Category: Read in 2010

5/5, Alex Delaware, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, K, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Blood Test by Jonathan Kellerman

Tara

Blood Test
by Jonathan Kellerman

Copyright: 1986
Pages: 349
Rating: 5/5
Read: May 29 – June 1, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 27

First Line: I sat in the courtroom and watched Richard Moody get the bad news from the judge.

Five-year-old Woody Swope was terribly ill. His parents were unsure about the treatment that he was receiving at the clinic. One day, Woody goes missing from the hospital. Without treatment, Woody’s chances of survival were slim-to-none. Child psychologist Alex Delaware is brought in by the attending physician and cannot seem to shake this case. Alex and his good friend, homicide detective, Milo Sturgis, have to track down Woody and whoever took him. Unfortunately, Milo is limited in what he can do with the case, so it will be up to Alex to unravel the truth behind this little boy and his situation.

This is the second book in the Alex Delaware series. I personally felt like it had a slightly slow start, but overall the book ended up being quite enjoyable. I found myself flying through it with all the twists and turns. Alex can sure find himself in some strange situations, even if his intentions are perfectly good. I was kind of disappointed that there wasn’t as much character development in this installment as I would have preferred, with Robin out of town the entire book and Milo just playing a secondary role in the case. There was also two story lines going on throughout the book which sometimes made for confusing moments, but overall it was a good book with a good storyline. I would recommend it.

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

REVIEW: Never Let You Go by Erin Healy

Tara

Never Let You Go
by Erin Healy

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 338
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 24-28 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 26

First Line: For seven years, Lexi Solomon had been as cold as the wind that raced down the mountain above her home.

Lexi Solomon has worked unbelievably hard to keep everything together since her husband left seven years ago. But then things start to fall apart all over again. Her husband is back in town, her sister’s murderer is up for parole and an old “friend” is demanding payment on a debt that Lexi knows nothing about. Things are happening that Lexi can feel but not explain. Sometimes it feels as if she is losing her mind. But there are forces behind Lexi and her family that will keep everyone safe, if Lexi just opens her mind to it.

This is a review book that was provided to me by Amy Currie with Phenix & Phenix Publicity. I snatched up this review opportunity because I recently read Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy. Overall, I enjoyed this book. However, it wasn’t one of my favorites. I personally did not consider it to be very suspenseful as it is categorized. It held my interest well enough, but I had my doubts with the ending. I am not a religious person in the least, and Christian books are a little out of my comfort zone. This is not my first Christian fiction book, but this one was the first one I had some issues with. I guess it was a little more in your face than I prefer. But that didn’t take away too much from the overall story, just a little bit. I’m just a skeptic, and this book brought out my skepticism. But I would still recommend it, it’s a good clean read.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

REVIEW: The 9th Judgment by James Patterson

Tara

The 9th Judgment
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 355
Rating: 5/5
Read: May 20-22, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010;
Yearly Count: 25

First Line: Sarah Wells stood on the roof of the carport and snaked her gloved hand through the hole she’d cut in the glass.

A young mother and her baby are gunned down while leaving a shopping mall. There are no witnesses and all that is left for Detective Lindsay Boxer is a cryptic message written in lipstick. The same night a famous actor’s wife is brutally shot in her bedroom in what appears to be a burglary gone wrong. Lindsay has her work cut out for her in trying to piece together the pieces to all the puzzles. With women and children being murdered throughout the city and multiple burglaries occurring, Lindsay has her work cut out for her in order to solve both cases before it’s too late.

This is the ninth in the Women’s Murder Club series. Overall the book was good, but I really didn’t like how the book really revolved around Lindsay so much. I like the other characters in this book and there was just so little involvement with those supporting characters. The ending was interesting, it left a big question mark with me in terms of where the next book will take the WMC and it’s readers. In all honesty, I prefer the Alex Cross series to this one, but it’s still an interesting series.

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

REVIEW: Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Point of Origin
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1998
Pages: 356
Rating: 4/5
Read: May13-19, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010;  RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 24

First Line: Benton Wesley was taking off his running shoes in my kitchen when I ran to him, my heart tripping over fear and hate and remembered horror.

Carrie Grethen is back in this installment in the Kay Scarpetta series. This time she has escaped from the mental institution where she was being held while awaiting her trial. When Kay receives a letter from Carrie, it just brings all the horrors that Carrie has caused to Kay and her closest family and friends. She must put Carrie out of her mind when she is called to the scene of a horrific house fire. But what she never expected was to find a link between the house fire and Carrie. The amount of hatred that Carrie has toward Kay and everyone close to her is sometimes unbelievable and Carrie will do everything in her power to break the famous Dr. Scarpetta.

