Category: Read in 2008

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

The Serpent Club by Tom Coffey

Tara
The Serpent Club
by Tom Coffey
Copyright: 1999
Pages: 402
Rating: 3/5
Read: Feb. 4-6, 2008
Challenge: What’s in a Name Challenge – Animal Category
First Line: There’s a body at the top of Sepulveda Pass.

Journalist Ted Lowe lands the assignment to cover the Megan Wright murder. However, he begins to realize that the things that he is uncovering and reporting in his articles are things that certain people would prefer to forget about completely. The police are doing all they can (seemingly), yet the district attorney’s office seems to be dragging its feet. Either way, Ted Lowe keeps coming closer and closer to the truth, but when he is suddenly removed from the case, his life apparently spins out of control in his quest to find the truth behind young Megan Wright’s death.
I have considerably mixed feelings toward this book. On the one hand I thouroughly enjoyed the plot line and ending. On the other, I really disliked how Coffey jumped back and forth between first and third person. I found myself confused more than a few times in regards to who was talking. I gave this book a 3 out of 5 because I’m just not sure.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, Read in 2008, SERIES

Hannibal by Thomas Harris

Tara
Hannibal
by Thomas Harris
Copyright: 1999
Pages: 544
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 30 – Feb. 4, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – From my TBR Shelf Category
First Line: Clarice Starling’s Mustang boomed up the entance ramp at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on Massachusetts Avenue, a headquarters rented from the Reverend Sun Myung Moon in the interest of economy.
Dr. Hannibal Lecter escaped seven years ago. He might think he’s safe, but the multimillionaire that he left alive many years before, is on the verge of finding him – and seeking his revenge. Lecter also has to worry about an Italian policeman who is willing to sell him for a large sum of money. And there’s also Clarice Starling; she hasn’t been the same since last time. However, only one of these people will get Hannibal in the end, the question is, which one will it be?
I enjoyed this book. There was a section almost in the middle of about 150 pages that I definitely got bogged down in. I was not impressed with the part that was set in Italy. Other than that, though, the book read rather quickly and was quite enjoyable. Makes me ready to read Hannibal Rising!
3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Nonfiction, Read in 2008, S

The Marilyn Conspiracy by Milo Speriglio

Tara
The Marilyn Conspiracy
by Milo Speriglio
Copyright: 1986
Pages: 216
Rating: 3/5
Read: Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – Biography/Autobiography category
First Line: In the beginning of the Marilyn Conspiracy there was a lifeless hand holding the telephone, the nude body sprawled across the bed, and the house on 12305 Helena Drive.
This book is Milo Speriglio’s attempt to prove that Marilyn Monroe did not commit suicide, but rather, she was a victim of a homicide. Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, I had quite a few problems with it. First of all, I did not like at all how the author organized this work. He broke everything up into sections, for example some chapters were called “The DA,” “The Coroner,” “The Police,” etc. I felt that if he had just laid it all out it in a format where it would read easily, much like a novel, it would have been a much better read. I also had a lot of problems with the way that he concluded the book. Being a history major, I learned that when writing your conclusion, you must be very frank and firm. Instead, what I read seemed more like tip-toeing around what he really wanted to say. It became obvious that he acknowledged that Monroe had a relationship with Robert Kennedy, but felt that Kennedy was not the person behind the murder, but rather the Mafia was in order to strike a blow to RFK’s political future. Unfortunately, he didn’t come out and say that, instead he simply said it was possible. If that is his conclusion, he needs to be forceful. I just feel that this book had a lot of promise, but that the execution just wasn’t there.
3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Nonfiction, O, Read in 2008

The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates by Susan O’Malley

Tara
The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates
by Susan O’Malley
Copyright: 2004
Pages: 371
Rating: 3/5
Read: Jan. 25-29, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – True Crime category
First Line: A little before 10:00am — 9:56, to be exact — Russell “Rusty” Yates’s cell phone rang in the sixth-floor Shuttle Vehicle Engineering Office he shared with three other National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) employees.
O’Malley discuses the Andrea Yates case. She goes into a lot of detail in regards to the mental illnesses that Yates suffered from. There is no doubt that this woman was severely ill. Unfortunately, things could not be straightened out for her and she instead killed her five children. This case captured the attention of the nation: what kind of a woman could kill all of her children?! And besides that, O’Malley goes into great detail about the family dynamics and how Andrea’s illness overshadowed everything. I only wish that more could have been done for this woman so that five innocent lives could have been saved. That being said, I personally did not care for this book. I remember this case going to trial and keeping up-to-date. I felt that the writing style and layout of this book was a little weak. I understand that the author had to discuss a lot of mental illness and religious matters, but I felt a little bogged down in those areas. I simply was not impressed.
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.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Eve Duncan, Fiction, J, Read in 2008, SERIES

