Category: Book Review

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.

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, G, Jane Rizzoli, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen

Tara

Ice Cold
by Tess Gerritsen

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 322
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: Oct. 6-9, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Finish that Series Challenge
Yearly Count: 53

First Line: She was the chosen one.

Maura Isles goes to Wyoming for a medical conference. There she meets a man that she went to college with and she makes a split second decision to go skiing with him, his daughter and two of his friends. That uncharacteristic decision will put her life at risk. Getting lost a snowstorm, they end up in a place called Kingdom Come. And Kingdom Come is not somewhere they want to be, it’s an abandoned village with some strange clues left behind. Several days later Jane Rizzoli, back in Boston, receives word that Maura’s charred body has been found in a mountain revine after a terrible car accident. Jane is determined to find out exactly what happened to her friend, but the investigation that she becomes involved in out in Wyoming will prove quite interesting. There are some people who will do anything in order to keep the truth about the people who used to reside in Kingdom Come, but Jane just can’t let things go.

This is the most recent installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I must say, though, that there were some spots in the book that were just unbelievable to me. And I’m very interested to see what the next book in this series will bring based on the ending of this book. I have really enjoyed catching up with this series, and I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a great read!

4.5/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, The Camel Club

REVIEW: The Collectors by David Baldacci

Tara

The Collectors
by David Baldacci

Copyright: 2006
Pages: 511
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: Sept. 20-Oct. 5, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 52

First Line: Roger Seagraves walked out of the U.S. Capitol after an interesting meeting that, surprisngly, had had little to do with politics.

The assassination of the Speaker of the House of Representatives has rocked the nation. And the Camel Club has found a chillingly interesting connection between his death and the death of the director of the Library of Congress’s Rare Books and Special Collections Division. Oliver Stone, the Camel Club’s unofficial leader has found that someone is selling secrets to some of America’s worst enemies. When Annabelle Conroy, the greatest con artist of her generation breezes through town for the funeral of the Library of Congress’s director, her ex-husband, she intrigues Oliver Stone for many different reasons. But she will eventually join forces with the Camel Club in order to find out who is behind the murder. The Camel Club will need all the help they can get because the people that they are up against have no intentions of being caught or leaving any witnesses.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Camel Club when I read it a few months back, and this book, the second in the series, was just as good in my opinion. I have really taken to the characters involved in the Camel Club, and I also really enjoy David Baldacci’s writing. I don’t really have any bad things to say about this book, I’m interested in continuing this series to see if we learn more about who Oliver truly is (or was, I should say). I highly recommend this series to anyone.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, O, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

REVIEW: Crimson Rain by Meg O’Brien

Tara

Crimson Rain
by Meg O’Brien

Copyright: 2002
Pages: 394
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 26-28, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 51

First Line: Life, some say, is only an illusion – an illusion we create ourselves, in our own minds, then project onto the screen of our days.

Paul and Gina Bradley wanted nothing more than a perfect family when they first got married. After receiving the frustrating news that they would not be able to have children of their own, they set out to adopt. Twin girls soon came their way and they thought that their lives were complete. But something was wrong with one of the twins, Angela. After a terrifying event, Paul and Gina make the difficult decision to return Angela to the orphanage for the safety of the other twin, Rachel. Sixteen years later the Bradley family is falling apart. Paul and Gina have drifted apart after what they went through with Angela. When Rachel comes home from college for Christmas break, it’s like she’s a completely different person to Paul and Gina. When Rachel disappears shortly after Christmas Paul and Gina must come together for the sake of their daughter. But the turn of events that happen in their quest to find Rachel will have some surprisingly vengeful results.

This was an enjoyable read. Although in some places it felt a little predictable and formulaic, there were some definite surprises throughout the book. There were some typos, which is a big pet peeve of mine (if you name a character Vicky, do not call her Vicki on the very next page). The ending definitely had a surprising twist. This book was an easy and enjoyable read, but it probably isn’t one that will be very memorable in the long run.

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.

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

REVIEW: The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund

Tara

The Postcard Killers
by James Patterson and Liza Marklund

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 420
Rating: 5/5
Read: Sept. 20-21, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 49

First Line: “It’s very small,” the Englishwoman said, sounding disappointed.

NYPD Detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe’s greatest cities. Unfortunately, it’s not a vacation. Instead he’s there working a case. His daughter, Kimmy, was brutally murdered in Rome a few months earlier. He has been on a mission ever since, for the same killers have apparently murdered other young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Stockholm. Kanon teams up with a Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson, who has received a postcard from the killers. It will take a lot of effort on Kanon to convince the Swedish police to let him in on the case. And when he is finally brought onto the case, it will be a race against time to stop the killers once and for all.

Before I really get into my opinion, I have to say that the first line quoted above was in reference to the Mona Lisa on display at the Lourve in Paris. I have been there and seen the Mona Lisa, and I must say, I was very disappointed as to how small the painting was as well! Anyway, this was a good read altogether. However, it was incredibly predictable. And it was billed as “the scariest vacation thriller ever” on the cover of the book, well I must disagree. I didn’t find it very scary whatsoever. However, I did enjoy it and I would recommend it, but it was a little bit formulaic in spots.

