Summary:
EJ Ferris is a mall cop now, but she's a former Air Force investigative officer who was injured in the line of duty. She took the mall cop job while she hunts down a position in whatever police department will take her, though with a bum knee, the hunt is not going well. During her morning patrol through the throngs of early-morning mall walkers, she finds a dead man in a boutique's display window. The investigating detective from the Vernonville PD hardly gives her the time of day, even though EJ's done some questioning already and just wants to help in any way she can. The detective dismisses her, showing just how highly he regards mall cops. Even though the detective explicitly orders EJ to stay out of the way, she can't fight her investigatory nature, and after two more bodies are found, she devotes her time to finding out who the killer is.
Thoughts:
Really well written. DiSilverio is great at spinning the story so you can't quite put all of the story together until the very end. I had suspicions throughout, but there was always a new clue that could distract from one suspect and bring up two more. There were enough curiosities that the murders could be connected, but then again, they could not be. EJ is a really strong character, too, great at solving the little dilemmas that come to a mall cop's attention, and smart enough to find the loose ends of the murder plots to tie up neatly. And since this is the first in a series, it has just enough loose ends that it leaves you wanting more, and soon! I'll definitely be continuing on with this series. Yes please.
Book 27 of 50
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Especially if you've ever worked retail, and particularly at a mall.
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Notorious Nineteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
It's slow again at the bond office, until Stephanie lands a particularly strange skip. A guy was about to go to jail for embezzling millions from an old folks' home when he mysteriously disappears from the hospital treating him for an appendectomy. Steph is charged with finding him, but succeeds in finding that he was in far deeper than anyone knew. Steph has to find the skip, and figure out what's really going on, before someone winds up dead. Oh, and in the meantime, Stephanie is dealing with the idea of actually settling down and the thought of marriage. The first one went south quick, but with the two hunks she's got in her life, maybe she'll actually do okay with it this time around...
Thoughts:
Really good. The tension in the Morelli vs. Ranger conundrum Stephanie is dealing with, and has been for most of the series, is really starting to come to a head. The mystery bits and the romance bits have really evened out, to the point that I've just sat here for several minutes pondering the mashed adjective that would best describe these books. (Romanstery? Mystermance? I didn't get too far.) I've appreciated that the skips Steph has to chase don't seem to get old. Evanovich has found the exact right formula for formula-breaking. She never ceases to make me wonder what exactly Steph is going to have to deal with next. I have found so many times that the mystery stuff becomes a by-rote mechanism with so many other series, where Evanovich is making things interesting and engaging her readers at every turn, which is absolutely not easy to do when you're already eighteen books into a series, twenty-two if you count the "Between the Numbers" books as well. In finishing this installment of the Plum series, I've actually gone and caught up to the rest of the world. It's been worth the time and effort of it. Truly. It's taken me nearly a year and a half to best the series, (One for the Money's post went up 5/20/12, though I'd finished it some time in April), but keep in mind that I've read thirty-eight other books between the Plum installments. I don't regret reading a single word of it, either. Stephanie Plum drew me into her crazy, car-exploding, felon-chasing, hot-man-filled world, and I'd like to stay please. Now I just have to wait with the masses for the next book to come along. But don't you worry. Once it's out, I'll be all over it! Keep your eyes peeled in November, friends.
Book 24 of 50
Pages: 322
Genre: mystery with a side of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Read the rest first.
It's slow again at the bond office, until Stephanie lands a particularly strange skip. A guy was about to go to jail for embezzling millions from an old folks' home when he mysteriously disappears from the hospital treating him for an appendectomy. Steph is charged with finding him, but succeeds in finding that he was in far deeper than anyone knew. Steph has to find the skip, and figure out what's really going on, before someone winds up dead. Oh, and in the meantime, Stephanie is dealing with the idea of actually settling down and the thought of marriage. The first one went south quick, but with the two hunks she's got in her life, maybe she'll actually do okay with it this time around...
Thoughts:
Really good. The tension in the Morelli vs. Ranger conundrum Stephanie is dealing with, and has been for most of the series, is really starting to come to a head. The mystery bits and the romance bits have really evened out, to the point that I've just sat here for several minutes pondering the mashed adjective that would best describe these books. (Romanstery? Mystermance? I didn't get too far.) I've appreciated that the skips Steph has to chase don't seem to get old. Evanovich has found the exact right formula for formula-breaking. She never ceases to make me wonder what exactly Steph is going to have to deal with next. I have found so many times that the mystery stuff becomes a by-rote mechanism with so many other series, where Evanovich is making things interesting and engaging her readers at every turn, which is absolutely not easy to do when you're already eighteen books into a series, twenty-two if you count the "Between the Numbers" books as well. In finishing this installment of the Plum series, I've actually gone and caught up to the rest of the world. It's been worth the time and effort of it. Truly. It's taken me nearly a year and a half to best the series, (One for the Money's post went up 5/20/12, though I'd finished it some time in April), but keep in mind that I've read thirty-eight other books between the Plum installments. I don't regret reading a single word of it, either. Stephanie Plum drew me into her crazy, car-exploding, felon-chasing, hot-man-filled world, and I'd like to stay please. Now I just have to wait with the masses for the next book to come along. But don't you worry. Once it's out, I'll be all over it! Keep your eyes peeled in November, friends.
Book 24 of 50
Pages: 322
Genre: mystery with a side of romance
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Read the rest first.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Explosive Eighteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie has just gotten back from a trip to Hawaii. Most people would be relaxed and content after a trip like that. But Stephanie is stuck in anxiety mode. She won't say what happened, but there's a tan line on her left ring finger, and she's not saying why. What's worse, the man that was sitting next to her on the first leg of her journey home winds up dead in an airport trash can, and she's being stalked by several people out to find what he was carrying back to New Jersey with him, a photo that she happens to have thrown out as soon as she got back home. She doesn't know who the person in the photograph is, and can only describe him as a cross between Tom Cruise and Ashton Kutcher. Lula has gone crazy and fallen for the biggest idiot (who also happens to be an FTA) and expects everyone to be okay with that. Joyce Barnhardt, Steph's nemesis who sometimes plays bounty hunter when she feels like it, has gone on the lamb too, but decides her best course of action would be to crash at Stephanie's place. Because that makes sense. Oh, and Morelli and Ranger are not really happy with her. For similar but opposite reasons. If only she could make up her mind...
Thoughts:
The way Ms. E left Seventeen, I couldn't help myself, and had to continue straight on to Eighteen. It did not disappoint. The tension between Steph and her guys is evident from the word go with this one, and watching her dodge all the questions about what happened in Hawaii is fun. I did feel a little like I was missing something when I first started into this one, and ran to Evanovich's website to see if there was a "Between the Numbers" book I had missed, but unless there's a short story or novella floating around that's unlisted on the site, there isn't anything. The whole story comes out as the book unfolds, but there's a few chapters where you're just as curious and confused as Stephanie's family and friends. It seems as though our girl Steph is starting to think about growing up and picking one man to be with. We'll see... Also, with finishing this book, I'm one book away from being completely caught up to this series. I'm going to have to find something else to read now! Horrors!
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery with romantical bits
Grade: A- for the ambiguity at the beginning.
Would I Recommend?:
Stephanie has just gotten back from a trip to Hawaii. Most people would be relaxed and content after a trip like that. But Stephanie is stuck in anxiety mode. She won't say what happened, but there's a tan line on her left ring finger, and she's not saying why. What's worse, the man that was sitting next to her on the first leg of her journey home winds up dead in an airport trash can, and she's being stalked by several people out to find what he was carrying back to New Jersey with him, a photo that she happens to have thrown out as soon as she got back home. She doesn't know who the person in the photograph is, and can only describe him as a cross between Tom Cruise and Ashton Kutcher. Lula has gone crazy and fallen for the biggest idiot (who also happens to be an FTA) and expects everyone to be okay with that. Joyce Barnhardt, Steph's nemesis who sometimes plays bounty hunter when she feels like it, has gone on the lamb too, but decides her best course of action would be to crash at Stephanie's place. Because that makes sense. Oh, and Morelli and Ranger are not really happy with her. For similar but opposite reasons. If only she could make up her mind...
