set against a backdrop of racism, feminism and spirituality in small town South Carolina in the early 1960's.  Lily Owen lives on a peach farm with her abusive father, T. Ray, and her nanny Rosaleen.  She lost her mother in a tragic accident when she was four years old, and Rosaleen is as close to a mother, to a parent, that she knows.  When Rosaleen tries to register to vote, she ends up arrested, beaten and hospitalized,  fourteen-year-old Lily decides it's time to escape, and takes Rosaleen with her.  They end up at an apiary and the bees make a beautiful metaphor for this sweet, yet somehow not sticky, tale.

THE SECRET LIFE OF JOSEPHINE: NAPOLEAN’S BIRD OF PARADISE by Carolly Erickson: In 1763, Marie Josephe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie was born, the daughter of a plantation owner in Martinique. In 1779, she left the island for France where she married Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais. Following the French Revolution, both husband and wife were arrested and imprisoned. Alexandre was sentenced to death by guillotine. Rose was saved, however, and reentered society. In 1796, Rose managed to catch the attention of the already famous Napolean Bonaparte. The two were wed that same year. Eventually, Rose, now dubbed Josephine by her husband, would become Empress Josephine. Although Josephine already had two children from her previous marriage, she was unable to give Napolean an heir and eventually, the two divorced. It was said that Napolean’s final words were in regards to his Josephine. But what happened behind the scenes? What was Josephine really like? This fictional account of Josephine’s life provides readers with an interesting and highly imaginative version of history as seen through the Empress’s eyes. Carolly Erickson calls her novel “historical entertainment” and it is just that. Readers looking for an accurate account of the Empress’s life should refer to Erickson’s biography of Josephine. Readers looking for an absorbing read with a hint of historical truth will enjoy this tale. 09/07 Becky Lejeune

THE SECRET LIVES OF THE KUDZU DEBUTANTES by Cathy Holton: It’s been one year since Eadie, Nita, and Lavonne taught their cheating husbands a lesson they would never forget. Eadie and Trevor worked things out and have moved to New Orleans where Trevor has been working on his novels. Lavonne’s deli has become a burgeoning business and Nita is about to remarry. Unfortunately, the future is not so bright for these three ladies. Eadie has grown restless in the Crescent City and longs to return to Ithaca and Nita has doubts about her impending marriage. Meanwhile, Virginia Broadwell, Nita’s ex-mother-in-law is planning her own revenge and it involves making Nita’s life as miserable as possible. The ladies still have a few tricks up their sleeves though and their discoveries about Virginia’s well hidden past will prove to be the society maven’s downfall. The Kudzu Debutantes are a loveable trio and new readers need not have read the previous title to understand what’s going on, although I do highly recommend them both.  08/07 Becky Lejeune 

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL by James Herbert: It has been almost one year since young Cameron Caleigh went missing when his mother fell asleep in the park.  One year of hoping, beyond all hope, that he will be found alive.  Gabe Caliegh and his family have left their London home and taken up temporary residence in Crickley Hall, a home in the quiet village of Hollow Bay.  Here, they hope to recuperate and begin to recover from their loss.  Eve immediately dislikes the ugly and foreboding house and insists that they leave.  At the request of her husband though, the family decides to give the house a chance.  Strange noises from a hall closet and the sound of footsteps in the attic keep the family up all night and the family soon begins to suffer from violently real nightmares.  The Caleighs discover that the house has a terrible and tragic past.  In 1943, a great flood swept through the town of Hollow Bay killing sixty-three people.  Of these, eleven were orphans sent to Crickley Hall to be cared for during the war.  Their caretaker, Augustus Cribben, was a violent and demented man.  Now, heavy rains, similar to those that caused the flood of 1943 have started again and the spirits of Crickely Hall have awakened.  James Herbert is commonly known as the King of British horror.  The title is well deserved and although this particular book has yet to be officially released in the states, it is available in many specialty stores as well as online.  This is a great haunted house story that kept the cabin fever at bay during our most recent snowstorm.  01/07 Becky Lejeune

THE SECRET SPEECH by Tom Rob Smith: It's been four years since Leo hunted down the serial killer in Child 44, four years since he was allowed to start his own investigative office focusing strictly on homicide. In the course of an investigation involving the death of a local printer, Leo determines that the man is actually a suicide rather than a homicide. He does discover evidence that seems to point to blackmail as the factor that forced the man into his decision. Meanwhile, Leo’s old boss approaches him to discuss yet another case of blackmail. The man is drunk and Leo convinces him to put off the talk until they are both rested. That evening Leo’s boss kills his family before turning the gun on himself. These two men are just the beginning. Though Russia is in a state of change, someone is anxious to ensure that no one forgets the crimes of the past, and that includes the things Leo himself did as an officer of the state. Leo’s home situation complicates matters and leaves him distracted, which may be why his adopted daughter is so easily taken hostage, becoming a pawn in this game of politics and murder. Tom Rob Smith is off to a brilliant start and will not disappoint fans of his debut, Child 44. Both titles are an absolute must read for thriller fans. 05/09 Becky Lejeune 

Secret Sanction by Brian Haig:  A military thriller with a pedigree from a West Point graduate & first time novelist.  If the name sounds vaguely familiar that is because he is Alexander Haig's son ... personally, I'm not holding that against him (grin).  This book is good!  Our protagonist is a lawyer from the Judge Advocate General's Corp investigating a possible massacre by the U.S. Army in Kosovo.  Despite the morbidity of that premise, there is lots of humor and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. 

THE SECRET SERVANT by Daniel Silva:  Art restorer Gabriel Allon is the secret servant of Israeli intelligence in this seventh novel in the Allon series.  Amsterdam professor Solomon Rossner, also a secret Israeli agent, is assassinated and Allon is sent in to clean out the dead professor’s files.  While in Amsterdam, Allon and his former partner Eli Lavon come across a terrorist plot that centers around the kidnapping of the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador in London.  Its up to the two of them to sideline some of Israel’s and the world’s most violent enemies.  This series just keeps getting better and better. 12/07 Jack Quick 

SECRETS TO DIE FOR by L. J. Sellers:  Another top notch outing from the author of THE SEX CLUB.  Someone is raping lesbians in generally gay friendly Eugene Oregon. When the dead body of Raina Hughes, a 20-year-old social worker, is found, Detective Jackson gets the case.  Jackson, the father of a 14-year-old daughter and divorced from her substance-abusing mother, is particularly affected by the brutal attacks, all too easily envisioning his own daughter as a potential victim. At first he suspects the father of the eight year-old boy Raina is trying to help, until additional evidence points elsewhere.   A young woman journalist helps Jackson find the clues that give him the connection he seeks, and then it becomes a matter of time and the chase to see if he can find the answer in time to stop another brutal death. Sellers manages to maintain suspense as well as treating a potentially salacious subject with dignity Hopefully this series will continue.  There is ample material and Sellers’ writing style is superb.  01/10 Jack Quick  

THE SENTINELS: FORTUNES OF WAR by Gordon Zuckerman:  Zuckerman's debut, the first in a possible series of political thrillers, starts off with an intriguing premise. In 1938, the Sentinels, a group of six economics doctoral students at the University of California, Berkeley, all with family connections in international finance, claim to have discovered a pattern that explains and can even predict repeating cycles of the rise and fall of world powers. In particular, the Sentinels assert that German industrialists are pushing Europe into war. They propose a watchdog organization to eradicate these problems when lower-level means can still be used effectively. Of course, it's too late for anyone to stop WWII.   The story picks up mid-war when the same group decides to finance their proposed watchdog organization by stealing $100 million from the Nazis.  Their daring strategy of Robin Hood style thievery puts their lives on the line to serve justice as the battle a dangerous and violent international conspiracy. Think Christopher Reich financial thriller set during World War II. Recommended. 07/10 Jack Quick

SEQUENCE by Lori Andrews: Lawyer and scientific advisor Lori Andrews’ fiction debut is the first in a very promising series. Genetics expert Dr. Alex Blake has just begun a two-year stint with the Armed Forces Institutes of Pathology, or AFIP. Her goal is to use the AFIP resources and facilities to map the genes of the 1918 flu and use that information to create a super vaccine to protect against bioterrorism. AFIP’s new director, Colonel Jack Wiatt, has other plans. Angered that he has been passed over as head of the FBI, Wiatt discovers that AFIP has long been handing over responsibility for various investigations to the Bureau. As part of his own personal grudge against the Feds, he begins pulling cases back under AFIP’s jurisdiction. One of these cases is that of a serial killer who has been strangling women and tattooing their left breasts. Alex is temporarily ordered off her own project and onto what has been dubbed the Tattoo Killer Case. When a link is discovered between this case and the high profile murder of a technology company’s CEO, even the President himself steps in and applies pressure to the Institute. With Wiatt’s own career under scrutiny and increased pressure to AFIP to solve the case as quickly as possible, everyone is at risk of losing not only their jobs, but also their credibility. This intriguing first novel is packed with engaging characters and interesting facts. With an author who is able to draw from such a vast amount of experience, you can be sure that this series will never become boring. 04/07 Becky Lejeune

SERIAL by Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch:  “The hardest thing about killing a hitchhiker is finding one to pick up.”  That opening line ranks right up there with the tale of the sadist marrying the masochist - and no one being satisfied.  What if a crazy driver picked up a nutcase hitchhiker?  What if two great writers came up with an innovative experiment in collaboration?  Kilborn wrote the first part, Crouch wrote the second part.  Together they wrote the third part in a series of 100 word e-mails with neither having read the other’s opening section.  What will happen to you if you read this? That is the easiest question of all. You will be entertained. 06/09 Jack Quick 

SERPENT POOL by Martin Edwards:  English police procedural with classic puzzle elements.  The book starts with a book collector who is burned to death in his converted boathouse filled with priceless books.  He is one of the best customers of second hand bookseller Marc Amos.  Amos is the live in of DCI Hannah Scarlett who is determined to uncover the truth behind Emily Friend’s mysterious drowning in the Serpent Pool.  In the meantime she has to cope with a new sergeant with a troublesome reputation, a new house, and new cause to doubt the fidelity of Amos. Then she meets Louise Kind, sister of the historian Daniel Kind, who has just returned from America to work on a book about Thomas De Quincey and the history of murder. How are all of these elements related?   Edwards is experienced enough to pull all the threads together without going overboard. 02/10 Jack Quick

SERPENT’S KISS by Mark Terry:  Derek Stillwater, Department of Homeland Security bioterrorism expert has his bags packed and is four hours away from a flight to Mexico and some much needed vacation, when his boss calls.  Fifty-two people are dead in a Detroit restaurant from a sarin gas attack.  Special Agent Jill Church is assigned by her by-the-book boss to keep Stillwater out of the loop, but while the FBI brass are playing politics with the press, the killer ups the ante.  Calling himself the Serpent, he demands three millions dollars or more people will die.  You can almost hear the Mission Impossible theme song playing in the background as Stillwater and Church fight both the bureaucracy and the killer.  It becomes even more personal when the life of Church’s son is at stake, along with some 21,000 other young people.  Hopefully, slightly unbelievable but a great thriller read anyway. 07/07 Jack Quick 

THE SERPENT’S TALE by Ariana Franklin: In the time since solving the mystery in Cambridge (Mistress of the Art of Death), Adelia and her friends have been living quite happily in the countryside. Adelia has given birth to Allie, the result of her affair with Rowley (who is now a man of the cloth), and all is well, until Rowley summons. It seems that someone has poisoned Rosamund, the King’s favorite mistress, and Rowley fears that gossip will soon lead to the Queen as the most likely suspect. The whole team united, they pack up and head out to Godstow so that Adelia can examine the body. Her initial investigation is interrupted, however, when unexpected visitors arrive just as she is about to begin her examination of the corpse. Unfortunately Adelia and Rowley find themselves in the middle of an attempted coup, and being favored by King Henry puts them right in the middle of danger. I love that Franklin incorporates actual events into her tales. It is true that Rosamund Clifford retired to Godstow before her death. It is even true that popular legend says that Rosamund was poisoned even though actual history has shown that she was not; it certainly makes for a great murder mystery, though. Serpent’s Tale was published in the UK as Death Maze. 03/09 Becky Lejeune 

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich: Fabulous continuation of the wild, comic adventures of bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.  My only complaint was that it wasn't long enough.  I want more!  This is my favorite series by far.  If you haven't read them, do yourself a favor and start now.  One For the Money; Two For the Dough; Three to Get Deadly; Four to Score; High Five; Hot Six

THE SEVENTH SURVIVOR by Lori Lacefield:  Junior Leaguer socialite Palmer Reed is elected to the board of the prestigious Diamond Foundation in Knoxville, Tennessee, an organization which is dedicated to righting wrongs and providing relief for victims of various crimes. Palmer immediately enters the Foundation’s society of country clubs, fancy balls, and fundraisers. So far, sounds like your typical cozy, right? But what happens when Palmer is introduced to the Foundations secret method of fundraising and its complete agenda for obtaining justice? Is a charitable cause worth killing for? Well written with a twist. The Diamond Foundation honcho “the Vindicator” could have only been played by Mama Dearest, Joan Crawford. Recommended. 08/06 Jack Quick

SEVERANCE PACKAGE by Duane Swierczynski:  This fast-paced, action-packed thriller from the author of The Blonde really goes over the top.  David Murphy calls his staff in for a mysterious Saturday morning meeting, where he then informs them that the company is closing up shop, and they are all fired.  Well, not fired exactly - they are all to be killed.  He calmly informs them that all exits are sealed and if they do manage to open a door, they will be killed by deadly Sarin gas.  When mild mannered Molly Lewis quietly pulls a gun and shoots the boss, all hell breaks loose.  We eventually learn that Molly is, in fact, a Polish spy and trained killer and this is where I had trouble with suspending my disbelief.  Molly is a killing machine, extraordinarily strong and fast as a speeding bullet, but I just couldn't buy it.  The pages fly by, but I couldn't get past the ridiculousness of the situation and the people involved, and I couldn't get involved enough with these cartoonish characters to care. 8/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SEVERANCE PACKAGE by Duane Swierczynski:  Swierczynski does in book form what Dolly Parton did cinematically in “Nine To Five” and Johnny Paycheck did musically with “Take This Job And Shove It.”  Having a job doesn’t always mean you are on the pathway to success.  David Murphy is the CEO for a Philadelphia financial company.  He calls his staff in for a Saturday morning meeting with news that is bad and worse.  Bad is they are all about to become unemployed, worse is that they are all about to be killed.  Every escape route from the 36th-floor office has been sealed off or rigged with lethal sarin gas.  There is no hope – until mousy Molly Lewis pulls out a gun and eliminates Murphy.  In the ensuing panic, the reader learns there is much more to Murphy’s business than meets the eye; much, much more.  To say more would spoil some of the surprise.  As he did with “Blonde”, Swierczynski can surely make you wonder what is real – and what isn’t.  Excellent. 08/08 Jack Quick  

THE SEX CLUB by L. J. Sellers:  I grew up in and currently live in Birmingham, Alabama where Eric Rudolph killed officer Robert Sanderson and critically injured nurse Emily Lyons in the bombing of an abortion clinic January 29, 1998.  Consequently, I feel a special empathy with Kera Kollmorgan, a registered nurse at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Eugene, Oregon, which suffers a similar encounter.  A pipe bomb goes off, damaging the building and causing severe injuries to one patient.  Things only get worse the next day when the dead body of a young girl who has visited the clinic is fond in a nearby dumpster.  Detective Wade Jackson is initially assigned to the bombing case and later to the homicide.  He is a single father of a fourteen- year old girl who was friends with the victim.  In addition to the personal implications, there are also political implications complicating the case.  I understand this is the first of a series featuring Detective Jackson. I hope so, and think it will do well. 05/08 Jack Quick 

SEX IN A SIDE CAR by Phyllis Smallman:   Florida has two seasons – hurricane and tourist. Either can be dangerous, both together really nasty.  Sherri Travis is tending bar at the Bath and Tennis Club where two women have been murdered. There are more than enough suspects among the staff. At the head of the list is a charming chef who wants to cook up something hot with Sherri. There is also a gardener lurking in the bushes, and a pool boy who delivers more than fresh towels. With hurricane Myrna raging into the gulf, a murdered tourist at her feet, and a fallen palm tree blocking the only road off the island, Sherri battles to stay alive as the murderer closes in.  Second in the Sherri Travis series – too edgy to be a true “cozy” but light enough to make a quick enjoyable read. 02/10 Jack Quick 

SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE by Kyra Davis: Mystery author Sophie Katz never thought she would be living out her own stories, but that is exactly what seems to be happening in this entertaining and snappy debut. Sophie is the first, and only, to make a connection between two recent celebrity deaths: A famous rapper is gunned down in a scene reminiscent of one of his very own videos, and then a Hollywood producer commits suicide in a stage set remarkably close to one from a film he was involved with. Sophie is convinced that something strange is going on, especially when scenes from her own books begin to play out around her. It’s subtle at first, a broken glass in her apartment and a misplaced book, but then she begins receiving prank calls and her car is vandalized. Could Sophie be next in this bizarre string of murders? If so, it looks like she’s on her own to figure it out — everyone around her is a potential suspect, and the cops think she’s absolutely nuts! This first in the series is a great blend of humor and suspense; a perfect light mystery that will keep readers on their toes and dying for more. 04/09 Becky Lejeune  

THE SHADOW by Kristina Streetman-DiGiovanni: I picked up this book since it was the first effort of a local (to Birmingham, AL) author and it has a local setting. The Shadow is a stalker and the book does a credible job of portraying the escalating tension as incident after incident occurs without resolution. Although not written in the first person, it is obvious the author is the victim of the stalking which adds an interesting twist to the tale. 08/06 Jack Quick

SHADOW LAWS by Jim Michael Hansen: In this second of the “Laws” series, Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry, and beautiful young attorney Taylor Sutton, are separately hunting vicious killers but for very different reasons. A lawyer friend of Sutton’s has a mysterious client, with whom he has only talked by phone, that he thinks is trying to kill him. He has tapes of their conversations that are not conclusive and wants Sutton’s advice as to whether he can ethically turn them over to the police. In the meantime Coventry is looking for a missing woman that he fears is dead. Soon they are in pursuit of a sicko who likes to play games with his victims, the police and attorneys. Eventually the paths of Coventry and Sutton cross and they close in on the truth. Another excellent outing. 11/06 Jack Quick

SHADOW MAN by Cody McFadyen: The protagonist, FBI agent Smoky Barrett, lost her husband and daughter in an attack by a serial killer. Still on the job, she and her team are now tracking a madman who apparently believes he is a descendent of Jack the Ripper. He kills women, mostly prostitutes, and sends videotapes of the killings to Barrett and her team. Well written with a punch, it is hopefully the start of a series. Barrett, while strong, is a deeply troubled person and it will be interesting to see how she evolves from the tragedies that have befallen her. 08/06 Jack Quick

SHADOW MEN by Jonathon King: Moody ex-Philadelphia cop Max Freeman, now a fully licensed PI in Florida, agrees to look into the disappearance of a father and two sons who signed on for three weeks of work on the Tamiami Trail 80 years earlier and never made it home. The Tamiami Trail runs across the Everglades and like so much of the area’s development, has a checkered history. The mysterious Nate Brown, who helped Max in The Blue Edge of Midnight, is back, along with Max’s cast of friends. The government still wants to evict him, friend/attorney Billy Manchester has once again come up with a case that interests him, and his love life remains as fragile as before. All in all the 3rd outing is just as good as the previous two. You can smell the swamp and feel the humidity of south Florida with every page. 05/07 Jack Quick

SHADOW OF POWER by Steve Martini:  Terrance Scarborough has become an overnight celebrity with his controversial book, Perpetual Slaves. In it, he reveals to the world how the words that bound an entire race to slavery for generations have been repealed but not struck from the U.S. Constitution. His work riles up the public, unearthing deep-set emotions in opposing factions, and creating a hostile and violent reaction. His overnight success ends abruptly, however, when he is murdered in his hotel room. The case seems open and shut when the police arrest young Carl Arnsberg, an employee at the hotel who is said to have been a member of the local white supremacy group. Carl swears his innocence but with so much damning evidence, defense attorney Paul Madriani has his work cut out for him. In the course of his investigation, Madriani learns that Scarborough bragged openly about possessing a copy of a letter rumored to have been written by Jefferson, a letter of such an explosive nature that he removed all reference to it from the book for fear of the possible repercussions. Any fears must have been long gone by the time he was murdered, though, because he was threatening to go public with it in order to boost sales. Since the murder, no one has been able to locate the document in question. As Madriani investigates further, all signs seem to point back to a member of the US Supreme Court and he begins to wonder just what was in this letter and who is actually behind the murder. Martini’s latest legal thriller has a fascinating plot and some of the most realistic portrayals of courtroom events that I have come across. It’s an exciting and dramatic installment to his popular Madriani “series.”  05/08 Becky Lejeune 

SHADOW OF POWER by Steve Martini:  Legal scholar Terry Scarborough has stirred up a hornets nest with his book about the Constitution, particularly Article I, Section 2 which sets forth the way votes are apportioned. (Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons .(i.e. slaves))  Although this language was superseded by the 14^th amendment, section 2, the fact that the amending process for the Constitution requires the offending language to remain in place is offensive to many.  When Scarborough is brutally murdered, this becomes even more of an issue.  Scarborough has also hinted at a missing letter of Thomas Jefferson’s, which if real, could further divide the country.  It’s up to Defense Attorny Paul Madriani to untangle the mess as the only hope for his client, Scarborough’s accused slayer.  From California to Washington, D.C. and the nation’s highest court, Madriani and partner Harry Hinds chase the elusive truth while the politcial stakes become immense.  Nicely done. 06/08 Jack Quick

SHADOW OF THE RAVEN by David Sundstrand:  Add another name to the list of western mystery writers who do it right.  Francisco “Frank” Flynn is a half-Irish, half Native American Bureau of Land Management officer who finds the bloated corpse of a poacher, left to die without shoes or water.  Frank teams up with reporter Linda Reyes to investigate.  Their search for the murderer parallels that of the victim's brothers—Roy, Hickey and Jason Miller—a trio of unrepentant, unwashed misfits whose detecting methods leave a trail of death and destruction.  Inevitably they all come together in the canyon where Donnie Miller died and the good guys win, bad guys lose.  Nicely done and hopefully the first of a long running series. 01/09 Jack Quick

SHADOW TRADE by Alan Furst:  Furst uses a real live event as the basis for this, one of his first spy vs. spy thrillers, originally published in 1983.  In June, 1977, the CIA dismissed 820 Clandestine Service officers in a single day.  In this book, one of them, named Guyer, goes into business for himself, the only business he knows, clandestine operations.  As elsewhere in the business world, Guyer has to face competitive challenges and market his product successfully.  Unfortunately in this shadow world of espionage the rules are few, and hardly ever followed, and there are no government regulator agencies to keep the players in bounds.  Although now fifteen years old, this gives you a good inside look at the world of clandestine contemporary intelligence – mail drops, computers, honey traps, anonymous funds transfers and all the rest.  If you are even a slight bit paranoid, you may want to skip this one.  But if you have a strong heart, it’s a great read. 09/08 Jack Quick  

SHADOW WALTZ by Amy Patricia Meade:  Marjorie McClelland is a mystery writer with a penchant for getting in on the action.  Engaged to wealthy Englishman Creighton Ashcroft, everyone feels it is time for Marjorie to settle down and focus on her wedding plans and other more seemly topics.  After all there is a Great Depression and women should be seen and not heard.  Unfortunately when a young mother’s appeal for help in finding her missing husband leads Marjorie and her fiancé to the dismembered body of the husband’s mistress, the question of "Did he or didn’t he?" takes precedence over “Will you, Marjorie, take Creighton, etc. etc.  Even though the husband is convicted in the murder, Marjorie isn’t certain that justice has been served.  So who will win out – her fiance’ or a man who may be deserving of his fate?  Third in the series, and a fast read. 06/08 Jack Quick 

THE SHADOW YEAR by Jeffrey Ford:  Edgar winner Jeffrey Ford’s latest is the story of one strange year through a 12 year-old boy’s eyes. The story begins in the days leading up to the end of summer vacation, sometime in the 1960s. A boy from the narrator’s class has gone missing and there are reports of a peeping tom in the neighborhood. The boy and his older brother take it upon themselves to catch the perpetrator themselves and begin to collect evidence in the case. Then another classmate goes missing and the boys begin to notice a strange white car lurking on their street. Our narrator begins to write brief descriptions of all his neighbors in a notebook and relays these entries to his younger sister, Mary. At the same time, the boy’s older brother, Jim, keeps a model of the neighborhood in the basement complete with clay figures to represent each of the neighbors. They begin to notice something strange about Mary – she seems to be somehow moving the clay figures around the model in a way that suggests that she can “see” what any one person is doing at any given time. The brothers enlist her help in identifying the trespasser, believing that he must also be responsible for the missing children. Unfortunately their snooping has caught the wrong person’s attention and even the adults may not be able to protect them any longer. Although the children are dealing with some quite frightening events throughout the course of the story, Ford’s unique style and his use of a young narrator lends a playful innocence to the tale that makes the reading quite enjoyable. It was, for me, reminiscent of King’s story The Body.   03/08 Becky Lejeune

SHADOWS by Edna Buchanan: in the second outing for Buchanan’s Miami Cold Case Squad, a woman seeking to save Shadows, an historic area mansion, pleads with the police to stop the bulldozing of the house which was the scene of the 1961 murder of a former Miami mayor.  A search of the property unearths a cache of mummified human infants, which takes the case from cold to fiery hot.  Even the best don’t hit homeruns every time, but still an imminently readable effort from a pretty good writer.  In her own words, “Life would be simple if people told the truth.”  They don’t and that makes mysteries. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

SHADOWS IN THE WHITE CITY by Robert W. Walker: "The Phantom of the Fair" is slaughtering innocents and taking away from the splendor of Chicago's magnificent "White City" in this summer of 1893.  It’s up to Inspector Alastair Ransom to solve the problem before it completely besmirches the reputation of the great Exposition.  To do so, Ransom must ignore the rules established by the police hierarchy and the ruling politicians.  He must become judge, jury and …executioner.  But will the price be too great.  An extremely well written historical mystery that captures the flavor and spirit of the times.  The dialogue in particular draws you into the story, and to quote the song you “end up in another place and time.”  First rate. 05/07 Jack Quick 

SHADOWS STILL REMAIN by Peter deJonge:  deJonge is a much better author on his own than with James Patterson (Beach Road).  NYPD Detective Darlene O'Hara, is looking for missing NYU student Francesca Pena, a very pretty teenage girl with long jet-black hair and bottomless brown eyes whose body is eventually found in East River Park. She has been tortured and assaulted to the point that the ME thinks she probably died of heart failure.  The focus of the investigation is David McLain, Pena’s ex-boyfriend, who first reported her missing. McLain had been in town visiting and staying with Pena and his story doesn’t seem to completely add up. McLain remains O'Hara of her own son and this causes her to continue the investigation with extreme consequences.  In many respects this is a predictable police procedural with many of the usual characters, but deJonge keeps the pace going nicely and has set up the situation nicely for follow on outings. 05/09 Jack Quick 

Shanghai Baby by Wei Hui:  Called the "Chinese Tropic of Cancer", this book was banned in China and many other countries.  Translated into sex, drugs & rock 'n roll in stilted English.  Interesting.

