HUNTED

HUNTED by Elizabeth Heiter was great.  FBI profiler Evelyn is now the one who must get into the "hunters"mind even though she may have been one of his victims.  She may be too close to the case, but she refuses to give up.  She must find this killer and maybe she will be able to move on from the childhood that ended tragically for her and her friend.  A must read mystery.

The Execution

THE EXECUTION by Dick Wolf is a Jeremy Fisk novel.  If you've read Mr Wolf you know he is a recurring character.  Mr. Wolf  is on desk duty after a shooting and the loss of his fiancé.  It is United Nations Week in New York and a treaty is being signed by our President and the Mexican President.  But someone does not want this to happen.  Someone who has been beheading certain cartels in Mexico, is now in New York.  He wants someone dead and is giving major warnings to everyone involved.

A CIRCLE OF WIVES

A CIRCLE OF WIVES by Alice LaPlante is a page turner.  When Dr. John Taylor dies in a hotel room in his own hometown, the police wonder if it really was a heart attack.  He had bruises on his body an at the autopsy they find potassium chloride in his system.  And then, many surprises pop up.  Like three wives and much more.  But which one did it or was it a disgruntled patient.  I guessed the murderer but was wrong and couldn't figure out how it happened.  Very good read

AFTER I'M GONE

AFTER I'M GONE by Laura Lippmann will be released in February.  It is a mystery when Felix disappears leaving behind a wife, three daughters and a mistress.  It seems as though the mistress is doing very well while the wife and daughters are just squeaking by.  Why did Felix leave the coffee house to his mistress, Julie and leave nothing for his family?  Maybe, he didn't Bambi, his wife, began to think.  She always thought Julie stole HER money but Bert, his best friend always came to the rescue.  They survived; the daughters grew up to raise families but Bambi never married and always wondered where her husband could be.  Will she ever find out?

DOING HARM

DOING HARM by Kelly Parsons is a great  book.  There were quite a few medical terms, although the author explained them, it made the book wordy.  Dr Mitchell was stuck in a precarious situation caused by a beautiful med student.  The student is killing patients for their safety.?  She was also blackmailing Dr Mitchell.  The trick is how will Dr. Mitchell get out from under her lies and make sure she is caught.  Well, enter Luis.  That's all  I'll tell you.  You must read it. 

THE WIFE, THE MAID, AND THE MISTRESS by Ariel Lawhon

Very good book, I loved it.  A work of fiction with many interesting events and much history.  The judge is murdered by a gangster (which is the true basis) but the why and who put the thought in his head is the mystery.  I enjoyed reading the historical events and this book made me want to read the true accounts of Judge Crater's murder.  Loved it.

ALENA by Rachel Pastan

ALENA by Rachel Pastan is ok.  The authors prose is very poetic and descriptive in a flowery way.  We don't know the speakers name but she is enticed to move from a small Wisconsin town to Cape Cod to be curator of a well-known art museum.  She finds this to be the chance of a lifetime but when she arrives she is immediately confronted by the ghosts of the past curator.  No one can give up Alena's presence.  The narrator becomes so entwined in the mystery that she never leaves although they do open a new museum in a new place yet by the ocean.  The book starts with the speaker going back to the past museum and then remembering the troubles everyone encountered.

IN THE BLOOD by Lisa Unger

Good book.  Surprise ending.  When Lana Granger gets her first grown up job she finds her young charge a force to be reckoned with so to speak.  But are things really as simple as they should be?  When Lana's roommate disappears does Luke, her young charge, know anything about it.  He seems to be on a path to find her roommate, Beck.  But the police suspect Lana after looking into a past friend's death.  There is a surprise at the end I sure didn't see coming for quite a while into the book.  I wasn't sure who was writing in the diary; it could have been Rachel, Lana or Lana's mother who was murdered.  That could be the answer to all of the mysteries.

Death of a Nightingale

DEATH OF A NIGHTINGALE by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnette Friis was ok.  I found it confusing because the characters were changed often and had to flip back and forth to remember who was who.  The time also switched from present to past. Also there are references to many historical events from Stalin's time.  I am not really a history lover.

BELLMAN AND BLACK

BELLMAN AND BLACK by Diane Setterfield is different.  I enjoyed it until the last hundred pages.  They seemed to drag on and on.  It is a story of man meets death eye to eye.  At first, I thought it was going to be The Devil and Daniel Webster, but Mr. Bellman never made a bargain with Mr Black.  I'm not sure exactly what the deal was but Bellman saved or begged for his daughter's life after all of his family had died from the plague.  He did eventually pay with his life but I guess, in a way, we all do.  It was said he could figure a way to make the sun shine all day and night.  Maybe that is what he did.

THE TULIP EATERS by Antoinette van Heugten

THE TULIP EATERS by Antoinette van Heugten is set in present day but we learn a lot about World War II.  Nora, a doctor, comes home to her little girl and mother, but she finds her mother dead and her daughter missing.  What could be the reason someone would want to harm her mother?  It can't be the baby's father because he doesn't know he has a daughter and lives in Amsterdam.  But, after finding a locked metal box Nora begins to wonder if the murder and kidnapping could be related to World War II.  Nora finds out many secrets her mother and father have carried with them for years, but cannot tell her now.  She must travel to Amsterdam to find the leads she needs to find her baby daughter.

