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U IS FOR UNDERTOW by Sue Grafton: Number twenty-one. I tell you, it’ll be a sad day for me when the Kinsey Millhone series comes to an end. Until then, there should be at least five more to go. In this latest, Kinsey is hired for one day, investigating the decades-old memory of a possible burial site. Over twenty years ago, Mary Claire Fitzhugh was kidnapped. There was a ransom demand, but the drop was botched and the girl was never seen again. Michael Sutton was only six years old at the time, but after seeing a newspaper article on the anniversary of the case, old memories begin to surface. Sutton becomes convinced that he saw two men burying the body of Mary Claire and is even able to give Kinsey instructions to the site. The dig turns up the body of a dog rather than the missing child, but in spite of growing questions regarding the credibility of her client, Kinsey can’t help but dig deeper. The flashbacks in this one really threw me for a loop at first; they seemed disconnected until more of the story was revealed. Once I was able to get into the usual flow I expect from Grafton, U is for Undertow became a very satisfying addition to the series. 12/09 Becky Lejeune AN UNACCEPTABLE DEATH by Barbara Seranella: One time drug addict, prostitute, and motorcycle mama, Munch Mancini is about to become a wife and she and adopted daughter Asia will have a more normal existence. But first Munch's fiancé, detective Rico Chacón, has to take care of the little matter of a bounty put on Munch's head by the newly reformed Satan's Pride Motorcycle gang (whom Munch had helped take down years back). In the process he is shot dead by other cops in a drug bust gone bad. To compound matters, the police department is withholding Chacón's pension from his family, claiming that he was corrupt. Determined to clear his name and to get revenge, Munch sets out on a dangerous investigation of her own. It just doesn’t get any better. Thank you, Barbara. 04/06 Jack Quick UNBOUND by Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vickie Pettersson, Jocelynn Drake, and Melissa Marr: Urban fantasy fans will definitely want to add this anthology to their must read lists. Whether you’re a long-time fan of any (or all) of these authors, or it’s your first introduction to them, this collection is perfect. Readers familiar with the various series characters will love to get a little extra taste, but the tales can serve as a great preface for new fans as well. In Harrison’s “Ley Line Drifter,” Jenks is approached by a fellow pixy with a possession issue. Frost’s “Reckoning” takes Bones to the Big Easy where he must track one of the town’s most notorious couples. Pettersson’s “Dark Matters” is a look at a story that’s only been hinted at in the series. Drake’s “The Dead, The Damned, and The Forgotten” has Mira investigating the death of a fellow nightwalker. And Melissa Marr’s “Two Lines” marks the popular teen author’s debut adult tale. Each story makes for a fun one-sitting read and will surely give readers something to tide themselves over with until the next books in each series is released. 09/09 Becky Lejeune UNCOMMON GROUNDS by Sandra Balzo: A mystery set in a coffee shop - I grabbed a latte and started reading. Three women form a partnership and open a trendy coffee shop in a small town, but on opening day, one of the partners is found dead, electrocuted by the espresso machine. A hunky new sheriff in town adds a romantic spark to this first novel filled with gentle humor and easy pacing. 05/05 THE UNCOMMON READER by Alan Bennett: Bennett’s novella is a delightful book for any reader. An unnamed current queen of England happens upon the Westminster traveling library, and decides to check out a book. Although she found the book a little dull, she returned it and checked out another upon the advice of the librarian and a young man from the palace kitchen, Norman. Soon, the queen is addicted to reading, and Norman has been moved up from the kitchen to the library. The queen’s new passion isn’t well-received by some of the palace staff, but the shrewd woman finds a way to continue her new hobby. Other book addicts will enjoy watching the queen grow to appreciate books, authors, and her discoveries. She surely is an “uncommon reader” in this enchanting story. 01/08 Lesa Holstine THE UNDEAD KAMA SUTRA by Mario Acevedo: Felix’s latest adventure begins with the death of the alien who has been masquerading as long-time friend Gilbert Odin (see Nymphos of Rocky Flats for more on this particular case). The alien more or less hires Felix to find his killer, cryptically telling him to find Goodman and save the women of Earth before giving Felix a set of coordinates for disposing of his remains and finally dying. Felix complies with the disposal part and then, thoroughly confused, resumes his search for an ancient manuscript that is said to have the ability to psychically heal vampires. His search for this book, The Undead Kama Sutra, was what led him to Florida in the first place. He tracks rumors of the manuscript back to Carmen Arellano, leader of the Denver vamps, who has been recreating and translated the ancient work. As it turns out, Carmen is also missing a chalice – a human who willingly gives blood to vampires. The woman in question turns up in the local morgue, dead as a result of a blast from one of the aliens’ own weapons. Felix is back on the case and even manages to track down the mysterious Goodman. Where the case leads next, though, is completely unexpected. Readers who are not familiar with Acevedo’s quirky series should definitely begin at the beginning. There is history between Felix and the aliens, all laid out in the previously mentioned Nymphos. Fast plots, strange occurrences, and conspiracy theories are par for the course with any Acevedo title, when you combine that with his twisted sense of humor, you end up with a pretty great paranormal PI series that I highly recommend. 