The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen

Tara
The Face of Deception
by Iris Johansen
Copyright: 1999
Pages: 446
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 24-25, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight Challenge – First in a Series category
First Line: It was going to happen.
Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan wants nothing more than to find the body of her murdered daughter and do her work. Unfortunately, work is all she has for now. But her world is turned upside down when billionaire John Logan confronts her, offering her a large sum of money for the use of her services. Unsure of his reasons, she reluctantly agrees to the job. What she will find out in the process will not only stun the nation when revealed but also puts her and her closest family and friends in danger.
This was a really good book! I enjoyed it a lot! It was a good introduction to the Eve Duncan series and I want to pursue this series more. I highly recommend it!
5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, I, Read in 2008

The Quiet Game by Greg Iles

Tara
The Quiet Game
by Greg Iles
Copyright: 1999
Pages: 559
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 21-23, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight Challenge – 500+ Pages category
First Line: I am standing in line for Walt Disney’s It’s a Small World ride, holding my four-year-old daughter in my arms, trying to entertain her as the serpentine line of parents and children moves slowly toward the flat-bottomed boats emerging from the grotto to the music of an endless audio loop.
Prosecutor turned novelist Penn Cage returns to his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, a few months after his wife’s death to sort things out with his young daughter. But peace and quiet is the last thing that he gets, for instead he finds himself mixed up in a murder investigation. Unfortunately, the murder happened some twenty years in the past and everyone seems to want to forget about it. But Penn cannot leave well enough alone and insists on seeing the case solved.
I loved this book!! I love Greg Iles’ books and this one definitely does not disappoint. It was full of lots of intrigue and twists and turns. This book is definitely a page turner and I highly recommend it! [Note: There is a lot of adult material in this book.]
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Nonfiction, Read in 2008

Murder in Greenwich by Mark Fuhrman

Tara
Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley
by Mark Fuhrman
Copyright: 1998/1999
Pages: 401
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 18-21, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight Challenge – True Crime Category; What’s in a Name challenge (Place category)
First Line: Although she had lived in Greenwich for only a little more than a year, Martha Moxley had made many friends.
Mark Fuhrman goes into great detail about the Martha Moxley murder case. In this book he really goes into how the Greenwich police bungled the case practically from day one. To say that they were unprepared and inexperienced for such a case would be quite an understatement. Fuhrman’s book really tore the case wide open. He made the world look at the case in a new light and made them want to solve this case regardless of what it took. He clearly states that Michael Skakel is the murderer and that suspicion needs to rest on him rather than the other suspects. I enjoyed this book. I’m glad that he took the initiative to dive into a case that was long cold and also something that most Greenwich residents wanted to forget about completely.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, G, Read in 2008

Gone by Lisa Gardner

Tara
Gone
by Lisa Gardner
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 448
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 16-18, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read
First Line: She is dreaming again.
Former FBI Agent Rainie Conner is missing. Her car is found on a deserted highway in the middle of the night with the engine running, her car door open and purse still on the front seat. Her husband, ex-FBI profiler, Pierce Quincy goes nuts trying to help with the investigation. Rainie has a lot of ghosts in her past, has one of them come back to haunt her? Or was this a stranger to stranger abduction? Regardless, the police and Pierce have to team up to follow the ransom notes and find Rainie – dead or alive.
I enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written and read quickly. This was the first book I’ve read by Lisa Gardner and thought it was really good. The twists and turns were really good. The kidnapper was a complete shock (yet not surprising if you know your psychology). I recommend this one to anyone.
5/5, A, AUTHOR, Book Review, Nonfiction, Read in 2008

After Diana by Christopher Andersen

Tara
After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the Royal House of Windsor
by Christopher Andersen
Copyright: 2007
Pages: 301
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 10-16, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight Challenge, Biography/Autobiography Category
First Line: He took a few steps toward the body, gasped, then reeled back as if struck by an unseen hand.
Christopher Andersen delves into the private lives of the Royal Family since the tragic “accident” that took Princess Diana’s life. He not only details the comings and goings of Princes William and Harry, but also the actions of Prince Charles and his mistress (and now wife) Camilla.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’ve only read one other Diana book and this one was much better. I’m fascinated by the Royal Family. I’m also fascinated by Princess Diana’s untimely death. This book does a wonderful job of telling the stories of the young Princes’ lives after their mother’s death.