Category: L

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, Michael Bennett, P, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Tara

Worst Case
by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 356
Rang: 5/5
Read: Dec. 4-6, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge
Yearly Count: 63
Format: Print

First Line: The stocky man with the salt-and-pepper hair felt light-headed as he crossed beneath the marble arch into Washington Square Park.

The son of one of New York’s wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. But this kidnapper isn’t demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury … and wrong answers are fatal. Detective Michael Bennett heads the investigation. With ten kids of his own, he can’t understand what could lead someone to target anyone’s children. When another student from a powerful family disappears, the FBI sends in its top abduction specialist: Agent Emily Parker. Bennett’s job and love life suddenly get even more complicated. Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI’s intrusion on his case, the killer mastermind changes his routine. His plan leads up to the most devastating demonstration yet – one that could bring cataclysmic ruin to every inch of New York City.

This is the third in the Michael Bennett series, and it is the most current one until the fourth is due to release in 2011. Personally, I felt like this was the best book in the series so far. I had been a little unsure about Bennett’s character (partly because he simply isn’t Alex Cross, my all-time favorite series character), but in this book I really started to like him. I enjoyed the storyline of the book, the villain was original. There’s starting to be a little bit of romance in Bennett’s life for the first time since his wife’s death in the first book. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend this series to anyone.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, P, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

REVIEW: Run for Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Tara

Run For Your Life
by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 338
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Sept. 22-25, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 50

First Line: Getting stuck on a bus in New York City, even under normal circumstances, is a lesson in frustration.

NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is still trying to adjust after the death of his wife, Maeve, a year ago. Between trying to take care of his ten children and his job, he doesn’t have a lot of time to himself. But that’s his life and he has to find a way to move on, and he does – he throws himself into every case that comes his way. But the latest one that he has caught is incredibly confusing. There have been numerous seemingly random shootings around the city in a short time span. There’s no apparent connection at first, but Bennett has the strange feeling that it is anything but random. Fighting the flu at the Bennett household and a madman terrorizing the streets of New York City, Bennett has a few hours to find the identity of the man who calls himself the Teacher and track him down and stop him before he can cause any more chaos.

This book is the second in the Michael Bennett series. I’m still not 100 percent sold on this series. I don’t know if I just can’t grasp the fact that a New York police detective is trying to raise 10 adopted children or if it’s the fact that Alex Cross is my favorite series ever, but for whatever reason, this book and the first in the series Step On a Crack just isn’t catching my attention. I will probably seek out the third one in this series simply because I like reading James Patterson’s books, but it will never be as good as the Alex Cross series. that being said, this was a decent book. It was an interesting storyline. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t something that I would rave about to other people.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, P, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

REVIEW: Step on a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Tara

Step on a Crack
by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 373
Rating: 3/5
Read: Aug. 16-21, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010;  RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 41

First Line: The back of the table captain’s cream-colored evening jacket had just turned away when Stephen Hopkins leaned across the secluded corner booth and kissed his wife.

The First Lady was only the first victim. Actually, her death was just the beginning. Very famous and powerful people gather in New York City for her state funeral and then many people are taken hostage in the church. Detective Michael Bennett is put on the case to try and negotiate with the criminals. But he can’t seem to get a line on these people. The case is confusing and it will take a lot to unravel it in the end. Dealing with personal issues of his own, Bennett must quickly figure things out for the world is watching, the NYPD and FBI are breathing down his back, and Bennett must either figure this hostage plot out or be the one who becomes responsible for the greatest debacle in history.

This is the first in the Michael Bennett series. I’m not really sure what to think about this book. I’m not really sure I like Bennett’s character, I wanted him to be Alex Cross too much! I also had some issues with the plot: I thought that there was a lot of build up and then the actually ending to the story was a bit rushed. Overall, I’m interested in reading on and seeing what happens as the series progresses, but it’s still up in the air as to my final opinion.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, L, Nonfiction, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009

REVIEW: The Murder of Laci Peterson by Cliff Linedecker

Tara

The Murder of Laci Peterson
by Cliff Linedecker

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 222
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Oct. 13-19, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge ; RYOB 2009; Countdown Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 55

First Line: Homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women in America.

I followed this case like nothing I had ever followed before or since. I was just absolutely obsessed with it. And yeah, I thought Peterson was guilty from pretty much day one. I don’t want to go into a lot of details of the case itself because anyone who was alive in America and paying the slightest bit of attention in 2002 after the disappearance of Laci to the end of 2005 that culminated with the guilty verdict and death sentence of Scott knows at least the basic facts of this case. All in all, I was like a lot of the American people, I fell in love with the young woman with the deep dimples who was excited to be having a baby boy in a few months. And I was outraged that her husband could possibly be responsible for killing her. To read the first line of this book that I quoted up above is absolutely sickening. Pregnancy is supposed to be the happiest time in a woman’s life. It’s really a miracle, a blessing. Having never been pregnant myself, I cannot imagine what it would feel like to carry a baby inside me. But I also cannot imagine the pain and hurt and betrayal that would accomany being murdered by your spouse either. But to know that you and your baby both were being murdered: unthinkable. There really isn’t nothing new in this book that anyone who paid attention to this case as it was unfolding wouldn’t already know. It was published before Scott Peterson went on trial for the murders of his wife and unborn son, so there is a huge chunk of the case not even covered in it. But I suppose if you want a pretty good description of the facts of the case, this would be a good choice. I have also read Laci by Michael Fleeman (last year I believe). I’m not sure which one would be the better choice, because the facts are the facts pretty much in this case. But if you’re a true crime fan, this is definitely a book and case that will prove to be interesting.