03/08 Becky Lejeune UNDER A RAGING MOON by Frank Zafiro: Ed McBain had his 87th precinct in Isola. Zafiro has created River City, Washington and a group of very human cops who police it. But whereas McBain’s people were able to generally stay above the fray, these cops get right down into the gritty, dirt ugly world. In this case, they are dealing with a serial gunman who is robbing convenience stores. With each stickup he becomes more violent and dangerous. Unless he’s taken down soon, it’s going to really get nasty. Chisolm,. McLeod, Kopriva and Ridgeway, along with the rest of the gang, are determined to make it happen. Not McBain caliber yet, but a lot of potential here. 08/06 Jack Quick UNDER THE DOME by Stephen King: Dale Barbara was on his way out. He'd had enough of Chester's Mill and was ready to move on. But then the dome came down. Just a few more minutes and he might have made it out. Now, he’s trapped inside with the other townsfolk, some who are desperate to survive and some who are actually a little pleased to have their town closed off from the rest of the world. No one knows where the dome came from or who could be responsible, but as days pass things in Chester’s Mill go downhill fast, and what was once a typical small town becomes the setting for a mad battle of neighbor versus neighbor. While some will come together to try and help one another make it through, others will find that keeping their dirty secrets hidden under the dome is becoming harder and harder. In the fourteen years since I read my first Stephen King, he has not disappointed me as a fan. Under the Dome is certainly no exception. King’s characters and settings come to life, reaching out and grabbing readers for over 1,000 pages of incredibly fast-paced, horrific and twisted, roller-coaster fun. 11/09 Becky Lejeune UNDERTOW by Peter Corris: Cliff Hardy is hired by an old friend, retired senior policeman Frank Parker, to look into a case from early in his (Parker’s) career involving two doctors, one of whom was convicted of hiring a hit man to kill the other and was found guilty of the crime. The convicted, now dead doctor may have been innocent, and Parker had been the lover of that doctor's wife. As Hardy begins to track down the now ageing names and faces, he uncovers more than he or Frank ever suspected, and there are still those who are trying to hinder the search for the truth. Classic PI, well written with interesting characters and an unusual premise. My first Peter Corris, but I am looking forward to many more. Does Aussies really say fair dinkum? 09/07 Jack Quick Underworld by Don DeLillo: Follow the bouncing ball from the Brooklyn Dodgers through the 20th century. A whole lotta book here. UNDONE by Karin Slaughter: Slaughter combines her Atlanta/ Georgia Bureau of Investigation series with her Grant County series in this latest outing. Dyslexic GBI agent Will Trent and partner Faith Mitchell are working a case involving a psycho who is kidnapping and brutally torturing women. Mitchell is in the emergency room being seen by Dr. Sara Linton, who left rural Grant County after her husband’s murder, for a new life at the underfunded Grady hospital in Atlanta, when the first victim is brought in. . While Mitchell and Trent are the main focus, Linton becomes involved in the investigation, even as it dredges up painful memories from her past. If books carried warning labels this one would have the excessive violence tag, but you have to admire Slaughter’s ability. On a personal note, after having dealt with diabetes for the last 16 years, I found the sequence regarding Mitchell’s first self injection of insulin to be spot on. However, my experience has been that low blood sugar levels, not high, lead to irritability and anxiousness. 08/09 Jack Quick UNFINISHED BUSINESS by Barbara Seranella: Our ace mechanic, Munch Mancini, is upset when a customer is found dead on the side of the freeway with electrocution marks on her body. The details resemble a rape case that Mace St. John, her cop friend, is working on. Then a third victim, who is also a customer at Munch’s garage, shows up and the rapist begins to make threatening phone calls to Munch. Delightfully twisty and yes, good does prevail at the end. 03/06 Jack Quick UNHOLY DOMAIN by Dan Ronco: Very interesting techno-thriller based on the premise that the conflict between fundamental religious extremists (the Church of Natural Humans) and those pressing for technological expansion, particularly in the areas of bio-medicine, artificial intelligence, robotics and nano-technology will eventually lead to open warfare between the two. The year is 2022 and the world is still feeling the effects of the Internet shutdown in 2012 allegedly caused by software expert Ray Brown. Brown’s son David has undertaken an investigation to clear his father’s name while Brown’s sister Claire has become a “showcase” member of the Church of Natural Humans. The creators of illegal technology, the Domain, have decided to take over the government. Who will prevail? This is the second book of a proposed trilogy; so don’t expect a “final” solution. 09/08 Jack Quick Unpaid Dues by Barbara Seranella: Munch Mancini is not the typical heroine of a murder mystery. For one thing, she's a mechanic - a grease monkey, and she's a recovering drug addict, clean for several years. Her best friend is a cop who's not happy that she's also having an affair with another cop - who's involved with someone else. And did I mention she has a young daughter? All in all, there's some heavy baggage here which makes for a very real, very interesting protagonist. Unfortunately, the story isn't quite as interesting. A woman is murdered and dumped in a storm drain, and in trying to identify her, Munch's name comes up. Turns out they share some history, the woman in question was part of the crowd Munch ran with in her druggie days. Then another piece of history ends up on her doorstep in the form of the teenage son of another addict friend, and Munch has to deal with more of her past than she ever wanted to. There's a nice twist at the end but this gritty saga lagged. This is the sixth installment in the Munch Mancini series, but my first crack at it and I will be back for more. THE UNRAVELING OF VIOLETA BELLl by C.R. Corwin: The third Morgue Mama Mystery is the best in the series yet. Maddy Sprowls is the curmudgeonly newspaper librarian for an Ohio paper. She seldom suggests stories, but when she does, and murder follows, Maddy follows the trail. Four women hired the same cab driver every Saturday to take them to garage and estate sales. When one is killed after the story runs, Maddy is asked to investigate on behalf of the cabbie. Who was the victim, Violeta Bell? Was she killed because of a newspaper story? Or is there a connection to the antiques she used to sell? What about her claim to the Romanian throne? It’s a complicated case, but much of the appeal of this latest mystery lies in the character of Maddy, a librarian with a tough exterior, a heart of gold, and a mind for crime. 05/08 Lesa Holstine UNSEEN by Nancy Bush: When someone tries to run down a pedophile in a small Oregon town, Deputy Will Tanninger is reluctant to admit that there are no solid leads. Their one possible suspect is a woman who was admitted to the hospital the same day the event occurred. The woman in question, Gemma LaPorte, has suffered minor head trauma but has no memory of the days leading up to the event. Worse for Gemma is the fact that she has almost no memory of her life before the incident either. As her memories begin to return, even she wonders if she could be the person behind the attempted murder. Will Tanninger hopes she's not as he seems to be falling for the mysterious woman on top of everything else. Nancy Bush, author of the Jane Kelly series, really delivers in this stand-alone romantic suspense. There is also just a hint of paranormal, enough to lend an intriguing twist, but not too much to overwhelm what is otherwise a traditional thriller. Readers unfamiliar with Bush will definitely be looking for more from her. In addition to her series, Bush is the co-author of the recently released Wicked Game, written with her sister, Lisa Jackson. 