Category: C

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2011, Review Book

2011.55 REVIEW – The Guardian by Robbie Cheuvront and Erik Reed

Tara

The Guardian
by Robbie Cheuvront and Erik Reed

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 443
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 13– Sept. 15, 2011
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly Count: 55
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley

Blurb: Plunge into the world of seen and unseen forces in The Guardian. Anna Riley has just come into possession of a two-thousand-year old scroll that God gave to John the Disciple. Her mission—to guard the scroll and unlock its secret. Jason Lang, her protector, has his work cut out for him as they begin their journey around the world, facing corruption and dodging bullets—all the while trying to keep his attraction to Anna at bay. Will he succeed in defending the woman he’s vowed to protect? Will Anna, forced to trust other people to stay alive, fulfill the challenge that she’s accepted?

Review: I requested this book from NetGalley having been immediately intrigued by the description. And I must say that I was not disappointed. While I am not a particularly religious person, that didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book. Personally I felt as if the characters were well-developed and likable. And the action. Wow, was this a great thrill ride of a book! It was non-stop from the first page to the last page. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thrilling read.

And an interesting sidenote: I was originally unaware that one of the authors (Cheuvront) was actually part of the country band LoneStar, who I personally think has some really good songs.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.35 REVIEW – Shelter by Harlan Coben

Tara

Shelter
by Harlan Coben

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 304
Rating: 5/5
Read: July 16 – July 17, 2011
Challenge:  TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 35
Format: Print (ARC)
Source: LibraryThing EarlyReviewer copy

Blurb: After tragic events tear him away from his parents, fifteen-year-old Mickey Bolitar is sent to live with his estranged uncle Myron. For a while, it seems his train wreck of a life is finally improving – until his girlfriend, Ashley, goes missing without a trace. Unwilling to let another person he cares about walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley’s trait into a seedy underworld, revealing a conspiracy so shocking it will leave him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

Review: I received this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. I am a huge fan of Harlan Coben. His stand alones are great. I’ve only read one of the Myron Bolitar novels, but since Myron takes a backseat to his nephew Mickey in this book, it didn’t affect anything. This is a young adult novel, but Mr. Coben doesn’t hold much back. The situations that Mickey finds himself in are interesting. His friends are funny and well-rounded. Ema is especially intriguing – there’s something about her that we don’t know about yet, but it has made me very interested in finding out more about her character. Spoon provides some great comedic relief in just the right places. Mickey’s character is very real because he is dealing with some very real events in his life – his dad is dead and his mom is a junkie. Any fifteen-year-old kid is going to struggle with that situation, but Mickey seems to deal with it as best as he can. Overall, I’m very interested in this series, I think that Mr. Coben has started a new series that could really grow into something great. It will attract young adults and his faithful adult readers as well. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This book will be released in September, 2011.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011

2011.26 REVIEW – The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark

Tara

The Shadow of Your Smile
by Mary Higgins Clark

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 384
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 20– 29, 2011
Challenge:  No challenge
Yearly Count: 26
Format: Print

First Line: On Monday morning, Olivia Morrow sat quietly across the desk from her longtime friend Clay Hadley, absorbing the death sentence he had just pronounced.

Blurb: At age eighty-two and in failing health, Olivia Morrow faces a momentous choice: expose a devastating family secret, or take it with her to her grave. Olivia has in her possession letters from her deceased cousin Catherine, a nun now being considered for beatification by the Catholic Church. The letters are evidence that Catherine gave birth at age seventeen to a son she gave up for adoption. The young man who fathered Catherine’s child, Alex Gannon, went on to become a world-famous doctor and scientist. Now, thirty-one-year-old pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell, their granddaughter, stands as the rightful heir to what remains of Gannon’s fortune. But to silence Olivia and prevent Monica from learning the secret, those who are exploiting the inheritance will stop at nothing – even murder.

Review: This was a highly enjoyable read. I am never disappointed by Mary Higgins Clark. It’s truly amazing how she keeps producing quality books year after year. This book read quickly (when I was able to actually sit down and read). My only complaint is that there were a lot of storylines. And while they all came together in the end, I think one or two of them could have been cut out completely. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a good suspenseful mystery.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Mickey Haller, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.16 REVIEW – The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Tara

The Lincoln Lawyer
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 505
Rating: 5/5
Read: March 27– 30, 2011
Challenge: Criminal Plots Reading Challenge; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 16
Format: Print

First Line: The morning air off the Mojave in late winter is as clean and crisp as you’ll ever breathe in Los Angeles County.

Blurb: For defense attorney Mickey Haller, the clock is always running. With two ex-wives, four Lincoln Town Cars that he uses as offices, and dozens of guilty clients, he can’t afford to miss a trick. When he gets picked by a Beverly Hills rich boy arrested for assault, Mickey sees a franchise case: a nice, long, expensive trial with maximum billable hours – until it hurtles him into the last place he wants to be. Suddenly hustling, cynical Mickey Haller is confronted with pure evil and someone who may be truly innocent. Now, for a lawyer who has always gone for the easy score, getting justice means taking the deadliest risk of all.

