Category: Read in 2010

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

REVIEW: The Dying Game by Beverly Barton

Tara

The Dying Game
by Beverly Barton

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 440
Rating: 4/5
Read: Apr. 9-13, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010; Random Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010; Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 17

First Line: The intensely bright lights blinded her.

It’s the ultimate game. The rules are simple: to win, you have to kill. To lose, you will have to die. The victims are former beauty queens who are found brutally murdered. Lindsay McAllister was a rookie detective when her first case was the murder of Judd Walker’s wife. The murder shattered Judd and really affected Lindsay as well. Now, years later, Lindsay has to tell Judd that his wife’s murderer is killing again. As the body count continues to rise, Lindsay realizes that the only way she will ever stop this killer is to play the game herself.

I’ve only read one other Beverly Barton book a few years ago, but I have had this one on my shelf for some time. I was definitely not disappointed. I really fell in love with the characters – I’m intrigued by who Griffin Powell is and what is in his past. I thought that the plot was really interesting. I don’t know how all these authors can come up with so many different plots, it’s really awesome for people like me who devour mysteries as often as I can! Overall, I would really recommend this book. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it wasn’t too gruesome either. I’m really looking forward to getting more into the Griffin Powell series and reading more Beverly Barton books in the future!

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

REVIEW: Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Cause of Death
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1996
Pages: 332
Rating: 3/5
Read: Apr. 1-8, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 16

First Line: On the last morning of Virginia’s bloodiest year since the Civil War, I built a fire and sat facing a window of darkness where at sunrise I knew I would find the sea.

.On New Year’s Eve, Dr. Kay Scarpetta finds herself diving in a ship graveyard to see firsthand the scene where the body of Ted Eddings, an investigative reporter, has been found. What kind of story was Eddings chasing that would result in his untimely watery death? But what Dr. Scarpetta really finds out about this story is more unbelievable and far-reaching than she could have ever imagined.

This is the seventh book in this series and I have to say this was not my favorite book in this series. I don’t think I really liked the storyline, to be honest. To me, it had a really slow start and then it reached the climax and that was it. It didn’t feel as well put together as the other books in this series.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, H, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, Review Book

REVIEW: Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

Tara

Burn
by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 368
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Mar. 29-31, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 15

First Line: Salazar Sanso raised his binoculars and looked out over the edge of the steep drop into the rosy New Mexican desert.

For teenager Janeal Mikkado, life in the gypsy world is a double edged sword. Her mother was not a gypsy and yet her father is the most important man in their community – which makes Janeal somewhat of an outsider. Almost ready to leave the gypsy life behind her, she strikes a deal with a powerful and dangerous criminal, Salazar Sanso. But when things go wrong Sanso’s men burns down her entire camp. And she has to decide whether or not to save her best friend in the deadly inferno, or save herself. What she decides will forever change who she is. Having to assume a new identity, Janeal starts her life over in a big city and makes her way up the corporate ladder. But when Sanso is finally apprehended by the DEA, Janeal discovers that there were actually three survivors of that awful fire – Janeal herself and her two best friends. It will be at this moment when Janeal finally has to face the choice that she made so many years ago.

This book was sent to me for review by Amy Currie at Phenix & Phenix Publicists. I have read Ted Dekker before (BoneMan’s Daughter) and thoroughly enjoyed it, so when this opportunity arose I jumped at it. I have to be honest here, the first two-thirds of this book were awesome! The last third, not so much in my opinion. Without giving away too much of the story, when the final twist came in the last hundred or so pages, I lost interest. The book lost its appeal to me then. I didn’t like the twist. I thought it was unbelievable and impossible. I liked the premise of what the twist was supposed to represent: good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, etc. But I didn’t like how it was executed. Overall I thought the book was good, but I wish the ending had been a little bit different. But I’d still recommend others to read this book.

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

REVIEW: The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello

Tara

The Clouds Roll Away
by Sibella Giorello

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 322
Rating: 3/5
Read: Mar. 27-28, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 14

First Line: Winter rode into Richmond on the chattering breath of the Atlantic.

