Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook Volume 1 Review

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Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook Volume 1 ReviewIn the town of Whispering Meadows there are no lack of cases for Max Finder and his cohort Alison Santos to work on. Finding the culprit can sometimes be very tricky, but between the two of them, their sharp thinking and powers of observation they are great at cracking cases. If you think you can figure out whodunit you are welcome to travel along as they crack ten very sweet and difficult cases at school and around town. Can you cut the mustard and solve them before either one of them claims to know the answer to the mystery? Here are a few cases in this book for the young detectives tried solve:
* The Case of the Basketball Card Foul: Ethan Webster, a snotty but decent basketball player, brought his "limited edition McGrady rookie card" to school and someone stole it. A girl called Mega-Con Comics & Cards to inquire about the value of the card and the weekend show. Hmmmm!
* The Case of the Midnight Scratcher: Leslie was having a bunch of her friends over for her birthday. She received an "Avril Elliot CD"for her birthday. During the night someone gouged Gabrielle's initials in it. She was also seen up during the night. Did she dislike Avril that much?
* The Case of the Stereo-Smashing Spook: Tony's dad donated a stereo as a prize for the school's Halloween dance and he won it when he wasn't supposed to even enter the contest. When no one was looking . . . "CRASH!" It was tossed down the stairs. Gee, did someone hate Tony enough to wreck the stereo?
* The Case of the Soapy Switch: Nanda Kanwar was selling chocolate for charity in hopes she would win a snowboard if she sold the most. Someone swiped her chocolate and left soap behind. She was really upset because she was sooooo close to winning. Would they catch the "soap switcher" before the contest was over?
The cases in this book are fun, but the reader really has to be observant to figure out whodunit in most of these cases. If you put on your thinking cap and closely observe the scenes of the crime you'll stand a good chance of solving them along with Max and Alison. There will probably be a few that will stump you and you'll have to flip to the back of the book to find the culprit. I enjoyed them all and will not admit how many times I had to peek in the back, if at all.
Max is a fact finder and before he presents a new mystery he'll tell you about an interesting fact like "the tongue of a blue whale weighs more than a full-grown elephant." The duo quickly develops a "suspect list" and work hard to solve their mysteries. Of course guys like Basher McGintley, the "Planet's biggest bully," always seem to be the type I'd suspect, but these little mysteries are so well done it really is hard to peg the culprit at times. In addition to the cases there are numerous puzzles and "extra stuff" to do. If you have a youngster who enjoys the graphic novel format and loves a good mystery, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at this collected casebook.Max Finder Mystery Collected Casebook Volume 1 Overview

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The Triumph of the Thriller: How Cops, Crooks, and Cannibals Captured Popular Fiction Review

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The Triumph of the Thriller: How Cops, Crooks, and Cannibals Captured Popular Fiction ReviewEvery Monday, Patrick Anderson writes a book review column for the Washington Post. Instead of covering literary books, Anderson reviews what is popularly known as "thriller" fiction. THE TRIUMPH OF THE THRILLER is Anderson's effort to explain the history and popularity of thrillers, as well as offer his opinion of today's best thriller writers.
THE TRIUMPH OF THE THRILLER is a highly informative book overall. Anderson produces a short history of the thriller as a genre, and provides his opinions of writers as diverse as Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Lawrence Sanders and John McDonald. He also focuses a lot of attention on modern thriller writers, including the four authors he considers "modern masters" -- Michael Connelly, Thomas Harris, Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos.
I liked this book, because I enjoy reading thrillers. But THE TRIUMPH OF THE THRILLER has some real problems. Most notably, it's highly slanted in favor of Anderson's view of what a good "thriller" is supposed to be. In Anderson's opinion, the best thrillers are serious, dark novels that explore deep psychological issues. For example, Anderson does not consider John Sandford to be a modern master. Why? Because, in Anderson's words, Sanford is "too entertaining" to be taken seriously. Since when is being entertaining a liability? In taking this position, Anderson's views border on the literary elitism that he decries in the later chapters of this book.
Also, Anderson has a rather elastic definition of what a thriller is. Is Sue Grafton a thriller writer? He seems to believe so, but I always thought that Grafton wrote mysteries. And why include Sue Grafton and not Robert Parker? Why isn't Harlan Coben even mentioned? He writes some of the best thrillers around. And what about medical thriller writers like Robin Cook, Michael Palmer, and Tess Gerritsen? Or psychological thriller writers like Jonathan Kellerman and Stephen White? They are all completely ignored. Instead, Anderson devotes precious pages to a writer like Nicholas Sparks, who nobody in their right mind would categorize as a thriller writer.
Mr. Anderson also offers some unorthodox opinions about certain prominent writers. For example, he largely dismisses Robert Crais and Lee Child as writers who do not write about "interesting characters" but "killing machines." Anderson has a right to his opinion, but this view is totally out of the mainstream, given the enormous amount of critical and popular acclaim that both Mr. Child's and Mr. Crais's books have deservedly received. My advice is to give both writers a try -- they are two of the best thriller authors in the business.
In short, THE TRIUMPH OF THE THRILLER is okay, but it essentially boils down to one man's rather idiosyncratic opinion of what good thrillers are. In the end, your satisfaction with this book will depend on how in sync you are with Anderson's personal tastes. In my personal opinion, this book is worth a look, but it should be taken with a heavy grain of salt.The Triumph of the Thriller: How Cops, Crooks, and Cannibals Captured Popular Fiction Overview