THE SHANGHAI MOON by S. J. Rozan:  Rosalie Gilder was 18 years old when she escaped the Nazis in Austria by emigrating to Shanghai, along with 20,000 other Jews.  Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, Rozan's PI team, are hired to help find Rosalie's jewelry.   It was recently unearthed in Shanghai, a government official there stole it and it was believed he was trying to sell it in New York's Chinatown.  Lydia's Chinese-American heritage comes in handy, which is why Joel Pilarsky, another PI, recommended her for the job.  But Joel is killed, the police don't think there's any connection to the case and as she scours Chinatown looking for the jewels, Lydia and Bill are also in danger.  Lydia is also becoming a bit obsessed with Rosalie's life, reading the letters she left behind that are archived at the Holocaust Museum and meeting some of her descendents.  This is a fascinating story that moves seamlessly between Shanghai during the Japanese occupation in WWII, and present day New York.  04/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

THE SHANGHAI MOON by S. J. Rozan:  Lydia Chin and Bill Smith are welcome back after a long hiatus (after 2002's Winter and Night).  They are trying to find a legendary brooch created in the late 1930’s Japanese-occupied Shanghai, combining diamonds smuggled out from Austria by Rosalie Gilder and jade supplied by her aristocratic husband Chen Kai-Rong. The brooch disappeared during World War II and may have now re-surfaced. A Swiss asset-recovery specialist hires Lydia’s pal Joel Pilarsky, to look for jewelry alleged stolen by Wong Pan, a corrupt Chinese official who is possibly in New York. When Pilarsky is murdered Lydia and Bill follow a trail to Manhattan's Chinatown, where they encounter Rosalie's son and other relatives eager to recover the brooch.  Lydia’s friend Mary gets involved by way of the murder of a Chinese policeman also involved. Nicely complicated with twists and turns enough to delight anyone.  It’s good to have this duo back.  10/09 Jack Quick

A SHARE IN DEATH by Deborah Crombie: The first in Crombie’s series of twelve mysteries introduces Scotland Yard Detectie Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James in an enjoyable British “country house” mystery. It’s hard to believe the author is from Texas because she captures the atmosphere of this type of mystery perfectly. Kincaid takes a vacation, using his cousin’s timeshare, only to find that the employees and guests at Followdale House are becoming murder victims. While James does research on his fellow guests, Kincaid tries to keep them alive, and find a killer. Anyone looking for enjoyable British mysteries will want to try Crombie’s series. 06/08 Lesa Holstine

SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn: This Edgar-nominated debut has an unusual protagonist, Camille Preaker, a reporter with a history of mental instability and cutting who works for a kindly-but-gruff editor at a smallish Chicago newspaper.  When two little girls are murdered in her hometown an hour and a world away from Chicago, her editor sends her home to check it out.  There are a lot of clichés in this creepy, dysfunctional family saga, but some real surprises too.  The leisurely pacing builds the suspense but this mystery almost crosses genres and borders on horror.  I had a hard time getting through it for a variety of reasons, but it was ultimately worth the struggle.  02/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn: When a little girl goes missing in Wind Gap, Missouri, townspeople can't help but be reminded of disappearance of another young girl just one year ago. The first girl was found strangled with all her teeth missing. Camille Preaker, reporter for the Chicago Daily Post is sent to cover the story. She's perfect for the job, seeing as how she grew up in Wind Gap. It's been eight years since Camille last returned home, and for good reason. On her second day, Camille herself discovers the body of the missing child, propped up against a building. Again, all the teeth have been removed. Camille is unwillingly thrown into the investigation when her editor requests that she follow the story through to its chilling conclusion. What she will discover will reveal even more troubling secrets about her own past and threaten her own sanity. This is a shocking and brutal mystery - like a train wreck that you just can't turn away from. I loved everything about it. Really a magnificent read. 11/06 Becky LeJeune

SHE’S SO DEAD TO US by Kieran Scott: Two years ago, Ally and her family had to leave behind their home. Two years ago, Ally had to abandon her friends. Two years ago, Ally’s father left without another word. Finally getting back on her feet, Ally’s mother decides that it’s time to return, but they won’t be moving back into their mansion in The Crest. Nope, they’re moving into a small condo in Orchard Hill, the only thing in Ally’s mother’s budget after her father loses everything in a bad investment. Even worse, Ally’s father convinced her friends’ families to invest as well, which makes Ally enemy number one for her former besties. Stuck in the middle is new kid Jake, who now lives in Ally’s former abode. Not sure whether he should stick by his new Crestie friends or defend the girl he thinks he’s falling for, Jake is sure this year is at least going to be interesting. Kieran Scott’s snarky and witty teen read is quick and fun, and devastatingly realistic. With an end that’s sure to leave teens on edge wondering what comes next, I sincerely hope that there’s more of Ally and Jake to come. 05/10 Becky Lejeune 

SHIFT by Rachel Vincent: Faythe Sanders and her Pride have been gearing up for war. Before they can strike, however, another conflict arises: a Flight of thunderbirds, beings Faythe and her family have encountered only through legend, has attacked the ranch and no one is quite sure why. When the cats capture one of the birds, they realize that someone has set them up, and all of them are sure they know just who it is. One of the Flight was killed by a cat over a kill dispute. Unfortunately, the attack happened off Pride territory and a witness claimed that it was a member of Faythe’s Pride who was responsible. Now Faythe must prove their innocence while sniffing out the real killer in order to save her friends and family from retribution. As each installment brings the characters closer and closer to all out battle, the series becomes even more intense. Vincent has definitely mastered the art of keeping her readers on the edge of their seats with anticipation. I love that the series still feels fresh and new every time; I’ve been hooked since Stray. Alpha, the sixth in the series, is due out this fall. 03/10 Becky Lejeune

THE SHIMMER by David Morrell: I have enjoyed most of Morrell’s books including the Rambo series but found this one a bit over the top. Based on the real life “Marfa Lights” in Marfa, Texas, the plot involves the disappearance of Santa Fe police officer Dan Page’s wife who has gone to a remote Texas town, along with hundreds of other spectators to gaze at the mysterious “Rostov Lights.” As the spectators are watching (some seeing the mysterious lights, other not) a gunman opens fire screaming “Go back to hell where you came from,” then turns his rifle on the bystanders, massacring a number of innocents until Page’s wife, using the gun of the felled Rostov Police Chief manages to shoot the gunman. Page sets out to solve the mystery of the lights which leads him to a deadly government secret dating back to the first World War. Move over Area 51, there is a new spooky place in the neighborhood. 06/10 Jack Quick

SHIP BREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi: In the future, flooding, hurricanes, and other inclement weather have completely transformed the landscape of the United States. Nailer, a kid living in the South, is a ship breaker. It’s what he knows. It’s what he’s been taught. It’s what he’s good at. He’s responsible for salvaging metal from the big tankers that have washed up all along the shore. Now, graceful clipper ships carry the world’s cargo and the tankers are good for only recyclable material and the occasional lucky discovery of oil hidden in their depths. Nailer dreams of a day when he might leave this world behind and travel on the clippers like the rich folks do. When one of those swank clippers washes up on the beach, Nailer gets his first chance to see the inside. But his discovery of a survivor, a teenage girl, changes things. Nailer must decide whether to be her salvation or to leave her and collect the bounty for her ship. While others might sell out to achieve their dreams, Nailer’s recent experiences make the decision a tough one and his choice will leave him forever changed. Bacigalupi’s teen debut is amazing and definitely offers up appeal to readers of all ages. A new entry into the growing dystopian trend, and a fine one at that. 05/10 Becky Lejeune  

A Ship Made of Paper by Scott Spencer: Very interesting, beautifully written novel about relationships, infidelity, and race, yet so much more than that.  Daniel Emerson is a NY city lawyer who is threatened by a client whose case he lost. The client happens to be African American, and this triggers a black paranoia in Daniel until he feels he has to move out of the city. He returns to his small hometown with his live-in lover Kate and her daughter, Ruby.  Daniel is Ruby's primary caregiver, freeing Kate to write, but at preschool he meets and falls in love with Iris, the mother of Ruby's best friend who happens to be African American. And married. The couples' lives become more and more entangled until they are just spiraling way out of control.
    Spencer uses an unusual literary device in that he starts each chapter with a tiny excerpt of the pivotal finale, building a surreal tension, and contriving a feeling of deja vu when the reader finally gets there. He creates a tautness in story and mood that is truly exquisite, until the last page is turned and the realization hits that there is no more. And that is a sad moment indeed. 12/03

SHIVERS by Charles R. Gillenwaters:  Gillenwaters is an Alabama attorney who has represented some three dozen defendants charged with capital murder.  Thus, he brings a unique perspective to this short noir-ish tale of an innocent man being sentenced to death by the system and a District Attorney who is less interested in justice being served than in winning at any cost.   The victim is Mary Margaret, an attractive, pregnant nurse, lying in a pool of blood.  She is the wife of Sgt. Jack McManus, a well liked police officer.  The alleged murderer, recently paroled Sonny Ray Shivers, is the man singing nearby found by veteran police officer Zabrowski, the first to respond to a report that a woman was lying outside her car. Although he d spent many years on the force, Zabrowski had never been to a murder scene and had never drawn his weapon.  From there things go downhill quickly with an ambitious DA, an alcoholic council and Sonny Ray’s record. Not bad for a debut, heavy on legal procedure and with unfortunately, a totally believable plot. 08/09 Jack Quick 

SHOOT HIM IF HE RUNS by Stuart Woods:  In a continuation of an earlier adventure Stone Barrington returns to St. Marks Island at the request of President William Lee to hunt ex-CIA-agent-turned rogue Teddy Fay.  Unlike his previous trip, Barrington is accompanied this time by Holly Barker, Dino Bacchetti, and Dino’s current squeeze.  In between frolicking in the waves and between the sheets (and perhaps hanging from the chandelier, who knows), Stone and Holly strike up an acquaintance with Irene Foster, also ex-CIA, who is thought to have had a previous relationship with Fay.  Soon they are caught up in the local corrupt regime and when the island’s chief of police is gunned down, they all realize this is more than just a fun in the sun caper.  Woods hasn’t run out of steam yet. 11/07 Jack Quick   

SHOOT TO THRILL by P.J. Tracy: Popular social-networking sites take center stage in Tracy's fifth technological thriller (after Snow Blind) as murderous videos are posted online. FBI agent John Smith is on the case and invites the Monkeewrench gang, that group of software geniuses, to determine who is posting the videos and to find a way to differentiate between what turns out to be real murders and staged ones. As one of the killings takes place in Minnesota, Minneapolis detectives Magozzi and Rolseth join the investigation. This odd group of crime fighters makes for a very effective team, even though both Magozzi and Smith are interested in Grace MacBride, the gang's beautiful, superparanoid leader. VERDICT Shifting from murder to terrorism leaves holes in this convoluted story. It will appeal mainly to fans of the Monkeewrench series, who have been waiting four years since Snow Blind, and to those who appreciate high-tech hijinks.  04/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch. Copyright © 2010 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission.

SHOOT TO THRILL by P.J. Tracy:  They appear to be a series of random murders, each done differently, each in a separate location.   When the FBI’s cyber crimes unit discovers that someone is anonymously posting videos of the murders on the Internet, they soon find their skills insufficient to crack the case. That’s when special agent John Smith goes to the top of the hacker world – Monkeewrench, the Minneapolis based super team featured in Tracy’s previous four books. They catch a minor break when it turns out one of the homicides is in their own backyard of Minneapolis.  There is even a witness, sort of; the drunken ex-judge has a blood alcohol level higher than that of the top of the line bourbon he stays sloshed with, so he isn’t as much help as they hoped.  Soon the Monkeewrench team has been able to uncover a pattern in the murder videos, and even better, a site where references to the killings are being posted – before they occur.  Armed with this information they are able to thwart the next two attempted murders, but by now, the publicity has attracted clones and wannabes which make their search even more complex.  All in all another first rate outing from this mother-daughter writing team, whose characters have become as familiar and enjoyable as that other Minneapolis phenom – Lucas Davenport, of the John Sandford Prey series. 05/10 Jack Quick 

SHOOT TO THRILL by P.J. Tracy: The Monkeewrench gang are all back and this time they’ve been chosen by the FBI to help out in a most shocking investigation. Five murders have occurred throughout the country. Five amongst many, but what makes these different is that the killers have posted actual video of the crimes online. Protected by the intricacies of the web, the killers are free to continue as the feds are slowed by law and bureaucracy. But Monkeewrench has none of these impediments, and if the feds want to turn a blind eye in order to allow them to do their job quickly and effectively, Grace and her friends are definitely on board. Shoot to Thrill has been a long time coming for P.J. Tracy fans. Four years can be quite a lifetime in a series but, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. I hope the next one doesn’t take near as long, parts of Shoot to Thrill felt somewhat incomplete, so I’m hoping that the various storylines will continue into the next installment.  04/10 Becky Lejeune 

THE SHOOTERS by W.E.B. Griffin:  Once again W. E. B. Griffin has mined the quasi-military “band of brothers police thriller” genre that he helped create in an interesting outing.  Colonel Charley Castillo is in Argentina trying to tie up the ends of the UN oil-for-food scandal when a young American lieutenant and veteran of the Afghan war, arrives to throw a monkey wrench in the plans.  A key agent for the DEA whose family happens to be close to the Chicago power structure has been kidnapped.  Since Castillo has already proven the ability to do the impossible on several previous occasions, the President decides the rescue of “Junior” Timmons is doable for this band of marauding misfits, particularly since the President is busy dealing with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.  Maybe the characters aren’t multi-dimensional and the action predictable, but if you make it past the first fifty pages, it’s doubtful you will stop before the end.  Another great outing.  02/08 Jack Quick

Shooting Gallery by Hailey Lind: This second mystery in Lind’s Art Lover’s Mystery series includes everything a fun caper novel should have, right down to a chase scene through the streets of San Francisco. Once again, Annie Kincaid, owner of a faux-finishing business, is caught up in murder and mayhem, through no fault of her own. Is it her fault that she’s the one who spots the body of a sculptor hanging from a tree at the art exhibit of his work? Is it her fault a museum has a painting stolen when one of her best friend’s is on a tour there? Is it her fault that a handsome, romantic art thief is leading the museum tour? Why should Annie take the blame when everyone she knows, from her mother to her landlord, seems to be involved in the latest crimes in the art world? Shooting Gallery fits in the entertainment world with the movie, Foul Play, and the television series, Moonlighting. There are fun characters and a great deal of sexual tension in this enjoyable mystery set in the art world.  10/06 Lesa Holstine

Shop Till You Drop: A Dead-End Job Mystery by Elaine Viets:  This is the first of a new series featuring Helen Hawthorne, former executive, now on the lam in South Florida.  Helen is trying to keep under the radar of her ex-husband after she took her frustrations out on his car, so she takes off out of St. Louis and lands a job in an exclusive Fort Lauderdale dress shop, off the books, where everyone has a past they are trying to hide.  Things aren't quite what they seem though; the dress shop manager may have a few unsavory side businesses going on and when she disappears, Helen is determined to find out what's been going on.  Lots of truths and lots of laughs in this well researched and fast moving story with memorable characters.  You have to love a mystery where a woman's body is identified by the serial number on her breast implants.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Shopgirl by Steve Martin:  Quirky novella, not as funny as one would expect from a well known comedian, but rather poignant instead. 

THE SHOPKEEPER by James D. Best: Not a bad book, but not my usual cup of tea. I don’t usually do historicals, but this one is thriller like.  Steve Dancy is wealthy after selling off his Eastern businesses and is set on experiencing the West. Folks soon learn  he is more than a dilettante Easterner intent on writing a journal about his adventures on the frontier. It isn't long before he's caught up in gunplay, which leads him into taking desperate measures, including buying a bank and a hotel, and influencing the upcoming gubernatorial elections.  Dancy is a far different man than these Westerners think he is, because he's sure not like any other shopkeepers they know. This is a fast paced tale with an interesting hero with enough twists and turns to provide an entertaining and exciting story. 12/09 Jack Quick 

A SHOT TO DIE FOR by Libby Fischer Hellmann: Single mom videographer Ellie Foreman is menaced in convincing fashion after she witnesses a sniper shooting. Daughter Rachel is now fifteen with all the challenges that entails and Ellie’s “love life” continues to be rocky, but she does make progress in addressing her fear of flying. Foreman is shooting a video at the former Playboy Club Resort on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Is the sniper murder Ellie witnesses a random event or the result of an incident decades earlier at the resort? Hellmann paints an interesting picture of the generation that “no longer works” but instead focus on disposing of the millions earned by their forebears. The contrast between the very rich and the rest of us is handled nicely. This is another good outing for Ms. Foreman, excellently plotted and well written. Surprising but believable ending. 08/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

SHOTGUN OPERA by Victor Gischler:  Mike Foley is making wine in Oklahoma, and life is almost as good as it gets when you’ve been hiding out for forty years.  But Mike’s nephew Andrew has seen something he should not have and needs to disappear now.  Nikki Enders, the most lethal of a deadly sisterhood, is chasing him.  Can Uncle Mike stop her?  When the kill teams descend on Foley’s farm, he is ready, with shotguns blazing.  Remember, it ain’t over till the last bullet. 06/06 Jack Quick

Shrink Rap by Robert B. Parker:  Parker's latest involves his female Boston P.I. character, Sunny Randall.  In this book, Sunny is travelling with a best-selling female author to protect her from her manipulative and sadistic psychiatrist ex-husband.  The bookstore signing scenes ring true.  At the same time, Sunny is trying to think through her own relationship with her ex-husband.  She can't seem to live with him and she can't seem to live without him.  She consults a psychiatrist for advice on how to handle the stalker and learns a great deal in the process about her own relationships.
      Parker's writing is always spare and this book is full of short sentences and unspoken thoughts and conclusions.  I was not put off by it, although some might feel a little cheated.  The reason I was not put off was because I was so taken by Parker's never-ending effort to understand the man/woman relationship.  Sunny's relationship with her ex- is the mirror of Spenser's relationship with Susan and one has to believe of Parker's own relationship with his wife. 
      I didn't think that the lean dialogue suited a female character or the subject of relationships very well.  It didn't ring true.  But it had enough truth and enough personal pain in it to keep my attention. ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

SHUT UP AND KISS ME by Christie Craig: When Shala Winters is hired to help bring tourism to Precious, Texas, she never expected that it would become the hardest, and possibly last, job of her life. While attending the town’s regular powpow put on by the local Chitiwa tribe, Shala breaks a vital rule and brings her camera. Though it clearly states no pictures are allowed, Shala is not going to leave her $8,000 lifeline behind. But when another woman snaps a picture, it is Shala who is caught and her camera that is confiscated. Determined to get it back no matter the cost, and leave Precious behind, Shala confronts Sky Gomez, threatening legal action.

