Read in 2011 – Page 5 – Tales of a Book Addict

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2011, SERIES, SIGMA Force

2011.24 REVIEW – Sandstorm by James Rollins

May 19, 2011May 19, 2011 Tara

Sandstorm
by James Rollins

First Line: Harry Masterson would be dead in thirteen minutes.

Blurb: An inexplicable explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum, setting off alarms in clandestine organizations around the world. And now the search for answers is leading Lady Kara Kensington; her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery’s brilliant and beautiful curator; and their guide, the international adventurer Omaha Dunn, into a world they never dreamed existed: a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert. But others are being drawn there as well, some with dark and sinister purposes. And the many perils of a death-defying trek deep into the savage heart of the Arabian Peninsula pale before the nightmare waiting to be unearthed at journey’s end: an ageless and awesome power that could create a utopia … or destroy everything humankind has built over countless millennia.

Review: This is my first time reading James Rollins, I have always heard good things about him and I love a great thrill ride of a read and this book fit that bill perfectly. The characters were interesting and the plot was intense at times. There were a few moments in the book where the science involved was a little over my (science-hating) head. I’m not a science fan and I will be the first to admit that the hydrogen-oxygen-antimatter information was way beyond my understanding. Other than that one issue, I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

2011.23 REVIEW – 10th Anniversary by James Patterson

May 16, 2011 Tara

10th Anniversary
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 395
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: May 13 – 15, 2011
Challenge: TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 23
Format: Print

First Line: This was the day I was getting married.

Blurb: Detective Lindsay Boxer’s long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a teenage girl is badly injured and left for dead, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminal – but the victim may be keeping secrets as well. At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life – a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of their two young children. Yuki’s career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct? Lindsay’s every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she’ll ever be able to start a family.

Review: This was a really good book. But my goodness, edit edit edit! There were grammatical errors in this book, which isn’t usually something I come across in a James Patterson book. I understand that these things happen, but if I can spot them it always makes me wonder if anyone even edits/reads these books anymore! Spell check doesn’t catch everything! Anyway, grammar issues aside, I felt like this was a good read. I enjoyed the two plot lines that were going on. I enjoyed more character development with Lindsay and Joe and Yuki’s new relationship as well as Cindy and Conklin’s relationship progression. It’s always like getting together with friends when I read this series. I really like this series, and although I prefer the Alex Cross series, this is another one of my favorite series that I would highly recommend.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Goldy Schulz, RATING, Read in 2011, SERIES

2011.22 REVIEW – The Last Suppers by Diane Mott Davidson

May 7, 2011 Tara

The Last Suppers
by Diane Mott Davidson

First Line: Never cater your own wedding reception.

Blurb: It should be the happiest day of Goldy’s life. The Colorado caterer is about to tie the knot witht he man of her dreams, homicide detective Tom Schulz. But minutes before the ceremony is to begin, Tom phones with an urgent message: The wedding is off, and the reason is murder! Tom was on his way to the church when he stopped to pick up Father Olson – and found the rector shot and dying. Yet by the time Tom’s fellow officers arrive at the crime scene, Tom has disappeared, leaving behind a notebook that contains a cryptic message. Has the groom been abducted by the killer? Or has he gotten cold feet and walked out of Goldy’s life? For better or worse, Goldy needs to know the truth. So she puts her exquistely decorated wedding cake on ice and begins to search for clues. What she quickly discovers is that her fiance’s life – and her future happiness – depend on her ability to decipher Tom’s note. For only it can lead her to an unsavory killer whose unholy passion may make Goldy a widow before she’s a widow.

Review: This is the fourth in the Goldy Schulz series. I didn’t find this one as enjoyable as the first three, personally. Overall, it was a good mystery, but it was too religious and preachy at times for my liking. I understood that the mystery itself revolved around the murder of a priest, but it just went one step too far with the religious aspect for my personal taste. I am very curious as to where the next book in this series goes, now that Goldy and Tom are married and Julian got into Cornell. The transition that should be found in the next book will be very interesting, I think. Although this will not be a favorite book of mine in this particular serise, I still recommend this series to everyone (at least those who have been living under a rock and had just now gotten around to reading these books)

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, S

2011.21 REVIEW – Breakneck by Erica Spindler

April 26, 2011 Tara

Breakneck
by Erica Spindler

First Line: The kid’s eyes snapped open.

