Fatal by John Lescroart - when her friend of 20 years confides to Beth that she's thinking of having an affair, Beth strongly discourages her. As a police detective she's seen first hand the fallout an affair has on more than just the two people involved. Six months later, Beth and her partner catch the homicide of a man found in San Francisco Bay. It takes awhile for her to discover he's the man her friend was attracted to. Lots of twists and turns with a somewhat unsatisfactory ending. I like the relationship Beth and her partner have. Also her relationship with her teenage daughter. I would like it if this became a series.
4 stars
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Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt - lawyer Andy Carpenter has been asked by his father, a former D.A., to take on the appeal of convicted murderer Willie. When his father dies soon afterward, Andy discovers an old secret that seems to have ties to the murder. I didn't like Andy at first, he's a little too smart mouth. But he really digs in for his clients and loves his golden retriever, Tara. I also enjoyed the courtroom scenes. There is too much sports talk for my taste so I just skipped over it. Published in 2003, this is the first in what is now a 16 book series. I'll read a few more to see if the dog appeal can overcome the smart mouth.
3 stars
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Coffin Road by Peter Mays - a man comes to on a beach in the Hebrides with no idea who he is or how he got there. His confusion is almost overcome by a feeling of dread. Has he done something horrible? A policeman investigates the death of a tourist at a lighthouse with it's own unexplained mystery. And a teenage girl is still struggling to come to grips with the suicide of her father two years ago. All of this melds together in a satisfying way with an exciting conclusion. I enjoyed trying to figure things out. A few unnecessary sex scenes. Language, especially from the teenager.
4 stars
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A Separation by Kate Kitamura - a young woman, separated secretly from her husband, is asked by his mother to go to Greece to find him. He's not answering his phone and his hotel doesn't know where he is. She agrees to look for him only because she has decided to ask for a divorce when she sees him. An oddly written book, an almost continual dialogue only by the woman. And with the modern lack of punctuation. I kept waiting for something to happen and when it finally did I didn't care by that point.
2 stars
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Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick - Marcel Despres can remember everything that he's ever seen or has happened to him. Not until he's an adult does he realize this is unusual. He manages to make a living working in a cabaret in 1899 Paris and marries Ondine, a dancer there. When he finds her with another lover, he shoots her and then falls into a catatonic state. He's sent to the hospital for the insane. But the policeman assigned to the case finds it odd that Marcel is sent there before he's even been assigned the case. Something seems to be going on at a higher level. I loved the writing of this. But the subject matter is sometimes brutal.
4.5 stars
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True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by James Renner - the title says it all, this isn't about Maura Murray, it's about the author. He leaps from theory to theory. And one way he investigates is to set up a webpage and let people speculate on it. I'm frankly surprised he's still married and would love to hear this story from his wife's viewpoint.
1 star
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