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A Citizen of the Country Review

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A Citizen of the Country ReviewA Citizen of the Country succeeded where The Knowledge of Water failed, in that it was truly worthy of being called a sequel to the tremendous opening book, The Vanished Child. While typically complex, the mystery plot here was at least understandable. But, as always, the key to these novels is the human plot introduced in the Vanished Child, and the denouement of that plot here was just fantastic; it was truly a payoff for people who have read all the books in the trilogy. Hopefully, the author will reconsider her decision to make this only a trilogy, and write one more episode set during World War One. The ending of this book certainly sets up the possibility of such a sequel. All in all, this was a great read, and anyone who may have been slightly turned off of this series by The Knowledge of Water should definitely give this book a try.A Citizen of the Country Overview

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Outside Chance Review

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Outside Chance ReviewBen Copperfield is a freelance journalist who writes about horses, but he takes a side job investigating the disappearance of a racehorse, Cajun King, who was kidnapped from a horse van while Ben's younger brother Mikey slept behind the cab. Mikey rides for Cajun King's trainer, Eddie Truman, so when Truman finds out he told a journalist his prize racehorse is missing, he offers Ben an exclusive if he will help find the horse. Ben starts investigating, but while Cajun King stays stubbornly missing, Ben gets pulled into Truman's family dramas and an old family secret.
Meanwhile, Ben follows a group of touring equestrian gypsies from performance to performance in preparation for a story. He befriends a number of them, especially Josef, an older man who senses both Ben's fascination and fear of horses, and encourages Ben to get back in the saddle. Ben also has a few run-ins with some animal rights activists who are against using animals in any kind of sport. Naturally, all three of these elements tie together before it's all said and done, as Ben unravels ugly Truman family secrets.
Lyndon Stacey is falsely touted as the new Dick Francis, but hype is always just hype. Stacey is an engaging writer, and this was a decent mystery with a likeable protagonist who gets knocked around a lot. It's obvious this writer is familiar with all things equine, too. Nobody writes like Dick Francis, but Lyndon Stacey is a good choice for a horsey mystery.
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End in Tears Review

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End in Tears ReviewRuth Rendell's "End in Tears" is her latest Chief Inspector Wexford novel. This time, Wexford is seeking the murderer of eighteen-year-old Amber Marshalson, who was bludgeoned to death on her way home from a late night out with friends. Along with Detective Sergeant Hannah Goldsmith and the rest of his team, Wexford interviews Amber's friends and family, and tries to find witnesses who may have spotted the attacker. When yet another young woman is found dead, the investigation quickly heats up.
This is a complex case, with many twists and turns that keep the detectives off balance. They find evidence that Amber and her friend Meg were engaged in a cruel money-making scam, but although the police suspect that the girls were dealing drugs, there are no facts to support this theory. Before the case is solved, Rendell explores the themes of family dysfunction, greed, racism, parenting, and aging with her usual expertise. The characters are well delineated and, as always, Rendell captures the English countryside perfectly with her superb descriptive writing.
There is also an entertaining subplot involving Detective Goldsmith's infatuation with Detective Constable Baljinder Bhattacharya. Although Hannah has no qualms about having casual physical encounters with men, Bal insists that he wants to be in a meaningful relationship before he becomes intimate with a woman. Hannah, who is an ardent feminist, cannot believe her ears and she is far from pleased by her colleague's apparent prudishness.
As the book passes the midway point, Rendell loses her way. She overcomplicates matters, introducing many extraneous characters and additional subplots that make the story a chore to follow. The solution to the crimes is completely out of left field, and if I didn't see Rendell's name on the cover, I would have difficulty believing that one of the great writers of crime fiction concocted such an absurd and unrealistic conclusion. This is too bad, since I adore Wexford, who is a kind, gentle, compassionate, and very intelligent man. Unfortunately, this time around, Rendell's fans will have to be to be satisfied with the well-written first half of "End in Tears."End in Tears Overview

