Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: April 2012

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo 

Mariah Lyons’ life is shattered when her father is murdered and her mother, an Alzheimer’s victim, is accused of the crime. The police believe Kathleen killed her husband during one of her lucid moments because of his infidelity. Desperate to believe her mother’s innocence, Mariah sets out to uncover what happened that night.

Father Aiden O’Brien tells her that just prior to his death, Jonathan Lyons believed he had found one of the greatest religious and archeological treasures of all time — a letter written by Christ to Joseph of Arimathea. With this new knowledge, Mariah is convinced that her dad’s murder is related to the parchment and not to his affair. She finds that those in her father’s close circle of friends are harboring hidden secrets of their own.

When people who were close to the late Biblical scholar start disappearing, it becomes obvious that no one is safe. Someone is desperate to keep the truth hidden and he/she will stop at nothing — not even murder — to keep it from coming out. Mariah will rely on Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned sleuth, to solve this mystery.

In The Lost Years, Mary Higgins Clark returns with another suspense-filled novel that will keep one’s heart racing until the end when the killer is finally revealed in a shocking turn of events. With plenty of suspicious characters going around, the Queen of Suspense leads her readers down one rabbit trail after another that will have their mind spinning as they try to unravel the clues.

Clark’s fans will recognize characters like Willy and Alvirah Meehan and Father Aiden O’Brien who return once again, better than ever. As always, Clark delivers another great book which I definitely recommend.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Penguin Group

Publication Date: April 2012

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo 

The murder of her cheating, ex-husband turned Kate Conway’s life upside down. Feeling lonely, betrayed, and hurt, the TV producer has spent the past few months dividing her time between work and sitting alone in front of the TV, eating take-out. Needing a change in her life, Kate accepts two job offers. The first is filming a documentary on convicts serving life without parole. The second is a reality show about the opening of an exclusive new restaurant — backed by none other than Vera, her late husband’s mistress.

To make matters worse, one of the investors is murdered and Vera becomes the prime suspect. Attempting to clear Vera’s name, Kate turns to the killers she’s interviewing for the documentary. She soon discovers that all of the investors have secrets and one of them is willing to kill to keep his/hers from coming out.

Clare O’Donohue’s Life Without Parole is an intriguing and edgy page-turner. This is not your typical novel with “good” and “bad” characters. On the contrary, all of them are guilty of something, ranging anywhere from lying to the police and obstructing justice all the way up to murder. No one in this book is quite what they seem. The challenge is figuring out what they are trying to hide.

Kate is an interesting character to follow. In spite of her cold and abrupt outlook on life, deep down she has a soft spot for people as proven by her attempt to help her ex-husband’s lover. O’Donohue also has a way of making even the most flawed character sympathetic — even the killers serving life sentences. I would recommend Life Without Parole to mystery and suspense fans.

Copy received via NetGalley from the publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publication Date: May 2012

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Katrina Burton is driving toward a new job, town, and life. Along the way, against her better judgment, she picks up a hitchhiker. Fearing for her safety, Katrina tells a “little white lie,” but when the man in her car turns out to be another teacher at her new school, she finds herself feeding the lie with more untruths in an attempt to cover it up. The situation quickly snowballs and Katrina is trapped in a vicious cycle.

It is during this time that a handsome stranger walks into her life and Katrina dares to hope that he will bring the solution to her growing problem. However, the situation is further complicated when Katrina gets caught up in the middle of a gruesome murder. Telling the truth now, not only will put the man she’s come to care for at risk, but also expose her own lies.

The novel, White Lies, is an intense, edge-of-the-seat thriller that will keep the adrenaline pumping. Jeremy Bates expertly drags his audience onto a terrifying, and emotional roller coaster. Even though the characters make all the wrong choices, one can’t help but want to find out what will happen to them. The book demonstrates the power and consequences of our decisions. While Katrina definitely got off easy, considering the deadly effects of her choices, I was glad to see that by the end she seemed truly remorseful and understood the importance of doing right — even something as simple as telling the truth.

Bates offered very vivid descriptions.  Even though this was good because it placed the reader right in the middle of the action, it also had a down side. I found the book too graphic for my taste, especially when the violence escalated. So much gory detail was unnecessary to get the point across.

The author offers a brilliant and shocking ending that I never saw coming. If not for the graphic content and explicit details, I would strongly recommend this novel.  As is, I have to advise readers to be aware of these things before picking up a copy.

Copy received via NetGalley from the publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publication Date: April 2012

 Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Detective Ash Levine’s romantic weekend is cut short when his lieutenant calls him to investigate a double homicide. One of the victims is the son of a city councilman notorious at the department for causing problems. With little to go on, Ash plunges into the investigation. The search for the killer will bring him face to face with all sorts of people — bereaved family members, Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, and even the Russian Mafia.

However, the truth comes at a price and it isn’t long before Ash finds himself in the crosshairs. Suspended from the police department and possibly facing criminal charges, Ash is determined to find the killer. He hopes to not only give the victims and their family justice, but also clear his own name.

Miles Corwin’s Midnight Alley is a fast-paced thriller from beginning to end. Detective Levine is an interesting character that pulls the reader in as he juggles work, an estranged wife, and his Jewish family. As a former IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) paratrooper, he has a way of looking at things and tackling situations differently from those around him. His methods are sometimes questionable, but he believes in getting the task done.

Although this is not the first Ash Levine novel, it could easily pass as a standalone book. I enjoyed the vivid imagery Corwin created. I felt like I could smell and see everything as clearly as if I were there myself. I could feel the handcuffs pinching my wrists or my heartbeat accelerating as the action unfolded. Midnight Alley is a fast and intriguing read that will keep you hooked for hours. Readers should be aware that there is some crude language. This is a story that mystery fans will want to check out.

Copy received via NetGalley from the publisher

Genre: supernatural, mystery, thriller YA

Publisher: David C. Cook                 

Publication Dates: April 1, 2012

 Reviewed by Lori Twitchell

I’m going to start this review with a very clear warning. If you haven’t read either of the first books in the Solitary Tales series by Travis Thrasher (Solitary and Gravestone) just stop right here and go purchase the other books first. I hate to spoil a brilliant read for anyone and Thrasher’s series is exactly that. So if you’re not acquainted with the series, go get it now. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. And do not hesitate. When you’ve finished the first two books, then come back to find the review of this one.

Okay with public service announcements of the way, let’s get to the review!

Chris Buckley has problems. His parents are divorced and his mother moved him to Solitary, a small out of the way town where nothing has gone right for him. It sounds like a typical teenage story, but the reality is more like something out of a classic horror film. His girlfriend died in a very nasty manner and the people who killed her are stalking him. And then anyone who has ever known about his difficulties has died. Or disappeared. Or disappeared and then died. It’s a pretty nasty situation.

Chris understands very little about what is going on around town. He used to want to know but now so many people have died and so much horror has happened, he’s almost beyond caring. Note I said almost. With a year of school behind him and summer school just beginning, he’s ready to try and call it a fresh start. No bully in the halls every day. No beautiful girl haunting his waking and sleeping hours.. He does his best despite the crazy pastor who seems to be everywhere and the fact that his mom is drinking more than ever.

Now I’ve got to admit that lately, my reading has taken a back seat to a lot of other things going on in my life. I’ve been behind on both reading and reviewing, but when I was asked if I’d cover this one, I jumped at the chance. Both Solitary and Gravestone kept me on the edge of my seat and I’m thrilled to say that Temptation was no different. In fact as I was reading I would have to stop, close my eyes and absorb what I’d just read because I couldn’t imagine Travis had gone there. But he did. And I loved it. Every. Single. Second.

Tightly paced with a plot that will keep you reeling, Temptation does come with a warning. Anyone around you might be drawn into the action as you gasp, laugh out loud and maybe even shout a little. I read this while sitting in a hospital waiting room and still couldn’t stop myself from outbursts of “What? Seriously?” There were moments so stunning I wanted to call Travis on the phone and ask what he was thinking. And when I turned the last page? I wanted to call him and beg for whatever he has ready of the next release. I admit it. Temptation has turned me into an official Travis Thrasher geek.

The characters in this book are realistic and relatable. In fact I think that if anyone wants to attempt writing YA Fiction from a first person perspective, Travis Thrasher is the author to read. Buckley’s voice is brilliant. His inner monologues give you a glimpse into the thoughts of a teenage boy without slowing the pace of the plot.

If you love the multilayered storytelling of Lost or you enjoy a deep rich story that will grab you by the throat, this series is for you. Perfect for reading groups (this series begs discussion – trust me. You’ll want to talk about it.) or if you just like to revel in a good solid mystery with a supernatural flair, you’ll love it.

Hurt , the next book, is slated for a 2012 release. Until then, I’ll be stalking, er… *cough*…following Travis via social media to anxiously await any juicy tidbits he might share. Or maybe even accidentally let slip. Yes, it’s that bad – and Temptation is just that good.

*Review Copy provided by David C. Cook

*PG/PG-13 Some serious storylines in this one with some really creepy stuff. It’s a hard PG-13 – recommended for 15-17 year age group.

Review by Josh Olds

Chris Buckley needs answers but he also needs his sanity. Given the events of Solitary and Gravestone, those two things just might be mutually exclusive. Ever since Chris and his mom moved to the supposedly sleepy town of Solitary, strange things have been happening. Well, that’s an understatement. More like Chris finds himself caught up in a town that acts like nothing is wrong while covering up blatant murder, occult activity, a beyond weird pastor, a mysterious past, and something to do with mannequins. Something demonic is going down in Solitary and somehow Chris is tied to it.

In Temptation, Chris decides he simply cannot take the fight anymore and gives up. Let evil continue. He can’t stop it. He should be able to enjoy his last year in high school as much as possible and then just get out, leave, call it quits. Never speak of Solitary again. Or Jocelyn. Or Poe. Or Kelsey. If he can’t uncover the truth, he’ll run from the carnage it brings. Only he’s running the wrong direction.

But it’s in running that Chris begins to find some answers—maybe. The pastor, Jeremiah Marsh, seems intent on revealing more of his secrets to Chris. Solitary’s tie to Chris’s ancestry is revealed. Questions Chris longed to have answered now seem to find him. Running away turns out to be not an option, because whatever evil there is in the town needs him. He can fight or give up but he can’t not play the game. Temptation is a battle for Chris Buckley’s soul. And by the time he realizes it, it just might be too late.

After two novels of many questions and few answers, Thrasher pulls back the veil to give readers just enough answers to keep us guessing and begging for more. Chris’s desire to just be normal (and not like some character in a YA novel, he comments wryly at one point) is one of the cardinal desires of young adults—or anyone—trying to find their place in the world. Travis does a great job of diving into Chris’s character and making readers empathize with his plight. Not the plight of death and horror in Solitary, but the plight of death and horror in Chris Buckley’s soul.

Temptation is about a kid who reaches the end of himself—and rightfully so, given what we know of his story—and finds that it’s only then that can he make the decision of who he is going to be. Thrasher writes in such a way that Chris’s journey becomes our own and we find ourselves sucked into the story and unable to escape. And just like its predecessors, Temptation left me wanting so much more all while feeling satisfied at what had been revealed. With one book remaining to put the pieces together, Thrasher is settling in to close out what has been an awesome series. I wouldn’t want to actually be in Chris Buckley’s shoes, but being able to step into them through Thrasher’s art of story has been an entertaining and thought-provoking experience I won’t soon forget.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Penguin Group

Publication Date: February 2012

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo 

Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant has four days left to live. Her best friends were both murdered exactly one year apart. As the last remaining friend of the childhood trio, Charlie is convinced she is the next victim. However, she is determined to not go down without a fight. For that reason, she has spent the past year training and preparing for January 21. Should the worse take place, Charlie knows who she wants to investigate her own death — Detective D.D. Warren.

In her line of work, D.D. has seen and heard a lot of things, but even this seasoned detective is surprised when she hears Charlie’s story after spotting her at a crime scene. At first, D.D. isn’t sure what to believe, but when evidence seems to tie Charlene to several crimes, the detective is certain of one thing. She is sure that Charlie is in the middle of something and is resolved to find out what.

Packed with heart-pounding intrigue, Catch Me is one novel that mystery and suspense fans won’t want to miss. Lisa Gardner creates a world so gripping that it will suck the reader in as the clock steadily counts down the hours until that fateful day. In a story where one doesn’t know who to trust, the reader will feel the walls closing in as an intelligent and unknown killer masterfully isolates Charlie, taking away anything that can protect her.

Catch Me is definitely a nerve-wracking plot that will keep the reader on edge. The author has found the perfect balance, knowing how to make one’s heart speed up without pushing it to the point of discomfort. While this is not the first story with Detective D.D. Warren, I didn’t feel like I missed any crucial information even though I hadn’t read the others. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Gardner’s novels.

Genre: Mystery – Thriller

Publisher: Dutton/Penguin Group

Publication Date: January 2012

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two novels, has unleashed another mystery thriller with his latest novel The Hunter. Lescroart takes his readers on a surprising unplanned journey filled with a multitude of twist and turns. A young wife and mother is brutally murdered in her Bay Area apartment. Flash to forty years later, Private Investigator Wyatt Hunt receives an anonymous text, asking him “How did your mother die?” The texter insists that the murderer is still out there, and is willing to give Hunt clues as to the identity of murderer, but refuses to identify themselves. Also interesting is, the way Lescroart weaves fact with fiction by revisiting the massacre at Jonestown –  where over 900 people in a cult led by Jim Jones died in a mass suicide in 1978.

One can appreciate how Lescroart manages to grab the reader’s attention in the first chapter with that short simple text message from an anonymous and untraceable number “How did your mother die?” a question that leads Wyatt and his Hunt Club investigative team on a journey to unravel the mystery of his biological mother’s death.

The cold case heats up when Ivan Orloff, Hunt’s newest investigator, gets killed after making seemingly routine inquiries. A relentless search for the killer ensues. The trail of clues continue to twist and turn as they lead from Evie Secrist, Margaret’s best friend, back to the Jonestown mass suicide more than a generation ago, and forward to Evie’s ex-husband Lionel Spencer. However, the trail is infuriatingly cut short, with Spencer’s own death – which is hurriedly written off as a suicide, and the murder mysteries are wrapped up with a neat case-closed-little-bow.

Willing to concede that his mother’s murderer had taken his own life, Wyatt backs off the investigation until the texter signals him again to let him know that the killer is not dead. Wyatt finally comes face to face with his anonymous informant in an attention-grabbing scene. Question is, will the meeting be Wyatt’s last, or will it finally provide a resolution, or will his mother’s 40-year old murder continue to remain a mystery?

It is obvious that Lescroart is educated, well-read, and put a tremendous amount of time into his work. However, the multitude of inconsequential characters that the reader has to keep track of as they crawl throughout the story, tend to diminish an otherwise interesting storyline. Furthermore, if at least ninety of those needless pages had been red-lined, The Hunter would have been an even more enjoyable read that moved more effortlessly to conclusion.

Still, Lescroart has crafted a well written book that is a multi-layered mystery that will keep readers guessing, intrigued, and at times frustrated.

Review copy provided by publisher.

 Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Gale Cengage Learning

Publication Date: February 2012

Reviewed by Melody Ballard

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Scribner

Publication Date: August 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo 

As thousands of fans flood Charlotte for Race Week, a body is discovered in a barrel behind the speedway. When the news gets out, a pit crew member walks into Temperance’s office and tells her that his sister, Cyndi, and her boyfriend, Cale, disappeared 12 years earlier, but no bodies or traces were found. At the time, Cale’s involvement with an extremist group brought in the FBI. However, a few weeks later they closed the case and walked away.

When Temperance delves into the case, strange things start to happen. Examination of the remains uncovers the presence of a deadly substance. Then the body disappears from the morgue shortly after. The FBI returns with more secrets then ever and an employee of the Centers for Disease and Control goes missing. As always, the harder the mystery, the more determined Temperance becomes to unravel it.

Kathy Reichs returns with yet another winner as she transports us into the world of NASCAR. Flash and Bones is packed with the intriguing forensic descriptions and suspense that her fans have come to love and expect. There is no question why Reichs keeps hitting the bestsellers list. Throughout the novel, she will introduce her readers to both fans and fanatics of racing. As always, Temperance is brilliant at work; however, but her personal life is in shambles. The heroine juggles three men in her life; each one has been her lover at one point or another during the series. They continue to depend on her emotionally, but in return are unavailable for her needs. She also deals with the pre-wedding meltdowns of an ex-husband’s fiancée. Flash and Bones is another must read for anyone who enjoys a good suspense novel.

Genre: Historical Noir Crime

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: September 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

Turn of the century Detroit, Michigan was once called the New Paris. But by 1911, it is a town embroiled in wars between the visionary owners of the fledgling automobile industry, mob sponsored unions, and corrupt law enforcement. Finding himself at the center of everything is Will Anderson whose family owns the Anderson Electric Car Company.

Motor City Shakedown by D.E. Johnson continues Will Anderson’s story begun in The Detroit Electric Scheme. In that installment, Will and his fiancée barely survived a vicious encounter with crime boss Vito Adamo. The aftermath was the murder of Will’s best friend, a disfigured hand, horrible pain, and a nasty morphine addiction.

We pick up Will’s story here as he finds himself suspect for a murder he did not commit. The DA and police are convinced Will carried out a murder of revenge and there a few willing to take his side. As Will awaits trial for months, his family’s company teeters on the edge of bankruptcy and the mob, using the unions, looks to take control.

A trial that seems all but lost comes to a sudden end and Will is released. But he is far from free. What ensues is a classic noir story of crime bosses putting the squeeze on an innocent man caught in the middle. With the lives of his former fiancée and his family at stake, Will soon comes to believe the enemy of his enemy may be the best ally he has.

Author, D.E. Johnson, spins a thrilling story of the Motor City a century ago.  His description of characters and settings captures the essence of a city and population in a headlong dash toward both wealth and the price they will pay for it. Civic corruption, labor unions, organized crime, violent teenage gangs, and families intent on remaining united and strong combine to make the perfect platform for the story of one man’s determination to survive against all odds.

Historically based novels are always a tricky affair. Balancing story and plot with factual intrusions require a skilled writer and Johnson proves to be just that person. He does a great job of including recognizable and historic figures like Henry Ford, William Anderson of Detroit Electric, Edsel Ford, and Vito Adamo (Detroit’s first crime boss) in a story line that is seamless. Will Anderson is the perfect flawed hero. With all of his faults, failures, and addictions, you will root for him all the way as he puts his life on the line to avenge the murder of his friend and protect his family at all costs from the crime ridden labor unions.

As one might expect in this kind of story, there is a good deal of graphic violence and some decidedly non-family friendly language. But if you love a rousing good crime story where you learn something about another time in the process, Motor City Shakedown is an excellent read indeed.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Sci-Fi

Publisher:  Putnam Adult

Publication Dates: Sept 13, 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twitchell

Eve Dallas is a woman of strength, courage and above all, honor. These are not traits that she learned during her childhood or her formative years. Instead, they’re traits picked up, honed and sharpened to a deadly point in the years since becoming a police officer. And each and every one of them are about to be tested.

On her rookie assignment, just out of the academy, Eve had the misfortune to come across Isaac McQueen, a sick, foul and deeply disturbed man whose favorite hobby was taking young girls, using and abusing them and then killing them. He also kept careful track of each one with a number carved into their chests. Dallas was baptized by fire with the McQueen case and she was beyond relieved when she was able to put him away. Now years later, Dallas is a seasoned homicide detective –the best on the force. But it still rattles her to the core when she discovers that McQueen has escaped prison and that he’s got a personal vendetta against her. More concerned for the others in the case than herself, Dallas dives headfirst into the investigation with her team and loved ones all close around her for support. Little does she know that the case that pushed her to be the exceptional cop that she is today is about to
take an even darker and more personal turn than she’d thought possible.

McQueen, knowing just enough of Eve’s past to be dangerous, takes his talents to Dallas which requires Eve to leave behind her comfort zone and go back to the place where she earned her name. With Roarke in tow to keep her safe, Eve throws herself heavy and hard into bringing McQueen down.

Just when I think that J.D. Robb has taken me everywhere she can with Eve Dallas, another layer is pulled back, revealing more depth and history for an already complex and well beloved character. This book brought Eve, Roarke, and everyone around them to a new level of intrigue, danger.  Mixed through it all Eve has to deal with a lot of self introspection. How did she become the woman she is today? How did she evolve? Is it something wrapped in her DNA or is it choices she made along the way?

I loved this book. I had only just decided that Robb’s earlier outing Treachery in Death, was my favorite Dallas book but now, Robb has handed me a dilemma. Rich with backstory and history of Dallas and the struggles of everyone around her on how best to protect and love her, this book opened up my favorite characters and gave me even more respect for each of them. I could not read this book quickly enough and have already recommended it time and time again to people that I know would love it. Though it’s heavy in backstory, you can still enjoy the murder mystery without knowing all of the fine details of Dallas’ early life. If you have read any books though, and are a Dallas/Roarke fan like myself, this book will tear your heart out, stomp on it, and then slowly piece it back together and hand to you completely remade.

If you like murder mysteries, futuristic books or romance, this one’s for you.

Genre: Suspense / Mystery

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: October 2011

Reviewed By Jen Roman

Tom and Abby have a wonderful life: good jobs, good friends, and a wonderful family that includes their twelve-year-old daughter, Caitlin. All of this shatters when Caitlin is abducted while walking the dog. Tom starts a relentless campaign to find her, and Abby turns to the church, and more specifically, Pastor Chris, to deal with the pain. Four years later, Abby insists that they hold a memorial service to help them move on with their lives. Within days of the service, a young stripper contacts them with information about their daughter: Caitlin may still be alive.

Sure enough, Caitlin is found and reunited with her parents, but all is not well. She refuses to tell what happened to her and where she was, and even tries to escape and go back to where she was. She remains sullen and withdrawn, which makes her parents wonder if it is better to have her back home with them. Eventually, Tom and Abby find out what Caitlin has been doing for the past four years and why Caitlin has been acting so withdrawn.

Cemetery Girl is one of the saddest stories I have read in a long time. The story is engaging and tugs at the reader’s heartstrings immediately. After reading the story, I did some research and found out that Caitlin’s behavior is not uncommon to children who have been abducted, and Tom and Abby’s marital troubles are also common as they try to deal with a terrible tragedy. Tom blames himself, and Abby turns to religion.

While neither of these things is bad, they spend so much time trying to heal themselves that their marriage dissolves. Abby wants to move on, and Tom sees that as abandoning their child. Tom wants to keep Caitlin’s room the way it was the day she left, and Abby sees this as not accepting reality. I can’t imagine being in such a situation and feel genuine pain for people who have to deal with it. Bell manages to entertain while giving people a glimpse into how life is for people who have to live with a child being abducted. While interesting, it certainly is uncomfortable. The story is fast-paced and compelling, but the ending is not uplifting. People expecting a happy ending will be sorely disappointed.

