Books: Treachery in Death

Finally read it, Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts). It was pretty good, but not what I expected. In this one, I got the impression from the preview in the last paperback that Dallas' partner Peabody was going to get more play.

Instead, we finally see Dallas's feelings as she helps Peabody deal with the issue in the main plot of the book. She is changing and Roberts put in bunches of ooey, gooey sentimental bits.

Dallas puts down the evil doer, again not as I expected, but it was good. She did more this time than say, "You're under arrest." A couple of books ago I was disappointed in the calm ending especially after several of her earlier books when Dallas or her hubby Roarke were hanging by a thread.

Finally there was an interesting little development with some minor characters. I'm interested in seeing how that will play out. All in all, decent In Death.

Books: Eight Days to Live

I also lost this post, which really sucks because it was twice as long as my previous post. I post when I'm raring to go and I put my thoughts down. Once I've written them they are out of my mind, gone, no returning. &%$#*^@

Well anyway, I summarized the books I was reading or going to read soon. I just don't have the oomph to lay it all out again.

J.D. Robb has three books out from her "In Death" series.
Indulgence in Death (I read and was required to lend it immediately to my MIL ;) )
"Possession in Death" (It is in an anthology called The Other Side.
Treachery in Death (I'm impatiently awaiting paperback or cheaper Kindle version.)

Two more are coming this fall.
New York to Dallas (This breaks the titling mold!)
"Chaos in Death" (Another in an anthology, The Unquiet.)

Iris Johansen also has out a book out that I haven't read, Eight Days to Live, featuring Eve Duncan. My MIL has it on her Kindle, and I hope to figure out how Kindle's lending feature works so I can read it. Johansen also has another coming out in the fall, Chasing the Night.

Happy Reading!

Books: The Perfect Murder

1. So so plot. Man, whose ex-wife and son are murdered, believes the deed was done by the new husband. The husband is dead, but he believes the husband is alive and getting away with murder (har har). In the meantime, a woman who works for this organization (part of the series) has a case which involves the not really dead husband. Parts of the story were hard to swallow. I like twists and turns, but this turned me off.

2. This, The Perfect Murder by Brenda Novak, should not have been my first read by this author. The series which implies that there are a lot of fans of the books and there are quite a few giving reviews at Amazon.

3. To sum up, I will eventually read another book just to determine if the series is really any good, but if it doesn't measure up - I won't be reading Novak again.

Books: Silent Fall

I was looking for another thriller author and spotted this book, Silent Fall, by Barbara Freethy. It was a quick library stop, and the book would be my 35th summer read. It is the second book in a partnership with Silent Run. You might want to stop reading now because there are some major spoilers in this post. Just in case you do stop reading, my recommendation is a thumbs down.

Premise? Reporter gets framed for the murder of a woman at his brother's wedding reception. Another woman, a psychic the reporter has met before, decides against her better judgement to help him.

The first issue I had was not being able to get into the book, but after the first 100 pages it got busy enough to hold my attention longer. I think one reason was because I couldn't get a good grasp of the reporter's personality. The psychic was easier. She's got a bad history that also has to do with a murderer (one who was never found.)

The second was some really stupid reactions. The woman is a witness in a murder trial that the reporter helped bring about. The reporter thinks the woman/witness may still be alive, due in part to the psychic, and decides to track her down even though he's been told not to leave town. Meanwhile the real killer is also stalking the woman/witness, so instead of staying put and giving himself an alibi he ends up in the same location as the now really dead woman/witness. There were other things like that bothering me.

Third, the psychic starts to make a connection between the reporter and herself. She confides in the reporter about her past with this uncaptured murderer, I said to myself, "Wouldn't it be stupid if the killer was the same for both of them?" Wouldn't you know...

There was some mystery that I hadn't figured out which was good, but it was very predictable. I likely won't read the first story even though there was a little tidbit from it at the end of this book. I kind of know how it ends from reading this one anyway. Wouldn't want to read another predictable book.

Books: The Night Before and The Morning After

I have a lot of books just around the house that I haven't read. One is another Jackson novel, The Morning After. I read it not realizing that the book was a continuation of another, The Night Before so Morning was my 5th read while Night was my 41st.

The first story starts off with a woman, Caitlyn Montgomery, who not only thinks she's nuts - she is. This makes things complicated when a killer targets both her and her family. There is quite a bit of focus on the detective in this story more than the feelings between Caitlyn and the psychiatrist she turns to, Adam Hunt. Jackson also brings in Reuben Montoya, her New Orleans series detective. But the reason for her focus on the detective becomes more clear in the second story.