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The Innocent Review

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The Innocent ReviewHarlan Coben is a total master of his craft. In "The Innocent" Coben weaves a very complex plot, populates with believable characters and, at the end, leaves you disappointed that the book has drawn to a close. You want more. More of Matt Hunter, who accidentally killed someone in a college brawl. More of Loren Muse, the intelligent, conflicted investigator who thinks Hunter is involved with current murders. More of Olivia Hunter, Matt's pregnant wife who wants nothing more than an ordinary life. And more of all the characters Coben creates.
He is that good.
The story is not simple. Coben's plotting reminds me of a gnarly tree: it starts at the bottom with a trunk and than branches off with some of the branches intertwining with others. Stories and characters overlap, but not to point of confusion.
Coben is a master. In "The Innocent," he has written a superb mystery thriller. Ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances and doing what they must to survive --- if the bad folks don't kill them first.
Superb.
JerryThe Innocent Overview

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The Ghost Sonata (Gilda Joyce) Review

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The Ghost Sonata (Gilda Joyce) ReviewThe Gilda Joyce books have now officially earned the coveted spot on my top shelf, beside such classics as 'The Prydain Chronicles', 'Lord of the Rings', 'The Underland Chronicles', and 'The Dark is Rising Sequence'. They just keep getting better and better, funnier and funnier. And 'The Ghost Sonata' is no different.
When her friend Wendy is chosen in a prestigious contest to go to Oxford, England, and compete in a piano competition, Gilda is thrilled. Due to a technicality, she's able to go along with Wendy -- as her page-turner. But something is wrong -- someone or something is slipping Wendy and the other competitors tarot cards bearing terrifying dooms upon them. To add to this, Wendy is hearing strange music in her head, and thinks she's either going insane or being haunted by a ghost: the ghost of a young boy named Charles Drummond, who had her number -- nine -- in the very same competition she is currently in, and who was a brilliant composer before his death at the age of fourteen -- a death that Gilda believes was not entirely accidental.
If there was one thing I wasn't thrilled about in this book, it was that Wendy gets nearly as much page time as Gilda, and while Wendy is a good character, she's not GILDA. There wasn't any less humor, though, and I understand why Wendy needed some scenes to herself. They were perfect complements to each other: Gilda the wacky, extremely eccentric one who enjoys telling people about her psychic investigative work, and Wendy, who is rational and smart and dry-humored.
Another excellent entry in the series. Highly recommended, and I can't wait for the next book.Rating: MasterpieceThe Ghost Sonata (Gilda Joyce) Overview