Thoughts:
The way Ms. E left Seventeen, I couldn't help myself, and had to continue straight on to Eighteen. It did not disappoint. The tension between Steph and her guys is evident from the word go with this one, and watching her dodge all the questions about what happened in Hawaii is fun. I did feel a little like I was missing something when I first started into this one, and ran to Evanovich's website to see if there was a "Between the Numbers" book I had missed, but unless there's a short story or novella floating around that's unlisted on the site, there isn't anything. The whole story comes out as the book unfolds, but there's a few chapters where you're just as curious and confused as Stephanie's family and friends. It seems as though our girl Steph is starting to think about growing up and picking one man to be with. We'll see... Also, with finishing this book, I'm one book away from being completely caught up to this series. I'm going to have to find something else to read now! Horrors!
Book 22 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery with romantical bits
Grade: A- for the ambiguity at the beginning.
Would I Recommend?:
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Smokin' Seventeen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
The bonds office is in desperate need of being rebuilt, and Vinnie is working on it. But there's a minor problem. Bodies keep showing up on the empty lot. Stephanie wants nothing to do with it, but of course Vinnie expects her to figure it out. Morelli's on the case, but it gets much worse when one of the bodies shows up with Stephanie's name attached. Ranger's keeping an eye on the situation too, since he runs security for the bond office. Stephanie is no closer to figuring out which of her two men she loves best, and since she can't make up her mind, her mother decides that a third, more stable option might be best. Dave graduated with Steph, was the star quarterback, and can cook like a dream. Too bad he won't leave her alone. Stephanie's got to figure out who is dumping the bodies, and who she loves best, before she goes crazy.
Thoughts:
The series had gotten into a bit of a lull in the overarching storyline for Stephanie, but this one really starts ramping it back up again. Evanovich's brilliance is nothing new to these eyes, but when she does so well, it's a joy to see. Steph has several steamy scenes with each of her menfolk, and you just can't help but love them both just as much as she does. The body dumping plot is exactly what Steph needs to distract her from her romantic dilemma. And Lula, as always, is spectacularly ridiculous. Just put the weapons away, Lula, and you'll be just fine.
Book 21 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery and romance in equal parts this time around
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Only if you've read the previous 16 books. If you haven't already, what the heck are you waiting for!? Get on it!
The bonds office is in desperate need of being rebuilt, and Vinnie is working on it. But there's a minor problem. Bodies keep showing up on the empty lot. Stephanie wants nothing to do with it, but of course Vinnie expects her to figure it out. Morelli's on the case, but it gets much worse when one of the bodies shows up with Stephanie's name attached. Ranger's keeping an eye on the situation too, since he runs security for the bond office. Stephanie is no closer to figuring out which of her two men she loves best, and since she can't make up her mind, her mother decides that a third, more stable option might be best. Dave graduated with Steph, was the star quarterback, and can cook like a dream. Too bad he won't leave her alone. Stephanie's got to figure out who is dumping the bodies, and who she loves best, before she goes crazy.
Thoughts:
The series had gotten into a bit of a lull in the overarching storyline for Stephanie, but this one really starts ramping it back up again. Evanovich's brilliance is nothing new to these eyes, but when she does so well, it's a joy to see. Steph has several steamy scenes with each of her menfolk, and you just can't help but love them both just as much as she does. The body dumping plot is exactly what Steph needs to distract her from her romantic dilemma. And Lula, as always, is spectacularly ridiculous. Just put the weapons away, Lula, and you'll be just fine.
Book 21 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery and romance in equal parts this time around
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Only if you've read the previous 16 books. If you haven't already, what the heck are you waiting for!? Get on it!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
1st to Die (James Patterson)
Summary:
Lindsey is a homicide detective in California who just got assigned the case of a double murder, a husband and wife on their wedding night, in their honeymoon suite, no less. It's brutal, and there's defilement and Lindsey has to fight to keep herself together. Cindy is a young reporter, trying to make it to feature writer. Claire is the city medical examiner, stuck at the bottom of the totem pole in her field. Jill is the assistant district attorney with nerves of steel. These four women band together to solve the Bride and Groom murders, of which two more cases come along, through sharing information and doing the big research outside their usual jurisdictions. Lindsey also has to deal with the added stress of having a seriously debilitating disease ravaging her body. Will they be able to find the deranged murderer before he kills another set of newlyweds before they get the chance to start their lives?
Thoughts:
Really, really good. This really held my attention. I listened as I drove to and from work for a few weeks, (my ride is maybe 10 minutes on a bad day) and there were a few days where I almost was late for work because I didn't want to get out of the car. The story is gripping, and the characters are really well fleshed-out. It makes total sense that this story is fantastic. It's James Effing Patterson. That said, I was riveted, and I'm definitely going to keep going with the series.
Book 20 of 50
Pages: 488, read as an audio book.
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Totally. It's Patterson. He's been a best-selling author for years for a good reason, people.
Lindsey is a homicide detective in California who just got assigned the case of a double murder, a husband and wife on their wedding night, in their honeymoon suite, no less. It's brutal, and there's defilement and Lindsey has to fight to keep herself together. Cindy is a young reporter, trying to make it to feature writer. Claire is the city medical examiner, stuck at the bottom of the totem pole in her field. Jill is the assistant district attorney with nerves of steel. These four women band together to solve the Bride and Groom murders, of which two more cases come along, through sharing information and doing the big research outside their usual jurisdictions. Lindsey also has to deal with the added stress of having a seriously debilitating disease ravaging her body. Will they be able to find the deranged murderer before he kills another set of newlyweds before they get the chance to start their lives?
Thoughts:
Really, really good. This really held my attention. I listened as I drove to and from work for a few weeks, (my ride is maybe 10 minutes on a bad day) and there were a few days where I almost was late for work because I didn't want to get out of the car. The story is gripping, and the characters are really well fleshed-out. It makes total sense that this story is fantastic. It's James Effing Patterson. That said, I was riveted, and I'm definitely going to keep going with the series.
Book 20 of 50
Pages: 488, read as an audio book.
Genre: Mystery
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Totally. It's Patterson. He's been a best-selling author for years for a good reason, people.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Knit One, Kill Two (Maggie Sefton)
Summary:
Kelly Flynn's aunt Helen was just murdered in her home in Colorado. They have the man in custody, a vagrant with a history of violence. But Kelly's not convinced. She finds out from Helen's attorney that she took out a mortgage on her home to get $20,000 for some mysterious reason, and the investigating officer tells her that Helen was found with a broken knitting needle on the ground nearby, and her knitting was nowhere to be found. Helen lived in a cottage next to what used to be her family home with her long-deceased husband, which has been refurbished into a cafe in one half of the house, and a yarn shop in the other half. Now Kelly has to figure out how best to handle Helen's home, so she can get back to her life in DC. But she can't even consider leaving until she finds out why Helen needed all that money, and who really killed her, and all Helen's friends from the yarn shop have vowed to help.