Readers must decide if they want to read a story that is difficult to stomach. While it does not explicitly describe anything, it implies that there was a sexual relationship between Caitlin and her abductor. Earlier, the witness describes a sexual situation between Caitlin and a man in a seedy bar. There is also a smattering of profanity. If readers are able to handle the adult situations, they should be touched by Cemetery Girl.

Genre: Detective Mystery

Publisher: LL Publications

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

Peg Herring’s novel, The Dead Detective Agency, is the first case in The Dead Detective Mystery Series. Herring writes a stimulating, though somewhat improbable, detective novel in The Dead Detective Agency. Meaning that some of the characters are supposedly dead and the others are seemingly serving as their hosts. And yet, other scenes are somewhat reminiscent of a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery. And as in the amateur sleuth mysteries, this 261-page detective mystery has some twists and turns that will keep readers guessing right until the end.

The main character, Tori Van Camp, is a vibrant carefree young secretary, who wakes one morning on a luxurious cruise ship, where she is offered anything she may desire, including: food, clothes, recreation, and the companionship of congenial people.  The problem is, Tori has no memory of booking a cruise.  But what she does have a vivid recollection of is being shot in the chest at point blank range.

With the help of the stunningly handsome Mike and the unnervingly serene Nancy, Tori soon learns the purpose of her voyage.  Still, she is haunted by the image of the gun, the crack of the shot, and the malevolent face of the shooter.

Tori is determined to find out who wanted her dead and why? And to do so, she enlists the help of Seamus, and eccentric but somewhat shrewd detective. Together they embark on an investigation. Death is all around, the future is uncertain, and if Tori doesn’t act quickly, two people she cares about are the prime candidates for murder.

The Dead Detective Agency is not only a story of a young woman in search of her killer and the reason for her brutal death, but its also a story of the struggle to find some sort of solace as it relates to the afterlife.  Author, Pat Herring touches upon what may occur after death in such a pleasant yet humorous way, with a sprinkle of Christian faith as reassurance, one can’t help but be more accepting and less fearful of the eternal life she writes of.

I initially thought this book was going to be a cutesy story geared toward the less than avid reader, but, I must say I was pleasantly surprised to discover through my journey that, The Dead Detective Agency will not only appeal to the garden-variety reader or the teenage reader, but will be of interest to intermediate and young adult readers alike – as well as those with discerning taste for “detective” mysteries.

This is the first book by Peg Herring I have had the pleasure of reviewing. I look forward to the next case of The Dead Detective Mystery Series: Dead for the Money coming soon from LL-Publications.

Peg Herring lives in Michigan and writes both historical and contemporary mysteries. When not reading or writing, Peg loves travel and directing choral music.
Review copy provided by publisher.

It’s winter, well March, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (aka The UP), and it’s cold and snowy.  This is not at all unusual.  What is unusual is Chief Roy Maven, from the Soo, is in Paradise at the Glasgow Inn asking private eye Alex McKnight to do him a really big favor.  One would sooner expect pigs to fly.  Alex and Maven got off on the wrong foot many years ago, and things haven’t improved.  Yet here he is, asking Alex to do something for him.

What he wants is unusual, over and above the unusualness of the asking itself.  His old partner wants somebody, a private eye, to look into his son’s death.  His son committed suicide in Misery Bay, up near Michigan Tech.  No note.  No clue.  Nada.  The local police have ended their investigation.  Charles Raznewiski isn’t buying it.  These cases never end well, as both Maven and McKnight know.

This case is no exception.  McKnight does do this favor for Maven.  Initially, his feeling is that the local police were right.  His instinct tells him otherwise.  His instinct is correct.  Somebody kills Raznewiski, Sr.  Alex begins to look back a little bit.  There is a pattern here.  Other suicides of young people, followed by the murders of their parents.  Somebody, somewhere, is not a happy camper.

McKnight and Maven work together on this case.  It’s not an easy fit for either of them.  The solution, when they figure everything out, is bizarre but not outside the realm of possibility.

Hamilton has written another marvelous book about McKnight and his cases.  McKnight’s character continues to grow, book after book.  The setting is awesome and awful.  The plot is right up there with anything Hamilton has done in the past.  Hamilton is vastly underrated by people who only read writers like Patterson and Grafton.  If you haven’t read anything by Hamilton, start with A Cold Day in Paradise and work your way to Misery Bay.  It’s a journey well worth taking.

Caveat Emptor: Minimal language issues, graphic depictions of the results of violence

Genre: Mystery, Romance

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Publication Date: July 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo 

Carrie Carter owns a small café in Seaside, New Jersey. Every morning the object of her unrequited love comes in for breakfast. However, Greg Barnes is too consumed by the horrible tragedy that took the life of his wife and children three years earlier to notice the woman who serves his coffee.

Carrie’s dishwasher is murdered and shortly after her waitress disappears, Greg’s ex-cop instincts kick into full-gear plunging him into Carrie’s world. For the first time since the loss of his family, Greg’s heart is in danger of letting someone in. But Carrie has a past of her own and the recent incidents are bringing them back to the forefront. While trying to uncover the mystery and hopefully save the missing girl, Greg and Carrie must fight their own personal wars if they hope to move beyond their pain.

With summer giving way to autumn, some of us aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to the long, sunny days. Shadows on the Sand is just the book to help readers hold on a little longer as Gayle Roper vividly brings to life late summer days by the seaside. In this mystery, the author explores the scary reality of cults. While a topic like cult-life could easily push a story to the heavy side, the novel is anything but that. Using romance and a great setting, Roper balances out the novel, delivering a light and easy-to-read mystery. I recommend Shadows on the Sand to anyone looking for a nice mystery/romance. Roper will take you on a trip to the seaside without ever leaving your chair.

Genre: Mystery

Missing Persons is the debut of an edgy, exciting new Kate Conway Mystery series featuring a funny, but cynical television producer turned amateur sleuth.  In the oddest chapter of her life, Kate navigates a sometimes dangerous path of lost love, bad television, unsolved cases, and her husband’s girlfriend, who keeps getting in the damn way.

Crime TV producer, Kate Conway has a pretty simple job. Gain the trust of unsuspecting interviewees to extract the true story and capture it all on camera – ideally, while they cry on cue. However, Kate finds herself on the other side of the line of questioning after she gets a call from her soon-to-be ex-husband’s lover, Vera Bingham who informs her that Frank, collapsed after playing basketball and was rushed to St. Anthony’s Hospital, where Frank dies from a heart attack. But an autopsy shows Frank had excessive amounts of digitalis in his body; And the two women in his life -Kate and Vera – are the prime suspects. To make matters worse – Frank’s grieving mistress suddenly wants to become Kate’s new best friend.

As the investigation into Frank’s death heats up, Kate throws herself into her work on a new television program Missing Persons. Her first assignment is the story of Theresa Moretti, a seemingly angelic young woman who disappeared a year earlier. Except, Theresa may not be as innocent as everyone thinks. Interviews with Theresa’s ex-boyfriend, her disinterested “best” friend, and an attractive, but amoral, local politician, lead Kate to believe she’s being lied to about the real Theresa. Although, All Kate wants is a clichéd story and twenty-two minutes of footage to take her mind off her own messy life, but when two cases appear to overlap, she begins digging into the case herself; but Kate needs to work fast before another body turns up – and it just may very well be her own.

Missing Persons is a mystery with surprising depth and smart, hip, snappy dialogue. Kate is a sharp, cynical, person who makes mistakes and learns from them – she grows and changes as the story progresses. The Kate Conway series is certain to become a favorite with mystery fans; and I, like many readers, look forward to seeing what O’Donohue does with the main character going forward.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Magical Realism

Publisher: Howard Books

Publication Date: September 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

Sheridan Riddler is the greatest painter of modern art in the universe. We know that because he screams it to the world at every possible turn. No one can capture reality, his reality, like Riddler. His muse and subject for all of his nudes is the love of his life, Suzanna. Yet she, the most beautiful woman he can imagine, remains faceless in his paintings. Even she cannot be allowed to cause people to think of anything but the great Riddler.

When Suzanna refuses to be painted nude again and walks away, Riddler pursues her deep into a Harlem of years gone by. But, as he walks in a drug induced stupor across the bridge above the Harlem River, Riddler is struck by a car and falls into the dark waters below. What happens in those waters is both revelation and curse. From the moment he awakens on the bank of the River with a river rat of a boy attempting to rob him, Sheridan Riddler is a man obsessed. The greatest artist in the universe saw something that is so immensely beyond him he will spend the rest of his life trying to recapture what he only knows to call “the Glory.”

From Buddhist monasteries, to time with a Muslim wise man in Turkey, to Tel Aviv on the verge of Sadam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, to the Sistine Chapel, to the shrines of Mexico, Riddler spends the next decades of his life searching for what he thinks he saw in the now fleeting pale memories of “the Glory.” At every turn he is disappointed. Michelangelo’ s grand paintings of God and man are frauds. Nothing comes close to what he saw as he sank in the dirty waters of the Harlem.

And now, someone knows Riddler must still be alive. A daughter he never knew has seen new paintings that could have only come from the hand of her father. And, an obsessed collector/assassin is following her to find Riddler. The collector has spent those years hoarding up Riddler’s masterpieces and doesn’t want any new paintings on the market. For him that means killing the artist the world still thinks is dead. All of their lives, father, daughter, beloved Suzanna, and assassin, are bound up in the artist’ reconciling what he has spent a lifetime trying to recapture and what he must finally die to – The Opposite of Art.

The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson is one of those rare novels I can manage such a detailed synopsis and yet have no fear of giving away the story. Any attempt to relate what is found within its pages in a review is as humbling as Riddler’s pursuit of “The Glory.” At best I can sketch a vague outline but only a writer with Dickson’s depth can paint the masterpiece.

This is magical realism at its best. Most of Riddler’s story is related through his remembrances as an aging man traveling with a quirky Mexican circus through the wilds of West Texas and New Mexico. Sometimes it is difficult to know if all that happens in the odd circus is the visions of a man with a mind rotted by drugs as a youth and addled by a fruitless pilgrimage.

One of the hallmarks of this kind of writing is that what is real is only known through the eyes and mind of its characters. What are we to think of an art collector assassin who believes justice is playing Russian roulette with himself before killing his target? Did Riddler really enter a circus trailer that in reality is an immense place of worship? Some of it seems wholly implausible but then again so is much of what we call reality. Magical Realism only works when the reader ceases to care if what they are reading could be true. It is true because that is the way the characters see it.

A synopsis barely scratches the surface of what The Opposite of Art is about. Take the time to read it. Read it slowly. Gaze at it like standing before the Grand Canyon for the first time. Ponder its images as Riddler does a canvas seeking to capture “the Glory.” My guess is a good number will grow impatient, flip a few pages in a book store, and go on to lighter fare. But for those brave and persistent enough to pursue the images and messages of this novel of a different kind the reward will prove more than worth it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Date: July 2011

Reviewed by Josh Olds

Rosemary Thomas is about to face death. Execution. Lethal injection. Found guilty of murdering her estranged husband—God (and the jury) knows she had the motive—but she didn’t commit the crime. At least that was her claim. Of course, that’s what they all say.

Christopher Thomas had been the curator of San Francisco’s McFall Art Museum, which, by all appearances, should have been a rather posh and cushy job, relatively free from worries or stress. He, was a philanderer, yes, and used his wife only to gain power within the world of art, but really, she should be the one thanking him for putting her higher up on the social ladder. In the end, it would matter for nothing, as both ended up dead.

But ten years later, the cop who oversaw the arrest of Rosemary Thomas is now convinced of her innocence. Somewhere, a killer still lurks, and his investigation reveals a tangled web of lies, deceit, and double-crossings. Jumping between timelines of the present and ten years prior, No Rest for the Dead, takes what seems to be an open-and-shut case and peels back more and more layers to reveal a grand scheme that could implicate any number of people. Christopher Thomas was a ruthless man with shady dealings in both his personal and professional lives. As Nunn unravels the case, he finds himself shocked by how deeply tied and twisted his new suspects actually are.

No Rest for the Dead is a unique collaboration of twenty-six top-notch writers, each submitting a chapter or more for the book. The old saying goes that too many cooks spoil the broth, but editors Andrew and Lamia Gulli do an excellent job of bringing the novel together into a cohesive whole. A few chapters here and there stand out as mildly out of place in technical areas such as character vocabulary or tone, but overall the authors do well in understanding the characters they’re given.

As David Baldacci says in the book’s introduction, the mystery genre is “the sole arena on processed paper where the reader can match wits with the creator.” No Rest for the Dead goes blow-by-blow, prodding the reader to make guesses yet still managing to completely surprise. I’ll admit it: I didn’t see the end coming. Engaging and unique, this novel’s not just a good read; it’s also done for a good cause. After all, getting 26 bestselling writers together is no easy task. All proceeds, minus contributor expenses, go to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Authors: Jeff Abbott, Lori Armstrong, David Baldacci, Sandra Brown, Thomas Cook, Jeffrey Deaver, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew F. Gulli, Peter James, J.A. Jance, Faye Kellerman, Raymond Khoury, John Lescroart, Jeff Lindsay, Gayle Lynds, Phillip Margolin, Alexander McCall Smith, Michael Palmer, T. Jefferson Parker, Matthew Pearl, Kathy Reichs, Marcus Sakey, Jonathan Santlofer, Lisa Scottoline, R.L. Stine, and Marcia Talley.    

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Bay Forest

Publication Date: August 2011

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Bret and Sara Vreeland have always struggled to make ends meet. Fancy cars, luxurious homes, and exotic vacations were the stuff of dreams and never within their reach. Until now.

After one of Sara’s patients dies she discovers she is the heiress to his six million dollar fortune. While Bret and Sara always believed that God had blessed them with a beautiful family and the basic needs of life, they can’t help but think now that God has truly smiled upon them.  After all, doesn’t God always reward those who are faithful?

Unfortunately for the Vreeland’s, someone in the shadows is watching. Someone who wants nothing more than to bring them harm. As their adversary draws closer, they are brought face to face with the mysteries of their past and their world is turned upside down. Now they can’t help but wonder if their blessing is indeed a curse.

Eric Wilson’s eleventh novel is the perfect blend of his early Aramis Black novels and his recent film novelizations (Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof). To both sides of his fan base Wilson offers up edgy mystery and suspense elements mixed with the relevant spiritual struggles of so many in our Christian culture. This is a modern retelling of the story of Job, and one that effectively challenges the “prosperity gospel” that runs rampant in Christian circles today.

I was hooked early on by how relatable the main characters are. Driving the old beater car, struggling with medical bills, wondering how you can afford to pay for your child’s sports team photo….most of us know exactly what that is like. One almost gets the feeling that Wilson is writing from experience, but surely that can’t be the case. It’s common knowledge that all writers are filthy rich.

Eric Wilson also treats us to one of the most unpleasant names in the history of villains: Magnus Maggart. And yes, this guy is as bad as he sounds. He brings a nice edge to the story with his twisted worldview and his unrelenting desire to wreck havoc. This is one baddie that won’t be easily forgotten.

One Step Away is the first in Eric Wilson’s By the Numbers series, and the perfect way to introduce long time fans and new readers alike to his new blend of storytelling styles. Never preachy, yet always profound and relevant, this is the kind of story that makes you ask the hard questions while you are flying through the pages.

What happens when God lets Satan test a family with a six million dollar blessing? There’s only one way to find out.

Don’t miss our podcast interview with the author here. 

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Romance

Publisher: Penguin Group

Publication Date: August 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Ellie Sullivan is a successful trauma surgeon who is loved by co-workers and patients alike. She has worked hard and has made many sacrifices to get this far. But when Ellie witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent, her life is turned upside down.

FBI agent Max Daniels has pursued the Landry’s for years. His hunt brings him to St. Louis and to the beautiful Dr. Sullivan. Neither one of them is looking for a relationship, but each time they are around one another the heat rises from 0 to 100 in seconds. Suddenly, keeping Ellie safe becomes very personal for Max. A task that is easier said than done, especially when her past crashes down around her.

The Ideal Man is a story of intense, whirlwind emotions—and following them, sometimes to a deadly ending. Fun and snappy banter between the characters keeps the story from becoming too heavy as the reader joins them on their emotional and terrifying ride. Garwood does a wonderful job at transferring the characters’ feelings to her audience. The reader will grip the book with anger, fear, and disappointment all before the novel is finished.

While I enjoyed the book’s fast pace, I didn’t like that it carried over to the romance. The relationship went too fast. Though Garwood tried to paint it as love, I never saw more than just plain lust. The reader should be prepared for some explicit bedroom scenes and crude conversations.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: The Penguin Group

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

Leonid McGill is back, in the third-and most enthralling and ambitious-installment in Walter Mosley’s latest New York Times- bestselling series,  The Thrill Is Gone.  As he did in his first two Leonid McGill mysteries, the bestselling The Long Fall and Known to Evil, Walter Mosley brings even greater nuance and insight to Leonid McGill, an already classic noir hero.  Not only does Walter Mosley create a story with a character so powerful readers will have a difficult time putting the book down,  he also creates a vivid and engrossing world of a New York where motives are always suspect and nothing is as it seems.

Leonid McGill, is a tough 55 year old, philosophic private detective – who still works out regularly, his wife, Katrina is having an affair with a younger guy. He has a girlfriend, Aura who has chosen to longer be intimate with him – at least for the time being.  His good friend, Gordo (whose presence in the story escapes me) is dying of cancer and staying in the den at Leonid’s house.  And to complicate his personal life even more, his stepson, Twill, has dropped out of school for mysteriously lucrative pursuits.

The story springs forth after a beautiful young woman walks into McGill’s office with a stack of cash. She tells him she is an artist, who has escaped from poverty via a marriage to a Billionaire, but is now in fear of her life and claims it is her very own husband who is plotting her demise  – the same fate she insist his first two wives met.  Although McGill knows better to believe every word a potential client says, taking on the mesmerizing woman with a ghetto sense of style, was just not a job he can afford to turn away.

At first readers may think, this is a simple case of Leonid McGill protecting a client, Chrystal Tyler from her very own homicide, that she alleges her husband plans to commit…but as this mystery begins to unfold, and the suspense intensifies, readers will discover that there’s a lot more drama than initially meets the eye- and not everyone is who they claim to be, nor are they as innocence as they profess.

The pace of the story is quick, with a number of side stories that somehow don’t get in the way of the main story – as a matter of fact some of the characters and the issues surrounding them are downright comical, case-in-point: Chrystal’s husband, Cyril believes he has the ability to will people dead with his mind – had any other writer added this to a novel of this depth, it probably would have just been silly, but Mosley’s gifted ability to include it as an interesting character flaw allowed it to flow with the story as though it were plausible.  Even the secondary character’s names emphasizes Mosley’s stylish and gifted flare for words;  within the pages, readers will run across characters such as:  Hush – a former hit man, an institutionalized  character named, Azure Freshstone-Chambers, a Lieutenant Kitteridge, Allondra North, Fawn David, Mr. Shelfly, Tatyana, and a host of others.

This isn’t an awesome novel, nor is it great story, but it is entertaining and a lot of interesting and weird things happen in this story and Mosley is such a wonderful and gifted wordsmith that you don’t notice that it lacks something you can’t quite pinpoint, until you finish reading the book – and that is, it seems to lack originality. In the meanwhile, Mosley keeps readers captivated with his elegant style of writing throughout the course of the novel.  Because, When the Thrill is Gone is Walter Mosley at his story-telling best – I think this is a worthwhile and easy read that has appeal for intermediate and adult readers, alike.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: YA, Mystery

Publisher: Random House 

Publication Date: August 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

The Black Heart Crypt holds the bodies, and ghosts, of generations of Ickleby men – not a one of them a decent person.  Virginia, Sophie, and Hannah Jennings have sealed the ghosts in the crypt; the only way they can get out is if someone undoes the black stone heart puzzle used to seal the spell.  Zach Jennings is the nephew of the Jennings sisters; he can see ghosts, as could his father George before him, until the sisters helped George lose that particular gift.  They are ready to help Zack, if he wants them to.  Of course, the Ickleby’s may have something to say about all of this.

Zack’s friend Malik undoes the puzzle, thereby releasing the Ickleby’s.  He does this not knowing what solving the puzzle will do, although he and Azalea, Zach’s other good friend, soon find out.  Halloween is not a good time to be releasing ghosts; the veil between the natural world and the supernatural world is very thin at Halloween, and the Ickleby’s know this.  They try their best to continue their evil ways, although the Jennings sisters are fighting them at every turn.

Grabenstein has written mysteries for adults as well as the Zach Jennings series.  While his plots are pretty straightforward in the Zack books, his characters are just as well developed and subject to growth as those in his other series.  The series gives young male readers something that isn’t all that different from the world they know, and still it challenges their imaginations and reasoning abilities.  Readers can see, over the three books that Zach gets through things by thinking them through, by doing the right thing, and by enlisting help from his friends and family.  Zach grows up a little bit in each book.

Caveat Emptor: Minimal language issues, minor violence, definite references and acceptance of the supernatural world.

Review copy provided by the author.

Genre: Mystery/Children’s Fiction

Publisher: Open Road

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

When a new recycling center comes to Greenfield, more than just reusable trash shows up at the gate. Trouble arrives. Strange things happen and it’s up to Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny to solve the mystery and uncover who is breaking into the “Use it Again Recycling Center.” Along the way, the four children will encounter all sorts of interesting characters — some of which will try to make their task harder.

Veteran mystery solvers Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden are back in the Boxcar Children series latest book, The Clue in the Recycling Bin. Growing up, I couldn’t get enough of the boxcar children. They gave me my first taste of mystery (a genre I’ve been hooked to ever since). When I saw this newest installment, I just had to read it. I wanted to see if they were as good as I remembered. They are better! Granted the mysteries are easier for me to solve now, but I notice so much more than I did. For example, its values. Through the Aldens, young readers are taught respect, hard work, responsibility, and much more.

The valuable lessons in the series are as ageless as its four main characters — that somehow haven’t aged a bit from that first book that came out long before I was even born! The Clue in the Recycling Bin maintains that legacy. This novel explores the importance of recycling and protecting the environment by using fewer natural resources.

Even as an adult, I am still a big fan of this series. Parents can comfortably give these books to their children and know they are in good hands. I strongly recommend The Clue in the Recycling Bin to all young (or young at heart) mystery readers out there. Happy reading!

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Obsidian

Publication Date: July 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Finding a murderer is a dirty job.  Beth Kennedy remembers that from the last time, which goes a long way toward explaining why she doesn’t really want to do it again.  Her best friend Marina thinks she can do a better job than the police can.  Most of the customers at her bookstore (Children’s Bookshelf) already think she is investigating.  However, the last time, her kids wound up in danger; Beth just doesn’t want to go there again.  Still, who in the world would want to kill Sam Helmstetter, a guy truly beloved by the entire town of Rynwood, Wisconsin.  Well, there is obviously one major exception, since Sam was strangled with his own scarf in his pickup truck.  But nobody owns up to that little fact.