Forensic geologist and FBI agent Raleigh Harmon returns to her hometown of Richmond, Virginia after a disciplary transfer to the FBI’s Seattle office. Determined to change her superior’s opinion of her, Raleigh is almost instantly thrown into a case that has more twists and turns than anyone could have ever imagined. Arriving on the scene at a cross burning at a celebrity’s mansion, Raleigh’s supervisor makes it clear that she must clear this case by the end of the year or else face another transfer. But when Raleigh really starts investigating, she fears that there is more to this case than a simple hate crime. Thrown into the world of Richmond’s drug dealing, it will take Raleigh a lot of strength to survive this case.

This book was sent to me for review by Amy Currie with Phenix & Phenix Publicists. I was intrigued by the description of this book, it really appealed to me. I knew going into it that it was a Christian fiction book – something I do not usually read. Overall, I thought the book was good, it was a fast paced read for me. However, I had a little bit of trouble with the cookie-cutter sweetness of it all. I guess maybe I read too much of the grittier, more “hard-core” fiction books and am simply used to that writing style. I appreciated that there was very little curse words (if any, I don’t even remember there being any), absolutely no sex, and light Christian references that were not in the least bit offending. That said, I struggled with the author trying to delve into the world of drug dealing, gun smuggling, and blood diamonds with this clean approach. It just didn’t really work for me.. I also didn’t care for Raleigh’s responses to her superior, she just went inside of herself as she was being berated. I wanted her to break out and really give it to her boss sometimes. Overall a good read, but not something that I’m climbing onto the rooftop to rave about.

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

REVIEW: From Potter’s Field by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

From Potter’s Field
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1995
Pages: 352
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 23-26, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 13

First Line: Christmas Eve was cold and treacherous with black ice, and crime crackling on scanners.

As Dr. Kay Scarpetta knows, holidays don’t stop criminals from wreaking havoc among the innocent. So why should this particular Christmas be any different for Kay? Unforunately, it’s not. This Christmas finds her in New York City dealing with what appears to be another murder by Temple Gault. By this point, Scarpetta just wants to end this nightmare that Gault has brought upon her life. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that she is at the center of Gault’s obsession; it is Kay Scarpetta that Gault intends to destroy -by taking everything away from her. No longer safe in her own home or office, she has to rely on her FBI and police counterparts even though she knows that it will be her alone who will have to face Gault in the end if any of them want this nightmare to end.

This is the sixth book in the Kay Scarpetta series and another great one! It had a slightly slow start, but once it picked up, it was really a great and fast read. I felt like this one was written a little bit better quality wise than the past two books were. It was like it flowed a little bit better honestly. Kay’s character seemed to get over herself a little more than she showed herself to be in The Body Farm. Overall I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to diving right into the seventh book 🙂

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

REVIEW: The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

The Body Farm
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1994
Pages: 338
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 19-23, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 12

First Line: On the sixteenth of October, shadowy deer crept to the edge of dark woods beyond my window as the sun peeked over the cover of the night.

Kay Scarpetta is back and she’s started in her new position as a consulting forensic pathologist for the FBI. When she gets the call about the murder of an eleven-year-old girl in a small town, she fears the worst. She has a really bad feeling that the killer is Gault – a man that got away during her last big case. While dealing with that, her niece Lucy finds herself in trouble with the FBI. An intern for the Bureau, she is accused of a very serious security violation. Although Kay is trying her hardest to come to terms with Lucy’s predicament, the theory that she finally arrives at in regards to her murder case will surprise her more than she ever could have imagined.

This is the fifth book in the Kay Scarpetta series. This one wasn’t necessarily my favorite, but it was still good. Personally I felt as though Kay was a little over-reaching in places. It’s kind of hard to explain what I really thought of this book. Overall it was good, bu I felt as if it could have been better in places. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing on with this series!

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

REVIEW: Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Cruel and Unusual
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1993
Pages: 409
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 15-17, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 11

First Line: The Monday I carried Ronnie Joe Waddell’s meditation in my pocketbook, I never saw the sun.

“Killing me won’t kill the beast” were some of the last words that rapist-murderer Ronnie Joe Waddell wrote before his execution. The words didn’t mean much until Dr. Kay Scarpetta found Waddell’s fingerprint at a crime scene after his execution. Something strange is going on and it’s going to be up to Kay to figure out what is going on before her career and life as she knows it is completely wrecked.