Thoughts:
I wanted so much to like this. I really did. But it just didn't do it. When reading a mystery novel, one expects most of the plot to be devoted to following the main character in her hunt to solve the mystery. Sure, you see Kelly finding out lots about her aunt that she never knew. But so much time is spent talking about Kelly's fear of knitting (because she'll get bored/it won't come out nice/but she doesn't know how) and the amateur sleuthing takes a backseat to how luscious the yarns feel and how soft and colorful and if I had to read one more word about the kaleidoscope of colors in the yarn store, I think I would've screamed. There was obviously something that would have happened with the only guy in the book that's Kelly's age, but he's almost nonexistent for most of the book, except when he shows up to flirt with her a little. The book really deals more with Kelly's insecurities and her decisions of what to do about Helen's house and her making friends with Helen's old friends from the knitting shop than with the murder itself. And when the murder is finally solved, the book ends right there. Barely any epilogue of "I'm staying in Colorado." Just "let's go sit on the porch so I can digest this." As I said, I wanted to like this book. I wanted to love it, really. But I just couldn't get past the droning nature of the book. It went on and on about nothing at all, and didn't get interesting (and start really solving the murder) until the last 75 pages or so. I can understand some of the character development with the knit shop ladies, but the book really delves farther into them than it does into the murder, and when it's a murder mystery, that's really not okay.
Book 18 of 50
Pages: 273
Genre: Mystery
Grade: D+
Would I Recommend?: Not really, sadly...
Kelly Flynn's aunt Helen was just murdered in her home in Colorado. They have the man in custody, a vagrant with a history of violence. But Kelly's not convinced. She finds out from Helen's attorney that she took out a mortgage on her home to get $20,000 for some mysterious reason, and the investigating officer tells her that Helen was found with a broken knitting needle on the ground nearby, and her knitting was nowhere to be found. Helen lived in a cottage next to what used to be her family home with her long-deceased husband, which has been refurbished into a cafe in one half of the house, and a yarn shop in the other half. Now Kelly has to figure out how best to handle Helen's home, so she can get back to her life in DC. But she can't even consider leaving until she finds out why Helen needed all that money, and who really killed her, and all Helen's friends from the yarn shop have vowed to help.
Thoughts:
I wanted so much to like this. I really did. But it just didn't do it. When reading a mystery novel, one expects most of the plot to be devoted to following the main character in her hunt to solve the mystery. Sure, you see Kelly finding out lots about her aunt that she never knew. But so much time is spent talking about Kelly's fear of knitting (because she'll get bored/it won't come out nice/but she doesn't know how) and the amateur sleuthing takes a backseat to how luscious the yarns feel and how soft and colorful and if I had to read one more word about the kaleidoscope of colors in the yarn store, I think I would've screamed. There was obviously something that would have happened with the only guy in the book that's Kelly's age, but he's almost nonexistent for most of the book, except when he shows up to flirt with her a little. The book really deals more with Kelly's insecurities and her decisions of what to do about Helen's house and her making friends with Helen's old friends from the knitting shop than with the murder itself. And when the murder is finally solved, the book ends right there. Barely any epilogue of "I'm staying in Colorado." Just "let's go sit on the porch so I can digest this." As I said, I wanted to like this book. I wanted to love it, really. But I just couldn't get past the droning nature of the book. It went on and on about nothing at all, and didn't get interesting (and start really solving the murder) until the last 75 pages or so. I can understand some of the character development with the knit shop ladies, but the book really delves farther into them than it does into the murder, and when it's a murder mystery, that's really not okay.
Book 18 of 50
Pages: 273
Genre: Mystery
Grade: D+
Would I Recommend?: Not really, sadly...
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Murder for Choir (Joelle Charbonneau)
Summary:
Paige Marshall is an opera singer by trade, and very good at what she does, if only she could land herself another job. Between opera gigs, Paige has accepted a position at North Shore High, as the director of their top glee club, Music in Motion. During their summer choir camp, which is a week-long gearing-up for the choir members and directors where they start learning basic choreography and music for the season, one of the rival glee clubs' directors is murdered, and one of Paige's students is arrested for the crime. She can't believe that the boy did it and takes it upon herself to start her own investigation, which leads her to becoming the killer's next target.
Thoughts:
Solid plot, fun characters, and a light-hearted writing style come together in this first book of a new series, both for me and for the world at large. Charbonneau started the series last year, and has gotten two books into it so far, and I'm hoping she'll have plenty more where this came from. (After a quick web search, she's already through with the second revision of the third in the series. Awesome!) Paige is a strong character, with plenty of spunk and a great personality. The cop is hunky (as usual in these books!) and the friends are great characters too! I won't lie, I called the murderer early, as well as a few other plot details, but there were plenty that were a surprise too. My other half actually stumbled upon the series on a visit to Barnes and Noble recently, and I couldn't deny getting the first in the series. My lack of restraint payed off. I'll definitely be looking into more from this author. She's got a fun voice, and can spin the story just right, so that you don't care that you've figured it out already. It's fun to see all the in-betweens. So getting my hands on other stuff from Charbonneau. Try not to hate me for it!
Book 17 of 50
Pages:
Genre: Mystery/romance/chick lit with a dash of comedy for good luck!
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Heck yes. Jump in while it's still young, and we can enjoy it together!
Paige Marshall is an opera singer by trade, and very good at what she does, if only she could land herself another job. Between opera gigs, Paige has accepted a position at North Shore High, as the director of their top glee club, Music in Motion. During their summer choir camp, which is a week-long gearing-up for the choir members and directors where they start learning basic choreography and music for the season, one of the rival glee clubs' directors is murdered, and one of Paige's students is arrested for the crime. She can't believe that the boy did it and takes it upon herself to start her own investigation, which leads her to becoming the killer's next target.
Thoughts:
Solid plot, fun characters, and a light-hearted writing style come together in this first book of a new series, both for me and for the world at large. Charbonneau started the series last year, and has gotten two books into it so far, and I'm hoping she'll have plenty more where this came from. (After a quick web search, she's already through with the second revision of the third in the series. Awesome!) Paige is a strong character, with plenty of spunk and a great personality. The cop is hunky (as usual in these books!) and the friends are great characters too! I won't lie, I called the murderer early, as well as a few other plot details, but there were plenty that were a surprise too. My other half actually stumbled upon the series on a visit to Barnes and Noble recently, and I couldn't deny getting the first in the series. My lack of restraint payed off. I'll definitely be looking into more from this author. She's got a fun voice, and can spin the story just right, so that you don't care that you've figured it out already. It's fun to see all the in-betweens. So getting my hands on other stuff from Charbonneau. Try not to hate me for it!
Book 17 of 50
Pages:
Genre: Mystery/romance/chick lit with a dash of comedy for good luck!
Grade: A
Would I Recommend?: Heck yes. Jump in while it's still young, and we can enjoy it together!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Spying in High Heels (Gemma Halliday)
Summary:
Childrens' shoe designer Madison Springer is late. Her boyfriend, Richard Howe the lawyer, is avoiding her phone calls and Maddie is late. Her last attempt at talking through the situation with Richard begins and ends with him having a meeting with a very dressed-down, un-Richard-looking guy and then immediately cancelling his lunch date with Maddie. Several days later, she still hasn't spoken to him, and winds up searching Richard's empty apartment. Mr. Un-Richard shows up, does a search of his own, and leaves with nothing. Only after Maddie runs into him again does she find out that Mr. Un-Richard is Jack Ramirez, hunky cop in charge of Richard's case, and that Richard was probably involved in some creative accounting, and possibly a couple of murders. Maddie can't believe that Richard is involved with any of that and sets out to prove that he's not who Ramirez thinks Richard is. The only trouble is, Maddie doesn't really know much about Richard, and Ramirez is a total stud muffin. Will Maddie be able to keep her head straight, while trying to get the courage to find out if she's actually pregnant?
Thoughts:
Ramirez is delicious. Maddie is fun, though a little scatterbrained and naive. The book follows Maddie as she finds out exactly how little she knows about Richard, and while it's slightly depressing for Maddie herself, her life is the train wreck you can't look away from. Halliday writes it in a way that you can't help but feel for Maddie as her world crumbles around her. Granted, I guessed as much on a lot of the outcomes of the story, but the story was engaging enough that it didn't bother me to know exactly who the killer was, or how the Richard situation was going to play out. It's a series that I'll be delving into more, as soon as I can get my hands on the books, that's for sure.