This is another good one in this series. I know that a lot of people have complained that as the series went on it went a little south in terms of quality. Maybe I haven’t reached that point, or maybe I just really like this series. But I will say that this one had a few slow parts for me. Overall I enjoyed it, but there was a little bit of what I would consider padding (you know, useless info/words that just add to the page count). There was a surprising turn of events in this book, however, and that really kept things going near the end of the book. I was sad to see how it turned out, but I’m anxious to see where Ms. Cornwell takes Dr. Scarpetta in the next installment!

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

REVIEW: Victim Six by Gregg Olsen

Tara

Victim Six
by Gregg Olsen

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 406
Rating: 5/5
Read: May 8-12, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010;  RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 23

First Line: “Quiet, bitch,” he said. “Be a good girl and do as I say.”

When one girl goes missing the police assume that she’s run back to her home country. But when the second and third go missing they realize that something is not right. And when the bodies are discovered, Detective Kendall Stark can’t help but feel like she’s somewhat to blame for what is going on because she didn’t take the disappearance of the first girl very serious. When the body count reaches four and a fifth woman goes missing, things in the little town of Port Orchard, Washington hit a fever pitch. With the awareness of a serial killer in their midst, one dubbed the Cutter by the local newspaper, Kendall and her partner Josh Anderson have to do everything in their power to track down this killer and finally put an end to the terror in their town.

Gregg Olsen is one of my MUST read authors. Although I must admit, I’ve never read any of his true crime books (and I enjoy true crime) I have read all of his fiction novels. He can come up with some of the sickest, twisted stuff and I just can’t get enough of it! Now, I will state that this particular book started out slow for me. However, I stuck with it and definitely enjoyed how it ended up. I particularly liked how the title of the book made sense to me after I finished reading. Sometimes I wonder where book titles come from, but this one made perfect sense to me. Granted, Gregg Olsen’s books are not for the faint of heart, and I wouldn’t really recommend them to just anyone, but I can’t help but love his writing and I really enjoyed this one!

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES, The Camel Club

REVIEW: The Camel Club by David Baldacci

Tara

The Camel Club
by David Baldacci

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 593
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 1-7, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; Random Reading Challenge;  RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 22

First Line: The Chevy Suburban sped down the road, enveloped by the hushed darkness of the Virginia countryside.

There is a secret club in Washington. It’s members are four rather eccentric guys who study conspiracy theories and try to find out the truth behind certain governmental actions. They are led by Oliver Stone, a very mysterious man. Their efforts have very little impact on current events until they witness a murder. Determined to keep themselves alive and solve the murder, they have to work together with a somewhat disgraced Secret Service agent in order to keep the country from spiraling into an uncontrollable war of unimaginable proportions.

This is my first time reading David Baldacci (even though I have like 6 or 7 of his books.) This is a book that I’ve had on my shelf for more than a couple of years now and one that I have actually picked up and put aside twice before. The third time was definitely a charm for me and I am so glad that I was finally able to read this book because I did enjoy it. I must say that overall I enjoyed this book. However, I thought that it had a slow start (which might explain why I had previous trouble getting into this book). I also had trouble with all the flip-flopping back and forth between the different story lines in the beginning of the book. It took me about halfway through it before I was really able to get a good grasp on what exactly was going on and who all the characters really were. But I must say I was intrigued by the storyline itself, it was a very good plot in my opinion.

5/5, Alex Cross, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson

Tara

The Big Bad Wolf
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 398
Rating: 5/5
Read: Apr. 27-30, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Celebrate the Author Challenge; Finish That Series Challenge;  RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 21

First Line: There was an improbable murder story told about the Wolf that had made its way to the police lore and then spread quickly from Washington to New York to London and to Moscow.

Alex Cross is having a little trouble adjusting to his new career in the FBI. It’s almost as if he’s halfway on the fast track when it comes to his agent training. But his first case as an agent has everyone confused. Throughout the country, beautiful women are being kidnapped. But it gets worse than that, these women are actually being purchased as slaves. Behind all this, is someone known only as the Wolf. No one really knows who the Wolf really is, although there are pretty good suspicions that he’s somehow involved in organized crime. Struggling with some issues in his home life as well as feeling slightly out of the loop in regards to this case, Alex Cross has to figure this out before the Wolf comes after Alex.

