Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra - I'm always amazed at the cruelty of some parents toward their children and of the resilience of those same children. Regina is one of 5 children. She escaped her mother by declaring emancipation when she was 14. She has gone on to become a lawyer and political advocate, especially for older foster children.
4 stars
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The Divorce Horse
Christmas in Absaroka County - both by Craig Johnson - these are very short e-books. Divorce Horse covers a gap between two books and obviously the other is 4 short stories taking place around Christmas.
3 stars
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W is For Wasted by Sue Grafton - Kinsey gets involved trying to find the identity of a homeless man and is surprised by connections to herself. Part of the story is told from another viewpoint.
3 stars
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Quiet Dell: A Novel by Jayne Anne Phillips - based on a true story from the 1930's, this is a highly fictionalized account of the murder of a mother and her three children. While the true part was interesting, the fiction portion was too modernized.Too much sex, all of it irrelevant to the story.
2 stars
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Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky - finally, an author I've been reading for years still has it. V.I. Warshawski originally is looking for the daughter of a friend of her mentor's. That becomes a search for a grandson, missing documents and national secrets.
4 stars
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Tatiana by Martin Cruz Smith - I have no idea if the Russia portrayed in this book is accurate since Mr. Smith doesn't live there. However, I always enjoy his books. This time Arkady becomes involved in the death of a mob boss and the suicide of a journalist. I like the terse way this author writes.
3 stars
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The Fourth Sacrifice by Peter May - Margaret Campbell, the forensic pathologist from the previous book, is getting ready to leave China when once again she's asked to help the Chinese police investigate a murder that seems to be a part of the series. I find her a little whiny and easily annoyed. The mystery part was good though. A gratuitous sex scene, easily skipped.
3 stars
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Nov 10-16, 2013
Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb - Eve Dallas is on the trail of a killer fueled by revenge on anyone who has crossed him. We know who the killer is almost right away and this time it's a matter of trying to figure out who he will go after next. The violence in this one bothered me, probably because it was more personal. Also the usual couple of obligatory sex scenes.
3 stars
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Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason - a skeleton is found when foundations are being built for new houses and Erlander's team is called in. Since the skeleton is about 50 years old, it takes lots of police work to figure it out. The story is also told from the past. I find it irritating that the first two books in this series have not been translated yet.
3 stars
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Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George - reading this 720 page book was like watching a 3 hour movie that should have been 1 1/2 hours. Way too long and convoluted. And not really an Inspector Lynley book as much as a Det Barbara Havers. Her young friend Hadiyyah has been kidnapped and she becomes much too involved. There were moments of excitement but there were lots of words in between. A disappointing book from one of my favorite authors.
2 stars
3 stars
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Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indridason - a skeleton is found when foundations are being built for new houses and Erlander's team is called in. Since the skeleton is about 50 years old, it takes lots of police work to figure it out. The story is also told from the past. I find it irritating that the first two books in this series have not been translated yet.
3 stars
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Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George - reading this 720 page book was like watching a 3 hour movie that should have been 1 1/2 hours. Way too long and convoluted. And not really an Inspector Lynley book as much as a Det Barbara Havers. Her young friend Hadiyyah has been kidnapped and she becomes much too involved. There were moments of excitement but there were lots of words in between. A disappointing book from one of my favorite authors.
2 stars
Friday, November 8, 2013
Nov 3-9, 2013
The Sound and the Furry by Spencer Quinn - a Chet and Bernie mystery. The mystery is almost secondary to the pleasure of being in a dog's mind. I get such a kick out of the way Chet thinks. This time the pair are in Louisiana to find a missing person and get caught up in big oil hijinks.
3 stars
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Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason - part of what's called the Reykjavik series, featuring three detectives. A man is found murdered in his flat and the detectives discover that many years ago he was accused of a crime. How do the death of a 4 year old girl and the current murder connect? This is the best in the series I've read so far. If you're interested, try to read this series in order. I haven't and it's been somewhat confusing.
4 stars
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Police by Jo Nesbo - another excellent Harry Hole (pronounced hol-leh) mystery. Someone is killing police officers connected to unsolved murders at the site of the original murder. Many facets to this story and Harry doesn't even appear for quite awhile. This author is not afraid to kill off familiar faces so the suspense and dread build. And as usual, there are a couple of threads left hanging.
This is the 10th books in the series but they have not been published in the US in order. I have yet to read the first five. Past events are sometimes referenced in later novels. I think they're all available now and I have the first on hold at the library.