Book 16 of 50
Pages: 250, read as an e-book
Genre: Mystery, comedy, and romance, in nearly equal parts
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: YES. It's fun, funny, and it sucks you into Madison's world pretty darn easily.
Childrens' shoe designer Madison Springer is late. Her boyfriend, Richard Howe the lawyer, is avoiding her phone calls and Maddie is late. Her last attempt at talking through the situation with Richard begins and ends with him having a meeting with a very dressed-down, un-Richard-looking guy and then immediately cancelling his lunch date with Maddie. Several days later, she still hasn't spoken to him, and winds up searching Richard's empty apartment. Mr. Un-Richard shows up, does a search of his own, and leaves with nothing. Only after Maddie runs into him again does she find out that Mr. Un-Richard is Jack Ramirez, hunky cop in charge of Richard's case, and that Richard was probably involved in some creative accounting, and possibly a couple of murders. Maddie can't believe that Richard is involved with any of that and sets out to prove that he's not who Ramirez thinks Richard is. The only trouble is, Maddie doesn't really know much about Richard, and Ramirez is a total stud muffin. Will Maddie be able to keep her head straight, while trying to get the courage to find out if she's actually pregnant?
Thoughts:
Ramirez is delicious. Maddie is fun, though a little scatterbrained and naive. The book follows Maddie as she finds out exactly how little she knows about Richard, and while it's slightly depressing for Maddie herself, her life is the train wreck you can't look away from. Halliday writes it in a way that you can't help but feel for Maddie as her world crumbles around her. Granted, I guessed as much on a lot of the outcomes of the story, but the story was engaging enough that it didn't bother me to know exactly who the killer was, or how the Richard situation was going to play out. It's a series that I'll be delving into more, as soon as I can get my hands on the books, that's for sure.
Book 16 of 50
Pages: 250, read as an e-book
Genre: Mystery, comedy, and romance, in nearly equal parts
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: YES. It's fun, funny, and it sucks you into Madison's world pretty darn easily.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
California Schemin' (Kate George)
Summary:
Bree McGowan wants nothing more than to have a relaxing vacation away from her native Vermont, and take a few photos of a bridge over a Californian river while her boyfriend does some masonry for a client. But her hopes are dashed when she sees a woman fall off the bridge into the river. From there, she gets wrapped up in the investigation of the whole thing, despite seeing nothing but a falling body, despite flying home to Vermont, despite all the effort made to keep her safe and sound. She wants nothing to do with the case, and yet she keeps getting dragged into it. What's a girl got to do to keep herself out of trouble?
Thoughts:
I found this through one of the Free Kindle Book search sites, the ones that troll through Amazon's site to pull out all the current free downloads. I didn't have high expectations, since several of the Kindle books I've picked up have been fairly mediocre. That said, this one is not bad. There were a few holes in the story (how does Bree suddenly know the vic's name, without showing her hunting for the info?), and there were some gaps in the narrative. But the story itself is solid. You hate to love one of the bad guys, but he turns out to be such an interesting character! Around every corner, I kept wanting Bree to just suck it up and call the cops, but she kept getting into another scrape, and had no chance to do it. You couldn't help but feel bad for Bree. All she wanted was to be back home in Vermont. And when she finally gets there, trouble still follows her. The girl's got it pretty rough. I can't say for sure if I liked the book enough to read more. I'm curious to see what happens with Bree and the eventual love interest, but some of the scenes feel herky-jerky, and not fully complete. I do appreciate, though, that Bree's trying NOT to be involved in the investigation for once, instead of most nosy-neighbor main characters in mystery series. It's hard to really know all that's going on, though, when we only hear about Bree having looked up the victim's information, not actually see her reading a news article about her or something. More show, less tell.
Book 15 of 50
Pages: 252, read as an e-book.
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Yeah, it's not bad. I might look into the first (and third) of the series.
Bree McGowan wants nothing more than to have a relaxing vacation away from her native Vermont, and take a few photos of a bridge over a Californian river while her boyfriend does some masonry for a client. But her hopes are dashed when she sees a woman fall off the bridge into the river. From there, she gets wrapped up in the investigation of the whole thing, despite seeing nothing but a falling body, despite flying home to Vermont, despite all the effort made to keep her safe and sound. She wants nothing to do with the case, and yet she keeps getting dragged into it. What's a girl got to do to keep herself out of trouble?
Thoughts:
I found this through one of the Free Kindle Book search sites, the ones that troll through Amazon's site to pull out all the current free downloads. I didn't have high expectations, since several of the Kindle books I've picked up have been fairly mediocre. That said, this one is not bad. There were a few holes in the story (how does Bree suddenly know the vic's name, without showing her hunting for the info?), and there were some gaps in the narrative. But the story itself is solid. You hate to love one of the bad guys, but he turns out to be such an interesting character! Around every corner, I kept wanting Bree to just suck it up and call the cops, but she kept getting into another scrape, and had no chance to do it. You couldn't help but feel bad for Bree. All she wanted was to be back home in Vermont. And when she finally gets there, trouble still follows her. The girl's got it pretty rough. I can't say for sure if I liked the book enough to read more. I'm curious to see what happens with Bree and the eventual love interest, but some of the scenes feel herky-jerky, and not fully complete. I do appreciate, though, that Bree's trying NOT to be involved in the investigation for once, instead of most nosy-neighbor main characters in mystery series. It's hard to really know all that's going on, though, when we only hear about Bree having looked up the victim's information, not actually see her reading a news article about her or something. More show, less tell.
Book 15 of 50
Pages: 252, read as an e-book.
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Yeah, it's not bad. I might look into the first (and third) of the series.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Wicked Business (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Lizzy Tucker is a cupcake baker. That's all she wants to be. But Diesel, a magically inclined guy who says Lizzy's got a gift, keeps drawing her into his adventures, because she's one of two people in the world that can find magical objects. This time around, he's after another of the seven stones linked to the seven deadly sins. This time, they're after the Lust stone, and they need to find it before Diesel's handsome-but-creepy cousin, Wulf, gets it first. Add to the mix a cast of nuts: Glo is Lizzy's friend and a wannabe witch still looking for love; Hatchet is a medieval cosplaying weirdo Wulf recruited only because he's the OTHER magical object finder; Anarchy is the legitimately insane woman with no help finding the stone except to follow any clues she can find. Happy hunting, Lizzy and Diesel!
Thoughts:
Not bad. Solid story, some good twists at the end. And I'm digging Anarchy's addition to the series. She's made things crazier than ever. I will say, Glo still reads like Lula from the Numbers series. Hatchet drives me nuts, in a scared for the other characters kind of way. I'm fairly sure he's not going anywhere, but he's really not a nice person... Then again, that just means he's written well. Which I completely expect from Ms. Evanovich at this point. And boy, is she good at the sexual tension business. Lizzy and Diesel WANT to hook up, but they can't, for magical reasons. But they think about it real hard. Overall, not a bad addition to the series. I'm looking forward to more from this pair, but that could just be because I really like Diesel.
Book 14 of 50
Pages: 308
Genre: mystery, fantasy, and a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup. Read the Plum between the numbers books first, or at the very least "Wicked Appetite" and you'll be caught up.
Lizzy Tucker is a cupcake baker. That's all she wants to be. But Diesel, a magically inclined guy who says Lizzy's got a gift, keeps drawing her into his adventures, because she's one of two people in the world that can find magical objects. This time around, he's after another of the seven stones linked to the seven deadly sins. This time, they're after the Lust stone, and they need to find it before Diesel's handsome-but-creepy cousin, Wulf, gets it first. Add to the mix a cast of nuts: Glo is Lizzy's friend and a wannabe witch still looking for love; Hatchet is a medieval cosplaying weirdo Wulf recruited only because he's the OTHER magical object finder; Anarchy is the legitimately insane woman with no help finding the stone except to follow any clues she can find. Happy hunting, Lizzy and Diesel!
