Sept 20 - 26, 2015

Last Ragged Breath by Julia Keller - Bell Atkins is prosecuting a reclusive man for the murder of the public relations person of a development company. Woven in with the real story of the Buffalo Creek flood of 1972, the retirement of the sheriff, the end of coal mining, and illegal prescription drugs. Not the best in the series.

3 stars
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The Gauguin Connection by Estelle Ryan - Genevieve Lenard is a high functioning autistic person and an expert in non-verbal cues. She works as an investigator for an insurance company and is drawn into a case of art forgery and murder by her boss. Lots and lots of list making and miscommunication on all sides make for a too long book.

2 stars
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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - set in France during WWII this isn't so much a story about the war as it is two sisters who are more alike than they realize. Vianne has to make difficult choices as she tries to protect her daughter on the family farm. And Isabelle makes rash choices bringing danger to herself and others when she joins the Resistance.

4 stars
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The Storm Murders by John Farrow - retired police officer Emile Cinq-Mars is asked by the FBI to look into the murder of two policeman along with a couple in a remote farmhouse. There has been a recent snow storm and there are no footprints around the house. Now it looks as if there is a serial killer who only kills after natural disasters. Lots of elusive threads and suspicion among various police forces, Also quite a bit of language. There have been other books featuring Cinq-Mars, which I have not read, and this book is the beginning of a trilogy.

3 stars
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The Blood Pit by Kate Ellis - the 12th Wesley Peterson book. This time, instead of old historical texts beginning each chapter, Wesley's friend Neil is receiving letters that bear a resemblance to the current crime. What does the writer know and are they a threat to Neil? Quite a surprise at the end.

3 stars