The First Patient by Michael Palmer - The president's personal physician has disappeared, so he asks a longtime friend to fill in for a while. Gabe Singleton finds out that the president appears to be having episodes of incoherence, possibly signifying mental illness. But is real? or a manufactured illness? And if so, how? Farfetched, but Palmer knows how to sell it.
Blood Trail by C. J. Box - Joe Pickett is asked by the governor to assist in the investigation of a murdered hunter. Two other deaths have occurred, but were deemed accidents, but this time the hunter was gutted and laid out like a dead elk. Joe finds a clue that points to a serial killer, but his hunch is dismissed by others - until a fourth man is murdered, along with a friend. The governor suspends all hunting in the state and Joe must seek help from old friends - and enemies - to find the killer. Box presents both sides of the hunting issue well and his love for the Wyoming wilderness shines through. Tight mystery, great protagonist and a great twist. Love this series!
(all: 100 books)
Blue Heaven by C. J. Box - Two kids (older sister, younger brother) witness a murder - and the murderers, a group of ex-cops who've retired to a small town in Idaho that has the nickname of Blue Heaven due to all the retirees, see them. The kids end up hiding out with local rancher Jesse Rawlins, who cautiously heads to town only to find out that the ex-cops have "volunteered" to coordinate the town's search for the missing children. Not as good as his Joe Pickett series - too many characters to keep track of, but still a good thriller.
The Sacred Bones by Michael Byrnes - for fans of The DaVinci Code and similar books. Two plot lines - one in Jerusalem investigating the theft of an ossuary(an ancient stone burial box) from a hidden room beneath the Temple Mount - the other in Vatican City as an American geneticist and an anthropologist examine the bones from the stolen ossuary (they don't know about the theft) while under covert observation by ruthless mercenary working for the Vatican. Plus some Templar Knight history. The scientific stuff was very interesting, the rest of the plot was more typical, but well written.
Perdition House by Kathryn R. Wall - The oddness of family relations permeates this mystery about Bay Tanner, a widowed former accountant turned quasi-investigator. She bails a 'half fifth cousin' out of jail and steps into a mystery that has its roots in the Civil War. Set in low country South Carolina, with side trips to Georgia, Bay tracks her cousin's path and finds out some unknown family history. Very good sense of place, good story. (SRC)
Santa Fe Dead by Stuart Woods - Ed Eagle's ex-wife escapes from the courthouse during her trial - but she was acquited so it ended up not mattering. But her subsequent whirlwind marriage to a very rich man causes him to write to the man to warn him. But the man dies in a huge traffic accident and his lawyer is determined to protect the man's estate from the greedy murderous woman. She's pissed and decides to get the lawyer and Ed. Meanwhile Ed is representing a man who's wife and son were brutally murdered while he was out of the country, but Ed's not completely sure of the man's innocence. Convoluted coincidence connects the two cases. Fairly unbelievable, but entertaining.
Delusion by Peter Abrahams - Nell Jarreau's world gets turned upside down when Alvin Dupree is set free. Her eyewitness testimony is what sent him to prison, but in the aftermath of a recent hurricane, a videotape was found in a police locker that proved he couldn't have been the man who murdered her then-boyfriend Johnny. Nell is now married to the Chief of Police, who had been the lead detective on the case. And the tape was found in his deceased partner's locker. Nell must figure out who she can trust - and what exactly she saw - to save her life and that of her & Johnny's daughter. Kind of a faux post-Katrina New Orleans setting, with some interesting looks at hurricane aftermath, but not a huge part of the story. As one reviewer noted "entertaining but not much suspense". Dupree, though innocent of this crime, is unlikeable. And Nell is just too good to be true. Not as good as his other books, but since it was a library book...
South of Shiloh by Chuck Logan - billed as a thriller, it's a bit more of a mystery. But not a whodunit - you know who did it. More of a "why exactly and will they catch him and what the hell are all these other people doing?" A Civil War re-enacter gets killed by a real bullet. But when his widow finds out that the bullet was meant for the man next to him, a local cop combining re-enacting with working security at the event, she gets her former lover, a danger junkie photographer/journalist, to investigate. Set in a small fictional town with a fictional Civil War battle - has a great sense of place and the difference in views between northerners and southerners, lots of Civil War & gun lore, and photography info, plus some local info on Buford Pusser. Probably a little much for one book :) but I enjoyed it.