Beth’s hand is forced when the town finds out that her new hire Yvonne, was convicted of killing a man in almost exactly the same way.  It matters not to most people that she was later exonerated and pardoned.  All they see is that she was convicted.  The business at the Children’s Bookshelf falls off due to this and to the picketing.  Beth knows that she has to do something to convince people that Yvonne did not kill Sam.  It’s Thanksgiving season and her business depends on the sales from now until Christmas.  Beth and Marina start making lists, checking them twice, crossing off suspects one by one.  Of course, the local police are enthusiastic about Beth’s interest.  It was bad enough the last time.  Having her beat them to the killer twice is so bad for the department!

FOUL PLAY is Alden’s second book in the PTA series.  One is sometimes afraid to read the second book, especially if the first one was as good as MURDER AT THE PTA was.  Fear not.  Alden is good.  This book proves that MURDER wasn’t a fluke.  Beth and the ensemble characters around her are people anyone might know, with the faults and good points one expects.  The motive is as old as time.  Alden captures the politics, public and private, of a small town very well.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: YA, Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

If you’re reading Gravestone, it’s likely that you will have read the book that comes before it, Solitary. If not, stop now, go the library or your closest store and get a copy. Gravestone is not the book with which you want to start. Now that said, there be spoilers for Solitary in this review, so if you haven’t read that one yet, you might want to wait on this review as well.

Now that all of the housekeeping is out of the way, let me start by saying this. Chris Buckley is in trouble. If he didn’t realize it before, he knows it now. Everyone in the town believes that his girlfriend, Jocelyn, broke up with him and moved away. They’ve even gotten emails to prove that she’s there and she wants nothing to do with him. But Chris knows different. Jocelyn was killed by a group of people right in front of his eyes. He watched her die. But no one believes him and now, he’s on their radar.

So as Chris tries to keep his head down at the same time that he tries to figure out how to get himself and his mother out of this mess. Oh and speaking of his mother, she’s in the mess too. She’s been having nightmares at night about a man coming into her room. Or are they nightmares? And what’s up with that creepy pastor of that weird church with the upside down crosses?? Why’s he suddenly hanging around so much?

As Travis Thrasher’s Solitary series presses on toward what we can only imagine is a cataclysmic battle of good and evil, this second installment to the series leaves no thrills or chills behind. Unfolding like an old fashioned Hitchcockian adventure, this book is guaranteed to leave you with goose bumps and perhaps, a desire to check all the cabinetry in your home to be sure it’s really what it’s supposed to be.

Containing a variety of pop culture references sure to make you laugh, cringe and more deeply enjoy the tale, one can’t help but compare Thrasher’s work to that of the culture bending phenomenon that was the television show, LOST. Leaving you with more questions than answers but promising (in the author’s notes at the end) that he really does know where he’s going and where this will end up, it’s hard not to see the parallels.

If you enjoyed LOST, you’ll enjoy Gravestone and all that is Travis Thrasher’s Solitary series. If you weren’t a fan of meandering through endless mazes of questions without answers, it might not be the ride for you. But still, packed full of endless plot twists, fascinating characters and engaging dialogue, it’s easy to see how this book will enthrall audiences and keep them coming back to see what Thrasher has to throw at them next.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Historical

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: August 2010

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Bess Crawford is on her way back to England having survived the sinking of the Britannic with only a broken arm.  She is on a mission.  One of the patients she nursed until he died has asked her to deliver a very specific message to a very specific family member, with the obvious intention of righting an old wrong.  She is rather surprised that the family does not intend to do anything in response to her message.

Due to some circumstances that don’t seem unlikely, given the time period, Bess begins to have some idea of what that wrong might have been.  Based on her upbringing and her career, she feels an obligation to pursue an investigation that nobody else wants pursued.  All the while, she is trying to keep her father from finding out what she is doing; he would almost certainly not approve.  She is further driven by a feeling that she failed another patient (not related to the family in question) and succeeding in righting this wrong will go a long way toward assuaging the guilt she feels about her perceived failure.

Charles Todd has a history of writing very good, if not excellent, historical mysteries.  The Inspector Ian Rutledge series is twelve books long, and the first (A TEST OF WILLS) was superb.  This is the second in the Bess Crawford series.  The time period is not the same, the main characters have some commonalities but only in broad ways, but the writing is just as good.

Warning: Minimal language issues, minor violence, some adult issues are addressed.

Review Copy provided by the author.

Genre: Mystery, Horror, Psychological Thriller

Publisher: Kensington

Publication Date:  February 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer S. Roman

This book has been sitting on my pile of books to review for a while, and since I have already read Funaro’s The Sculptor, I was getting antsy to get to The Impaler.  It was definitely worth the wait.  It’s not written in the typical murder mystery style; rather, there are three parts to the story.  In the first part, Detective Markham and the reader are introduced to the gruesome murders that start appearing in rural North Carolina.  People are impaled with large stakes through their rectums and out through their upper torsos.  At first glance, all the victims appear to be gang members, but some sleuthing turns up another connection.  In part two, the reader is introduced to The General, who is the Impaler.  He refers to himself as the General because he is the leader of the army meant to take out certain people in order to reconnect with loved ones on “the other side.”  Obviously, this person has severe mental issues and a lack of connection to reality.  This portion focuses on his history and how he became the General/Impaler.  Finally, in the third part, the reader is treated to the General’s final plans and Markham’s tracking down of this killer.  Where a usual murder mystery would leave the reader guessing until the end to find out who the killer is, Funaro uses a different tactic and decides to let the reader know by the second part.  A great deal of story is written from the General/Impaler’s perspective, which really lends a shot of creepiness to the whole thing.

I have been a fan of some other psychological thriller writers for some time, but they have become old hat compared to Gregory Funaro.  They may sometimes put some more surprises out there, but Funaro manages to get into the sickness, the madness, of what is going on in these killers’ heads.  He terrorizes us readers by showing us what motivates those killers.  I am not an expert on psychopaths, and I don’t know how accurate this rendition of one is, but if a real psychopath is anything like what Funaro depicts, I don’t ever want to meet one in person.  The General/Impaler scared me out of my wits.  I like being scared in books, so this was an amazing experience.  However, this book is not for everyone.  There is a great deal of gore, angry violence, including violence against children and animals.  There are a couple of scenes in which sodomy is described.  There is a great deal of profanity, and there is a suicide.  Readers who can’t tolerate such scenarios should be warned.  I am still reeling from some of the scenes.

A reader who can tolerate a lot of violence and who enjoys psychological thrillers should be very happy with Funaro’s latest installment.  He’s got a great imagination and manages to relate even the most mundane activity to a crime.  He’s writes cleanly and doesn’t include unnecessary details, but does include details that are creepy and that make the story.  He shows that he has done a lot of research to get details just right.  I also like that while Markham is important to the story, the reader doesn’t get a lot of details about his life.  Some people want the hero to be developed, but in this case, all eyes should be on the villain.  I can’t wait to read Funaro’s next book.

Review copy provided by author.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Severn House

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Did you grow up reading Agatha Christie, John Dickson Carr, Mary Roberts Rinehart, and Dorothy Sayers?   Did you love them, and wish there were more writers like that?  If you haven‘t read Jeanne M. Dams, in particular her Dorothy Martin series, you have a treat in store for you.  Her latest entry in the series, number 10, takes the traditions of Golden Age mystery and brings them up-to-date.  Dorothy Martin and her husband Alan Nesbitt are looking forward to seeing the Guy Fawkes’ fireworks from a converted thirteenth-century abbey.  Dorothy is an American who has made her retirement dream come true: she lives in England.

As one might expect, things do not go as planned.  Two of the houseguests are boorish, rude, and very inclined to drink.  Unfortunately they are related to the woman of the house, so can’t be sent away.  One of the guests is the former owner of the Abbey.  One is an American photographer, sent to do a coffee table book about Branston Abbey.  The rest of the guests are colorful, and the help are wonderfully reliable, having been connected to the Abbey for generations.  This could be an interesting mix for a weekend, but not for much longer.  Of course, the weekend is extended.

Most of England is hit by “the storm of the century” or at least the last decade or so.  Hurricane-force winds.  Rain in buckets, buckets that just keep coming.  When all is said and done, the Abbey is totally isolated from the nearest village or anyone that could help.  Even the cell phone towers have been downed.  This might make for a physically uncomfortable weekend: no lights, no power, and all the normal entertainments no longer an option.  The thing that takes this out of the realm of a someday amusing story is the body found tangled in the roots of an ancient toppled oak tree.

The obvious questions are simple: how long has the body been there, and who is it?  There are some reasonable suppositions, although not everyone agrees with the obvious answers.  Alan, in his capacity as a former Chief Constable, has the authority to ask questions and attempt to preserve evidence (unofficial authority, given by the current owner).  Then matters escalate, some of the guests disappear, and contemporary bodies are found.  This takes the “interesting puzzle” aspects of the situation to a totally different level.  Much as Dorothy enjoys a puzzle, this isn’t fun anymore.

There are several sub-plots, one of the signs of a decent mystery writer.  Dams connects them all to the over-riding mystery, which takes things up a notch.  Her characters are believable, the setting is amazing.  Dorothy’s reflections on the difference between an American’s sense of history and a Brit’s are something to think about.  Although it is not necessary to start at the beginning of the series to enjoy DARK AND STORMY (another sign of a capable writer), there is pleasure to be had in watching Dorothy and her cohorts grow and change over the course of ten books.  The first in the series is THE BODY IN THE TRANSEPT. Enjoy!

Review copy provided by the author.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Multnomah

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

If you haven’t already heard, Mark Mynheir author of The Watchman has written a new Ray Quinn Mystery Novel. And although this is an excellent follow-up to The Night Watchman, make no mistakes about it; The Corruptible truly stands fully on its own, as a first rate detective novel from a real detective.

In The Corruptible, we find Ray Quinn an ex-Orlando Police Department-homicide detective being hired by, Armon Mayer, a Germophobic and the wealthy head of an investment firm – to recover a 300-gig computer hard drive that contains sensitive information on the firm’s clients – a relatively simple case of property retrieval. But, when Ray Quinn starts his investigation, he finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation, with too many suspects.

Oh, did I mention that Ray retired from the OPD after being shot and he now relies on a cane and a bottle of Jim Beam to get him through the pain everyday – because by his own admission, he “drinks Jim Beam in place of pain killers because they numb him and mess with his head, but at least with Jim he can function.”

The Corruptible allows its readers to discover and root for a flawed hero who at times is funny, and deeply human, most of all, readers will get engrossed in a story of what appears to be a simple open and shut case of murder, if there is such a thing, but once Ray discovers the body of the suspected hard drive thief, ex-cop Logan Ramsey in a seedy motel room, it spirals into so much more.

And unfortunately for Ray, the brown satchel with his client’s information is nowhere to be found. To add to the intensity Ray’s employer is less than forthcoming with the details, and suddenly the line between the good guys and bad guys isn’t so clear. It will take more than the client’s fat paycheck to keep Ray from using every means at his disposal to find the killer and the truth behind the missing hard drive, or will it?

In addition to his friends still on the force, Ray’s support staff consists of his Fedora wearing partner-in-training, Crevis Creighton, who happens to be Dyslexic, provides the muscle – while learning the ropes. And Pam Winters, a teacher at a private school, whose brother’s death was initially ruled a murder-suicide until Ray’s investigation proved otherwise and cleared the Pastor’s name – this back-story is from in The Night Watchman – Pam does some part time work for Ray, She is also helping Crevis prepare for the written test for the police academy – which Crevis managed to fail at least twice already.

The Corruptible is a compelling read that has appeal for intermediate and adult readers, alike.  Interestingly, Mark Mynheir provides an actual insider’s viewpoint about the grainy world of private investigator, Ray Quinn – as he investigates, murder and money in Orlando, Florida. It begins smooth and subtle, then explodes into an action-packed story with strong characters, crisp dialogue, and viable suspects that will literally have you guessing until the arrest is made, right up to the bitter end.

Do you have the detective skills to solve this complicated mystery before it’s too late – dive into the pages of The Corruptible….and find out.

I don’t know how many Ray Quinn Mystery installments Mynheir has in store, but I would definitely enjoy reading another.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Paranormal, Mystery

Publisher: Signet and Brilliance Audio

Publication Date: February 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Remy Chandler is a private eye in contemporary Boston.  He is hired by a woman to find her daughter, an autistic girl with an unusual power.  The woman is convinced that her husband took Zoë.  Remy Chandler is not the only person looking for this little girl.  A woman named Delilah believes that Zoë has the power to give Delilah the one thing in the world that Delilah wants the most.  Another group of people, followers of an ancient god, also wants Zoë.  She was born to be the new repository of the spirit of Dagon, until her parents backed out of the deal.  Dagon is not happy about this.

As one can tell from this brief intro, Remy Chandler does not live in the “real” Boston.  Remy Chandler is also Remiel, one of the host Seraphim.  He deals with cases involving issues of Heaven and Hell, Tartarus, minions of Satan, the Morning Star, and others of another world.  Delilah is THE Delilah, and Samson and his numerous offspring are pursuing her; Samson is determined to kill her.   Remy has to work hard to keep Remiel in check; releasing the power of the Heavens is not something he does lightly.  Remiel, on the other hand, would just as soon be free of the human nature that Remy imposes on him.

This is the third in the series.  Some of the continuing characters are interesting in their own right, not just as characters in Remy’s world.  Fans of dogs will particularly enjoy the characterization of Marlowe, Remy’s black Lab.  His presence in the book is brief but always amusing.  He’s just such a dog.  The Almighty, on the other hand, is a very Old Testament deity in Sniegoski’s universe.  Remy frequently ponders the arbitrariness and seemingly random nature of the Almighty’s decisions.  This God is not the forgiving god of the New Testament.

Sniegoski has an interesting and different take on Christianity, at least as demonstrated by this book and the previous one (Dancing on the Head of a Pin, which dealt with the return of The Morning Star aka Satan [sort of] to Tartarus).  Fans of Jim Butcher will probably find much to enjoy in Sniegoski’s work, although he can be very repetitive sometimes.  Luke Daniels, who is very competent, read both this book and DANCING.  Once in a great while, one character will sound a bit reminiscent of another, but not very often.  He is easy to listen to.

Warning: MAJOR language issues (drops the f-bomb with startling frequency, among other cuss words), sporadic but often quite graphic violence. These guys fight hard.

Book purchased by reviewer.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Ransom Note Press

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Miss Scarlett with the revolver in the billiard room.

To my fellow Clue game lovers, who relish the opportunity at putting their sleuthing skills to work, I have just the book for you! Nine graduates of a detective-training agency receive a mysterious invitation to spend their class reunion in an isolated inn. When the body of their host is discovered, they realize a deadly weekend awaits them. As a ghost-like killer eliminates the guests one by one, the investigators must use their wits in an attempt to survive. Stranded and with the knowledge that the murderer is one of them, suspicion and fear run high. With secrets flowing thicker than blood, some to kill for, who will be the last one standing?

Eric Keith’s, Nine Man’s Murder is like playing Clue, but this time with the background story. The question is, can you figure out the mystery? Keith creates a maze of betrayal, deceit, and death that will keep the reader tense and jumpy as the clock steadily ticks toward the final hour. While I suggest the reader not become too attached to the characters (you never know who will be next!), Keith makes it very difficult not to. Even as their dark pasts surfaced, I couldn’t help wishing for the impossible — their survival.

Nine Man’s Murder reminded me of the TV show that aired in 2009, Harper’s Island, thankfully, without all the blood and gore. In a story where everyone is guilty of something, who can you trust? With a strong Agatha Christie feel to it, this is one book her fans will devour. I hope Keith continues to write suspense-filled plots with twists around every corner.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: YA, Mystery

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Publication Dates: May 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Griffin Sharpe isn’t quite sure what to think of his uncle. Never having met him before, he’s only heard a few things from his mother about what life was like growing up with her brother. So when she sends Griffin off to stay with him for the summer, he’s certain there will be lots of adventure and fun. And with his uncle’s very famous address of 221 Baker Street in London? Griffin’s absolutely certain that he knows precisely who his mysterious uncle is. After all, Griffin has an incredible eye for detail and a photographic memory. His mother and father don’t, so he must have gotten it somewhere in the family. A detective at 221 Baker Street? His uncle MUST be Sherlock Holmes!

Imagine his deep disappointment when he discovers that Mr. Holmes resides at 221 B Baker Street. His uncle is, instead, a beaten down, dirty, crude and rude man named Rupert Snodgrass. And Uncle Rupert is not happy at all about having a little boy he doesn’t know on his doorstep.

Instantly, the two of them get along like oil and water. Though Griffin does his best to do every single thing he can to keep his uncle happy, it doesn’t seem to matter. Griffin prays and seeks God’s will at every turn for how he can reach his uncle and at the same time, he tries to survive this trip to London without starving to death or getting himself in trouble.

On Sunday morning after his arrival, Griffin takes some of his very own hard earned cash, hails a carriage to take him to church, and finds himself smack in the middle of a mystery begging for the considerable talents of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. A woman sobbing in the street is begging for Mr. Holmes and needs to know where and how to find him. Griffin knows what he must do and he takes the woman immediately back to 221 Baker Street. He runs upstairs and bangs all over the door, but Mr. Holmes appears to be gone.

This is how Uncle Rupert and Griffin soon became the lead detectives on a huge case involving a missing clockmaker, the Loch Ness monster and missing Chinese fireworks.

Lethcoe’s adventure is fantastic, incredible, delightful, and one of the best reads I’ve had in a long time. Griffin’s character is brilliant. I loved him from the very first second for his keen eye and tender heart. His uncle is a wonderful antithesis to the incredibly spotless paradigm of perfection that is Sherlock Holmes. With a tight paced fast running adventure, witty and fun dialogue and plot twists that are sometimes breathtaking, Lethcoe has created a nearly perfect adventure. When I got to the end, I definitely wanted more. (Despite the fact I wanted to throw the book across the room too!) I was so glad to hear that Griffin’s next adventures are expected soon. The Future Door is slated to release in December and I guarantee I’ll be first in line for that one.

Don’t miss our recent podcast interview with Jason Lethcoe.

Reviewed copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Romance

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Publication Dates: April 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Rowan Tripp is a woman in a man’s world. She’s a “Zulie.” That’s a fire jumper from Missoula Montana. She’s one of the best in her field and she knows it. She spends her entire life being ready for whatever comes around the corner. At least she thinks she is. The last thing she expects is to lose her own partner, Jim, in a jump.

The next season after Jim’s death is a tough one for Rowan. With the new recruits coming in, it’s her job to help make sure they’re ready for the field and the fire. Literally. One of the men, Gulliver Curry, has his eye on Rowan. Even though she doesn’t consort with other firefighters, there’s something about Gulliver and he recognizes something amazing about her immediately as well.

Into Rowan’s chaos comes an angry cook (Dolly) who’d dated Jim on several occasions. Now burdened as a single mother and insisting that the child is Jim’s, she’s certain that Jim’s death sits on Rowan’s shoulders. So when people start dying around them and accidents start happening in the gear before and during jumps, everyone assumes it’s Dolly. But is that really the case?

Nora Roberts is obviously a brilliant author. With a bajillion books under her belt (Hey, look it up! That’s a fact!) there has to be a sour note every now and then. It’s the law of averages. Thankfully, Chasing Fire is not it. Dealing with heartache, guilt and issues that many of us deal with on a smaller level in our own lives, Roberts takes us on a journey of love and healing at the same time we navigate a tense and thrilling mystery.

The plot is suspenseful, keeps you guessing, and ends with a climactic revelation that will leave you gasping. Rowan’s character is strong, fights hard and though she has an edge, she’s still soft enough to be all woman.

Roberts creates characters that sometimes drive us crazy, make us laugh and above all things, that we admire. Chasing Fire is no different. It’s a long, hot, fast paced ride through the lives of men and women who put their lives on the line for us constantly and once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: April 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Paula Halliday is managing an exhibit at The Big Apple Flower Show for her friend who does large metal sculptures.  She hopes to pick up some gardening tips at the show, and have a good time in New York City.  She doesn’t bargain for a couple of murders and a whole lot of chaos.  Oh sure, there’s always chaos at some point when one is working a large convention – that’s part of the deal.  The Javits Curse is not.  Exhibits are vandalized.  Sprinkles go off at the wrong time.  So do all the lights.  Or the power.  And people are getting killed.  Not quite what Paula had in mind.

Neither is becoming a suspect.  The police think she knows where the major suspect is and/or that she is a suspect.  In order to clear her name, Paula decides to investigate.  She thinks she can find out things from attendees and other exhibitors that the police can’t, or that they won’t recognize as being important.  Plus she wants to find the guy who left his bag in her exhibit, so she can tell him it was stolen.

As anyone who has ever been to a convention knows, there are always lots of people involved.  The same is true for the BAFS, and Paula meets most of them.  The core group of assistants becomes recognizable fairly quickly.  Harris does flesh out the stereotypes, which is always pleasant to see, while poking a stick at how real people can succumb all to easily to those same stereotypes.  Using a convention as a setting takes Paula out of her comfort zone and makes her stretch a little bit. Harris can plot well, another pleasure.

All in all, Slugfest is a solid fourth entry in the Dirty Business series. While it is not necessary to read them in order (Harris ensures that each can be read independently), readers who prefer to read them in order should have no trouble finding the first three.

Review copy provided by author.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

The brothers are Reggie and Nigel Heath.  Reggie is a barrister in London.  Nigel is off in California as a direct result of ignoring a condition of their lease at 221-B Baker Street.  All letters to Sherlock Holmes are to be answered with a form letter provided by the landlord.  Reggie and Nigel failed to do this, and it has cost them both quite a bit.  Reggie has no clients, no fortune, and his girl friend is dating Lord Buxton, a tabloid owner.  In fact, her breast in his hand is the cover photograph for this week’s edition.  Reggie is a trifle upset about this.

When he does get a case, it looks like a slam-dunk for the prosecution.  They have two eyewitnesses and a tape of the cab owned and operated by his client at the scene of the crime, the murder of some American tourists.  Reggie gets an anonymous note that leads him to information that gets his client off.  The same man is then accused of murdering yet another person.  There has been a rash of crimes connected to Black Cabs, a line noted for its upstanding reputation, and Lord Buxton’s paper has been giving those crimes great publicity.  