Review: Oh. My. Gosh. This book was (in the words of Dickie V.) AWESOME, BABY! I wanted to hurry up and read this book since I want to go see the movie this weekend. Well, let me just say, that I didn’t have to worry about finishing the book. It was just that good – I flew through it!! One thing that kind of bothered me was the number of times Mr. Connelly used the “do you know the difference between a lawyer and a fish?” joke, once was funny, twice was okay, but the third time was too much. And I really understood the context as to why he brought the joke out all three times, but it was a little overkill. (And no, I am not a lawyer). The main character, Mickey Haller, did not always come across as a really great guy. He was a little shady at times, but he knew it and didn’t try to hide it and I think that’s what made him so endearing as a character in the end in my opinion. The guy on trial in this book, Roulet, well he was definitely something else …. pure evil, as Haller noted so well. I must say as I was reading this book I was thinking of the actors who have been cast in this movie, I think they’re going to be spot on!! I would definitely recommend people to read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011

2011.3 REVIEW – Where are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark

Tara

Where Are the Children?
by Mary Higgins Clark

Copyright: 1975
Pages: 290
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 14 – 16, 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge; TBR Dare; TwentyEleven Challenge; What’s in a Name 4
Yearly Count: 3
Format: Print

First Line: He could feel the chill coming in through the cracks around the windowpanes.

Blurb: Nancy Harmon had fled the vil of her first marriage, the macabre deaths of her two little children, the hideous charges against her. She changed her name, dyed her hair, moved from California to New England. Now she was married again, had had two more lovely children, and her life was filled with happiness … until the morning when she looked for her children and found only one tattered red mitten and knew that the nightmare was beginning again…

Review: This is Mary Higgins Clark’s first mystery novel. I found it just as thrilling as her recent novels! You could definitely tell that it was dated (1975), but that really didn’t take away from the actual storyline. In all honesty, this is a book that can be read 100 years from now and still be good. Overall, I thouroughly enjoyed this book. That’s not to say it was perfect, I did have a little bit of an issue with Nancy’s character. I guess it stems from me not liking such weak women characters. I have very little sympathy for weak women, so I didn’t really like Nancy’s character as much as I could have. I was also a little disappointed by the lack of background about Nancy. For  most of the book I kept scratching my head wondering if I had missed something, and then I decided that there was a lot that wasn’t revealed as early as it could have been. This is a 290 page book that was short, sweet and to the point. It could have had at least 30 extra pages in it to include this background. Of course, then I would probably be complaining about too much background, so I suppose that complaint is a double edged sword. Overall, I really did enjoy this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Kay Scarpetta, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Book of the Dead
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 511
Rang: 3.5/5
Read: Dec. 24-27, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 67
Format: Print

First Line: Water splashing. A gray mosaic tile tub sunk deep into a terra-cotta floor.

Blurb: Starting over with a unique private forensic pathology practice in the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina, seems like the ideal situation for Scarpetta and her colleagues, Pete Marino and her niece, Lucy. But then come the deaths… A sixteen-year-old tennis star, fresh from a tournament win in Charleston, is found nude and mutilated near Piazza Navona in Rome. The body of an abused young boy is dumped in a desolate marsh. A woman is ritualistically murdered in her multimillion-dollar beach home. Meanwhile, in New England, problems with a prominent patient at a Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital begin to hint at interconnections among the deaths that are as hard to imagine as they are horrible. Scarpetta has dealt with many brutal and unusual crimes before, but never a string of them as baffling, or as terrifying, as the ones facing her now. Before she is through, that book of the dead will contain many names – and the pen may be poised to write her own.

Review: (There will be SPOILERS in this review). This is the 15th book in the Kay Scarpetta series. Overall, I felt as if the plot line was much better than the last few in this series have been. But, I do have a few issues with this book (and the series, really). First, let me just state: Pete Marino is a jerk with a capital J. Ms. Cornwell has managed to take a rough, yet likable, character and just totally ruin him and turn him into a disgusting excuse for a man. And Kay, well, if she forgives Marino one more time for a unexcusable offense, I think I will throw up. In general, the characters have really gone downhill as far as their characteristics go. Lucy hasn’t been in a good mood ever since the tumor was found. Benton, well besides the fact that you “kill” him off to bring him back 2 books later, has some serious communication problems when it comes to his feelings and Kay – and he’s a psychiatrist of all things, he should know better! But what really gets me is the fact that Dr. Scarpetta can’t stay in one place! In the last two books, she has moved to 2 different places (Florida, then South Carolina). And, having picked up Scarpetta, the 16th book of this series off my shelf to read next, I know that Kay has once again moved (Boston/NYC). I don’t know why Ms. Cornwell can’t just let her be in one place, all this moving is confusing. You meet new supporting characters, and then never hear from them again because she has once again picked up and moved. Anyways, I guess if you take away all my gripes and get down to the storyline, it’s slightly disappointing as well. There’s all this lead up to the who-dun-it part of the book, and then the killer is revealed (no big shocker, but somewhat of one) and then he’s effectively caught and imprisoned with only a slight mention in two sentences. Really? That’s how you’re going to end this book? Not sure I really care for this series anymore. I know of quite a few people who have given up on this series simply because the writing is not up to par with her early books and the characters are no longer enjoyable. It may be time for me to hang up Dr. Scarpetta as well. I suppose I will give it two more chances (since I have two more books on my shelves), after that I’m not sure I will pick up the latest installment (Port Mortuary) anytime soon.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, E-Book, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