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So Yesterday Review

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So Yesterday Review"The guy walking past was wearing a shirt five sizes too big (innovated by gangbangers to hide guns in their waistbands), shorts down below his knees (innovated by surfers to save their thighs from getting sunburned), and oversized shoes (innovated by skaters to save their feet from injury). Together all of these once-practical ideas made the guy look like he'd been hit by a shrink ray and was about to disappear into his clothes screaming, 'Help me!' in an ever-tinier voice."
Why did our ninth grader begin wearing pajama pants to school? Why, when she wears them, must the top of those pajama pants be folded over just so, to reveal the tag and the inside of the waistband? Why did Target start carrying rack after rack of pajama pants in dozens of patterns?
How about a couple of years ago, when all of the kids I knew began either buying peds or feeling compelled to fold their regular white socks down into their shoes so that no part was revealed to the public? Why did they begin to lace their shoes in a manner that caused the kids to fall out of them every fifth step (or to land on their faces if they actually tried running in them)?
Why, also a number of years back, did an army of girls begin wearing sweatshirts over only their arms?
It doesn't matter at which middle school I booktalk. Wherever I look, the kids will simultaneously begin making the same "fashion statement."
And does anybody really think that Britney, Madonna, Christina, or Beyonce themselves think up those looks that are eagerly copied by millions?
"One thing about being a Cool Hunter, you realize one simple fact: Everything has a beginning.
"Nothing always existed. Everything had an Innovator."
Hunter Braque is a Cool Hunter. Jen Jones is an Innovator. Their chance meeting in Manhattan's East River Park leads to a wild and intense three day roller coaster ride for the pair, and takes readers on a reality trip into the big stakes world of fashion fads and trends.
I'm no babe in the woods, myself. I'm a guy with a degree in Business, who once earned an "A" in Marketing as manager of the group that won that semester's computer-simulated car manufacturing competition. But I picked up all sorts of fascinating information while my eyes were glued to SO YESTERDAY. For instance, Hunter tells this story which actually ties in with those three days we follow Jen and him through New York City:
"Start with a mollusk, wind up with an empire.
"Sounds tricky, but the Phoenicians managed it about four thousand years ago. Their tiny sliver of a kingdom was wedged between the Mediterranean Sea and a vast desert: no gold mines, no olive trees, no amber waves of grain anywhere in sight. The only thing the Phoenicians had going for them was a certain species of shellfish, commonly found lying around down at the beach. These shellfish were tasty but had one problem--if you ate too many of them, your teeth turned purple.
"Naturally, most people were annoyed by this. They probably said stuff like, 'Those shellfish aren't bad, but who wants purple teeth?' and didn't think much more about it.
"Then one day an ancient Innovator got this crazy idea...
"Okay, imagine you live in Egypt or Greece or Persia back then and you're rich. You've got all the gold, olive oil, and grain you want. But all you ever get to wear is cloth robes that come in the following colors: light beige, medium beige, dark beige. You've seen the Bible movies: everyone's totally decked out in earth tones--that's all they had, that's all they could imagine having.
"Then one day along comes a boatload of Phoenicians, and they're selling purple cloth. Purple!
"Throw that beige wardrobe away!
"For a while purple is the thing, the biggest fad since that whole wheel craze. After a lifetime spent wearing sixteen shades of beige, everyone's lining up to buy the cool new cloth. The price is crazy high, partly due to demand and partly because it happens to take about 200,000 shellfish to make one ounce of dye, and pretty soon the Phoenicians are rolling in dough (actually they're rolling in gold, olive oil, and grain, but you get the picture).
"A trading empire is born. And talk about branding: Phoenicia is the ancient Greek word for 'purple.' You are what you sell.
"After a while, however, an interesting thing happens. The people in charge decide that purple is too cool for just anyone to wear. First they put taxes on purple cloth, then pass a law against the hoi polloi wearing purple (as if they could afford it), and finally make purple robes the sole property of kings and queens.
"Over the centuries this dress code becomes so widespread and so ingrained that even now, four thousand years later, the color purple is still associated with royalty throughout Europe. And all this because an Innovator who lived forty centuries ago figured he could make something cool out of the purple-teeth problem."
I've been a major fan and advocate of THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LARRY and FEED, two outstanding books that include themes of American consumer compulsion and overindulgence. SO YESTERDAY is one heck of a companion to both of these titles. Through Hunter and Jen's harrowing adventures amid abandoned buildings, fancy parties, electronic spy networks, and high tech double-crosses, readers will surely look in the mirror and wonder who is responsible for this week's "New Look."
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Sight Unseen Review

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Sight Unseen ReviewI found this to be a fascinating book, albeit at times, both confusing and exciting. Twenty something years previously, a small girl was kidnapped and presumed murdered, from a henge of standing stones in Avebury. Her sister was killed when she ran on to the road in an attempt to stop the car, leaving the children's nanny to take the blame for the whole affair. Years later, the nanny was thought to have suicided but her former husband, historian David Umber recieves a call from the now retired police Chief Inspector, George Sharpe, who was in charge of the kidnapping case, to ask his help in reopening the inveatigation. It's a story with many characters and many threads, which are so interwoven that, at times, it seemed to bog down under such a wealth of detail, and then, just when I found the going becoming a bit tedious, the author zooms you back with an exciting lead. It's clever writing, bound together with genuine historical facts about an 18th century political polemicist, Junius, whose writings are documented. It's a good read but not for those with a short attention span.Sight Unseen Overview