Blurb: The first victim is murdered in his bed. A clean-cut college boy with no criminal record. Then a second victim is killed in the shower, then a third … each one striking closer to home for M.C. When loved ones become targets, M.C. must walk a fine line between upholding the law and taking it into her own hands. At stake is her job, her relationship with Kitt, and possibly, her life. The key to finding this emotionless killer lies in the stolen computers of his victims – a secret network of false identities and true evil where no one is who they seem. If M.C. hopes to capture Breackneck, she’ll have to put her own neck on the line…

Review: This was a fun, fast-paced read. I was immediately drawn in to the story and couldn’t hardly put it down at times. There was a lot of background that I had missed out on by not reading the first book in this series (and I say series loosely, seeing as how there’s only two books in this series so far). It would definitely be interesting to read the first book, which obviously focuses more on Kitt’s character whereas this book focuses on M.C. That fact aside, this was an enjoyable book and stood relatively well as a stand-alone. It was an interesting storyline, dealing with cyber thieves. And the ah-ha moment where the twist comes into the book wasn’t really all that big of a surprise, but it definitely made the book come together quite nicely. I have read other books by Erica Spindler, and remember liking them and this book is no different. If you want a good fast-paced read, this is a great book in my opinion. I think the only reason that I didn’t rate this book as a 5 was simply because there was time when I didn’t like M.C.’s characters. She had a tendency to take things into her hands way too much throughout the book. As a cop I think she should have been reeled in a little bit more, she went way off the reservation at times. There were obvious issues between M.C. and her partner Kitt, but it seemed as if it was all swept under the rug and kind of dismissed. I don’t know, I think there could have been some better character development, but again, I suppose that my issue could stem from the fact that I haven’t read the other book in this series. Either way, I would definitely recommend this book.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011

2011.20 REVIEW – Killing Her Softly by Beverly Barton

April 22, 2011 Tara

Killing Her Softly
by Beverly Barton

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 404
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 17 – 22, 2011
Challenge: TBR Dare; What’s in a Name 4
Yearly Count: 20
Format: Print

First Line: Lulu Vanderley was rich, blond and beautiful.

Blurb: The woman has been waiting impatiently on her satin sheets. Her lover knows exactly how to satisfy her. But this time, he has something else planned … something that will really take her breath away. In the courtroom, defense lawyer Quinn Cortez has a reputation as a ruthless predator who always gets what he wants. In the bedroom, it’s no different. Quinn is an accomplished seducer with a long list of conquests. But now, someone has brutally slaughtered one of them, and Quinn has no memory of the night he was found in her home. Annabelle Vanderley wants justice for her murdered cousin, and if Quinn Cortez swears he can find the true killer, she’s willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. But then another body is discovered … and another … each victim an ex-lover of Quinn’s. Now, consumed by dread, Annabelle wonders just how close she may be to a twisted psychopath for whom her pain would be the ultimate pleasure.

Review: I have mixed feelings about this book. I rated it a 4 out of 5 based solely on the plot line. However, there was more romance than I prefer in my books with a woman who falls head over heels in love with a suspected murderer almost immediately. (I believe it was last month when there was a Top Ten Tuesday that dealt with pet peeves and stupid women who fall in love made the list. Yeah, you can re-visit that post here.) Other than that one issue with this book, I really enjoyed this. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who the bad guy was. I went back and forth countless times trying to figure it out, and honestly, I didn’t get it until it was revealed. So I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. It was very suspenseful. I know this book is listed as romantic suspense, but I’ve read other Barton books and have never been that bothered by the romance, maybe this book had more than usual – either that or I just never liked Annabelle’s character. It also didn’t help that I wasn’t real fond of Quinn Cortez’s character either, he was too much of a slimy womanizer – although in the end he was definitely reformed. I don’t know, the best way I can really describe my opinion of this book is that I’m torn.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Cotton Malone, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.19 REVIEW – The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry

April 17, 2011 Tara

The Alexandria Link
by Steve Berry

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 485
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 8 – 17, 2011
Challenge: TBR Dare; TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 19
Format: Print

First Line: George Haddad’s patience ended as he glared at the man bound to the chair.

Blurb: “You have something I want. You’re the only person on earth who knows where to find it. Go get it. You have 72 hours. If I don’t hear from you, you will be childless.” Cotton Malone’s teenage son has been kidnapped, and an anonymous e-mail from those responsible proves they will stop at nothing to get their hands on a coveted prize: the legendary lost Library of Alexandria, which vanished 1,500 years ago. Within that vast reserve of 500,000 manuscripts, one holds the key to ultimate power – a revelation so shocking it could fundamentally alter modern geopolitics. Pursued by a lethal mercenary, Malone crosses the globe in search of this vast bounty of wisdom. His quest will lead him to England and Portugal, even to the highest levels of American government – and the shattering outcome, deep in the Sinai desert, will have worldwide repercussions.

