Half in Love With Artful Death by Bill Crider - Sheriff Dan Rhodes investigates the death of a chronic complainer in this latest book. He also has trouble with donkeys, a nude woman at a rest stop, and meth dealers. All with a twist of humor.
3 stars
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The Body Snatchers Affair by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronini - number three in the Carpenter and Quincannon series by this husband and wife team. This time they're both investigating the disappearance of bodies - one in Chinatown and one in wealthy San Francisco. Although the conclusions were not a surprise, I found some of the investigating confusing.
2 stars
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Jan 11 - 17, 2015
Compound Murder by Bill Crider - a Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery. A professor has been found dead on the local college campus and the suspect is the son of a survivalist living at a well fortified compound. As usual, there are also some minor disturbances for the sheriff to deal with, including a pig in someone's home. I like this series, it's a quick read with some humor, but the sheriff always gets his suspect.
3 stars
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The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sin-Mi Hwang - the story of a brave hen who dares to not accept her circumstances and dream of a different life. A little sad.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woman With a Gun by Phillip Margolin - an aspiring writer sees a picture of a woman in a wedding dress standing on a beach holding a gun. She finds it was taken very shortly after a murder and decides to write a novel about it. This leads to the solution of a 10 year old case. This book was written in a very odd style, going back in time to old cases. As a result I never felt connected to any of the characters and only finished because I wanted to know what had happened.
3 stars
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sin-Mi Hwang - the story of a brave hen who dares to not accept her circumstances and dream of a different life. A little sad.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woman With a Gun by Phillip Margolin - an aspiring writer sees a picture of a woman in a wedding dress standing on a beach holding a gun. She finds it was taken very shortly after a murder and decides to write a novel about it. This leads to the solution of a 10 year old case. This book was written in a very odd style, going back in time to old cases. As a result I never felt connected to any of the characters and only finished because I wanted to know what had happened.
3 stars
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Jan 4 - 10, 2015
Easy Street: The Hard Way by Ron Perlman - I thought this would be a witty memoir of the author's life and career. It starts that way but became a diatribe on what's wrong today and how to fix it. He also talks a lot about his therapy of many years. It was at times humorous but those were few and far between. Lots of language but I knew that from a review. I think this was lots of rambling talk and the poor ghost writer was left trying to put it together.
1 star
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Forgers by Bradford Morrow -" They never found his hands" are the opening words for this story of forgery in the world of rare books. The narrator is a convicted forger caught up in the death of his girlfriend's brother, who he suspects may have been a forger too. A feeling of dread begins almost with the first page and builds until the end. The main character is not completely sympathetic but I really liked the way this was written. Just a little anticlimactic.
4 stars
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The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey - the 4th Maeve Kerrigan book. A serial killer is somehow gaining the trust of women, possibly by posing as a policeman. Maeve's partner comes under suspicion because of something in his past. Lots of twists and turns. The one thing I don't like about these books is there is always some conflict between various police officers.
4 stars
1 star
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Forgers by Bradford Morrow -" They never found his hands" are the opening words for this story of forgery in the world of rare books. The narrator is a convicted forger caught up in the death of his girlfriend's brother, who he suspects may have been a forger too. A feeling of dread begins almost with the first page and builds until the end. The main character is not completely sympathetic but I really liked the way this was written. Just a little anticlimactic.
4 stars
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The Stranger You Know by Jane Casey - the 4th Maeve Kerrigan book. A serial killer is somehow gaining the trust of women, possibly by posing as a policeman. Maeve's partner comes under suspicion because of something in his past. Lots of twists and turns. The one thing I don't like about these books is there is always some conflict between various police officers.
4 stars
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Dec 28, 2014 - Jan 3, 2015
Reason to Believe: Answering the Toughest Questions About God by HR Huntsman - an apologetics book beginning with creation and going through to the historicity of Jesus. Disclaimer - the author is my pastor. This book is the result of a sermon series a few years ago and that I really enjoyed at the time. This would have received 4 stars, mostly because the book layout style is not my favorite, but because of extreme prejudice and loyalty...
5 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Black Skies by Arnaldur Indridason - this is called an Inspector Erlander book, but his colleague, Sigurdur Oli, is the focus of this one. I don't find him a very sympathetic character. He's asked to help in a case of blackmail by an old school friend. It becomes murder and financial fraud.
3 stars
5 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Black Skies by Arnaldur Indridason - this is called an Inspector Erlander book, but his colleague, Sigurdur Oli, is the focus of this one. I don't find him a very sympathetic character. He's asked to help in a case of blackmail by an old school friend. It becomes murder and financial fraud.