04/09 Becky Lejeune THE UNSEEN by Alexandra Sokoloff: Alexandra Sokoloff’s latest paranormal thriller is a masterful blend of fascinating fact and chilling fiction. From 1927 to 1965, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, had its very own parapsychology department. Just recently, 700 boxes of material from this department have been opened up to the public for viewing. Dr. Laurel MacDonald has only just relocated to the university’s psychology department and she finds herself drawn to these files, curious about what seems to have been the rather sudden closure of what was such a renowned program. Her search leads to evidence of a shocking experiment that may have ended to multiple deaths, an experiment that was expertly covered up and remains a secret even today. Laurel is surprised to discover that her own family has a connection to this incident and she decides that this will be the subject of her scholarly research. As she gets closer to the truth behind the events of 1965, however, she also finds herself closer to an evil that must never be released. Sokoloff never fails to surprise me with her tales. Her fabulous choice of setting and the original twist on what is essentially a true story (the experiment is fiction) make this an unsettling and highly entertaining horror/thriller read. 05/09 THE UNTHINKABLE THOUGHTS OF JACOB GREEN by Joshua Braff: This almost-coming-of-age story follows Jacob Green's life from age 10 through 15 as he attempts to deal with his learning disabilities and his dysfunctional, Orthodox Jewish family in 1970's suburban New Jersey. Jacob idolizes his older brother Asher, an artistic rebel, but is scared to death of his tyrannical father. His mother is so busy trying to escape her life that she has almost no presence in her son's life. Jacob expresses himself well, especially in his thank you notes for his Bar Mitzvah gifts and his letters to Meagan, the babysitter whose seductive ways leave a lasting impression on Jacob in this funny yet poignant novel. 05/05 UNTIL IT’S OVER by Nicci French: Astrid Bell has been really unlucky lately. It started with an accident in which she was knocked off her bike by a distracted neighbor. Then the neighbor turns up dead, murdered that same afternoon. Of course Astrid is not a suspect. Just days later, Astrid, a bike messenger, gets sent out for a pickup and discovers that the client in question has been murdered. While giving her official statement, Astrid makes a comment about the first murder that does not go unnoticed by police. Again, Astrid is not considered a serious suspect, but the police are starting to wonder if she could be the connection between the victims. Then Astrid discovers a third body, the girlfriend of her landlord, a woman who was getting Astrid and her friends evicted from their home. This time it’s hard for investigators not to believe that Astrid is behind it. Astrid’s story is just part of the book, though. After the investigation into the third murder, the story begins again from the killer’s perspective and I guarantee you’ll be dying to know who is behind it all. A clever new mystery from husband and wife team, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. 03/09 Becky Lejeune UNWRAPPING CHRISTMAS by Lori Copeland: Copeland is best known as a Christian fiction author, and her latest Christmas story heavily emphasizes the faith of the main character. Some readers will appreciate that in this story of one woman who let her religious activities overwhelm her life. Rose Bergman firmly believed in serving the Lord, and, to her it meant saying yes when she was asked to take casseroles to a shut-in, work the Thrift Shop, and write the Advent history for the church. She had a harder time talking to a woman whose son was on drugs, and a friend who was worried about her husband’s health. Most of all, she failed to realize she wasn’t there for her own family, putting everyone else’s needs first. It took an accident to stop Rose in her tracks, and make her go back to the basics of family life, and Christmas. Heavy on the religion, it’s still an enjoyable story for the holiday season. 11/07 Lesa Holstine UP FROM ORCHARD STREET by Eleanor Widmer: This is the story of the Roth family, headed by the beautiful and talented cook/matriarch, the Bubbe, Manya, who has managed to raise a rather self-centered son who marries a very self-centered wife, leaving the Bubbe to raise their daughter. Lots of anecdotes about life on the Lower East Side of New York during the early 1900's, but not a whole lot of plot here. This is the author's first novel, and her last. She was 80 years old when this very autobiographical work of fiction was published, and she has since passed away. 02/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch Up in the Air by Walter Kirn: Interesting story about a man with an unusual quest; to garner one million air miles. Along the way he collects women, collects relationships and collects words, which was my favorite part. URGENT CARE by C.J. Lyons: First came Lifelines, C.J. Lyons’s knockout debut medical thriller that introduced readers to the ladies of Angels of Mercy Medical Center. Lyons’s follow-up, Warning Signs, continued the drama and delved deeper into each of the women’s stories. Now, Nora, Lydia, Gina, and Amanda are back in this third installment to the series. Nora has been hiding a terrible secret from everyone around her. Two years ago, she was brutally assaulted. After escaping, she focused on getting her life and her career back to normal, but she never told the police. When a fellow hospital employee is found murdered, Nora is sure that the same man who attacked her is responsible, and she truly believes that if she had told authorities, she could have prevented the woman’s death. Meanwhile, Lydia learns more about her own past, Gina struggles to hold her own against her domineering family, and Amanda is faced with a true medical mystery that so far has left her stumped. I love Lyons’s work. I really do. Each new book is smart and intriguing, and her character development is so incredible that she leaves me literally breathless waiting to see what will happen next. 10/09 Becky Lejeune USER I. D. by Jenefer Shute: Protagonist Vera de Sica is a risk-averse, single, 38-year-old from New York and antagonist Charlene Cummins is a 38-year-old Southern Californian with an abusive con-man boyfriend, a bad credit rating and a penchant for living on the edge. The two women come together when Charlene's boyfriend, Howard, steals Vera's rental car finding enough information to max out Vera's credit