Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel ReviewI have read most of the novels in this series. I think I've missed a couple of the more recent installments, but all in all I've been a pretty loyal follower of Ms. Kellerman's work. Pete Decker and Rina Lazarus have always been two of the most unique characters in crime fiction, and the way Ms. Kellerman mixed together religion with crime and also managed to include an overriding commitment to family has always resulted in novels that were well written page turners that I really enjoyed. I am very puzzled over what happened with this one!
I think this book was in sore need of a good editor. There were many instances where words were left out or repeated twice. I am a fast reader, and these were like stop signs on the road, or scratches on a DVD. Very distracting. The pacing of this book seemed off, and I have never read a Kellerman book that was so lacking in suspense throughout the entire story. I know that her novels are heavier on the procedural aspects than some, but jeesh this was ridiculous. Give me something to keep those pages turning other than curiosity about a 13 year old piano genius. Facts were often repeated, and different characters seemed to say the same things over and over again.
I wanted more Rina in this one. She's a great character and I wish we would have seen more of her along with other members of Pete's family. They had almost no role to play except for limited involvement with the Gabe/Chris sub-plot. Speaking of which, I really wish we could have had more of that story! It was way more interesting than the main crime plot involving Garth/Adrienne/Crystal. I didn't care a whit about any of those characters, while Gabe, Chris and Terry were all very interesting and I felt vested in finding out their fates.
The writing was a big disappointment. Dialogue was stilted in spots, and I became extremely frustrated when every chapter or section ended with a cliched tag line that was usually very corny and melodramatic. Marge's dialogue here was the worst offender. Marge used to be an actual person, but in this book she seemed reduced to a caricature, and all we learned about her was what she was wearing. I was really tired of hearing about her clothes and hearing her utter cliches that seemed to be straight off Law and Order.
The ending resolved all outstanding issues, but did so in a way that was not dramatic and very unsatisfying. I am sad to say that I will be very cautious about picking up another Decker/Lazarus mystery. This series seems to have lost its heart. Not a recommend.
Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about Hangman: A Decker/Lazarus Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Silver Girl: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Silver Girl: A Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Silver Girl: A Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Silver Girl: A Novel ReviewMeredith Martin Delinn's world is crashing around her. She has been living the "high life" since her children were small. Her husband, Freddy, was one of those wonderful guys on Wall Street that got caught by the SEC (think Bernie Madoff) making off with his clients money and wonderful guy that he was, he dragged his wife and family down with him.
Freddy is now sitting in prison while Meredith and their son Leo are under investigation and filled with questions. Their son Carver never got into the family business so he is not facing the heat, but Leo has moved in with him and they can have no contact with their mother.
Meredith has lost everything except for some money she had of her own before she was married, but she has no home, no friends, can't talk to or see her sons, no social standing at all. She contacts her friend since childhood, Constance Flute. Their friendship fizzled out when they took all the money they had invested with Freddy out a couple of years ago. Connie's husband, Wolf, was dying and he just didn't think Freddy's numbers added up and thought he was doing something shady. But Meredith stood by her man and blamed Wolf's cancer for his poor judgement.
Connie is headed to Nantucket for the summer to try to heal from the devastating loss of not only her husband, but her daughter who is blaming her for not making her dad fight harder against the cancer that had returned. He chose his work over the treatments. He was an architect and he felt the work he was committed to needed to be completed and would be his legacy. Connie has called and left a voice mail every Sunday hoping that just once her daughter will pick up the phone or call her back.
Connie decides to take Meredith with her to Nantucket so they may also heal their friendship, but once the people of the island find out that Meredith is there, the friends become plagued with old and new troubles, adding even more stress in their lives at a place that was supposed to be healing, relaxing and full of happy memories. Can their friendship be restored? What kind of lives will they after when the summer ends? This is the quintessential summer beach read. It takes on the power of friendship, love, loss, forgiveness, trust, happiness, prosperity, misery, and bliss, along with an element of suspense. It is also very current due to the scandal that happened in New York with Bernie Madoff recently, like I said above, but it shows the other side, that maybe some of the spouses of the Wall Street Execs really could be oblivious to what was really happening. When they are bringing home that much money it is kind of taken for granted and the how and why is not always questioned. Unfortunately most of us are not in that position so I didn't trust Meredith for a good part of this story, which made it more of a mystery for me as the clues were uncovered and linked together.
I also loved the special ways history was remembered and tied to some very beautiful music. It made the story so much more real as they were songs I loved from my past. Just added a wonderful element that set the back stories and much more.
I had the privilege to read an review Hilderbrand's The Island last summer and declared it my Best General Fiction Read of 2010. Elin Hilderbrand has become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read her entire back list and anything she writes in the future.
The tagline of this blog is "Escape With A Good Book". This is the perfect "escape" book!! I did over the weekend and am so glad I did. Get yours today, fix a nice pitcher of lemonade, splash on a little sunscreen and hit the beach, deck chair, or porch swing and sit back and enjoy this wonderful story.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Reagan Arthur Books, Little Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."Silver Girl: A Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about Silver Girl: A Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Primacy: A Thriller Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Primacy: A Thriller? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Primacy: A Thriller. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Primacy: A Thriller ReviewJ.E. Fishman has written a fantastic first novel. Fishman combines well-drawn characters with an engaging, timely and intriguing plot against a backdrop of cutting-edge science.
As someone who began their career as a scientist, I found Primacy to be realistic, authentic and meaningful. As an avid reader across a host of genres, I found Primacy to be a great read... it draws you in with its story line and characters and keeps you engaged with its probing of morality and a possible future state for the field of science.
I recommend Primacy to all readers. It reads with the pace and excitement of a bestseller, yet the themes of the book stick with you like a classic. Few books, and even fewer authors, strike such a balance.Primacy: A Thriller Overview