There is a seemingly minor complication.  Letters to Sherlock Holmes keep arriving; the disturbing ones claim to be from a relative of Moriarty.  As the plot twists and turns, the fine hand of Moriarty’s descendant seems to be pulling all kinds of strings.  Buxton seems to be going out of his to make Reggie’s life more difficult and to irritate Reggie by flaunting the details of his relationship with Laura.  Are the two connected?  What happened to Darla Rennie, the solicitor who sent Reggie’s client his way?

Not having read the first book in the series (The Baker Street Letters), I can’t compare the two.  I can say that Brothers has good characters, a great plot, and plenty of room for sequels.  I did find that I had to work a bit at the beginning to get into the book.  The references to Letters were frequent but didn’t give enough of the back-story to get me up to speed.  Once the plot really kicked in on Brothers, the pace was right on target.  Readers don’t have to know very much about the Sherlockian canon to enjoy this book.  True Sherlockians may find much to enjoy.

Warning: Minimal language issues, minor violence (this IS a mystery – somebody has to die)

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Dr. Bill Brockton finds himself in the Florida panhandle, doing a favor for a student who doesn’t believe her sister committed suicide.  While he’s there, a dog brings in a skull.  The local police ask Dr. Brockton to take a look at it, as they don’t have a forensic anthropologist handy.  He tells them it’s the skull of an adolescent male, and that it’s been in the ground for a while – more than a year or two.  Then the dog brings in another skull.  Same story.  There is no missing persons report that matches the age of either of the dead boys; at least one of the boys was murdered.

Dr. Brockton continues to investigate, although it becomes quite clear that there are forces out there who would very much like him to pack his bags and go back where he came from.  The stakes get higher when the owner of the skull-finding dog is murdered, as well as the dog.  Brockton finds out that the skulls may have something to do with an old boys reform school.  It’s difficult to find the connections because neither the people who worked there nor the boys who were incarcerated there have any inclination at all to talk to Brockton about the school.  What are these people afraid of?

Although it is not a situation unique to the South, it seems to sometimes be more prevalent there that old sins cast long shadows.  The sins of the North Florida Boys’ Reformatory, when Brockton finally uncovers the truth, come back with a vengeance for those who committed the sins.  This is a work of fiction, so there is punishment of one sort or another for those who’ve earned it.

Unfortunately, that is not true nearly enough in the “real” world, and The Bone Yard is based on an actual reform school that still exists in Florida.  For those who think rehabilitation actually goes on in juvenile detention facilities, please read the Author’s Note at the end of The Bone Yard.  It is enlightening, and not at all optimistic.  The Bone Yard is well written, enthralling, and should take the reader on that roller-coaster ride that thrillers promise.

Warning: One description of rape (fairly mild, as these things go), some non-gratuitous violence, minimal bad language.

Review Copy provided by the publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur

Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Sheriff Kat Campbell enjoys living in Perry Hollow, a small town in Pennsylvania.  It’s a good place for her and for her son.  She’s building a life there.  Henry Goll has the life he wants in Perry Hollow.  He writes the obituaries for the local paper and keeps a very low profile.  Nick Donnelly works for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and spends his spare time talking to serial killers.  Their paths intersect when the mutilated body of a local farmer is found in a pine casket on the side of a road.  Nick enters the case because the mutilations bear a strong resemblance to the corpses left by the “Betsy Ross Killer”.  Perry Hollow actually finds this reassuring; if it’s the serial killer, then it’s not one of them.  They, unfortunately, are wrong.

Henry Goll becomes involved because the killer persists in faxing death notices to him about his victims; they arrive before the victim is dead.  A death notice is not an obituary.  Goll does not do what so many fictional characters do: he does not decide to investigate on his own.  He takes the first death notice right to Kat as soon as he realizes that the time stamp on each fax is important.

The three people, along with ancillary personnel, are not happy with having to work with each other.  Each has an understandable reason for their unhappiness.  They make the adult and rational decision to do what must be done to catch the killer, no matter how difficult on a personal level that job may be. An admirable portrayal of fictional characters in that world normally populated by amateurs who think they know best.  In making this decision, they eventually confront and reveal their reasons for not wanting to work together.  This means that, as characters, they grow.

Ritter’s portrayal of Perry Hollow is charming.  It is a lovely small town.  The people there lose some of their naiveté as the knowledge that a killer is living and functioning perfectly well in their midst begins to sink in.  Ritter conveys that loss subtly.

Death Notice is Ritter’s first novel.  Readers looking for a good mystery and a deftly paced thriller, a believable police procedural with strong characters should be happy with Death Notice.  One hopes that a sequel is in the works.

Warning: This novel contains graphic descriptions of embalming procedures and an element of “kid jep” towards the end.

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Reviewed by P.J. Coldren

Beth Kennedy is a single working mother, so her plate is plenty full.  Her two kids are finally getting used to her marital situation.  She’s making a go of her independent bookstore in the small town of Rynwood, Wisconsin.  When her best friend Marina suggests she run for secretary of the local PTA, Beth is less than excited.  Marina is good at arm-twisting; Beth agrees to run.  As anyone who has ever lived in a small town knows, there are no such things as elections for PTA officers.  One mentions one might consider it – one is sworn in at once.  So it goes with Beth.

At her first meeting as official secretary, the principal of the elementary school drops a bombshell.  Agnes Mephisto is approaching retirement age, and there doesn’t seem to be a soul in the town who would mourn that day.  She has an uncanny knack for rubbing people the wrong way, alienating parents, wearing down teachers, going around the school board.  Her news?  She has come up with private funding for an addition, and has already consulted an architect, who has drawn up plans for this addition.  The crowd goes wild, and not in a good way.

Because Beth owns the children’s bookstore, every parent in town comes to her to complain and kvetch.  Not that she can do anything, as she keeps telling everyone.  Then Agnes is killed.  The suspect list is huge.  Marina and Beth decide they must find the killer, although their reasons for making this decision are quite disparate.

This is Alden’s first book, and it has been nominated for an Agatha Award.  Rightly so.  Alden creates believable characters acting and reacting in believable ways.  The actual situation might be a stretch, but not a very big one.  The motive, when it becomes apparent, is as old as time.  There are the beginnings of a romance for Beth; Alden seems to be taking her time with this story arc, which bodes well for the reader and for the series.  All in all, a commendable book for a new author.

Review Copy provided by the publisher.

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Comedy

Publisher: L&L Dreamspell

Publication Dates: June 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Laurel McKay really isn’t sure she’s interested in dating at all. Divorced and barely holding her job and her family together, adding dates to the mix doesn’t seem like a wise idea. But still, she decides that instead of trying internet dating, she’ll give a higher end ‘love club’ a try. With an extensive security process and more elite clients, she’s sure that it’s going to work better than previous dates she’s had. Unfortunately, this one sets a record for nearly the worst date ever. After he tries to go too far with him, she smashes him in the face with his cell phone and the next morning? He ends up dead. She, of course is covered in his blood from the night before and her fingerprints are all over the inside of the car. Not good.
What’s worse for Laurel is that the detective investigating the crime is a soccer dad whose daughter plays against Laurel’s son and whom Laurel doesn’t really like very much. So when Detective Hunk…er Hunter, hits the case, Laurel isn’t sure what to think. He makes a joke about following her on her next date to make sure the homicide count doesn’t rise. Hah. Hah.

Remember when I said that her earlier date was almost the worst date ever? Her second Love Club attempt turns out worse. How can it be worse than a date showing up dead the next day? How about dying mid-date – while Laurel is in the bathroom with no alibi!

Cindy Sample’s story is funny, smart and has a fast paced plot that keeps you guessing. Could it be her boss? Her ex-husband? Some random killings? And how does Laurel manage to hold herself together in the midst of a serial killer’s work?

Sample’s characters are realistic and quirky without being over the top. They are easily relatable and as you’re reading, it would be easy to see yourself hanging out with them. As her heroine balances life, divorce, romance and mystery solving, she does it with grace, panache and just enough humor to keep you laughing along.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it to be a fun weekend read. Light, funny and clean enough to be shared amongst friends without apologies or remorse, Dying for a Date will keep you laughing, intrigued, and very very happy that Cindy Sample isn’t writing your life story.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Publication Dates: February 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Eve Dallas loves being a cop. She loves the ‘blue line’ and as difficult as it can be sometimes, she does love investigating homicides. Putting the pieces together to bring justice to homicide victims is more than her job. It IS Eve Dallas. So when her partner, Peabody, stumbles across a dirty cop ring in Eve’s precinct, there’s no question that she’s going to do something about it.  As she says, “The blue line breaks for wrong cops.”

Instead of working this through her division as she normally does, Dallas has to walk cautiously. How can she get involved in what should be an internal investigation? Her opening comes when one of these dirty cops calls for a hit on an informant, assuming that no one will care about a dead junkie on the street somewhere. It’s set up to look like a suicide, but Dallas knows better and this is where she’s going to drive Renee Oberman absolutely mad.

Oberman, the daughter of a famed and revered police chief, has taken everything that her father held honorable and turned it on its head. Respect, honor, dignity and justice all have completely different meanings for Oberman and Dallas is determined that she’s going to go down.

In this Dallas mystery, Robb takes everything that we’ve learned about Eve Dallas over the past 30+ books and creates the exact mirror image of her in Oberman. In a very literal way, Oberman and Dallas are two nearly identical cops on the opposite sides of everything. Where Dallas is less worried about her clothes and her appearance, Oberman is precise, perfect and always in order. Where Dallas is always concerned about justice and truth, Oberman couldn’t care less. Her world has an order and you must fall into that order.

Robb’s storytelling is, much like Oberman’s appearance, precision at its best. Every piece of the puzzle fits together into a glorious end result that will leave you reeling with the adventure you’ve just experienced. If you would have told me six months ago that I would have been delighted and even giggling at a female cat fight witnessed by officers in a police station, I would have categorically insisted that you were wrong. That is not me and it’s not something that I enjoy. Yet Robb’s accounting of these two women is spot on, brilliant, and by the time you’re halfway through this book, you’ll be just as eager as Dallas to see Oberman’s fall.

You would think that with 30+ books in this series alone, that there’s no way Robb can keep up the pace of excellence. She shatters that idea with this book. Though I haven’t read all of the Eve Dallas mysteries, I can say that of the ones that I have read, her books seem to be getting better and better. Treachery in Death was my favorite thus far and I am thrilled to say that Robb appears to be nowhere near slowing down.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Romance

Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Every citizen of Serendipity hates Bud Pickleman. However, only Paige Turner threatens him hours before his body is unearthed at her work site and with her bloodied shovel lying nearby. But she didn’t murder him.

Police Chief Mitch Lawson, an old classmate who carries a grudge, will stop at nothing to put Paige behind bars. Paige hires an attorney, Adam Hayes as her defense. Their differing opinions on how to handle the situation only complicates things further, especially once sparks start to fly between them.

Although Susan Sleeman’s whodunit novel Nipped in the Bud doesn’t hold too many mysteries, it is still a quick and enjoyable read for a lazy Saturday afternoon. At times, Paige Turner’s desperation for a guy annoyed me, but it makes her very blunt as she says things most of us wouldn’t dream of saying. Sometimes, I couldn’t decide whether to blush or laugh. I also think the romance between Paige and Adam comes on too fast. I would have liked the “attraction stage” to have lasted longer, but Paige isn’t one to beat around the bush.

Each chapter starts with “the best of Through the Garden…” These are supposed to be excerpts of the craziest calls Paige received at her radio show. Several times, I had to chuckle at these and the conundrums some of the callers got themselves into.

While Nipped in the Bud won’t make it to the top of my list, I did have a good time reading it. This is the kind of novel for someone looking for an easy, one-sitting read.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Religious

Publisher: Tyndale

Publication Date: March 2011

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Roxi Gold has never understood stability. From the time she was a young child she knew that she was not only unloved but unwanted and completely unnecessary. Foster homes, abuse and constant fear make up her daily life and the only thing she really wants is a family and a home. So when she gets an offer to travel the country in an RV with a roof over her head and food in her stomach, she jumps on it. Even if it means that every now and then, she may need to do something illegal, she’ll do what she needs to do for acceptance. She’s not happy about it and she knows it’s wrong but she sees no other options.

Abby Dawson is a police officer with a chip on her shoulder. Her ex-husband left and remarried and when he did, he took their daughter with him. Now all she has is her job and even that isn’t filling the gaping holes that she has in her life. She’s left with no direction and not a single goal. Then a phone call in the middle of the night sends her flying back to the small hometown that she thought she’d left behind years ago and embroiled in a police case that threatens everything she thought she understood about life.

C.J. Darlington’s sophomore release marks her first venture into publishing after winning the 2008 Christian Writers Guild’s Operation First Novel contest. Her first book, Thicker than Blood, was an excellent glimpse into the world of antique book collecting and selling. Now she has continued this story in a fascinating new way, focusing on external characters while, at the same time, returning to the familiar favorites that we loved from the first book.

Though her career started out as a contest winner, with this release, Darlington has firmly established her reputation as a respected author with a great future. The characters, the plot and the description once again show us that Darlington’s talent extends far beyond expertise in book selling and reviewing. C.J.’s characters are heartwarming and genuine with real questions, real mistakes and no ‘Christian-ese’ answers.

Roxi’s journey is so real that at times, it begs the question as to how C.J. could have possibly captured this story with such vivid clarity without living on the street herself. I loved watching how this young girl experienced very real and painful guilt over actions that couldn’t be reversed and consequences that needed to be owned. I cried as she struggled with self value and always feeling unwanted and unloved. And I rejoiced in the journey when I got to the end. This book was nothing short of fabulous.

If this book is any indicator, C.J. Darlington is someone we’ll all want to watch in the future. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next and what God’s going to be doing with this fantastic new writer.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: January 2011

Reviewed by Anne Barnhill

Heartstone, the fifth mystery featuring Tudor lawyer, Matthew Shardlake, is an epic tale set in the later years of the reign of Henry VIII, when England is at war yet again with France and the social problems–debased coinage, food shortages, all able-bodied men conscripted to the army–plague the populace.  Against this sweeping historical background, Matthew Shardlake finds himself in the middle of the action, at Portsmouth, where the French navy is about to invade.

Shardlake and his assistant, the likeable Jack Barak, have gone to Portsmouth as part of an investigation for Henry’s queen, Catherine Parr, about a possibly corrupt situation regarding a ward, young Hugh Curteys, who is in the care of a Master Hobbeys.  The Queen’s old servant has a son, Michael, who served as tutor to Hugh, and her son has told her there have been “monstrous wrongs” done to the boy.  A few days later, Michael is found dead, a suicide.  Or at least, that’s what the coroner says.

Add to this situation one Ellen Fettiplace, a woman housed in the Bedlam, infamous hospital for the insane.  Shardlake is a friend of Ellen’s and visits her regularly–these consistent visitations have made Ellen fall in love with the lawyer.  Hers is a sad case and, while he’s in the country investigating Hugh Curteys’ situation, he decides to look into the dreadful events that put Ellen in the Bedlam nineteen years ago.  Since he’s in the neighborhood….

This is my first Shardlake mystery and I was able to follow along easily.  The book stands well on its own.  I am particularly impressed with the delicious details and the complexity of the characters–nothing is simple, yet the plot fits together beautifully.  Obviously, Sansom is very much at home in the world of Tudor England and has the gifts to bring that sweating, boisterous, bubbling, brimming world alive for the rest of us.  Here is a sample:

I stepped out into the sunlit courtyard.  The astronomical clock over the

arch in front of me showed four o’clock.  The red-brick buildings cast

barely a shadow on the courtyard; the paving stones shimmered in the heat.

Sweat pricked at my brow.  A messenger in the King’s livery rode fast

through the courtyard, under the opposite arch, perhaps with some message

for the military commanders.

Then I saw two men standing in a doorway, looking at me.  I recognized

both, and  my heart sank.  Warner had said Sir Thomas Seymour was at

Hampton Court and here he was, in a bright yellow doublet, black hose

on his long shapely legs, the handsome face above his dark red beard as

hard and mocking as I remembered.  He stood with his hands on his hips

in a pose of courtly arrogance; the stance in which Holbein had painted

the King.  Beside him, short and neat in his lawyer’s robe, stood Sir Richard

Rich, his fellow member of the Privy Council, the King’s willing tool in the

dirtiest pieces of State business done these last ten years.

Shardlake is filled with dread seeing these men for two reasons: first, he has had dealings with them before and they are enemies; and second, he is a hunchback.  This physical flaw had particular significance in Tudor times–such deformities were considered signs of bad luck and lax moral character–the sign of the devil.  Shardlake takes much abuse because of his condition and others often use it against him, trying to make him feel less secure and less of a man.  In the ambitious world of the Court, any means to advance oneself is justified, even if it means taunting an enemy.

Though this is my first Shardlake mystery, it will not be my last–I intend to procure the others as soon as possible–I suggest you do the same.  A marvelous read!

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Adventure, Mystery

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Publication Date: September 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Jack is five. When he went to bed yesterday, he was four and then a magical switch flipped and made him five before he woke up. Jack thinks that’s cool and he’s very excited about it. He even gets to make some big boy decisions now because he’s five. He has no idea that he’s going to face one of the biggest and most scary things in the world this year. You see this is the year that Jack will be leaving Room.

Room is where Jack has lived his whole entire life and he’s never once left it. He’s quite comfortable with Bed, Table, Chair and with Ma. He sleeps in Wardrobe and he loves Blanket. Jack’s happy where he is. To Jack, everything outside of Room is Outer Space and it’s not real. There are no other people in the world. There’s no other place. Everything on TV is imaginary. There’s nothing Real but Jack, Ma, Room and Old Nick. Old Nick is the man who built Room for Ma and Jack. He’s the one that visits them almost every night and he’s the one that brings them toys and food and clothes and stuff.

One night when Jack makes the mistake of scaring Old Nick with one of his toys, Old Nick leaves big purple marks that look like hand prints all over Ma. That’s when everything changes and Ma decides it’s time to try to get out of Room. She hasn’t tried since before Jack was born, but now Jack’s big enough to help.

Room is an amazing journey through a life that’s anything but ordinary. The exceptional narrative of a five year old and his journey through the only life he knows captures your imagination immediately. Donoghue has created a masterpiece of a five year old’s understanding that is stunning at its core. With brilliant description, spot on voice of a five year old and plot twists that will have you laughing, crying and cringing, Donoghue is an artisan of the written word. She skillfully weaves us not only through a five year old’s mind, but as an outside reader who understands Jack’s situation, she is able to relay Ma’s horror and fear, and give us our own moments of terror as we live Jack’s story.

When the plot turns in a new direction, we can’t help but ride along with Jack, our hearts in our throats, as this new chapter of his life begins. Donoghue has so fully immersed the reader in Jack’s tale that at times we may want to scream at the callousness of people who don’t understand and we may cringe at normal every day things that we’d never imagined could be frightening or scary.

Incredible. Amazing. Emotional. Powerful. Before I picked this book up from my stack, I knew what it was about. I looked at it with some trepidation. Since becoming a mother, my world has changed tremendously. Movies that would have frightened me earlier in my life are now too terrifying to even consider. You see, I empathize entirely too much with parental characters in stories where bad things happen to children. So when I pulled this book out (on the day that my six year old was having surgery even!) I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to read it. But Donoghue has created not only a suspenseful tale of a little boy’s survival in extreme circumstances, she managed (much like Jack’s Ma) to give us joy, happiness and innocence in the midst of terrible horror. Though we know how difficult Jack’s life is, he doesn’t. He knows what he knows and his mother, in doing whatever it takes to keep him safe, has given him a beautiful childhood with play and adventure.

If you haven’t read Donoghue’s brilliant story, get a copy today. I guarantee that it will change the way you look at life around you and at your children. It’s well worth the price of admission and is, without a doubt, one of the best pieces of fiction to be released in 2010.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Historical, Mystery

Publisher: The Berkley Publishing Group

Publication Date: October 2010

Reviewed by Anne Barnhill

In her debut novel, Judith Rock spins a tale of intrigue set in the sumptuous Paris of the Seventeenth Century, when the religious wars between the Huguenots and the Catholics were roiling beneath the surface of everyday life.  Maitre Charles du Luc, now in the scholastic phase of his Jesuit training, has been appointed to the prestigious Louis le Grande as a rhetoric instructor who will also assist with the ballet performances at the school.  In the Jesuit tradition, rhetoric is expressed via the body as well as the mind and intricate ballets are the pride of the school.

Maitre du Luc is not exactly what he seems on the surface.  A former soldier wounded in battle, he is also sympathetic to the Huguenot cause.  His family is split: one side Catholic, the other Huguenot.  Maitre du Luc is also split; he cannot condone the brutal behavior of the dragoons who torture their captives in order to bring them back to the Roman church.  As a matter of fact, he has helped his beloved, Pernelle, escape to Geneva.  This action is what has caused him to be sent to Paris for a new start.

Rock brings Paris of the 1600′s to life, the shouts of the market, the smells of the narrow streets and the political intrigue that infiltrates the holy Mother Church.  When one of Maitre du Luc’s ballet students is murdered, he is lured into trying to solve the mystery while protecting the victim’s younger brother, 8-year-old Antoine from meeting a similar fate.

While I won’t reveal the twists and turns of this well-considered plot, suffice it to say du Luc finds himself involved in every level of Parisian life and must guard against attempts on his own life.  Rock has crafted a believable mystery as richly colored as any Renaissance tapestry.

Here is a brief example:

The cacophony that was Paris traffic–voices, feet, hooves, rattling

wheels, barking dogs–beat against Charles’ ears as he walked.  Everyone

and everything shared the square cobbled pavement, and shouting matches

erupted constantly…Charles wove his way among the high-wheeled, painted

carriages, students in short gowns, white-, black-, and brown-robed clerics

on foot and on mules, professors lost in private fogs of thought, coiffed

and basket-laden servant girls, the scavenging dogs, ragged street porters

with loaded wooden carrying frames on their backs, and bewigged gentlemen

whose ice-white linen gleamed against the jeweled colors of their skirted coats

as they swept iron-tipped canes before them to clear a path.

With such wonderful details, the reader cannot help but become immersed in the detective work of Maître Charles du Luc.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Dates: September 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Jameson Rook loves to be in the center of controversy. This time, with the murder of a gossip columnist that he’s been following for his own research, he’s smack dab in the middle of the murder investigation along with the columnist’s own mysterious story that she was about to publish.

And then there’s Nikki.  As much as Rook likes to be in the center of the mix, Heat doesn’t. She’d much prefer to be behind the scenes and taking care of business without all the fanfare. So when Rook publishes an article that makes her the talk of New York, it creates some chaos that she doesn’t necessarily appreciate.