MINI REVIEW: Damaged by Pamela Callow

Tara

Damaged by Pamela Callow

Haunted by the death of her sister and wounded by her ex-fiancé’s accusations, Kate Lange throws herself into her new career at a high-powered law firm. When the grandmother of a lonely private school student seeks her counsel, Kate thinks it’s just another custody case. But then the teen is brutally murdered. And it isn’t only Kate who wonders if her legal advice led to the girl’s death. Put on notice by Randall Barrett, the firm’s charismatic managing partner, Kate must fight for her career, for her reputation—and for redemption. Unwilling to live with the damage she may have caused, Kate pursues the case on her own and unearths some chilling facts. Facts that lead straight to the heart of a legal conspiracy. Facts that lead Kate directly into the surgically skilled hands of the Body Butcher.

I read this book as an e-book and unfortunately I’m behind on my reviews, so this is only getting a mini-review. I enjoyed this book, it was a fast-paced and overall good read. But I had my issues with the main character, Kate. How stupid can one woman be? Seriously? First she gives practically a stranger the key to her house so that her dog can get walked while she is at work. Then she actually breaks into a funeral home in order to find evidence to support her theory. Really? Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did, I just had some issues with Kate as a character. I already have the second Kate Lange book loaded onto my Nook ready to read. I’m interested to see where she goes from here.

Rating: 4/5

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Kay Scarpetta, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Predator by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Predator
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 456
Rating: 4/5
Read: Oct. 10-14, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Finish that Series Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 54

First Line: It is Sunday afternoon and Dr. Kay Scarpetta is in her office at the National Forensic Academy in Hollywood, Florida, where clouds are building, promising another thunderstorm.

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is now freelancing with the National Forensic Academy in Florida when a new case comes her way. With the help of her team, Pete Marino, Benton Wesley, and her niece, Lucy, they will uncover a trail of surprising clues. Two sisters have gone missing, and the clues are confusing. Someone is trying to point Kay in a particular direction regarding this case. While another killer, one safely behind bars and involved in a psychiatric study with Benton, tries to send Kay in another direction. One by one, connections will be made and all leads will point to the psychopathic mind of a jailed serial killer’s mind.

I enjoyed this book … until the ending (or lack thereof). I suppose the next book in this series will begin where this one abruptly left off. There were quite a few unanswered questions in this book. Overall, though, I thought that this book was a lot better than the past couple of books in this series, but it’s still not nearly as good as the earliest book in this series.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Nonfiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

REVIEW: From Love Field by Nellie Connally

Tara

From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy
by Nellie Connally and Mickey Herskowitz

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 203
Rating: 3/5
Read: Sept. 4, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 45

First Line: We were two couples in the prime of our lives.

This is a memoir written by Nellie Connally, the wife of Texas Governor John Connally. The Connally’s were in the limousine with the Kennedy’s on that fateful trip to Dallas. It’s a quick and easy read, and it was enjoyable. Mrs. Connally really didn’t go into any of the conspiracy theories, she simply states what she went through and felt during the day that the President was assassinated and the following days. I personally felt like Mrs. Connally could have expanded to this book a little bit, but I understand why she felt it necessary to keep it shorter and to the point. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Kennedy assassination and is interested in reading a book with a different perspective to the assassination.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Kay Scarpetta, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Blow Fly
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 467
Rating: 3/5
Read: Aug. 1 – 6, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Finish that Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 39

First Line: Dr. Kay Scarpetta moves the tiny glass vial close to candlelight, illuminating a maggot drifting in a poisonous bath of ethanol.

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is settling into her new life as a private consultant when she agrees to investigate a cold-case in Louisiana. But she soon receives news that Jean-Baptiste Chandonne has asked to see her – on death row. Giving the monster the audience that he craves, Kay tries to figure out what exactly is going through his mind in terms of an endgame. But she soon realizes that he is pointing her in the direction of the cold-case she is investigating in Louisiana. She must figure out how there could possibly be a connection in that case while trying to deal with a revelation that will change her life forever.

DISCLOSURE: This post will have SPOILERS. I had some real issues with this book. First of all, I’m not sure how I’m going to like Dr. Scarpetta as a private consultant, but I guess time will tell as I continue reading this series. But my real gripe was that you cannot kill a character off only to bring him back two books later and play the witness protection program card. PLEASE! It was sickening to think back to the past two books and think about all the grief Kay had gone through only to find out that the two people closest to her knew all along that her grief was not necessary! I was like, seriously? You’re going to bring him back? It probably would have been better off if Ms. Cornwell had just left him dead. And the reason why he was in the witness protection program, well that bothered me also. How on earth could he possibly have been involved with who he was? I was just really irritated by the way this book panned out. I’m going to continue reading this series, but I’m not sure how much further I’m going to be going with these books.