Dirty Money by Richard Stark - newest Parker book. A follow-up to 2 books ago - Nobody Runs Forever, where Parker & company robbed an armored car and hid the money in an abandoned church. They only escaped by leaving almost all of the money and still one man was captured after spending some of the money he took - it was marked. Now that guy has escaped after killing a U.S. Marshal. Parker and the other guy involved, along with the bounty hunter who got involved, are curious to find out if the money is still there and safe. Parker's not quite as violent in this one - maybe since there are so many cops around, but the caper part is still crisp and concise. Now if Westlake would only write another Dortmunder...
all books: 100 books
Guilty by Karen Robards - ADA Kate White's troubled childhood as a foster child in a bad neighborhood catches up with her when an attempted breakout from the cells in the court house bring her face to face with her past - con Mario, who killed an off-duty cop when they were teenagers - a crime never solved that she witnessed. I enjoyed it, but ... It didn't grab me as much as her books usually do - I found it very easy to put down.
Notorious by Michele Martinez - About to try a notorious rap star, prosecuter Melanie Vargas has just received some shocking information from his attorney, who is killed by a car bomb moments later. Vargas, who shared an attraction with the deceased, is determined to find his killer. Great opening, lackluster follow-up. Vargas is interesting as she becomes slightly obsessed with the dead man, but some very cliched characters (a transparently evil attorney, an easily seduced intern) mar the rest of the story.
Dark of the Moon by John Sandford - Introduced in Sandford's Prey series, Virgil Flowers goes solo this time when he's sent to Bluestem, a small Minnesota town where several old timers have been killed, including a rich recluse hated by most of the town. Virgil likes to stir things up and see what happens, which sort of backfires when he and his new lady become targets. Still like the Prey series and the Kidd series better, but I'd like definitely like to see more of that f*cking Flowers.
All books: 100 books
The Pub Challenge (see sidebar to the right) rules were to read 8 books published in 2008. Duma Key and Sizzle and Burn were my first two and I read the last six this month :) The first 4 of them were the new entries into great series, the 5th is an author I've read a lot, and the 6th was an ARC I got from LibraryThing.
Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker - Jesse Stone finds himself helping an old foe save a young girl from her gangster father and a gangbanger boyfriend. Reminds you of April Kyle & Paul Giacomin in the Spenser series. Not his best, but a nice familiar kind of read.
Nightshade by Susan Wittig Albert - Albert shakes up the usual China Bayles storyline by alternating characters this time between China and her PI husband as they delve into the recent murder of her newfound half-brother and the decades old death of her father. Finishes up a story arc began a couple of books ago. A cozy, with lots of interesting tidbits about herbs.
Small Favor by Jim Butcher - the new Dresden File! Weee! The Winter Queen, Mab, is calling in one of her favors - she wants Harry to rescue someone. And that someone is Gentleman Johnny Marcone, who's been taken by unknown magical forces. But the Summer Queen is opposed and sends opponents after Harry. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Winter Study by Nevada Barr - Park Ranger Anna Pigeon returns to an old post for a winter wolf study, as her current Rocky Mountain post may get its own pack of wolves soon. But soon after her arrival, the packs start acting strangely - as do several of the study group members. After one woman is killed - apparently by a pack - Anna's investigation places her directly in the line of fire and the question nearly becomes which one will kill her - the wolves, the cold, or one of the group. Kind of a 'locked door' mystery. Excellent entry into an excellent series.
Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark - 10 years ago, Carolyn's older brother Mack left his college dorm - and was never seen again. But he called every year on Mother's Day just to say he was okay. This year Carolyn's anger gets the best of her and she decides to find Mack. But someone close to her doesn't want Mack found. Good premise, kinda dull presentation. Clark's last couple of books have felt tedious to me - it's still readable, but ultimately I didn't really care.