Rook and Heat continue to have brilliant chemistry. With New York City as the backdrop for this intriguing crime tale, the city offers up an easily recognizable cast of characters. The prominent NY sports figure dealing with the fallout from marital infidelity, the famous young movie star who dies of an overdose and his equally famous girlfriend’s struggle with his death and of course, the city itself bring to the story a feeling that this is more than just fiction.
Richard Castle captures the imagination with his cleverly penned dialogue and witty comebacks that make you wish you could think that fast on your feet. His relationship with his characters is one of mutual respect and admiration as they act out the story he weaves in the pages of this tale. If you’re a fan of Richard Castle and have not been watching his docudrama program, Castle, on ABC, you’re missing a great deal. Though it doesn’t take anything away from Castle’s books if you aren’t watching, if you do, you certainly get a lot more insight into the stories he tells. His relationship with Kate Beckett on the screen sparks with intensity and makes you wonder if the Rook/Heat stories are more than fiction brought forth from Castle’s mind.

A great read with a solid mystery and lots of fantastic characters along the way, Naked Heat is a fantastic entry in the Nikki Heat series and one that fans of both Castle and his counterpart, Rook, will enjoy.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: TwelveBooks

Publication Date: December 2010

Reviewed by Anne Barnhill

In his debut novel, The Sherlockian, Graham Moore has set the game afoot with one of the best mysteries I have read in many years.  I must confess I am not an avid mystery reader; my tastes run to a few writers only: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers and Barbara Vine.  Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories captured me when I was twelve years old and my appetite for them has not abated.  I am delighted to say Moore’s book satisfies said appetite, and I am now anxious for his next book, though this one will not hit the bookstores until December, 2010.

The Sherlockian gives the reader a double-feature, two mysteries for the price of one.  The technique used is the frame story, and, amazingly, this one works.  The outer layer of the story begins when Harold White is inducted into the prestigious Baker Street Irregulars, one of the youngest members of this secretive organization of Holmes aficionados.  Almost immediately, there is a murder at the convention center.  Alex Cale’s body is discovered in his room where he has been strangled by his own shoe lace.  Cale claimed to have found the missing diaries of Sir Conan Doyle and was slated to give an address to the Holmes experts gathered at the convention.  As Harold begins to use Holmes’ deductive reasoning to analyze the facts, he realizes he is going to be the one to solve this murder.

The interior part of the frame is equally mysterious and is set in the late 1800′s with Conan Doyle helping Scotland Yard solve the murders of several young women, all brides butchered on their wedding day.  As Doyle, along with his pal, Bram Stoker of Dracula fame, uses the powers of logic to solve the murders, Doyle must decide whether or not to take the law into his own hands.  He records the events of his search for the killer in his diary and it is this diary that links the two tales together.

I will not give away how White and Doyle unravel the murders before them, but I will say the writing is quite good, the plot filled with tension and humor and a fine sense of justice.  This is an amazing first novel and I can only hope that Graham Moore will continue to write in the style of the great Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  In my deepest heart, I hope he will revive Sherlock Holmes so that Holmes fans can once again experience that wonderful logic that makes magic out of simple observation.

In the afterward, Moore gives the reader the historical facts on which his novel is based.  This information adds a great deal to the appreciation of the book, allowing those unfamiliar with the timeline of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s life learn about this man of mystery and mental acuity.  I give this book a thumbs up!  It is, after all, elementary, my dear reader.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Comedy, Romance

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Dates: August 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

I thought I was the only person in the world who had really bad days at work. I’ve dealt with potty training, broken down vehicles, crying kids in the background of important conference calls…but those were all nothing compared to Lilly Hawkins and her bad day at work. You see, hers involved a lot of murder, death, beating, extortion, frame ups and gang warfare. And that was in like ten minutes. (Okay well maybe not, but it does seem that way for a while!)

Lilly is a photojournalist who, for some reason, has been having a lot of mess ups at work lately. Though they’re minor things, they’re still enough to be annoying to her and for her co-workers to start choosing other people for their teams. All of the hard work she’s put in over the past years has begun to crumble and it’s starting to eat away at her. So when she gets the chance at a hot breaking news story, she jumps at it. Knowing that this is likely a last chance at redemption for her job, she sneaks around the police tape and gets right into the crime scene. Unfortunately, she isn’t able to get much footage, but what she does get is golden.

When she arrives back at the station, she’s proud of what she’s gotten until they put the tape in the machine and everything is black. After her string of mistakes in the recent past, everyone believes that she’s accidentally made a rookie mistake that wouldn’t allow her to record. She even wonders how it’s possible that something like this happens. And then she gets home, gets beat up, threatened, nearly killed, followed, beat up again and…yeah. The day goes downhill from there.

An engaging mystery with interesting characters, A Bad Day’s Work is a fun read with twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Lilly Hawkins is funny, interesting, and someone that would totally fit into my circle of friends. The characters that populate the story are quirky and weird and exactly the sort of off the wall people that you meet every day. At one point I did wonder if she knew anyone who was really ‘normal’ but then again, normal is a relative concept. And in the television news industry, there might just be more weird than normal.

The story was fast paced (sometimes mind bogglingly so) and fun enough to keep me delightfully entertained the entire time I was reading. No downtime in Lilly Hawkins life and no slow times in this story. This was a fun read for a weekend. I enjoyed the adventure and the mystery and would recommend it for anyone who loves a fun, light mystery.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Publication Dates: November 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Eve Dallas is back. Well, technically, she’s on a vacation. After her last investigation and subsequent close call, she and Roarke decided that they might want to get away from the Big Apple for a little while. So this book opens with Eve Dallas, hard core detective of the future, lying in a bed in Ireland wondering if roosters crow every day, if cows are dangerous walking too close to the house and, most of all, if this is what it’s really like to have a family. They’re visiting Roarke’s family and though it’s awkward at times, it’s still a generally comfortable visit.

When she arrives back in New York (after her vacation and helping with a murder investigation in Ireland…after all crime doesn’t take a vacation because she does) she’s greeted with an unusual murder. A man has been murdered, seemingly without any reason, by a crossbow. Being 2060, crossbows are even more rare than they currently are in 2010. So when another murder pops up with a leather whip and later, a harpoon, she knows she’s got a tough one on her hands. It’s especially touchy when the connections between the cases lead back to high society and a lot of money. Not a lot of money like Roarke has. His money is new. This is old money. The kind that has been in the family for generations and that also allows people to feel like they are untouchable. As you can imagine, this sets Eve on the case with even more determination.

J.D. Robb’s thirty plus books into this series now and she shows no signs of slowing down. With fascinating crimes, witty dialogue and some of the most interesting scenarios I’ve ever read in a mystery series, this book is once again, a delight.

I had the joy of reading this book while I was on a business trip. Twenty hours on planes in less than two days gives someone a lot of reading time. I finished the book and even though my bag was full of more books that I needed to review, I didn’t want to move on. I just wanted to savor the fact that for a little while, I’d gotten to visit Eve Dallas and her universe again. I love the romance between Roarke and Dallas. It’s hot, romantic, sweet and realistic. They argue. They disagree. But they always have each other’s backs and they always care about each other more than you might imagine at first glance.

This book had some dialogue and the nature of the crime might cause some people to be uncomfortable. There were sexual acts described in the book, but once again, Robb handles them with grace and style. They’re details. Not gory or passionate, though they might rattle you. They add to the case, the mystery and the characters. When Dallas can take a statement about a wife who has had to deal with a variety of things that most would consider deviant and she doesn’t even blink, you know she’s seen it all. But in the same breath, she can reach out, touch that wife and urge her to safety in the most comfortable way possible.

Once again, I was left wanting more and wondering when I would get to experience the next book. Thankfully, the ARC for the next release, Treachery in Death, was waiting for me when I got home.  I’m just sorry you have to wait for it. But from my experience with everything J.D. Robb, the wait is definitely worth it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date:  November 2010

Reviewed by Jen Roman

Alex Cross returns from his latest crime-fighting adventure to settle down and ask Bree Stone to marry him.  Of course, just as they begin to plan the wedding, a new murderer arrives on the scene.  This one is a sure-shot sniper, who hunts down the “fox in the henhouse” as a vigilante.  He leaves little clues for Alex to find him, but he still stays elusive and hard to track down.  In the meantime, there is a copycat sniper and the return of Kyle Craig, Alex’s mentor-turned-arch nemesis.  Using a very sophisticated disguise, Kyle manages to slink around Alex’s home and work areas undetected, until he creates a showdown with Alex.  As always, Alex manages to do some pro bono counseling on the side, providing a slight side plot.

James Patterson is a prolific writer, but unfortunately, it’s just too much.  He needs to take his time to come up with solid storylines that truly are as intriguing as the book jacket would lead one to believe.  In this case there are THREE “bad guys,” and there’s no real focus on any one of them.   Compared to his earlier books, Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, Patterson seems to just throw things together and hope it works.  There’s none of the in-depth psychology that makes the first books in the Alex Cross series so good, and the villains aren’t as evil as they used to be.  Alex seems to have adopted a god-like persona somewhere along the way, and he thinks he can save the world.  In his quest to do so, his family pays the price.  He claims to be a loving family man, but he puts “the job,” as he calls it, ahead of the ones he loves.  All in all, it’s apparent from reading Cross Fire that Patterson is just writing to put books on the shelves at bookstores.

Cross Fire is not the most violent of Patterson’s books, but it does contain some grisly scenes.  The murders are described in detail, as are injuries that he sustains while searching for the killers.  Of course, there is some serious profanity as well.  Alex has settled down with Bree so he is not as promiscuous as he once was, but there are still some sex scenes (out of wedlock) one must consider.  This definitely does not qualify as a “squeaky-clean, nice” book, but for those tolerant of sex, murder, and foul language, it would be fine.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Dates: August 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Miriam Walker has a problem. She’s an American living in Saudi Arabia and her husband has disappeared. She can’t go out in public alone without harassment. Her husband’s co-workers, mostly Saudi Arabian themselves, won’t speak to her. The one American she does know is angry and seems to have a chip on his shoulder when it comes to her husband. Her dilemma is frightening, horrifying and surreal for an American woman to even begin to imagine.

Katya is a police officer in Saudi Arabia. Like the rest of the country, the police force offers a completely new set of rules that women must follow, with one of the important ones being that she must be married. Katya is not, but she still wears the ring from a previously broken engagement. This helps her fly under the radar such as it is.

Populated with the most amazing characters that I’ve come into contact with in a long time, City of Veils reaches beyond mere entertainment. This is a book to be devoured and enjoyed, yet at the same time you’re delighting in the mystery; it’s also giving you insight and knowledge into a world that so many here in the U.S. do not understand. Its amazing how intricately woven the plot remains as it’s threaded with rich details and understanding that could only come from someone who understands the cultures of both America and Saudi Arabia.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up City of Veils, but a taut, thrilling murder mystery was certainly not it. Ferraris introduced me to an alien world that exists only a plane trip away yet is as different as if it were another planet. Where women must hide every part of themselves and punishable offenses are as easy to commit as looking the wrong way at the wrong time. Into this world she injected a crime of passion wrapped up in a religious mystery.

This book was amazing and stunning well beyond what you would expect from the title or the cover. With intense plotlines that move at a lightning pace, a mystery that seems impossible to solve and fantastic glimpses into Saudi society, there’s not a single thing more than one could ask from a story such as this. Highly entertaining, richly beautiful and stunningly crafted, City of Veils was a book that was difficult to imagine at the same time that it was impossible to put down.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Viking Adult

Publication Date:  July 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Rose Daley ran off to England and married that good for nothing Frank Mackey. She was never heard from again. At least that’s what everyone thought. Everyone except Frank Mackey. He knew that Rose Daley hadn’t married him. When she never showed up on the night they were supposed to run away, he figured that she’d finally realized he wasn’t the right man for her and that she’d left. No one knew any different until her suitcase was discovered over twenty years later. Then everyone wondered what happened to Rose Daley.

Frank Mackey, now a detective, walks the razor’s edge as he tries to figure out how to juggle a completely dysfunctional family that he left behind twenty years ago and his current position as a cop. He needs to stay out of the case at the same time he’s pretty much the core of the entire thing.

Mackey’s family is more than dysfunctional. It’s painful, agonizing and yet, because we see them through Mackey’s eyes, completely ordinary. Someone who has grown up in an abusive home knows nothing other than that abuse and French captures this idea with painful clarity. Mackey doesn’t spend hours bemoaning his circumstances or seeking counseling. It’s what is and there’s nothing that can be done about it but move through the day. One day at a time.

The world created by French is three dimensional, colorful and brilliant.  At times, the difference between living in Ireland and living in the U.S. made it feel like I was reading a sci-fi novel about a completely different world.  Then again, the shifts back to the 80’s may feel alien to readers who didn’t get to experience them as a teenager. I, for one, really enjoyed remembering the teased hair and jean jackets. (And no matter what my mother says, I was not responsible for any ozone deficiency issues. Even with all that Aqua Net I used.  I’m sure of it.) The moment we find out about Rose’s suitcase, French grabs our hearts like a train’s engine that’s just been snapped on to a transportation car. From that point on, it’s all we can do to hold on tight and keep up with her amazing twists, turns and gut wrenching realizations.

The language used by French in description and creating these characters is absolutely gorgeous. When reading this book, it’s like standing in a museum and getting lost in the finest painting by your favorite artist. Layers upon layers, rich and deep, fill this book and these characters. French writes from the perspective of someone who understands the gritty harsh realities on the street and knows what it takes to survive. As the story unfolds, these layers peel away and show that it’s never just something on the surface or as simple as it appears. The story remains vibrant and almost a living breathing entity itself. The plot twists take your breath away and at times you think to yourself “Why didn’t I see that one coming?” And that’s when you know that there’s so much more below the surface that you have yet to discover.

This book may not be for everyone. It is gritty and there’s some language and descriptions that may not sit well with sensitive readers. All in all, French’s tour through tough Irish neighborhoods and dysfunctional families is a breathtaking ride that is sure to keep you engaged, interested and entertained.

Review copy provided by Viking Adult.

Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Mystery

Publication Date: August 2010

Publisher: David C. Cook

Jake Chism’s Review:

Chris Buckley never thought he’d end up in a place like Solitary, North Carolina. After his parents divorce he reluctantly moves with his Mom back to the strange little town she grew up in. Everything about Solitary feels off to Chris. The way the kids in his new high school look at him, the way everyone seems to know a secret except for him, even the feel of the town itself. Everything feels wrong, except for the way he feels about Jocelyn Evans. He finds himself hopelessly drawn to her, despite her efforts to push him away. As Chris falls deeper for the girl he has to have, he approaches a darkness that will shake him to his core.

Bold. Edgy. Beautiful. Terrifying. These are the words that ran through my mind after I closed the last page of Travis Thrasher’s latest. Solitary is Thrasher’s first attempt at a series and his first foray into the YA market. If you are going to make an entrance, why not stand up and demand some attention? That’s exactly what Thrasher and David C. Cook Publishers have done with this outstanding story that is as haunting as it is addicting.

The first person narrative of Chris Buckley is the shining element here. I loved being immersed into Chris’s world as he juggled the struggles of a new town, a mysterious love, and a broken home. Everything Chris feels and experiences masterfully flows off the page allowing the reader to dive in and look around this strange and scary place he finds himself in. The relationship of Chris and Jocelyn is especially handled well as Thrasher explores the emotional and physical struggles teens face in everyday life.

Solitary has such a creepy feel to it throughout, and I found myself flying through the pages desperately trying to make sense of the bizarre elements we are introduced to at just the right places. I was surprised at just how edgy this story was, and it was a pleasant discovery indeed. David C. Cook is known as a Sunday school curriculum publisher, so I expected something much lighter and well…”churchy”. Rest assured…”churchy” this is not, however Chris’s spiritual and family struggles make Solitary more relevant to so many teens who face similar circumstances in our culture.

Solitary is the kind of novel the Twilight (don’t worry..no vampires here) crowd will enjoy, and dare I say contains the depth and level of creativity that could have made Twilight a great series instead of a good one.   In the end, Thrasher leaves us with a twist that will have everyone talking and will no doubt be divisive amongst some readers. I’m blown away by what Thrasher and David C. Cook have just brought to us and I can’t wait to read more.

James Andrew Wilson’s Review:

Strange men wearing trench coats are staring at you, everyone in the school warns you to stay away from the girl you can’t help but be drawn to, you find a creepy, abandoned cabin out in the woods, and you can’t shake the sense that somebody or something is watching you, following you, staring in your window at night and probing your very thoughts.

Welcome to Solitary.

Travis Thrasher has already proven himself capable of writing page turners about things that go bump in the night, but with Solitary, he ups the ante. You get the sense very early on that something is not right about this town. There are deadly secrets, questions that nobody seems to want to answer. Thrasher does an admirable job of dropping in new mysteries all through out the book, so that by the time you finish, your mind is buzzing with theories and you are frantic for book two.

Thrasher is no stranger to first person narrative, and here he squeezes out all of its potential, thrusting us into the head of sixteen-year-old Chris Buckley. Chris is about as likeable a character as they come. He’s no wimp; we see him spouting off smart remarks to the face of the school bully, going out in the dead of night to explore the eerie woods alone, and expressing a general lack of disregard toward the threats to mind his own business and to just blend in like everyone else.

Chris isn’t the only character to like here. His attraction, Jocelyn Evans, is complex and elusive, and like Chris, we as readers are dying to know what she is hiding. Chris’s other friends, Poe, Rachel, Newt and Ray are all well drawn out characters that are each unique and enjoyable to read.

It is obvious that Thrasher is a fan of such TV shows as Lost and Twin Peaks, and that they played a role in the inspiration for this series. Fans of those types of stories will find plenty here to love.

People who don’t generally pick up young adult fiction shouldn’t shy away from Solitary. Not for one moment did I feel like this was any less engaging than Thrasher’s adult fiction. In fact, I’d rank it right up there with Ghostwriter as my favorite Thrasher novel to date. (Psst, fans of Ghostwriter, be on the lookout for the Dennis Shore reference.)

Solitary is creepy, fun, and impossible to put down. I can’t imagine a much better beginning to what is sure to be a mind-bending, stellar series. Put this one at the top of your list, and don’t be surprised if you’re picking it up a month later to read it again.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Berkley Books

Publication Date: July 2010

Reviewed by Josh Olds

David Loogan has a past he’d rather not talk about. So when he finds a job editing a mystery magazine called Gray Streets that asks no questions, he finds it the perfect way to have his past life forgotten. He throws himself into his work, earning the favor and friendship of his boss, Gray Streets publisher Tom Kristoll. Their friendship runs so deep that when Kristoll asks Loogan to help him dispose of a body – yes, a body – Loogan asks few questions and helps his friend with the deed.

But not too long after that, Kristoll himself ends up dead. Death via defenestration, or in the vernacular someone hit him hard and threw him out a sixth floor window. Ann Arbor Police Detective Elizabeth Waishkey is the one investigating Kristoll’s murder, and when more bodies related to Gray Streets turn up – some killed in a way that mirrors the magazine’s most famous stories – her suspicion turns toward Loogan.

Loogan, despite his past, isn’t the killer. And he’s just as determined to find out who killed Kristoll. With his experience at editing mysteries, Loogan turns his mind towards solving a real-life one, all while trying to avoid the police and the ghosts of his past.

With his debut novel, Harry Dolan creates a thoroughly enjoyable tale of mystery and suspense, sure to appeal to most, but even more so to writers – something confirmed by the endorsements by Stephen King and James Patterson. Dolan’s tale of the murder of a publisher, with the suspects being all members of the writing community, is quite fascinating. Well written with great reversals and twists, Bad Things Happen keeps you on your toes and makes you keep guessing until the end.

Review copy provided Berkley Books.

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Adventure

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: May 2008

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

The King family is back in Robert Liparulo’s next adventure in his Dreamhouse Kings series. Well, not the whole family, but we’ll get to that in a few minutes. Right now what we know is that the house is still causing no end to chaos in their lives and that the connection to their family goes much further back than anyone suspected when they arrived.

Now, they’re facing a daunting task. Their mother has disappeared into the house and they have no idea how to find her. Xander is angry at his father for hiding their connection to the house and believes that he put them in undue danger. David’s just frightened and he wants to find their mother and leave. Toria is doing her best to hold the family together, much as Mom always did. It’s not easy and it gets even more frightening when a mysterious stranger named Taksidian shows up. He lets them know that he knows more about the house than they do and that they are not welcome. He leaves the family frightened, shaken, and unsure of where to turn. And who exactly is this Jesse character who has decided he needs to leave his nursing home and go to the house immediately? Hmmm.

For the second venture into this amazing series, Liparulo’s writing loses no pacing in his plot or his character development. As the house seems to grow and evolve for the characters, so the characters are growing and evolving for us. Seen from mostly David’s perspective this go around, we get to see Dad through eyes that are a little less judgmental, and experience Xander’s anger and antagonism from his little brother’s perspective. It gives a little softer edge to the storytelling, but this doesn’t, in any way, mean that the story loses its edge. The frightening scenes are just as heart pounding and in some cases the addition of David’s tender heart allows the reader to experience the fear from not only a detail oriented perspective, but with emotion tossed in as well. This gives us a richer and deeper experience and allows us to bond further with the King family through their trials.

As a parent, the things that happen to these kids are terrifying. Even so, this doesn’t come close to the fear inspired by the ‘outside’ world, beyond the house, believing that Dad is the perpetrator of all of the kids’ injuries. If it isn’t bad enough that they’re being shot at with arrows and guns while breaking limbs, then there’s a horrifyingly real thread throughout the story of accusations and assumptions of what exactly is causing these injuries. When one could get lost in the fantastical adventure Liparulo has created, he grounds us with the reality of life outside his world and it adds a new level of stress and fear as you follow the tale.

Once again, when I got to the end of the book, I was happy to have the next book (Gatekeeper) on hand so I could start reading immediately. I am fully and deeply entrenched in the King Family’s trials and am eager to see where Liparulo (shall I call him the Pied Piper?) takes me next.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Adventure

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: May 2008

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

The King family is currently in a state of flux. Mr. King has just accepted a new job in another town, so the entire family has packed up and is moving from the home they’ve always known. When they arrive in Pinedale, California, they have to find a place to live. While house hunting, they come across a place in the middle of the woods that, for some reason, captures their imagination.  So Dad, Mom, Xander, David and Toria decide that this is the house for them.

The house, an old Victorian style, has a virtual litany of very unique things about it. First, there’s no street, driveway or even sidewalk. It’s simply a house stuck in the middle of the woods. And then there’s that noise thing. When someone’s in the kitchen, it sounds like they’re upstairs or in the living room. When Xander does his exploring of the house, he gets an odd creepy feeling about things shifting and moving. All in all, it’s like stepping into a Hitchcock movie. But this isn’t a movie. It’s the King Family’s life.

Later, when mysterious things are discovered in the house and tragedy strikes, everything in the King Family’s world flips upside down and they’re left shattered, frightened, and most of all, unable to move away from the house that now holds more than just their belongings.