Unfortunately for Shala, in Precious, Sky is the law. But then things take a strange turn when someone breaks into the Chitiwa clubhouse with the intent of stealing the camera. Since it’s actually in Sky’s possession, the would-be thief takes things to the next level and begins stalking Shala with an intent to kill. Discovering what is on the camera becomes second for Sky only to protecting this feisty photographer who could just be his soulmate. Christie Craig is like chocolate: addicting and good for you. I dare you to dive in and not get a good laugh. 05/10 Becky Lejeune  

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane:  This book had a bit of controversy surrounding it; people either love it or hate it, and frankly a lot of folks who loved Lehane's Mystic River and his Patrick Kenzie/Angela Gennaro series have hated this book.  I read it a week ago and can understand what is driving those passionate responses.  Lehane is a virtuoso of the mystery/thriller genre, and that talent shines on every page.  This is a fast paced thriller, the kind you can't put down, combined with a classic locked room mystery (a woman vanishes out of a locked room) and lots of twists, but it's the ending of the book that have put people at odds with it.  As soon as I finished the last page, I went right back to page one and started reading again, I needed to reassure myself that I hadn't missed anything, and I hadn't.  I believe it was the Washington Post's review that compared the style of this book to that of Edgar Allen Poe, and having read it, all I can say is that was right on the money - and that is high praise indeed.  This is a book - a genre book, a mystery - that is brilliantly plotted, splendidly written, deliciously confusing and infuriating and thought provoking, and totally transcends the genre. 12/03 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane: U.S. Marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule have been sent to Shutter Island, home of the notorious Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate the disappearance of one of the institution’s prisoners. With a massive storm heading their way, Teddy and Chuck find that they are stranded on an island with virtually no way off. Ashecliffe, home to the country’s most violent offenders, seems to be almost impenetrable. But how then, was one woman able to escape undetected and in bare feet. Teddy is sure that the doctors in charge are hiding something big. As he and Chuck dig deeper into the secrets of Shutter Island, they become further entangled in a thick web of lies and they find that nothing on the island is quite what it seems. With the movie adaptation right around the corner, this was one book that I was definitely determined to read beforehand, and I am so glad that I did. What an amazing thriller. Stylistically, I found it much different from some of Lehane’s other work, and much easier to get into. Shutter Island is a very quick and intense read that will definitely keep you on your toes. 11/09 Becky Lejeune 

SIGN OF THE CROSS by Ann Emery:  Location, location, location.  It’s true in real estate and also true in crime fiction.  Defense attorney Monty Collins is defending a secretive priest accused of murder.  In order to mount an effective defense Collins must first investigate his own client and then determine what to do with the information he uncovers.  Not that unusual a plot twist, but the fact that the action is occurring in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with lots of “local flavor” sets this one apart from many others of the same ilk.  All in all, a nicely done debut and I expect we will hear more from Mr. Collins in the near future. 12/07 Jack Quick

SILENCE by Thomas Perry:  Jack Till is new at this private eye business, but not inexperienced.  So when Wendy Harper comes to his door, this retired LAPD detective knows what to do.  Harper has been beaten and fears this was just the first attempt to kill her.  She wants Till to help her disappear, even if it means giving up her share of a very successful restaurant she owns with chef partner and former lover Eric Fuller.  Now six years later, the discovery of a bloody baseball bat and blouse fragment has led to murder charges against Fuller.  Till suspects someone is trying to frame Fuller but the only way for Till to prove Fuller's innocence is to produce Harper in the flesh.  First he has to find her, then protect her.  Nicely done PI/police procedural. 11/08 Jack Quick

The Silence of the Rain & December Heat by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza: I happened to pick up The Silence of the Rain a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't heard anything about it and I like trying new stuff that is under the radar. It was a fortuitous choice. Silence charmed me. The plot involves the death of a corporate executive in a parking garage in Rio de Janeiro. The case is assigned to Inspector Espinosa who deduces that it was a murder because there is no weapon with the body. However, things are not as they appear. And that is the rule of this book. Every time I got comfortable with the plot, it took another delightful twist. Not a big jump, but just the disclosure of an additional fact that gave new meaning to the death and the characters around it.
    Espinosa is the Brazilian version of the cop who has seen it all. He has resisted the temptations of corruption and thus has secured for himself his own investigative niche, as well as insuring that he will never advance any further in the power structure. And just to sweeten the pot a little more, the good Inspector is a reader - haunting used bookstores and unable to control the stacks piling up in his apartment.
    As I was nearing the homestretch on Silence, a review of Garcia-Roza's new second book, December Heat, appeared in the Crime page of the NY Times Book Review. I added it to the stack. While the plot is not as tightly managed in Heat as it was in Silence, Espinosa is just as delightful the second time out. In Heat, he is investigating the murder of a hooker friend of a retired policeman who is a Brazilian Andy Sipowicz. If a contemporary United States author had written this book, it might have been titled The Case of the Three Hookers. The women are treated gently but fairly, without any judgments being made about them. They are what they are and they do what they do. And what would Rio be without heat and sex?
    If you are looking for a change of pace and an interesting pair of books, these should do the job and may well exceed your expectations. I am looking forward to the third book in this series.  ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin

SILENCED CRY by Marta Stephens:  Being a cop is a tough job.  Being a homicide detective is probably the toughest job for a cop.  Being a homicide detective working for the same force where your father was a homicide detective, working under some of the same people who worked with him, well, that’s about as tough as it gets.  Detective Sam Harper loses his narcotics partner in a shootout and ends up in homicide on cold cases.  Then he is called out on a decade-old child homicide.  His past--and the past of his friends, family, and nemeses quickly combine to turn this case into the biggest case Harper has ever known.  First in a planned series, lets hope those plans materialize.  Recommended. 08/07 Jack Quick 

THE SILENT ASSASSIN by Lori Andrews: In her second fiction release, Andrews returns to AFIP (the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology) and geneticist, Dr. Alex Blake. Recent events have lead to a request by Vietnamese officials that certain “trophy” items taken in the war be returned to the country. Unfortunately, these trophies – a mutilated collection of skulls brought back by American soldiers – are in no shape to be returned without causing an embarrassing media frenzy. It is Alex’s job to make them as presentable as possible for a quiet reparation ceremony. Suddenly the quiet ceremony has become a White House event and Alex is asked to try and identify the remains. She soon makes a startling discovery regarding one of the skulls that leads her to question her own father’s involvement in the war. Once again, Alex lands herself in trouble when her investigation catches the wrong attention. This is one of my favorite new series. If you like Kathy Reichs or Patricia Cornwell you’re guaranteed to enjoy Lori Andrews.  05/07 Becky Lejeune 

SILENT IN THE GRAVE by Deanne Raybourn: If you’re looking for intrigue, scandal, humor and a little romance, Silent in the Grave is the mystery for you. In 1886, in London, Lady Julia Grey meets Nicholas Brisbane for the first time, when he assists her when her husband collapses and dies at a dinner party. Brisbane, an inquiry agent, tells Lady Julia her husband hired him to look into some threatening letters, and Brisbane suspects murder. It takes almost a year for Lady Julia to agree, and then she teams up with Brisbane to investigate her husband’s death. As they delve into Lord Edward’s past, they also stumble across clues that may implicate someone in Lady Julia’s house. Suddenly, she has more to worry about than just a death in the past. Silent in the Grave, the first in a series, introduces fascinating characters, with a great deal of depth. Lady Julia changes from a meek, conforming member of society to a woman more in tune with the rest of her eccentric family, in the course of this book. Brisbane, a secretive man with a mysterious past, remains an elusive figure. Lord Hector March, Julia’s father, and her siblings are wonderful, three-dimensional characters in their own right. Silent in the Grave is an outstanding historical mystery, bringing the Victorian period to life. If you’re a fan of Elizabeth Peters, or you enjoyed Tasha Alexander’s And Only To Deceive, check out Deanna Raybourn’s work. 01/07 Lesa Holstine

SILENT IN THE SANCTUARY by Deanna Raybourn:  In the second mystery to feature Lady Julia Grey, our heroine and two of her brothers have been having a rather extended holiday in Italy following the events surrounding the death of Julia’s husband. Their vacation is cut short when the family patriarch summons them home for Christmas. Apparently, the elder March became quite angered upon learning that one of his sons had gotten married while on vacation. The three siblings, plus one new daughter-in-law and a second Italian guest, soon arrive home at the family abode – a converted abbey that is now overcome with visitors in preparation of the Christmas holiday. Amongst the guests are two of Julia’s cousins, one of who is to be married shortly in the abbey chapel. Also visiting is the nefarious and dashing Nicholas Brisbane, also with a fiancé in tow. Julia tries to act like this revelation is no concern of hers, but in truth, she is quite hurt by this news. Her own feelings are soon set aside when a body is discovered in the chapel and she and Brisbane are set in charge of the investigation. Once again, the two are working together to solve a mystery, this time in hopes of proving the innocence of one of Julia’s own family members. Raybourn’s remarkably addictive Victorian mysteries are a true delight. Julia and the rest of the Marches are charmingly quirky and the plots are both witty and fun. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great cozy read. 01/08 Becky Lejeune

THE SILENT MAN by Alex Berenson:  It isn’t easy to steal warheads from the heart of Russia’s nuclear complex in Mayak. It requires a great deal of money, coordination, ingenuity, and sleight-of-hand, and just a touch of luck. But if you’re determined enough, anything is possible.  CIA agent John Wells, the only American to fight both for and against the Talibhan in Afghanistan faces a nuclear challenge in this third outing.  He and his colleague and fiancée, Jennifer Exley, are driving into work when traffic comes to a standstill, due to accidents on both bridges into Washington.  A pretty big coincidence, he thinks, beginning to get a bad feeling—a feeling that only gets worse when he spots the red motorcycle zooming up between cars toward him.  From that point on it’s a madhouse with unbelievable stakes and constant action.  Berenson outbonds Bond and has become my go-to guy for contemporary spy adventures not unlike LeCarre, Ludlum and some of his other forebears.  A top notch read. 03/09 Jack Quick 

SILENT ON THE MOOR by Deanna Raybourn: In the third Julia Grey novel, our heroine has decided to follow Brisbane to Yorkshire where he has recently purchased an estate. When Julia and her entourage arrive, however, she finds that Brisbane is in no mood to accept guests. And it seems the previous tenants of the estate are strangely still in residence. When Julia learns of the circumstances, though, she decides that the family needs her help. It seems that Brisbane purchased the home after the death of the only son and heir. The man’s sisters and mother were left with nothing in his will and Brisbane has allowed them to stay until he can arrange housing for them on the estate. But Brisbane’s attitude about the whole thing, paired with the oddities of the family itself are enough to set Julia’s mind working. Soon she learns that Brisbane shares a history with the family, one that is full of secrets and lies. Can she have her happily-ever-after ending and still solve this one? That’s the question that will be on every reader’s mind as they dive into this lush and wonderful Victorian mystery. Each new installment to the series reveals new things about Julia and the mysterious Brisbane, and each new book is another adventure that ends too soon. I can’t wait until the next chapter in their story comes along.  02/09 Becky Lejeune  

SILENT THUNDER by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen:  Bestselling author, Iris Johansen, joins forces with her Edgar award-winning son, Roy, for an explosive thriller.  Marine architect, Hannah Bryson, thought it was the chance of a lifetime to inspect the submarine purchased by a Maine museum from the U.S.S.R.  But, her opportunities on the sub, Silent Thunder, are cut short by tragedy.  Now, Bryson must join forces with a man she doesn’t know if she can trust, to find the answers to the puzzle hidden on the sub.  Once the reader figures out who the players are, it’s still hard to decide which side they’re on.  Hannah has the same problem in this fast-paced book, guaranteed to hit the bestseller lists. 07/08 Lesa Holstine

SILENT THUNDER by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen:  Mother and son team up in this blockbuster worthy thriller. Hanna Bryson is an expert in the field of marine architecture. As such, she is tapped to inspect a Russian sub that has been recently acquired for display in an American maritime museum. When her brother Connor discovers encrypted messages on the interior plates of the sub, Hannah knows that something of great significance has been found, she just doesn’t understand how great. Then, Connor is murdered and Hannah vows revenge at all cost. In order to succeed, Hannah teams up with a Russian mercenary who’s with his own agenda. Every aspect of Iris Johansen’s trademark romantic suspense is present in this collaborative effort, but son, Roy, lends a nice balance and something of an edge to the whole story. The combination works quite well. I think fans of both authors will be pleased. 07/08 Becky Lejeune 

SILESIAN STATION by David Downing:  Berlin, 1939.  British-American journalist John Russell is trying to save himself, his actress girlfriend, Effi Koenen, and son Paul from his previous marriage, as German society becomes increasingly hostile for all non-Aryans who eschew the Nazi party line.  Russell finds himself, almost accidentally, in the employ of the intelligence services of his native Britain and the United States, as well as those of the Soviet Union (Russell was once a Communist) and the German SD.  While balancing all these conflicting interests, Russell also takes time to do what he can to help the Jews who are being persecuted.  He has already managed to secure the exit of four surviving members of one family and is now involved in finding Miriam Rosenfeld, a young Jewish woman dispatched from provincial Silesia by her Uncle Thomas, who is Russell's ex-brother-in-law, but fails to arrive in Berlin.  An exciting thriller full of period detail, Downing effectively captures life in the police state of Berlin on the brink of war.  Not pretty but exceeding well done. 09/09 Jack Quick 

The Silver Anniversary Murder by Lee Harris: Christine Bennett is shocked to receive a phone call stating that a body will be found, and that Chris might be interested in the mystery. When she rushes to the police station, they trace the phone call to an empty apartment. The people who lived there had a couple names, and the appearance of their daughter does nothing to clear up the mystery. Instead, she hints at secrets that are twenty-five years old. Once again, Christine uses her intuition and knowledge of people to probe an intriguing puzzle. 08/06 Lesa Holstine

SILVER FALLS by Anne Stuart: After her daughter’s best friend is murdered, Rachel Chapman finds herself looking to settle down and provide some stability for her teen. She thought that marrying David Middleton was the perfect solution, but she was oh, so very wrong. Caleb Middleton has returned to his hometown of Silver Falls with one thing in mind, stopping his brother before it’s too late. Rachel is drawn to Caleb initially, but when the bodies start to turn up in their quaint little town, she becomes convinced that there must be some connection. She’s right, but not in any way she can imagine. And she is in no way prepared for the secret her new husband’s family has been hiding. Poor Rachel, the reader knows from the very beginning what a creep David is, but for her and her daughter, the worst they’ve been through is nothing compared to what’s to come. Silver Falls is heavy on the suspense and guaranteed to keep readers up late into the night. David Middleton is the most skin-crawlingly, creepy bad guy I’ve come across in a while. 06/09 Becky Lejeune   

SINGER OF SOULS by Adam Stemple: Adam Stemple's background in music forms the basis of this fantasy adventure. It will help if you share that knowledge; readers of SINGER OF SOULS might have a hard slog if they don't know the legends of "the fey folk"; you don't need to know all of it, but a working knowledge will help make sense of things.

Douglas, who's fighting a heroin addiction, decides get as far away as he can from Minneapolis, so he heads to Edinburgh where his grandmother is based. She takes him in, encouraging his plans to work as a street musician; busking is a respected tradition in the UK, and when the Fringe Festival rolls around, there's lots of money to be made if you've got any talent. Dougie can read a person and excels in creating songs for strangers. One day, Aine appears and wants a song; her payment to Dougie is the ability to see the faery folk who live among the "real" people of Edinburgh. This isn't necessarily a gift.

While there are some things that don't always work here - wouldn't someone notice a priest as crazed as Father Croser? - the story moves quickly and you just have to accept some things. Douglas is a flawed but pretty tough guy. There's too much blood and gore for my comfort, and I'm not exactly sure I like how the story ends, but the ending is appropriate, so you'll have to judge for yourself. 08/05 ~This review contributed by Andi Shechter.

SIREN OF THE WATERS by Michael Genelin: Commander Jana Matinova of the Slovak police has been assigned to investigate the deaths of a crashed and burned van of imported prostitutes. The assignment takes her across Europe to the Ukraine and southern France in pursuit of the mysterious Koba. As a debut, the book is heavy on backstory but sets the foundation for what may be an interesting new series featuring an unusual female protagonist in a rich but seldom used setting on what used to be Eastern Europe. I will definitely try a sequel if one becomes available. 09/09 Jack Quick

THE SISTER by Poppy Adams: It’s been almost sixty years since Ginny’s sister Vivi left home for London. Now she’s back, with no explanation. At first Ginny is excited about her sister’s return. They had been the best of friends and thick as thieves when they were children, after all. But Ginny’s neat and ordered world is soon upset by Vivi’s presence. As she recalls the events that eventually led to Vivi’s estrangement, it becomes clear that there is something very wrong with Ginny. There are clues throughout, but it’s never made clear whether these issues are the product of upbringing or something more serious. Ginny is at once a character that you can sympathize with while still remaining leery of. She seems unreliable, but then so do the rest of the characters in this dysfunctional family. This strange and surprising debut is addictive and dark reading. Poppy Adams manages to weave a tale that seems innocent in its telling but has undeniably suggestive tones throughout. It’s a story that sticks with you long after you turn the final page.   06/08 Becky Lejeune  

SISTER WIFE by Natalie Collins:  Kelsey Waite thinks she has left her past behind when she flees from Utah to California – the abuse and molestation from her father who had become enamored of a polygamous cult.  Ten years later, her daughter is stolen and a neighbor is killed.  Is this an attempt to fulfill the prophecy she thought she had escaped?  The focus is on the practice of polygamy, which the book makes clear is not a practice condoned by mainstream Mormons or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Cults are cults, no matter what they use as a basis to attract members.  Can Kelsey save her daughter and herself from this cult?  Interesting read.  08/07 Jack Quick 

SISTERS OF MISERY Megan Kelley-Hall: In the small town of Hawthorne, Massachusetts, your family name and image are everything. Maddie Crane knows all too well the privileges that come with having a good name. She’s friends with the right crowd and gets invited to all the great parties, and that’s just what her mother wants. When Maddie’s aunt Rebecca and cousin Cordelia arrive in town, they’re immediately pegged as outsiders and their interests in apothecary herbs and fortune-telling cement this. Maddie’s own mother would rather neither of them had ever come to town and fears the effects they will have on her carefully cultivated facade. Maddie is drawn to her cousin, however, in spite of her mother’s and her friends’ opinions. Soon Maddie is forced to choose between loyalty to her friends and love for her family. Her decision comes too late, though, and Cordelia’s suffering at the hands of Hawthorne’s elite culminates with her disappearance on Halloween. Now Maddie is determined to uncover her cousin’s fate at all cost. Megan Kelley-Hall’s wonderful and chilling debut is technically a teen novel, but it will certainly appeal to readers of all ages. Gripping and eerie, Sisters of Misery marks the beginning of a fantastic new gothic teen series.  07/08 Becky Lejeune

SISTERS OF MISERY by Megan Kelly Hall: Maddie Crane is a sixteen year old girl who lives in Hawthorne, MA, just miles away from the site of the infamous Salem witch trials. She’s friends with the most popular girls in school, a clique known as the Sisters of Misery. The Sisters are all from families of powerful women in Hawthorne, a legacy that goes back centuries.  When Maddie’s eccentric cousin, Cordelia, moves to Hawthorne, Maddie is torn between staying a part of Sisters and relinquishing to the mystical way of life that her cousin and aunt have embraced. Her decision is quickly made for her when Maddie becomes involved in one of the Sisters’ schemes, a plan that destroys her life and the lives of all those that are close to her.  While Sisters of Misery is categorized as a YA book, audiences of all ages will be pulled into the gothic style writing of Megan Kelly Hall. I’m impatiently looking forward to more from this amazing debut author. 08/08 Jennifer Lawrence

SIX SECONDS OF DARKNESS by Octavus Roy Cohen: Interesting premise marred by use of every cliché ever uttered.  Civic reformer Edward Hamilton is murdered and energetic sleuth David Carroll is put in charge of the investigation.  His immediate problem is determining if any of the three people trying to confess to the crime are actually guilty.  Better than nothing at all to read. 04/09 Jack Quick 

Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot: Where does a teen pop star go when she’s a has-been? If you’re Heather Wells, now 28, with a lost recording contract, a mother who ran off with your money and your manager, and a boyfriend you caught in bed with a younger pop star, you become the assistant resident hall director at a New York City college. Heather is trying to make it through her six months probation so she can take college classes. Murder may come between Heather and her goal. When two freshman girls die in elevator accidents, Heather suspects murder. She tries to involve her landlord, a private investigator. But, Heather will ask questions and push her way to a solution even if she has to do it alone. The first Heather Wells mystery is too repetitive. It’s a cute story for the bubble gum crowd; one “giant gush” as Heather would say. 01/06 Lesa Holstine

SIZZLING SIXTEEN by Janet Evanovich: Stephanie Plum, inept but lucky bounty hunter, has a real dilemma on her hands. Vinny, her boss, has been kidnapped by some very bad men because he owes them close to a million dollars in gambling debts. Stephanie feels compelled to help him as he is her cousin and he did give her a job when no one else would, so with office manager Connie and sidekick Lula in tow, the women are on the hunt for the kidnapped Vinny. Cars are wrecked of course, but this time out there are also some animal mishaps, stinkbombs, firebombs, Hobbits running amok and stoner Mooner makes an appearance too. Stephanie is also drifting back towards Joe but Ranger, as usual, isn't making it easy. I totally admit I am addicted to this series, and Evanovich offers up another fast, fun summer diversion. 06/10 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SKELETON MAN By Tony Hillerman: Hillerman's southwest Indian country crime series has become an American staple.  In this entry, retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn opens by relating the story of this case to the rest of his bud's at The Navajo Inn. In doing so, phone calls are made, and help is enlisted, to aid the slow witted Billy Tuve, who's accused of robbery and murder.  Yet he tells a fantastic story of being given the diamond he's accused of stealing, while gathering ceremonial clay for paint for ancient Hopi rights at their Salt Shrine, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  Meanwhile, in 1956, two planes collided over the canyon killing everyone on board, leaving a crucial body part plus millions in diamonds scattered to the winds, waters, and walls of the gorge.

Enter Sgt. Chee, Cowboy Dashee (who's Billy's Hopi cousin) and Chee's soon to be wife, Bernie Maunelito. The story that Leaphorn and others tell collectively, leads them on a case that involves both the real and Indian spiritual world. Some white bad folks get involved here, but this story is really about how far you push your personal beliefs, and nature. And then there's Skeleton Man, who does his job in a modern way, effectively. Strong effort here.  PS: You'll notice I left the white interlopers out here. They are only incidental to the story, and all but one, become pawns.  02/06 DOC

THE SKELETON ROOM by Kate Ellis: Ellis brings back Detective Inspector Wesley Peterson in the seventh book in an intriguing series that combines history and mystery. Peterson, a policeman who once studied archaeology, keeps up with his past interest through his friend Neil Watson whose archaeological digs seem to link to Peterson’s current cases, and often inspire a solution to a modern crime. Chadleigh Cove and the story of the wreckers, villagers who preyed on ships, is the link to a murder. Peterson and his boss, Gerry Hefferman, believe they have an old crime when two workmen break through a wall and find a skeleton tied to a chair. However, when Neil’s crew brings up a body from a shipwreck, they realize they have a murder victim, a woman who went missing just days before. How does this murder link to a company with missing computers? Once again, Ellis skillfully weaves the past and the present together to bring history to life, and reveal that there is nothing new about crime. 05/07 Lesa Holstine

SKIN by Mo Hayder: DI Jack Caffery and police diver Phoebe “Flea” Marley return straight off the events of Ritual in this fourth Caffery thriller, and second in the Walking Man trilogy. After analyzing the tapes again and again, Caffery is convinced that there was another party involved in the case now being referred to as Operation Norway (see Ritual). His determination to prove this is not earning him any points, though, as everyone would prefer that the case be shut for good. So when Caffery insists that a local suicide may be connected, his superiors are not at all thrilled. But Caffery is stubborn, eventually earning himself time off the books to investigate. Meanwhile, Flea is dealing with some troubling family issues that are tied to a different high-profile case. Hayder once again pushes her characters to the limits in this twisted and well-plotted installment to the series. Hayder’s completely unpredictable and brutal thrillers are utterly addicting. Skin will leave fans breathless and desperate for the next chapter in Caffery’s and Marley’s stories. (Gone hits shelves in the UK in February.) 01/10 Becky Lejeune  

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham:  Very cute Christmas fable.  It made me laugh, made me cry, all the requisite Christmas emotions. Don't get me wrong, it's no Gift of the Magi, but if you find yourself wanting something new to read to get in the holiday spirit, there ya go.

SLAMMER by Allan Guthrie:  Scotsman Nicholas Glass should never have become a prison officer. He lacks the courage and the temperament.  So it is almost inevitable that he would become the target of abuse from both cons and fellow officers.  When the verbal abuse turns into threats against his wife and daughter, he feels has to agree to do a group of inmates a “favor”: One favor leads to another, leads to another, and finally, you guessed it – Glass shatters.  A dark ugly tale about the fragility of the human mind.  Not for the squeamish. 09/09 Jack Quick

SLAY RIDE by Chris Grabenstein:  This is a dark departure from Grabenstein's terrific Jersey shore series (Tilt-A-Whirl, Mad Mouse).  Slay Ride is a dark, dangerous journey with a nasty Russian limo driver, smuggling, torture and murder that takes a page from James Patterson; this book has 101 very short, page-turning chapters, some of which are only paragraphs long. 

