So let's get on with it!
New Books
"The International Committee for the Preservation of Big Game was a cover for a sinister Chinese international spy network, an operation which needed big money - and obtained it by blackmail and extortion. Their latest victim was the Nawab of Shahnagar, the wealthy ruler of a small Himalayan kingdom. With a price of 2,000,000 pounds on his son's safety, the Nawab desperately sought help from his old friend Jason Love, on holiday in Switzerland - and as the trail of violence and murder pursued him from the Swiss ski slopes to the Himalayas, Dr. Love found he had indeed accepted a passport to peril. In a final confrontation on the roof of the world, Jason Love launched a dramatic bid to destroy the enemy."
Just Finished
"Do you miss Barack Obama and Joe Biden? Do you want to get away from today's headlines for a few hours and just enjoy a fun mystery? Well, with Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer lets you spend time with a fun mystery and spend time with the 44th President and his 'bro', VP Joe Biden.
We find Uncle Joe not enjoying his retirement as VP and somewhat jealous of the fun that Barack seems to be having; para-sailing with Richard Branson, canoodling with celebrities... While wife Jill keeps busy as a Professor and many other activities, Joe sits and stews. One night he sees something in his backyard and gathering up his Sig Sauer, sneaks out to see if he's got intruders. Instead he finds a Secret Service agent, Sam, and his erstwhile buddy, Barack Obama. Barack tells him that a friend of Joe's, a retired conductor on the train-line that Joe used to frequent during his days as a Senator (the train from Wilmington, Delaware to DC) has been found dead on the train tracks. He had a map to Joe's house and also in his pocket, a plastic baggie of heroin.
This piques both of their interests and Joe wants to prove that his friend wasn't a drug user and also find out why he has Joe's address? Did he want to tell Joe something? Thus begins a somewhat nonsensical, but totally enjoyable mystery romp. Joe feels his age, sore knees, somewhat overweight and he tends to lead with his jaw. Barack is, well, he's Barack, can't resist a long explanation when a word will do. Sam is the loyal follower, quiet and regularly taking the brunt of the damages.
Will the bromance be rekindled? Will Joe forgive Barack for abandoning him? Well, as we navigate frictions with the local police, a bruising from a lovely lady PI and danger from motorcycle gangs, it'll all come clear. A most enjoyable mystery / adventure. Maybe the two will get involved in more adventures? We can only hope. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"When a corpse is found floating in a fishing hole cut into a frozen lake in Montreal, it appears at first to be a straightforward homicide. But the victim had shadowy connections to the pharmaceutical industry and, before long, brilliant, unorthodox detective Emile Cinq-Mars realises he has a far more complex case on his hands. As Cinq-Mars delves deeper, he uncovers a horrifying web of intrigue which extends far beyond ruthless scientists to the heart of the Mob, and has enmeshing beautiful Indian activist Lucy Gabriel, who has been innocently involved in illegal experiments on AIDS patients. Finding herself the target of a vendetta to destroy those who know too much, Lucy takes revenge with the native Indians. But Cinq-Mars knows it's now a race against time and that he must find her before it's too late. And can he solve the riddle of the death cocktails before his shadowy opponents sacrifice even more vulnerable and innocent men?"
The Mystery Genre - California Girls
I'll feature 5 authors in this category. I've enjoyed all of them so far.
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| Jan Burke |
"Goodnight, Irene is the debut novel in an exciting new mystery series featuring Irene Kelly - reporter, intrepid amateur sleuth, and woman of today - who tracks a murderer obsessed with keeping the past from interfering with the future.
In Las Piernas, California, a beach community off the coast of Los Angeles, veteran reporter O'Connor is blown to bits by a bomb; his son is buried alive in the sand; and his best friend and former colleague, Irene Kelly, is nearly killed when a stream of bullets whizzes through the window of her home. Unwilling to be the next victim in a frightening series of events, and determined to discover who murdered O'Connor, Irene takes it upon herself to track down the killer. She begins investigating by digging through O'Connor's files and deciphering his highly secretive, coded notes.
Irene soon discovers that her friend was on the verge of solving a thirty-five-year-old mystery involving a pregnant woman who was brutally murdered and mutilated beyond recognition. And, this old murder mystery is somehow connected with a current political cover-up concocted by a group of local politicians involved in a greedy - and deadly - money-laundering scheme. Irene follows a lead that takes her from her California beach community to a desert Arizona town and back, determined to find out who silenced O'Connor before he could reveal the connection between the old murder mystery and the current money-laundering scheme.
Ignoring deadly threats, Irene expertly gathers clues, and narrows down a long list of unlikely suspects. There's a money-hungry-politician with more to lose than the local race if the truth is revealed; a high society babe who will do anything to protect her"impeccable" reputation; a manipulative gigolo whose bedside secrets prove lethal; a high-ranking bank official who conveniently disappears when Irene starts nosing around; and many other memorable characters, all of whom had a personal motive for wanting O'Connor dead." I gave it 3 stars.