3 stars
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
The Five Star Books of 2014 ( 10 out of 365 read)
A very subjective list, so much depends on how I'm feeling when I read a book. Some of these may have received fewer stars later in the year. Almost all of these were read the first half of the year. And maybe some of the books in the last half would have received more stars if I hadn't already read so many books. I think The Martian was my favorite of the year.
Alex by Pierre Lemaitre - Alex by Pierre Lemaitre - my first book of 2014 and it was a doozy. The author earned the CWA International Dagger award for this book and it's his first translated into English. A woman is kidnapped and held prisoner with the stated intent of being watched until she dies. The story alternates between her viewpoint and that of the policeman trying to find her. Lots of plot twists. Pretty gritty and violent, I think most of my readers would find it too much. There is a previous novel featuring the same policeman and it would have been nice to read it first for some important context. I hope more of his novels will be published here.
Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde - Billy Shine is a former dancer, now an agoraphobic. He sees 9 year old Grace sitting on the steps of his apartment and unwillingly becomes involved in her life. Gradually, all the neighbors in the building are drawn in and become unlikely friends. I must have been in just the right mood, loved this book.
The Martian by Andy Weir - an astronaut has an accident and is left behind on Mars by his crewmates because they believe him dead. Now he must survive 4 years before the next mission. In spite of all the techy talk, this is quite action packed. Surprisingly humorous in spots. Some language.
The Son by Jo Nesbo - this is a stand alone, not part of his Harry Hole' series. Sonny has spent almost half his life in prison when he discovers something about his father and escapes. He begins revenge killing. The police and criminals are looking for him. Although Sonny is also a criminal and does some horrendous things, I somehow found myself rooting for him. A couple of unexpected twists at the end. I really like the way this author writes. Would be rated R for violence if it were a movie.
Precious Thing by Colette McBeth - a news reporter is called to a missing person story and finds that is her best friend. Just when you think you know what's going on there's another twist. Just the kind of book I like.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a blind girl and her father leave Paris with a priceless artifact as the Germans are arriving. An orphaned German boy becomes an expert at finding transmissions made by resistance fighters. Somehow the two meet in this beautifully written book. Written from different viewpoints and times but I didn't find it confusing. Most of the chapters are quite short. Some horrific war passages.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - the life of a widowed book seller is changed drastically when a baby is left in his store. Each chapter begins with a synopsis of a short story. Some language. I loved the way this was written.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Clare North - Harry is a time traveler of a different sort, he lives the same life over and over and remembers his past lives. He gets a message from the future that the world is ending and must spend many of his lives figuring out what's going on.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman - something is out there and if you see it you go mad. Malorie decides to leave the house where she has lived with her children the last four years to try to find a safe place. And she has to make the trip blindfolded, using her children as her ears. The story goes back and forth between the journey and what has lead up to it. This book made me really nervous, I didn't have a clue how it would end. A little gruesome in parts. Also, one of the most beautiful dedications I've read.
Reason to Believe by HR Huntsman - an apologetics book beginning with creation and going through to the historicity of Jesus. Disclaimer - the author is my pastor. This book is the result of a sermon series a few years ago and that I really enjoyed at the time. This would have received 4 stars, mostly because the book layout style is not my favorite, but because of extreme prejudice and loyalty... 5 stars.
Alex by Pierre Lemaitre - Alex by Pierre Lemaitre - my first book of 2014 and it was a doozy. The author earned the CWA International Dagger award for this book and it's his first translated into English. A woman is kidnapped and held prisoner with the stated intent of being watched until she dies. The story alternates between her viewpoint and that of the policeman trying to find her. Lots of plot twists. Pretty gritty and violent, I think most of my readers would find it too much. There is a previous novel featuring the same policeman and it would have been nice to read it first for some important context. I hope more of his novels will be published here.
Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde - Billy Shine is a former dancer, now an agoraphobic. He sees 9 year old Grace sitting on the steps of his apartment and unwillingly becomes involved in her life. Gradually, all the neighbors in the building are drawn in and become unlikely friends. I must have been in just the right mood, loved this book.
The Martian by Andy Weir - an astronaut has an accident and is left behind on Mars by his crewmates because they believe him dead. Now he must survive 4 years before the next mission. In spite of all the techy talk, this is quite action packed. Surprisingly humorous in spots. Some language.
The Son by Jo Nesbo - this is a stand alone, not part of his Harry Hole' series. Sonny has spent almost half his life in prison when he discovers something about his father and escapes. He begins revenge killing. The police and criminals are looking for him. Although Sonny is also a criminal and does some horrendous things, I somehow found myself rooting for him. A couple of unexpected twists at the end. I really like the way this author writes. Would be rated R for violence if it were a movie.