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State of the Union Review

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State of the Union ReviewI just finished reading the French version and ordered the English version for Father's Day for my dad. I loved this book and wish it was not finished! I highly recommend it. Interestingly the translation of the title into French is : The Secret Charms of Married Life....having nothing to do with the English title.State of the Union Overview

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Of All Sad Words (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries, No. 15) Review

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Of All Sad Words (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries, No. 15) ReviewBlacklin County, Texas is a fairly, quiet place most of the time which is how Sheriff Dan Rhodes likes it. His idea of a citizens' Sheriff's Academy had seemed like a good idea at the time in that it would teach folks about the department and generate some good publicity. Now he is getting flack over it from some, most notably county judge Jack Parry. Parry is convinced that some who went through the academy recently are vigilantes. There is more to his complaint but it boils down to the universal idea of politics and micromanagement.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes is finally saved from the county judge by a call about a trailer house explosion. The Crawford brothers, who have a bit of a reputation around the area, may have been inside when it blew. There had been accusations that the Crawford's were running a meth lab, something not uncommon these days in the East Texas woods. Rhodes never caught the Crawford's selling anything-not even Amway.
And while one brother has survived the blast, another has not and it quickly becomes clear that it was a murder. A murder that in the minds of some was caused by politics. Murder, that in the eyes of some others was caused by alleged drug dealing. No matter the cause, Sheriff Dan Rhodes intends to find out and isn't gong to let small town politics over a variety of matters stand in his way.
I'm ashamed to admit that this book, which was recommended to me by a friend, is my first Bill Crider novel. It puts me in the mind of the J. W. Jackson series penned by the late and missed Philip R. Craig. True, Sheriff Rhodes doesn't offer any recipes and is clearly not set anywhere near Martha's Vineyard. But, there is that same slow comfortable way of story telling that gradually spins the novel out while detailing the real world characters that live in the Dan Rhodes world. Instead of starting with an abrupt bang, this is the kind of book that slowly begins and allows the reader to get to know the people just a little bit before presenting the problem.
The result is a 265 page read featuring a steady hero who knows his limitations. This is a character, as well as many of the minor characters, that have universal appeal on one hand and are clearly Texan on the other. Dogged in his pursuit of justice Sheriff Dan Rhodes follows a trail with grace under pressure and a reserved calmness most of the time. Along the way, he deals with a variety of events and people from all walks of life who may or may not have his best interests at heart.
And he hooked a new reader.Kevin R. Tipple © 2008Of All Sad Words (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries, No. 15) Overview

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The Chameleon's Shadow Review

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The Chameleon's Shadow ReviewAs Minette Walter's "The Chameleon's Shadow" opens, twenty-six year old British Lieutenant Charles Acland and his men are patrolling the Baghdad to Basra highway in an armored reconnaissance truck. Suddenly, several roadside improvised explosive devices produce a blast that demolishes their vehicle. Charles, the sole survivor, is horribly disfigured and has lost an eye. When he wakes up in the hospital, he has no memory of the tragedy. A psychiatrist named Dr. Robert Willis comforts the devastated soldier and tries to help him come to terms with the calamity that befell him and his men, as well as with his future as a partially blind and mutilated veteran.