Pierce (Detective Reed) finds the killer is after him this time as well as a reporter, Nikki Gillette. While Nikki was also in the first book, it is the second one in which the romance develops between the them. What I like about thrillers is that I have to guess who the killer is (or at least have the fun of watching them corner the bad guy). I had some suspicions in the first book on the killer, but I was wrong - and surprised. It wasn't who I thought and the killer somehow didn't make sense to me. I figured out who the killer was in the second book because Jackson gave too much away.

There wasn't that awe I have after reading that makes me wholeheartedly recommend a book. That didn't make me regret reading them.

A little reminder here that I really like the tiny romance aspect of my thrillers, go ahead roll your eyes here. ;)

Books: Deep Freeze and Fatal Burn

Deep Freeze by Lisa Jackson was my first read of the summer. Sorry it took so long, but the other books called to me!

Anyway, the story is like this: Jenna is a former movie star who moves out to the boonies of Oregon to get a better life for her kids and away from the bad memories of the death of her sister (which she considers to be her fault). She is followed by a stalker who is killing citizens of the town in a bizarre tribute to her - with Jenna as the final target.

I've written about some Lisa Jackson books before, and mentioned that she likes to stick to the formula. That is true, but the hero isn't lumped in with the killer this time around. She ends with a cliff hanger that moves into the other book, Fatal Burn. This one ran along the same lines as Deep Freeze. This woman gave up her daughter 13 years before because the father took off and the man she married was abusive. The adoptive father seeks her out because the daughter was abducted and he thinks she had something to do with it. I couldn't figure out who the killer was by the end and the final scene was a little bit of a let down, but I will continue to read this author.

She has a little "Dear Reader" blurb that explains why she wrote both books. It was intriguing. I'm hoping to find some other thriller writer this summer. I tend to stick with the same authors because I know I'll be happy with my read, but I need to branch out...

Books: Kindred in Death

Stop right there!

If you haven't read the 2009 release of one of J.D.Robb's In Death series of books, I don't want to spoil it for you - so read no farther!

However, if you have, I wanted to give a short review. Kindred in Death starts off with the murder of a 16 year old innocent and daughter of a good solid cop. I liked everything about the story - I always do - from the gruesome beginning to Eve Dallas (tough cop and closet softie) to e-devices. But this time I was actually looking forward to a slightly different ending. When she got the bad guy this time, she didn't rub it in his face enough. Of course she had a ton of evidence and the killer confessed, including that his father was in on it. But the kid didn't believe that his father was the one behind everything from the beginning. Eve had some proof and the opportunity to get more, and I had hoped she would shove it in the kid's face. She didn't. I was bummed.

But don't let that stop you from reading!

Books: J.D. Robb

I'm off on another race to read as much from a series as possible. I'm on the third in the "in Death" series by J.D. Robb (pseudonym for Nora Roberts.) It starts with Naked in Death and focuses on a homicide detective named Eve Dallas...in the year 2057. There are 35 books, two of which are coming this year.

This series, very simply, is great entertainment. I'm not overloaded with comprehensive character history because we learn about the characters more as the series moves on. There was just enough mystery for me to be guessing who the killer was until about 75% of the way through the book. There's just enough high tech jargon to remind me this was futuristic without overdoing it.

I can't wait to read them all!

BTW - If you intend to give her books a try DO NOT read the Wiki for the series...all of the killers (among other info) are listed.

Books: Lisa Jackson

There's this acquaintance I know who loves to read as much as I do, but she's got a small place and can't keep all the books she's collected. So what does she do? She gives them to me! Can you hear the glee?

Anyway, she's given me a few books by Lisa Jackson. Two books feature some serial/crazed killer and a romance - the kind of stuff I like to read. The first was Hot Blooded, which is listed as her first book in the New Orleans series. I enjoyed it, but it didn't hit me with an "Oooh, that was awesome!" feel. The second I finished right before Christmas called Absolute Fear. I really liked this one because of all the red herrings and twists, but end of the book killed me. Oh yes, the mystery was solved and the lovers were saved. Then Jackson threw in a twist with some ominous premonition about a somewhat secondary character at the very end - literally the last sentence.

I decided to look into her books and she's rather prolific, however the reviews haven't been great on all the books in the series. Shiver, the book before Fear, was the original. Fear was a duller copy, and the book after Fear was slammed as being too formulaic, long, and boring. Lost Souls features one of the secondary characters from the other books. Jackson apparently puts a heroine in love with the hero who might also be the killer in all of these books along with a sexually depraved serial killer, and there's no variation.

I know she isn't quite like that with all of her books. The third read (which was my first Lisa Jackson) was a rewrite of Treasures (1994) called See How She Dies. It does contain the romance and killer, but there is some weirdness in the relationship and the killer isn't trying so hard to bed the heroine. No matter how bland and repetitive the books may be I like the challenge of figuring out who did it. If Jackson can keep me guessing then I'm in.