CRITICAL MASS by Sara Paretski

CRITICAL MASS by Sara Paretsky is very good.  If you are a history buff you will especially enjoy it.  Private detective, Warshawski is called by her best friend to find a patient who was in trouble.  When Warshawski gets involved in finding the caller, she discovers there is more than meets the eye to this case.  There is the Holocausr, the nuclear arms race, and a missing grandson.  I don't know my history very well but we are introduced to the scientists who worked on the bomb during World War II.  If the names are accurate I couldn't tell you.  But it is very interesting to hear the stories of these people behind the detectives work which also get my interest.  I would recommend this book.

THE RETURNED

THE RETURNED by Jason Mott is strange.  I'm not sure if I liked it or not.  The returned are those who have died but now have come back to earth.  They are found in various places in the world not always wher they lived in life.  At first they are sent back to family until so many returned.  Lucille and Harold lost their son, Jacob at age 8.  He drowned in the river.  He returns but is it really their son?  They are not sure.  But Harold and Lucille love him just the same.  I'm sure theirs a moral here but I cannot find it.  As I said I am not sure if I liked it or not.  It is a bit wordy with unnecessary description and conversations.  

Weapon of Choice

WEAPON OF CHOICE by Patricia Gussin I was a little surprised that the book was set in the past but it worked.  There were many different twists in the story.  A surgeon whose daughter is infected with a drug resistance staph infection.  A scientist who is out for revenge against his scientist colleague.  A CDC scientist very prejudice against blacks with a vendetta. These characters are all intertwined in some way and this is the good part of the story.  There are two very virulent strains of bacteria released on a portion of the population and they must be contained before it is spread to the world.  We know who the culprit is but how they commit their crimes and how they are caught is the mystery.  Very good book and I recommend it.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

"This book is the book you have just read." Neil Gaiman. This pretty much says it all about THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman.  It is true to Neil Gaiman form.  I read this book in one sitting.  It isn't long but that is not the reason.  It is hard to put down.  A reviewer says, " told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human."  So very true. The main character has come home for a funeral but before he leaves he visits the house down the lane from where he grew up.  While sitting on a bench by the pond, he relives events from his childhood that he is not quite sure happened.  Old Mrs Hempstock is there for him as she always was growing up but could it really still be her?  A must read..

WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by SusanCrandall

Excellent book,  I highly recommend it.  Starla, a ten year old girl runs away from her grandmother's house to find her mother.  Starla jumps before she thinks.  How will she get all the way from Mississippi to Nashville, what will she eat on the way?  Starla is picked up by a black woman as Starla walks down the road.  But she doesn't know what she is in for until she gets to Eula's house.  The setting is a time when civil rights was very much an issue.  Starla learns about family, real life away from a small town, and the difference between white and black people during this time in the south.

HUMAN REMAINS

HUMAN REMAINS by Elizabeth Haynes is great.  What a strange main character.  Colin Friedland thinks he is helping people commit suicide. No one seems to catch that there are many more decomposed bodies found than normal for the year and the area.  Annabel, the police analyst, discovers the problem and brings it to the department's attention.  Not until a reporter gets wind of the story, does the department take an interest.  Colin is quite different and possibly emotionless.  So how does Annabel get mixed up with him?  Do you know your neighbors; would you know if they are dead or alive? 

The Tilted World

THE TILTED WORLD by Tom Franklin is excellent.  The story tells about the great Mississippi River flood of 1927.  We see the events through the eyes of Dixie Clay and her natural enemy, a revenue agent.  Dixie Clay is a moonshiner and she meets Ingersoll, the revenuer.  Then besides the flood disaster Dixie Clay's life begins to change.  She gets a child, her husband is a saboteur, and she falls in love with her natural enemy.  Tilted World is historical fiction and love story.

Mrs Poe

MRS POE by Lynn Cullen is an excellent book.   I have always enjoyed Poe's works but never knew much about the man.  Frances Osgood, poet, and Poe had an affair and a child.  They were never however able to be together as man and wife.  Guilt and the times held them at arms distance their entire lives.  If you are a Poe fan this is a must read book.

Massacre Pond by Paul Doiron

I am not sure the title fits the book but the book is good.  When conservation officer, Bowditch is called by his friend to investigate the death of five moose on the Morse estate Bowditch is determined to find out.  When he calls in help his boss takes over.  His boss has political stars in his eyes.  When this guy bumbles the investigation Bowditch risks his job, best friend and being with his dying mother to find the person who is now killing people as well as animals.  Can he find out before his life is ruined?