4 stars
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The Catch by Archer Mayor - a hunt for a cop killer turns into a search for drug runners from Canada.
3 stars
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The Price of Malice by Archer Mayor - a suspected child molester is found murdered in a stranger's apartment. Meantime, Joe's girlfriend is dealing with a revelation from the last book and Joe finds his attention split. I don't usually read two books by the same author in a row but I discovered I had missed the previous book when I started this one.
3 stars
3 stars
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Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason - part of what's called the Reykjavik series, featuring three detectives. A man is found murdered in his flat and the detectives discover that many years ago he was accused of a crime. How do the death of a 4 year old girl and the current murder connect? This is the best in the series I've read so far. If you're interested, try to read this series in order. I haven't and it's been somewhat confusing.
4 stars
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Police by Jo Nesbo - another excellent Harry Hole (pronounced hol-leh) mystery. Someone is killing police officers connected to unsolved murders at the site of the original murder. Many facets to this story and Harry doesn't even appear for quite awhile. This author is not afraid to kill off familiar faces so the suspense and dread build. And as usual, there are a couple of threads left hanging.
This is the 10th books in the series but they have not been published in the US in order. I have yet to read the first five. Past events are sometimes referenced in later novels. I think they're all available now and I have the first on hold at the library.
4 stars
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The Catch by Archer Mayor - a hunt for a cop killer turns into a search for drug runners from Canada.
3 stars
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The Price of Malice by Archer Mayor - a suspected child molester is found murdered in a stranger's apartment. Meantime, Joe's girlfriend is dealing with a revelation from the last book and Joe finds his attention split. I don't usually read two books by the same author in a row but I discovered I had missed the previous book when I started this one.
3 stars
Friday, November 1, 2013
Oct 27-Nov 2, 2013
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - a very young child is found alone on the dock in Australia in 1913. She is taken in by a young couple and knows nothing of her history. In 2005 her granddaughter continues the search. The story goes back and forth in several times but wasn't hard to follow.
3 stars
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Silken Prey by John Sandford - a Lucas Davenport mystery. A political fixer is missing and may be involved with child porn showing up on a candidate's computer. Lucas is called in to quietly look into things. Too much political scumbaggery for me and I didn't think the characters were very developed.
2 stars
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The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriaoson - an Icelandic lake is draining because of an earthquake and a skeleton is found. Unlike tv shows, it takes the police team months of painstaking investigation to solve the case. Also told from the perpetrators viewpoint, which goes back in time to the Cold War.
3 stars
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The Firemaker by Peter May - a forensic pathologist from America goes to China to teach for 5 weeks at a police academy. She becomes involved in 3 seemingly unrelated murders and at the same time becomes attracted to the Chinese detective heading the case. Lots of misunderstanding because of culture. Written in 1999 so it seems a little dated. The first in a series, I think there are 5 more. Some sex.
3 stars
3 stars
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Silken Prey by John Sandford - a Lucas Davenport mystery. A political fixer is missing and may be involved with child porn showing up on a candidate's computer. Lucas is called in to quietly look into things. Too much political scumbaggery for me and I didn't think the characters were very developed.
2 stars
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The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriaoson - an Icelandic lake is draining because of an earthquake and a skeleton is found. Unlike tv shows, it takes the police team months of painstaking investigation to solve the case. Also told from the perpetrators viewpoint, which goes back in time to the Cold War.
3 stars
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The Firemaker by Peter May - a forensic pathologist from America goes to China to teach for 5 weeks at a police academy. She becomes involved in 3 seemingly unrelated murders and at the same time becomes attracted to the Chinese detective heading the case. Lots of misunderstanding because of culture. Written in 1999 so it seems a little dated. The first in a series, I think there are 5 more. Some sex.
3 stars
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Oct 20-26, 2013
The Astronaut Wive's Club by Lily Koppel - I was disappointed with this book, I didn't think it lived up to the hype I heard about it. I couldn't keep all the wives straight and the author really didn't go into to much depth. She also couldn't keep her snark out of the book. It was interesting to hear how the wives were expected to act while their husbands were off being heroes. I have to be honest and say I skimmed the last third. Because the subject matter was interesting...
2 stars
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The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker - my library labeled this as historical but it should be labeled fantasy history. A Golem is made for a man on his way to America, but he dies on the journey and she is left masterless. A Jinni is accidentally released from his bottle in a small tin smith's shop in New York in 1898. Somehow the two meet and touch several lives. I really found myself immersed.