Want to learn more information about Primacy: A Thriller?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel ReviewA Bad Day for Scandal is Sophie Littlefield's third mystery featuring Prosper, Missouri's answer to... I want to say Clint Eastwood, but that's not right. Stella Hardesty is one tough lady. Don't let the sewing machine shop fool you; it's a cover. Her real calling is meting out justice and vengeance, often in equal parts. Ever since she emancipated herself--permanently--from her abusive husband, she's been helping out other ladies in the same boat.
Therefore, it really isn't that unusual when Stella's phone rings in the middle of a social gathering. Like so many professionals, she's on call 24/7. Priss Porter's timing couldn't be much worse, though. Stella was entertaining, among others, the one man she should be keeping her distance from, Sheriff "Goat" Jones, and for once, things seem to be moving forward between the two of them. But Priss is over at her brother's, in town from Kansas City, insisting that she needs to see Stella immediately.
It has been said that friends will help you move, and that really good friends will help you move bodies. Well, rest assured, Stella and Priss aren't THAT close. Stella wants nothing to do with the little problem decomposing in Priss's trunk. When Stella proves to be unbuyable, Priss moves on to blackmail to elicit her help. That doesn't work either. Unfortunately, before Stella can get a feel for how to handle Priss, both she and her brother turn up missing. The Sheriff is looking at Stella askance. And Stella and her associates again find themselves following a convoluted path in search of answers.
What I described above are the opening scenes of an enjoyable enough mystery, but unusually for the genre, it's not the plots that make this series. The mysteries are well-plotted, fast-paced, and complex enough that I've never come near to figuring out who done it on my own. Perhaps more impressively, Ms. Littlefield hasn't fallen back on the same structure or type of story, though the series' premise suggests she would or could. Nonetheless, each outing finds Stella in a different kettle of fish. Still, for me, these stories are all about character.
I've always been able to hear Stella's distinctive voice in my head, but it was delightful to finally hear it in audiobook form, read by the talented Barbara Rosenblat. Ms. Littlefield strikes a perfect balance between the light elements and the dark ones in her novels, and Ms. Rosenblat gets this balance just right, too. There's no denying that these books are exceedingly funny, but there's nothing cute about them. Ms. Rosenblat mines all the humor while still bringing every character realistically to life. It's worth noting that she does an unusually good job with the male characters. And while Stella is at the center of this universe, over the course of three novels, her world has been fully peopled with individuals that jump off the page. There's her sidekick, Chrissy; Todd, the teenager across the street; and the Green Hat Ladies--to name but a few.
I guess you could jump into this series with any of the books, but when reading such delicious characters, personally, I think you'd get more pleasure starting at the beginning and watching the relationship and character arcs develop. Both Littlefield and Hardesty seem to be improving with each tale. So far, I'm three for three with Sophie and Stella. I've read them on paper, on my Kindle, and now on audio. As far as I can tell, there's no wrong way to enjoy these novels.A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about A Bad Day for Scandal: A Crime Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Flowering Judas: A Gregor Demarkian Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Flowering Judas: A Gregor Demarkian Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Flowering