The Last Oracle by James Rollins - not really any info at the amazon.com page - the book doesn't come out until July. I snagged an Early Reviewer's copy from LibraryThing :) A think tank of world scientists have been experimenting for years on ways to manipulate and enhance the abilities of autistic children with savant talents. But a rogue group within have different experiments going - with the plan of creating a world prophet for the new millennium, which will rise out of a manufactured disaster. SIGMA Force commander Gray Pierce races to stop the disaster and save the children, but to do that he must first solve a mystery that dates back centuries to the Greek Oracle of Delphi. I hadn't read any of the other SIGMA Force books, but will look them up. Reads in the manner of Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly, and Dan Brown. Nonstop action. The afterword where Rollins points out his research is very interesting. (A to Z)
All books: 100 books
A Homecoming For Murder by John Armistead - Sheriff Bramlett is looking forward to spending some quality time with his grandson, but work interferes. The body of a male school teacher is found murdered in a graveyard - and it turns out the deceased wasn't the nicest guy, which makes for lots of suspects. Bramlett is especially concerned as his grandson may have seen and been seen by the murderer leaving the scene. More of a procedural than a thriller, lots of homey small town touches, and several side plots make a nice solid read. (A to Z)
Mission Canyon by Meg Gardiner - I got this one and the first Evan Delany based on a rave review by Stephen King. Not sure I like them quite as much, but they are good. Evan's lover Jesse was paralysed below the waist in the same hit and run that killed his best friend several years ago. Now it looks like the driver, who fled the country, is back. But his return stirs up more than Jesse and Evan - a computer company, a Russian mobster, and the Feds are all putting pressure on Evan and Jesse to make them stop hunting the driver or else. (888)
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - School shooting aftermath. I liked it - and I didn't. Some of the characters were very well done - a good look into the effect bullying can have. Some of the characters were just caricatures (and were meant to be) and were irritating in a way that made it easy to put the book down. And it felt tedious. Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin was better.
all books: 100 books
Nameless Night by G.M. Ford - I really liked this - the main character has no memories of who he is, except for a name. And when that name is sought out on the web for information, the government shows up and comes down hard on whoever was looking. It's a fairly standard conspiracy thriller, but I like Ford's work. (A to Z)
The Murderer's Club by P.D. Martin - The psychic part was a bit annoying, but it was nice that the character wasn't thrilled with her abilities and was reluctant to use them. The murderer's club idea I really liked. Need to find the first book in the series, but not having read it wasn't a problem - some references, but fairly well standalone.
Double Cross by James Patterson - Another good Alex Cross book - I like these so much more than his collaborations. Not as tight a story as some of the earlier ones, but still a page-turner.
all books: 100 books
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld - Second in the Uglies trilogy. Tally has become a pretty and has forgotten much of her time in the Smoke. But a party crasher leads her to a hidden stash: 2 pills and a letter from herself, written while still ugly. She and new boyfriend Zane each take a pill and then try to get the other pretties in their group to remember and to challenge the status quo. Definitely have to read in order, but a very good follow-up - now I have to get Specials and Extras. (challenge: YAC)
Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz - Paranormal romantic thriller. Raine is settling her late aunt Vella's estate when psychic sensibilites lead her to find a bound, kidnapped young woman in a padlocked room in the basement. Entering her life immediately after is P.I. Zack Jones, also a sensitive, who asks for her assistance. They have an immediate connection, but there is a huge complication - he works for the Arcane Society, the group she blames for her father's death. And his offer of letting her have copies of her father's case file are enhanced by the idea of working with someone who understands and shares her abilities. I love Krentz (and her alter ego Amanda Quick) - zippy dialogue, quick action, speedy plots - she'd fall into the guilty pleasures category, except that I don't feel guilty about reading :) (challenge: Pub)
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain - With shades of Silence of the Lambs, Cain's detective Archie Sheridan is in charge of a regrouped task force charged with finding the killer of several local teen girls. His investigation is complicated by the addition of a reporter and his weekly visits to Gretchen Lowell, an incarcerated serial killer with whom he has an intense personal connection - he was to be one of her victims, but instead she let him live and torments him with the prospect of more bodies. Cool :) Archie is a great protagonist and Lowell is one serious deranged individual.
The 47th Samurai by Stephen Hunter - Bob Lee Swagger finds himself in Japan, delivering a sword taken as a prize of war during WWII, to the son of the man his father fought during battle. Bob Lee really likes Philip Yano and his family and is stunned to find out that they've all (except the youngest girl) been slaughtered soon after he left. Bob Lee immerses himself into the world of the samurai, determined to avenge the Yano family. I agree with reviews that Bob Lee's swordsmanship requires total destruction of believeability, but I thought the passion of the man believeable and the samurai and sword lore was excellent.