    Scott Wilkinson is an up-and-coming advertising executive with a beautiful wife and baby on the way.  He's also a bit OCD, and when his limo arrives a few minutes late, he is incensed.  The driver drives like a lunatic, completely pushing him over the edge and he calls the limo company to complain.  FBI agent Chris Miller is riding a desk because his expertise and bravery in solving a kidnapping landed him on the front page of the newspaper, pushing his boss out of the limelight.  And an old Russian woman is robbed as she enters her Brooklyn apartment by two young men.  These seemingly unrelated storylines all start twisting together and spiraling out of control in this fast paced tale of Christmas terror.  11/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SLEEPER by Gene Riehl:  In this second episode, FBI agent Puller Monk has to match wits with a sexy, dangerous, blonde assassin born Samantha Williamson but now named Sung Kim. She was stolen from America as a child and trained in North Korea in various martial and felonious arts.  In the midst of personal problems, Monk accepts a secret assignment to find a priceless stolen painting.  Riehl breaks no new ground with regard to international relations, but it is a. fast read with a nice twisty plot.  I’m ready for another. 06/06 Jack Quick

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS by Madeleine Wickham:  Chloe and her family are definitely due a relaxing and rejuvenating vacation. How perfect then that their friend Gerard has offered them use of his private villa in Spain. Unfortunately, they are about to find that they have become part of a twisted joke purely for Gerard’s own entertainment. See, Gerard has also promised use of the villa to Hugh and his family. Chloe and Hugh have an unfortunate past that they have tried to keep secret and put behind them. Everyone agrees that they should try and enjoy their respective vacations, there’s plenty of space for them all, but will the heady summer heat prove to be too much for them to handle? Wickham, aka Sophie Kinsella, wraps things up a little too neatly for my taste. Sleeping Arrangements is a sweet read, but I felt like some of the characters didn’t quite get what they deserved for their behavior. 07/08 Becky Lejeune  

THE SLEEPING DOLL by Jeffery Deaver: California Bureau of Investigations agent Kathryn Dance was first introduced to readers in last year’s thriller The Cold Moon.  Now she’s back and featured in her own series.  Dance is an expert in reading body language, a study known as kinesics.  She is called in to interview former cult leader Daniel Pell regarding his possible participation in an unsolved murder.  Pell, also known as the Son of Manson, has been serving consecutive life sentences for the murder of a software programmer and his family almost a decade ago.  While in prison, Pell apparently appealed to a soon to be released cellmate, requesting that he remove incriminating evidence that could lead to the discovery of Pell’s involvement in this second murder.  Dance soon determines that Pell’s so-called confession to his cellmate was nothing more than a ploy to get him transferred to a less secure lock-up.  Her fear that Pell may be planning an escape is soon realized and Dance is placed in charge of the team responsible for bringing him back.  This is an exciting first installment to Deaver’s new series.  True to form, he delivers an intense page-turner that fans, new and old, will not be able to put down.  Never fear die-hard Rhyme fans, Deaver promises to alternate books in the series each year.  Next year’s title will return to Rhyme and his partner Amelia Sachs and Kathryn Dance’s story will return the following year. 06/07 Becky Lejeune

THE SLEEPING DOLL by Jeffery Deaver:  Move over Lincoln Rhyme.  Hello Special Agent Kathryn Dance, a brilliant interrogator and kinesics expert with the California Bureau of Investigation.  Daniel “Son of Manson” Pell is serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of the Croyton family in Carmel many years ago.  He is also a suspect in newly discovered crime and it is up to Dance to use all her skills as an interrogator and student of body language to get to the truth behind Daniel Pell.  Then Pell escapes, leaving behind a trail of dead and injured and Dance is now in charge of her first ever manhunt.  She must seek answers from the past to solve the problems of today.  To get them, she arranges a reunion of three women who were in Pell’s cult at the time of the killings.  How deep is the sickness that drives Pell and how can Dance use it to capture him?  Don’t read after dark, unless you want to end up double checking the doors and window latches every half hour as I did.  A good one. 12/07 Jack Quick

SLEEPING WITH THE AGENT by Gennita Low:  What would otherwise be an above average thriller is marred badly by the author’s assumption that you have already read the first two books of this trilogy and therefore you are ready to jump in mid-story with no back fill, introduction of characters or anything.  Once you get past page fifty and can begin to see a bit of what is going on, the story is pretty goof.   Lily Noretski is a former CIA agent who was turned into a  “sleeper cell”.  While under another’s control she betrayed the only friend she had ever known.  Now she is on the run from both the good guys and bad guys, all of whom are interested in a destructive weapon that could potentially upset world power.  Navy SEAL sharpshooter Reed Vicenzio is tasked to “take her out.” But he recognizes her compassion and courage and decides to try to save her instead.  True love conquers all, even some one who really, really needs a good editor.  Recommended only if you have waded through books 1 and 2 first. 09/08 Jack Quick 

SLEEPLESS by Charlie Huston: Over ten percent of the population is now infected with SLP, a prion that attacks the thalamus, rendering its victims sleepless until they finally succumb to death. The only treatment, the only thing that offers any ease of their symptoms, is Dreamer. Parker Haas, a cop who has always followed the rules, has been assigned an undercover position tracking the illegal trade of Dreamer. Unfortunately, in a world that has become a virtual war zone, it’s becoming harder and harder for Parker to do his job. Although he himself is not sleepless, his wife is. And their baby is showing symptoms as well. When Parker stumbles onto a murder scene in the course of his work, he unknowingly attracts the dangerous attentions of a disturbed mercenary for hire. As Parker gets closer and closer to a lead on Dreamer, this assassin learns more about Parker and his family. With this much resting on his shoulders, it’s no wonder Parker is finding it harder to sleep. Mesmerizing! Sleepless should come with a warning label. Huston’s character and world building are excellent and his trademark noir style makes this semi-apocalyptic read a true standout of the year. 1/10 Becky Lejeune 

Sleepyhead by Mark Billingham:  Serial killer/medical thriller with a rather unique twist: the killer isn't actually trying to kill his victims, he's trying to induce strokes in them.  He is "successful" with one victim - Alison - and thus begins a fascinating look at "locked-in syndrome."  We get to share Alison's thoughts, as that is all she is capable of doing - thinking.  She is completely paralyzed but her brain is fully functional, and only after some time has passed and with great effort is she able to even blink her eyes in response to a question.  The detective in charge of the investigation, Tom Thorne, is a middle-aged slightly obsessive sort that is not too popular with his bosses.  Tom becomes involved with the doctor, Anne Coburn, who is treating Allison, adding yet another layer to this intriguing story.  Note: the most incredible book was written by a man with locked-in syndrome; he dictated it one letter at a time.  It's called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby and made my favorites list for 1998.  

SLICKY BOYS by Martin Limon:  U.S. Army criminal investigation division agents George Sueno and Ernie Bascom specialize in the bar and brothel district called Itaewon in Seoul, Korea.  A beautiful Korean woman asks them to deliver a message to a soldier who is found murdered the next night.  George and Ernie feel like they may have somehow been used in setting up the murder. Their investigation becomes a personal vendetta as they delve, literally, into the Korean underworld. Again Limon captures the time and place perfectly with descriptions like “The (UN Club) smelled like a toilet…the aroma of cigarette smoke…rotted lemons, stale booze, the reek of the urinals, all of it coalesced to create a blast to the nostrils that I’d never noticed before.” Or “Two weeks later he was back in boots.  Clean.  Quieting the aching need in his gut by filling it with liquor.  To the point of madness.  A fully acceptable pastime, as far as the army was concerned.  They even encourage drunkenness.  They considered it wholesome.” 02/06 Jack Quick

SLIDE by Ken Bruen & Jason Starr (Hardcase Crime Number 36):  Read Bruen and Starr’s 2006 Bust first to get the maximum effect of this violent, bloody, crude, funny, twisted, no-holds-barred tale that is noir at its best.  New York businessman Max Fisher was betrayed by his former mistress/assistant whom he tried to get to arrange the murder of his wife.  Afterwards he falls down, down, down, ending up in a drunken spree in Robertsdale, Alabama before climbing back up to become Wall Street’s premier crack dealer, the M.A.X.  Meanwhile Angela Petrakos has ended up with a new boyfriend, an Irish psychopath (Is that redundant? hmm) and she still has Max in her sights.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder why…. Another excellent outing from Messrs Bruen and Starr and the Hardcase Imprint. 12/07 Jack Quick 

SLIP AND FALL by Nick Santora:  Robert Principe is the first lawyer in his working class Italian family.  He is an idealist, a man of ethics and principles, and is slowly starving to death.  He's three months behind on his mortgage, pays his secretary sporadically, and his wife is pregnant.  Desperate, he turns to his cousin Jackie, a Brooklyn mobster.  Robert proposes an insurance scam, and Jackie is in - and so's his boss; there's nothing the mob likes more than easy money.  Robert gets in way over his head and the pages fly by as the Robert's life starts spinning out of control.  But who better to write a terrific Mafia tale than Santora; this former lawyer got his writing chops writing for Prison Break, Law & Order, & The Sopranos.  08/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SLIVER OF TRUTH by Lisa Unger:  This is the sequel to one of my favorite thrillers of 2006, Beautiful Lies and this is definitely a case of having to read the books in order.  I read Beautiful Lies more than a year ago, and I found the beginning of the sequel hard to follow.  Once more of the story started coming back to me, I started enjoying this one a lot more and I really couldn't put it down.  The story revolves around Ridley Jones, who in Beautiful Lies learns that she is adopted and that her beloved Uncle Max is really her father.  Max is gone, but things start happening that make Ridley wonder if he really is dead.  She starts learning more about her father, many things she wished she never knew, and the story takes off at lightening speed, with one jolt after another, creating a storm that won't soon be forgotten.   Written in the first person, but in a very conversational way, as if the author is having a conversation with her best friend, the reader, creating an intimacy that also makes it hard to put this book down.  A most worthy sequel.  02/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SLIVER OF TRUTH by Lisa Unger: Since the events of last year's Beautiful Lies, Ridley Jones has been working to put her life back together and to reconcile the realities of her past with the memories of a life she no longer recognizes as her own. The revelations about Max Smiley and the truth that Project Rescue -- an organization that was meant to place unwanted children into loving homes -- was nothing more than a glorified kidnapping ring, were only the beginning. Now, the FBI seems to think that Max may still be alive and that he has been shadowing Ridley since the time of his supposed death. The feds aren't the only ones looking for Max, either. Ridley will soon discover that Project Rescue may have been the least of Max's sins and, once again, she will come to question everything and everyone in her life. Yet again, Lisa Unger has written a perfect thriller with a wholly engaging plot. A definite up all night read.  01/07 Becky Lejeune

SLOW MAN by J.M. Coetzee: Nobel Prize winner J.M. Coetzee has produced another fine novel which should stand the test of time. In Slow Man, he tells the story of the multi-faceted rehabilitation of a very solitary person who loses a leg when his bicycle is run down by an automobile. Coetzee uses this dramatic event as a basis for exploring not only the emotions of his characters and their reactions to a world not of their choosing, but also the tenuous relationships between what is real and what is imagined and between an author and his characters.
    The basic story is simple enough and clearly limned in the clean prose of an author who chooses his words with care and precision. Paul Rayment (the slow man) is minding his own business riding his bicycle in his Australian neighborhood when his serenity and his body are shattered by a careless young driver. He wakes to find himself in the clutches of his country's social welfare net. This system, while well-intentioned, seems to him to operate in an almost Kafka-esque fashion. It is designed to make him better whether he wants to be or not, in a rigidly prescribed fashion whether he likes it or not. Forced to receive home nursing, he is ultimately tended to by a remarkable Croatian immigrant woman for whom he develops strong feelings.
    This straight-forward story line is jolted, no less than Rayment was jolted by the errant vehicle, by the appearance of the central character from another of Mr. Coetzee's books, Elizabeth Costello, at Rayment's front door and her insistence on inserting herself into his life.
    The remainder of this story involves Rayment's efforts to achieve a more satisfying relationship with his nurse and expel the pesky author from his flat. To say more would be telling.
    This is a fine and challenging read and will be on my list of ten best books for 2005.  11/05 ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

SMALL CRIMES by Dave Zeltserman:  It starts with alcohol, and gambling, and cocaine, and minor theft and then major theft and arson and the maiming of a District Attorney.  Joe Denton, ex-cop, now on parole, is having a hard time returning to Bradley, Massachusetts. DA Phil Oakley, whose face is horribly disfigured from Denton’s attack seven years ago has sworn he will get revenge, Oakley’s daughter tries to frame Denton on rape charges, and Denton’s corrupt ex-boss want him to commit murder.  Amazingly, Zeltserman makes Denton's manipulations, evasions and self-deceptions comprehensible, if not still reprehensible.  Highly recommended, if you enjoy gritty cop noir. 12/08 Jack Quick

Small Favor by Jim Butcher: The latest Dresden Files book starts out on the light note of a snowball fight, but, before he can enjoy it, Harry Dresden is caught up in a another war between the forces of Summer and Winter. Chicago’s only wizard has to bring in friends and family in order to take care of the small favor he owes to Mab, the Winter Queen. Harry and his friends face one horror after another as they try to rescue Gentleman Johnny Marcone, the lord of Chicago’s underworld. It’s even worse when a young girl is kidnapped, because Harry takes it personally. Small Favor is another strong entry in this outstanding series, a series with dark humor, magic and suspense. 05/08 Lesa Holstine

Small Town by Lawrence Block: I have very mixed feelings about this book.  A mid-list author is accused of murder which impels him into a multi-million dollar book deal, while an art gallery owner becomes obsessed with him.  It's set in New York City post September 11, and revolves around a serial killer who was deeply affected by the tragedy, which made me very uncomfortable.  There is enough well written kinky sex in here to qualify this book for the erotica section rather than the mystery section of any bookstore, but it seemed superfluous to the story.  Nonetheless, that, plus the historical bits about New York and the inside look at the publishing industry were the highlights for me.  The ending was simply a synopsis rather than prose, and a big turnoff.  It kept my interest and kept me turning pages, but it was unsettling.  

THE SMART ONE by Ellen Meister:  Bev is the smart one. Her sister Clare is the pretty one and her other sister Joey is the wild one. Ultimately, Bev feels as if she’s not lived up to the expectations that have come with being “The Smart One.” She’s a 35-year-old divorcee attempting to begin a second career as a grade-school teacher. All she needs now is the job, and a little support from her family would be nice, too. When her mother asks her for a favor while she and Bev’s father are vacationing in Florida for the summer, Bev feels reluctantly obligated to comply. The favor – prepare her parents’ next door neighbors’ house for sale. What Bev isn’t told is that the neighbors’ son, Kenny, a man who both embarrassed her and caused her extreme misery in high school, is also going to be home for the summer. Plus everyone fails to mention the fact that Kenny’s father may have killed a woman and hidden the body in a barrel under their house. Soon Bev’s stuck with neighbor drama on top of her own personal drama and then she discovers that each of her sisters has their own drama going on as well. It’s beginning to look like Bev is succeeding in being the smart one after all, and the sane one, and the normal one, too. There are some more serious issues here, but Ellen Meister maintains an upbeat tone throughout making this an overall light-hearted read that will literally have you laughing out lout.   08/08 Becky Lejeune

THE SNATCH by Bill Pronzini: The first Nameless Detective mystery was written over thirty-five years ago, but the character is still fresh. As his girlfriend leaves him, she tells him, “You’re too honest and too sensitive and too ethical, too affected by real corruption and real human misery to be the kind of lone wolf private eye you’d like to be.” It will be interesting to see if he remains that ethical through the entire series. In The Snatch, he’s called in by a millionaire whose nine-year-old son has been kidnapped. The simple task of dropping the money takes a wrong turn when a man is killed, the our detective is stabbed. It’s a more complicated case than he had counted on, but he’s determined to try to find the missing boy, hopefully while he’s still alive. Even in this first book, Pronzini had the ability to build suspense and tension in a book, even while only introducing characters. It was an outstanding debut, with promises of the successful series that followed. 06/08 Lesa Holstine

SNOW BLIND by P. J. Tracy:  Summer is so good.  Another of my favorite series, from the mother/daughter writing team known as P. J. Tracy, is back with their fourth Monkeewrench tale.  What could be a more perfect read for days of 90+ degree heat than the latest adventure in wintry, cold, snowy Minnesota?

    At the annual snowman building contest sponsored by the police department, all the fun comes to a halt when a young boy realizes that one of the snowmen contains a person - or rather, a dead body.  And so does another, and worse yet, the dead are cops.  Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are there for the contest and find themselves dealing with some sort of macabre cop killer. Then another body is found in a small town outside of Minneapolis, so Magozzi & Rolseth join up with the recently elected Sheriff on her first day of work. The trademark humor of this series is more muted this time, and the Monkeewrench crew has a much smaller role.  More than a story about a cop killer, this is a story about justice and what that really means, making this the most compelling and important story in this terrific series.  08/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SNOW BLIND by P.J. Tracy: The discovery of the frozen bodies of two Minneapolis police officers inside two snowmen plays havoc with the downtown snow festival being attended by detectives Leo Magozzi and Gina Rolseth. Then the body of an area parole officer is found in similar fashion in Dundas County. The detectives learn that the parole officer’s last known appointment was with a repeat violent offender who almost killed his wife. Leo and Gino head up to Dundas County to see if there is any evidence linking the crimes only to find Bitteroot, a secured fortified area populated by four hundred armed women, sworn to protect themselves and each other. Is the next body they discover the work of the original perps or do they now have a copy cat killer to deal with as well? Set aside some time when you start this one. It is plenty cold in Minnesota in winter but the pace of this action will keep anyone warm. Another winter winner from the mother-daughter duo known as P.J. Tracy. 08/06 Jack Quick

Snow Blind by P.J. Tracy: The mother/daughter writing team has written their best novel since the debut of Monkeewrench. If you want to escape the heat wave, try Snow Blind for cold scenes of Minnesota in the winter. What can be colder than finding a body in a snowman? When the number of bodies starts to climb, and the first two turn out to be cops, Minneapolis police detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth realize they have a serious problem. The Monkeewrench team is a minor part of the current storyline, but Tracy has written an intriguing police procedural.  08/06 Lesa Holstine

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See:  Maybe once or twice a year a book comes along that you just want to give to everyone you know.  Books like The Kite Runner, Secret Life of Bees, Memoirs of a Geisha or The Ha-Ha, and there are many others, but for me, this year Snow Flower is that book. It is the coming of age story of a young girl named Lily and her "same" (best-friend-for-life,) Snow Flower, set in a remote village in 19th century China.  It is a beautiful story about the friendship between these two girls/women, about the cruelty of foot binding told in very graphic detail, and about "nu shu", a secret language just for women.  This meticulously researched tale will keep you mesmerized until you turn the last page.  Don't miss it!  06/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

SNOWBOUND by Bill Pronzini: When a planned December armed robbery in northern California goes terribly wrong, the three perpetrators take refuge in a safehouse they have arranged in a small mountain town. The second night they are there an avalanche covers the only road into the town and traps the would be robbers along with some 75 others for a week with no way out. How to pass the time? Why not rob the entire town? After all, it is Christmas, and they suspect that at least one villager has some serious cash. They can take over the town Church during services, round up any stragglers, and then flee the scene on the only two snowmobiles in the village. Never mind that none of the three has ever ridden a snowmobile. Reads like a serious version of a Donald E. Westlake “John Dortmunder” caper. The mayor gets caught in an affair. The ”mysterious stranger” helps save the villagers, and everyone learns more about themselves than they might want to know. An oldie but goodie. Recommended. 06/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

SO COLD THE RIVER by Michael Koryta: One outburst was all it took for Eric Shaw to effectively ruin his career in Hollywood. Now he spends his time making videos for weddings and funerals. Alyssa Bradford hires Eric to make a film about her father-in-law, the wealthy Campbell Bradford. The man never talked much about his early days, but Alyssa knows that he grew up in West Baden Springs, Indiana, and she’s given Eric a memento that Campbell has carried around all these years: an old bottle of Pluto mineral water. Strangely, the bottle—still sealed after all this time—is cool to the touch. As Eric arrives in West Baden Springs, he notices that the bottle actually becomes frosty. They used to say that Pluto Water could cure anything. Curious, Eric decides to try a little taste and the results are more than he bargained for. Now Eric must unravel the secrets of Campbell Bradford’s past, but he’s not even sure what’s real anymore. Koryta’s So Cold the River is a chilling and dark thriller that captures readers from the very start and doesn’t let up until the final page. The grand West Baden Springs Hotel, the Lost River, and even Pluto Water are all very real, though drinking the water is not really recommended today. 06/10 Becky Lejeune  

THE SOCORRO BLAST by Pari Noskin Taichert: Sasha Solomon is awakened in the wee hours of the morning with a call that no one wants. Her niece Gabi has been hospitalized after her mailbox exploded. At first, the incident is chalked up to a teenage prank. Gabi is a grad student at the local college who has given failing grades to more than one undergrad. Sasha then discovers a racial/religious slur painted on her niece’s porch, along with an unpleasant gift, and she begins to suspect that the mailbox bomb - certainly stronger than the firecrackers the police are blaming - may actually have been a very serious hate crime. Gabi has been working on some secretive research with her advisor, and lover, that just happens to involve explosives. Then said advisor goes missing and Gabi refuses to talk. Coincidentally, Sasha, a public relations consultant who has been hired to help revitalize tourism in the area, finds out that her new boss’s daughter is married to the missing professor. Whispers of terrorist plots begin to make their way through the community and Sasha has to use her PR and investigative talents to help clear her niece’s name before it is too late. Like her fellow Murderati blogger, Louise Ure, Pari Noskin Taichert has a real talent for drawing readers in. This is a great cozy mystery with more than a little cultural criticism and just a hint of the supernatural (Sasha’s occasional visions that she reckons are due to mental exhaustion). Sasha Solomon is a loveable and flawed character with a whipped cream addiction and a true loyalty to friends and family. Although this is technically the third in a series, Socorro can be read and enjoyed all on its own. 01/08 Becky Lejeune

THE SOCORRO BLAST by Pari Noskin Taichert:  At first I didn’t really care that much for New Mexico public relations expert Sasha Solomon, but either she is changing or I am.  I think its because there is now more action and less woo woo In this enjoyable third outing, Sasha has been hired by Socorro town leader Papi Sanchez to help the town boost tourism.  This is great from Sasha’s point of view since her favorite niece is a graduate student at New Mexico Tech in Socorro studying explosive technology.  But when Gabi is victimized by a mailbox bomb, is she the victim of random violence or is this a hate crime, since Gabi is Jewish with an Iranian surname?  Not only is Socorro the home of New Mexico Tech, it is the home of secrets and scandals that imperil Sasha as she searches for the truth.  First rate. 04/08 Jack Quick  

SOLAR by Ian McEwan: Whether or not you like Mr. McEwan's stories, his use of language always makes reading his work a pleasure. In this case, he writes about an absolutely revolting excuse for a human being, Michael Beard. Beard won a Nobel Prize for a gloss on Einstein's attempts at unification referred to as the "Beard-Einstein Conflation." Since that time, he has done nothing of significance. He has rested on his laurels professionally, cheated on his five wives at every opportunity and gotten fat.

As this story opens, wife number 5 is giving him a taste of his own cheating medicine and he doesn't like it. Ultimately, she even cheats on him with one of his young and exceptionally idealistic co-workers. When the confrontation between Beard and this man comes, his youthful rival slips on rug, hits his head on a table and bleeds to death in front of him - classic Chaplin slapstick. In best rotten guy practice, Beard frames another of his wife's lovers for the death and steals the co-worker's work product, a promising technology for renewable energy.

Beard continues to flourish without any effort on his part until the end of the novel, where everything suddenly turns on him.
While not particularly thought-inspiring, this is nonetheless a good story told by a fine writer with generous portions of humor. Without going into particulars, my favorite extended joke involved a cruise to the South Pole to examine the effects of global-warming first hand. Imagine for a moment, Beard in a snowsuit on the back of a snow mobile, teasing a polar bear. And the joke actually gets much, much better.