Judas: A Gregor Demarkian Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Flowering Judas: A Gregor Demarkian Novel ReviewI've read all of Haddam's Gregor Demarkian books and have liked some better than others. Haddam always provides uniquely resonant characters, dialogue that you can hear -- even if it is so wordy and busy sometimes that it gives the characters, themselves, a headache, never mind the reader. Then, too, Haddam has the Cavanaugh Street neighborhood in Philadelphia in which Demarkian and his neighbors all live as an extended family of sorts; many reviewers have noted that the neighborhood has, itself, become a character in the books, but a multi-faceted and complex one, not the boorish and slapstick sort a few towns and their inhabitants have become in some of the rather sillier amateur detective series.
Sleuth Gregor Demarkian is fictionally the 'inventor' of the FBI's profiling section and who, now retired, is called in by local police forces that are making less progress in murder cases than is desirable. Demarkian is an extremely appealing protagonist because he thinks logically, works with authorities appropriately, handles crime scenes and evidence correctly, is polite and is also older and not an action hero; in short, he's the kind of guy you'd really LIKE to believe exists. He works the way you'd like to think someone works, within a system that needs a strong shepherding hand to bring confusion into order. You've seen the shirts "WWRD (what would Reacher do?)" I think I should have a notebook with a "WWDD" on it.
In this book, Demarkian travels to Mattatuck, New York, where the body of a man has been discovered hanging from a billboard, a billboard that happens to exist to publicize the disappearance of this same man from this same town twelve years ago. While the first question is whether the man killed himself, the bigger one is where he has been for the last dozen years. Inevitably, the reason for his disappearance as well as the drama of his showing up again -- dead -- initiate several series of events in this moderately-sized town where everyone seems to know everyone else, along with all their business.
Along the way, we see how economic stimulus funds were used to buy crime scene technology that no one knows how to use, while police radios don't work in half the county; we explore the unique economics of the adjunct instructor at the local community college, a 60-year-old PhD who receives less than $2000 to teach 14 weeks of a class but who, since adjuncts are prohibited by law in New York from teaching more than two courses a semester, is living in her car; Hard-working Albanian immigrants who have some interesting observations about the American welfare system and its inhabitants; a consideration of the importance of 'cultural context' in education as a diligent young scholar compares her own effort to that of the 'smart' kids and realizes that they just grew up knowing some things that she's had to struggle to just get into the same room with; some pretty dysfunctional families; and an exploration of the sunset of the life of one of the oldest and most beloved of the Cavanaugh street residents. Honestly, the mystery is pretty good, but it's the "getting there" -- all the meat in this book -- that makes it such a superlative read. This would make a FABULOUS book club book!!!!
Disclaimer -- One of the hardest things for me about reviewing Jane Haddam's books is that her dialogue, even the internal dialogue of the characters, is so distinct that I always find myself talking -- and writing -- like that while I'm reading the book. So if this sounds like Haddam at all, please don't think I was trying to be clever -- it just happens.Flowering Judas: A Gregor Demarkian Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about Flowering Judas: A Gregor Demarkian Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