Precious Thing by Colette McBeth - a news reporter is called to a missing person story and finds that is her best friend. Just when you think you know what's going on there's another twist. Just the kind of book I like.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a blind girl and her father leave Paris with a priceless artifact as the Germans are arriving. An orphaned German boy becomes an expert at finding transmissions made by resistance fighters. Somehow the two meet in this beautifully written book. Written from different viewpoints and times but I didn't find it confusing. Most of the chapters are quite short. Some horrific war passages.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - the life of a widowed book seller is changed drastically when a baby is left in his store. Each chapter begins with a synopsis of a short story. Some language. I loved the way this was written.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Clare North - Harry is a time traveler of a different sort, he lives the same life over and over and remembers his past lives. He gets a message from the future that the world is ending and must spend many of his lives figuring out what's going on.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman - something is out there and if you see it you go mad. Malorie decides to leave the house where she has lived with her children the last four years to try to find a safe place. And she has to make the trip blindfolded, using her children as her ears. The story goes back and forth between the journey and what has lead up to it. This book made me really nervous, I didn't have a clue how it would end. A little gruesome in parts. Also, one of the most beautiful dedications I've read.
Reason to Believe by HR Huntsman - an apologetics book beginning with creation and going through to the historicity of Jesus. Disclaimer - the author is my pastor. This book is the result of a sermon series a few years ago and that I really enjoyed at the time. This would have received 4 stars, mostly because the book layout style is not my favorite, but because of extreme prejudice and loyalty... 5 stars.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Dec 22-27, 2014
Burning Man by Alan Russell - Detective Michael Gibson and his K-9 partner, Sirius, are severely burned capturing a serial killer during a fire. Two years later, Michael is still dealing with the aftermath and also investigating two different cases. While that part of the book was okay, most of the conversations read like elementary comedy routines. There's very little investigating and lots of drawn out scenes. I'll still read the second in the series because it's on my Kindle.
2 stars
2 stars
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Dec 14-20, 2014
Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard Zoglin - a long, but interesting, book about Bob Hope. I only knew him from his tv specials so I found this very informative. The author seems fairly impartial.
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3:10 a m by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back, the man who is only awake one hour a day, at 3 am. His missing for 30 years mother is tangled up with the CIA. Improbable plot (his cat seems as smart as he is), but it's interesting seeing how he lives his life an hour at a time. This is a to be continued book.
2 stars
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Black Coffee by Agatha Christie - this was not actually written as a book by AC. She wrote it as a play and it was adapted by Charles Osborne. For some reason he left the stage directions in which totally gives away the murderer.
2 stars
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The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie - another stage play adapted by Charles Osborne. A stranger goes to a house looking for help after his car has gone into a ditch and finds a man dead. The man's wife is standing in the shadows with a gun in her hand. Lots of false trails and twists.
3 stars
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In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon edited by Laurie King and Leslie Klinger - a collection of short stories. My favorites were the one told by Silver Blaze, the horse from a Holmes story, and the one written as a social media telling of the Hound.
3 stars
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3:21 am by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back and he's going on vacation to Alaska in the summer to see the sun for the first time in his life. Can't say anymore without spoiling it, but this book made me mad. We were promised something at the end of the second book and this delivered in only a very roundabout way. I don't know if I'll read the fourth book, coming out next March, or not.
2 stars
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Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller - bad things just keep happening in Acker's Gap. Now it looks like a serial killer is on the loose. And Bell Atkins is not getting along with her sister, recently released from prison.
3 stars
3 stars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3:10 a m by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back, the man who is only awake one hour a day, at 3 am. His missing for 30 years mother is tangled up with the CIA. Improbable plot (his cat seems as smart as he is), but it's interesting seeing how he lives his life an hour at a time. This is a to be continued book.
2 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Black Coffee by Agatha Christie - this was not actually written as a book by AC. She wrote it as a play and it was adapted by Charles Osborne. For some reason he left the stage directions in which totally gives away the murderer.
2 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie - another stage play adapted by Charles Osborne. A stranger goes to a house looking for help after his car has gone into a ditch and finds a man dead. The man's wife is standing in the shadows with a gun in her hand. Lots of false trails and twists.
3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the Company of Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon edited by Laurie King and Leslie Klinger - a collection of short stories. My favorites were the one told by Silver Blaze, the horse from a Holmes story, and the one written as a social media telling of the Hound.
3 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3:21 am by Nick Pirog - Henry Bins is back and he's going on vacation to Alaska in the summer to see the sun for the first time in his life. Can't say anymore without spoiling it, but this book made me mad. We were promised something at the end of the second book and this delivered in only a very roundabout way. I don't know if I'll read the fourth book, coming out next March, or not.
2 stars
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summer of the Dead by Julia Keller - bad things just keep happening in Acker's Gap. Now it looks like a serial killer is on the loose. And Bell Atkins is not getting along with her sister, recently released from prison.
3 stars
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