Having heard a great deal of buzz about this series, I approached it with a lot of curiosity and some concern. Curiosity is obvious. So why the concern? Well, it’s like this. I tend to be a little bit of a wuss when it comes to scary books. I love thrillers though and since this was young adult, so I figured I’d be alright.

For a first venture into Liparulo’s work, I am extremely impressed. I love the characters and the dialogue. The descriptions are spot on. The plot has me completely hooked. I have told my husband on several different occasions that I am enjoying the tour through Liparulo’s brain. The world that he has created is fun, frightening and adventurous. I’ve been devouring the books since their arrival and I’ve finished three in about five days. I’m waiting for books 4 and 5 of the series before I get into the final book, Frenzy.  I can say without a doubt that if you have boys who enjoy adventure or girls who like reading thrillers, this is a fantastic series. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Review copy provided by Thomas Nelson.

Publisher: Berkeley

Publication Date: June 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Reagan has a big problem. But she also has a plan. With nowhere to go, no family in the world, and none of the normal concerns of a teenager, it seems like there isn’t a lot of hope in her life. But then there’s Harmony. The beautiful small town of Harmony houses a tight knit community of mostly kind hearted folks that all know each other’s business. When Reagan flees the hopeless nonexistent life that she has and comes to Harmony, she knows exactly what she needs to do to fit into the inner workings of this intimate community. She pretends to be the granddaughter of Miss Beverly Truman, one of the town’s residents who moved away long ago. Miss Beverly recently passed away at a nursing home where Reagan volunteered some of her time. During the last years of the old woman’s life, Reagan learned all about the town of Harmony and also grew to love the old woman. So when Miss Beverly passed away, Reagan knew what she needed to do. And that means the small town of Harmony is her future.

Being Miss Beverly’s granddaughter gives her an immediate ‘in’ to the town’s infrastructure, but it also gives her an instant family. Since Miss Beverly left behind an ornery old brother, that means that Reagan’s brilliant plan to insinuate herself into the small town life of Harmony also means she’s going to have to figure out what to do about grumpy old Jeremiah Truman.

Along with the trials that Reagan endures to become part of this community, we also get to meet Alexandra McAllen. McAllen is the local sheriff who is drowning in the agonizing pain of having lost her brother in a dreadful incident that she feels was her fault. Every Saturday evening she loses herself in a bottle at the local bar. And every Saturday night without fail, she’s saved from her self-destructive tendencies by her brother’s best friend who also happens to be the local fire chief. He also happens to be head over heels in love with her. Unfortunately she can’t see past her own pain to understand anything more than his annoying tendency to always be right and always be watching out for her.
Oh and did I mention that someone’s setting dangerous fires around town too? Yes. There’s mystery wrapped in this romantic adventure as well.
Welcome to Harmony is a beautifully woven tale of life in a small town.  The residents of Harmony not only know each other and everyone’s secrets, but they also accept everyone’s, well, for lack of a better term, ticks. The things about people that make them odd or strange or crazy are readily accepted in this small town because that’s just what you do. No one blinks an eye that the local sheriff goes out every Saturday and drinks herself into a stupor. Everyone knows what it was like when her brother passed and no one questions her abilities because of this problem. There is no politically correct rambling, counseling or therapy in this book. People struggle with their issues and work through them the hard way. It may not always be the best way, but it works in the end. And it makes everyone tighter as a community.

I loved the characterization, the plot and the pacing. It never moves too slow or too fast and keeps you interested throughout the story. I devoured this book. I took it with me to a series of medical appointments my husband had and I finished it in a little over a day. When I was done, I felt satisfied with the conclusion of the story, but I wanted to know more. The small town and quirky characters worked their way into my mind until I, too, felt like I was a part of Harmony and when the book ended, I was sad to leave.

Review copy provided by Berkeley.

Don’t miss our recent interview with Jodi Thomas.

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Romance

Publisher: David C. Cook

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

A killer is on the loose in Sophie Trace and it’s up to Police Chief Brill Jessup to figure out who it is and stop the killing. Worse than that, the situation hits a little too close to home when it involves Ethan Langley, her daughter’s boyfriend.

Ethan is home from school and hopes to spend the summer earning money to pay for school and getting closer to Vanessa, his girlfriend. Ethan’s summer plans are quickly shattered as his cousin’s roommate is murdered. Trying to cope with family issues on top of this, Ethan’s struggling to help his cousin past this horrible tragedy. Then a little girl’s body turns up and things really begin to go south in the small town. It’s not too long before things come right to Ethan’s front door and suddenly, Vanessa’s life is in danger as well.

Police Chief Brill Jessup is unhappy that all of this is happening on her watch. When her daughter (Ethan’s girlfriend) witnesses a murder firsthand, it gets way too close to home. She puts herself and her emotions aside and calls for help from another town. It’s not someone who has respected her in the past and some question her decision, but nothing’s going to stop her from solving these murders.

Since this is my first venture into Sophie Trace, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve loved J.D. Robb’s In Death books and was pleasantly surprised to find that this is a good comparison. With emotional ties that keep her closely connected to friends and neighbors throughout the book, Brill is able to systematically take the evidence apart and follow the trails wherever they may go. With just enough crime specific details to be believable, The Right Call is an emotional journey that will take you down the path of wondering how far you can trust someone when they’ve proven unreliable. It’s also a good balance of crime story/mystery and drama. With just enough danger to make you cringe, but not enough to be unrealistic, it’s a tight story with fast pacing and great characters you want to follow.  The spiritual questions are solid without overwhelming the story and the mystery is complex enough to keep you interested until the very end.

I thoroughly enjoyed my venture into Sophie Trace and look forward to whatever Kathy Herman brings to the table for her next adventure.

Review copy provided by David C. Cook.

Genre: Supernatural, Mystery

Publisher: B&H Books

Publication Date: April 2010

Reviewed by James Andrew Wilson

Micah Taylor is set to become the next Bill Gates, raking in millions of dollars as a software tycoon in Seattle, living in a top floor pent house apartment, and traveling the world with a gorgeous female assistant.

Then he receives a cryptic letter from a great uncle who says he’s built a house for Micah. A huge, nine thousand square foot house in Cannon Beach, a place with too many painful memories that Micah can’t seem to escape.

So it’s a big house. He doesn’t need it. He’ll just sell it and move on.

But something about this house isn’t quite normal. Rooms are appearing that weren’t there before. There is a painting that seems to be painting itself. A voice speaking from the darkness. Mysteries and questions that probe into Micah’s soul and force him to examine his life as never before.

Rooms is a book that asks the question: What would you find if you walked into the rooms of your soul? It’s a compelling thought, and James L. Rubart does an admiral job mining its potential. But it wasn’t the supernatural concept that kept me reading as much as the fact that I enjoyed being in the head of the main character, Micah Taylor.

Too often in Christian fiction, non-Christian characters are presented as these tortured, unhappy individuals who know that something is missing but stubbornly refuse to accept the truth. Micah was happy before he inherited this bizarre house. He was sharp, witty, good-looking, a generally good guy. The rooms in the house turn him introspective, but not in a way that feels unrealistic or like a sermon crammed into a novel.

The book moves along at a brisk pace, though I found myself waiting for some big twist to happen that never really did. Maybe it was the eerie cover art, but I was under the impression that this was more of a suspense/thriller than a casual mystery/romance novel. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you understand that going in.

Rooms would make an excellent book to take to the beach or on vacation. It is entertaining and spiritually challenging. Other reviews have highlighted the similarities between this book and a certain little bestseller, but I will just come out and say it: Rooms is better than The Shack. It probes theological ideas in a way that doesn’t leave you confused and scratching your head, but instead examining your heart.

Review copy provided by B&H Books.

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Publisher: Dutton

Publication Date: March 2010

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Dan Mercer has been caught. Reporter Wendy Tynes has just nailed him on national TV with her Caught in the Act program, as Dan shows up at a home to meet an underage girl he met online. Dan and those who know and love him plead his innocence, but incriminating evidence found in his home and on his computer claim otherwise. Before Dan’s case can go to court, a vigilante takes Dan’s life in front of Wendy’s eyes, and despite her eyewitness account, the authorities can’t find any evidence to support her claims.  An accused pedophile is put down, a killer goes free, and everyone is happy.

Everyone except for Wendy, that is. As much as she longs for justice in this case, she is appalled at the way it was carried out. As she does her own digging into the case she gets caught up in an investigation of a missing girl from her son’s school. Pieces slowly fall into place, linking both cases, and the truth that Wendy uncovers is more shocking than she could have imagined.

Harlan Coben continues to soar with his latest suburban thriller. Coben has become a master of taking the familiar comforts and perceptions of suburbia, and turning them on their head to reveal the very real fears and dangers that reside there. Caught isn’t so much a story about internet predators as it is a story about families and community responding to tragedy. As we get glimpses into how different characters are dealing with their own troubles, Coben takes us on an intriguing journey full of the mystery and suspense that he is known for.

I’ve always felt Coben’s greatest strength is his characters, and we get a lot of them here.  Authors often make the mistake of bringing too many characters into a plot, but when placed in the hands of a master storyteller like Coben, this technique only enhances the story. I have no doubt fans will be clamoring for more Wendy Tynes after this story, and rightly so. Her strength coupled with her broken past will easily draw readers in. Coben even has a bit of fun with a middle aged white rapper named Ten-A-Fly that readers will either love or love to hate. In true Coben fashion, we have some fun cameos from former characters including the always fascinating Win.

There are a lot of moving parts here, but Coben easily keeps the story woven tightly and part of the fun is knowing Coben will somehow tie it all together in the end. The twists serve their purpose, but by no means are they mind blowing. Nor do I think were they meant to be. I was moved by the final reveal, not for the clever way it was packaged, but for the emotional impact that tied all the threads together. Harlan Coben not only tells great stories, but he gets into the hearts and minds of his readers. That’s what separates this guy from the pack and the reason he is at the top of my list.

Review copy provided by Dutton.

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Supernatural

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: July 2009

Reviewed by James Andrew Wilson

On page 285 of Faces in the Fire, readers will finally come to chapter one. This is important because the final chapter will have already been read back on page 78. While this might sound like a lawsuit against the printing press just waiting to happen, it is in fact the deliberate and brilliant mix-up that author T.L. Hines intended.

Faces in the Fire is a difficult book to describe. At a basic level, it is the story of four characters whose lives are mysteriously connected by a ten-digit number:1595544534. Kurt is a sculptor with the odd ability to hear ghostly voices from articles of clothing. Corrine is a professional email spammer suffering from lymphoma. Grace is a tattoo artist whose arm itches for another shot of heroin. And Stan is a hit man with a gift for killing that he can’t escape.

These characters are unique and richly crafted. As the title implies, they are people who find themselves facing the fire; their stories of pain and their journeys to redemption are beautiful, mesmerizing and inspiring. And Hines writes them with an easy-to-read style that dances between off-kilter humor, insightful ponderings, and fresh plays on words that make for a nice sort of poetry in the prose.

That being said, this is a complex book that requires a patient reader to see it through to the end. Most of the suspense arises from a curiosity to know what in the world is going on. Mysteries and oddities are all over the place, some of which are never completely answered. Or maybe they are. It all depends on what you think the book ultimately means and what the mysterious numbers represent. To each of the four main characters, those ten digits are something different, something unexplainable, but ultimately magical.

I don’t think it’s any mistake that those numbers are hidden in the novel’s ISBN number. They are a good metaphor for the book as a whole. This story will mean something different to each reader. Those who are willing to trust Hines to guide them through the puzzling pages will close the book with the feeling that they have been shown something for which there is no easy explanation—something that is beyond the barriers of what we can understand.

Faces in the Fire is a daring and expertly crafted novel. It is a puzzle. It is a mystery. It is a memorable story that defies simple description and refuses to be placed in a genre box.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date:  January, 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer Roman

The quintessential American vacation starts out with the family packing the car and starting off, eagerly anticipating good times.  As the drive continues, the kids ask, “Are we there yet?” while the parents just keep pressing forward.  Eventually, the family arrives at its destination and everyone has a good time.  Reading The Swan Thieves is similar to the American vacation.  It’s a long ride, but the end is worthwhile.

Dr. Andrew Marlow is a respected psychiatrist in Washington, DC.  He is also somewhat of an artist and spends a great deal of his free time painting.  A colleague refers a special case to him because of his interest in painting.  The patient is Robert Oliver, a prominent painter who has been arrested for attempting to slash a painting at the art museum.  The challenge Dr. Marlow faces is that Robert refuses to speak, except to tell him that he may talk to his ex wife and to Mary.  Dr. Marlow therefore embarks on a journey to figure out this troubled character, mostly by interviewing the ex-Mrs. Oliver, and Mary, who turns out to be an ex-lover.  His quest to figure out this enigmatic man takes him to Virginia, Mexico, and eventually, to France.  Aided by some ancient letters Robert has in his possession, Dr. Marlowe learns fascinating things about Robert Oliver. He also learns about a female painter emerging in Nineteenth Century France when women didn’t really show their work, and why her work stops suddenly just as she is becoming lauded for her work.

The story is richly told, and in all honestly, too richly told.  It’s long- very long.  Kostova puts a lot of effort into describing scenery, painting techniques, and scenes, and the result is possibly a bit mind-boggling.  Readers not willing to put forth the time and effort will most likely abandon the novel, and that’s a shame.  There’s a great mystery to be solved and an interesting story that’s told along the way.  The characters, some likeable, some not, are fascinating and contribute greatly to the storyline.  While it is a very long and involved read, it is worth the reader’s time to pick up this novel.

Because the story deals with art, there are a lot of titles mentioned in foreign languages.  Many terms are in foreign languages, too, which may make some of the terms and storyline difficult to understand.  At times the story may have to be pieced together.

There really isn’t anything too objectionable in The Swan Thieves.  There’s minimal profanity or sexual situation.  There is no violence.  Any of the romance and intimacy is written in flowery language of days past, where the anticipation is just as exciting as the actual act.  Modern readers should not be offended at all.

Review copy provided by Little, Brown and Company.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: August 2009

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

COLD.

Numb.

Confused.

I opened my eyes.

Too dark. Black as arctic winter.

Am I dead?

So begins Kathy Reichs’ twelfth Temperance Brennan novel, 206 Bones. As Brennan slowly gains her bearings, the reader, and Brennan, discover she is trapped in a small, dark, space. Fighting claustrophobia and panic, questions bombard her foggy thoughts—how did she get here? And who wants her out of the way? Brennan must backtrack through her fractured memories and piece together the events that led up to that moment.

Thus the reader embarks on the journey with Brennan, alternating between the past and present, as she and Lieutenant Ryan work to unravel a mystery while bodies of elderly women start to pile up. Of course, true to any Reichs novel, the heroine faces multiple challenges while attempting to uncover the truth — an anonymous tipster accusing Brennan of mishandling a case, a pesky neighbor, and problems at work, just to name a few.

206 Bones is an interesting read with twists that while surprising, aren’t shocking. The reader might not see the turn coming, but when it arrives, Reichs has set it up in a way that makes perfect sense and suddenly seems very obvious. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good puzzle. This novel will keep the reader’s head spinning as he or she pieces together the clues. For those concerned about vulgarity, though, as with all the Temperance Brennan novels, crude language is present.

Review copy provided by Simon and Schuster.

Genre: Mystery/Romance

Publisher: Mira

Publication Date: November 2009

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Hannah Shay lived in Black Falls all her life. While life has never been easy, the recent attack that shocked the small town and left several dead has made everything harder. Her own brother barely escaped with his life and now people suspect the killers had inside help. Hannah fights the increasing fear that a man she grew up with is involved as she juggles running her café, studying for the bar exam, the speculations and aftermath of the recent violence, as well as dealing with the Cameron brothers.

Sean Cameron has returned to town hoping to uncover why assassins targeted and murdered his father. Hannah’s behavior together with theories he’s compiled of the event convince Sean the young woman is hiding something. He struggles to win her trust hoping to uncover the truth, but in doing so he risks losing his heart to the beautiful and stubborn woman.

Cold River is the second book in the Black Falls Series, although readers will quickly pick up the story line. Carla Neggers explains the events of the previous book—maybe too much so. Hearing the same story from every character quickly became annoying.

Neggers also tends to spell everything out. The author makes the characters’ thoughts and feelings clear through their actions and words, only to go on and state what they are. Neggers should give the reader the benefit of the doubt and tell him/her once. Sadly, this urge to explain led to much unnatural dialogue as Neggers forces too much information. The character’s unrealistic conversations slowed the story.

That aside, while Cold River presents no new takes on the romance/mystery genre, the novel provides a few hours of easy and entertaining reading. A couple of swear words show up occasionally, but it’s nice to find a book that isn’t filled with vulgar language. Readers should be aware that there is one sex scene which anyone who wishes to can easily skip and miss nothing. While this isn’t the kind of book I’d read a second or third time, its fine for a one-time read.

Review copy provided by Mira.

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date:  August 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Tim Blake is living every father’s worst nightmare. One day his teenage daughter leaves for work and never returns home. Not only are there no leads, but the people that she supposedly worked with have never even heard of her.  Trying to hold down his job as a car salesman, Tim uses every spare moment and expense to spread the word about her disappearance, hoping that someone will have seen her. He even sets up a website for people who might have information on her whereabouts.  As Tim wallows in his despair he is overjoyed when a lead from across this country surfaces. Tim is now running full out towards the possibility of hope, never realizing that the worst is yet to come.

Linwood Barclay is quickly rising to the top of my list of favorite authors and this stellar performance only propels him higher. Once again Barclay brings us a strong first person narrative from a father in the deepest throes of anguish. As a father of a little girl I found myself torn up inside along with Tim every step of the way. This all worked together for a gut wrenching, yet engaging read that refused to release my attention until the end.

Once again, the twists just don’t stop and they consistently pack a punch. I’m amazed at Barclay’s ability to hide surprises so neatly within a story, knowing just the right time to pull back the veil and amaze his audience. The suspense drips off every page and the terror is all too real.

In the midst of the thrills, Barclay also introduces some strong characters that really sell this story. From the wild child friend of Tim’s daughter, to the ever suspicious detective, and even to the highly unstable love interest, each character takes turn adding to both the despondency Tim is swimming in and the overall depth of this story.

There is some profanity and adult content readers should be aware of, but nothing on the level of Barclay’s previous work, Too Close to Home.

We’re just weeks away from Linwood Barclay’s next release, Never Look Away, and I find myself anxiously waiting what is sure to be another high quality thriller from one of my favorite new authors.

Review copy provided by Bantam.

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: September 2008

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Jim Cutter doesn’t miss his old job. Sure, being the mayor’s driver had its perks, but no perk was worth putting up with that man. After his boss took things too far one night, Jim walked away and never looked back. Happy to be free, he started his own lawn service with his son, Derek. It also allowed him to spend more time at home with is wife, giving their relationship some much needed attention. Things seemed to be turning around for Jim. That is until his neighbors ended up dead and his son became the main suspect in their murder.

This was my first Linwood Barclay novel and it most certainly won’t be my last. After hearing comparisons to Harlan Coben, I had to find out if such lofty claims were valid.

From the opening lines Barclay weaves a tale of intrigue, murder, and mystery that keeps you guessing. Even when I thought I knew what was coming, I was continually surprised by the number of twists and how brilliantly they were orchestrated. The first person narrative of Jim Cutter is top notch and I was easily pulled into the emotional turmoil surrounding this man and his family.

Too Close to Home might be best described as a dark suburban thriller, but I’m not even sure that accurately describes the depth of this novel. Even some of the best thriller writers often neglect character development, opting instead for relentless action and pacing. Barclay expertly balances a fast paced story with the perfect amount of character building, making this story stand out above so many others written in the same vein.

The only element that seemed off here was the complete overuse of profanity. I understand a writer’s desire to create real characters, flaws and all. However, it seems that in several instances the profanity was relied upon too much, seeming forced and manufactured. There is also a smattering of adult content that some readers might want to be aware of.

Overall I was more than impressed with the level of storytelling on display here. Indeed, if you are a fan of Harlan Coben’s work you will love what Barclay brings to the table. I predict it won’t be long before fresh new thriller writers are being compared to Linwood Barclay himself.

Review copy provided by Bantam.

Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Publication Date: February 2010

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is back. J.D. Robb’s much beloved heroine of the future is taking on a new case and this game is anything but fun. When Bart Minnock, a brilliant young mastermind behind the 2060 gaming industry turns up dead in his holo unit, it seems like a relatively simple case of murder. The investigation takes an unusual turn when absolutely no forensic evidence is found in the apartment or the holo unit. It appears that Bart Minnock was alone when he was decapitated.

Things get even stickier when Dallas discovers that Minnock had a connection to her husband, Roarke. As a special consultant to the NYPSD, Roarke is usually a great help in investigations, but this time, there’s a personal spin. It seems that Roarke had been a mentor of sorts to the victim. This brings even more tension to the investigation and Dallas has to juggle things that she’s never had to before.

The case launches Dallas into a new area that’s well out of her comfort zone, the gaming world. It’s revealed in the book that she knows little (if anything) about popular culture and understands only very little about her husband’s profession. This allows for a lot of fun with ‘historic’ mentions of geek lore. Sci-Fi fans will find fantastic references to Star Wars, Batman and other much beloved icons of the current culture, though of course in the book’s timeline, they’re historical references.

I loved the way that this mystery unfolded. Since this is only my second Eve Dallas book, I have to say that this one grabbed me faster and held my attention throughout. The mystery was intriguing (How DOES a guy in a holo unit get decapitated without any forensic evidence left behind?) and the plot moved just quickly enough to keep you entranced. Though there was plenty of opportunity for Robb to showcase her knowledge of Science Fiction and technology, it didn’t overwhelm the story in technical details and geek speak. It added depth and realism to the story without bogging it down.

This story brought more depth to the relationships in Eve’s life. As we read how she’s able to compartmentalize and push feelings aside, Robb presents situations that allow her to explore the emotions and give the character a depth of dimension that’s beautiful and heartbreaking. It allows the reader to experience murder in a less emotional aspect as we delve deeper into the relationship between Roarke and Dallas.

Succinct, creative, fun, and still with enough of a twist to keep you guessing until the very end, Fantasy in Death surpassed my expectations from the previous Naked in Death book (which was stellar) and set a new bar for mystery and suspense, but Science Fiction as well. I think I can now call myself a certified fan of the In Death series.

Review copy provided by Putnam Adult.

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Publisher:  Ballantine

Publication Date:  November, 2007

Reviewed by Jennifer Roman

The Amber Room provides those hungering for thrilling, cross-continent adventure with plenty.  There is intrigue, murder, and yes, a bit of sex as trial court judge Rachel Cutler and her ex-husband Paul search for the highly evasive and mysterious Amber Room, a room of artfully crafted amber panels created in the early 1700s in what was then Prussia.  The room was deconstructed and the panels were looted, and subsequently lost, during World War II.  Rachel’s father Karol Borya was a POW in World War II and saw things that led to the possible re-discovery of the Amber Room.  Unfortunately, early in the story, he is killed because of that knowledge.  Headstrong Rachel, in an attempt to put to rest this fascinating story, heads to Germany to search in places only her father and his comrade knew might contain the Amber Room.  Paul goes off to help her and tries to protect her from art “acquisitioners,” and, more importantly, from herself.  Along the way they learn powerful secrets and experience more violence than they ever expect.