Thoughts:
Not bad. Solid story, some good twists at the end. And I'm digging Anarchy's addition to the series. She's made things crazier than ever. I will say, Glo still reads like Lula from the Numbers series. Hatchet drives me nuts, in a scared for the other characters kind of way. I'm fairly sure he's not going anywhere, but he's really not a nice person... Then again, that just means he's written well. Which I completely expect from Ms. Evanovich at this point. And boy, is she good at the sexual tension business. Lizzy and Diesel WANT to hook up, but they can't, for magical reasons. But they think about it real hard. Overall, not a bad addition to the series. I'm looking forward to more from this pair, but that could just be because I really like Diesel.
Book 14 of 50
Pages: 308
Genre: mystery, fantasy, and a touch of romance
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup. Read the Plum between the numbers books first, or at the very least "Wicked Appetite" and you'll be caught up.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Sizzling Sixteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Vinnie Plum, Stephanie's jerk second cousin who runs the bail bonds office she works out of, has gone and gotten himself in debt up to his eyeballs with some bad people. And then he's kidnapped. Stephanie and the gang have to try to get Vinnie back alive and in one piece so they can pull the bond office out of the hole he's dug for them. Meanwhile, Steph and Morelli are in their off-again phase, and she's feeling herself tugged toward Ranger, and she's trying her damnedest not to succumb to his immeasurable talents in the bedroom. Oh boy.
Thoughts:
Really good, as is the norm for Ms. E. Of course, you're constantly wanting to kick Vinnie in the ass for being so completely stupid, but that's no different from usual. And of course, the ladies of the bond office are getting themselves into more trouble than they can really handle, but again, it's kind of the norm. And Lula never ceases to elicit at least one good giggle every book, if not more. It usually comes from her sneeze-fart-"Oh, excuse me." combos, and I will never say no to that. There's just something about a good fart joke, y'know? Ah, but I've digressed yet again. Sixteen is just one more in the now very long list of fantastic books in the series. Including the betweens, we've rounded ourselves out to a solid twenty books, with another three to go for me. I can't imagine what I'm going to do once I've finished this series. It's going to take something really special to take Evanovich's place in my constant book rotation. We'll have to wait and see, won't we?
Book 12 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Start from the top and work your way through the series. You won't be sorry. I promise.
Vinnie Plum, Stephanie's jerk second cousin who runs the bail bonds office she works out of, has gone and gotten himself in debt up to his eyeballs with some bad people. And then he's kidnapped. Stephanie and the gang have to try to get Vinnie back alive and in one piece so they can pull the bond office out of the hole he's dug for them. Meanwhile, Steph and Morelli are in their off-again phase, and she's feeling herself tugged toward Ranger, and she's trying her damnedest not to succumb to his immeasurable talents in the bedroom. Oh boy.
Thoughts:
Really good, as is the norm for Ms. E. Of course, you're constantly wanting to kick Vinnie in the ass for being so completely stupid, but that's no different from usual. And of course, the ladies of the bond office are getting themselves into more trouble than they can really handle, but again, it's kind of the norm. And Lula never ceases to elicit at least one good giggle every book, if not more. It usually comes from her sneeze-fart-"Oh, excuse me." combos, and I will never say no to that. There's just something about a good fart joke, y'know? Ah, but I've digressed yet again. Sixteen is just one more in the now very long list of fantastic books in the series. Including the betweens, we've rounded ourselves out to a solid twenty books, with another three to go for me. I can't imagine what I'm going to do once I've finished this series. It's going to take something really special to take Evanovich's place in my constant book rotation. We'll have to wait and see, won't we?
Book 12 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Start from the top and work your way through the series. You won't be sorry. I promise.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The Real Macaw (Donna Andrews)
First, let me apologize for my lateness in posting this one. I'll do better next week, I promise!
On to the book!
Summary:
Meg and Michael are kept running with their two boisterous twin boys, only a few months old now. And of course, because Meg doesn't have nearly enough to do with a set of screaming twins, her father, grandfather, and brother decide to make her house the base of operations for a clandestine clearing of the town animal shelter. Dozens of cats, dogs, and even a bad-mouthed macaw have invaded her living room after the shelter announced euthanizations due to a lack of town funds. The animal rights group, led by the men in Meg's family, couldn't let such a thing stand, and take advantage of Meg's inability to say no YET again. Oh, and someone from the group gets murdered on his way to the pick-up site. Oops. And to top it all off, there's scandal brewing in Town Hall and Meg, the nosy woman she is, has to get to the bottom of it.
Thoughts:
Standard practice in the Meg Langslow book series. Meg's family find something to involve themselves in, they use her space to lead the revolution (not their own, because that would be far too considerate), and then someone gets killed in relation to whatever project this happens to be. The more I read the Langslow books, the more I think that she's a huge pushover. Sure, she gets things done, and they're usually good for a laugh. But Meg's always having people invade her space to do something that she doesn't much care about. I don't like that her family doesn't seem to have any respect for her or her new family, and does whatever it is that they want. But as I said, these are usually good for a laugh and a cringe and a "thank GOD my family isn't like that."
Book 11 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, why not.
Meg and Michael are kept running with their two boisterous twin boys, only a few months old now. And of course, because Meg doesn't have nearly enough to do with a set of screaming twins, her father, grandfather, and brother decide to make her house the base of operations for a clandestine clearing of the town animal shelter. Dozens of cats, dogs, and even a bad-mouthed macaw have invaded her living room after the shelter announced euthanizations due to a lack of town funds. The animal rights group, led by the men in Meg's family, couldn't let such a thing stand, and take advantage of Meg's inability to say no YET again. Oh, and someone from the group gets murdered on his way to the pick-up site. Oops. And to top it all off, there's scandal brewing in Town Hall and Meg, the nosy woman she is, has to get to the bottom of it.
Thoughts:
Standard practice in the Meg Langslow book series. Meg's family find something to involve themselves in, they use her space to lead the revolution (not their own, because that would be far too considerate), and then someone gets killed in relation to whatever project this happens to be. The more I read the Langslow books, the more I think that she's a huge pushover. Sure, she gets things done, and they're usually good for a laugh. But Meg's always having people invade her space to do something that she doesn't much care about. I don't like that her family doesn't seem to have any respect for her or her new family, and does whatever it is that they want. But as I said, these are usually good for a laugh and a cringe and a "thank GOD my family isn't like that."
Book 11 of 50
Pages: 320
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, why not.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
The Quick and the Thread (Amanda Lee)
Summary:
Marcy is a former accountant whose best friend and college roommate convinces her to move to the quaint little town of Tullulah Falls, Oregan to open an embroidery store, something she's always wanted to do. The evening of her grand opening party, the former renter of the space where her store now stands drunkenly confronts her and tries to tell her something. Marcy avoids the man, and he winds up dead in her storeroom. The book follows as she learns just how small town politics work, and uncovers more than just a murder. Oh, and there's a couple good looking men trying to catch her eye, of course.
Thoughts:
Pretty standard for a murder mystery, complete with hunky cop. The book's fairly well-written, though I did guess correctly who was involved in the plot midway through. A few times I wanted to thump the main character in the head for letting herself get wrapped up in the situation, but there's just about always things like that. Oh, but the most bothersome bit for me was all the classic 50's and 60's movie references. I get that the character is into the classics, but you don't have to imagine yourself in Casablana or Breakfast at Tiffany's every single chapter. A few references are fine. Tons and tons are overkill. But I'm not the author, so what do I know. I'm thinking I'll give the series a try, though. The characters, for the most part, were believable and interesting enough that I'll give the next book in the series a try, and determine from there.