"Irene Kelly is a reporter with a fierce integrity. Detective Frank Harriman is her lover and friend. Now they're both about to be plunged into political hellfire when a ruthless politician rocks a race for district attorney with a stunning allegation: his opponent's son is in the clutches of a satanic cult.
The charge takes a fatal turn when a local woman is brutally murdered, and the grisly crime scene bears unholy implications. Tracking the clues takes Irene behind the closed doors of an isolated home for troubled youths, where obscuring the truth is only part of a stranger's diabolic game. To win it, Irene will have the devil to pay." (3 stars)
"When a strange letter signed "Thanatos" -- the ancient Greek name for death -- lands on Irene Kelly's desk, the intrepid reporter doesn't think much of it; she gets crazy mail all the time. A less cryptic message is sent when a body turns up the next morning. As more letters roll in, the death toll mounts...and Irene fears that her mysterious pen pal has cast her in his own private Greek tragedy as Cassandra, the seer whom others refused to believe. It's the killer's dream to challenge Irene to follow his ancient blueprint for murder. It's his ultimate desire to make her face the inevitable -- that she is the next to die."
The remaining books in the series are -
- Remember Me, Irene (#4 / 1996)
- Hocus (#5 / 1997) (4 stars)
- Liar (#6 / 1998) (5 stars)
- Bones (#7 / 2000) (4 stars)
- Flight (#8 / 2001) told from the POV of her husband, Frank Harriman (4 stars)
- Bloodlines (#9 / 2005)
- Kidnapped (#10 / 2006)
- Disturbance (11 / 2011)
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| Meg Gardiner |
"China Lake by Meg Gardiner, the first book in the Evan Delaney series was definitely a thriller. Right from the get-go, the action started and it didn't let up until a fiery, explosive ending.
Evan Delaney is a lawyer in Santa Barbara, California. At a funeral for the mother of a dear friend, the funeral party is heckled by a group of protestors from the Church of the Remnant. A confrontation ensues and actions continue from then on. One of the members of the church is the ex-wife of Evan's brother, Brian, who is a Navy fighter pilot. Evan has been taking care of their six-year old son, Luke, since Tabitha abandoned him and while Brian was at sea.
Another confrontation, at the Church of the Remnant leaves a man dead, who it turns out has rabies. Tabitha wants to get her son back, Evan goes to the Navy air base at China Lake to get Brian's help. There is more violence and death and it turns out that the Remnant has a plan to bring about an Apocalypse.
Does it sound confusing? Well, yes it is, and somewhat far-fetched, but the tension and action are ratcheted tight and you find yourself reading and reading to see how Evan and her brother, oh, and also Evan's boyfriend, Jesse, will solve it and save each other and Tabitha and Luke... Whew!!! Confusing at times and convoluted, but an entertaining, scary, exciting read.... (3 stars)"
"Evan Delaney has come to terms with the hit-and-run crash that left her boyfriend, Jesse Blackburn, in a wheelchair and killed his best friend. But when she hears that the driver, Franklin Brand, is back in Santa Barbara, she is determined to help Jesse bring him to book for his crime.
Brand was a golden boy at Mako Technologies, a heavyweight cyber-security firm. That's where Evan starts looking, and as she digs deeper, she finds evidence of theft and extortion. Then witnesses to the hit-and-run start dying. It seems that powerful interests are determined to stop Jesse and Evan - once and for all."
The other books in the series are -
- Jericho Point (2004)
- Crosscut (2005)
- Kill Chain (2006)
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| Sue Grafton |
"I had mixed emotions about this particular Kinsey Milhone mystery, but as she says at the end, sometimes she's just a passenger. Kinsey is hired to escort Reba from prison by her father. A simple job and Kinsey likes Reba. But the story develops a twist as the police and Feds ask Kinsey to persuade Reba to help them catch her boss. It turns out Reba went to jail for her boss, because she was in love with him. The story has many twists and Reba has her own plans and Kinsey becomes sort of a pawn.
I found this story frustrating at times as I'm not used to Kinsey playing such a secondary role, but it did tie up nicely. As well, Kinsey deals with her landlord, Henry, who is dating but also competing with his brother, Henry. How does that all work out? And finally, what does the future bode for Kinsey and her new friend, police investigator, Cheney? The story had its frustrations, but was still ultimately satisfying. S is next. :0) (3 stars)"
"I think S is for Silence by Sue Grafton was a bit of a return to form for Grafton. While I enjoyed the previous three books; P, Q and R, I just thought they were ok. S was so much better.
The story is a cold case. Kinsey is hired by Daisy Sullivan to find her mother, Violet, who disappeared when Daisy was a child, 35 years previously. Kinsey doesn't want to take the case as she feels it's a waste of her time and Daisy's money. But Daisy is persuasive and gets Kinsey to accept the job for 5 days. Thus begins her investigation into Violet's life and the possible reasons she disappeared, or was she murdered? The story is presented in an interesting style; alternating between present day, where Kinsey interviews people who still live in the area and who knew Violet, and then presenting the final days of Violet's life in Serena Station.