cards, draw cash advances and open bank accounts. The psychological interplay between the victim and victimizer is intense as each develops fantasies about the other. As the story unfolds, it raises interesting issues about what is identity and the degree to which we control it. 02/06 Jack Quick UTTERLY MONKEY by Nick Laird: Mis-titled. Should have been: Utterly Boring. Laird, a poet, former lawyer and husband of Zadie Smith, probably should focus on his day job and leave the mysterious to those who do mysteries. In this debut, Danny Williams is a well-paid lawyer at a prestigious London firm. Geordie Wilson, his boyhood chum from Northern Ireland, is "officially an unemployed labourer" who's just showed up on Danny's doorstep desperate for a place to stay. Geordie's in trouble with the Ulster Unionists back home, primarily because he has a sack full of their cash. There should be a plot here, but all I could think of was Katherine Hepburn starting a car on a cold morning. You know, urrrrrrrrrgh, uurrrrrrrrrrrrrgh, urrrrrrrrrrrrgh, urrrrrrrrgh, urrrrrrrrgh. Would that this book could be that exciting. 01/07 Jack Quick V by Thomas Pynchon: I kept reading and reading, waiting for some semblance of a plot to emerge but it never did. I didn't care about the characters either. My guess is with Pynchon you either you love him or you hate him. I forced myself to finish it, drudging though every page. Sorry to disappoint all the literati, but did I mention I hated this book? THE VALLEY OF FEAR by A.C. Doyle: Number 63 in the Hardcase Crime series was the last of the Sherlock Holmes novels published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and originally appeared in "Strand Magazine" serially between September 1914 and May 1915. The novel concerns the real-life activities of the secret Irish organization, the "Molly Maguires", and of Pinkerton agent James McParland who investigated them. The two part novel is first concerned with Holmes investigation of an apparent murder victim whose identity is mistaken and secondly with the story of the man originally thought to be the murder victim. Notable for its involvement of Professor Moriarty, which seems to contradict the timeline of the other Sherlock stories, "The Valley of Fear" was one of the last great chapters in the literary legacy of Doyle's most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes. 01/10 Jack Quick THE VALLEY OF JEWELS by Mary Saums: Is there anything more southern than homemade biscuits and country ham? How about a for real killing in the midst of a civil war reenactment? Willi Taft has returned to north Alabama for a summer job teaching at Faulkner College but it turns out to be music and mayhem as first her department head is stabbed to death during a reenactment and a singer who Willi has always admired receives threatening notes. Mix in the KKK, a romantic interest, and the still wet behind the ears former singer and now part-time private eye has her hands full. Think Southern Fried Kinsey Millhone or an early Sharon McCone on a treasure hunt and in peril. Recommended. 05/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick, Alabama boy and connoisseur of the South. VAMPYRES OF HOLLYWOOD by Adrienne Barbeau and Michael Scott: Scream queen Ovsanna Moore is a Hollywood film legend – in more ways than her fans could ever imagine. Ovsanna is one of the vampires of Hollywood. She is also the top vamp in LA. Lately, though, someone has been using her creations for vampire target practice. Enter Detective Peter King. He was raised on celluloid dreams, but in spite of his mother’s hopes he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a cop instead. Now he serves and protects Hollywood and its denizens and the case of the Cinema Slayer has landed smack dab in his lap. When the pieces all come together, Ovsanna seems to be the most common link between the victims, especially when one of her special effects crew is killed next. Peter knows something is up, but he’s in for a real surprise when he discovers what it is. It seems someone has declared war on Ovsanna and she must team up with Peter to discover who or this role may turn out to be her very last. Fun and entirely original! Barbeau, a scream queen in her own right, teams up with Michael Scott to create a smart and amusing mystery that is addictive reading. Vampyres is unlike anything else I’ve read of late. 07/08 Becky Lejeune VANILLA RIDE by Joe R. Lansdale: It has been eight years since Joe Lansdale has written a "Hap and Leonard" novel. The daring duo are back, taking names and kicking ass. For those unfamiliar with the series, these two East Texans find themselves in situations that require a lot of fighting and, in Vanilla Ride, a lot of killing. In this installment, Hap and Leonard take on some cracker drug lords known as the Dixie Mafia. Lansdale brings back Jim Bob and Marvin while introducing a new character, Tonto. What makes this series shine is the dialog--it crackles right off the page. Hap is a reformed drinker; Leonard, a flaming homosexual. Together, they trade witty banter while watching one another's backs. Don't mess with either...unless you want a knuckle sandwich. Vanilla Ride is, at times, crude, juvenile, and sophomoric, but beneath the non-stop cartoon violence, Lansdale poses the unanswerable question: can murder be justified? Highly recommended for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey. 08/09 Dan Cawley VANISH by Tess Gerritsen: A group of young girls smuggled into the U.S. for a sexual slavery ring are massacred. Thus opens the newest thriller from Gerritsen and the action doesn't stop until the last page is turned. Dr. Maura Isles has the dubious distinction of finding a living body in the cooler of her morgue. "Jane Doe" is moved to the hospital where she proves to be one tough patient to keep in a bed; she manages to take several people hostage. Detective Jane Rizzoli is also a patient in the hospital because her baby is over due, and she won't stay in her bed either. While she goes wandering, looking for her doctor, she ends up as one of the hostages. The Boston police and the FBI get involved, including Rizzoli's husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean, and the tension just continues to mount as Rizzoli goes into labor during the hostage negotiations. Then the word "terrorist" is uttered, National Security starts pulling strings and Agent Dean, feeling supremely frustrated, decides to do his own investigation and uncovers a conspiracy that he wasn't supposed to find. Vanish is a very topical, very tense, top drawer thriller, summer reading at its finest. Don't miss it! 08/05 VANISHED by Joseph Finder: It's been almost two years since Finder's last book, and I'm happy to report that Vanished was worth the wait. Lauren and Roger Heller are enjoying a rare dinner out in Georgetown, in upscale Washington DC. After dinner, Lauren is attacked by what appears to be a mugger, but Roger simply vanishes. Their son Gabe calls his uncle Nick, an ex-Special Forces private investigator, who isn't really on speaking turns with his brother but nonetheless, agrees to help find him. Thus begins this superbly written, startling tale of intrigue, violence, and greed. This one kept me turning pages through the night, and as an added bonus, Nick Heller is coming back - this is the excellent first book of an exciting new series. 