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, Read in 2009

To the Power of Three by Laura Lippman

Tara

To the Power of Three
by Laura Lippman

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 412
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 13-17, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge; RYOB 2009; Suspense & Thriller Challenge – Drama thriller subcategory
Yearly Count: 12

First Line: People would want to know what she was thinking, the night before.

Josie, Perri, and Kat have been best friends since the third grade. However high school will eventually test their friendship. But things really come to a head when one of the girls brings a gun to school. When the police finally arrive they find one girl dead and the other two wounded, one of them critically. What could possibly drive one of these three girls to snap like that? In this small affluent suburb, people want answers … or do they?

I really enjoyed this book!!! I think I have only read one other Laura Lippman book but this one was really really really good!! For those of you who are involved in the Suspense & Thriller challenge, I categorized this as a Drama Thriller mainly because of the character development – you really learn who the girls were and why they eventually split up during high school. Anyway, I really recommend this book!!

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, Read in 2009

Over Your Dead Body by David L.

Tara

Over Your Dead Body
by David L.

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 275
Rating: 2/5
Read: Jan. 23-25, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 5

First Line: “You made me do this to you, Janelle!” I yell out loud, looking over at the lifeless corpse of my once loving wife.

Preston Price had it all. He had a six figure career, a beautiful house, a loving wife and two little children. So what will make him kill his wife?! Preston has never once been unfaithful to his wife and yet she is accusing him adultery. Before he knows it he loses everything – his wife, his children, his job, his house, everything. And it’s the stress of all those losses that will cause him to resort to murder.

This book was really weird. I honestly didn’t like it all that much. When I picked it up at the library it sounded really good. When I got it home and began to read it I regretted picking up this book. I made myself get through this book, although I really wish I hadn’t. I don’t recommend this book at all.

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, Read in 2008

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

Tara
Mystic River
by Dennis Lehane

Copyright: 2001
Pages: 448
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Nov. 10-14, 2008
Challenge: Books Awards II, Book to Movie, Triple Eight – From my TBR Shelf

First Line: When Sean Devine and Jimmy Marcus were kids, their fathers worked together at the Coleman Candy plant and carried the stench of warm choclate back home with them.

When Sean Devine, Jimmy Marcus and Dave Boyle were children, something happened that would forever change their lives. A car pulled up to them while they were out playing, one boy got into the car and the other two didn’t. That would end up changing their friendship and themselves forever. Years later, their lives would be tied together again by murder.

I wasn’t really impressed by this book like I thought I would be. I enjoyed it, but just not as much as I thought I would. I also never saw this movie, I don’t know why I missed it, but I hope to see it in the near future.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, Read in 2008

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Tara
Darkly Dreaming Dexter
by Jeff Lindsay

Copyright: 2004
Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5
Read: Aug. 24-28, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read

First Line: Moon. Glorious moon.

Dexter Morgan is not your average everyday man. He may be funny, charming and intelligent. But there’s another side of Dexter that you would not want to meet in a dark alley. He is a killer. If you receive a visit from Dexter, it is because you have done something that is repulsive enough to merit your death. When his sister, Deb, becomes intrigued by a serial killer preying on hookers in their city of Miami, she comes to Dexter to help her figure this killer out. But Dexter really isn’t sure he wants to catch this murderer, but rather find him so he can begin to understand him because there’s something about this guy that reminds Dexter of himself….

I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t really impressed by this book. It was really funny in quite a few spots. But overall, I didn’t really like it at all. I don’t think I’ve ever really read a book that included a character quite as unique as Dexter, but I doubt I’ll be continuing this series.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Dismas Hardy, Fiction, L, Read in 2008, SERIES

Dead Irish by John Lescroart

Tara
Dead Irish
by John Lescroart
Copyright: 1989
Pages: 420
Rating: 4/5
Read: July 16-20, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – First in a Series Category

First Line: From his aisle seat, Dismas Hardy had a clear view of the stewardess as her feet lifted from the floor.

Dismas is a former husband, father, cop and attorney. Currently he’s living alone and tending the bar at the Little Shamrock. All he wants is some normalcy in his life. What he gets instead for his good friend and boss to ask him to look into the death of his brother-in-law, Eddie Cochran. The police think it’s a suicide, but his family thinks it’s a murder. As Dismas dives into this new task he doesn’t know how to explain it, but he feels that the family is right – Eddie was murdered. Now as his ex-wife reappears in his life, his friend at the police department, Abe Glitsky can’t seem to believe Hardy’s murder claims, he doesn’t know what else to do. But he knows that he wants to do right for his boss’s sister, Frannie, her unborn child, and Eddie’s family. But what he will find in the end will shock everyone.
This is the first in the Dismas Hardy series. I really, really, really enjoyed this one! The person who ends up being the murderer was completely surprising for me. I’m looking forward to exploring more of this series when I get the chance.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, L, Nonfiction, Read in 2008

The Night Lives On by Walter Lord

Tara
The Night Lives On
by Walter Lord
Copyright: 1986, 1987
Pages: 226
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 28-29, 2008
Challenge: Back to History
First Line: Just 20 minutes short of midnight, April 14, 1912, the great new White Star Liner Titanic, making her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, had a rendezvous with ice in the calm, dark waters of the North Atlantic.
In this book, Walter Lord attempts to tell the story of the Titanic. He tries to figure out why certain things occurred – things which ultimately caused the Titanic’s demise. He especially focuses in on why Captain Smith seemingly ignored the numerous ice warnings and why the ship Californian was nearby and ultimately ignored the distress flares. He also delves a little into the main players of the disaster, including some passengers. He uses the Senate hearings and the British inquiry into the event for most of his sources. I enjoyed this book. The beginning was a little slow, but it quickly picked up pace. This was the first book I had ever read on the Titanic, having being fascinated by the event for years and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.