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, T

REVIEW: The Black Sun by James Twining

Tara

The Black Sun
by James Twining

Copyright: 2006
Pages: 416
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: Sept. 12-19, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 48

First Line: Ash cash. That’s what medical students call it.

In Maryland a Nazi Enigma machine is stolen from the National Cryptologic Museum. In a London hospital, an Auschwitz survivor is murdered in his hospital bed, his arm severed and taken by his murderers. In Prague, a seemingly worthless painting is stolen from a synagogue. Three cities. Three crimes. Is there a connection? Former art thief Tom Kirk does not seem to think that there is a link between these three incidents, but when he begins to investigate he realizes that there is some sort of a connection, and he will be in a race against time to figure out the connection and connect all the dots in order to find a fabled hidden treasure.

This is the second in the Tom Kirk series. I enjoyed this book, but I think the first book was much better. I was a history major in college, so naturally I will always enjoy any book with a historical slant to it. This one had some slow spots and some fast spots, but overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010

REVIEW: 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan

Tara

31 Bond Street
by Ellen Horan

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 349
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: Sept. 5-11, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 47

First Line: For a boy who watched boats, his room was the perfect perch.

It was the crime of the century! Dr. Harvey Burdell was murdered in his own home in 1857 New York, with no witnesses and no clues as to the killer’s identity. Dr. Burdell was rumored to be a shady businessman, so one would think that there would be a lot of suspects to investigate. But the coroner quickly concludes that Emma Cunningham murdered the doctor. Cunningham, the housemistress, claims to have been married to Dr. Burdell. But the coroner and the district attorney, Abraham Oakey Hall, quickly dismiss the idea of marriage, claiming the marriage certificate is a fake. They conclude that Mrs. Cunningham, a wealthy widow who has spent most of her money, as well as her daughter’s dowry, was simply looking for a wealthy man to trick into marriage and then she killed him so that she would have all of his money for herself. But Cunningham swears she is innocent, she did not and could not have killed Dr. Burdell. Only one person in the entire city believes her: defense attorney Henry Clinton. Clinton takes on the case, having to give up his lucrative law practice with another highly respected defense attorney in order to defend Mrs. Cunningham. It will take Clinton everything he has in order to prove Cunningham innocent.

This is a richly detailed historical fiction set in 1857 New York City. It was a wonderful book. It was a great blend of historical fiction and crime fiction. The author opens the book with the murder and then takes the reader back and forth, alternating between the backstory of how Mrs. Cunningham and Dr. Burdell came to know each other and the present of how the murder case against Mrs. Cunningham progresses. Dr. Burdell was definitely involved in some shady business transactions, and poor Mrs. Cunningham seems to have been caught up in his lies and placed in an unfriendly light by some corrupt politicians. Her defense attorney, Henry Clinton, was an enjoyable character, and his wife Elisabeth was a wonderful addition to this book. I found it truly amazing that Mr. Clinton was able to do all that he could for Mrs. Cunningham, when so many other people were against her, he never backed down. He was convinced that she was innocent, and it was all he could do to prove that to everyone. I normally do not read historical fiction, I enjoy it but sometimes I have trouble following it. But this book was such a wonderful read. It really took my favorite genre, crime fiction, and blended so well with the historical aspect (history was my major in college :)) to produce a very enjoyable read that I think almost everyone would enjoy.

I discovered this book through the reviews at two wonderful blogs, I will share their reviews:
       ~Caribousmom
       ~Whimpulsive

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, G, Jane Rizzoli, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

Tara

The Keepsake
by Tess Gerritsen

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 349
Rating: 5/5
Read: Sept. 4-5, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; Finish That Series Challenge
Yearly Count: 46

First Line: He is coming for me.

A mummy is discovered in the basement of the Crispin Museum in Boston. Nobody knew that it was there, so there is a great deal of excitement surrounding its discovery. Medical Examiner Maura Isles is invited to the hospital to attend the CT scan of the mummy. But what is found during the CT scan is unmistakable – a very modern bullet in the mummy’s leg. This turn of events brings Detective Jane Rizzoli onto the case. The discovery of this modern-day murder victim prompts a search of the Crispin Museum, where remains of another murder victim is found. Realizing that there is a maniac on the loose, Jane Rizzoli becomes very curious about one of the employees of the museum, a woman who seems to have a lot to hide. Having to deal with a murderer who is very proficient in ancient death rituals, it will take a lot of effort from Maura and Jane to track down and stop the Archaeology Killer.

This is the seventh in the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series and it just keeps getting better and better. This one I read over the course of 24 hours and just loved every moment of it! It was such a fast-paced book with great twists and turns, and the ending was really surprising for me. I really enjoyed the Egyptian aspect to it, having always been interested in Egypt and mummies. I highly recommend this series to everyone who loves a great mystery. Plus, now we Tess Gerritsen fans can enjoy the Rizzoli & Isles series on TV as an added bonus 🙂 I already have the most recent book in this series on hold at the library and am anxiously awaiting my turn for it!!

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.