A Dark and Lonely Place: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy A Dark and Lonely Place: A Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on A Dark and Lonely Place: A Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

A Dark and Lonely Place: A Novel ReviewOne hundred years ago in frontier Miami, Florida, John Ashley was accused of murder and sentenced to hang. Proclaiming his innocence, he went on the run with his lover, Laura, and their exploits became legend. A century later, in today's Miami, Homicide Sergeant John Ashley investigates a millionaire's murder and is inexplicably drawn to a stunning model linked to the case who bears an uncanny resemblence to an unknown woman who repeatedly appears in his dreams. Her name is Laura, and the attraction is mutual. Even more strange than their connection to each other is their connection to the infamous John and Laura from the past.

When the homicide case goes bad, Ashley is falsely accused of murder. He and Laura go on the run in a repeat of history as they try to prove his innocence, only to realize that the very people who are supposed to help may, in fact, be the ones who want him out of the way.

This is the first book I've ready by this author and I finished it in one day. It started out slow for me but the suspense built as the story progressed and by the end I was figuratively on the edge of my seat, wondering if the modern-day John and Laura would meet with the same fate as their namesakes a century earlier.

There are lots of characters, but the author does a good job working them all into the story without overwhelming the reader with names and relationships. While mostly a suspense novel, it also has elements of history and romance which makes it all the more interesting. I look forward to reading more titles by this author.
I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher but the opinion of it is my own and was not solicited, nor was a positive review required.A Dark and Lonely Place: A Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about A Dark and Lonely Place: A Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Lethal Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Lethal? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Lethal. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Lethal ReviewHonor Gillette has to make a split-second decision that will save her and her four year old daughter from Lee Coburn an accused mass murderer. He says he is a victim of circumstance but Honor's only concern is their safety and what he plans to do with the gun pointed at her head. Coburn's mission is to absolve himself of the crimes he did not commit and find something hidden in Honor's house.
Whatever is driving Coburn to tear her house apart and terrorize her is nothing she knows anything about. Her late husband did not leave anything worth killing for and his death was accidental but Coburn begs to differ on all her accounts including the details she believes to be true about her late husband. As time goes by and more people wind up dead she starts to wonder who is telling the truth and who is pretending to.
Coburn has both saved Honor and terrorized her, yet as Honor asks questions his answers begin to make more sense about what he is doing. Going on the run was never on anyone's to do list but staying ahead of the local authorities and the FBI is a challenge she is showing she is up for and proving she is worth the risk Coburn is taking by keeping her with him.
As more people become involved in the manhunt for them, Coburn and Honor tear across the state in search of the key to unlock the secrets with absolutely no idea what they are looking for. The place they keep landing is her father in law's house and it is time for a showdown with him. Coburn believes the hunt for answers began there and will end there one way or another even if it involves tearing apart childhood dreams and momentos. But will Honor be able to protect her husband's reputation or is she helping Coburn prove him to be a dirty cop.
Meetings are set up, shots are fired, cars explode and the person behind Coburn believes is behind everything the elusive "Bookkeeper" is still lurking in the shadows. The mysterious "Bookkeeper" can't be found or identified but has been sending out the orders and running this nightmare organization from burn phones and secured emails.
Sandra Brown has proven year after year the incredible ability she has to write thrillers that draw you in and take you on a adventure. But this book far exceeds any in the past as it keeps you guessing as to who is the shadow boss, where is the key to the answers, and what is the motive behind all of this. Unbelievable barely scratches the surface of how great this book and when it all comes together you find yourself gasping with unexpected revelations. The only downside is Ms. Brown apparently likes to tease her fans with cliffhangers - which you have to read to understand.Lethal Overview

