I have always enjoyed Marcia Mueller's books and this was no excpetion. This was different then her usual female detective story but it was a good change. A small town must face and deal with a terrrible tragedy that occured in the past so once and for all they can get on with their lives. Great characters and story line that moves.
Dismas Hardy is back to defend a young doctor embroiled in a HMO scandal and possible multiple murders. The HMO and insurance discussions get a bit tiresome but this is still a well told story with a few surprises up it's sleeve. Lescroart is a pro at the court room thriller and this a not a bad read.
Finally, a book about a silly 30ish British woman who is not obsessed by her weight. Oops, wait a minute I am horribly wrong. I was fooled for a little while that this was not the typical British Jones type book but turns out it is with a different spin. Never the less, it is very funny and thoroughly enjoyable.
This a story of a British woman dealing with her father's death. It is both touching and hilarious. If you liked Bridget Jones's diary you will enjoy this book.
Holly Barker returns in this story of bank robbery, murders and militias. Not one of Stuarts best but then again he cranks a book out every 4 or 5 months it seems so its hard not to have a few stinkers. It's a decent read but I would try the library or the paperbacks.
Davenport is back and there is a new serial killer in the Twin Cities. It seems kind of strange that serial killers keep showing up in Minnesota but I guess we have to suspend a little disbelief. If you are a Prey fan you will no doubt enjoy this book. Someone is killing young, blonde, artsy girls and Lucas is on the case. Weather is back and maybe things will work out for her and Lucas and maybe there will be a new addition to the family. Overall a good, tight murder mystery
Stephen King latest is a X-files type horror story complete with gray bug-eyed aliens and spaceships. There are mind-reading hunters, a retarded boy with special powers, a maniacal general, weasel-like creatures that grow inside your body and then explode out of your ass and a nasty fungus that is taking over the earth. Sound cool? Well, it's not one of Stephen king's best but then it's not one of his worst. Over all this is a good read and will make you think twice about going hunting in the deep woods of Maine.
This is the sixth in the Stone Barrington series and it picks up right where LA dead left off. Stone is back in NY, Arrington is mad at him, Dolce is in the loony bin and a woman from his past is about to complicate his life even more. The reader doesn't need to have read Dead in the Water, Swimming to Catalina or LA dead to enjoy this book but it doesn't hurt. Woods is the king of quick, easy reads and this one is no different. There are always a few dead bodies and some sexy women in his bed but Stone always keeps his cool while we enjoy the ride. Perfect for the beach.
Merrick is the continuing story of the Mayfair witches, the vampire Lestat and their adventures with the Talamasca. This is not a stand alone book that anyone can pick up and read, there is too much history and background needed to fully appreciate the complexity of this book. That being said, this is one of the better Anne Rice books I have read in a while. I had just about given up on the series because it had just become too trite and tired. Merrick breathes new life in the vampire tales and leads us to believe there will be more adventures in the future. The Mayfair witches has long been my favorite book and when you combine the witches with Lestat you can't lose.
See if you can catch at least two major typos when they refer to a character by the wrong name.
This is the true story of a 20 something guy who's parents die within a very short time of each other and he is left to care for his much younger brother. He describes their experiences coping with his parents death and his loss of freedom as a young single man with a child to care for. This book is sad (yes, even heartbreaking), extremely clever and very funny. The long run on sentances can get tiresome but overall it's a good read.
I am a big fan of James Patterson and his Alex Cross novels. 1st to Die introduces a new set of characters called the Women's Murder Club headed up by Lindsay Boxer. This is a quick read with lightening chapters that will keep you up all night. I breezed through this in 2 nights and then I was sorry the story was over so quickly but there is promise of more to come for the club. If you like murder mysteries you will love this book and you will be a James Patterson fan too.
Stephanie Plum is back and in trouble. What is new? This girl is always in trouble and that is why we love these books. If you have never read any of these books I suggest you start with One for the Money and promise you will love every one. They are hilarious. Stephanie works as a bail bondsman and her job is to return the "failure to appears" to jail. In Seven Up Stephanie has to decide if she is going to marry Morelli and find a missing, retired Mob guy. All this is complicated by a visit from Stephanie's "perfect" sister. Funny as ever, number seven is just what we expect.