This is an excellent summer read which will enable you to feel superior to your friends reading fluff on the beach while you secretly have just as much fun.  06/10 Geoffrey R. Hamlin

SOME WELCOME HOME by Sharon Wildwind: Captain Elizabeth "Pepper" Pepperhawk has returned from a Vietnam tour to serve at the army hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  When she checks into the Transient Officers Quarters there is a dead man in her bed.  This occurs not long after the infamous McDonald case at Ft. Bragg in which Captain McDonald’s pregnant wife and two children are slaughtered, so the military police are particularly edgy about the situation.  This the first of a planned five book set by a former Army nurse who recreates the atmosphere of the early 70’s military extremely well, down to the “slang” of the times.  As a veteran of that era, I look forward to the future volumes. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

SOMEBODY ELSE’S DAUGHTER by Elizabeth Brundage:  This a cross between Peyton Place and a Jackie Collins tell all, where nothing is at it seems.  Nate and Cat are in the San Francisco drug scene when Cat gets pregnant. Knowing they cannot raise a daughter, they give up Willa for adoption.  Fast forward. Willa now attends a private New England day-school and lives in upper middle class comfort with her adoptive parents.  However, her adoptive father, Joe is one of the nation’s largest producers of porn.  The lid starts to come off when Nate, now clean and respectable is hired by the Pioneer school. At the same time the son of a struggling artist, Claire Squire, gets a back-door admittance to the land of school ties, little plaid skirts, and do-gooder opportunities.  Guess what – fireworks follow.  Would probably be a good Oprah pick, but never really got me going.  06/09 Jack Quick 

SOMEBODY OWES ME MONEY by Donald E. Westlake: “I bet none of it would have happened if I wasn’t so eloquent.  That’s always been my problem – eloquence, though some may claim my problem was something else again.”  Thus begins the tale of New York City cab driver Chet Conway in Hardcase Crime #44, a reprint of a 1969 classic from Westlake.  Conway’s troubles start with a good tip from his latest fare – Purple Pecunia – a horse that looked to be lucky to finish a race the same day he started.  But Conway takes a chance and the nag wins.  When Chet goes to collect he finds his bookie shot to death and soon at least two groups trying to make him the same way.  The only good thing that happens is he becomes friends with the dead man’s beautiful sister, a Las Vegas blackjack dealer, but only after she also threatens to kill him, as well.  A good breezy read. 06/08 Jack Quick

SOMETHING FROM THE NIGHTSIDE by Simon R. Green: Fans of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files might want to check out the first in Green’s Nightside series. John Taylor is the owner of Taylor Investigations in London. He doesn’t take every case. He specializes in “finding things.” So, when client Joanna Barrett asks him to find her fifteen-year-old runaway daughter, Cathy, he’s willing to take the job, until he hears she ran to the Nightside. The Nightside is the ancient, hidden, dark side of London, it’s evil twin. According to Taylor, it’s where the wild things are, and Cathy must really be in trouble to have gone there. Taylor grew up in the Nightside, with a father who drank himself to death after finding out that John’s mother wasn’t human. He doesn’t want to go back because he himself is one of the mysteries of the Nightside, and he thrives on its atmosphere. But, he’s a sucker for a hard-luck story, a white knight who rescues people, so he plunges back into the dark, evil world to try to rescue the girl. If you follow John Taylor all the way into the Nightside once, you’ll be as tempted to return as he is. It’s an eerie world that calls to the reader. 03/07 Lesa Holstine

SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY by Marcia Muller:  If you are a fan, this 19 story volume recounting the adventures of Sharon McCone and ace apprentice Rae Kelleher in the earlier days of the McCone Detective Agency will feel like that old flannel shirt that is too worn and tattered to wear outside the house, but has too many memories and feels too good to consider throwing away.  If some of them seem familiar, then why not, you probably have read them through the years.  On the other hand, if you have not yet discovered Muller, this is a great way to test drive one of my favorite series.  And don’t forget husband Bill Pronzini who is also known to have written a book or two. 08/07 Jack Quick 

THE SOMNAMBULIS by Jonathan Barnes:  Conjurer and sometime detective Edward Moon and his silent, milk addicted sidekick the Somnambulist, are working a new case. There is a nefarious plot to overthrow London. Not many are aware of the plan and those that are, are not the most reliable witnesses. It begins with a murder. Police are quick to wrap it up but soon discover that they have not solved anything. Moon is approached after a second murder occurs and is somewhat forced into compliance. The peculiar truth that is slowly discovered is a conspiracy that is deeply rooted in the beliefs of a dead poet. Strange characters with even stranger affectations abound in this weirdly wonderful debut. Jonathan Barnes’s novel transcends many genres and that’s what makes it so good. Part detective novel, part supernatural fantasy and all original, The Somnambulist may be hard to describe but it sure is twisted fun. Barnes is already drawing comparison to the likes of Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaimen. The Somnambulist certainly is much less daunting than Clarke’s tome, but is just as rewarding in the end and the comparison between the two stops there. In my opinion, Moon and his story resemble a sort of odd and aging Sherlock Holmes. I’m sure everyone will have their own opinions, but I am also sure that they will enjoy it nonetheless. 02/08 Becky Lejeune

THE SONG IS YOU by Megan Abbot:  While most everyone has heard of the Black Dahlia, the disappearance of actress Jean Spangler from Los Angeles in 1949 is much less well known, until now.  Abbot uses this real life case to tell the story through the actions of a journalist turned studio pr hack named Gil “Hop” Hopkins.  In the book, Hopkins helps cover up the facts surrounding Spangler’s initial disappearance and then late becomes remorseful over his role in the affair.  Down, dirty, gritty, and ugly, its an interesting read, but afterwards you will probably want to wash your hands with lots of soap and hot water, several times.  There are no heroes in Hollywood.  08/07 Jack Quick 

SONG OF KALI by Dan Simmons: It’s summer 1977 and poet Bobby Luczak has been asked to travel to Calcutta in search of famed poet M. Das. Das has been missing and presumed dead for seven years, but recent reports suggest that not only is he alive and well, but that there are new works to be acquired. Bobby decides to make it a family trip and brings along his wife and young daughter for the ride. Little does he know the horror that awaits him in this foreign land. Luczak soon finds himself sucked into a terrible and dangerous underworld said to have links to the goddess Kali, a figure that some say represents death and destruction. Upon arrival, Luczak’s biggest fear is that the reports of Das may be at best a mistake and at worst a scam. Before he returns home, he will face the ultimate tragedy and the true meaning of fear. Simmons’ debut novel was winner of the World Fantasy award in 1985. Since then he has gone on to win multiple awards in horror, science fiction, and mystery. This is the book that started it all. Chilling and magnificent, Song of Kali is a book that will continue to stand the test of time.  11/08 Becky Lejeune

SONG OF SCARABAEUS by Sara Creasy: In the future, the Crib rules. This government is set on terraforming new worlds, making them suitable for human settlement and able to produce food and farming for the people. The rule of thumb is that any world with a developed ecosystem is not a candidate for terraforming. Edie is recruited as a cypherteck for her ability to manipulate the biocyph used to make terraforming possible. Unfortunately the first world she is assigned to is a beautiful planet with an advanced ecosystem of its won. In other words, it was supposed to be off limits. It was the Crib’s biggest failure and Edie’s finest achievement. Now Edie will be forced back to that world. Forced to face the truth of the Crib and the effects of biocyph. But after being a slave to the oppressive Crib for so long, Edie may not be able to escape. Though some of the sci-fi concepts eluded me, Creasy’s debut is still a fine achievement; a wonderfully plotted adventure and a gripping story. 04/10 Becky Lejeune   

THE SONNET LOVER by Carol Goodman: The life and identity of William Shakespeare has been a popular topic of debate among academics for quite some time. One mystery involves the identities of the two people thought to have been the subject of Shakespeare’s sonnets - one, a young man, and the other, a woman known as the Dark Lady. In Carol Goodman’s latest literary mystery, she tackles the possible identity of this Dark Lady who captivated Shakespeare’s heart. During a reception in his honor, Robin Weiss, a film student at Hudson College, falls to his death from a school balcony. Authorities are convinced it was suicide, especially following the witness accounts. Dr. Rose Asher, one of Robin’s professors, was not close enough to see what happened, but she has her doubts as to the cause of Robin’s death. Only moments before his fall, Robin passed Rose an envelope containing a sonnet and a letter in which he requested that Rose accompany him to Italy. Robin claimed to have discovered a cache of poems hidden at La Civetta – a villa owned by one of the patrons of the college. Rose is well aware of the rumors regarding the villa. A sixteenth century poet named Ginevra de Laura was said to have been the mistress of La Civetta. According to the stories, Ginevra de Laura was cast out of the home upon the death of her lover. Although she was said to have been a great poet, none of her work has ever been discovered. Other rumors purport to link Ginevra to Shakespeare himself. Determined to discover the truth, Rose travels to Italy where she confronts her own past as well as the ghosts of La Civetta. Goodman’s work is truly amazing. Her lyrical prose and luscious settings make each novel a true delight for readers. 07/07 Becky Lejeune

SORROW'S ANTHEM by Michael Koryta:  Private Investigator Lincoln Perry is back and this time it’s personal.  Perry hears that Ed Gradduk, his estranged childhood friend, is accused of murdering a lawyer and then burning the house down around her, and subsequently is the object of a manhunt through his old neighborhood.  Perry feels compelled to try and help his old friend who then proclaims his innocence. But the chase ends with Gradduk dead under the wheels of a cop car, ending any hope of reconciliation and opening up a lot of questions for Perry, who witnesses the accident.  Perry isn’t sure Gradduk is guilty and sets out to find the truth, but first has to deal with a lot of old baggage and call in a lot of favors.  While the story of childhood friends, grown in different directions yet finding their lives still intertwined is interesting (and somewhat reminiscent of Mystic River by Lehane), the pacing is uneven, the characters fall flat and the story just strains credibility. While I absolutely loved the title and the story behind it, nonetheless this was a disappointing second effort from the gifted young writer of Tonight I Say Goodbye, but I expect better the next time around.  02/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch. Copyright © 2006 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission.

THE SOUL CATCHER by Alex Kava:  Kava dives headfirst into the headline-grabbing worlds of cult religions and FBI standoffs in this third novel to feature FBI Special Agent and profiler Maggie Odell is called to attend the autopsy of an agent with whom she has previously worked.  He was killed when a standoff in the Massachusetts woods results in the deaths of five young cult members holed up in a backwoods cabin.  Then a U.S. senator's daughter is found murdered in Washington, D.C., and her death seems to be related to the cult and its charismatic leader, Rev. Joseph Everett.  It becomes even more personal for Maggie when she learns her former alcoholic mother has joined Everett's church and partner Tully's daughter was with the senator's daughter on the night she was killed.  Twistier than a Six Flags roller coaster ride, you will want to hold on throughout this one. 01/10 Jack Quick 

Soul Circus by George Pelecanos: The BookBitch recommended Pelecanos to me some time ago. Of course, she was right. I was hooked after reading Nick's Trip and proceeded to devour everything else I could find by Pelecanos. He writes tough and he does it extremely well. But more than that, Pelecanos has a sense of how our heritage and place shape us. When he talks about growing up in Washington, D.C. and generations of Greek families, I can't help but think of Nathaniel Hawthorne's chapter about the customs house at the beginning of The Scarlet Letter.
    But back to the blood and guts. Soul Circus has 'em. D.C. is still the place and it is going downhill as young dropouts carve lives for themselves in gangs and the drug trade. Derek Strange, a former cop, sees it and tries, unsuccessfully, to stand apart, as he creates a family for himself. But he can't. His search for mitigating evidence to present on the death penalty portion of a murder trial puts him in the middle of a gang war, the recruitment of school age children into the drug trade and the illegal trade in weapons.
    At the end of the book, lots of people are dead and those who did bad things are punished. But the problems remain in D.C. and Strange knows it. He is truly walking (or driving his hooptie) down the "mean streets." ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

SOULLESS by Gail Carriger:  Miss Alexia Tarabotti is nothing if not a modern woman. In a Victorian London that has embraced vampires and werewolves, Alexia is more comfortable keeping her own secrets to herself, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t thirst for knowledge or that she’s willing to sit idly by as events unfold around her. When a new vampire very rudely attacks her at a party, Alexia accidentally kills him. An investigation begins and there are rumors that Alexia’s incident might have been somewhat intentional. Confident that she can help unravel the mystery, she begins poking her nose into the event, and learns that someone has been creating new vampires without the consent of the powers that be. Add to that the fact that unattached vampires and werewolves have been disappearing from London and the surrounding areas and Alexia’s got the makings of a mystery on her hands. If she can solve the case, she can prove her worth to the investigators, not the least of which is the ever-irritating Lord Maccon. With society’s constrictions, though, Alexia will have to keep things under wraps, and Maccon watching her every move is making it that much more difficult for her to conduct her own inquiries. Carriger’s debut is a fun mix of paranormal and steampunk and I can’t wait to see what comes next for Alexia and Maccon. A definite stand out. 10/09 Becky Lejeune 

SOULSTICE: THE DEVOURING BOOK 2 by Simon Holt: This creepy follow-up to Simon Holt’s debut, The Devouring, takes place six months after Reggie Halloway and her friends came head to head with the Vours on Sorry Night. Vours, evil, demon-like beings, can only enter a human’s body on Sorry Night. But Reggie’s own ability to enter the Fearscape has changed everything. Now the Vours are gearing up for something different and it’s all going down on the Summer Solstice, a date that is fast approaching. Reggie and her best friend Aaron will once again have to fight to protect the ones they love, and this time to prevent an event that could allow the Vours open access to our world. The horror elements and imagery in Holt’s series make it a true standout in the YA genre, and the end will leave fans begging for more. 09/09 Becky Lejeune

THE SOUR CHERRY SURPRISE by David Handler:  Berger and Mitry are back, sort of. In Handler’s latest mystery, set in Dorset, Connecticut, Des Mitry, the town’s resident trooper, has broken up with Berger, and allowed her ex-husband to move in. Mitch Berger returned to New York City, and found his success as a movie critic has taken off. He’s even offered his own show in L.A. So, when Des finds unpleasant surprises on Sour Cherry Lane, Mitch isn’t around to help her investigate. Instead, she has to deal with a nine-year-old girl whose parents split. Her mother now lives with two men, and seldom leaves the house. Her father, a professor, is homeless, and was beaten up by the mother’s boyfriend. And, the worst surprise of all is to find a drug cartel has moved into Dorset, under Mitry’s nose. Mitch only learns about the events in Dorset through email from a friend, but it’s a frantic email that brings Mitch racing back to help Des. Some readers will be unhappy with the lack of interaction between the two main characters. However, this storyline is perfect for this stage in their relationship. The Sour Cherry Surprise is filled with surprises for readers, and the characters as well. 07/08 Lesa Holstine

SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy: I became a Pat Conroy fan while living in South Carolina many years ago.  Imagine my surprise to learn this week that he met his wife in my (Hoover, Alabama) library. What a small world.  In a way, that also describes his latest effort. The narrator is Charleston, S.C., gossip columnist Leopold Bloom King who, in the late '60s and after his brother commits suicide, befriends a cross-section of the city's inhabitants: scions of Charleston aristocracy; Appalachian orphans; a black football coach's son; and an astonishingly beautiful pair of twins, Sheba and Trevor Poe, who are evading their psychotic father.  From that point the story alternates between 1969 and 1989, as the foundations of southern society are quaked by the social and political forces unleashed earlier in the sixties. Over the two decades, these friends find success in journalism, the bar, law enforcement, music, and Hollywood while coming to grips with  truths about love, lust, classism, racism, religion, and what it means to be shaped by a particular place, be it Charleston, South Carolina, or anywhere else in the U.S.  Highly recommended. 09/09 Jack Quick 

SOUTHTOWN by Rick Riordan:  FBI agent Sam Barrera and cop Fred Barrow ended Will Stirman's career as a flesh peddler selling illegal Mexican immigrants into slavery.  Now Stirman has escaped and is looking for revenge.  Barrow is long dead, shot by his abused wife Erainya Manos, for whom Tres Navarre is now working as a PI in his native San Antonio, Texas.  Barrera, now a PI as well, is suffering from beginning Alzheimer’s and is only partly able to help when Stirman turns his anger on Manos and her eight year-old son.  Through it all, Navarre walks a thin, highly believable and surprisingly suspenseful line in the type adventure for which Riordan has become justly noted. 07/07 Jack Quick 

Southwesterly Wind by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza: The third entry in Mr. Garcia-Roza's Inspector Espinoza series is just as unusual and engrossing as the first two - The Silence of the Rain and December Heat. This time out, a troubled young man comes to the police station to report that a psychic has foretold that he will murder someone before his next birthday. When he feels that the police and his girl friend are not taking him seriously, he buys a gun and goes looking for the mysterious fortune-teller. Then people around him start dying.
    Inspector Espinosa thinks and daydreams his way through to the conclusion of the deaths, but there are several interesting twists along the way.
    The plot is further enriched by the human touches in the good inspector's life. In addition to gazing at the ocean in times of confusion, the good Inspector is still working on his bookshelves made of books. And he is thinking about getting a dog.
    Inspector Espinosa is a breath of decency in a tough and corrupt business and these books are a refreshing change also. I recommend them highly. 03/04 ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

SPADE AND ARCHER by Joe Gores: Joe Gores is to Dashiell Hammett as Michael Connelly is to Raymond Chandler. There are strong parallels between Hammett and Gores. Both were residents of San Francisco and their work reflects a knowledge of place and its history. Both actually worked as private detectives for a time and both have written about fictional detective agencies - Hammett, the Continental and Gores, Dan Kearney and Associates.

Gores' respect for Hammett led to Hammett's daughter approving Gores' Spade and Archer, a prequel to The Maltese Falcon. It succeeds in every respect. As it happens, I watched The Maltese Falcon again midway through my reading and not a beat is missed. I think that Hammett himself would have liked it. (Although he would have wanted to be paid, too.)

Spade and Archer is the story of Sam Spade coming to San Francisco from the Seattle area and setting up his own one-man shop. It explains how he came to hire his secretary Effie and eventually bring in Miles Archer as a partner despite his deficiencies in character. Although the novel involves several different cases, there is a connected thread in the form of a criminal mastermind who kills any potential witnesses and is never seen. Sam methodically works his way through each case in approved, old time private detective fashion, with shoe leather, booze, and assistance from colorful characters he knows and solves each of them to the grateful client's satisfaction. Although not before making sure that he has run up a sufficient bill to compensate himself and Effie.

Each case story is a treat and the final confrontation is perfect for a black and white movie. (It is too bad that John Huston, Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Elisha Cook, Jr. are no longer around. But that means that you can cast your own actors as you read.) This book will be on my list of annual favorites for 2009. If you are a fan of noir crime fiction, Dashiell Hammett, or old movies, you are in for a rare entertainment. Enjoy.  05/09 Geoffrey R. Hamlin

THE SPACE BETWEEN BEFORE AND AFTER by Jean Reynolds Page: February 1, 2003, the date the space shuttle Columbia fell apart upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Holli Templeton tries to shake off the sense of dread and foreboding that falls upon her as she watches the news coverage, but her family does have a history. Strange as it seems, major NASA events seem to coincide with one of her family’s own tragedies. Her fear prompts her to call her grandmother, Raine, in Texas - Holli’s son, Connor, and his girlfriend, Kilian, are living in a trailer at the back of Raine’s property. Connor, her son, answers and assures her that everything is fine, but that Raine has been acting strange. When she next speaks to her grandmother, Raine claims that she had a talk with her daughter, Holli’s dead mother. The conversation ends abruptly and Holli prepares herself to travel home and confront her past. In coming to grips with the current challenges facing their family, each one of them will have to reevaluate their past, present, and future expectations. Holli will have to let go of years of anger, Raine will have to learn to forgive herself her past mistakes, and Connor will have to make some tough decisions and finally grow-up. This is a very character-driven novel, and each one of Page’s creations is a rounded and complex person you can sympathize and easily connect with. As a result, Space is a touching, sometimes heart-wrenching, read. 05/08 Becky Lejeune

SPARE CHANGE by Robert B. Parker:  The Spare Change Killer terrorized Boston killing seven people apparently at random.  It was very frustrating for Boston cop Phil Randall who was head of the Task Force assigned to catch him.  The Killer made it worse by sending notes to Randall.  Now twenty years after the first seven killings a new body and note have turned up.  This time around, Phil involves P.I. daughter Sunny Randall and the two serve as consultant and assistant respectively to a new task force.  In addition, Sunny is trying to reconcile her own relationship problems with ex-husband Robbie.  Stir in a few cameos from some of the characters of Parker’s other series, and Sunny Randall number Six may be the best yet.  Not that there has ever been a bad one.  Parker and James Lee Burke, and an occasional Michael Connelly.  I do read the good life. 06/07 Jack Quick

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL by Richard Hawke: Can a book live up to its hype? This one does - it definitely lives up to the glowing reviews from all the professional journals. This 'first novel' is a fast paced PI story featuring a smart, fearless, sharp-witted private investigator named Fritz Malone. Fritz has connections; his father was the former NYC police commissioner who disappeared several years earlier. As this is the start of the series, solving that case may turn up at some point. However this story starts out with a shooting at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but it really is about connections, city politics and ultimately, good and evil. Fritz is quite likeable, his girlfriend and her father good supporting characters, and Hawke spins out a tale that is full of surprises.  01/06 Stacy Alesi, the BookBitch

Speak of the Devil by Richard Hawke: It was an accident that Manhattan PI Fritz Malone saw the shooter aim at a float in the Macy’s Parade. It wasn’t an accident that he was soon involved in the cover story that the Mayor’s office and the Police Commissioner told to hide the truth from the public. At a time when the NYPD was involved in a scandal, no one connected wanted to reveal the truth about a killer holding the city hostage, demanding ransom to prevent further deaths. Fritz, the son of the former police commissioner, refuses to just act as an errand boy since he realizes something fishy is going on. Hawke’s first mystery makes a smashing debut with a terrific new detective. Fritz Malone is a welcome addition to the world of Archie Goodwin and Spenser, a world of sharp-tongued, sharp witted private detectives. 01/06 Lesa Holstine

Special Circumstances by Sheldon Siegel: Move over John Grisham!  There's a new lawyer on the block, and this one writes a taut, fast-paced legal thriller that you can't put down.  Random House signed this first time author to a multi-book contract.  Read this book and you will know why! 

THE SPECIALIST by Gordon Aalborg:  If you loved Hannibel Lector, then this book is for you.  If you prefer your crimes tied up neatly with a minimum of muss and fuss, then better put this one aside as a last resort.  Kirsten, a Vancouver jewelry designer is trying to locate missing sister Emma, when on a caving expedition, she finds a piece of jewelry she made for Emma.  Someone among her circle of caving friends may be responsible for Emma's probable death, someone who brings new meaning to the phrase, “she looks good enough to eat.”  As Aalborg spins the tale there are at least three possible culprits.  Genuinely creepy and a pretty good daytime only read. 06/06 Jack Quick

SPECIMEN DAYS by Michael Cunningham:  An homage to Walt Whitman, this strange, brooding and brilliant book parallels three stories celebrating New York City past, present and future.  The first, set during the industrial revolution, has the ghost of a man named Simon inhabiting the machine that killed him.  His younger brother Luke takes his place at the machine where he feels it warning him of impending doom for Catherine, Simon's girlfriend.  In New York City present, Cat, an African American police psychologist, deals with terrorist bombings on the streets of the city which keeps her younger, white boyfriend Simon, entranced.   But when she meets Luke, one of the children involved, her priorities shift.  The final story takes a turn toward science fiction with Cataleen, a lizard-like creature from another planet as nanny to children with the delightful names Tomcruise and Katemoss.  A half man/half robot type creature named Simon ends up running away with her and they meet a young prophet named Luke on their journey.  Whitman is melded into a character in each story and is quoted throughout, creating a cacophony from that single voice that is simply unforgettable.

