Category: Read in 2011

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

2011.15 REVIEW – Supreme Justice by Phillip Margolin

Tara

Supreme Justice
by Phillip Margolin

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 385
Rating: 5/5
Read: March 25 – 27 , 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 15
Format: Print

First Line: John Finley’s eyes snapped open.

Blurb: Policewoman Sara Woodruff, on death row for murdering her lover, John Finley, is appealing her case to the United States Supreme Court. But the unexpected resignation of a prominent justice could sink her appeal. Then a second justice is attacked for no apparent reason. Called in to quietly investigate, P.I. Dana Cutler finds disturbing links between the Woodruff appeal, the ominous incidents in the justices’ chambers … and a shootout that occurred years before on a small freighter docked upriver in Shelby, Oregon, with only one survivor: John Finley. Joining forces with former colleagues Brad Miller and FBI Agent Keith Evans, who helped bring down a president in Executive Privilege, it’s not long before Dana discovers a deadly secret in the heart of the U.S. intelligence community.

Review: WOW! That’s all I can say about this book. My only wish is that I could have remembered more about Executive Privilege, in which the main characters (Brad, Ginny & Dana) were featured in. And although some details of the previous escapades they found themselves in were mentioned, it really didn’t take away from the storyline in this book. This book featured so many twists and turns that I just absolutely devoured it! I read most of it yesterday and woke up first thing this morning determined to finish it before I did anything else. This particular story went back and forth between the storyline of Sarah Woodruff’s murder trial and Brad Miller’s time as a Supreme Court clerk until the storylines finally intersect. And as soon as the storylines merge, the story really took off in my opinion. The way that Margolin connected the storylines was really impressive, I thought. I might be a little biased, seeing as how Phillip Margolin is definitely one of my favorite authors. However, I can’t say enough good things about this book, if you’re a fan of fast-paced thrillers, then definitely give this book a try!

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

2011.11 REVIEW – Blood of My Brother by James LePore

Tara

Blood of My Brother
by James LePore

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 313
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 1 – 4, 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011
Yearly Count: 11
Format: Print

First Line: In July of 1967, Jay Cassio, who would be turning five in September, started a prekindergarten program at St. Lucy’s School on Sheffield Street in Newark, New Jersey’s oldest, largest, and about to be most turbulent city.

Blurb: When Jay Cassio’s best friend is murdered in a job clearly done by professionals, the walls that he has built to protect himself from the world of others begin to shatter. Dan Del Colliano had been his confidante and protector since the men were children on the savage streets of Newark, New Jersey. When Dan supports and revives Jay after Jay’s parents die in a plane crash, their bond deepens to something beyond brotherhood, beyond blood. Now Jay, a successful lawyer, must find out why Dan died and find a way to seek justice for his murder. Isabel Perez has lived a life both tainted and charmed since she was a teenager in Mexico. She holds a powerful sway over men and has even more powerful alliances with people no one should ever try to cross. She desperately wants her freedom from the chains these people have placed on her. When Jay catapults into her world, their connection is electric, their alliance is lethal, and their future is anything but certain.

Review: I received this book to review for the Pump Up Your Book blog tour. This book was very well written, there were some great themes throughout, but especially what effects your choices have in the long run. There is no sugar-coating the ruthlessness of people. I found it very interesting to see how Jay’s childhood shaped the man that he became – as well as the lifelong friendship he was to have with Dan. Isabel’s character really showed adversity over anything is truly possible. This entire book showed just how important friendship and loyalty to those friends can really be. To be completely honest, I found Jay’s character to be slightly overzealous at times. That’s not to say that I disliked his character, I just sometimes felt as if he was two steps over the line. I also would have really preferred more background into what happened with Jay’s parents and how Danny came to his “rescue” after their deaths. In the blurb on the back of the book it is mentioned, so I felt as if it was a very important aspect of Jay’s life, but there was no real elaboration into the matter like I anticipated. It was mentioned and discussed, but not to the depth that I had looked forward to. Perhaps more information there would have explained more insight into why Jay was so overzealous in the hunt for the truth behind Danny’s murder. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book – it’s not one that I would have picked up at the bookstore, but I am definitely glad I was given the opportunity to read it. There were flashbacks to Jay’s childhood as well as Isabel’s childhood, and to be honest I sometimes got some of the characters mixed up, but that didn’t take away from my final opinion of this book – it’s just a writing style that sometimes doesn’t work for me completely. I would highly recommend this book.

4/5, Alex Cross, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.13 REVIEW – I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Tara

I, Alex Cross
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 360
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 14 – 17, 2011
Challenge: TBR Dare; Mystery & Suspense Challenge
Yearly Count: 13
Format: Print

First Line: Hannah Willis was a second-year law student at Virginia, and everything that lay ahead of her seemed bright and promising – except, of course, that she was about to die in these dark, gloomy, dismal woods.