Chuck Palhniuk brought us Fight Club so there should be no surprise that Choke is as wildly strange, clever and thought provoking as it's predecessor. Victor is a med school dropout and a sex addict. To help pay for his mother's medical care he supplements his with checks he receives from people who save his life after faking choking to death in restaurants. This is only the beginning of the weirdness. It's a quick read that will leave you laughing at the insanity.
Phate is a serial killer who uses his computer to hack into people's lives before he takes them. The California Police free convicted hacker Wyatt Gillette to help track down Phate. There are lots of twists and turns as they get closer to the killer and you never are sure which side anyone is on. Overall a good read.
DA Sharon Pratt has been murdered and the accused killer's sister has asked Dismas Hardy to defend him. This is further complcated when it is revealed that his best friend Sgt Abe Glitsky, head of San Fancison Homicide, is actually Sharon's father. It takes a while to get started but once it does the book moves along pretty quickly. It is not one of the best of the Hardy series but it was pretty good.
I haven't read a Dirk Pitt novel in a while so I had some catching up to do. Flood Tide is from 1999. Dirk is recovering from his last adventure and takes a little R&R. Trouble always follows Pitt and this is no exception. Who else vacations next the house of a rich, Chinese smuggler up to no good? Qin Shang is bringing Chinese immigrants into the US illegally, he is also killing the ones he feels are not usable for slave labor. Soon Pitt is involved with the INS and the lovely Julia. There is action, adventure, romance and treasure hunting. What more could you ask for?
This is 4th book by Kathy Reichs and Dr Temperance Brennan returns to sift through the debris of a plane crash. Dr Brennan is a forensic anthroplogist and and serves on the North Carolina disaster response team. During her investigation of the crash she finds a severed foot that does not appear to belong to the crash site. If you like Patricia Cornwell's books you will like these too. I recommend you start from the beginning with De˘ja Dead. This was not my favorite of the four but it has been a great series so far and you will want to read them all.
This is the 16th in Sue Grafton's alphabet series. Kinsey Milhone is hired to find a prominent Dr who has mysteriously disappeared. He is suspected of insurance fraud and the story becomes bogged down in legalese and boring medical insurance dissertations. If you can get past this it is a decent story but not one of Grafton's best.
A widow takes a look at her life and wonders what things would have been like had she made different choices. There are interesting characters and good storytelling but in the end I am not sure any of us learn anything.
I listened to this audio book while I trained for a marathon last summer. It was very interesting and a wonderful insight into the lives of our early politicians. It was not the glamorous life of our modern day politicos and it gives new respect for our founding fathers and the sacrifices they made for this country. I read somewhere that this was the new nonfiction bestseller that everyone would buy but never actually read. Well, take the time to read it, you will enjoy it.
I can't even begin to explain the plot of this book. What I can say is it is clever and wickedly funny and sometimes down right evil. If you liked Fight Club you will like Survivor.
Alex Cross is back and he still isnt Morgan Freeman but I will let it go. This was probably my least favorite of the Cross series. Vampires and killer tigers aside it was just not Patterson's best work. It was a quick read, as always, but not very satisfying.
There is no explanation for this book except for maybe Patricia Cornwell and her publisher were on crack. What is the line?? A million monkeys with a million crayons could have come up with something better? Cornwell needs to stick to her Kay Scarpetta novels and leave the talking crabs to Disney.
I thought 1st to Die was better but I was not dissapointed by this book. As with all of Patterson's books, I read this in a few days and seldom wanted to put it down. He has a knack for keeping the story going and making the reader want more. I really like the 4 women in the Murder Club and hope there is a third adventure.
I have read every book by John Grisham and I have enjoyed them all. This is not my favorite of his books but it is very good. I finished it in just a few sittings, often staying up late to read ( a sign of a good book). The book moves right along and there are some unexpected twists and turns. This is definitly a good read.