SPEED SHRINKING by Susan Shapiro: Julia Goodman is in a bit of a bind. She’s known for her inspiring and best-selling self-help titles that help people kick addictions and realize their potential. But Julia, an addictive personality herself, is shocked and a bit lost when her best friend and her therapist move away in the same month. With nowhere to turn, Julia starts a sugar-binge that leads to some serious weight gain. And with mere months before her new book on conquering food addiction is released, the timing couldn’t be worse. As Julia begins a desperate search for a new therapist and a diet that will actually work, she struggles to get into shape for her book launch and hide from the press (and anyone else who will recognize her) before she can get toned and abandon her cupcake habit. Speed Shrinking bounces back and forth between amusing and kind of annoying. Julia’s various neuroses can get a bit overwhelming at times, and it’s not until the very end that one of her therapists tells her what the reader has been thinking all along, “You look fine and your weight talk is superficial and trite.” But then again, the title does hit a bit close to home for me and that could be my own neurotic tendencies I’m seeing reflected on the page. 08/09 Becky Lejeune 

THE SPELLMAN FILES by Lisa Lutz: I think I was oversold by the “hype” on this book. In a nutshell, Isabel "Izzy" Spellman is a San Francisco PI who began working for Spellman Investigations at age 12. Now at age 28, she is making lists of things as she tries to decide whether to continue in this line of work or try something else. A cold case assignment leads to the disappearance of 14-year old sister Rae, but even that comes across with all the sense of jeopardy usually associated with a Grandma Mazur visit to a Trenton funeral home. Overall, I didn’t find the book that funny, nor did I ever sense any feeling of danger. I would be willing to try a second outing but only if it is more focused. A disappointment. 04/07 Jack Quick

THE SPELLMAN FILES by Lisa Lutz: Meet Isabel Spellman. She’s a spunky troublemaking private eye who works for her parents’ P.I. firm. The story begins with Izzy being interrogated in regards to her young sister Rae’s disappearance. What follows is a hilarious chronicle of Izzy Spellman’s life leading up to the event in question. As a child and young adult, Izzy tormented her parents. She keeps an exhaustive list of all the “crimes” she got away with and a list of “interrogations” held in her parents’ basement for crimes she is suspected of having committed. She also keeps a running list of all ex-boyfriends, the most recent of which has led Izzy to the decision that she must leave the family business and try to live a “normal” life. Unfortunately for Izzy, her parents are not willing to let her go without a fight. Before they will agree to let her go with a reference that will allow her to gain employment elsewhere (and move out of their house) Izzy’s parents force her to work one last case – a twelve-year-old missing persons case that they hope will convince their daughter to stay. It is at this point in the story that fourteen-year-old Rae goes missing. Hilarity ensues as this quirky and dysfunctional family reluctantly pulls together to find its youngest member. Anyone who loves Janet Evanovich has to try Lisa Lutz. 03/07 Becky Lejeune

THE SPELLMAN’S STRIKE AGAIN by Lisa Lutz: The latest Spellman hijinks will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. I certainly was. As Izzy’s relationship with ex-boyfriend #12 matures, her mother pulls one of her final blackmail cards out of her hat: prom 1994. With this hanging over Izzy’s head, the elder Spellman begins sending her on an endless round of blind dates fitting her own guidelines for Izzy’s perfect mate. Meanwhile, David and his new girlfriend are trying to outsmart the PI family and are hiding a secret. But is their secret as enticing as the one that Izzy’s parents are hiding? And teenage Rae finds a new cause in pro bono research, but takes things just a bit too far in rallying her troops. Curious yet? You should be. Lisa Lutz is wonderful. I laughed, I cried (literally), and now I’ll go into withdrawal until Izzy and her insane family return.  03/10 Becky Lejeune 

THE SPIES OF WARSAW by Alan Furst:  My first Furst, but thank heavens he has written others.  While most books about the time period leading up to World War II seem to focus on the major players- England, Germany, Japan – Furst’ effort revolves around French Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier, the military attaché at the French embassy in Warsaw, Poland.  Mercier is a decorated hero of the 1914 war on a par with Charles de Gaulle and, at best, a reluctant spymaster.  While he recognizes the value of espionage, like many of the officer class of his generation, it is just not something gentlemen willing do.  Mercier is “running” a German engineer who has been caught in a “honey trap” and is not providing information on the evolving German panzer tanks. At the same time, the handsome aristocrat finds himself in a passionate love affair with a Parisian woman of Polish heritage, a lawyer for the League of Nations.  The parallels between his situation and that of his agent are obvious and troublesome to Colonel Mercier who must constantly work in the shadows again powerful and well-trained opponents.  Furst has created rich characters and seems to have captured the time period perfectly.  Along with Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva, The Spies of Warsaw is among my best reads of the year. 08/08 Jack Quick 

SPIDER LIGHT by Sarah Rayne:  Dr. Antonia Weston has just been released from a five-year stint in prison after being convicted of murdering one of her patients. The man in question had developed a twisted obsession with her and the killing was undeniably self-defense. The court determined, however, that because Weston was the man’s doctor, and because as a medical professional she had taken an oath to heal not to hurt, she must serve time. Her reemergence into normal society will be a delicate one and so, to ease back into the world, she rents a small cottage in the secluded town of Amberwood. Here she becomes enthralled with the local history of the town’s mill, Twygrist, and the now demolished mental asylum, Latchkill. Unfortunately for Dr. Weston, her peaceful and relaxing stay in Amberwood has been manipulated by someone who doesn’t feel that she has quite been punished enough for her crime. Amberwood has seen more than its fair share of tragedy and Rayne twists multiple story lines together in this novel creating what is both a modern and historical thriller. Disturbing doesn’t even begin to describe many of the horrendous crimes that take place in this book. In spite of this, or rather because of it, Spider Light is a gritty and suspenseful thriller that delivers. Rayne is great suspense for fans who enjoy the likes of Minette Walters and Mo Hayder. 02/08 Becky Lejeune

THE SPIRE by Richard North Patterson: Patterson steps off his soap box in this departure from political hot potatoes like the Arab/Israeli conflict (Exile) and oil in South Africa (Eclipse) to write this intriguing novel of psychological suspense.  Character development is key here; Mark Darrow, the young football player who receives a scholarship to Caldwell, a small, private college; his best friend Steve Tillman, who is in prison for a murder he may not have committed; and Lionel Farr, ex-Special Forces and the professor who becomes Darrow’s mentor and closest friend.  Darrow leaves Caldwell for law school and fame as a defense attorney until Farr asks him to come back as President of the college.  The current president is under investigation for embezzlement, and they need someone popular enough and persuasive enough to help keep the money flowing in from the alumni.  For Darrow, going home again means visiting his old friend Steve in prison and reexamining his conviction, and investigating the embezzlement and all the current board members, making some people very uncomfortable. Then another murder occurs, and the suspense intensifies until the shocking conclusion in this tightly plotted story.  Sure to please fans of Raymond Chandler, Michael Connelly and James Lee Burke.  09/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch. Copyright © 2009 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission.

THE SPIRE by Richard North Patterson: When I was a student at Georgia Tech, the term for not obtaining the grades or respect you felt you were entitled to was known as being shafted or given the shaft. Today at the center of campus is an 80-foot-tall campanile (the Kessler Campanile) which has the rough appearance of a twisted obelisk, tapering towards the top and capped with a pyramidal piece. It is constructed of 244 stainless steel plates, with each rotated slightly to produce the swirling pattern as height increases. On campus it is known, of course, as The Shaft. Similarly the Spire, a 200 foot plus sandstone belltower, is the centerpiece of Caldwell College in Wayne, Ohio. It is there that gifted athlete Mark Darrow discovers the body of murdered black coed Angela Hall, a murder for shich his best friend is convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Now a nationally renowned lawyer, Mark is offered by his friend and mentor Lionel Farr, now the provost of Caldwell College, the post of college president 16 years after Angela's murder. Mark agrees to return to Caldwell, now struggling with the suspected embezzlement of $900,000 from its endowment by its current president. Upon his return, Mark investigates both the embezzlement and the old murder hitting exposed nerves and stirring up both old and new tensions. A good one. 06/10 Jack Quick

THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY by Ted Allbeury: Philby, Burgess and Maclean – arguably the three biggest traitors of the Cold War. But was there a Fourth Man? One who was never uncovered. George Carling, now Lord Carling, one of the top British SIS agents during the cold war, could be that person and now a tabloid newspaper is threatening to expose dark secrets about him. The SIS wants to know the truth – and before anything gets printed, so agent Tim Mathews is sent to visit Carling and hear his version. A spy story based more on emotion than action, this is another good one from one of the masters. 09/07 Jack Quick 

SPIRIT HOUSE by Christopher Moore:  I have enjoyed Tim Hallinan’s Bangkok series featuring Poke Rafferty so much that I thought I would give this one a try.  Vincent Calvino is a disbarred lawyer working in Bangkok as a PI.  When a farang (foreigner) is found dead, the Bangkok police have a confession the next morning from a young paint-thinner addict.   It doesn’t seem right to Calvino, so he weighs in on behalf of the addict for a friend who runs a slum charity.  The freight is being paid by the father of the expat Brit victim, Ben Hoadly. Money is no problem and soon Calvino’s best friend, Pratt, a Shakespeare quoting Thai police colonel, and his loyal assistant, Ratana are deeply into a dangerous world of addicts, dealers, fortune tellers, inexpensive hit men, oversexed foreigners, and professional bar girls.  I think I still prefer Hallinan but will certainly try more of Moore – did I really write that? Oh well. At least the contest between Moore and Hallinan did not end in a Thai. 11/09 Jack Quick 

SPLIT IMAGE by Robert B. Parker:  This ninth Paradise police chief Jesse Stone novel also includes PI Sunny Randall and Susan Silverman, the significant other of Parker’s best known character – Spenser.  Stone is following up on the gunshot murders of Petrov Ognowski and Knocko Moynihan.  Moynihan and Reggie Galen are both ex-mobsters (?), neighbors and husbands of identical twin wives.  Their apparent happiness (at least prior to Moynihan’s murder) sets Jesse off on an introspective review of his own failed marriage.  Randall is trying to help the parents of 18-year old Cheryl DeMarco to get her to come back home from a Paradise religious cult, an act that also sets off the emotional alarms and send her to Silverman.  If you are a Parker fan, you have to wonder if he sensed his own demise and is trying somehow in this book to clean up a lot of loose ends.  Enjoyable, but different.  03/10 Jack Quick

SPLIT SECOND by David Baldacci:  Secret Service agent Sean King is distracted-by something when the presidential candidate he's guarding is shot dead.  Eight years later, agent Michelle Maxwell lets the candidate she's watching enter a funeral parlor room alone; he's kidnapped.  King ends up as a successful lawyer in a small Virginia town, living a quiet and peaceful life that is shattered by the murder of one of his employees, a man who was in the federal Witness Protection program.  Maxwell sees King on TV and decides to look into the event that caused his disgrace, so similar to hers. Meanwhile, King's old flame, Joan Dillinger, an ex-agent whose security firm has been hired to find the kidnapped presidential candidate, hires King to help in the hunt.  The personal and inter-agency conflicts throughout drive the story to a somewhat unlikely conclusion, but the journey there is first rate. 01/09 Jack Quick   

SPOOKY LITTLE GIRL by Laurie Notaro: Lucy has just returned from her long-awaited vacation to Hawaii (didn't turn out quite as she'd hoped) to find all of her possessions on the lawn and the locks on her doors changed. Her fiancé has kicked her out and cancelled the wedding, with no explanation. Then she loses her job after being accused of stealing and mysteriously failing a drug test. So Lucy packs up and heads home to her sister, hoping for a fresh start. And a fresh start is what she gets, though not in the way she expected. Lucy is hit by a bus and lands in ghost school where she’ll be taught to maneuver the world of the living in order to complete an assignment that will allow her to move on. But the assignment isn’t clear and apparently involves hanging out with her ex and his new girlfriend. Notaro’s fiction debut is a fun story that mixes her unique humor with a sweet paranormal tale of friendship, family, and unfinished business. 05/10 Becky Lejeune

SPOON by Robert Greer: The American West comes alive in this story about a family-run ranch in early 90s Montana. When TJ Darley meets Arcus Witherspoon, a man in search of the truth about his own past and heritage, he can’t know how much the man will affect him and his family over the course of the coming year. Spoon proves his worth to the Darleys and earns himself a position as a ranch hand on the farm after completing a seemingly impossible task: impressing TJ’s father. The family opens up to him and he in turn does his best to help improve their situation. When a large company sets their eye on the Darleys’ ranch and the land neighboring theirs, Spoon’s smarts and talents will prove to be more valuable than any other resource at hand. Greer’s tale is one that is easy to fall into. From start to finish, the reader is completely swept up in the Darleys’ and Spoon’s stories. An excellent book that perfectly illustrates Greer’s talent as a storyteller and writer. Spoon was previously published as a short story included in Greer’s Isolation and Other Stories. 10/09 Becky Lejeune

SPUN TALES by Felicia Donovan:  They are back, those lovable ladies of the Black Widow Agency who specialize in bringing their own brand of justice to wronged women like themselves.  This episode revolves around a famous author whose controversial medical thrillers (hmm, insert guess here) have made her the target of angry fanatics and powerful pharmaceutical interests as well as adoring fans, who may be the most dangerous group of all.  It takes all their trademark blend of computer forensics, surveillance technology and plain old-fashioned feminine intuition to keep the author and her unpublished manuscript safe.  Don’t stumble over some of the scenes like this one: “By the way, Ma, you may want to go out a little more.  Mrs. McDougal cornered me and said she is worried about you because you haven’t been out much. Oh, dear what did you say to her? That you were full of shit. Katie! Sorry but I had to think of something. Oh, and by the way, don’t be surprised if she shows up with prune pie and extra pulp orange juice.”  You gotta love ‘em. 09/08 Jack Quick  

THE SPY WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS by David Morrell: Paul Kagan is the son of Russian gymnasts who defected to the United States when his mother determined she was pregnant. Reared in Florida, he speaks fluent Russian and English and has grown up to hate communists. He is the perfect candidate to become a CIA spy and has been infiltrated into the Russian Mafia to find whether they are in league with Al Qeada. Now it is Christmas Eve and Kagan is in Sante Fe, wounded and being pursued by three Russian “magi”. He has broken cover to run off with a package his bosses have hired him to steal — the baby son of a modern-day peacemaker. It is a marvelous variation on the Christmas story while not being overtly cutesy. 09/09 Jack Quick

ST. ALBANS FIRE by Archer Mayor: St. Albans Fire, the latest in Mr. Mayor's Joe Guenther series may be his best yet. In addition to his always picture perfect invocation of present day New England life, this time Mr. Mayor explores the hearts and minds of his principal characters in greater detail than usual and with an almost exquisite sensitivity not normally encountered in crime fiction.
    His description of the feelings of a teenage farmboy gripped in the emotional chaos of his first sexual encounters gets the hormonal kaleidoscope exactly right and then thrusts this bundle of hopes and potential into a fatal firestorm in the family barn.
    Joe Guenther is assigned by the Vermont Bureau of Investigation to look into this and two other earlier barn fires in the general area. During the course of his investigation, he deals with the whole spectrum of emotional types - the laconic New England farmer father, the angry mother, the mobster's squeeze on the side, and even his own cantankerous staff. In every instance, he explains why he understands this behavior and responds to their various needs to the extent possible. Mayor even invests his bad guys with some humanity, noting that bad people are capable of loving behavior.
    As always, Joe's procedure is sound and leads to his solution of the crime, if not in time, at least in satisfying fashion.
    I really enjoyed the additional development of the characters and believe that this makes this an even stronger than usual offering. However, I do have a niggling concern that this unusual empathy may be unrealistic in a police officer. Even one who has seen a lot of stuff for a long time. I will be interested to see which direction this series goes next.
    Despite my concern, this is, I think, the best book in a fine series and worth reading for fans of crime fiction.  11/05 ~This review contributed by Geoffrey R. Hamlin.

ST. ALBANS FIRE by Archer Mayor: Three mysterious barn burnings, two of which are obviously related, are the basis of Joe Gunther’s 16^th adventure as the number two man in the Vermont Bureau of Investigation.  Gunther becomes involved because the third fire has a human victim as well as dairy cattle.  His investigation leads him to New Jersey where he and sidekick Willy Kunkle are eventually able to solve the case.  Another well-written entry in this series which captures rural New England and all its quirks as well as its beauty and appeal. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

STALKED by Brian Freeman: In the third installment of this thrilling series, Jonathan Stride and Serena have left Vegas and returned to chilly Minnesota. Stride has been reinstated as lieutenant in charge of the Detective Bureau and Serena is now working the private sector, earning money as a PI. The book begins with the murder of Maggie’s husband, Eric. With Maggie the undeniable prime suspect, Stride is not allowed to work the case. So, instead, he tackles a missing person’s investigation; a local woman who was recently involved in a fake rape scandal has disappeared. Stride soon discovers an unmistakable link between Eric and the missing woman. The case takes yet another turn when the body of the woman in question is discovered in one of the area’s frozen lakes. At the same time, someone has been strategically stalking Serena and manipulating her into a position where he can finally strike. He’s been biding his time and planning his revenge, and now with Stride distracted, he’ll finally get his chance. Freeman wowed thriller fans with his debut title, Immoral. His stunning follow-up, Stripped, showed that he was no one-hit wonder. Now, with Stalked, he has surely cemented his position as a guaranteed bestseller.  03/08 Becky Lejeune

STALKED by Brian Freeman: There is a saying that revenge is a dish best served cold, but even Duluth, Minnesota, can become red hot when you look underneath all that beautiful winter snow.  Duluth Police Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is certain that his partner Maggie Bei didn’t kill her husband, but she is hiding a secret.  There are other secrets as well.  A beautiful young woman has disappeared and his lover – former Las Vegas cop and now Duluth P.I. is chasing a blackmailer, who seems to know all the city’s little secrets, including Maggie’s.  Throw in some kinky sex, and a who did what to whom and when and how and you have a great long weekend book that will keep you turning pages all the way to the end.  A good one. 04/08 Jack Quick  

STALKING SUSAN by Julie Kramer:  Reporter Riley Spartz has had a tough time lately. After losing her husband in an explosion, she’s had to take some time off to recover. Time off could mean the death of a reporter’s career. It’s a good thing then that her friend, newly retired police officer Nick Garnett, has handed her a sweet tip on what could be a cold serial case. Two women, each named Susan, killed on the same day exactly one year apart. As Riley investigates further, she finds more possible victims, but she worries that the killer, who seems to have been dormant for almost a decade, may be reawakened by her stories. As the anniversary date of these murders draw near, it becomes clear that someone else has taken an interest in Riley’s story, and an unhealthy interest in Riley herself. Can she uncover the killer’s identity before it’s too late? What a great debut. Kramer, a freelance news producer, combines her years of experience in the industry with her obviously great storytelling ability to create what could be one of this summer’s best mysteries. Riley is a sassy and quick-witted heroine that readers will adore. Stalking Susan is the first in a new series. 07/08 Becky Lejeune 

STALKING THE UNICORN: A Fable of Tonight by Mike Resnick:  This book came out, originally, twenty-one years ago, but it’s about to be re-released with the publication of the second book, Stalking the Vampire. Fans of urban fantasy should not miss this delightful combination of detective story and fantasy. On New Year’s Eve, in Manhattan, John Justin Mallory is drinking away the memories of his business partner running off with his wife. So, it’s no wonder that he thinks the elf that shows up in his office is imaginary. However, the elf will be killed by his guild by dawn the next day, if he doesn’t recover a stolen unicorn. It takes a hefty sum of money to convince Mallory he should slip over to an alternate Manhattan where elves, elephant taxi cabs and cat people are citizens. Stalking the Unicorn is not as dark as the work of Jim Butcher and Simon Green. This is urban fantasy with a touch of humor, but the detective work is fun, and it deserves the sequel. 07/08 Lesa Holstine

STALIN’S GHOST by Martin Cruz Smith: Senior Investigator Arkady Renko is back in Moscow and is splitting his time between two cases. One involves two fellow police detectives, Nikolai Isakov and Marat Urman, both former members of Russia's elite Black Berets, who served in Chechnya, who may be involved in a murder for hire scheme. The other involves reports that the ghost of Stalin has begun appearing on subway platforms. Bodies start showing up, Renko’s life is threatened, but he slowly and deliberately builds his case until all the pieces come together. No one else other than Stuart Kaminsky, seems to do contemporary Russia as well as Smith. Both consistently provide great reads, and this one is no exception. To paraphrase another reviewer, Renko always seems to be digging his own grave, but thus far hasn’t had to use it. Definitely recommended. 08/07 Jack Quick 

THE STAR by David Skibbins: Skibbins returns readers to the life of Warren Ritter, who first appeared in the mysteries Eight of Swords and High Priestess. Ritter is a tarot card reader. He is also a former member of the Weatherman Underground who has been a fugitive for thirty years. That, along with his bi-polar disorder makes it difficult for him to maintain relationships. Because of that, he lacks much history with his daughter, who calls to tell him that her husband, a cop, has taken their baby, and left her, because of her bi-polar disorder. When the cop turns up murdered, Warren doesn’t know if his daughter killed him. For once in his life, he’s determined to come through for his family, so he rallies his friends and his resources in order to find a killer. This is the strongest book yet in the Tarot Card Mystery series, with its focus on Warren’s family and personal life. If you haven’t read the earlier books, now is the time to pick them up so as to understand Warren Ritter’s past. It makes for fascinating reading. 02/07 Lesa Holstine

STATE OF THE UNION by Brad Thor: Series hero ex-Navy Seal and special agent with the Office of International Investigative Assistance Scot Horvath is neck deep in a twenty-year old Russian operation to hide at least 19 suitcase size nuclear weapons in secret U.S. locations. Now the Russians are using the threat to try to control President Jack Rutledge. While beating the Russian plot (in seven days) Horvath also must determine if family friend and former FBI Deputy Director Gary Lawlor is part of the plot. You know the good guys will win in the end, but what a ride to get there - from a Berlin brothel around the world to the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. Hold on tight. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

STAY by Nicola Griffith:  Devastated by her lover's death in a slaying that was her fault, Aud (as in “shroud”) Torvingen is rebuilding an isolated Appalachian cabin and trying to overcome her grief over the death of her lover.  Her oldest friend Dornan seeks her help to locate his fiancée who has gone missing.  Aud quickly tracks the missing Tammy Foster to a Soho loft, and then is ultimately persuaded to put an end to the activities of Geordie Karp, the psychopath who turned Tammy into a sexual and psychological slave and has already chosen his next victim, a 12-year-old girl who's been smuggled into the country and sold to Karp.  This sequel to The Blue Place is best read after that outing but is strong enough to stand alone on its on. Recommended. 02/09 Jack Quick

STAYING HOME IS A KILLER by Sara Rosett: Ellie Avery, an Air Force wife, is the “Mom” in Rosett’s Mom Zone Mysteries. She’s a busy woman, moving from base to base with her pilot husband, raising their young daughter, Livvy, running a part-time organizing business, and investigating murders. In this second book in the series, Ellie is unwilling to accept that Penny Follette committed suicide. She has seen her in the morning, and Penny left an excited message on Ellie’s answering machine just before she died. Unfortunately for Ellie, she also gave her a bag of chocolate espresso beans, which poisoned a squadron member. Suddenly, Ellie is a suspect. She’s also threatened, followed, and overhears a conversation suggesting that she has “it,” whatever “it” is. Ellie Avery is a likable amateur detective, one who doesn’t forget that she has a daughter and a family life. It’s a fascinating series for those of us who never led a military life. 04/07 Lesa Holstine

STEALING THE DRAGON by Tim Maleeny:  This is a wowzer.  Cape Weathers is a young private investigator/former cop in San Francisco investigating two incidents.  First, a ship from China full of illegal refugees runs aground when the crew is murdered. Then Cape's best friend Sally disappears, and the Chinese Triads, an organized crime group, thinks he knows where she is.  What he doesn't know is that Sally is a trained assassin, and the chapters alternate between Sally's back story, which is completely fascinating, and the refugee mess in Chinatown that is compounded by a hotly contested political battle for Mayor.  Intricate plotting, appealing locations, unusual characters, and a touch of humor combine to make this one amazing debut novel.  05/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch  

STEALING THE DRAGON by Tim Maleeny:  Wow.  San Francisco PI Cape Weathers, a former cop, is enlisted by his buddy on the force to look into the murder of the crew of a ship carrying hundreds of Chinese refugees.  Indications are that a professional assassin is responsible.  Coincidentally, Weather’s partner Sally (who happens to be a trained assassin), is missing.  Cape must survive a deadly war with the Triads, the Chinese organized crime syndicate.  Maleeny captures the essence of San Francisco beautifully in this first effort.  I can’t wait for Cape Weathers’ next outing. 09/07 Jack Quick 

Step-Ball-Change by Jeanne Ray:  Another charmer from the author of Julie & Romeo.  Caroline seems to have it all; happily married for 42 years, four attorney (or attorney-in-training) children, and her own dance studio.  Then her daughter announces her engagement to the son of the oldest and wealthiest family in town, with her future in-laws announcing they will split the cost of the wedding for 900+ guests with them, her sister blows into town and moves in to nurse her wounds from her impending divorce, and the contractor just told her he can't finish her sun porch as the foundation is about to cave in.  But somehow it all works out in this feel-good book.