Want to learn more information about Lethal?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Fallen: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Fallen: A Novel? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Fallen: A Novel. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Fallen: A Novel ReviewKarin Slaughter has been entertaining her fans with exciting thrillers with ten novels to her name. One of the reasons that she is so well thought of is that she describes her characters in a way that makes the reader want to know more.
Faith Mitchell shows that she's got the same problems as many parents. She has an infant being watched by her mother and must get home to pick up the child.
Her mother, Evelyn, a retired police commander, is watching Faith's four-month-old dauther, Emma. Faith has been through countless training exercises but when she sees a bloody handprint on her mother's door, she goes into another gear.
After Faith calls for backup, she senses that her mother is in danger and decides not to wait. She enters the home and finds one man deceased, then she confronts two others. There is a deadly encounter at this point that is most visual, as if the reader were watching the action taking place before them.
Will Trent is Faith's partner. Amanda Wagner is his boss and Evelyn's best friend. They lead the investigation and we learn that Evelyn was the commander of a narcotics division prior to her retirement. There was a situation within her unit and due to the legal implications, Evelyn took an early retirment.
The story deals with the loyalty Will and Amanda have for their friend Evelyn. The evidence seems to show that there may be a problem with Evelyn's background but her friends remain strong in their belief of her.
There is also an interesting subplot as Will and Dr. Sara Linton spend time together and form a romantic relationship. We also see Faith wanting to do everything that she can to save her mother and so she begins her own investigation.
The story moves along swiftly and with an inventive plot, knock out characters and a fascinating conclusion, this makes for an engrossing read.Fallen: A Novel Overview

Want to learn more information about Fallen: A Novel?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery) ReviewFollowing U IS FOR UNDERTOW, Kinsey Millhone is back with a vengeance! She gets a 38th birthday "punch in the face and busted nose," in May 1988. A cake would have been nice. Kinsey is a pragmatist, "a big fan of forgiveness as long as I'm given the opportunity to get even first."
Reluctantly shopping at an upscale retailer, Kinsey spies Audrey Vance stealing expensive silk PJs. The civic-minded P.I. discovers that the woman is in cahoots with another and reports them both. Vance is arrested, while the other scofflaw nearly runs Kinsey down in the parking garage with a Mercedes. Vance is later found dead, an apparent suicide, but homicide is soon suspected.
In a parallel plot, Lorenzo Dante, Jr., known simply as Dante, is a loan shark with alleged Mafia ties. Dante has quite an inferno of illicit businesses burning --- and a red-hot romance with a powerful attorney's wife. One of those enterprises is a highly organized ring of shoplifters, whose kingpin was Audrey Vance. Vance's unsuspecting fiancé hires Kinsey to investigate what he thinks are bogus shoplifting charges, and the improbable suicide. Thrown into the mix are a corrupt cop, and a gambling addict who sells his soul to Dante.
Predictably, characters face death during the investigation, and Kinsey is pulled into the vortex. Ghosts from novels past haunt Kinsey, even likeable petty criminal Pinky Ford is instrumental in the dénouement. Vixen reporter Diana Alvarez from "Undertow" is a thorn in Kinsey's side but eventually proves beneficial. Heartthrob and former flame Cheney Phillips keeps readers guessing if the fire will rekindle. Unfortunately, friend and landlord Henry is away, visiting one of his ancient siblings with a broken hip.
The structurally complex plot is simplified with the help of Kinsey's index cards that are "like the pieces of a puzzle that would fall into place once I understood what I was looking at." That, and her intuition. "The purpose of intuition is to warn us when the wolf arrives at the door dressed as Little Red Riding Hood."
Any Sue Grafton novel reads like a welcomed but long-overdue letter from the iconic private eye, bringing readers up to speed with her latest escapade. The queen of Alphabet Soup-titled mysteries (who earned the title of Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America) has made a quantum leap by taking on social issues in the last few of her 22 too-realistic-to-be-fiction works.
With perpetrators identified early on, this is more of a whydunit than a whodunit, validating Grafton's title of Grand Master bestowed by her peers. While Kinsey--an average Jo--has learned to leap hurdles in her career, Sue Grafton has become an Olympic-class pole vaulter in hers. Impeccable plot, prose as rich as Wall Street, and everyone's favorite investigator make this a sure-fire bestseller.
V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)
--- Reviewed by L. Dean MurphyV is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery) Overview

Want to learn more information about V is for Vengeance (Kinsey Millhone Mystery)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...