(challenges all books: 100 books, A to Z)
A shallow grave might be one of the victims - but it's what's found with the victim that really stirs up the police - a badge belonging to a detective who was murdered in the aftermath of the hurricane. The hunt for the killer(s) leads to a strip bar and a dancer who's not always truthful, but Captain Patti O'Shay, the detective's widow, bends the rules to find her husband's killer. Really stretches the credibility limits, but the post-Katrina setting is an interesting look at a damaged and struggling city.
Third Degree by Greg Iles - It's a bad day in the Shields household - husband Warren's medical practice is being audited by the IRS, and wife Laurel just got a positive on a EPT - and she's not sure if the child is her husband's or her ex-lover's. Laurel heads off to her job of teaching handicapped kids and has a confrontation with the ex, the dad of one of her students - and goes home early with a migraine. When she gets home, Warren's still there, not having gone to work. Laurel finds herself being held at gunpoint, while her husband tries to crack her email password to find out who the lover is, while at work, his business partner and office manager conspire to frame him for insurance fraud. And when the whole thing explodes, bringing in the police and the Feds, the only person Warren trusts to talk to is his former flight instructor - a former military pilot named Danny McDavitt - who is also Laurel's ex-lover. Not as compelling as Iles' usual fare, but still a fast, gripping read.
Power Play by Joseph Finder - One of the Amazon.com reviews called this "Die Hard at a Corporate Off-site" - a fairly good basic description. Regular guy Jake Landry must substitute for his boss at a aeronautics company's retreat - an already tense event because of the new CEO - a woman facing lots of hostility from the male department heads. The retreat turns even worse, when, at the first dinner, the group is taken hostage by what seems to be a group of redneck hunters, looking for quick money. But things aren't quite what they seem - and Landry, the good-guy-with-a-past, must save them all. Action packed.
Darkness Falls by Kyle Mills - Beamon's back - yeah! More of a secondary character in this book though. Erin Neal, an environmentalist turned recluse, gets pulled back into the world when a engineered bacteria starts eating away at the Saudi oil fields. Neal, formerly known for preventing oil field disasters, is coerced by Beamon, now head of energy security for Homeland Security, into looking into the bacteria. Turns out it's a mutant version of a bacteria Neal created, but never told anyone about - except a deceased former girlfriend. Mills does the doomsday thriller well.
Last Call by James Grippando - Attorney Jack Swyteck's friend and former client Theo is in danger. A convict from Theo's childhood neighborhood escapes from prison - and when his promised help doesn't materialize, he goes to Theo. Former gang members together, he offers Theo an exchange - help him and he'll tell Theo who murdered his mother twenty-something years ago. Completely unrealistic, but eminently readable. Others in the series much better.
Third Strike by Philip R. Craig & William G. Tapply - Craig's JW Jackson (ex-cop now living with his family on Martha's Vineyard) and Tapply's Boston lawyer Brady Coyne get together for the third time when a strike paralyzes the ferries from the Vineyard to the mainland. A striker's death involves Jackson - was the man killed while planting a bomb or was it murder? And a reclusive client of Coyne's calls him to the island to tell him about mysterious men with guns unloading crates in the middle of the night - a client who is soon murdered. JW and Brady team up to find out the truth. Sadly there will be no more collaborations as Craig died recently, but I'll continue to look forward to new Tapplys.
(challenges for all above books: 100 books, A to Z)
The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry - Former government agent Cotton Malone finds his frantic ex-wife on his doorstep - their son has been kidnapped. Moments later, his bookstore is attacked. Malone is the only person who knows the location of the Alexandria Link - a man who may have knowledge of how to locate the supposedly destroyed Library of Alexandria. In the Library, an ancient Biblical document could throw the Middle East into chaos and pit Jews, Muslims and Christians against each other in open warfare. Overblown, but entertaining.
(challenges: 100 books, A to Z, TBR)
The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child - Pendergast goes on a cruise :)
Hand of Evil by J. A. Jance - Ali blogs - people die :>
Quantico by Greg Bear - near future setting - good writing, but I just didn't connect with it.
The Chase by Clive Cussler - Circa 1900's PI hunts for a bank robber/murderer - kinda... eh.
Shadow Man by Cody McFayden - kickass start of series starring FBI agent Smoky Barrett, who lost her husband and child to a serial killer, goes after another one who's convinced he's a descendant of Jack the Ripper.