STEP ON A CRACK by James Patterson: Chrissy, three; Shawna, four; Trent, five; twins Fiona and Bridget, seven; Eddie, eight; Ricky, nine; Jane, ten; Brian, eleven, and Juliana, twelve – the ten reasons why NYPD detective Michael Bennett has to hold it together this Christmas even though his wife is succumbing to cancer. This was not the plan when he and Maeve had begun adopting their brood. Nor was it in the plan that the former First Lady would be killed. Her funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral becomes even more of a challenge when men storm the church and take hundreds of attendees hostage. Michael is asked to try to reason with a sinister man named Jack. Jack releases all but the most famous people, and makes his demands: he wants several million dollars each from his celebrity hostages which include the mayor, a popular comedic actor, a beloved talk show host, and a pop starlet. Once Jack starts killing, Michael realizes he's up against a truly diabolical foe. Patterson pulls all the strings on this one, which is the first entry in a potential new series that he hopes will be as successful as the Alex Cross outings. Time will tell, but it’s off to a pretty good start, character wise. 03/07 Jack Quick

THE STEPMOTHER by Carrie Adams: Bea is the divorced mother of three daughters, is overweight, drinks too much and has issues with her own mother. Tessa is single, pushing forty, beautiful, and a successful lawyer. The bad news is that they are both in love with the same man, Bea’s ex, Jimmy, who Tessa calls James.  The differences in their relationships begin with the name, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When James introduces Tessa to his daughters, the little girls are easy but not surprisingly, the 14-year-old seems a bit difficult. Tessa has great friends and amazing parents to ask for advice, and between taking that advice, using her godchildren as foils and bribing the kids, she manages to earn their grudging respect.  Meanwhile, Bea’s life is sliding downhill rapidly; and when disaster strikes, the whole family pulls together to work things out - but that leaves Tessa out in the cold.  Or does it?  Alternating between Tessa and Bea’s viewpoints, this sequel to The Godmother is a well written, punchy fairytale of a story, and a fun read.  03/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch. Copyright © 2008 Cahners Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.  Reprinted with permission.

THE STOLEN by Jason Pinter: Reporter Henry Parker has a nose for a good story. Unfortunately, he also has a nose for trouble. His investigative talents result in amazing articles, to be sure, but it seems that more often than not he ends up attracting the unwanted attention of some very nefarious individuals. Five years ago, Daniel Linwood disappeared without a trace. Yesterday, he showed up on his parents doorstep, five years older but otherwise healthy. Daniel’s mother has agreed to give the Gazette an exclusive interview and Henry is given the assignment. Over the course of the interview, though, Henry notices that while Danny claims to remember nothing at all about the past five years, his comments seem to indicate that maybe subconsciously he does recall something. Parker digs deeper into the story and discovers another case similar to Danny’s, a girl who was kidnapped and returned years later with no memory of the incident. As he uncovers more connections between the two cases, Parker becomes convinced that there is something very strange going on, and once again, his insatiable need to discover the truth has put him right in the middle of trouble. Pinter is a force to be reckoned with in the thriller world. His plots are smart, his writing is crisp, and Henry Parker is everything a hero should be. The Stolen also delves deeper into the characters surrounding Parker, giving readers a keen insight into the emotional turmoil that he has been dealing with in terms of his love interest and the future issues that will come about as a result of the incidents that occur in this book. Stolen offers enough back-story that it can easily be read as a stand-alone which means it’s a good place for readers unfamiliar with Pinter to get started.  07/08 Becky Lejeune

STONE CREEK by Victoria Lustbader:  Stone Creek is a small, quiet town in upstate New York. It is home to Danny, a young widower. He lost his wife a year ago and can't seem to come to grips with his loss. To make things worse, his obtrusive mother-in-law blames him for her daughter's death. The only thing that keeps him afloat is his five year old son, Caleb. Lily Spencer is a childless, married woman who comes to Stone Creek to get away from her work-obsessed husband and the constant reminder of her inability to have children. They meet; Lily's heart instantly melts for young Caleb. The three form an instant and powerful bond and the healing begins for all. Lily has a bit of self-discovery and learns that for too long she has allowed her husband decide the fate and future of their marriage. Danny learns to open his heart up to his mother-in-law, and begins to see the hope and beauty in his life and his son. Lustbader does a wonderful job of portraying the strong, cold emotion of loss and abandonment. Stone Creek is powerful display of love, loss, passion, and forgiveness. 06/08 Jennifer Lawrence

STOP THIS MAN by Peter Rabe:  Hardcase Crime Number 58 is a re-print of a 1955 classic from Peter Rabe who was born in Germany as Peter Rabinowitsch in 1921, immigrating to the U.S. with his brother in 1938 to escape the Nazis.  He began his writing career by turning in a humorous story about the birth of his first son.  Soon after, he began submitting hardboiled stories to Gold Medal where he found an enthusiastic editor and a ready market.  The original edition of Stop This Man was blurbed by no less a literary figure than Erskine Caldwell, author of God’s Little Acre and Tobacco Road.  Stop This Man tells the story of down-and-out thief Tony Catell, who, after stealing 36 pounds of radioactive gold from a lab, must stay one step ahead of the FBI while desperately trying to find someone to take the hot gold off his hands.  If the radiation doesn’t kill him, and the cops don’t get him, he may escape the electric chair. 08/09 Jack Quick 

STORM FRONT: BOOK ONE OF THE DRESDEN FILES by Jim Butcher: Harry Dresden is a wizard. He doesn't do children's parties or love potions, but he is pretty good with finding lost things, especially people. He also occasionally helps out the local police with any suspicious and possibly supernatural crimes. When the bodies of Jennifer Stanton and Tommy Tomm, an upscale call-girl and a bodyguard for notorious mobster Johnny Marcone, are discovered dead, their hearts having exploded out of their chests, the Chicago PD has no choice but to call in Dresden. Harry's involvement in the case becomes more than a consultation when a demon comes knocking on his door. Soon, the White Council, the governing body of over all wizards, is after him as well. See, Harry may well be the only wizard capable of such murders. With more bodies piling up, and more evidence pointing in his direction, Harry must discover the true killer, or, die trying. Witty prose and fast pacing keep this book interesting and readable. However, with multiple supernatural private eye series to choose from, nothing in particular makes this book stand out among the others. I will admit to being interested enough to give book two a chance to catch me, though. 01/07 Becky Lejeune

Stone Kiss by Faye Kellerman:  Rina Lazarus asks her husband, Peter Decker, L. A. police lieutenant, to go to NY and help out when a distant relative of sorts is murdered while the teenage niece he was with goes missing.  This is an engrossing story that just draws you in, with lots of twists along the way.  No sign of Peter's daughter in this one, and the rest of the kids are just periphery, as they should be.  I am happy to report that this is the best Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus book in years.  If you're a fan of the series, you will love this, and if you haven't read them, you can start here or at the beginning of this marvelous series with The Ritual Bath.

STORM CYCLE by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen: Rachel Kirby has devoted her time and her resources to finding a cure for the disease that has been ravaging her sister for years. She’s developed a super computer data system that has the capability of using power from computers around the world to aid in the search for a cure. When her system is hacked by a resourceful and interesting jack-of-all-trades in Egypt, a man who’s life rests in Rachel’s hands, she is intrigued. John Tavak has been hired by some of the biggest and baddest in the world to track down items of varying importance. This time, he’s discovered evidence that one of the world’s oldest physicians, a woman called Peseshet, may have discovered the secret to cell regeneration; an ancient cure that could be just the thing Rachel has been looking for. John and Rachel find themselves racing against time and devious foes as they search for a treasure that has remained hidden for centuries. Will they find it in time to save Rachel’s sister and beat out their enemies as well? This second collaboration, and stand-alone, between mother and son is a fun read even if the characters are a bit flat. 07/09 Becky Lejeune 

STORM PREY by John Sandford:  Two parallel stories make this one of the more suspenseful entries in the Prey series. The hospital where Weather works has a half million dollars of drugs stolen from its pharmacy and the attendant killed. Lucas Davenport and his Bureau of Criminal Apprehension team are called in to assist the investigation. Meanwhile, Weather, a surgeon at the hospital, may be able to identify one of the killers.  An attempt on Weather’s life follows. Then, the bodies of two motorcycle gang members are found in a rural area. Weather, even under 24-hour guard, is part of a surgical team working to separate conjoined twins in a procedure that’s captured the attention of the world’s media. This twenty-second Prey novel has the usual sharp plot, snappy dialogue, and believable action, but the background playfulness and gallows humor that usually fill in the gaps are in short supply. But the parallel story lines certainly make up for that. Highly recommended, specially in hot July while Luca et.al. are battling below zero temps. 07/10 Jack Quick 

STORM RUNNERS by T. Jefferson Parker: This book opens with a bang - "Stromsoe was in high school when he met the boy who would someday murder his wife and son," and doesn't let up until the last page is turned.  Stromsoe and Tavarez meet in marching band and become friends, and eventually rivals for the same girl.  They also follow different paths into adulthood; Stromsoe becomes a cop, Tavarez becomes the head of La Eme, the Mexican Mafia.  After Tavarez kills Stromsoe's family he gets life in prison, while Stromsoe tries to deal with life.  Eventually he ends up working as a private investigator protecting Frankie Leigh, a TV weather forecaster who is being stalked.  Frankie is not your typical weather bunny; in fact, she is descended from a rainmaker and is determined to repeat his success with manipulating weather, but the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power may have other ideas.  Some nice twists, believable characters and a really interesting storyline make this another winner for Parker and his legion of fans - I'm glad I'm one of them.  03/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

STORM RUNNERS by T. Jefferson Parker: “Stromsoe was in high school when he met the boy who would someday murder his wife and son.” With such an opening line, you know this one is going to be good. Now with his family gone, killed in an explosion aimed at him, a recovering Matt Stromsoe agrees to serve as bodyguard for TV weatherperson Frankie Hatfield. She is supposedly being stalked, but there is more to this than meets the eye. Hatfield’s great grandfather was “The Rainmaker” and Hatfield is determined to follow up and prove the validity of his attempts to influence rainfall. There are powerful vested interests that do not want this to occur and Stromsoe’s presence soon becomes a lightning rod in the middle of the storm. Nicely done, with action all the way to the final page. 03/07 Jack Quick

THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE by David Wroblewski: Edgar is born mute to Trudy & Gar Sawtelle, a small town Wisconsin family that earns its living by breeding a rare type of dog that can communicate with people.  No, the Sawtelle dogs don't speak, but much like Edgar, they do have this other-worldly way of communicating, bringing a touch of magic realism to this extraordinary story, somewhat reminiscent of Yann Martel's Life of Pi or even John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany. This is a first novel that is beautifully written, but more than that, has a heart and soul and defies categorization.  Hamlet brought forward to the 1970's immediately springs to mind as there is a mystery here; Edgar's father dies suddenly, leaving the opportunity for his estranged brother Claude to insinuate himself into the family, especially into Trudy's affections.  Edgar not only communicates extraordinarily with his dogs, but also with his father's ghost, among others.  He is convinced that Claude is responsible for his father's death, but when he tries to prove it, everything goes wrong, forcing Edgar to run away into the woods of Wisconsin, three of his dogs by his side.  The novel then becomes Edgar's coming-of-age story, a survival story again tinged with magic.  The characters are rich and well developed, but unlike most literary novels, plot is king here, the story is all.  And it is a story not easily forgotten - this one will be on the best books of 2008 lists, on mine for sure. 8/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch
 

The Story Teller by Arthur Reid:  Written by a pair of publishing pros under a pseudonym, this tale of suspense revolves around, what else, the publishing industry.  Steven King (not Stephen King) is a struggling literary writer, waiting to finish his first book and make his family proud.  Then he meets Ben Chambers, a raconteur who has led a fascinating life, and their relationship takes on an almost father/son veneer.  Ben confides that he has written several books but never wanted them published, never submitted them, nothing.  When Ben dies and leaves everything he owns, including the manuscripts and the rights to them, to Steven, he starts reading them and finds a commercial treasure trove.  He retypes one, puts his name on it and sends it off to his agent/cousin, who sells it at auction and a star is born.  But he is not the only one who has read some of these manuscripts, and blackmail rears its ugly head.  It's a similar plot to About the Author by John Colapinto, which was a much more enjoyable book.  

Straight Into Darkness by Faye Kellerman: The plot synopsis of this novel reads, "A homicide inspector in 1920s Munich hunts for a serial killer." That's true, but this haunting book is much more than a mystery story in which Axel Berg, a rebel in his own department, tracks the killer of women whose bodies have been left in a park.  Munich in the 1920s was an ugly, violent city in which various political parties fought for supremacy, and Hitler's young Brownshirts roamed the streets as if they were packs of animals. Kellerman's latest book shows the fear that grew as even police were beat up by the young thugs.  Violence swells to a peak as Berg struggles to solve his case and save his family, but the reader knows from history that the violence in Germany has not even peaked by the end of the book.  This disturbing story exposes the atmosphere and national tragedy that brought Hitler to power. 09/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

THE STRAIN by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan: The Strain, the first in a new horror trilogy, is a collaborative effort between mystery/thriller author Chuck Hogan and award-winning director Guillermo del Toro. It begins with the legend of Jusef Sardu, a tale that stays with Abraham Setrakian through his growing years and beyond as he escapes Nazi troops, movies to Italy where he learns all he can about the legend of the strigoi (vampire), and eventually settles down in New York City. Then an international flight, inbound from Germany, lands at JFK… and goes dark. When investigators are finally able to crack the plane open they discover that every passenger is dead: no signs of struggle, no signs of biological weapons, nothing to indicate cause of death. Dr. Ephraim Goldweather, a member of the CDC’s Canary project, is called in to unravel the mystery and finds that they were wrong in assuming that everyone had died. There were four survivors, none of whom can shine any light on the events onboard. And then the real dead bodies begin to disappear. Setrakian tries to warn them all, but by the time Goldweather and his partner Nora begin to listen, it may be too late for everyone. This is classic vampire horror del Toro style; there are hints of Dracula and even Blade II. The inclusion of vampire legends and mythology are fascinating and bring an extra depth to the tale. I can’t wait to continue on with book two, The Fall. 06/09 Becky Lejeune 

STRANGE AFFAIR by Peter Robinson: My first Robinson, but certainly not the last. Detective Inspector Banks is depressed after being injured and losing all his worldly possessions to a perp who got away (Playing With Fire?). His name and address in the pocket of a murdered woman apparently enroute to see him, as well as a disappearing brother, quickly get him back into the job. Soon it is apparent the two incidents are connected. Fast paced and very well written. If not authentic, this police procedural certainly reinforces any “Brit” stereotypes – you can almost smell the vinegar on the fish and chips and the centuries of smoke in the pub. I look forward to more from the series Stephen King says may be the best on the market today. Recommended. 05/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

STRANGE ANGELS by Lili St. Crow: Dru Anderson and her father don’t live normal lives. Sure, Dru attends high school like all the other kids her age—her father is adamant that she earn a decent education even amidst all the relocating that comes with his job. But Dru’s dad doesn’t work a regular job like other dads. Nope, Dru and her father are hunters tracking down the things that go bump in the night—things most people will never know exist in their world. One day, Dru’s dad doesn’t come home. And then, when he does finally return, Dru is forced to kill him. See someone turned Dru’s dad into a flesh-eating zombie and now Dru is going to hunt that person down and make them pay. Dru’s hunt will lead her to some big revelations about her family and her own destiny, if she survives that is. I loved this book. Lilith Saintcrow’s teen debut has a very dark and adult feel, harder and edgier than most teen titles. This first in the series, and the heroine, are just what I had hoped for and expected after reading Saintcrow's adult titles. Dru is a strong female lead and while the book is very teen appropriate, I think it will definitely appeal to adults as well. Highly recommended. 05/09 Becky Lejeune 

THE STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL TALE OF MISS PERCY PARKER by Leanna Renee Hieber: The Guard were chosen and gifted with abilities to help fight against the strange enemies that would endanger our world. On the night they were chosen, these six boys and girls understood that one day they would be joined by a seventh. Prophecy foretold that the seventh would be a woman, a peer whose coming would herald great danger. Over two decades later, the seventh still has yet to appear. But then Percy Parker shows up at the Athens Academy. A student, older than most who come to the school, with a strange appearance and air about her; she could almost be a ghost. Alexi Rychman and Rebecca Thompson, both members of the Guard who work at the school, are sure that this girl couldn’t possibly be the seventh, especially when Miss Lucille Linden arrives in the Guard’s midst. But Alexi finds himself strangely drawn to this pale student, and all of the signs are convincing him that she might be the one. Hieber’s latest is a fabulous combination of romance, paranormal, mystery, and fantasy, all in a gothic Victorian setting filled with specters and other beings. A mesmerizing read reminiscent in both style and tone of Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrel. Highly recommended. 08/09 Becky Lejeune 

STRANGER IN PARADISE by Robert B. Parker:  Apache Indian hit man Wilson "Crow" Cromartie is no stranger in paradise.  Ten years ago, Crow was part of a team of ex-cons who plotted to capture Stiles Island, the wealthy enclave off the Paradise coast, making off with millions in loot.  Now that the statute of limitations has run, Crow is back, and this time, is seeking Police Chief Jesse Stone’s help.  Crow is trying to find young Amber Francisco and bring her back to her father, Louis, in Florida.  When Louis orders Crow to kill Amber’s mother Fiona before heading back with Amber, he can't follow through. You see Crow may do everything else, but he won’t harm women.  Its part of his warrior code.  Anyway, Jesse's on-again, off-again relationship with ex-wife Jenn needs a boost and maybe, just maybe, some good will come out of this.  Typical spare Parker prose makes this one read like a Paradise, Massachusetts summertime ocean breeze. 03/08 Jack Quick 

THE STRANGER HOUSE by Reginald Hill: A stand-alone from an experienced British writer which contains supernatural content, extensive and often incomprehensible Aussie and Brit slang, detailed information on the history of the Catholic versus Anglican Churches, a priest protagonist, set in a rural area – in short almost everything I don’t like. On the other hand it contains deceit, obstruction, mystery, violence and love – all the things I do like, and the writing is awesome - “The rich Catholic families of Hampshire provided the Church with money, congregation, and voluntary workers, but saw no reason to provide priests, not when the poor Catholic families of Ireland needed the work.” Another quote – “Odd thing this about you Catholics, even those ready to risk the sin of fornication will draw the line at contraception.” The plot is devious, the characters are portrayed in great detail, and the story is believable. If this is a typical work, I definitely want to try more of Mr. Hill. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

STRAY by Rachel Vincent: Rachel’s Vincent’s fantastic new series introduces readers to a wholly original set of characters. Faythe is like any other normal young adult, trying to find her place in the world and establish her identity. One thing about Faythe that her college classmates don’t know is that she’s a werecat. In fact, she’s the boss’s daughter and one of the most sought after members of her Pride. See, female werecats have become few and far between and it’s become worse ever since someone has made them a target. This same someone has set his eye on Faythe. She holds her own in a fight and defends herself well when the first attack comes, but her father has other ideas and brings Faythe home where he and the others can protect her. Despite the precautions, Faythe is snatched from the Pride’s own property. Can the others get to her in time or will she have to rely on her own strength and training to save her skin? As with any new and original concept, the amount of explanation required to keep readers from feeling completely in the dark can be overwhelming. Vincent seems to have had no problem with this as the plot moves along smoothly and easily. The amount of play Vincent has with this storyline should provide for some pretty interesting reading for many books to come. Stray marks the beginning of a great new paranormal mystery/urban fantasy series that’s great for fans and new readers of the genre alike.  03/08 Becky Lejeune

STREET MAGIC by Caitlin Kittredge: DI Pete Caldecott has made a career out of logic, but her latest case defies everything she thought she knew. Then she receives a tip from a dead man. Pete was just sixteen when Jack Winter took her to a graveyard and conjured up a dead man. She was sure he’d been killed that night, but here he is now, alive and not so well. The tip turns out to be a good one and a missing child is recovered, but then two more children are taken and Pete has no choice but to ask for Jack’s help. Jack’s magical talents and ability to see the dead around him will certainly come in handy, but he’s been trying to block out one and drowning the other for so long that Pete may not be able to dig the real Jack out again. If she can help him sober up, they may be able to find out what evil force is responsible for the string of kidnappings. If. This is the first in the Black London series and it’s a really great beginning to what I think is going to be a stand out in urban fantasy. I enjoyed Kittredge’s use of Celtic folklore, I feel like it gave Street Magic a fresh appeal. 03/10 Becky Lejeune  

THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS by Gail Tsukiyama: This is a warm family saga interwoven with twenty years of Japanese history, and a thoroughly enjoyable read. Two little boys are orphaned and go to live with their grandparents. Hiroshi dreams of becoming a sumo wrestler, and Kenji dreams of creating the masks worn in the theater. But both their dreams are put on hold when the bombs of WWII start falling on their lives. The boys grow up with the horror and famine of war, and but then their lives begin again as a new Japan literally emerges from the ashes. Tsukiyama has penned another poignant story that is never cloy, is always interesting, and should be read. 09/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

Strega by Andrew H. Vachss: First one of his books I've read, I ran out and bought another as soon as I was done, very dark, excellent read.