Book 9 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, why not? It was pretty solid.
Marcy is a former accountant whose best friend and college roommate convinces her to move to the quaint little town of Tullulah Falls, Oregan to open an embroidery store, something she's always wanted to do. The evening of her grand opening party, the former renter of the space where her store now stands drunkenly confronts her and tries to tell her something. Marcy avoids the man, and he winds up dead in her storeroom. The book follows as she learns just how small town politics work, and uncovers more than just a murder. Oh, and there's a couple good looking men trying to catch her eye, of course.
Thoughts:
Pretty standard for a murder mystery, complete with hunky cop. The book's fairly well-written, though I did guess correctly who was involved in the plot midway through. A few times I wanted to thump the main character in the head for letting herself get wrapped up in the situation, but there's just about always things like that. Oh, but the most bothersome bit for me was all the classic 50's and 60's movie references. I get that the character is into the classics, but you don't have to imagine yourself in Casablana or Breakfast at Tiffany's every single chapter. A few references are fine. Tons and tons are overkill. But I'm not the author, so what do I know. I'm thinking I'll give the series a try, though. The characters, for the most part, were believable and interesting enough that I'll give the next book in the series a try, and determine from there.
Book 9 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Would I Recommend?: Sure, why not? It was pretty solid.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wicked Appetite (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Lizzy is a cupcake baker in Salem, Massachusetts. Diesel is, well, Diesel. Operating in the same world as the holiday Plum series, Diesel is an Unmentionable, a human being who has some sort of magical powers. Diesel can unlock any door, and is apparently great in bed. He tells Lizzy that she's an Unmentionable too, someone who can identify mystical objects just by touching them. Diesel asks Lizzy to help him find a Stone that harnesses one of the seven deadly sins before his evil cousin, Wulf, finds it. Rounding out the cast of this new(ish) series is Glo, a wannabe witch who is far better at bungling spells than actually casting them, the object of a botched spell, Shirley, who speaks only in gobbledegook for most of the book (with laugh-out-loud-funny results!), Cat 7136, a shelter cat who seems to be Lizzy's Great Aunt Ophelia's cat, and Carl the monkey, whose antics can be seen first in Plum Spooky and who is really fond of flipping people off.
Thoughts:
It's nice to see Evanovich branching out a bit. Though, like Metro Girl, this book feels very much like Plum Lite. Lizzy is a different woman for sure, but it still feels a little like a Plum, especially with the added bonus of Diesel and Carl. I won't lie, though, it was nice to have some more Diesel, because he's just a fun character. It's interesting to see Stephanie Plum's fantasy-based world extended northward to Salem, for sure. Diesel does make references to his past in Trenton a few times, especially with respect to Carl. This book definitely had me giggling quite a bit. Particularly when spells start going wrong with Shirley and she tries in vain to get her point across. It's pretty spectacular. It even had Hubby laughing when I read it aloud, and he has just about the driest sense of humor I've ever come across. Another fun one from Ms. Evanovich. Approved! I'll be moving on to Wicked Business soon, too. Woo hoo!
Book 8 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: Mystery with a hint of fantasy and a tiny bit of romance. TINY bit.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. I do recommend reading Plum Spooky before, at least, to get the full appreciation of Carl (and Diesel), but it's not entirely necessary.
Lizzy is a cupcake baker in Salem, Massachusetts. Diesel is, well, Diesel. Operating in the same world as the holiday Plum series, Diesel is an Unmentionable, a human being who has some sort of magical powers. Diesel can unlock any door, and is apparently great in bed. He tells Lizzy that she's an Unmentionable too, someone who can identify mystical objects just by touching them. Diesel asks Lizzy to help him find a Stone that harnesses one of the seven deadly sins before his evil cousin, Wulf, finds it. Rounding out the cast of this new(ish) series is Glo, a wannabe witch who is far better at bungling spells than actually casting them, the object of a botched spell, Shirley, who speaks only in gobbledegook for most of the book (with laugh-out-loud-funny results!), Cat 7136, a shelter cat who seems to be Lizzy's Great Aunt Ophelia's cat, and Carl the monkey, whose antics can be seen first in Plum Spooky and who is really fond of flipping people off.
Thoughts:
It's nice to see Evanovich branching out a bit. Though, like Metro Girl, this book feels very much like Plum Lite. Lizzy is a different woman for sure, but it still feels a little like a Plum, especially with the added bonus of Diesel and Carl. I won't lie, though, it was nice to have some more Diesel, because he's just a fun character. It's interesting to see Stephanie Plum's fantasy-based world extended northward to Salem, for sure. Diesel does make references to his past in Trenton a few times, especially with respect to Carl. This book definitely had me giggling quite a bit. Particularly when spells start going wrong with Shirley and she tries in vain to get her point across. It's pretty spectacular. It even had Hubby laughing when I read it aloud, and he has just about the driest sense of humor I've ever come across. Another fun one from Ms. Evanovich. Approved! I'll be moving on to Wicked Business soon, too. Woo hoo!
Book 8 of 50
Pages: 313
Genre: Mystery with a hint of fantasy and a tiny bit of romance. TINY bit.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure. I do recommend reading Plum Spooky before, at least, to get the full appreciation of Carl (and Diesel), but it's not entirely necessary.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, gets wrapped up into yet another murder investigation when Lula rushes into the bail bonds office exclaiming about having seen a man's head getting chopped off. She won't speak to any other cop but Joe Morelli, Steph's on-again-off-again honey, and forced Steph to call him, even though they were in the off-again stage. Turns out, the dead guy is the current Emeril/Guy Fieri/Gordon Ramsey-type in town for a big barbecue contest in Trenton. Lula decides that she's going to be the best person to try and find the guys that did it because she was an eyewitness, and the best way to do that is to enter the barbecue contest, and Stephanie has to help her. Oh, and Lula can't cook. Meanwhile, Ranger, the hottie that always has his eye on Stephanie, is having trouble at his super-high-tech security company, and wants Stephanie to help find where things are going wrong. Will Steph manage to juggle murder, barbecue, and Ranger, all at the same time? She usually does.
Thoughts:
Another fun one from Evanovich, as usual. She really has the right kind of voice for Stephanie, Lula, and most of her Jersey characters. There are very few times that she builds a character that doesn't read exactly the way he or she should. She's got the voice, the action, everything is perfectly built, and the story is always a fun time. I'll be sad to see the end of the series. Only a couple more books in this series.
Book 5 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery, comedy, with a little romance.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup, but start from the beginning. It's good for you.
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter not-so-extraordinaire, gets wrapped up into yet another murder investigation when Lula rushes into the bail bonds office exclaiming about having seen a man's head getting chopped off. She won't speak to any other cop but Joe Morelli, Steph's on-again-off-again honey, and forced Steph to call him, even though they were in the off-again stage. Turns out, the dead guy is the current Emeril/Guy Fieri/Gordon Ramsey-type in town for a big barbecue contest in Trenton. Lula decides that she's going to be the best person to try and find the guys that did it because she was an eyewitness, and the best way to do that is to enter the barbecue contest, and Stephanie has to help her. Oh, and Lula can't cook. Meanwhile, Ranger, the hottie that always has his eye on Stephanie, is having trouble at his super-high-tech security company, and wants Stephanie to help find where things are going wrong. Will Steph manage to juggle murder, barbecue, and Ranger, all at the same time? She usually does.
Thoughts:
Another fun one from Evanovich, as usual. She really has the right kind of voice for Stephanie, Lula, and most of her Jersey characters. There are very few times that she builds a character that doesn't read exactly the way he or she should. She's got the voice, the action, everything is perfectly built, and the story is always a fun time. I'll be sad to see the end of the series. Only a couple more books in this series.