08/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX by Maggie O’Farrell: Imagine being locked in an asylum for most of your life. Imagine if the reason for this imprisonment is nothing more than being a headstrong teenager in a time when women were supposed to be submissive creatures bred to please their husbands. Now, imagine that your whole family has forgotten about you. This is what happens to Esme Lennox. At sixteen, Esme was committed to Cauldstone, a psychiatric facility that is on now on its last leg. Esme has two remaining relatives, her sister Kitty, and Kitty’s granddaughter Iris. When her grandmother is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Iris Lockhart is assigned power of attorney making her the primary contact now that Cauldstone’s closure is imminent. Iris is reluctant to take on the burden of a certifiable relative especially considering the fact that she had no idea Esme even existed. Is she a danger to others? Is she a danger to herself? Why would Kitty have kept her only sister a secret from her entire family? The story unfolds from three points of view. Iris is a constant and reliable narrator, but she has her own personal demons and will never know the full extent of the story. Kitty’s choppy memories reveal the ultimate of betrayals. Esme’s own version bridges the gaps between the two as she herself discovers the real reason she was erased from her family’s history. I loved this book - it’s a sort of family drama with a taste of gothic undertones. O’Farrell’s prose will rouse in readers an almost desperate need to know the truth. 12/07 Becky Lejeune VANISHING ACTS by Jodi Picoult: A story that is literally about finding oneself. Delia, along with her bloodhound, Greta, does search and rescue work. She lives in a small town in New Hampshire with her four year old daughter, Sophie and her father, Andrew. One night she has an odd dream about planting a lemon tree, and mentions it to her best friend, a journalist. He starts doing a little digging and the next thing you know, Delia's whole world is turned up side down. Her father is arrested, and she finds out the mother she thought dead is very much alive. The story istold in the alternating voices of half a dozen of the main characters, a format that mostly works here. The story does get bogged down a bit with Native American folklore and tales of prison, but all in all this is what Picoult does best; another compelling story ripped from the headlines. Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch VANISHING POINT by Marcia Muller: Sharon McCone and boyfriend Hy Ripinksy finally take a few days to go to Reno for a tasteful (no Elvis impersonators) wedding but its quickly back to work for both. McCone is hired to follow up on a cold case of a woman missing over 20 years. The initial evidence she and her team turn up indicates the woman may not have been the devoted wife and mother that her daughter remembers. Another excellent McCone outing, which reads easily and continues the string of McCone successes. It’s probably not all coincidence that Muller’s real life husband is Bill Pronzini and that both are among the best for contemporary mystery fiction. 08/06 Jack Quick VENDETTA’S VICTIM by Alex Matthews: I am not anti-cat. I am anti-psychological animals with extraordinary powers that make us humans look really dumb. Matthews’ cats have no super powers, but they are everywhere, to the point of interfering with what otherwise is a well-written mystery. Chicago psychotherapist Cassidy McCabe learns that a man using her name is going around injecting HIV positive blood into at least two women. After Cassidy is unable to get the victims to go to the police, she and boyfriend reporter Zach Moran set out to find the perp who calls himself Cliff Connors. Crisp pacing and realistic Chicago ambience remind you of Sara Paretsky and Robert Campbell. Unfortunately Cassidy is not as hard-boiled as V.I. Warshawski, or as laugh out loud funny as Jimmy Flannery. Still, all in all, an excellent effort, recommend for anyone without cat allergies. (Third in the series). 10/06 Jack Quick THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL by Steve Berry: All the characters we met before when secret agent-turned-bookseller Cotton Malone was chasing the Templars are back in The Venetian Betrayal. This time they're after the long lost tomb (and body) of Alexander the Great. And it's as much of a tour de force as we've come to expect from Berry, though he manages here to one-up himself in terms of spectacular scenery and exotic locale, as everyone ends up somewhere to the Northeast of Samarkand. My favorite character is the bad guy, who in this case is a woman, and whatta woman! Described as a sort of cross between Genghis Khan (a possible ancestor) and Rosie O'Donnell, Irina Zovastina heads up a Central Asian Federation that makes so much sense, I wish we really had one. Maps are provided, a thoughtful touch since the fictional federation covers countries that have been so troubled for so long that hardly anyone goes there, i.e. countries ending in -stan, such as Uzbekistan etc. Since I adore Venice and its complex history, I had hoped for more of that. But no matter, Steve Berry has given us another winner. For someone who tells us he tried for 12 years, with 85 rejections of 5 different manuscripts before selling his first book, his persistence is being rewarded. As are we, the readers, who get to come along on his fast, historically fascinating rides. 12/07 Dianne Day THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL by Steve Berry: The latest release by the master of action and suspense finds Cotton Malone and company on a desperate search for the lost tomb of Alexander. Legend has it that Alexander may have discovered an ancient cure-all, a draught whose secret followed him to his grave. The leader of the Asian Federation, Supreme Ministre Irina Zovastina, has plans for Alexander’s draught that do not include saving the world. She and her cohorts have been working to develop the ultimate virus to be used in biological warfare and secure her place and the helm of this new empire. Her efforts would have impressed the great Alexander himself. Malone, along with Cassiopeia Vitt, Henrik Thorvaldsen, and Stephanie Nelle must discover Alexander’s final resting place before Zovastina gets her hands on it and succeeds in becoming the world’s most powerful dictator. Berry never disappoints. His use of important modern day issues and the mystique of unexplained and strange historical events are the secrets to his success as a great novelist. Readers who pay close attention just might catch Berry’s nod to fellow author James Rollins and his own Sigma series. 