STRIP by Thomas Perry: If someone hasn’t already snapped up the screen rights to this one, I want them.  The opening scene features Joe Carver hiding out in the control cab of a building crane two hundred fifty feet up admiring the nude photos that Mitch, the crane operator has posted on the dash.  With a wife like that, Carver understands why Mitch wants to hurry home at the end of each day’s work. From there it rapidly proceeds to utter chaos.  The scene where Joe manages to pick up one Hummer SUV with the crane, lift it up five stories, and then drop it on another Hummer is quickly topped by aging strip-club owner Manco Kapak who learns the hard way that shooting a gun through a closed window that you are standing in front of, sans clothing, can be detrimental to your near term sex life.  Kapak is shooting at Carver, whom he thinks was the masked man who stole his cash receipts.  It wasn’t Carver, who decides to fight back.  In the meantime, the real thief, Jefferson Davis Falkins, decides to make robbing Kapak a life’s profession. LAPD Lt. Nick Slosser, husband to two wives and father of five kids at or nearing college age, doesn’t need the aggravation, as he worries about tuition payments and keeping his two families secret from each other. Carrie Carr, is Falkins Bonnie to his Clyde and Spence, Kapak's trusted bodyguard, the only one smart enough to deal with Carver, round out the primary cast in this exquisite thriller/police procedural romp though crime and law enforcement. 06/10 Jack Quick 

STRIPPED by Brian Freeman: This follow up to last year’s Immoral finds Jonathan Stride and girlfriend Serena Dial in Vegas. Stride has left his post as Lieutenant of the Duluth, MN police force and is working as a detective in Sin City. Stride is called in to investigate when MJ Lane, son of famous producer Walker Lane, is found gunned down in the street. Meanwhile, Serena and her partner have been working on a hit-and-run accident that now appears to have been intentional. Stride and Serena realize that their cases are one and the same when the two victims turn out to have ties to a murder at the Scheherazade Casino and Hotel that occurred over fifty years ago. The infamous murder was that of a Spanish showgirl who headlined the casino’s show. The killer was said to be a stalker who later committed suicide. Rumor has it, the lead investigator on the case was not too thorough and the real killer got away scot free. Now, the murder site is scheduled to be demolished to make way for a new casino and an article highlighting the case has awakened what seems to be an elaborate cat and mouse game of revenge. Freeman is a great new voice on the mystery scene. These books definitely need to be read in order; my recommendation is to start the series now because we will definitely be seeing more of Jonathan Stride in the future. 11/06 Becky LeJeune

STUCK DOWN by Eileen Rosenbloom: Teens who appreciated Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven might enjoy Rosenbloom’s new book. It’s a book with a message, but quite a bit of humor. Kevin Martin is eighteen years old when he has a fight with his father, storms out of the house, and dies in a skiing accident. He’s quite happy with the next life in Nirvanaville, where he has a girlfriend, a skateboard, and a pet dog that is also a computer. However, he jumps at the chance to be an experimental messenger to earth to deliver a message to his girlfriend’s mother to let her know that she’s fine and receives her communications, prayers that arrive as computer in-mail. He’s happy with the assignment until he crashes his motorcycle, ends up in jail, and finds his father is the prosecuting attorney. Now Kevin’s in no better shape than Dwellers, souls captive on earth because they’re hanging on to their pasts and their wounds. His resentment of his father is causing him to be “stuck down.” Rosenbloom’s book should be enticing to teens, if they can get past the name “Nirvanaville.” Skiing, motorcycles, computer games, and a teen that ends up in jail, and fighting his father in court should interest readers. It’s a fast-paced book, with a valuable message. 11/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

STUFF DREAMS ARE MADE OF by Don Bruns:  Skip and James are back with yet another hair-brained scheme meant to set them on the road to success. Following the almost catastrophic events of Stuff to Die For, the two friends have given up their plans of using their truck to become the next U-Haul and have decided to go into the catering business. Reverend Preston Cashdollar and his weekend revival are set to roll into town shortly and James has it on good authority that working the weekend could prove to be a cash-cow for the two of them. The work turns out to a bit more difficult than either of them could predict, though, when it turns out that murder might just be on order for them both. It seems that Cashdollar is suspected of being under the watchful eye of the FBI and some of his full-timers suspect that Skip and James are undercover agents. Though Bruns lives in Ohio, it seems his Florida travels have significantly rubbed off on his writing. Bruns’s colorful Florida based mysteries put him right up there with resident favorites like Carl Hiassen and Tim Dorsey. 09/08 Becky Lejeune  

STUFF TO DIE FOR by Don Bruns:  Skip and James have been best friends since grade school. That first day, James told Skip he would be his best buddy for a small payment of just fifty cents. Although James had made the same deal with about two dozen other students, Skip is the only one who stuck around. James’s entrepreneurial streak has only grown in the time that they have been together and Skip goes along with every plan. The latest scheme involves a white box truck and other people’s stuff. James’s idea is that the two can start off hauling with one truck and eventually bring in enough dough to expand and hire on employees to do the work for them. Problem is, on the very first haul the two accidentally open a piece of mail that contains a severed finger. Worse yet, the finger seems to belong to one of their high school classmates. With the bad guys chasing after them and their plans for the good life quickly turning south, the two twenty-somthings realize that they have gotten themselves into a mess of trouble and the only way out is to uncover and expose the whole plot before it’s too late. This Lefty nominated mystery marks the beginning of a new series for Bruns. Stuff is a fun and wacky mystery with some of the craziest characters I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to read the next book, Stuff Dreams are Made of due out later this year. 03/08 Becky Lejeune

STUFF TO SPY FOR by Don Bruns: Skip Moore and James Lessor (and their box truck) return in this third outing of the Stuff series. This time around, Skip has a legitimate job prospect in the form of a huge contract to install a new security system for a company that’s supposed to be working for the Department of Defense. Of course, anything that involves Skip and James is never quite what it seems. Skip has been hired to install the system, sure, but he’s also being paid extra to pretend to be dating one of the employees, a woman who’s having an affair with the boss and wants to keep his wife from finding out. But with so much money on the line, how could Skip refuse? Like all of their schemes, things don’t go as planned and Skip and James are once again risking it all in an effort to get ahead, or in this case, just keep up. Bruns’s comedic series, recently dubbed “dude-lit,” is just the thing for mystery fans looking for something both humorous and still full of suspense.  11/09 Becky Lejeune  

SUCCUBUS BLUES by Richelle Mead: In the grand scheme of things, Georgina Kincaid leads a pretty normal life. Well, normal for a succubus charged with tempting men into sin and stealing their life energy. Georgina has a day job as an assistant manager at a local bookstore, and she has good friends. What more could a girl ask for? Considering Georgina has sworn off dating, not much. But when her favorite author sets up shop in her bookstore, the succubus can’t help but imagine what it would be like to live out the fantasies she’s been dreaming up. Before she can even consider changing her no dating rule, however, a local vampire turns up dead. Vamps and other immortals are not so easily disposed of—that’s why they’re called immortal—so for someone to have stalked and killed a vampire is a pretty big deal. After a short time as the prime suspect, Georgina decides to do some digging on her own. And when another of her friends is attacked, no way is Georgina going to consider backing down in her search, despite warnings otherwise. This first of the Georgina Kincaid series makes for a super fun read. A great combination of humor, paranormal, and mystery elements, plus, Georgina is a totally lovable lead. 02/10 Becky Lejeune

SUCCUBUS IN THE CITY by Nina Harper: Lily and her friends are some of satan’s top minions. Lily lures men through lust and delivers them straight to hell, after sleeping with them of course. Her life has left her longing for true love, though, and she may just have found it in sexy PI Nathan Coleman. Problem is, her cover may be about to be blown. A group of serious religious fundamentalists seems to be gaining some inside information about the ladies and their occupations. Their goal is to eliminate the women by any means. The ladies are tasked to discover the demon mole who’s been doling out clues to the mortals, and deliver him straight to satan herself. Harper’s debut has the perfect blend of romance, mystery, and paranormal elements, making it a fun and light addition to the urban fantasy genre. It’s a hip first installment to another original new series.  04/08 Becky Lejeune 

SUCCUBUS TAKES MANHATTAN by Nina Harper:  In the second book of the series, Lily, a succubus in the service of satan, has just been dumped. Yes, it’s true, even the most desirable woman in the world can have her heart broken, and by a mortal no less. See Lily has been told that she can earn her freedom if a man in full knowledge of her “career” falls in love with her. Well, PI Nathan Coleman just couldn’t handle dating one of the devil’s minions so Lily is alone once again. Or is she? Her one-time fling from the Caribbean has arrived in New York claiming he just couldn’t miss the opportunity to see her again. And just what is it that brings him there in the first place? Official business with the devil’s second in command. It seems there may be a coup in the works and Lily could possibly help discover who’s behind it. When a lower demon is kidnapped in Lily’s place, though, her plans begin to go all wrong. Out of desperation, Lily calls on Nathan for help, but her barely mended heart could be getting the best of her. Funny and feisty Lily and her fashionista pals make fore super fun reading. This humorous paranormal series is perfect for fans of other supernatural reads such as Kim Harrison’s Hollows series, and even Charlain Harris’s Southern Vampire mysteries.  12/08 Becky Lejeune 

Sucker Bet by James Swain:  This is the third entry in the Tony Valentine series, and it's a treat.  Tony is a retired cop living on the west coast of Florida who keeps busy as a casino consultant.  Casinos hire him to help them find the cheaters - either the players or the employees or usually, both.  And he's really, really good at his job.  This time around the Micanopy Indian Reservation Casino hires him to find out how a player was able to win 84 hands of blackjack in a row.  Things gets more personal when someone puts a live alligator in Tony's car while he's investigating.  There's a con being run on a rich retired rock musician whose being set up by the delicious Candy Hart, the "raggle" (the pretty girl distraction) and some not so pretty men.  Swain explains the inner workings of casinos in easy to understand language while never taking away from the story.  Valentine is a great character, and I'm looking forward to the next entry in the series - it's a prequel, taking Tony back to his cop days.  I had the privilege of meeting Jim Swain, and after being warned not to get into a game of strip poker with the man, I got to see him do what he writes about - he is one of the world's greatest card handlers, and at his book signings he demonstrates some of the card techniques the cheaters use.  He is truly amazing to watch, and a delight to read.

SUDDEN DEATH by David Rosenfelt: In this, the sequel to the Today Show book club pick, BURY THE LEAD, our favorite smart-ass lawyer Andy Carpenter is back, this time defending a pro-football player accused of murder.  It's the Jets versus the Giants, only this time the stakes are much higher than any football game (yes, some things are more important than football and no, that is not sacrilegious!)  Rosenfelt has a series of books that are funny as hell yet have enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, and this one is no exception.  Sure to make my favorites list once again - highly recommended.  05/05

SUDDEN DEATH by David Rosenfelt:  The missing wide receiver for the New York Jets turns up dead at the home of the star running back for the New York Giants.  If that’s not enough of a case for ace lawyer Andy Carpenter in his fourth outing, his canine rescuer partner, his crossword puzzling secretary, and his girlfriend/private investigator each have their own agendas requiring Carpenter’s attention.  Although he wants to believe his client is innocent, troubling evidence surfaces of other deaths occurring in locations where his client is present.  .If the third time out is the charm, this fourth outing by Carpenter is the entire charm bracelet – and if Andy’s not careful the bracelets (cuffs) may end up on his wrists.  As with Rosenfelt’s previous efforts, a fast read with more twists than a New Jersey amusement park roller coaster.  Andy and dog Tara are so unlike Parker’s Spenser and Pearl, but just as likable.  I look forward to their next adventure. 01/06 Jack Quick 

SUICIDE COLLECTORS by by David Oppegaard:  It started slowly and by the time everyone realized what was happening, it was too late. There was no treatment or cure for Despair. Norman, his wife, and their neighbor Pops are all that remain in their Florida town. That is, until Norman returns home one afternoon to find that his wife is dead by her own hand just like everyone else. The Collectors appear that evening to take the body and Norman kills one in his rage. After that, he and Pops decide it is time to hit the road and see if the rumors of a growing community of survivors in Seattle are true. It is said that there is a doctor there working on a cure and that society is trying to rebuild. Shortly after taking off in a rebuilt plane, however, they are shot down and must continue on foot. The journey will be long and arduous, but for Norman and his friend it is their last hope. Although this debut is not being billed as a horror, readers will find that parts of this novel are truly horrific, not to mention utterly bleak. This painfully thought provoking and somewhat strange novel is both disturbing and amazing.  12/08 Becky Lejeune   

SUICIDE SQUEEZE by Victor Gischler: Teddy Folger has burned down his comic book and baseball card store in Pensacola, Fla., for the insurance, and now plans to sail away from his old life—and wife—on the about to be repossessed Electric Jenny. But what repo man Conner Samson soon discovers is that an almost priceless treasure, a baseball card signed in 1954 by both Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, is hidden on the Jenny—and that a Japanese collector with a team of deadly ninjas will kill anyone who gets in the way of his acquiring it. Conner may well be Gischler’s finest creation. Let us hope to see him again. 02/06 Jack Quick

SUMMER BLOWOUT by Claire Cook:  Bella Shaughnessy is trying to move on with her life, but it ain't easy.  Her ex-husband left her for her half-sister, who she can't avoid as this big pseudo-Italian, Irish family all work together in her father's chain of beauty salons.  Bella's sworn off men, that is until she meets the very cute, very smart Sean Ryan.  He's not interested in being her rebound relationship, yet is having trouble fighting off their mutual attraction.  Another light, breezy and at times, laugh out loud funny summer romance from the author of Must Love Dogs. And there is a Paris-Hilton-pocket-size, slightly stolen dog who almost steals the story. 7/08 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch

The Summons by John Grisham:  What a disappointment, I could not get into this book at all.  I kept waiting for it to get better and it never did.  No plot to speak of, just the simplest of stories, no suspense, no interesting characters save one good old boy lawyer who is never fully developed and the sort of haphazard editing that tends to pull me right out of the story ("a elderly waitress"?)  The gist of the story is a lawyer driving around with three million dollars in the trunk of his car for about 200 pages.  A complete and utter waste of time.  

SUN OF SUNS by Karl Schroeder: Karl Schroeder is getting to be one of my new favorite SF authors. His books can be classified as “hard” SF, since the ideas and situations in them are based on hard science, but they’re a lot more than just “lookit the cool lasers!” Sun of Suns takes place on (in?) a world that is basically an enormous balloon floating in space. Inside the balloon are towns and cities that float in microgravity around artificial suns that support life and agriculture. Despite the tech-y premise though, the story is more like a swashbuckly action/revenge novel, with pirates and swordfighting and ruthless Machiavellian women. Plus, they have these motorcycle things that are basically just a jet engine with handlebars. (The author has said that he mainly wrote the book in order to put the cycles in.) The plot follows a young man who has gone undercover with a rival government to avenge the deaths of his family and most of his town, but of course he soon gets embroiled in a much larger struggle and learns a thing or two about women along the way. A really fun book, with a sequel on the way! 03/07 Jenne Bergstrom

SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S by James Patterson: Admittedly, the premise of this book is a little odd.  Girl falls in love with her childhood imaginary friend.  But, despite this, Breakfast at Tiffany's is a pretty fabulous book.  Jane is a lonely child that grows up to be a lonely woman.  Her mother, head of a Broadway theatre company is oppressive and overbearing.  Jane's attempts to spread her wings and fly are repeatedly squashed.  Then one day she sees him, Michael, her childhood imaginary friend.  The only person she could ever confide in, the only person that truly understood her.  He shows her that she has the strength and ability to walk out from beneath her mother's overbearing arms and become the woman she is meant to be.  Aside from the odd premise, this is a wonderfully endearing love story, based on something Patterson's son said to him---"'Love means you never have to be apart." 05/08 Jennifer Lawrence

SUNSTROKE by Jesse Kellerman:  Gloria Mendez has worked with Carl Perreira for ten years and though their relationship has never progressed past close friendship, she's been secretly in love with him the whole time. While vacationing in Mexico, Carl goes missing. Gloria's only clue about is disappearance is a garbled message on the business answering machine. After hounding Mexican authorities, Gloria is told that Carl died in a car accident. She collects his body and returns to the states set on discovering the truth behind his death. Soon, a man claiming to be Carl's son appears and Gloria finds that everything she knew about Carl Perreira may have been a lie. Just who was this man and what secrets lie hidden in his part? I imagine any new author is a bit intimidated when having their debut novel released. It must be even harder when both of your parents are bestselling authors (Faye & Jonathan Kellerman) themselves. Jesse Kellerman has the skill and talent to stand on his own and Sunstroke proves it. 01/07 Becky Lejeune

THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison Allen: It’s another treat for the soul from the bestselling author of Garden Spells. At twenty-seven, Josey Cirrini spends her life taking care of her mother, isolating herself in her room, and hiding sweets in her closet. It doesn’t matter that Josey is the daughter of the man who put the town on the map. She has no friends. Then, one day Della Lee Baker shows up in Josey’s closet, a runaway from her own life. Della Lee takes over Josey’s life, forcing her into the world, sending her to meet a new friend, adding color to her life, and a chance at love. It’s a magical story of women who give their heart. It’s also at least a “must try” book for fans of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic. It’s another winner. 06/08 Lesa Holstine

Surface Tension by Christine Kling:  A new mystery series set in Ft. Lauderdale, featuring a tugboat captain with the fabulous name of Seychelle Sullivan.  She's trying to make a go of the boat salvage business she inherited from her father, and is just scraping by.  She hears a Mayday call from a woman on board the Top Ten, a luxury yacht she happens to be familiar with - it's captained by her ex-lover, Neil.  She heads out to try and save the boat with money in mind, but when she arrives just ahead of the Coast Guard, she finds the woman dead, and no sign of Neil or anyone else.  Good characterizations and an appealing locale add interest as the story starts spiraling deeper into murky waters, but Seychelle emerges slightly battered and perhaps even stronger.  I am looking forward to more from this new author who knows whereof she writes; Christine has been working on boats for more than twenty years.

SURFACE TENSION by Christine Kling:  Tugboat Annie meets Travis McGee in this strong suspense debut.  Seychelle Sullivan responds in her salvage tug to a distress call from the Top Ten, a yacht skippered by her former lover, Neal.  When she arrives, no sign of Neal, just the body of a dead girl, who was apparently the one who made the distress call.  Next, her modest cottage is searched and her stash of emergency money is missing, so she figures Neal must be alive, hiding from the police or from the girl's killer.  Life gets even more dangerous for Sullivan as she searches for answers to what happened to Neal and The Top Ten.  01/06 Jack Quick 

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen:  Very well written gruesome medical thriller that kept me up half the night.  My first foray into Ms. Gerritsen's work and it certainly won't be my last.  Excellent read.

SUSPECT by Michael Robotham:  Interesting debut from Australia.  Joe O'Loughlin is a London psychologist who suffers from Parkinson ’s disease and even worse, is the primary suspect in the killing of Nurse Catherine Mary McBride.  Joe has to somehow convince the police that he ahs been falsely accused so he can return to wife Julianne and  eight-year-old daughter Charlie.  The book is much easier to read than to classify.  Is it a psychological thriller or is it a conspiracy thriller.  Actually it’s a bit of both told from a very unusual point of view.  I look forward to reading more from Robotham. 08/09 Jack Quick

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES by Sandra Ruttan: I don't normally pay much attention to blurbs, but when you see Ken Bruen and Robert Fate both on the same cover, you really want to see what's inside. Reporter Lara Kelly and policeman Tymen Farraday are the unlikely team attempting to solve the mystery of a videotape that appears to depict the death of a woman in this gritty debut. Lara’s newspaper story causes the police chief to assign Farraday to discredit her but when potential evidence is stolen and Lara is attacked, Farraday is forced to put aside his negative feelings about reporters and work with her to solve the murder and protect her from the killer. Two more murders occur as they are seeking the answer. In a town where one person holds all the power, not even the police can be trusted. Cozy fans beware, this is one police procedural with the real stuff. 01/07 Jack Quick

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES by Sandra Ruttan: Lara Kelly ended up as a reporter at The Ledger in Oakridge, CT, looking for a better opportunity. Tymen Farraday escaped a scandal when he took the job as a police detective. Neither was excited to be working together, but when Lara received a video that seemed to show a woman falling off a cliff, they reluctantly joined forces. As troubles escalate, they find themselves depending on each other in a corrupt town, with possibly a corrupt police force. Soon, they and other reporters, are following clues leading to murder, rape, drugs and dead prostitutes. Oakridge is not a healthy town for investigators, as they find out when Lara’s house is broken into, and she’s beaten.
    Even the police cannot protect everyone involved in this case. Ruttan’s debut mystery is a fascinating combination of police procedural and investigative journalism. As her two interesting characters work together, the reader follows their dogged efforts.
    This is a well-developed, enjoyable crime novel. Watch for more efforts from Ruttan, who shows a great deal of skill in developing an intriguing, complicated story. 01/07 Lesa Holstine

SWAN PEAK by James Lee Burke:  The seventeenth Dave Robicheaux novel, and they just keep getting better.  Dave has accepted the offer of long-time friend Albert Hollister to come to the Bitterroot Mountains of Western Montana to escape the post-Katrina blues.  Wife Molly and friend Cletus Purcell come along and they look forward to an entire summer of fishing and relaxing. Unfortunately, Clete runs across a hardass who was a driver for mobster Sally Dio, killed in a plane crash in Black Cherry Blues, the third Robicheaux outing.  The thug now works for Ridley Wellstone, a wealthy ne’er do well who counts among his antagonists, retired English professor Albert Hollister.  The discovery of the body of a college student, shot execution style, found not far from the body of the dead boy’s raped and murdered girlfriend, coupled with Clete becoming enamored of Jamie Sue Wellstone, wife of Ridley’s brother, Leslie, and throw in Jimmy Dale Greenwood, prison escapee and Jamie Sue’s former lover, and you have the beginnings of a mess.  For good measure add in sadistic prison director Troyce Nix in pursuit of Jimmy Dale, and the “Reverend” Sonny Click, and you know there will fists flying and maybe bullets as well, before it all gets pulled back together.  If this were Home Run Derby, it would be no contest.  Burke has hit it out of the park once again. 07/08 Jack Quick

SWAP by John McFetridge:  Difficult to follow tale of Toronto’s criminal underworld.  A Detroit born Afghanistan veteran is well suited to provide leadership and weaponry to Toronto’s biker gangs who are gaining control of all of the local vice – narcotics, sex, and so on.  The police are portrayed as being basically inept so it is up to the bad guys to screw themselves up, which “Get” does when he gets involved with stick-up artist Sunitha who wants him to join her in an attempt to rob the biker’s gold bullion drug money.  Interesting premise but too many characters, too many twists, and plot not well organized.  Sorry. 09/09 Jack Quick  

SWAPPING PAINT by Jim & Joyce Lavene: Even a casual race fan might pick up on the title of this book – NASCAR for two cars bumping together at speeds about three times what you drive on the highway. However, it would take a Die-Hard (former sponsor) fan to understand the angst of risking an eighteen-month jail term for breaking and entering in order to recover the personalized license plate of Rusty Wallace (former driver). In this high-speed romp, NASCAR driver Ricky Sanders is dead. Its up to former Chicago policeman Glad Wysznewski to solve the murder (since his brother-in-law is a prime suspect) so he can get on with partying in the infield of Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the Coca-Cola 600. As a mystery, this is a pretty well written book, but for a race fan, its potentially nirvana with equal parts of cold beer and hot exhaust blended into the mix. Recommended, particularly for racin’ fans. 05/07 Jack Quick

Sweet Dream Baby by Sterling Watson: I was given this book by a friend-of-a-friend, who called it a thriller, and it was blurbed by Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly, and Elmore Leonard, so I started reading it, waiting for a murder. About halfway through, I finally realized that it is not a thriller, but rather Southern fiction, but I was totally engrossed in it which surprised me as that is my least favorite genre. I loved this beautifully written and very compelling coming-of-age story. It's the 1950s and eleven-year-old Travis is being sent to spend the summer with his grandparents and his sixteen-year-old Aunt Delia in the tiny town of Widow Rock, in Florida's Panhandle. His Japanese mother is having a nervous breakdown, and his hard-as-nails father can't deal with both of them. Travis's grandfather is the Sheriff, and his grandmother is a southern lady prone to having headaches, while Delia is a beautiful girl and the belle of the town. Delia and Travis spend all their time together, listening to the radio and sharing confidences. She teaches him a lot, like how to drive, to skinny dip and the facts of life, and he simply worships her, making the kick-ass ending most unexpected and disturbing, and very well done. It turns out that while it's not exactly a thriller, it is a character study of one of the creepiest psychopaths I've read about in a while. And it's the first book of a trilogy, with the second book much more of a thriller.

SWEETWATER CREEK by Anne Rivers Siddons: Dysfunctional families is a favorite motif of so many southern novels, and Siddons’ new book is no exception. Emily Parmeter is the young protagonist of this coming-of-age story. The book starts when Emily is eleven, and ends immediately after her thirteenth birthday, but in that time, she watches her family and her life change. At eleven, she has already faced the disappearance of her mother and the suicide death of her favorite brother. Her father and other brothers are only distant figures in her life. Her life revolves around her dog, Elvis, memories of her brother, and her life on Sweetwater Plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. She is unwilling to accepts the changes in her body and life until “the summer of Lulu Foxworth.” The troubled twenty-year-old brings a new knowledge to everyone on the plantation as she casts her spell over the Parmeter family, showing Emily’s father the potential for his dog business, showing Emily the potential of a polished life and education, and sharing her darkest secrets with Emily. Since Siddons tells Emily’s story through her eyes, the reader cares about the land and the plantation life, but most of all, the reader cares about this child who is forced to grow up too quickly. 08/05 ~This review contributed by Lesa Holstine.

Swift As Desire by Laura Esquivel:  I never read Like Water for Chocolate, so I can't compare it.  All I can say is this book is one gorgeous love story.

SWORN TO SILENCE by Linda Castillo: The body of a young woman has been discovered in the tiny town of Painters Mill, Ohio. She has been mutilated and defiled beyond imagination. But this isn’t the first time such a travesty has occurred in this quiet town. Sixteen years ago, a serial killer struck. Chief of Police Katie Burkholder was fourteen at the time, and would have been a victim herself if she hadn’t killed the man first. Her father and brother buried the body and the crime was never spoken of again. Everything about this new scene points to the same killer. How then, if the man is dead, could his crimes be repeating after all this time? And where has he been for over a decade? As Katie tries desperately to hide her own past and still uncover the identity of the killer, the bodies begin to pile up and the small community grows impatient with their Chief’s secrets. Castillo is the author of a slew of romantic suspense novels, but Sworn to Silence promises to be the breakout title for the author. Katie Burkholder, a character I hope we see much more of in the future, is a great lead with a different background—a former member of a close-knit Amish community who has returned home to become Chief of Police. Castillo’s debut thriller is not for readers with a weak stomach either. Fans of Thomas Harris and Chelsea Cain are going to love this one. 06/09 Becky Lejeune  

SYMPATHY BETWEEN HUMANS by Jodi Compton: In the previous book, The 37th Hour, a murder was committed and Shiloh, the husband of Minnesota Detective Sarah Pribek was sentenced to prison time in Wisconsin for the car theft which occurred at the same time. In this excellent follow-up Pribek is balancing several delicate cases while playing a cat and mouse game with the former Dallas, Texas inspector now assigned to Mankato who wants to prove her guilty of the murder that occurred in The 37th Hour. To whom does she owe her loyalties? What if she is charged with the crime, which she didn’t commit, but knows who did? Intense, but would probably not be as good if you haven’t read The 37th Hour first. Not yet up to John Sandford or P.J. Tracy but still an excellent third Twin Cities voice. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick.

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