Volume 5 #2
Go the Table of Contents
All books reviewed here are recommended. Please, always keep in mind that the only books that appear on this page are ones that I liked enough to write about. For every book reviewed here I have usually read two that I would not want to inflict on anyone.
Crime/Legal Thriller
In Her Defense
Horn, Stephen
HarperCollins 0060194405
To begin with, this knock your socks off legal thriller has a terrific ending. All legal thrillers are compared to Grisham who is a master storyteller but just can’t put a decent ending on his books so it is especially refreshing to read one that has a bang up perfect resolution for all involved. Frank O’Connell is down on his luck almost by choice. When he decided to give up his partnership in his mentor's (who was also his father-in-law) high profile Washington law firm it was to prove to himself that he could make it on his own. Giving up his job cost him his wife, child, and home reducing him to living off of court appointments to defend prostitutes and penny ante drug dealers. His life changes when wealthy socialite Ashley Bronson, briefly a cellmate of one of his clients, hires him to defend her for the murder of a former cabinet official. Unfortunately the beautiful client tells him that she did it right off the bat. In Her Defense will have you turning pages and staying up all night as Frank and his team uncover a conspiracy that may shed a different light on things. First time novelist Horn has a real talent for creating believably flawed but ultimately likeable characters.
Historical Fiction/ Native American
Two Old Women : An Alaska
Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
Wallis, Velma
Harperperennial 0060975849
An Alaskan band of hunting gathering people decide to leave two old complaining women behind because of the lean times. The two women decide they aren’t just going to sit there and die so they set out on a quest for survival that proves that self reliance can come at any age. This was a selection that was read for my book group.
Crime/Historical
Mystery/Forensics
The Visitant: Book One of the
Anasazi Mysteries
Gear, Kathleen O’Neal and W. Michael
Gear
Tor Forge 0812540336
This review in a slightly different form appeared in Booklist last year. It has not appeared on the Amazon site so I am posting it here since I just read the second book in the series that will be out this summer. The paperback version of the Visitant should be hitting bookstore shelves soon.
Moving back and forth between the present and the thirteenth century, a mystery involving a serial killer is investigated by two different teams in northern New Mexico. In the present, the members of an archaeological dig unearth human bones necessitating the summoning of a NAGPRA, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, monitor who arrives in the person of Hail, a frail elderly woman of strong spirit. Dr. Maureen Cole (briefly met in People of the Masks), a Canadian Indian forensic anthropologist who has a major personality conflict with lead archaeologist Dusty Stewart, is also called in. Back in the time of the murders a band called the Katsinas’ People were rebuilding kivas in abandoned cliff dwellings to try to return harmony to the earth. While Browser, the war chief, is preparing to bury his young son, a body, identified as his wife, with its head shattered under a rock is found in the grave and a woman who was watching over the nearby fire is found with her head smashed in leaving her in a coma. After another murder Bowser sends for his great uncle, an elderly eccentric called Stone Ghost who had been solving mysteries for over 50 years. The fascinating details of both Anasazi life and contemporary archaeology enrich a pretty ordinary crime in which the perpetrator and motive don’t quite ring true. The vividly depicted characters do leave the reader hoping for more mysteries in this series.
| Crime/Short Stories/Anthologies The Best American Mystery Stories of the Century Hillerman, Tony and Otto Penzler, eds. Houghton Mifflin 0618012672 One of the top mystery authors and one of the top mystery experts of the 20th century have compiled a treasure trove of some of the best mystery stories of the last 97 years. Included are authors known for mysteries as well as those known in other genres. This is a collection that every public library and every serious mystery fan must have. As with any anthology, some stories will appeal more to certain readers than others. I found particular fascination with the very early stories that demonstrate that great stories are timeless and that human nature doesn’t change. |
YA/Suspense/Horror/Mystery Witches’ Night Out Ravenwolf, Silver Llewellyn 1567187285 Bethany
Salem is angry, so angry that she summons the hounds of
Hel to help her find the person responsible for the death
of her boyfriend. Afraid that is was someone in her teen
coven she feels isolated especially when her father shows
up with an odious individual who claims to be her future
step-mom. |
Historical/Chile/California/19th
century Western/Singular Woman/Gold Rush Daughter of Fortune Allende, Isabel HarperCollins 006019491X Eliza Sommers, a foundling left on the doorstep of the British Import and Export Company in Valparaiso, Chile, is raised as a proper young Victorian English girl. She grows into a sensuous young woman who becomes pregnant by her poor but intellectual lover. Stowing away with the help of a Chinese physician/cook she attempts to follow her lover to the gold fields of California, dressing as a boy. Adventure upon adventure follow along with a witty portrayal of California historical lore. Allende transcends the literary genre with her masterful storytelling, exquisite pacing, fascinating characters, and a real talent for plot .
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Adventure/Political
Intrigue
Saving Faith
Baldacci, David
Warner Books 0446525774
Faith Lockhart, a political lobbyist, is rescued by private investigator Lee Adams after an assassination attempt at a remote cottage where she is providing information on her boss’s activities to the FBI. Together they unravel a plot by a psycho killer, a CIA official who wants to trump the FBI. Lots of action and a little romance make this a terrific thriller. I would love to see Lee Adams in other adventures.
Romance/Historical/Regency-Era
The Courtship
Coulter, Catherine
Jove 0515127213
This is one I reviewed for Booklist and my review is at the Amazon site. Please click on the ISBN number above to read the review.
Romance/Contemporary
Crazy for Cornelia
Gilson, Chris
Warner Books 0446525367
This is one that I absolutely loved finding it charming and delightful. As it was also reviewed for Booklist, please click on the ISBN above to read the review at Amazon.com.
| Science
Fiction/Psionic Powers Pegasus in Space McCaffrey, Anne Del Rey 0345434668 Peter Reidinger, a teenage paraplegic with remarkable psionic talents that enable him to move almost anything including himself thwarts a takeover plan at the dedication of the new Padrugoi Space Station. Amariyah, an orphan, becomes Peter’s greatest fan and is like a young sister to him but she also harbors a unique talent, one that manifests itself in her gardening but is not limited to vegetation. |
Science
Fiction/Religion/Apocalypse Adventure/Thriller/International Conspiracy Millennium Rising Jane Jensen Del Rey 0345430344 Preachers and prophets of many faiths gather in a tiny Mexican village where they are visited by visions of Armageddon. As each hurries back to his or her flock they set in motion events that will either save or doom them as cataclysmic events wreak havoc on the world. Is it the end of the world or is there a vast international conspiracy that has set in motion events that could get entirely out of control. Father Michele Deauchez was at Santa Pelagria but even though he had the visions (uniquely tailored for each participant) his cynicism leads him on a quest to visit as many of the world spiritual leaders he can find. Starting out like an end of the world apocalyptic novel it wraps up in the finest of SF tradition. |
Fantasy/Detection/Bestiary/Cats/
Fantasy/ Shapeshifters Mystery/Fantasy Cat on the Edge Murphy, Shirley Rousseau HarperPrism 0061056006 Joe Grey was surprised when he discovered he could understand every word his human said, and shocked when he discovered that he himself, a large gray tomcat, could speak and even read English. Teaming together with Dulce a sensuous feline of the female persuasion, they set out to help solve a murder they saw committed along the way finding a human who has shifted shape into that of a delicious vanilla with apricot swirl furred cat. The get the murderer and his conspirators arrested they must find the motive and nudge the authorities towards the clues in order to save their own lives and keep Clyde, Joe’s human from being framed for the murder of the owner of the car dealership where he is the mechanic. |