12/07 Becky Lejeune VENETIAN HOLIDAY by David Campbell: Cat burglar and art thief Kate Fujimori is in trouble at two levels. Her attempt to steal a phony Mona Lisa from a gallery in Venice is interrupted by two other thieves after the same painting. Kate blames her planner, Freddy Doloreux. Although he had nothing to do with this debacle he has sold her out to a mobster who wants payback for a theft she committed earlier. Throw in a police inspector with a voodoo-practicing ex-girlfriend, a pair of monks looking for the corpse of their abbot and all you’re lacking are a couple of animal acts. A fast and fairly pleasant read. Too violent to be considered a cozy, it brings to mind the 1999 Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta-Jones movie – Entrapment, but not as slickly done. Overall, a bit gimmicky. 09/06 Jack Quick VENGEANCE by A.J. Scudiere: FBI agent Owen Dunham is following the trail of the ‘Grudge Ninja’. What he doesn’t realize is that all his evidence is false. The profilers can’t get their heads around anything except the obvious fact that the Ninja is extracting a deadly revenge for an old wrong. As the Ninja gets bolder and far more dangerous, Owen begins to question whether the Ninja may be a force for good that he, Owen, should not attempt to stop. On the other hand, he knows this case will make his career. No shortage of mayhem and mishap in this bloody but interesting outing. 01/09 Jack Quick VENGEANCE ROAD by Rick Mofina: Reporter Jack Gannon is the first to respond for a call regarding the discovery of a body in a local park. He thinks it might lead to a story, but he can’t even imagine how big it’s going to get. Gannon stumbles on a lead that his bosses are none to pleased to see in print, however, and soon he finds that he must solve this one in order to save his own reputation. Meanwhile, Jack has also been approached by a mother whose daughter is gone missing. As Jack digs deeper into the murder, he finds that the missing girl may be connected and if she’s still alive, the time to find her is running out. This first in a new series from Mofina is a fast-paced read with a superb plot. True edge-of-your-seat material. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next installment of Gannon’s story. 09/09 Becky Lejeune THE VENGEFUL VIRGIN by Gil Brewer: Hard Case Crime #30 is a reprint of a 1958 classic. Bill Pronzini calls it one of his favorites, so how could it not be good. Shirley Angela is 18, but far from sweet and innocent. What she wants to be is rich, and she has a plan for that – all it takes is bringing in the right man. Jack Ruxton had his eyes open as well as….well, lets just say he and Shirley Angela worked very closely on how to rob the old man of his life and his money. At least that was their intention. Thank you, Hard Case Crime, for another golden oldie. 04/07 Jack Quick THE VENUS FIX by M. J. Rose: Dr. Morgan Snow, a sex therapist with a list of clients drawn to mayhem and murder, is back in her third outing in this terrific series. Morgan is treating clients with Internet porn addiction to live web cam performances. One is a powerful judge who has been hiding his identity, until he ends up being a suspect when the girls he is watching start dying live on camera, one after another. Patient confidentiality puts Morgan at odds once again with Detective Noah Jordain, and their relationship is feeling the strain. Creepy letters from the serial killer are interspersed throughout the book, escalating the tension to the riveting finale. The Venus Fix is one twisted, terrific thriller. 07/06 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch Vernon
God Little: A 21st Century Comedy in the Presence of Death by D. B. C.
Pierre: I suppose that it is hard to argue with a book that won the Man
Booker Prize, but here goes. VGL is a teenage Benny Hill TV episode set in an
Englishman's idea of Texas. If you like that sort of thing, fine. But it ought
not to be winning prestigious awards. Particularly in a year when The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time should be winning everything in sight.
Read that first. VERY VALENTINE by Adriana Trigiani: One of my favorite authors starts a new trilogy with this book introducing our heroine, Valentine Roncalli. Valentine is an apprentice to her grandmother, a cobbler in New York City. The Angelini Shoe Company was started by her grandfather in 1903 (sort of) and upon his death, her grandmother, Teodora, took it over. They make custom wedding shoes, a very specialized niche for sure, but unfortunately the most successful part of their business is the prime real estate in Greenwich Village that they work and live in. The women are a part of a large Italian-American family, with all the love, chaos and good food that implies. Valentine's older brother wants his grandmother to retire by selling the building, but that will make Valentine homeless and jobless. She's fallen in love with the business, and when an opportunity comes up to compete for Bergdorf Goodman's window display, she's determined to win and keep her business. Meanwhile, she's met a man, Roman Falconi, who's the hot new chef in Little Italy but they are both a bit too career driven for much romance. Introducing all the characters and setting makes this book a slow starter, but then it takes off like a rocket, bringing laughter, tears, and best of all, a trip through Italy. Another fabulous read from Trigiani, and personally I can't wait for the next installment. 03/09 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch THE VIADUCT by Grace F. Edwards: Harlem, 1972. Marin Taylor is an African-American Vietnam veteran trying to put his war experience behind him and start a new life. Then he has a very bad day. The owner of the print shop in which he works has a heart attack and closes down the business. On his way home to his pregnant wife Margaret, he is accosted by two men, brothers, wearing stockings over their face. He tries to defend himself and the severance money in his pocket. In the ensuing melee, he manages to push one over the ten story viaduct, but the other one stabs him several times. Marin wakes up in hospital, no money, but still alive. Marin slowly recovers and is relatively well when his wife gives birth to a baby daughter. In the meantime Conroy, the surviving brother, who has been hiding out, learns from his mother that she has borrowed the money from a local loan shark to bury his brother and that it will be up to him to repay the loan and vig. Conroy hatches a misguided scheme, partly for revenge and partly as means of satisfying his loan shark debt, to kidnap Marin and Margaret’s new born child. Although I can’t attest to the