Books: The Broken Window

Tied up in work and holidays, I haven't had much time to read. I'm hoping to get caught up on that during the holidays. Anyway, I did manage to read The Broken Window, one of Jeffery Deaver's books featuring Lincoln Rhyme. I've mentioned this author and character before.

I'm usually fit to be tied while reading all the twists and turns at the end of the story. While this one had a few tricks up its sleeve, it wasn't with the "jaw drop" I usually associate with Rhyme books. I've actually seen someone complaining about his end of book weirdness, so maybe he's trying to please his fans.

What actually had me floored was the basis for his book. Data mining. The murderer in the book used it to frame others for his crimes. It was really quite frightening.

Still I liked all the detective work and trying to figure out who the killer was. You might too.

Books: "Kathryn Dance"

I mentioned Jeffery Deaver's books involving Lincoln Rhyme before. I love Deaver's cleverness. His books often have big twists at the end that I'm not expecting at all. I decided to read one of his other novels with his newer character Kathryn Dance.

Dance is a kinesics specialist (studies body language) and in this book, The Sleeping Doll she's trying to track down a killer dubbed as the "Son of Manson." Again Deaver keeps you guessing and keeps your attention all the way to the end of the story - really. I really can't say much more, but I highly recommend you read it. I'm definitely looking forward to his next Dance book.

Books:Rizzoli/Isles

I don't quite know how I ended up reading my first book by Tess Gerritsen. Something tells me I've read another one of her books a long time ago and have since forgotten it. I also didn't know that she used to write romance, but after three of her books I might have begun to suspect it.

The series I'm reading involves a very headstrong female detective named Jane Rizzoli and a very efficient medical examiner named Dr. Maura Isles. There are six books to date:

The Surgeon*
The Apprentice*
The Sinner
Body Double*
Vanish*
The Mephisto Club
*I've read

All of them have received 4 or better stars out of 5 from readers at Amazon. I love the way she describes the scenes and emotions of her characters. The grizzly murders scenes, the autopsies, and the character's reactions seem so real you feel like you're there. Because this is a series you learn more about each character and understand them better with each new book. I think sometimes the action completely obliterates her deep descriptions the closer you get to the end. I say think because by that time I'm reading so fast I may be missing it. And it's just as well, I don't want to waste time when the climax of the book arrives.

I recommend reading The Surgeon. Then if you enjoy it, you'll no doubt like the rest. She has a seventh book coming out called The Keepsake that she announced on her Blog. She also has a set of medical thrillers that are not connected (as far as I know) and may be worth checking out.

Official site

Book Update...Starting June 12, 30 books read = 9,886 pages
I don't think I'll meet my goal, folks :o(

Books: Iris Johansen

Iris Johansen is another author who has roots in romance, but branched out to thrillers. I'm not sure which of these two books, The Search or Final Target, I read first, but both were very entertaining during my summer of 102 books. I went on to read No One to Trust later that same summer. But the series didn't stop there, just my access to her books.

She's written twelve total under the title character's name, Eve Duncan. I scrounged up a bag of books from B's mother's garage with the first in the series, The Face of Deception, and was reminded that I had not read a Johansen book in a long time. I very much enjoy her books although many who criticize them complain of the blatant "suspension of disbelief" necessary to read them. A coworker and I were discussing our favorite genres, and she said she couldn't read thrillers because they would scare her too much. I read some of them because they are so unbelievable.

Not that I want to scare you away from them. I really like her books and plan to add the ones I haven't yet read to my summer reading list. Unlike Hooper, Johansen doesn't have to have her main characters fall in love - just sometimes.

Her latest book is Quicksand, which I've read has a little supernatural in it because of a character carry over from another book, Pandora's Daughter. I can't wait to stick my nose in that one!

Her Duncan books:

The Face of Deception (1998) *
The Killing Game (1999)
The Search (2000) *
Final Target (2001)*
Body of Lies (2002)
No One To Trust (2002)*
Dead Aim (2003)
Fatal Tide (2003)
Blind Alley (2004)*
Countdown (2005)
Stalemate (2006)
Quicksand (April 22, 2008)
*Ones I've read

Books: Women's Murder Club

Just recently I managed to get a couple of copies of books from the Patterson series Women's Murder Club. The books all have numbers in the titles, 1st to Die, 2nd Chance, 3rd Degree, 4th of July, The 5th Horseman, The 6th Target, and 7th Heaven. The last book just came out in hardback in February.