5 stars
2 stars
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The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker - my library labeled this as historical but it should be labeled fantasy history. A Golem is made for a man on his way to America, but he dies on the journey and she is left masterless. A Jinni is accidentally released from his bottle in a small tin smith's shop in New York in 1898. Somehow the two meet and touch several lives. I really found myself immersed.
5 stars
October 13-19, 2013
The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson - a Goldy's Catering mystery. One of Goldy's friends dies right after a party catered by Goldy. As usual, she gets involved in trying to solve the mystery in spite of the admonitions of her policeman husband. In spite of the fact that many things were repeated over and over, I still found the story somewhat confusing. And then something unexpected happens right at the end that I feel should have had a bigger part in the story.
3 stars
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Finding Colin Firth - three women's stories intertwine in a small Maine town at the same time Colin Firth is there to make a movie. A cute story and a fast read.
3 stars
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The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer - six teenagers meet at summer camp in 1974 and dub themselves the interestings, mostly out of a feeling of superiority. Two of them fade away a few years later but the remaining four remain friends for several decades. Too much sex.
2 stars
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Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia Morrel - the author interviews many scientists doing experiments to determine if animals are actually thinking. Very interesting and not overly scientific. All from an evolutionary standpoint.
4 stars
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How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny - an Inspector Gamache/Three Pines mystery. Gamache is asked by one of his friends in Three Pines to look into the disappearance of an old friend. Meanwhile, the cover-ups and persecution of Gamache at the Surete are coming to a head. The previous three books in the series should be read before this book. Corruption/political scandal irritates me so this didn't get 5 stars.
4 stars
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - I don't know how to describe this book. I guess a dark fairytale for adults. An older man returns home for a funeral and finds himself at a house he visited as a child. Then he begins to remember fantastic things.
4 stars
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Hearts of Sand: A Gregor Demarkian Novel by Jane Haddam - Gregor is called in to help solve the murder of a woman who has been missing for 30 years.
3 stars
3 stars
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Finding Colin Firth - three women's stories intertwine in a small Maine town at the same time Colin Firth is there to make a movie. A cute story and a fast read.
3 stars
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The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer - six teenagers meet at summer camp in 1974 and dub themselves the interestings, mostly out of a feeling of superiority. Two of them fade away a few years later but the remaining four remain friends for several decades. Too much sex.
2 stars
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Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures by Virginia Morrel - the author interviews many scientists doing experiments to determine if animals are actually thinking. Very interesting and not overly scientific. All from an evolutionary standpoint.
4 stars
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How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny - an Inspector Gamache/Three Pines mystery. Gamache is asked by one of his friends in Three Pines to look into the disappearance of an old friend. Meanwhile, the cover-ups and persecution of Gamache at the Surete are coming to a head. The previous three books in the series should be read before this book. Corruption/political scandal irritates me so this didn't get 5 stars.
4 stars
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - I don't know how to describe this book. I guess a dark fairytale for adults. An older man returns home for a funeral and finds himself at a house he visited as a child. Then he begins to remember fantastic things.
4 stars
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Hearts of Sand: A Gregor Demarkian Novel by Jane Haddam - Gregor is called in to help solve the murder of a woman who has been missing for 30 years.
3 stars
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Oct 6-12, 2013
As I Knew Him: My Father, Rod Serling by Anne Serling - Anne decided to write this book after reading other biographies that described a man she didn't recognize. She portrays Rod as a warm, caring, very funny man. He hated injustice and prejudice. Many of her memories take place at the summer cabin where the family had more of his attention. However, I didn't like the tense it was written in so...
3 stars
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Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs - a Temperance Brennan novel. This was a little better than the last couple of Brennan books I've read, partly because she didn't seem to be quite so self-centered in this one. An unidentified teenage hit and run and inspecting the remains of Afghanistan nationals make the book seem like two separate books at first. A fairly exciting ending.
3 stars
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Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford - A 12 year old Chinese boy in a Seattle orphanage becomes convinced a Chinese actress is his mother. I was disappointed in this book, I didn't think it was nearly as good as his first.
3 stars
3 stars
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Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs - a Temperance Brennan novel. This was a little better than the last couple of Brennan books I've read, partly because she didn't seem to be quite so self-centered in this one. An unidentified teenage hit and run and inspecting the remains of Afghanistan nationals make the book seem like two separate books at first. A fairly exciting ending.
3 stars
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Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford - A 12 year old Chinese boy in a Seattle orphanage becomes convinced a Chinese actress is his mother. I was disappointed in this book, I didn't think it was nearly as good as his first.
3 stars
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