Book 5 of 50
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery, comedy, with a little romance.
Grade: A-/B+
Would I Recommend?: Yup, but start from the beginning. It's good for you.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Metro Girl (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Alexandra Barnaby, known to her family and close friends as Barney, is a former grease-monkey, raised in her father's garage in Baltimore. Now she's an insurance adjuster whose brother calls her from Miami in the middle of the night to say that he'll be away for a while, and don't worry. She flies down to Miami, worried sick, and finds herself wrapped up in a fight to the death over Cuban gold and a Russian bomb. Will she be able to save her brother's life?
Thoughts:
This book SCREAMS Janet Evanovich. Barney reads very much like Stephanie Plum, to the point that I had to remind myself every few pages that this was Metro Girl not Plum Fourteen-and-Three-Quarters. Her partner in finding her brother is Sam Hooker, a horndog racecar driver that feels very much like a young Joe Morelli. She even has a heavyset sidekick type called Rosa who is so Lula-esque, it's hard to read Rosa as "gutsy-but-nuts Hispanic lady" and not "gutsy-but-nuts black lady." It's a fun read, don't get me wrong. But I've read better from Ms. E, and I'm a little disappointed in the not-really-different-ness of this. This is one of those books that you read when you've got nothing else left. Onward and upward, I hope.
Book 3 of 50
Pages: 296
Genre: Chicklit with a dash of mystery and a dollop of comedy
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh. You've got better choices.
Alexandra Barnaby, known to her family and close friends as Barney, is a former grease-monkey, raised in her father's garage in Baltimore. Now she's an insurance adjuster whose brother calls her from Miami in the middle of the night to say that he'll be away for a while, and don't worry. She flies down to Miami, worried sick, and finds herself wrapped up in a fight to the death over Cuban gold and a Russian bomb. Will she be able to save her brother's life?
Thoughts:
This book SCREAMS Janet Evanovich. Barney reads very much like Stephanie Plum, to the point that I had to remind myself every few pages that this was Metro Girl not Plum Fourteen-and-Three-Quarters. Her partner in finding her brother is Sam Hooker, a horndog racecar driver that feels very much like a young Joe Morelli. She even has a heavyset sidekick type called Rosa who is so Lula-esque, it's hard to read Rosa as "gutsy-but-nuts Hispanic lady" and not "gutsy-but-nuts black lady." It's a fun read, don't get me wrong. But I've read better from Ms. E, and I'm a little disappointed in the not-really-different-ness of this. This is one of those books that you read when you've got nothing else left. Onward and upward, I hope.
Book 3 of 50
Pages: 296
Genre: Chicklit with a dash of mystery and a dollop of comedy
Grade: B-/C+
Would I Recommend?: Meh. You've got better choices.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Down the Darkest Road (Tami Hoag)
Summary:
The year is 1990. The Lawton family has been through hell. Elder sister Leslie was kidnapped, and never found. Father Lance couldn't handle the anguish that his daughter's kidnapping brought him and his family, and he drove himself off a bridge. Mother Lauren drinks too much and has become completely obsessed with the prime suspect in the case, Roland Ballencoa, and wants to see him brought to justice by any means possible. Younger sister Leah cuts herself to get rid of the pain of dealing with her family's issues. Lauren and Leah move out of their old town, where everything reminds them of Leslie and Lance. They move into Oak Knoll, and in the first outing in their new town, Lauren sees Ballencoa driving by. Lauren fears that he's stalking them again, and she won't stand for that. She'll do anything to keep her other daughter safe and get justice for Leslie. Anything.
Thoughts:
What a dark, dark book. This book was a gift from someone, and I didn't know what to expect. It's pretty brutal at some points. As the reader, you see through the eyes of both the remaining Lawtons, as well as those of the several cops involved in the case, a friend of Lauren's, and worst of all, Ballencoa. Ballencoa's gross thoughts and actions made me recoil in disgust. Leah's heartbreaking self-doubt made me want to hug her. And I wanted to shake some sense into Lauren so badly. All this tells me it was extremely well-written. That said, it dragged. Sure, the characters were really well-developed. The setting of 1990 made things really interesting, since today's DNA capabilities weren't available to them then. The prose was good, and the story was engaging. But it took me a month and a half to finally get through the book. I don't know if I was just discomforted by the subject matter in its entirety, or if it was that all the characters had serious mental issues that was hard to swallow, or that it just didn't engage me as much as it should have. It was a good book. It just took me forever.
Book 2 of 50
Pages: 484
Genre: Mystery, thriller
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, but make sure you're giving yourself plenty of time for it. Not recommended for teens or younger!
The year is 1990. The Lawton family has been through hell. Elder sister Leslie was kidnapped, and never found. Father Lance couldn't handle the anguish that his daughter's kidnapping brought him and his family, and he drove himself off a bridge. Mother Lauren drinks too much and has become completely obsessed with the prime suspect in the case, Roland Ballencoa, and wants to see him brought to justice by any means possible. Younger sister Leah cuts herself to get rid of the pain of dealing with her family's issues. Lauren and Leah move out of their old town, where everything reminds them of Leslie and Lance. They move into Oak Knoll, and in the first outing in their new town, Lauren sees Ballencoa driving by. Lauren fears that he's stalking them again, and she won't stand for that. She'll do anything to keep her other daughter safe and get justice for Leslie. Anything.
Thoughts:
What a dark, dark book. This book was a gift from someone, and I didn't know what to expect. It's pretty brutal at some points. As the reader, you see through the eyes of both the remaining Lawtons, as well as those of the several cops involved in the case, a friend of Lauren's, and worst of all, Ballencoa. Ballencoa's gross thoughts and actions made me recoil in disgust. Leah's heartbreaking self-doubt made me want to hug her. And I wanted to shake some sense into Lauren so badly. All this tells me it was extremely well-written. That said, it dragged. Sure, the characters were really well-developed. The setting of 1990 made things really interesting, since today's DNA capabilities weren't available to them then. The prose was good, and the story was engaging. But it took me a month and a half to finally get through the book. I don't know if I was just discomforted by the subject matter in its entirety, or if it was that all the characters had serious mental issues that was hard to swallow, or that it just didn't engage me as much as it should have. It was a good book. It just took me forever.
Book 2 of 50
Pages: 484
Genre: Mystery, thriller
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, but make sure you're giving yourself plenty of time for it. Not recommended for teens or younger!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Plum Spooky (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Diesel is back in another Between-the-Numbers Stephanie Plum book. This time around, Diesel is after a pretty scary guy named Wulf, who happens to be hanging out with Stephanie's most wanted FTA, a guy named Munch. Steph and Diesel have to slog around in the Pine Barrens in an effort to find these two men. Along the way, Munch's boss gets killed, the boss's estranged sister gets kidnapped, and there's monkeys galore. All in a day's work for Ms. Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Not bad, though the previous Between-the-Numbers books were much more related to the holidays their titles suggested. This one was neither set near Halloween, nor related to it in any way. That part was a little disappointing. But that aside, I really enjoy the Diesel character, so these "between" books are always fun for me. (It seems, though, this might be the last of them, which is a bit disappointing.) Upon doing a little belated research, it seems that Diesel shows up in another series by Ms. Evanovich, which I will be all over as soon as I get my hands on them. (Wicked Appetite and Wicked Business are the novels, and there are two graphic novels as well.) In this particular "between" book, Diesel actually meets Ranger, something that I don't believe happened in any of the previous editions. I'm fairly sure he's never met Morelli, either. It makes Diesel seem a little more "real" and a little less "magical crazy guy that only flits through for a couple days and then disappears leaving everyone forever changed." All in all, not a bad book to start the year with. Onward!
Book 1 of 50 for 2013
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, but only if you've been keeping up with the Plum series. If not, start from the beginning and get yourself hooked properly!