Review: The last 200 pages of this book made the first 300 pages that I suffered through made this book entirely worth it. There were spots that were just too much for me. I am not a religious person and I found myself skipping over whole passages discussing the Bible and the Holy Land and how the Bible was fundamentally changed in translation. However, I still enjoyed this book. And honestly, I loved the conspiracy part of the book. And once the climax occurred, the book flew by for me. It was just getting to that point that was a little difficult to me. But I toughed it out because I remembered how much I enjoyed the first Cotton Malone book, The Templar Legacy, and I was just patiently waiting for the break-neck thrill ride that I know Steve Berry is capable of writing to happen. I’m glad I stuck with it, because it was honestly a great ending. I already have the third book in this series on my shelf and I hope to get to it quicker than I got to the second book after the first. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fast-paced thrill-packed adventure!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, Review Book

2011.17 REVIEW – A World I Never Made by James LePore

April 11, 2011April 11, 2011 Tara

A World I Never Made
by James LePore

Copyright: 2008. 2009
Pages: 262
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 1– 5, 2011
Challenge: Criminal Plots Reading Challenge
Yearly Count: 17
Format: Print

First Line: Dad, I don’t owe you or anybody an explanation, but I think you’ll appreciate the irony of a suicide note coming from a person who has abhorred tradition all of her life.

Blurb: Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his estranged daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan’s and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help. This sends Pat on an odyssey that stretches across France and into the Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police and a band of international terrorists. Joining Pat on his search is Catherine Laurence, a beautiful but tormented Paris detective who sees in Pad something she never thought she’d find – genuine passion and desperate need. As they look for Megan, they come closer to each other’s souls and discover love when both had long given up on it. Juxtaposed against this story is Megan’s story. A freelance journalist, Megan is in Morocco to do research when she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. They begin a torrid affair, a game Megan has played often and well in her adult life. But what she discovers about Lahani puts her in the center of a different kind of game, one with rules she can barely comprehend. Because of her relationship with Lahani, Megan has made some considerable enemies. And she has put the lives of many – may even millions – at risk.

Review: I received this book as part of the Pump Up Your Book blog tour. This was definitely a thrill ride of a book from the first page. The storyline was a little more complex than I really prefer in my books and alternating storylines aren’t my favorites either, but overall I still enjoyed it. The characters were very well-developed. I don’t read a lot of political thrillers overall, but I really enjoyed this one. Mr. LePore is a very talented author, he definitely has a way with descriptions. To be completely honest, the plot felt a little bit rushed, but I think that was because he was trying to have such a complex story in a short 262 pages. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thrilling roller coaster ride of a book! Having just previously read and reviewed Blood of My Brother, I can only hope that Mr. LePore has a long and prosperous writing career.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Dismas Hardy, Fiction, L, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.18 REVIEW – The Vig by John Lescroart

April 9, 2011 Tara

The Vig
by John Lescroart

First Line: At 2:15 on a Wednesday afternoon in late September, Dismas Hardy sat on the customer side of the bar at the Little Shamrock and worked the corners of his dart flights with a very fine emery board.

Blurb: Down-and-out lawyer Rusty Ingraham left behind a murdered woman and a houseboat splattered with blood. All the evidence said Ingraham was in San Francisco Bay. Dead. But a friend of Ingraham’s, former cop and prosecutor Dismas Hardy, isn’t so sure. And Hardy has to find out, because a stone-cold killer, now paroled, once threatened to kill Ingraham and Dismas Hardy both. Now, to save his own skin, Dismas must face down liars and killers on both sides of the law. From mob foot soldiers to brokenhearted lovers to renegade cops, a dozen lives are tied to the fate of Rusty Ingraham – and the payback has only just begun…

Review: Whoever edited this book should be fired. Immediately. I can’t even begin to tell you how many different grammatical errors I spotted in this book. And I also had trouble with the amount of different characters that were presented in this book. I found myself not remembering who was who. However, that didn’t change my overall opinion of the book itself. I read the first book in this series, Dead Irish, almost three years ago. So it was really like starting the series all over again since I didn’t remember much from the first book. But that was okay, I still enjoyed this book. It actually stands well on its own. The mystery aspect of it was interesting, but it was not a really big surprise. I liked this book, but I think I now realize why after reading my review from the first book as to why I’m just now picking this book up, it wasn’t specatular, just good.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2011, Review Book

2011.14 REVIEW – Deed So by Katharine A. Russell

April 6, 2011March 23, 2011 Tara

Deed So
by Katharine A. Russell

First Line: I was a waitress for Christ.