It’s obvious from reading this novel that Berry did a lot of research on the sough-after Amber Room.  He brings the story of it from inception to creation to eventual destruction to life in great detail and includes fun anecdotes that most people never know.  In fact, after reading the story, I was intrigued and did more research on my own.  If Berry had not portrayed this great historical piece of art in such a fascinating way, I probably would not have cared.  The interesting details he gives are amazing.

That being said, the story itself is interesting, but not gripping.  The characters are your typical “headstrong woman goes off in a huff and love interest chases after her then they find mutual love and respect,” without a lot of development.  The sights in Europe are described well and brought to life, but that could be done in a good travel guide.  The “bad guys” are interesting, but predictable.  Overall, it’s a good thing Berry does so well telling the Amber Room’s story because the characters and storyline don’t do much to enhance it.

Cautions: there are a lot of gruesome murders in this story, complete with graphic descriptions of them.  If the reader has a weak stomach, this book might not be a good fit.  In addition, one of the characters in particular has a very foul mouth.  He drops the “F-bomb” throughout the story, so caution should be used when recommending this book to younger readers.  The same goes for sexual situations.  There are not a lot of sex scenes, but there are a lot of sexually explicit conversations and innuendos.  If a reader is OK with graphic violence, foul language, and sexually explicit scenes, he or she will be fine.  Otherwise, because there is so much of all, I suggest the potential reader skip this book.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: January, 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer Roman

Tami Hoag is known for her suspenseful novels that have plenty of twists and turns before the final reveal, and Deeper than the Dead is no exception.  In a sleepy California town in October of 1985, several children cut through a park on their way home from school.  One ends up tumbling down a hill and lands smack on a body of a young woman.  Her eyes and mouth are glued shut and her eardrums are pierced, possibly in reference to, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”  The students’ teacher hears the commotion and rushes out to console them.  From that moment on, she is involved in a murder investigation that eventually threatens her life.  In the meantime, several students’ home lives are exposed as less than perfect and townspeople’s personal lives are made public.  What makes the investigation interesting is that since it is set in 1985, there is no access to high-tech devices and processes, even fingerprint databases.  Imagine being a police department and barely having a fax machine.  There is not a computer at each investigator’s desk; in fact, using a computer requires a wait for long stretches of time.  The police have to rely on phone calls and favors from officers in other locales.  Psychological profiling is just beginning, and many still don’t put credence in it.

Never once did I get the feeling that the story was lagging.  I was constantly on the edge of my seat, ready to turn the page, trying to get to the bottom of the investigation.  I was entertained, and best of all, my mind was engaged as I tried to figure out who could have committed the crime.  I loved that things kept moving at a good pace and just as the resolution seemed imminent, something else happened.  Nothing was as it seemed.

While this novel is highly entertaining and fast-paced, there are several grisly scenes that may upset some readers.  One woman is kidnapped and held hostage, but she is severely injured while she is held captive.  There are some very upsetting things that happen to her, and a subsequent victim, that are uncomfortable.  I know many times when I was reading a description of the torture, I had to clench my hands and take a minute to settle myself.  I was especially unnerved by another situation in which a young boy pulls a finger off the corpse and tries to shove it into another student’s mouth.  While these things may happen in real life scenarios, it is still difficult to read some of it.  In addition, there are a couple of people who are mentally unstable, and it is difficult reading some of the things they say and do.  For those who are easily unnerved, this book may not be for them.

Overall, if a reader is interested in a fast-paced, murder-mystery and can tolerate some psychological and physical torture, this is a good read.

Review copy provided by Penguin Publishers.

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Supernatural

Publisher: Signet

Publication Date: December 1, 2009

Reviewed by Lori Twichell

Sadie Novak has a problem. Well, actually she has several. Her father has just died, her boyfriend’s struggling with his addiction again, his ex-girlfriend is their company’s newest client, she has inadvertently discovered a mummified baby’s remains and now she’s got someone threatening her business and her life. And those are just her troubles with the living. She’s got a whole new catalog of issues surrounding the fact that she can see and speak with the dead who haven’t yet ‘crossed over’ to the rest of their afterlife.

The third novel in the “Ghost Dusters” series has Sadie juggling a lot more than just your typical everyday job stressors. Zack, her boyfriend, has taken on a new client without telling Sadie and she’s less than pleased to discover that it’s his ex-girlfriend, Paula. The job appears to be relatively easy. Paula’s mother is a hoarder and now she’s been stricken with Alzheimer’s. Paula is looking for someone to clean out the house that has become so full of boxes and clutter that it’s become dangerous to enter. As Sadie tries to figure out where to begin, she also discovers that there is a very angry (and very ugly) ghost in the upstairs portion of the house and he’ll stop at nothing to make sure that no one takes his ‘stuff’. When boxes begin flying, the plot thickens as a mummified baby is discovered in one of them. Now we have a mystery. Who is the baby? Where are its parents? How did it end up in the box? And who is the ghost that is so determined that no one touch his stuff?

Dead and Kicking is a fun easy read for someone who is looking to fill a supernatural or mystery fix. The characters are realistic (Honestly, I thought I was the only one who had crazy days like the ones that Sadie had.) and honest. Conversations felt real and honest though a couple of times it felt like Sadie was being dramatic in her responses. Then again with a father who just died but is hanging around, a boyfriend who is hanging out with his ex-girlfriend and leaving all sorts of drugged up voicemails and a ghost chasing her angrily around, I would expect that anyone could tend toward the dramatic.

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice light read for the weekend. It drew me in quickly and I enjoyed following along as Sadie found the clues and picked her way through the mystery. It was also fun, though in a painful way, watching Sadie try to find her way through the pitfalls of her private life. All in all, Dead and Kicking was a fun weekend read that I can easily recommend to those who enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse books or supernatural mysteries in general.

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: September 2009

Lori Twichell’s Review:

Richard Castle is back. As a follow up to his wildly popular Derrick Storm series, Castle has introduced us to a new character and she brings the heat. Literally. Nikki Heat is a Detective with the New York Police Department and she spends her days tracking down some of the most violent criminals in the city. Tough, sexy and incredibly intelligent, Heat doesn’t stop until justice is served. And now, thanks to the Police Commissioner, Heat’s justice can be served with a side of witty repartee in ruggedly handsome Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Jameson Rook.

Rook, writing a new detective series and in need of inspiration, follows Heat to learn the ins and outs of the murder scene in New York City. (Some say that Rook’s character is based loosely on Castle himself.)

For this case, Heat and Rook find themselves investigating the death of a prominent New York real estate tycoon. As they delve deeper into the case, things go from bad to worse when Nikki has a run in with one of the suspects that results in murder and death coming a little too close to home for the detective. Then the mystery unravels and then pulls even tighter as more and more bodies begin to appear all around the city and it looks like all of them are connected to the case. Could it be the trophy wife with a checkered past? Or was it the enforcer for one of the local crime syndicate? And why is there a dead art appraiser in a car across town? It’s up to Rook and Heat to shuffle through the myriad clues and figure out who is behind the growing string of murders popping up through the city.

Castle has created a partnership that sizzles with passion at the same time that it crackles with intrigue. Rook and Heat are perfect complements to each other as they follow the clues and attempt to crack the case.  You can’t help but be entertained as Rook calls in his always famous and well connected past for favors and Heat continually tries to deny the attraction she’s feeling for her new shadow. In the midst of murder, tension and intrigue, you’ll find yourself laughing out loud as Rook throws some new pop culture or celebrity reference into the conversation.

Richard Castle has again proven that he is wordsmith worthy of the title. The storylines are tight, the banter witty and sharp and the passion is hot. The new series excites me and I can’t wait to see where he takes Heat and Rook next time around.  And if you enjoyed the book, check out the pseudo-reality show starring Richard Castle himself as he trails a New York Police Detective, Kate Beckett. The show, titled Castle, airs on ABC. Check  your local listings for time and date.

Jake Chism’s Review:

Detective Nikki Heat more than lives up to her name with her intense passion for justice and her stifling dedication to bringing down New York City’s not so finest.  When a real estate mogul is found plastered on the concrete below his apartment, Heat and her team are called in to solve the case. Lies and secrets lie around every corner of the investigation, and Nikki must balance her police work with her new task from the mayor. Big time reporter Jameson Rook has been assigned to her squad for research on an article about the police. As much as Heat is annoyed by the arrangement, she can’t help but admit there are sparks evident between her and Rook. As the case intensifies, so do Nikki’s emotions, culminating in a heat wave she never saw coming.

For those who may not know, Richard Castle is a fictional character (brilliantly played by Nathan Fillion) from the ABC television hit, Castle. Heat Wave is written to be a fun companion to the witty cop/comedy/romance/drama, and that’s exactly what you get here. In the first season of the show, novelist Richard Castle is assigned to NYPD Detective Kate Beckett to research his next novel. As their relationship progresses (mostly platonic with romantic hints), Castle decides to start a new series of novels about a sexy, tough as nails detective named Nikki Heat (which is obviously inspired by Kate Beckett). You can imagine the excitement that brewed amongst the fandom when ABC/Hyperion treated us with the very novel we heard so much about on the TV show.

I was a bit hesitant going into Heat Wave because I expected it to be completely over the top and gimmicky. While there certainly are elements of this story that fall into those categories, I was pleasantly surprised to find a novel that is actually readable and entertaining.  This is certainly not the year’s greatest detective story, nor is it meant to be. It’s written primarily for the fans of the TV show, and I’m not sure someone who’s never watched Castle could actually appreciate the inside jokes and subtle humor that run rampant throughout the story.

This novel does have a decent mystery angle, but make no mistake about it. This story is all about Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook. The sparks fly all throughout this tale, even overtly so in an overemphasized love scene that was really unnecessary. Fans of the show should be warned that some of the language and themes in Heat Wave are considerably more mature than what network TV currently allows.

As a fan of Castle, I enjoyed this book for what it was and I’m anxious to see if we’re treated to more Richard Castle novels in the future. If you’ve not watched the show, do yourself a favor and rent Season One on DVD before you read this book. Not only will you have picked up a great new TV show, but you’ll fully be able to appreciate the gist of this story.

Genre: Comedy, Mystery

Publisher: Viking

Released: October 29, 2009

Reviewed by Jonathan Schindler

If you are like me, then you too think that the Christmas season is far too short. The four or so weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are not nearly enough time for all the music that needs listening, lights that need viewing, eggnog that needs drinking, and holiday books that need reading. Christmas is a special season when, despite the hustle and bustle of shopping and parties and the moaning of an overburdened schedule about to buckle, the images of the cozy hearth and hot drink reign in my mind.

And cozy is exactly the word I would use to describe A Rumpole Christmas, the newest (and, unfortunately, posthumous) release of Rumpole stories from John Mortimer. All of these stories have appeared before in one form or another, but it is the combination of Christmas capers that gives this collection its cozy feeling.

Rumpole—barrister, Old Bailey hack, and a bit of a Scrooge himself—doesn’t care too much for Christmas. As he explains, “I suppose what I have against Christmas Day is that the courts are all shut and no one is being tried for anything.” Still, while the courts may be on hiatus, crime never takes a break, and it is up to Rumpole to solve the mysteries necessary to perform his duty to justice (and get his clients off). As if solving crimes weren’t enough, Rumpole must also navigate the dangerous waters of a “health farm” (where he encounters “a bicycle that you could exhaust yourself on without getting anywhere”); an arctic Norfolk Christmas (which finds Rumpole “hugging the radiator”); a British pantomime, for which Rumpole feels deceptive nostalgia; and the other whims of She Who Must Be Obeyed, his wife, Hilda.

It may seem odd to call a collection “cozy” when the stories involve murder and adultery, blackmail and robbery. Yet it is Mortimer’s particular brand of genius that makes them so. Mortimer keeps the sordid details to a minimum, allowing Rumpole’s singular voice to steal the show. Rumpole as a narrator is humorous without being flamboyant, dry without being boring, intelligent without being stuffy. American humor, I’ve found, tends toward outrageous narrators; Rumpole is much more subdued, the “straight man,” but he is no less enjoyable to read. The Rumpole stories make me think of what P. G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster stories would be like if they were narrated by Jeeves instead of Wooster. And, in addition to Rumpole’s warm narration, the Christmas spirit, continually mentioned and observed, and a cast of recurring characters to share it with provide the firelight for this cozy collection.

A Rumpole Christmas is sure to delight this Christmas. I read that this volume is perfect as a stocking stuffer; its merit makes it better suited to be a main gift in its own right. A Rumpole Christmas is likely to become for me a holiday staple, alongside Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Henry Van Dyke’s Story of the Other Wise Man, stories that display and embody the Christmas spirit they spread.

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: November 16^th, 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Alex Cross has just been notified that a distant family member has been murdered. As he looks into the details of the gruesome death, he finds connections to even more killings and mysterious disappearances. Soon the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place and all signs seem to point to a killer within the White House.  Alex Cross has faced his fair share of foes, but never has he gone against a killer who is as untouchable as this madman. Never one to give up, Alex Cross holds nothing back in his quest for justice.

James Patterson brings back his most beloved character in this sixteenth installment of the Alex Cross series. Long time fans will be pleased to know that this latest installment falls much closer to home than recent attempts. Patterson has certainly put Cross through the ringer with countless relationship problems, a myriad of career changes, and even a poorly imagined international romp in Cross Country. This time around we are treated to what hooked us on these novels in the first place: great mystery, strong character development, and the relentless pacing that has become the trademark of Patterson’s writing.

While I enjoyed the high profile mystery in this plot, what really sold me were the relationships that are so beautifully explored with the characters we have grown to love. There are some truly heartwarming and gut wrenching scenes that might just catch you off guard, if for no other reason than the glimpse into the eventual reality for Alex that they hint at. Mushy stuff aside, there is still plenty of action and suspense to go around for thrill seekers to devour.

It should come as no surprise to returning readers that this story is peppered with bad language, sexual content, and violence throughout. Readers searching for some “light” mystery reading should keep on searching. However, if you long for a raw, engrossing thriller that will keep you churning pages long into the night, then I, Alex Cross is certainly for you.

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Detective Harry Bosch is called in on what looks to be a typical robbery murder in a convenience store in south Los Angeles. As Bosch explores the crime scene he begins to notice things that don’t add up. A string of evidence leads Harry and the team to a notorious triad member. Just as the case is breaking wide open Bosch gets a message from someone in Hong Kong who is holding his daughter captive. Either he lets his suspect go, or he will never see her again. Driven by determination and fear Harry Bosch catches the next flight to Honk Kong to save his daughter and bring her home.

Michael Connelly serves up this fifteenth installment of his Harry Bosch series in superb fashion. You would think after writing a character for so long that Connelly might begin to lose his edge or run out of great story ideas. Thankfully, neither is true in this case. The Bosch we fell in love with so long ago is evident throughout these pages and we’re reminded once again why Michael Connelly consistently soars to the top of the bestseller lists.

As always we are drawn into the plot through Harry Bosch’s detailed detective work and his commitment to the badge. I love “hitting the streets” with Bosch and chasing down leads and nabbing suspects. Connelly’s meticulous detail never seems overbearing and always serves to effectively drop the reader into the middle of everyday detective work.

Much of this story takes place in Honk Kong and it was fun to see Bosch in a different environment while he searches for his daughter. Along the way he makes unlikely allies and leaves a wake of bodes in true Harry Bosch style that fans have grown to love. Connelly somehow keeps the tension throughout this setting, while at the same time giving us a revealing glimpse into both the beauty and seediness of China’s global metropolis.

The strength of this novel is found in Bosch’s relationship to his daughter. There’s plenty of suspense, action, and hard boiled detective elements to go around, but it all works together to highlight the personal nature of this story. A man desperate to save his daughter no matter what the cost? That’s enough to keep the pages churning for sure.

Readers not familiar with Michael Connelly’s work should be aware that he holds nothing back when it comes to authenticity. All of the language and violence you would expect from a hard nosed detective story are evident here, and readers who are looking for a “lighter story” might take exception.

Whether you are a veteran fan of Harry Bosch or a newbie to this series, Nine Dragons can be enjoyed by all. Michael Connelly is at the top of his game and shows no signs of slowing down.

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Young Adult

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Shaley O’Connor has always longed for the father she never knew. Being the teenage daughter of a rock star certainly has its perks, but Shaley would gladly trade all the glamour and spotlight for a chance to meet her dad. However, two of her friends have recently been murdered and it seems like her father may be behind it all. Shaley and her mom, Rayne, delve into the past looking for answers unaware that someone is coming for them both.

Last Breath takes up right where Always Watching left off and immediately we’re pulled in by the tight suspense and mystery surrounding Shaley. We’re treated to a great storytelling device this time around that gives us a glimpse into the past and propels the story ahead. The suspense and mystery elements are strong throughout and Shaley’s spiritual journey never seems forced or manufactured.  Rather the questions and doubts come across as a natural reaction to the fear and turmoil she is facing.

Brandilyn and Amberly Collins continue to shine in a young adult market that so desperately needs quality stories laced with positive messages. Though geared towards teen girls, this series can be picked up and enjoyed by anyone who loves great suspense. Give the Rayne Tour a try and see for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Don’t miss our interview with Brandilyn and Amberly Collins.

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Young Adult

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: May 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Shaley O’Connor has the kind of life most girls would do anything for: A rock star mom, limitless wealth, and the celebrity status to boot. What teenager wouldn’t want to tour with one of the world’s most famous bands? Unfortunately, the fame soon loses its power and appeal when one of Shaley’s closest friends is murdered back stage at the latest concert. As new evidence comes to light she soon realizes her own life is in danger. Not knowing who to trust, Shaley turns to the God who has always seemed so far to help her in her greatest time of need.

Mother and daughter team Brandilyn and Amberly Collins have stormed onto the YA scene in exhilarating style with this great new series. Always Watching is a fast paced whodunit set against the intriguing backdrop of rock star celebrity. From the opening lines, we are immersed into Shaley’s exciting life as a celebrity’s daughter. It doesn’t take long for us to see that fame is not all its cut out to be. Indeed Shaley’s struggle to balance her public status with her true identity is one of the most interesting aspects of this story.

When you read Brandilyn Collins you expect mystery and thrills, and once again she doesn’t disappoint. Her adult fans will find much to rave about here, while new teen readers will love the youthful voice and perspective that Amberly Collins brings to the table. Underlying the tension and dread is a strong spiritual message about trusting in the God who is always watching over us. In the end we are left with the closure we long for and a promise of even more mystery to come. The Rayne Tour is in full swing and you can guarantee that I won’t miss a show.

Genre: Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Mystery

Publisher: Jove

Publication date: August 25, 2009

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

Damnable, the surprising debut novel by Hank Schwaeble, is well written, intricately crafted, highly imaginative, and edge-of-your-seat suspenseful. It features a likeable and sympathetic hero, a diabolical villain, and a cast of supporting characters that enhances the fast-paced plot. It’s a quick, enjoyable read.

But the book has a big problem in its sexual content, which is so overdone and explicit that the narrative seems more like erotica than thriller in spots. This unfortunately detracts significantly from the otherwise highly engaging story.

The plot centers on Jake Hatcher, a wrongly imprisoned ex-military man. When he receives word that his brother has died—a brother he didn’t even know he had—he is temporarily released to assist his grieving mother with funeral arrangements. The trouble starts when he begins investigating the circumstances of his mysterious brother’s death. As Hatcher uncovers a series of increasingly confusing and disturbing clues, all signs seem to indicate that something very sinister is unfolding. Soon Hatcher comes face to face with true evil, and when he does, all bets are off as to whether he has what it takes to prevail.

There’s a lot to like about this book. The writing is good. The hero is sympathetic, realistic, and displays an appealing combination of street-honed toughness and cerebral dexterity. Schwaeble does an admirable job of building the suspense and tension from the first pages right to the climactic conclusion. The story contains a nice blend of mystery, fantasy, and dark thriller characteristics. But the positives are seriously marred by the overdone sexuality and crass language. The depiction of evil in the book is stark and graphic as well.

The title is derived from Jake Hatcher’s description of himself when he reveals why he was imprisoned: after a politically sensitive operation, someone in his special-forces unit had to take the fall, and he was chosen—the damnable one.

In the end, the book’s positives don’t outweigh its negatives. Hopefully, with his next book, Schwaeble will focus more on the aspects of his writing that almost make this book really good and less on the explicitness and vulgarity that overshadow it.

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Tim George

Warning! If you haven’t read Farraday Road yet stop here.

Swope’s Ridge continues the story Ace Collins began in his riveting debut work of fiction, Farraday Road. Lije Evans and his cast of characters follow the mystery of Swope’s Ridge to places none of them could have possibly imagined. What began as the hunt for the murderer of his wife becomes Lije’s quest to stop something far bigger than the individual pieces of the mystery.

The stakes are raised as we realize what happened in a sleepy corner of Arkansas was only the precursor to something much more sinister than first believed. The author expands the story this time to include international terrorism and the last soldier of the most infamous of all terrorists, Adolf Hitler. This time around we are carried from Arkansas, to England, to Germany, to Mexico, to Kansas, and back home again on a wild ride of suspense, mystery, and espionage.

Though the stage is much bigger than the first novel, Collins still manages to keep us close to the characters; something that is often lost in sequels. Swope’s Ridge is not a book for readers looking for stereotypical cut outs of characters. Through all the adventure we are presented a sobering look at racism, betrayal, and misplaced loyalties. Once again the plot is tight and the dialogue, engaging. And the really good news … there is no “to be continued” at the end of this one. Though Lije Evans may be back another day, you will be satisfied with the conclusion of the mystery of Swope’s Ride. Very satisfied.

Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Publication Date: July 2009

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

I’ve been a fan of Karen Hancock’s from the beginning, and it’s been two years since her last book, Return of the Guardian-King, which wrapped up her Legends of the Guardian-King series. So, suffice it to say, her fans have eagerly waited this new book, which returns to earth in the present day and, like Arena, engages the worlds of science and faith. But both lovers of  the Arena style and lovers of the Legends style will be pleased, I think, and get a taste of both worlds, in some sense.

The Enclave follows geneticist and former military (how’s that for a combination) Cameron Reinhardt and fellow scientist Lacey McHenry as they try to unravel the secrets behind Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute.  At the bottom of physical attacks, seduction, secrecy, deception, genetic manipulation, and psychological warfare lies a disturbing reality of men playing gods. And caught in the middle is a group of children just praying they survive.