Charles's behavior in the hospital is troubling. He refuses to answer simple questions, swears at his nurses, declines the proffered pain medication, and evinces a visceral and generalized anger especially towards women. Although he makes a remarkable recovery physically, his face is damaged beyond repair and he suffers from severe migraines. He is cold to his parents and seems to suffer from deep-seated feelings of inadequacy and guilt. He claims that he is indifferent to his narcissistic ex-fiancée, Jen Morley, with whom he broke up shortly before he shipped out to Iraq. Charles appears to be incapable of normal social interaction; he lives like a "self-denying ascetic," eating little and exercising compulsively.
Meanwhile, a series of killings in London has the police baffled. Three men, all army veterans, aged fifty-eight, fifty-seven, and seventy-one, were robbed and brutally beaten to death by a frenzied attacker. Detective Superintendent Brian Jones, who heads up the investigation, and his second-in-command, Detective Inspector Nick Beale, believe that the victims knew their assailant.After Charles almost kills someone in a pub fight, he is restrained by a huge woman named Jackson, who is built like a Mack truck, with close-cropped hair, bulging muscles and biker boots. Jackson is a gay and a doctor. Her partner, Daisy, runs the pub that they both own. This formidable woman becomes Charles's unlikely friend in spite of his prickliness and ingratitude, and in many ways, she saves his life. She not only gives him a place to stay, but also uses her own peculiar brand of "tough love" to shape him up and earn his trust. "She's incapable of mollycoddling anyone, tells it how it is, refuses to tiptoe around prissy sensibilities, and gains respect as a result." Later, an elderly pensioner named Walter Tutting is viciously assaulted but survives; since he had argued with Tutting earlier at an ATM machine, the police pick Charles up for questioning.
"The Chameleon's Shadow" is a psychological thriller about the dark impulses that drive people to commit heinous acts. Charles Acland is scarred both psychologically and physically, and he harbors profound antagonism, especially towards women. However, is he capable of killing someone in cold blood? Jackson, for one, has her doubts. Walters introduces some additional key characters, both homeless, as the story progresses: One is a sixteen-year-old runaway named Ben Russell and the other is a middle-aged drunk known as Chalky. These two individuals may know more than they're willing to admit about the serial killer who is targeting middle aged and elderly men. The police, with Jackson's help, do everything they can to get to the bottom of a case that is as bizarre as any that they have ever seen.
Minette Walters is a gifted storyteller and she garners sympathy for the emotionally wounded protagonist. Although the first half of the book is gripping and suspenseful, it falters at the end, when it becomes a bit too weighed down with coincidences and psychobabble. A few far-fetched twists and turns enable the author to wrap up her complicated plot a bit too neatly. In spite of its flaws, "The Chameleon's Shadow" is an engrossing and affecting tale of an injured soldier's horrific journey to hell and back.
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The Memory Collector (Jo Beckett) Review

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The Memory Collector (Jo Beckett) ReviewYou are either going to love this novel or not like it at all. Meg Gardiner writes in a style that is very fast paced, based on an exciting premise and provides a thrill ride type journey. If being on the edge of your seat due to the action of a novel is enough for you then you will love this book THE MEMORY COLLECTOR.
Sadly, if you like your thrillers to contain deep psychological profiles of the characters then this book will not be for you. From main character forensic psychiatrist Jo Becket to the other major characters and the minor ones as well we only get to know them a little bit. They all have a purpose and a standard background but there is very little depth to them. They are needed to carry the story and that they do very well.
Actually this novel is what one would call a perfect BEACH READ. It is an exciting page turner that demands not much concentration from the reader. The author does leave you guessing and the ending is satisfying but I can't help but wonder what Meg Gardiner would come up with if she concentrated on psychological development of her characters. She handles the plot aspect skillfully. If she could add the same quality to the characters she would raise her standards to another level. But I do recommend this novel if a plot driven book is what you are looking for.The Memory Collector (Jo Beckett) Overview

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Last Man Standing Review

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Last Man Standing ReviewWeb London heads up the FBI's super-elite Hostage Rescue Team, he is a master at what he does, but on their latest assignment he is not able to predict, or save them from the bloodshed that is about to erupt. Having his men assemble in an alley, Web feels confident that they will bring down the drug dealer they have set out to destroy, but within seconds they are ambushed...everyone killed, leaving Web the LAST MAN STANDING.
Trying to cope with the blame that has been placed on him by grieving widows, Web must try to put the pieces of that fateful night together. What went wrong? How were they ambushed? And who was the young boy Web saved in that alley, and why was he there?
As these questions plague Web he seeks the help of psychiatrist Claire Daniels, and with her help he will be able to confront his own tainted past, as well as answer the question WHY WAS HE CHOSEN TO BE THE ONLY SURVIVOR?
As Web's search begins the young boy disappears, and anyone connected to that fateful night will be violently silenced, but Web is confident he knows where the killer will strike next, only this time he may not survive the attack.
`Last Man Standing' marks the return to thriller writing for David Baldacci, unfortunately the novel is peopled with too many characters, and the plot is far more complicated than it should be. Characters come dropping in every chapter, and the in depth descriptions of weapons, and technical FBI jargon become a distraction rather than an important part to the plot.
As with all Baldacci novels his writing is clean, crisp and easy to read, and he CAN spin a good tale, only this time he has too much going on. As the old saying goes "LESS IS MORE".
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The Mirror Crack'd (Jane Marple Mysteries) Review