Blurb: A young girl struggles to understand a tightening web of racial and generational tensions during the turbulent 1960s in the astonishing new novel, Deed So by Katharine Russell. All twelve-year-old Haddie Bashford wants is to leave the closed-minded world of Wicomico Corners behind, in the hopes that a brighter future awaits elsewhere. But when she witnesses the brutal killing of a black teen, Haddie finds her family embroiled in turmoil fraught with racial tensions. Tempers flare as the case goes to trial, but things are about to get even hotter when an arsonist suddenly begins to terrorize the town. Can Haddie help save her town, and herself?

From page 12:

Several ‘deed so’s could be heard bubbling from the congregation. One pew over, Miss Thelma sighed and shifted her fan to her other hand, causing a momentary disturbance in the airflow. Reverend Harrison smiled and nodded. “but remember, down here, when we say ‘deed so, what we mean is we recognize the truth.”

Review: I received this book to review for the Pump Up Your Book blog tour. I must start out by saying that just about any book that has the words “1960s” and “racial tensions” in its description is going to immediately attract me. I was a history major in college, and I had two favorite areas of study: the Civil War and the Civil Rights eras. So when this book was originally pitched to me, I snatched it up based on the description. I must state that while I enjoyed this book thoroughly, it was not at all what I was expecting. The storyline revolves around Haddie, a twelve-year-old girl who seems much wiser than her short 12 years. Haddie sees a lot of different things during the time in which this book is set: she witnesses her best friend (whom she secretly crushes on) go off to Vietnam a boy and come home a changed man, and she is very aware of what is going on around her as far as the racial tensions, especially when she is a witness to a murder and a subsequent murder trial witness. I only had one real problem with Haddie’s character: she was not entirely believable as a 12-year-old girl. Sure, he had the dreams and beliefs of a child, but she had the mind and thoughtfulness of a much older young woman. I had trouble believing that a 12-year-old girl could really see things the way she did. Most adults would not have caught on to some of the things Haddie did. I had a slight problem with that. Other than that, I felt the book was really well written. Although this was a 400+ page book, it was a quick and enjoyable read. I was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t more mention of outside issues that were going on in the 1960s, mainly because to really set the mood of the book in line with the turbulent decade, things needed to be more real. Sure, Wicomico Corners was in the North and it was a little more isolated, but I think that it could have been more believable if other issues had been addressed. At one point a field trip to Washington D.C. is taken and an incident happens with a black boy on the bus: things like that really happened. And there were descriptions of the demonstrators who showed up to protest the trial as well as a brief mention of a sit-in at a local restaurant. I felt as if the author had included a few more episodes like that sprinkled throughout the book then it would have better captured the mood of the decade, because while they were mentioned, they didn’t seem to be really addressed by the characters. They were mentioned and Haddie’s character and her two friends, Sarah Jane and Elise sometimes questioned the adults as to what was going on, but really there could have been more elaborating on those issues. Overall, I did enjoy this book. I just felt as if the blurb on the back of the book really overstated what the story was about.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Mickey Haller, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.16 REVIEW – The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

March 31, 2011 Tara

The Lincoln Lawyer
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 505
Rating: 5/5
Read: March 27– 30, 2011
Challenge: Criminal Plots Reading Challenge; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 16
Format: Print

First Line: The morning air off the Mojave in late winter is as clean and crisp as you’ll ever breathe in Los Angeles County.

Blurb: For defense attorney Mickey Haller, the clock is always running. With two ex-wives, four Lincoln Town Cars that he uses as offices, and dozens of guilty clients, he can’t afford to miss a trick. When he gets picked by a Beverly Hills rich boy arrested for assault, Mickey sees a franchise case: a nice, long, expensive trial with maximum billable hours – until it hurtles him into the last place he wants to be. Suddenly hustling, cynical Mickey Haller is confronted with pure evil and someone who may be truly innocent. Now, for a lawyer who has always gone for the easy score, getting justice means taking the deadliest risk of all.

Review: Oh. My. Gosh. This book was (in the words of Dickie V.) AWESOME, BABY! I wanted to hurry up and read this book since I want to go see the movie this weekend. Well, let me just say, that I didn’t have to worry about finishing the book. It was just that good – I flew through it!! One thing that kind of bothered me was the number of times Mr. Connelly used the “do you know the difference between a lawyer and a fish?” joke, once was funny, twice was okay, but the third time was too much. And I really understood the context as to why he brought the joke out all three times, but it was a little overkill. (And no, I am not a lawyer). The main character, Mickey Haller, did not always come across as a really great guy. He was a little shady at times, but he knew it and didn’t try to hide it and I think that’s what made him so endearing as a character in the end in my opinion. The guy on trial in this book, Roulet, well he was definitely something else …. pure evil, as Haller noted so well. I must say as I was reading this book I was thinking of the actors who have been cast in this movie, I think they’re going to be spot on!! I would definitely recommend people to read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

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