accuracy of the depiction of Harlem, I would say, as one who lived through this time period that Edwards has nailed the era perfectly in this stand-alone from the author of the popular Mali Anderson mystery series, which I definitely want to try soon. Somewhat different from James Ellroy and Walter Mosley, but equally well done. 06/10 Jack Quick A View from the Roof – Lessons for Life & Business by Calvin Mackie, Ph.D.: Willie Mackie, Sr., a roofer in New Orleans, passed on lessons of hard work and the importance of education to his three sons. Calvin Mackie collected those ideas, with the help of stories by his brother Willie, Jr., to celebrate the core philosophies, lessons and values of their father. Their father had high expectations for his children. The inspirational advice that Mackie relates can be used for success in life and careers. There’s a great deal of philosophy in this short book that makes it difficult to absorb all the information at once. Mackie, Sr. was a wise man, and his son, Calvin, has flourished and written a thoughtful book based on his father’s wisdom. This book is a keeper, one to return to for inspiration and the opportunity for reflection. 01/06 Lesa Holstine VILLAGE AFFAIRS by Cassandra Chan: Chan’s latest mystery brings back Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant Jack Gibbons and his wealthy friend, Phillip Bethancourt. The sequel to The Young Widow takes the investigative team to a small English village due to the death of a wealthy widower. However, no one in town seems to have realized that he was wealthy, or who his secret girlfriend was. Gibbons and Bethancourt unravel a web of secrets in this traditional mystery. As with so many traditional mysteries set in small villages, it features a vicar and his wife, a mysterious artist, a couple of celebrities, a reclusive brother and sister, and the obligatory housekeeper. It’s a welcome addition to the mystery field for anyone who misses Agatha Christie. 02/07 Lesa Holstine
VINNIE’S HEAD by Marc Lecard: When you are having a bad time, and
Johnnie LoDuco is definitely having a bad time, sometimes it helps to go
fishing. But if your fishing line hangs up on a severed head, and when the head
is (was) that of your good friend - no former friend - Vinnie, well a bad day
just got worse. Not only for Vinnie McCloskey-Schmidt, a computer-savvy con
artist who had recently promised to bring LoDuco into his business, but said
friend LoDuco and Vinnie’s girlfriend Jennifer. Arguably this book contains some
of the funniest violence ever as well as a complicated plot and some first rate
writing like this exchange between Vinnie and Johnnie: THE VINTAGE CAPER by Peter Mayle: Peter Mayle’s latest wining and dining romp, The Vintage Caper, begins in Hollywood, but inevitably moves to the South of France as former corporate lawyer, gourmand and lively bachelor Sam Levitt seeks to track down 45 cases of very expensive wine stolen from the cellar of exceedingly obnoxious Hollywood entertainment lawyer, Danny Roth. As always, the story is light and charming, but the real appeal of this book is the language. You can savor it just like the characters savor their wine and their food. Describing Danny’s choosing what to wear, Mayle writes “Something conservative (he was, after all, a lawyer) but with a devil-may-care touch of informality – he was, after all, an entertainment lawyer.” And even better is his description of Marseilles – “Sam had never been to Marseille, but he’d seen the French Connection and read one or two breathless articles by travel writers, and he thought he knew what to expect. There would be villainous characters-undoubtedly trainee Mafia executives – lurking on every street corner…In every respect, it would echo Somerset Maugham’s summing up of the Cote d’Azur – ‘a sunny place for shady people.’ It sounded interesting." In summary, this is one happy read. Think The Thomas Crown Affair - either version. 12/09 Geoffrey R. Hamlin VIOLENT SATURDAY by W. L. Heath: Even if you miss the 1955 publication date, the language tells you quickly that this one has been around for a while. Morgan, Alabama is like most small towns on Friday night - a little innocent flirting, some outright adultery, drinking both legal and illegal, even a little larceny. All this gets swept aside on Saturday afternoon when three strangers carry out their intentions of robbing the Bank of Morgan. Some altered plans yield violent death, unusual heroism, and profound change for the sleepy little town. An easy read. 08/06 Jack Quick VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY by Melissa Walker: Thoroughly enjoyable if implausible fairy tale about Violet, the 6'1" high school senior who's embarrassed about her height and naturally thin body. That is, until she is "discovered" while working in the local movie theater by a high powered New York agent who's always looking for the next IT girl. Shy, wallflower Violet is whisked away to New York City, given a makeover and hits the runway, finding that popularity she's always wanted, not to mention free Prada boots. But while success brings its rewards, it also brings a snarky bitch of a bulimic roommate with a coke addiction, difficulty in dealing with her two best friends back home, and a sharp dose of reality. Geared toward the teen crowd, so buy it for your teen, then borrow it for yourself. 10/07 Stacy Alesi, AKA The BookBitch VIRTUALLY DEAD by Peter May: An over the top state of the art thriller. Michael Kapinksy enjoyed his job as a crime-scene photographer, but his wealthy wife convinced him to give it up so they could have more “play time”. Now she is dead and Michael Kapinsky is at loose ends personally and financially. As he struggles to come to terms with Mora’s death, he decides to return to his old job, although it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Then his psychologist persuades him to enter a virtual world called Second Life to participate in a new kind of group therapy. Once there, his persona, Chas Chesnokov, discovers that victims whose crime scenes Michael has attended in the wealthy Southern California resort of Newport Beach have had their avatars clinically executed in the virtual world. Co-opted into the Twist of Fate Detective Agency, Chas embarks on an investigation with an exotic dancer and escort girl. They uncover a series of killings and a financial scam that is netting the murderer millions of dollars. When Michael is tempted by money that mysteriously appears in Chas’s Second Life account, both his real and his virtual lives are in danger. A mind stretcher and quite entertaining. 