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The Mirror Crack'd (Jane Marple Mysteries) ReviewThis novel features Miss Marple in her very late years. The world around her is changing. This is one of only two Christie novels where I was able to guess the identity of the murderer. It's a very good murder mystery, but it could have been a better Miss Marple mystery. The best parts of the book are when Miss Marple is on the spot. Unfortunately, I almost began to wonder if Miss Marple would be in this novel at all. She left her house no more than three times and was therefore decidedly shoved into the background. The parts without her were rather dull, dry, and far too abundant. I found myself rushing more to see if I'd solved the mystery correctly rather than out of any sense of real enjoyment.The Mirror Crack'd (Jane Marple Mysteries) Overview

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Skinny Dip Review

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Skinny Dip Review"Skinny Dip" may be the best beach read of the summer! Carl Hiaasen's satire and dark humor do wonders for crime fiction. He turns out the most extraordinarily eccentric characters: the stripper sister-in-law; a quirky environmentalist nephew; the has-been writer neighbor; evil scoundrels who are beyond redemption; Tool, a hulking but kinda lovable brute, who is the villain's heavy; a trashy mistress; and resilient victims who give as good as they get...or better! Set in South Florida, Hiaasen highlights the area's nuttiness and some of the weird folks who inhabit that corner of our country. Not one character could be considered "normal" in this novel, but behind strange facades beat good hearts.
Joey Perrone, the almost-murdered wife of corrupt Charles "Chaz" Perrone, makes it back to shore after her husband tosses her overboard a cruise ship, far off Key West's coast. He must have underestimated Joey's talents. She's a former swim star. And thanks to a floating bale of marijuana and the assistance of Mick Stranahan, a burnt-by-love ex-cop, she doesn't sink. Oh no! Joey lives for pay-back.
Chaz, an incompetent marine biologist, (he doesn't even know which direction the Gulf Stream flows in), has long been on the take from agribusiness tycoon Red Hammernut, (great name!), who's been dumping fertilizer into the endangered Everglades. He thinks that Joey has discovered that he's been exchanging clean-water samples for the actual tainted water that is the result of Hammernut's environmental pollution. But his wife doesn't have a clue about the scam.
The lovely, curvaceous Joey recovers her strength, mental and physical, at the island home of her gallant rescuer Mike, who is the victim of six failed marriages. Instead of going to the police, however, she decides to play dead. She persuades Mike to help her mess with Chaz's mind while she figures out why he tried to kill her.
This is a fast paced, fun, often hilarious read with wonderful characters...and humor galore, if you laugh at dark things and enjoy farce mixed with your suspense. I really enjoyed it.
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You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) Review

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You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) ReviewI enjoyed reading this book. I am a big fan of the Puzzle Lady Mysteries. I have read them all, and often look forward to a new book each year. This was a fast read and some of the statements that Cora the Puzzle Lady says in the book are comical.
I have found over the past years that the earlier Puzzle Lady Mysteries were better than the recent ones. This story made the Puzzle Lady seem very mean and feisty. In the past the character was feisty in a comical way. The Puzzle lady used to drink alcohol a little too much, but she was a sweet, happy drunk. The author now has our heroine on the wagon and she seems very bitter without her booze. While reading this book I often wished she would start to drink or get another love interest so she would lighten up. I thought the Puzzle Lady seemed a little too mean for her own good in this story. The last couple of chapters left me confused regarding how the murder occurred. I felt like the author had to quickly write the ending.You Have the Right to Remain Puzzled (Puzzle Lady Mysteries) Overview

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Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception Review

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Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception ReviewAbout a month ago I bought sammy keys and the art of deception. I read it in two hours! It was so good. It is in my top five bestbooks list and even if there are better books it will always be there. Gosh, it was sooo good I can't even begin to explain. Sammy goes to an art show with her grandmother and friend, Hudson. But at the art show some the paintings were atempted to be stolen, but sammy stopped him! She couldn't help thinking why were the piantings stolen? who was that guy? It ends in a twist you wouldn't believe!Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception Overview