Diesel is back in another Between-the-Numbers Stephanie Plum book. This time around, Diesel is after a pretty scary guy named Wulf, who happens to be hanging out with Stephanie's most wanted FTA, a guy named Munch. Steph and Diesel have to slog around in the Pine Barrens in an effort to find these two men. Along the way, Munch's boss gets killed, the boss's estranged sister gets kidnapped, and there's monkeys galore. All in a day's work for Ms. Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Not bad, though the previous Between-the-Numbers books were much more related to the holidays their titles suggested. This one was neither set near Halloween, nor related to it in any way. That part was a little disappointing. But that aside, I really enjoy the Diesel character, so these "between" books are always fun for me. (It seems, though, this might be the last of them, which is a bit disappointing.) Upon doing a little belated research, it seems that Diesel shows up in another series by Ms. Evanovich, which I will be all over as soon as I get my hands on them. (Wicked Appetite and Wicked Business are the novels, and there are two graphic novels as well.) In this particular "between" book, Diesel actually meets Ranger, something that I don't believe happened in any of the previous editions. I'm fairly sure he's never met Morelli, either. It makes Diesel seem a little more "real" and a little less "magical crazy guy that only flits through for a couple days and then disappears leaving everyone forever changed." All in all, not a bad book to start the year with. Onward!
Book 1 of 50 for 2013
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Sure, but only if you've been keeping up with the Plum series. If not, start from the beginning and get yourself hooked properly!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Fearless Fourteen (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
One of Joe Morelli's distant cousins(of which there are seemingly thousands), Loretta, is a bondee that Stephanie's got to pick up. Thanks to Stephanie's good nature, she agrees to take care of Loretta's teenaged son until she gets out of jail. The only trouble is that Loretta's got no cash and can't bond herself out. Then, when she finally is out, Loretta gets herself kidnapped. Loretta's big brother, Dom, is slightly unhinged, and thinks that Loretta's kid is the product of Loretta and Morelli himself, and doesn't like that his nephew is staying in the home of a cop that used to be a total womanizer. Meanwhile, Ranger asks Stephanie to help him out on a private protection thing with him, for a crazy has-been singer named Brenda, who decides she wants to go into reality TV as a bounty hunter, following Stephanie's every move. Also, Morelli's house keeps getting broken into thanks to news that there might be buried treasure in or around it. Just another regular week in downtown Trenton through the eyes of Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Completely silly as always. It was another fun one. The reappearance of Mooner (the stoner dude that Steph went to school with, and who still hasn't grown up, probably because of the stonerdom) is always a fun time, and the teenager, who calls himself Zook, is a pip too. But as I've been saying from early on with this series, you really need to start from the beginning. There's just too much going on to jump in halfway. Or, in this case, six books from the most recent, including the one Between-the-Numbers edition. The series is fun, and engaging, and I love getting my hands on another of these books, because I know it's going to be lots of fun, even if I do sail through them like they're children's books!
Book 54 of 70
Pages: 310
Genre: Mystery, romance, and we'll add comedy to this one...
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Start from the beginning, and the ridiculous fun in this book will make all the more sense.
One of Joe Morelli's distant cousins(of which there are seemingly thousands), Loretta, is a bondee that Stephanie's got to pick up. Thanks to Stephanie's good nature, she agrees to take care of Loretta's teenaged son until she gets out of jail. The only trouble is that Loretta's got no cash and can't bond herself out. Then, when she finally is out, Loretta gets herself kidnapped. Loretta's big brother, Dom, is slightly unhinged, and thinks that Loretta's kid is the product of Loretta and Morelli himself, and doesn't like that his nephew is staying in the home of a cop that used to be a total womanizer. Meanwhile, Ranger asks Stephanie to help him out on a private protection thing with him, for a crazy has-been singer named Brenda, who decides she wants to go into reality TV as a bounty hunter, following Stephanie's every move. Also, Morelli's house keeps getting broken into thanks to news that there might be buried treasure in or around it. Just another regular week in downtown Trenton through the eyes of Stephanie Plum.
Thoughts:
Completely silly as always. It was another fun one. The reappearance of Mooner (the stoner dude that Steph went to school with, and who still hasn't grown up, probably because of the stonerdom) is always a fun time, and the teenager, who calls himself Zook, is a pip too. But as I've been saying from early on with this series, you really need to start from the beginning. There's just too much going on to jump in halfway. Or, in this case, six books from the most recent, including the one Between-the-Numbers edition. The series is fun, and engaging, and I love getting my hands on another of these books, because I know it's going to be lots of fun, even if I do sail through them like they're children's books!
Book 54 of 70
Pages: 310
Genre: Mystery, romance, and we'll add comedy to this one...
Grade: A-
Would I Recommend?: Start from the beginning, and the ridiculous fun in this book will make all the more sense.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Plum Lucky (Janet Evanovich)
Summary:
Another Between-the-Numbers book in the Stephanie Plum series. This comes between Thirteen and Fourteen, and it's the St. Patrick's Day book. Diesel appears again as Stephanie is completely out of the holiday spirit. Grandma Mazur gets her hands on a duffel bag that was left on the sidewalk by a short guy wearing green. Of course that means he was a leprechaun and she found the pot of gold. Stephanie finds all this out the hard way, when the little guy comes after her, wanting his money back. He's stolen it from a mobster who wants it back in a bad way. Grandma Mazur, being the crazy grandma she is, has taken the cash to Atlantic City, where she's playing the slots and gambling it all away. Stephanie takes Lula and Connie with her to AC to try to get Grandma Mazur and the money back before anybody gets hurt.
Thoughts:
With Stephanie, if you put together Lula the ex-hooker, Connie the busty no-nonsense bond office assistant, and Grandma Mazur the old lady who thinks she's a teenager, all hell is going to break loose, and hilarity will ensue. Evanovich really knows what will make the most ridiculous thing happen, and goes out of her way to make it so. As always with the Between-the-Numbers books, this one is centered around Diesel, a magical-ish guy who kinda has a thing about Steph, rather than being completely in line with the rest of the Numbers. No matter what, though, this is a fun time, and if you're in the series, don't miss the Betweens, because they're just as much fun as the regular books, if not more.
Book 53 of 70
Pages: 256
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Only if you're reading the Plum series. But heck yes.
Another Between-the-Numbers book in the Stephanie Plum series. This comes between Thirteen and Fourteen, and it's the St. Patrick's Day book. Diesel appears again as Stephanie is completely out of the holiday spirit. Grandma Mazur gets her hands on a duffel bag that was left on the sidewalk by a short guy wearing green. Of course that means he was a leprechaun and she found the pot of gold. Stephanie finds all this out the hard way, when the little guy comes after her, wanting his money back. He's stolen it from a mobster who wants it back in a bad way. Grandma Mazur, being the crazy grandma she is, has taken the cash to Atlantic City, where she's playing the slots and gambling it all away. Stephanie takes Lula and Connie with her to AC to try to get Grandma Mazur and the money back before anybody gets hurt.
Thoughts:
With Stephanie, if you put together Lula the ex-hooker, Connie the busty no-nonsense bond office assistant, and Grandma Mazur the old lady who thinks she's a teenager, all hell is going to break loose, and hilarity will ensue. Evanovich really knows what will make the most ridiculous thing happen, and goes out of her way to make it so. As always with the Between-the-Numbers books, this one is centered around Diesel, a magical-ish guy who kinda has a thing about Steph, rather than being completely in line with the rest of the Numbers. No matter what, though, this is a fun time, and if you're in the series, don't miss the Betweens, because they're just as much fun as the regular books, if not more.
Book 53 of 70
Pages: 256
Genre: Mystery, comedy
Grade: B+
Would I Recommend?: Only if you're reading the Plum series. But heck yes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)