I like Patterson's material. One year I somehow, through purchase and library, read every book he had with Alex Cross as the main character. Two Cross books, Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, were made into movies. I love the thriller in thriller books. Patterson was really good at creating a lot of twists and turns into his novels. By the end though I was starting to feel a little ambivalent about Cross' character. I haven't read Patterson's most recent Cross books.

Which brings me back to the Women's Murder Club. I really liked the first couple of books. Starting to read them when they first came out, I got the excitement of seeing the characters grow. I cried when I read 3rd Degree! But after that the books didn't quite feel the same. I noticed a second author was listed on the book. The 4th of July was the last book I purchased. I wondered then if I was wrong to abandon the series.

Now I've read the 5th and 6th book, with the option of reading the 7th as soon as B's mom is done. I've come to the conclusion that I didn't miss anything by not reading them. They were just okay - not awful or disappointing and not spectacular - just okay. I went online to see what others thought and the ratings were all over. Most of those who disliked the books felt the way that I did. They were okay to read, but the characters seemed hollow and undeveloped. I can't blame the other author, as I've seen others do, but it makes me wonder what's going on with Patterson. Did he start a series he really shouldn't have? Did he run out of ideas? Did he give up on the Women's Murder Club?

Reading the series listings in Patterson's wiki I can't help but notice that the book year I stopped reading Cross is the same year I stopped reading Murder Club.

So have you read the books from the beginning? What do you think?

Books: "Lincoln Rhyme"

Lincoln Rhyme is the fictional character in a series of Jeffrey Deaver's. Deaver's books have that thriller killer thing that I love so much. Though, most know of this author from the movie "The Bone Collector" starring Denzel Washington (More on that later.) I have not read any of Deaver's other books which is why Rhyme's name is in my title. I particularly like the mysteries with this character in them.

Rhyme is a quadriplegic who solves mysteries from his home with the help of a female detective named Sachs. I am not a book critic and, like movies and movie critics, I notice that some things the critics don't like, us normal people do. IMHO, Deaver does a good job of putting in great twists and turns in his books. The Bone Collector (1997), The Coffin Dancer (1998), The Empty Chair (2000) and The Vanished Man (2003) are definite favorites. I read them years ago after being introduced to the author by a friend. I don't remember reading The Stone Monkey (2002) and I wasn't as fond of The Twelfth Card (2005) as I was the others. I'm dying to read The Cold Moon (2006). If you haven't heard of Deaver and you like the genre, check it out. Used book stores and libraries are the best.

Let's get back to that movie. So many books now, especially children's books, are coming out as movies. I sometimes envy those who seem to have no time for books because they aren't disappointed like I am when the movies don't live up to my vivid imagination. For the most part I can live with the movies, but I still refuse to see "The Bone Collector." My biggest gripe is that Denzel Washington is African American while Lincoln Rhyme is not. It doesn't matter to me how good an actor he is. The descriptions in the book of the main character going pale in pain just don't fit with the character on the screen. I'm not sure what the producers or directors were trying to do. It just ruins it for me.

Books: Kay Hooper

Book time! I wanted to pick a book for children because I have an affinity for them. Expect me to talk about children’s books soon. Instead I picked one of my favorites for enjoyment. Depending on how you look at it, cool or horrible, I’m a fan of romances. I know, you're thinking horrible.

There is nothing like the fantasy of a very nice looking man finding you attractive enough to pursue. A man who is romantic and thrilling. One who has a sense of humor and is a little mischievous. Chivalrous, but not chauvinistic. Supportive and caring, but not controlling. Great in…ahem.

While I like a good romance, I also like thrillers. Funnily enough, serial killer thrillers float my boat. Now you’re beginning to wonder, eh? Put a romance with a killer thriller and you’ve got a hit with me. There is a wonderful set of authors who were romance novelists who now write thrillers and delightfully combined the two. One such author is Kay Hooper.

I’m writing about Hooper in particular because she adds another of my favorite elements to her stories: the paranormal. In one of her series, she has created a special unit of the FBI that is comprised of people involved in the paranormal. Telekinesis, clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition, psychometry and mediumship are normal for this group of investigators who track down those people that the regular FBI can’t seem to manage. They get inside the killers’ heads, capture them, and then…fall in love!(No, not with the killers.)

All in all, they are a fun read, but like any other set of books you have to like the type. If you aren’t into romance or paranormal these won’t be your cup of tea. If you like what you’ve heard, Hooper has a whole series for you to enjoy – the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series. There are three completed themes (Shadows, Evil, and Fear) all having to do with the same group of people. Hooper started the fourth theme this past year (Blood). I’ve left the link so you can read them in order (‘Cuz I’m OCD like that!)