TELL ME by Lisa Jackson

Reporter Nikki Gillette is about to get married to a police detective.  But then they both come upon the same case.  Will their conflicts become too much?  Nikki's childhood friend, Amity, is murdered when they are only 15 years old.  Amity's mother is convicted on an 8 year old's testimony.  Now, this child all grown up has recanted the story.  Amity's mother is being released from jail.  Nikki wants to know the truth.  The police want to keep amity's mother in jail.  The more investigation the more Nikki finds how much her family is involved.  Good book, great read.

LOST by SJ Bolton

Lost is a mystery and very hard to put down.  Barney is a young boy who is trying to find his mother.  His father seems to leave him alone quite a bit.  Barney is able to find things that are hidden and at times has blackouts of time that is lost to him.  He has friends he skates with each evening until someone starts killing 8 - 11 year old boys.  Just Barney's age.  He knows his father is usually gone about the time these killings happen but he does not want to believe it would be his own dad.  When clues begin pointing to Barney's father he can no longer keep it to himself.  His friend, an adult, who lives next door happens to be a cop on leave due to injuries suffered in a previous incident, so Barney confides in her.  Lacey Flintbecomes involved as does the whole police force after a son of their own is missing.  Very good book and many underlying tales.  I would recommend it.

BLACK COUNTRY by Alex Grecian

BLACK COUNTRY by Alex Grecian is about a small town in England that has requested Scotland Yard to help solve the disappearance of three family members.  There is also another mystery brewing behind this possible crime that no one but the two involved are aware of.  The problem is that ther are no bodies as of yet and the town is becoming fatally ill as the search continues.  It is not until the doctor from London comes into town that anyone figures this illness and the crime out.  The second mystery spans many years and two continents.

The Ophelia Cut

THE OPHELIA CUT by John Lescroart is his usual great story.  He always has good mysteries in which you don't always find an answer.  Moses, Dismas,Gina and Abe are tied together by an age old secret that may or may not have been criminal.  But when Moses loses sobriety everyone is afraid he will "spill his guts".   Moses daughter is raped and he is thrown over the edge.  Her assailant is found murdered.  Did Moses do it in a drunken state?  There are others who have motive but the judge will not let Dismas use the third person murderer defense so how will he get Moses off of this murder conviction?  And then in walks his alibi which will keep Moses out of jail and safe from telling his long kept secret.  But all of a sudden that fear is no longer.

The DARKLING

The DARKLING by R B Chesterton the pseudonym for Carolyn Haines recipient of many awards. Wow! I could not put this book down.  Mimi's the live in governess and tutor for the new family in town.  The Henderson's have bought the run down estate in Coden, Alabama and restored it to its original beauty and extravagance.  Bur, Mimi's grandmother asks the Henderson's to foster a 16 year old girl who has amnesia and everything turns evil.  Where did this young girl come from and what is going on around her.  Annie is not what she seems and people start dying or going a bit insane.  Before all of this comes to an end the terrible true must come out.  Very good book, hard to put down, the end is surprising and I wanted to get there quickly.  The book will be released in April. Get it!

Speak of the Devil

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL by Allison Leotta. When Anne Curtis, prosecutor for the government, gets the case to prosecute the devil her life turns upside down.  Anne gets engaged to Jack and her life seems perfect until she becomes a target of the devil or diablo. Diablo is the leader of one of the meanest gangs around and he wants to get rid of Anne before he gets convicted of many terrible crimes.  The only person diablo wants more is the person who has turned informant and he wants to find out who the snitch is.  The drama and surprises are great.  It isn't a "who dunnit" but there are surprises in the story.

The Paradise Guest House

I just finished reading THE PARADISE GUEST HOUSE byEllen Sussman.  It was good I would recommend it to customers.  Jamie returns to Bali where, on year before, she lost her boyfriend and helped rescue many from a bombed building.  She was invited by the government for the one year anniversary all expenses paid.  Jamie wasn't sure if she wanted to go but she knew she needed to find the man who helped with the rescue and took care of her.  She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to handle the memories that have been nightmares for the year.

OUT OF RANGE by Hank Steinberg

OUT OF RANGE is written by Hank Steinberg who also created the tv show Without a Trace.  True to the tv show; the book is also a cliff hanger.  Working for world peace and equity, Charlie and Julie want to change the world until they almost die.  Charlie wants to hide and not think about this time but Julie is finding being a chauffeur boring.  Julie wants that excitement and exhilaration back.  Then, Julie is kidnapped and Charlie must face that life he wants to forget.  No one believes he did not kill his wife; no one will search the places or people Charlie knows took his wife.  Charlie has to do this by himself.  Can he save Julie?

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Violet (Sera) is found in the ocean after a terrible plane crash.  She is the only survivor and has no injuries.  How could this be?  She has no memory at all past or present even her name.  Who is she and who is the boy that keeps confronting her saying he is her friend?  And then, people start chasing her and seem to want to harm her.  Violet does not know who she can trust.  I really enjoyed this YA book but I hope it's not the last one.  Ms. Brody left too many unanswered questions.

DREAM EYES

DREAM EYES by Jayne Ann Krentz was enjoyable.  It was easy to read, not romantically mushy and believable to the point of the crystal death weapon.  I liked it and would recommend it.