This is the fourth of the Kay Scarpetta series. It was another great book. But I did have some reservations about it. The main thing that I have noticed (and this applies to the 2nd and 3rd books as well) is that when the next book in the series begins it seems as if the reader has missed something. Not to give anything big away but when this book started there was a pretty big revelation that came pretty much out of nowhere. I was confused and it took a while before the whole thing came together. Something similar to this happened in the beginning of the third book as well. I guess I expect the books to pick up where they left off a little bit more than these have seemed to do. Another gripe that I have (which again applies to the 3rd book as well) is that the lead-up to the overall climax is really wonderful and then the killer is revealed and the end result kind of falls flat. Maybe I expect too much, I don’t know. But overall I really enjoyed this book and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

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

REVIEW: All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

All That Remains
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1992
Pages: 382
Rating: 5/5
Read: Mar. 11-14, 2010
Challenge:  2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010; Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 10

First Line: Saturday, the last day of August, I started work before dawn.

Dr. Kay Scarpetta is up against a serial killer who is targeting young couples. Four couples have disappeared already, with their bodies to turn up in the woods months later. When the fifth couple goes missing the tables seem to turn – for the girl that was taken is the daughter of a very powerful woman in Washington – the new “Drug Czar.” Feeling the pressure from above, Kay is determined to finally catch this elusive killer once and for all.

This is the third installment of the Kay Scarpetta series and another great one in my opinion. It was very fast paced and action packed. I also liked the character development involved – I really got to know Marino. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing on with this series and I’m kicking myself for just now starting to read these books (they’ve only been on my shelves forever!!!)

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

REVIEW: Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Body of Evidence
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 1991
Pages: 403
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 20 – 23, 2010
Challenge:  2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Random Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 9

First Line: Dear M, Thirty days have passed in measured shades of sunlit color and changes in the wind. I think too much and do not dream.

When reclusive author Beryl Madison is found brutally murdered in her own home, Kay Scarpetta is on the case. Kay knows that Beryl has been having some issues with some menacing phone calls. In fact, Beryl had escaped Virginia altogether in order to get away from the harassment. While away Beryl is thought to have been writing a tell-all memoir about her life and her relationship to another reclusive author. But Kay also knows that that is a book that there are more than a few people who do not want it to ever hit the presses. While trying to track down the only known copy of the book Kay finds herself mixed up with a man from her past as well as the same stalker that Beryl was dealing with.

I read the first book in this series last year and was not real impressed by it. So I wasn’t in much of a hurry to get around to this one. But I have to tell you – I am glad I did read it! This book was so much better than the first one. The story was better, the writing was better, everything was better. It has definitely made me look forward to reading the third in this series. As a side note to this review, I just saw on CNN that it has been confirmed that Angelina Jolie has been cast to play Kay Scarpetta in an upcoming movie based on this series. I have to say – this is really wrong! From the descriptions that I get from reading the first two books, Ms. Jolie is too young, too tall, too skinny, just too wrong to play this character. That’s just my two cents on the matter. You can read about this here. (Of course I also didn’t like Denzel Washington as Lincoln Rhyme either….)

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

REVIEW: Hotshot by Catherine Mann

Tara

Hotshot
by Catherine Mann

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 280
Rating: 3/5
Read: Feb. 12 – 16, 2010
Challenge:  2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010; Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010
Yearly Count: 8

First Line: Major Vince “Vapor” Deluca didn’t need to ask if there were Harleys in heaven.

Major Vince Deluca has just accepted his most difficult mission ever – to keep an eye on Shay Bassett, the daughter of his old mentor. But ever since they were teens Shay’s always had a way of making him lose his mind at times. So he knows it will be a tough assignment. Shay now works with troubled teens in Cleveland. She’s scheduled to talk to Congress about the problems that Cleveland’s teeangers face every day. But some people don’t want her to testify and will do anything to keep her quiet. And she will have to turn to Vince in order to stay alive.

Okay, let me first state that this is really not my favorite type of book. However, for some unknown reason to me I signed up to participate as a judge in the National Readers’ Choice Awards sponsored by the Romance Writers of America. When the books arrived in my mailbox I asked myself why I signed myself up to read these books, I guess I never thought I would be chosen. However I was and this was the first of the four books that I am supposed to read. This one had it’s good and bad parts in my opinion. Overall I liked the storyline, but all the romance got a little bit on my nerves (again not my cup of tea). But honestly, it wasn’t a really bad book. It was all just a little over-the-top unbelievable for my taste, but not a bad read at all.