The Face of Death by Cody McFayden - Second in the series - Smoky & her team head out after another killer who has been targeting one victim all her life - by killing the people she cares about.
Promise Not To Tell by Jennifer McMahon - part mystery, part ghost story, all good.
Dead Heat by Dick & Felix Francis - formulaic and less horse-y than usual, but still enjoyable. Always happy when a new Francis comes out :)
Down River by John Hart - oh, lovely, just lovely. Great characters, great plot, very Southern Gothic and fresh. Set in Salisbury, NC - I used to live near there and went there for library workshops/meetings several times. Lovely place.
Bloodline by F. Paul. Wilson - Repairman Jack's life gets weirder - mine gets better :)
Blasphemy by Douglas Preston - Got an ARC(advanced reading copy) :) Another thrill ride from Preston - science vs God. Who will win? And which side is more extreme?
Second Shot by Zoe Sharp - 2nd Charlie Fox - bodyguard gets her ass kicked and wants to find out why - good.
Transgressions edited by Ed McBain - novellas from some of the best mystery & thriller writers, including McBain, Donald Westlake, & Stephen King.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - dark psychological thriller about family disfunction and small towns - very good & disturbing :)
Ah, I loves me some psycho killers :)
2 teen novels:
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Richard Yancey - good story with interesting take on King Arthur - and what happened later.
Uglies by Scott Westerfield - got to put the next one on hold :)
Mystery:
One-Way Ticket by WIlliam G. Tapply - love this series
Nonfiction:
Overcoming Overeating by Jane R. Hirschmann and Carol H. Munter - very good.
Still a few days left in the month, we'll see what else I get read :)
Now and Then by Robert B. Parker - I love Spenser! and Hawk and Susan :) - mystery
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch - another good book about eating & body image - nonfiction
Sky Burial by Xinran - beautiful story - my X book for the Alphabet Challenge - fiction
World War Z by Max Brooks - oral history of the zombie wars - interesting. I liked it. - horror-ish
So, 26 books for October and 232 so far for the year.
The Crime Writer by Gregg Hurwitz - Good.
First Drop by Zoe Sharp - new author for me - kickass female lead - will be looking for the next one in the series.
Play Dirty by Sandra Brown - not her best, glad it was a library book and not a purchase.
I always enjoy these - good mind-candy.
Legend: An Event Group Thriller by David Lynn Golemon
The cover blurb compares this to the early works of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, both of whom I read both together and in their solo works. The comparison is fairly apt, I think - take something from history; mix in a little supernatural; throw in some good guys, bad guys, and questionable guys; and cut them off from help. Stir well and, voilà, Michael Jackson! Umm... thriller! For this one, also add military :) For the record, I like P&C better - this one got a bit draggy a couple of times. Probably not something I'd reread, but I'll look at the next one and see what it looks like.
Another excellent entry in the Judge Deborah Knott series.
I love these. I like the heroine, the North Carolina setting, that her daddy was a bootlegger, and all the family relationships. I lived in NC for around 12 years and love recognizing things I remember from there. One side issue in this book is the family deciding about what crop(s) to plant for the year and how the younger members are trying to move away from tobacco, which isn't providing as much income as it used to. I lived in one of those areas for a few years and one of the big choices there was moving to vineyards. But I don't think Maron's fictional Colleton County is in the vineyard area.
Play Dead by David Rosenfelt - gorgeous Golden Retriever on the cover - a dog is facing death and his owner is in prison for life. Our hero takes the case. Wasn't familiar with this series, but will definitely look into it.
Justice Denied by J. A. Jance - newest J.P. Beaumont
The Ever-Running Man by Marcia Muller - good addition to the Sharon McCone series
Free Fire by C. J. Box - great new entry into the Joe Pickett series
Dexter In the Dark by Jeff Lindsay - newest in series
Merciless by Richard Montanari - newest in Byrne & Balzano series
China Lake by Meg Gardiner - first in the Evan Delaney seies
Last Breath by George Shuman - second in the Sherry Moore series
Standalones (at least for now):
The Cleaner by Brett Battles - Quinn "cleans" up after shadowy government operation,s so that none of the locals know anything happened. Usually, it's easy and much less dangerous than being a part of the operation. Until the assassin shows up...
Killer Weekend by Ridley Pearson
The Book of Names by Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori
High Noon by Nora Roberts
The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross
Falling by Christopher Pike
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