There was so much to enjoy about this latest Kinsey case. It builds nicely, the plot is interesting, the characters are interesting and there is a tension that slowly develops as Kinsey seems to be getting close to a solution. I enjoyed S very much and hope the next, T is for Trespass is as good. (4 stars)"
"Before letting someone into your house and granting access to the intimate details of your life, it's a good idea to run a background check. But as Kinsey Millhone is about to discover, a clean record means nothing if it belongs to a stolen identity. And the consequences can be deadly..."
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| Karen Kijewski |
"Katwalk is the first book in Kat Colorado mystery series by Karen Kijewski. I bought this book by chance because the synopsis looked interesting. I'm glad that I took the chance as it was an enjoyable, interesting mystery.
Kat is a private investigator from California (she reminds me somewhat of Kinsey Milhone) who is asked by a friend to help with her divorce. She believes her ex-husband has hidden $200K from her so she won't get her share in the divorce settlement. As much as Kat doesn't like working for friends, she agrees. The investigation brings her to Las Vegas and into shady real estate dealings, bribing and threatening of public officials and even murder.
It's a well-paced story and peopled with interesting characters. The one weakness is the main villain who is a bit of a comic book caricature. But all in all the story was an excellent introduction to the Kat Colorado series. I hope future books are as interesting and further develop her personality and story line. (4 stars)"
"A murderer has struck home —and Kat Colorado is taking it personally. Her cousin Johnny has been found stabbed to death in the parking lot of the Homestead Cafe. And now Kat's on the prowl —trailing a killer through a dangerous world of shady real estate shenanigans and teenage hookers. And she's about to uncover a closetful of sordid family secrets almost certain to get an overly inquisitive Kat skinned."
"She's a hard-boiled Sacramento P.I. with a soft spot for the unlucky, the unloved, and one special cop named Hank. Her name is Kat Colorado and in her line of business curiosity can be more than an occupational hazard -- it can be murder.
She said her name was Paige Morrell and she came to Kat Colorado hoping to untangle the twisted mystery of her past. She was a twenty-one-year-old "orphan," a poor little rich girl on the verge of inheriting a wealthy old river estate -- and some very nasty surprises. But when Kat set out to solve the case, she found herself following a thread of lies, greed and deceit that led straight to the corpse of a key source to Paige's past. Now the Sacramento private eye was about to learn that in the California Delta some family secrets were better left buried . . . because uncovering them could be murder."
The remaining books in the series are -
- Copy Kat (1992)
- Wild Kat (1994)
- Alley Kat Blues (1995)
- Honky Tonk Kat (1996)
- Kat Scratch Fever (1997)
- Stray Kat Waltz (1998)
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| Julie Smith |
"A light, entertaining, well-paced mystery, the first Rebecca Schwartz mystery. A nice, spunky character, a lawyer in San Francisco who gets involved in a murder in her apartment and works to keep her boyfriend from being charged/ found guilty of the crime. It's not a deep crime mystery, just good fun. I like Rebecca and her sister Mickey and the other characters that were introduced. Entertaining and comforting. 3.5 stars. I'll read more of this series."
"The Sourdough Wars by Julie Smith is Smith's second book in her Rebecca Schwartz mystery series. She also writes the Skip Langdon and Tabitha Walls' series. Rebecca Schwarz is a lawyer based in San Francisco working in partnership with her friend, Chris Nicholson. This mystery finds them involved in the world of Sourdough bread and bakeries.
Both attend a play by acquaintance Peter Martinelli. Martinelli, it turns out, comes from a family that had been successful in the sourdough bread industry, supposedly very big in the San Francisco area. He inherited the 'starter' dough for their famous sourdough bread. Martinelli is persuaded to sell this starter dough off at an auction, which sparks interest from rival bakers, the brothers Tosi, Sally Devereaux (a smaller baker) and Clayton Thompson, rep for a major bread-making conglomerate. All the interested parties arrive for the auction but when Martinelli doesn't show up, Rebecca and her boy-friend Rob the reporter discover his dead body (murdered).
This begins an investigation by Rebecca, Rob and Chris into the world of sourdough bread and who might be guilty of the murder. It's a fun ride, in a similar vein as those of Lilian Jackson Braun's 'Cat who' mysteries, or Karen Kijewski's Kat Colorado mysteries. There are plenty of suspects, including all the competing parties and even Peter Martinelli's sister, who had also wanted the starter dough.
Combined a quick paced mystery / adventure with lots of action, you also have Rebecca's relationships, with her Jewish parents, her sister and boyfriend and all of the other's mentioned. It's not a complex mystery, just an entertaining one. Enjoy. (3 stars)"
The remaining books in this series are -
- Tourist Trap (1986)
- Dead in the Water (1991)
- Other People's Skeletons (1993)
So there you go. Perfect timing for a finish as the dogs are glaring at me, demanding their supper... Poor things.
Enjoy the rest of your week and the impending weekend.
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