For me, reading The Enclave was akin to visiting an old friend. Hancock has a wonderful method of combining the physical and the spiritual so that they complement each other. Faith is woven into the story naturally, underscored and developed as the story progresses. Rather than be in conflict, faith and reason move as one, rather than hammer truth, it unfolds readily. Even the subplot in New Eden serves as a mirror as well as a means for the reader to engage the children affected unwittingly by those inside Kendall-Jakes.

Hancock’s characters are also memorable, from the awkward but steady Cam to the endearing, sweet Zowan, to the wholly depraved villains. The characters struggle through decisions, trying to align their faith and the world around them, working through almost impossible scenarios that don’t seem to have any desirable outcome. And, as a personal side note, I love how their faith plays out in ways I could actually envision real, full-time working Christians actually doing. Some bend over backwards just to read their Bibles; others succumb to the routine and neglect the reading of the Word. The same environment, whether hostile (and believe me, this one is  malicious) or benign, produce in  different people different results. There is no cookie-cutter faith. They struggle to answer questions, wrestle through real-world dilemmas, and, in the end, hold God faithful.

And that, really, I think is the beautiful mingling of the Legends of the Guardian-King and the Arena worlds—the harmony of the spiritual and the physical, the real-world playing out of things unseen. There are other things as well, but the stark reality is that I Am is here.

So, hat’s off to Karen. I look forward to whatever comes next.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Henry Holt

Publication date: September 1, 2009

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

Richard North Patterson, acclaimed for his character-driven political thrillers, makes a departure from the major issues of previous novels like Eclipse and Exile and turns out a straightforward campus mystery in The Spire.

Mark Darrow has made millions practicing law after graduating on a football scholarship from Caldwell College, a fictional but familiar-seeming formerly Christian school in small-town Ohio. Sixteen years later, his alma mater is asking for his help. The school is embroiled in a financial scandal involving its president, and Lionel Farr, Darrow’s mentor and the school’s provost, asks Darrow to return to Caldwell to fill the now empty position. Darrow agrees, but upon his return, he quickly finds that all is not well at the little college.

The story follows Darrow as he adapts to his new job, but between fundraising calls to prominent alumni and meetings with faculty, he finds time to investigate not only the financial scandal for which the former president was ousted but also a 16-year-old murder for which his best friend is still serving time. For some reason, no one in town, from the police chief to the local attorney, seems to think it the least bit odd that the new college president would be investigating a murder that took place a decade and a half earlier.

As a mystery, The Spire mostly succeeds. Patterson does a good job of setting up multiple plausible suspects early on, and the ending delivers a predictable but satisfying twist. But the story, while interesting, is flawed by uncharacteristically careless writing. The transitions between story elements are jarring at times, and much of the book’s first half contains confusing memories of memories and flashbacks within flashbacks. The plot is frequently interrupted by lengthy sections of dialog that, while they serve to build character depth, are largely unsupported by any real drama in the story.

Like most of this author’s books, the story is told from a purely secular viewpoint, and the objectionable content that exists stems from that fact. It is either interesting or unfortunate, depending on one’s point of view, that Caldwell, a purportedly Christian institution, exists in such an environment that things like rampant drug and alcohol abuse and even a professor’s affair with a student are viewed as wrong only insofar as they affect the school’s reputation among wealthy alumni.

For all its problems, however, this book was still penned by one of the great fiction authors of our time. So while it falls short of the bar set by Patterson’s best-sellers of previous years, it nevertheless manages to be compelling right to the final page.

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: August 1^st, 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

FBI Agent Patrick Bowers has successfully brought down his share of serial killers. His latest case in Denver has left him more than baffled as the killer always stays one step ahead. Bowers and his team soon link the murders to a historic manuscript that the killer uses to plan each slaying. As the pieces begin to fall into place, Bowers realizes that the killer’s ultimate target has yet to be revealed. Now he is in a race against time to bring down his most formidable foe yet.

Steven James has reached that lofty status in my eyes, where I always expect the next offering to not just be good, but great. The Knight certainly doesn’t disappoint. Patrick Bowers is such an intriguing character that easily carries this story through its myriad twists and surprises. James puts on a storytelling clinic with his faultless plot pacing, strong character development, and downright pulse pounding suspense. The violent and gory elements are used in just the right doses to take us into the depths of the killer’s twisted persona. Everything comes together beautifully in this addicting page turner that makes its 490 page count seem like a breeze.

Perfectly nestled among the severed heads and bloody crime scenes are strong themes of family and relationships that have continued throughout all three Bowers Files novels. Patrick’s relationship with his step-daughter Tessa, in many ways is the glue that holds these thrillers together. You can have all the best action scenes, the darkest mysteries, and the most ruthless killers, but if we don’t care about the characters then we are left with nothing more than an average, mundane thriller. James raises the bar by bringing us in close to these characters that he no doubt loves himself, effectively separating these novels from so many others in the genre.

I’m continually in awe of Steven James and his mastery of story. While it’s been nice to see James getting more recognition, I’m still amazed that I don’t see his name in every book store I walk into. If you are looking for top notch thriller writing laced with suspense, action, mystery, and emotion then look no further. Steven James is your guy.

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: August 1^st, 2008

Reviewed by Jake Chism

FBI Agent Patrick Bowers is baffled by his latest case in San Diego. An arsonist has been wreaking havoc on the city leaving no clues as to motive or identity. Meanwhile, a shark researcher from a local aquarium has been kidnapped by a sadistic madman who has only given Bowers a few hours to save her. The only clue left behind is a shocking video clip that reveals the torture the victim is enduring. Patrick races against time to not only save an innocent life, but also to apprehend the monster responsible.

Meanwhile, both cases take a startling turn when a top secret research facility is burned down at a nearby naval base. When the culprit is apprehended, more connections to both cases are brought to light. Soon Bowers discovers a device that was stolen from the naval base, and is shocked when its purpose is revealed. As more and more answers surface Patrick realizes he is in the middle of a grand conspiracy with far reaching implications. He must find the truth at all costs and try to stop the mastermind behind it all, the ever elusive Shade.

Steven James hooked me with his debut, The Pawn. Now in this explosive sequel he has absolutely blown me away. The Rook is thriller writing at its highest level. James is a top-notch storyteller that knows exactly how to hook readers with complex storylines, unexpected plot twists, and engaging characters. While reading The Rook, I was reminded of the works of Michael Connelly, James Patterson, and Harlan Coben among others. Yes, this guy is that good!

Patrick Bowers is now becoming one of my favorite literary characters and James does a masterful job of portraying a man who is both a genius in his profession and a novice as a father. Patrick’s relationship with his step-daughter, Tessa, is emotional and real, bringing a welcome dose of family values and heart to the story. While Patrick and Tessa both struggle with their faith, their search for meaning and hope is heartfelt and inspiring.

Steven James is continuing to prove what an amazing talent he is. This one is not to be missed!

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: October 2008

Reviewed by Tim George

After years of producing a number of excellent non-fiction works, Ace Collins has entered the world of fiction with style. His debut novel, Farraday Road, introduces us to Lije Evans and a cast of characters that are hard to forget. The story begins with Lije, a small town attorney, found shot on a dead-end road and his wife dead not far from him. Lije is offered little chance to grieve as his junior law partner is accused of the crime and the Arkansas Bureau of Investigation shows up intent on proving her guilt.

Farraday Road is a classic southern mystery. Lije lives in the biggest house in town and is wealthy from inherited “old money.” His murdered wife is loved by all and remembered as a great benefactor of charity. Each chapter of the book finds Lije drawn deeper and deeper into something that is far bigger than anything little Salem, Arkansas has ever experienced. But don’t be fooled; this is not a little story. The more Lije seeks to answer why someone would kill his wife the bigger the story gets. Everything from old Indian legends to the James Gang to German SS espionage blend together to make for a story with plenty of plot twists and surprises.

This is a story with rich characters and a mystery with incredible implications. I know it’s overused, but this is the kind of book that really is hard to put down. The story flows so seamlessly it is easy to get lost in its magic. The prose and plot are powerful reminding me of Athol Dickson’s first novels (Gar Reed Mysteries). The spiritual themes of the book are presented in the natural conversations of the characters and the setting of the Deep South. Nothing is forced or preachy but at the same time this is not just a clean story. There is a solid spiritual dimension to it.

A word of warning though; Farraday Road ends with the words, “to be continued.” The mystery is not resolved until Collin’s sequel, Swope’s Ridge, is released in October 2009. The good news is I have already read Swope’s Ridge and can guarantee you the story gets even bigger and the mystery is solved with final resolution. I could review Swope’s Ridge for you but I think I’ll let you guess for now. After all, this is a mystery.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: May 2008

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Vera Gamble leads a quiet life as a CPA in Dallas. Haunted by her past, she hides behind the numbers to keep from facing the pain. A stranger calls out of the blue bearing news that forces Vera to remember things that she longs to forget. Her brother, Siggy, has been found dead washed up on the shores of Winter Haven, a small island community just off the coast of Maine. Reluctantly, Vera embarks on the long journey to claim the body of her older brother who has been missing for thirteen years.

Upon arrival at Winter Haven, Vera is instantly aware of how unique this place is. Trees of seemingly unnatural height tower overhead and the streets are lined with antiquated homes and buildings that look as if they have been untouched by time. The people are quite and keep to themselves and seem bothered by the presence of a stranger.

Vera is lead to the old shack where her brother’s body has been preserved. She is shocked to discover that that not only is the body indeed her brother, but he also hasn’t aged a day since he vanished thirteen years ago. Vera stets out on a quest for the truth behind this startling revelation and along the way learns the dark history of Winter Haven. Her search for truth will bring her face to face with her greatest fears and her troubled past. The truth that is uncovered will forever change Vera and the people of Winter Haven.

Athol Dickson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Winter Haven is further proof of the depth of his talent and his storytelling ability. At its core this is a mystery novel, yet it is so much more. Dickson treats us to a wonderfully drawn story that includes suspense, chills, a hint of romance, and a search for spiritual truth that will resonate with the reader long after the last line.

Dickson’s strength is found in his ability to cause readers to slow down and savor every word. I often find myself flying through the pages of a book that I love, but this time I constantly found myself holding back to enjoy the rich imagery and the methodical character development. Dickson paints word pictures like no one else and he effortlessly drops us into the strange and beautiful world of Winter Haven. Even though we are presented with more and more questions as the story unfolds, Dickson cleverly ties up all the loose ends in a way I never anticipated.

This is Athol Dickson at his best and fans of unique mysteries and suspense will love this story. Clear your schedules, kick back, slow down, and prepare to enjoy every word of this rich, mesmerizing tale.

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: April 27th, 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Someone is killing Bay area socialites and they are leaving no clues behind. Because of the high society spotlight, Detective Lindsey Boxer is feeling pressure from on high to track down this ruthless killer. M.E. Claire Washburn is just as baffled as the police when she is unable to find anything wrong with the bodies that are piling up. This is one case that might just be too much for The Women’s Murder Club to handle.

So here we are with round eight in James Patterson’s wildly popular series. 7^th Heaven gave me hope that Patterson and Paetro still had some tricks up their sleeves for these beloved characters. Unfortunately, The 8^th Confession left me scratching my head at the total lack of mystery that has been such a strong cornerstone of this series. The only real sense of whodunit comes in the side tale of a murdered homeless man that feels both out of place and contrived.

There is one romantic twist in particular that is over the top, tasteless, forced, and gimmicky all at the same time. I’m shocked that Patterson and company would for a moment consider this a great story element. Unreal. If this series has come to the point where it needs gimmicks to grab readers’ attention, then perhaps it’s time to end it. I’ve truly enjoyed these characters for the most part, but I’m slowly losing hope that the Women’s Murder Club will ever be as engaging as it once was.

The good news? Well, it’s James Patterson. Even if you aren’t swept away by the story (and I wasn’t) you will find it hard to stop reading. Patterson is the master of fast paced storytelling making even his most uninteresting novels easy to swallow. Too bad this one is just as easy to forget. Next please.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: August 2007

Reviewed by Jake Chism

In The Pawn, Steven James takes us into the world of FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers in this exceptional psychological thriller. A serial killer is at large in the Appalachian area of North Carolina, and Bowers, known for his expertise in environmental criminology, is called in to help make sense of this baffling case. The killer has dubbed himself “The Illusionist,” thriving on misdirection and confusion to further confound the authorities at every turn. As Bowers and his team search for clues, they realize they are facing a madman who is as cunning as he is evil. As answers are uncovered, more mysteries surface, linking the Illusionist to a charismatic cult leader with ties to the infamous Jonestown cult. Patrick Bowers now faces seemingly insurmountable odds as the case becomes larger and more dangerous than anyone ever anticipated.

Steven James writes at a break-neck pace, effortlessly pulling the reader along on this incredible thrill ride. With the backdrop of the Jonestown disaster, James has added a clever dose of history that brings a sense of relevancy to the story. The plot twists and turns while never hinting at the destination, and the characters are rich and absorbing. Patrick Bowers is an intriguing hero who is extremely brilliant, yet very fallible. While he excels in his professional career, his personal life is in shambles, and his struggles in parenthood are real and pertinent.

While The Pawn holds its own both as mystery and a suspenseful thriller, the strength of the novel is found in Patrick Bowers’ spiritual journey. As Bowers is drawn closer to danger, he finds that he must also face his difficult past and come to grips with some hard, yet hopeful truths about life and death. In the end, James leaves us enough to satisfy and whets our appetite for more.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: February 4th, 2008

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Detective Lindsay Boxer just landed the lead of her career in the disappearance case of Michael Campion, the teenage son of California’s former governor. Not only has she found a suspect, but she has the murder confession to boot.  Just when everything falls into place the suspect recants the confession throwing the trial into a downward spiral.

Meanwhile, two arsonists are preying on wealthy rich couples and Lindsay and her partner, Rich Conklin, can’t seem to keep ahead of these sadistic murderers on the loose. Once again Lindsay Boxer leans on her cohorts in the Women’s Murder Club to try and save the day.

This seventh installment of James Patterson’s bestselling Women’s Murder Club series gives fans just what they want: more mystery, more murder, more romance, and thankfully a better story than The 6^th Target. Lindsay, Claire, Cindy, and Yuki are as engaging as ever and Patterson and Paetro do a great job of giving each character a fair share of the story. This series seems to be developing a pattern of following multiple cases with each new offering and this time it really works. Both cases are interesting throughout and there’s even a great little twist in the end that I never saw coming.

As always readers must be aware of the sex and profanity that Patterson deems necessary for his novels. Numerous writers in the genre have proven to us time and time again that a great story can be told without such elements. I guess Patterson and company are paying more attention to the astronomical sales numbers than to my objections.

Overall I have really enjoyed this series. The only thing not working for me is the relationship turmoil Lindsay continually finds herself in. I do realize these scenes were not necessarily written for my demographic, and I suspect Lindsay’s romantic entanglements are exactly why millions of other readers keep coming back. However, for me the mystery and fast paced storytelling are all I need and are enough to bring me back for more.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Publisher: Mira

Publication date: June 26, 2007

Reviewed by Jeremy Taylor

This satisfactory debut novel from Jason Pinter features nearly nonstop action, mostly believable and sympathetic characters, a realistic plot conflict, and a likeable first-person narrator. Armed with a formidable list of endorsers, including James Patterson, Lee Child, and Joseph Finder, the book is well written enough to make this young author successful once he irons out some of the rough areas.

Henry Parker is a fresh-faced 24-year-old reporter for the New York Gazette. Though his personal life isn’t everything he once hoped it might be, he’s thrilled with the opportunity to live out his journalistic ambitions at one of the nation’s most respected institutions. Little does he know his first big assignment could spell not only the end of his career but the end of his life.

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of a crooked police officer while researching a story, Parker finds himself framed for the cop’s murder. Now the target of a nationwide manhunt, he struggles to escape New York while trying to track down leads pointing to the real murderer. Parker spends most of the book trying to stay one step ahead of both the cops and the real criminals as Pinter builds the suspense and mystery right to the climactic final scene.

A fast-paced, entertaining read, The Mark nevertheless suffers from some avoidable rookie bloopers. A few loose connections in the story aren’t quite sewn up, and unfortunate grammatical errors, improper word usage (e.g., confidence instead of conscience), and awkward phrasing serve as obstacles to the reader’s enjoyment as well. On the positive side, the action is intense, and the newspaper backdrop allows for some intelligence behind the intrigue and mystery. Pinter adds some texture by employing a mixed narrative, switching back and forth between first-person and third-person storytelling.

The story is unfortunately marred by foul language and crass humor, and the underlying worldview is one that takes sexuality very lightly, so caution is required. Sophomoric humor and some lame analogies (“my statement sunk in like a hypodermic needle”) betray the author’s inexperience as well. Still, this is a solid first effort from an author who will undoubtedly be entertaining mystery fans for a long time.

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: February 10th, 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher always felt like something strange was happening in their hometown of Skeleton Creek. Their fears are fully realized one fateful night when they decide to sneak around in the old mining dredge in the woods. Ryan finds something that is so terrifying it sends him over a rail into the darkness below. The next thing he knows he is in a hospital bed with a broken leg and a fuzzy memory about what he saw.

Ryan and Sarah’s parents decide to separate them as punishment, but the mystery behind the dredge proves to be too much to keep them apart. Since Ryan is housebound, Sarah captures her investigation on film so Ryan can see everything she discovers about the dredge. Likewise, Ryan spends his days researching Skeleton Creek online, finding more questions than answers. Everything they find leads them back to the dredge and the dark secret hidden inside. If they go back they may find the answers, but they may not make it out alive.

When I first saw Skeleton Creek on the shelf I thought it was a DVD because of the clever packaging. I then realized it was a book and read the description. A novel that uses online videos to tell the complete story? And a ghost/mystery story at that? My interest was more than piqued and I was all in.

Patrick Carman is a storyteller extraordinaire and from the opening lines we are effortlessly sucked into Ryan and Sarah’s story. The book element of this story is written in journal form from Ryan’s perspective. Carman really nails the first person narrative here and actually makes you feel like you are reading a journal. The design of the book and the handwriting font all work together well to sell the idea.

Throughout the story we are presented actual passwords to a website where we get to see the videos Sara shares with Ryan. The video element of the story is a really fun and imaginative way to get us more involved. I was very impressed with the quality of the videos and how effective they were. Even though this is a young adult story, I’m not ashamed to admit I jumped more than once during the creepiest scenes.

While this is classified as young adult fiction, I would strongly urge parents to read the book and watch the videos before your children. The story is clean, but some of the subject matter is quite intense and the videos have some really frightening moments.

Skelton Creek is the first book in this new series and Patrick Carman leaves things wide open for Book 2. Literary purists might scoff at this new storytelling concept. All I know is how much fun I had with this whole experience. I can’t imagine how much work goes into creating a project like this. In the end, the results are what matters and Skeleton Creek works on every level.

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: May 26^th, 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

Jack McEvoy made headlines when he helped track down a deadly serial killer early in his career. These days he is being forced out of the Los Angeles Times because of budget cuts. It seems the world has forgotten about the hero reporter who avenged his brother’s death. Just as Jack is ready to throw in the towel, he catches wind of a story that might just allow him to go out with a bang. As Jack digs deeper he soon discovers that the newspaper may be done with him, but a deadly new killer is certainly not.

We first met Jack McEvoy in Michael Connelly’s highly acclaimed novel, The Poet. Many consider that first introduction of the character to be Connelly’s finest work, surpassing even the dearly loved Harry Bosch novels. Thankfully, Connelly decided to prove to us all that Jack McEvoy is anything but a one hit wonder.

The Scarecrow is the perfect blend of vintage Connelly with a welcome dose of tech savvy thriller. While The Poet dealt much more with the daily life of a beat reporter, this time around we get more action layered with the perfect amount of detail. One of Connelly’s trademarks is his thoroughness, giving the audience an all access pass into the lives of his characters. While that element is still strong throughout here, it almost feels like Connelly holds back just enough to let the characters tell the story. The Scarecrow has a much tighter, fast paced feel that makes for an even better read than The Poet.

Rachel Walling is of course back and Connelly does a masterful job of portraying the ache of old flames and the hope of what might be. Jack and Rachel have both matured in different ways, yet they can’t deny the spark that never died. Their relationship feels like a natural overflow of the story and even helps carry the tension along as the plot unfolds.

The Scarecrow himself is a deeply disturbing villain whose weapon is the one thing that makes us all vulnerable: technology. This is a whole new frightening breed of serial killer, and Connelly wondrously brings this character to life through some riveting third person narrative.

What sets The Scarecrow apart from the rest is the character of Jack McEvoy. Michael Connelly nails every aspect of this veteran reporter with an unyielding sense of justice. The use of the first person is second to none here and the switching from first to third person throughout works as a clever storytelling device.

Millions of Michael Connelly fans wait with bated breath for the next Harry Bosch novel, and rightly so. I, however, can’t help but hope that we haven’t seen the last of Jack McEvoy.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Dutton

Publication Date: March 31^st, 2009

Reviewed by Jake Chism

It’s been ten years since Myron Bolitar has heard from his old flame, Terese Collins. She has become a suspect in her ex-husbands murder in Paris and pleads for Myron’s help. After arriving in Paris, Myron finds out troubling information about Terese’s past and the death of her daughter. Myron begins digging around for answers and discovers evidence that might prove Terese’s daughter is still alive. With the help of the ever faithful Win, Myron embarks on an international search for answers to the mystery behind Terese’s past. What they discover is more frightening then anything they could have imagined.

In Long Lost Harlan Coben sets out to satisfy the masses with his first Myron Bolitar novel in three years. Not only does he satisfy, but he gives his faithful fans what may be his most enticing thriller to date. What makes the Bolitar novels so addicting is the strong and quirky characters and of course they are all back in wondrous fashion. Myron himself is as endearing as ever with his unyielding desire to help those he loves. Coben would be shunned by his rabid fans if he didn’t give us a healthy dose of Windsor Lockwood III. Never fear. Win is back and just as psychotic and engaging as ever. Esperanza is as sassy as always bringing some welcome moments of humor and tenderness throughout.

Coben has long established himself as a master of the first person narrative and I don’t think anyone writing in the genre today compares. I love how Coben takes these characters that are so familiar and raises the stakes by placing them in a horrific conflict with global implications. This is a far cry from Myron’s mystery solving sports agent days, yet despite the raised stakes we still find the same old Myron and Win we fell in love with years ago.

In the end we are left with a truly terrifying conclusion that may surprise readers, but nevertheless fits the plot that Coben has so masterfully constructed. Harlan Coben consistently keeps me in awe with each new installment and Long Lost is certainly no exception. Even if you have never read a Myron Bolitar novel, Coben gives just enough background to keep you out of the dark. Pull up a chair and sit tight because you won’t be going anywhere once you begin.