This is the 9th book in the Alex Cross series. This series has got to be my absolute favorite in the world, Mr. Patterson has really created some monsters in his Cross books! And the Wolf is no exception! I love that I still don’t know who the Wolf actually is, it makes me look forward even more to the next book in this series. I know some people aren’t too fond of Patterson’s books, but for me they are great! If I’m stuck in a reading slump, a Patterson book will usually draw me in with the first few pages. The suspense is always great and the twists and turns that come with the Alex Cross books are amazing. I just love them!!

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

REVIEW: Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass

Tara

Carved in Bone
by Jefferson Bass

Copyright: 2006
Pages: 317
Rating: 4/5
Read: Apr. 24-27, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 20

First Line: I picked up the hunting knife with my left hand and tested its heft, then shifted it to my right hand to compare.

Anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton has spent his career building the Body Farm. But now he’s being called upon to solve the murder of a young woman in a remote mountain community. This community is very insular and are not pleased when Brockton comes around investigating. A long-buried secret will come to a head when Dr. Brockton’s investigation threatens to open doors that most people would prefer to keep closed.

This is the first in the Body Farm series. Overall I enjoyed it, but I really did have a few issues with the technicality of it all. First of all, at one point Dr. Brockton, is essentially processing a crime scene. I had a bit of a problem with that because Dr. Brockton is an anthropologist, not a CSI or police officer. Also the overall character of Dr. Brockton seemed a little underdeveloped to me. I’m sure it will come together better in later books in this series, but it did bother me a little bit. Overall though, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to continuing on with this series, but I think it could have been better.

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

REVIEW: Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Unnatural Exposure
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1997
Pages: 338
Rating: 4/5
Read: Apr. 18-21, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 19

First Line: Night fell clean and cold in Dublin, and wind moaned beyond my room as if a million pipes played the air.

While doing a series of lectures in Dublin, Ireland, Dr. Kay Scarpetta gets a chance to investigate some unsolved cases that appear to be related to some similar unsolved crimes back at home. Five dismembered and beheaded bodies were found in Ireland years ago, now four have been found in the States. When the fifth one is found in Virginia, Dr. Scarpetta isn’t convinced that it is related to the others. Her suspicions are confirmed when she realizes that there is something even worse with this case: the killer is armed with smallpox.

This is the eighth book in the Kay Scarpetta series. Overall it was a pretty decent book, but I felt like the storyline was a little weak in spots and it felt a little far-reaching. I felt as if the story was moving along quite well and then out of left field came the smallpox angle. I personally didn’t get why that aspect was even in the book. I’m still into this series, but I really didn’t think that this was the best book by any means.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, G, Jane Rizzoli, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen

Tara

The Apprentice
by Tess Gerritsen

Copyright: 2002
Pages: 366
Rating: 4/5
Read: Apr. 14-18, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; Random Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 18

First Line: Today I watched a man die.

Detective Jane Rizzoli somehow managed to survive the previous summer in Boston when she had to face The Surgeon. Still healing emotionally from the effects The Surgeon had on her, Rizzoli is not quite ready when murders begin occurring again that have eerily similar pattern to them. A pattern that suggests The Surgeon is back. But he’s not – he’s still locked safely away in prison … or is he? So maybe he has an acolyte somewhere out there, a maniac who is staging his murders to look like those of The Surgeon. Forced to face The Surgeon once again, Jane Rizzoli is shocked by just how personal it will get this time around.

I read The Surgeon late last year and really loved it. This one was good as well, but I have my issues with it. First of all, at the end of The Surgeon, Warren Hoyt (aka The Surgeon) was put away, so I’m not really quite sure why Ms. Gerritsen felt the need to bring him back. I know it gave more insight into the character of Jane, but I really didn’t feel like it was necessary. I know a lot of authors bring back the bad guys, but I’m not sure Warren Hoyt needed to come back so soon, it probably would have been better if he had reappeared in a later book. Anyway, that’s just my personal gripe. After reading this book, I’m kind of on the fence about whether or not I like Jane’s character. Parts of me just want to slap her and tell her to get over herself – like her jealousy about her previous partner’s new wife – seriously? I’m going to continue on with this series, and I hope that Jane’s character grows on me some more. Overall, I enjoyed this book, I just had some minor gripes about it here and there, nothing major though. I would recommend this book and this series.