03/10 Jack Quick VISIBILITY by Boris Starling: Its 1952 and the Cold War plus the Korean conflict are keeping everyone jittery. Herbert Smith, "once of the British Army, latterly of MI5" and now a detective with "the Metropolitan Police's Murder Squad," draws the case of a drowned man found in a Hyde Park pond in the thick London fog. The victim, a young biochemist and son of a highly placed government official, in the hours before his death had claimed to be in possession of a discovery that could change the world. Smith soon discovers that his inquiries are creating a panic in the covert world as agents from his own MI5 as well as the Soviet Union and U.S. (along with a renegade Nazi mad scientist) surface. Reminiscent of le Carre and Forsyth, Starling stands equal to them with this great period English police procedural. 06/09 Jack Quick A VISIBLE DARKNESS by Jonathon King: In this second outing, former Philadelphia cop Max Freeman spends much of his days and nights driving his pickup truck down the seedier streets of West Palm Beach, instead of the Everglades. He is looking for whoever is knocking off a bunch of very old African-American ladies who sold off their insurance policies early. Freeman's lawyer chum, Billy Manchester, a genius who stutters in public, is back along with a new love interest, a sad-eyed lady cop. It is interesting to see the subtle evolution of Freeman as he transitions from a policeman, whose life was shattered by a shootout that left him wounded and a young man killed by one of his bullets, into someone who has found at least some peace with himself. 05/07 Jack Quick Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich: If you haven't read Evanovich, I beg you not to start with this one; if you don't know the characters, you will be lost. Stephanie's latest bail jumper has the unlikely name of Sandy Claws, and he owns a toy factory. There's no Ranger, but there is a mysterious hunk named Diesel who appears at will, adding additional havoc to the already over-wrought love life of our heroine. Grandma Mazur has a new "studmuffin" who emits electrical charges and Valerie is throwing up regularly, courtesy of Albert Kloughn. I read this on my lunch hour - there's not much of a plot, no real laughs and an overload of cavity inducing sticky-sweet-cuteness. I hate to say it, but bah humbug. What a disappointment. VIXEN by Ken Bruen: In this follow-up to The White Trilogy Inspector Brant must match wits with Angie James, “the Vixen”, a female psychopath who gets her jollies from setting off bombs and ruthlessly manipulating men and women. Brant is on a tear and it is a race to determine which implodes first - Brant, the Squad, or Ms. James. With each outing, Bruen just gets better and better and if his prose becomes any more spare and stark, he will be producing single page novellas. 10/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick. VOLK’S GAME by Brent Ghelfi: In Ghelfi’s debut novel, he paints the underbelly of Moscow with the same monochromatic palette and broken brushes that Andrew Vacchs has used with great skill to depict New York City’s worst elements. Ghelfi is not yet a Vacchs but shows great potential. If you like Vachss’s Burke or Martin Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko, then you will likely relate to Alekei "Volk" Volkovoy, a brutal killer maimed in Russia's war against Chechnya who is a powerful gangster with a hand in virtually all underworld rackets. He is also a covert military operative who monetarily supports a group of military widows who would likely otherwise not survive. The basis for this outing is the attempted theft of a previously unknown Da Vinci painting, Leda and the Swan, which has been concealed beneath another painting in a St. Petersburg, Russia museum. The action is dark, dirty, and plentiful, with shifting allies and unknown enemies. Volk says its best at one point, “Every part of me hurts, but the worst is my heart. It feels as if it’s fracturing into a million pieces of shrapnel:” Let’s hope Ghelfi can come up with some more challenges for Volk. I think he is a keeper. 07/07 Jack Quick VOODOO LAWS by Jim Hansen: Do you read mysteries for the characters or for the plot? Coffee drinking serial womanizing Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry is back with all his quirks and talents. He is frantically searching for a missing woman after finding the second member of a local law firm dead with implications of voodooism and death curses. At the same time local attorney and budding author Mackenzie Lee has her own challenge. Her newest client, Erin Asher, is convinced that she was being stalked. A man who looked like a pirate followed her during an evening of in downtown on Saturday. The same man is apparently the primary suspect in one of Coventry’s murder cases that occurred across town at the same time. Lee’s client is the suspect’s alibi, but if Lee allows her to come forward, will they be clearing the man from one murder so that he can commit a different one – that of Asher. Then there is the missing woman and the fact the Coventry has had a voodoo death curse placed on him. Oh, did I mention that Lee formerly worked with the same law firm as the two victims that are the object of Coventry’s efforts? How are they all interconnected? Bottom line – great characters in a wild plot that somehow all comes together. The Laws series just keeps getting better and better. 03/09 Jack Quick VOWS, VENDETTAS & A LITTLE BLACK DRESS by Kyra Davis: The fifth Sophie Katz novel opens with an engagement, and a shooting. Mary Ann is getting married. Her boyfriend proposed with a ring set inside a Tinkerbell box and the two are planning a fabulous fairy tale event at Disneyland, something she’s about to reveal to friends Sophie and Dena when Dena goes down like a brick. Not sure what’s happened at first, the girls quickly realize that Dena’s been shot. Now it’s uncertain whether the dominatrix will even walk again and Sophie’s determined to use her own detective skills to find the person responsible and make them pay. Of course this causes problems with Sophie’s boyfriend, PI Anatoly Darinsky, who’s well aware that Sophie’s nosing about usually lands her in a heap of trouble. Funny and suspenseful as ever, Kyra Davis delivers yet another entertaining addition to her fabulous mystery series. Be warned, these are highly addicting and this one comes with a cliffhanger of a revelation in the end. 06/10 Becky Lejeune VULTURE CAPITAL by Mark Coggins: Venture Capitalist Ted Valmont is informed that the brains behind a biotechnology start-up he's funded called NeuroStimix is missing. Valmont engages PI August Riordan to help find the missing man and we soon learn that the disappearance is part of a larger conspiracy to use NeuroStimix technology for dastardly purposes. To complicate matters, the missing man is Valmont's buddy and Valmont's own brother, as a spinal injury patient, would benefit from the NeuroStimix discovery. Co-founder of a failed Internet start-up, Mark Coggins injects lots of local color into his work, even dedicating the book to the Pets.com Sock Puppet. 12/05 ~This review contributed by Jack Quick. Back to Top
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