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False Impression Review

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False Impression ReviewJeffrey Archer does two types of books. On the one hand he does the epic family thing, typically following a group of two or more people through their lives, observing their families, friendships, business triumphs and defeats, and loves and losses. Typically his characters in something like this are either business tycoons or politicians. On the other hand, he also does suspense novels, a sort of poor man's Ken Follett, with a writing style more on par with someone like Jack Higgins, though Archer's books are longer. False Impression falls into the latter category.
The plot centers around a millionaire art collector and megalomaniac who contrives to have people killed and wind up with their property without having to pay for it. He specializes in loaning money to people who have expensive art, and who won't be able to pay off their loans, especially not with the terms he negotiates. The book starts the day before 9/11/01, with him finalizing a "deal" that will bring him one of Van Gogh's self-portraits, worth tens of millions, for next to nothing. He runs into a snag, though, in that his office is in the World Trade Center. Though he escapes unharmed, he finds former and current employees working to sabotage the deal and see that the Van Gogh winds up in proper hands.
This is a reasonably good book, but it definitely has its flaws. The protagonists all sound British, and there's one scene in particular where a pair of truckers attack a woman, intending to rape her, for no other reason than that the author needed the plot device, and of course most Europeans think that sort of thing happens in America all the time. A few days after 9/11, it seems doubtful, to say the least. All of the characters come across as cardboard cut-outs, other than the English Lady who shows up way too rarely in the plot.
The above objections aside, the plot is relatively entertaining, and at least it reads fast. Whatever else he says or does, Archer has no pretensions: he's writing a potboiler, he knows it, and he doesn't bother to try and convince you otherwise. It's a good thing he doesn't.False Impression Overview

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The Secret Keeper Review

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The Secret Keeper ReviewFreetown, Sierra Leone is a haunted place for Danny Kellerman. He was sent to Freetown as a war correspondent in 2000--during the civil war--and it was the defining moment of his life, both professionally and personally. He met and fell in love with an American woman, Maria Tirado, who operated an orphanage for child soldiers, and realized a professional dream.
It is four years later and Danny is back in London. He lives with his current girlfriend, but his life has slipped into one of self-pity and loss. His job is unfulfilling and his personal relationships, specifically the relationship with his girlfriend and father are breaking down into sullen desperation. Danny is a haunted man. His past haunts him. Freetown haunts him, as does the loss of Maria.
Then one morning Danny receives a handwritten note from Maria. She is in trouble and asks Danny for help. She asks him to come to Freetown. He is stunned. It has been four years since they have spoken, now this. He decides to call her, but when he begins the search for a telephone number he finds an article about her death. She was murdered in Freetown three days earlier.
This plea for help prods Danny into action. He convinces his editor to send him to Sierra Leone to do a piece on the recovery of the nation after its civil war, but what he really wants is to investigate Maria's murder. When he returns to Freetown he finds the place nearly unrecognizable. The two sides of the civil war share power, and while the economy is thriving, the past is a cloying danger no one wants to revisit, and there is a simmering anger and fear in the city. And no one, on either side, wants to investigate Maria's murder: what's done is done.
THE SECRET KEEPER is a literary thriller that is stunning in its simplicity and power. The story is haunting and melancholy. It is told in two separate time lines. The first is in the year 2004 and it chronicles Danny's search for answers to Maria's death, and the second is his original trip to Sierra Leone in 2000 as a newspaper war correspondent.
The story and prose is saturated with regret and darkness. There is an overriding sense of fear and loss. Danny is a man who has defined himself by one moment of weakness--a weakness that did not seem like weakness when it occurred, but over the months and years that followed it has dragged Danny down with self-pity and, to a lesser extent, shame.
Freetown is captured perfectly as a city re-inventing itself on the ashes of its past. Its inhabitants know the past, but they do not discuss or want to remember it. The only thing worthy of contemplation is the future and the past will only harm that future. Danny is a remnant of Freetown's darkest moments and his investigation represents a very real threat to the leadership of Sierra Leone. An issue that will threaten both Danny and the few friends he has in Freetown.
THE SECRET KEEPER is a terrific novel. It is very much comparable to the work of Graham Greene, both in its thematic style and plot, but it is also a unique piece of fiction that captures the spirit and challenge of both Sierra Leone and the African continent--nothing is simple, the culture, the people, or the place. It is haunting, beautiful and ugly all at once. In a sense it is a snapshot of all humanity and the complexities that are inherent to modern civilization.
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