Blurb: Pulled out of a family celebration, Detective Alex Cross gets awful news: A beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Vowing to catch the killer, he quickly learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington, D.C.’s wildest scenes. And she was not this killer’s only victim … The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Soon they confront some very important, very protected, and very dangerous people who will do anything to keep their secrets safe. As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable – a revelation that could rock the entire world.

Review: Wow, let me just start by saying that the ending to this book is absolutely scandalous! I loved it! And honestly, it came a little bit out of left field for me, I usually have a pretty good grasp on the bad guys in Patterson’s books, but this one had an interesting ending for me. It’s classic James Patterson – short, enjoyable chapters. Engrossing plot line. Great characters. This is my all-time, absolute with a doubt, favorite series ever. I just love every single book a little more and more. This particular installment had quite a bit of sadness through the storyline, although something that will be inevitable if this series continues for much longer. After I finish every book in this series I keep asking myself: how many more will there be? Eventually the series will need to end, it’s just a matter of when and how. Of course, I will probably shed a slight tear when that day comes, but until then, I will continue to enjoy this series – I am trying to get my hands on the most recent installment, Cross Fire, but my library only has the audio book version, and the waiting lists at PBS/BookMooch are unreal (and I refuse to pay $12.99 for a Nook Book that I will devour in 2-3 days’ time).  Anyway, I highly recommend this series to anyone who may be living under a rock and have not experienced these books 🙂

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, M, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011

2011.12 REVIEW – The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

Tara

The Sherlockian
by Graham Moore

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 341
Rating: 5/5
Read: March 4 – 12, 2011
Challenge: TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 12
Format: Nook Book

First Line: Arthur Conan Doyle curled his brow tightly and thought only of murder.

Blurb: In December 1893, Sherlock Holmes-adoring Londoners eagerly opened their Strand magazines, anticipating the detective’s next adventure, only to find the unthinkable: his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, had killed their hero off. London spiraled into mourning — crowds sported black armbands in grief — and railed against Conan Doyle as his assassin. Then in 1901, just as abruptly as Conan Doyle had “murdered” Holmes in “The Final Problem,” he resurrected him. Though the writer kept detailed diaries of his days and work, Conan Doyle never explained this sudden change of heart. After his death, one of his journals from the interim period was discovered to be missing, and in the decades since, has never been found. Or has it? When literary researcher Harold White is inducted into the preeminent Sherlock Holmes enthusiast society, The Baker Street Irregulars, he never imagines he’s about to be thrust onto the hunt for the holy grail of Holmes-ophiles: the missing diary. But when the world’s leading Doylean scholar is found murdered in his hotel room, it is Harold – using wisdom and methods gleaned from countless detective stories – who takes up the search, both for the diary and for the killer.

Review: I bought this book for my Nook Color late last year after being immediately intrigued by the description. It was definitely an impulse buy (especially since it was $12.99 – thank goodness for Christmas gift cards!). But I must say, I only wish I hadn’t waited so long before beginning this book! To be completely honest, I don’t know a whole lot about Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. I honestly don’t think I’ve even read a Sherlock Holmes story. The chapters alternate back and forth between the two storylines: Arthur Conan Doyle and his friend Bram Stoker are on the hunt of a murderer in the early 1900s and Harold White, a Sherlockian in the present time, is trying to find the missing diary of Conan Doyle. I personally enjoyed the storyline with Arthur and Bram, it really gave a lot of insight into Arthur Conan Doyle – a man who actually is kind of behind the shadow of the character that he created. At one point in the novel, Conan Doyle shares about Holmes, from page 12:

To put it frankly, I hate him. And for my own sanity, I will soon see him dead.

Being someone who doesn’t really know a lot about Arthur Conan Doyle and his life, I never realized that he had come to despise the most famous character in mysteries. But at one point in the book, I understood his frustration. At this point he was asked to sign an autograph – but to sign it Sherlock Holmes, not his true name. I can see where his frustration with this imaginary character could come from if confronted with that.

Personally, I came to prefer the storyline that revolved around Arthur and Bram rather than Harold’s search for the elusive diary. However, at one point during the search, Harold’s character had a line that I really liked (that Sherlock Holmes had said in one of the stories), from page 212:

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think it would appeal to a wide variety of people. People who enjoy historical fiction would definitely love the storyline from the early 1900s. And people who love a good mystery would enjoy the storyline with Harold. I honestly feel as if this was a really good book, perhaps one that will make my Top 10 favorite books from 2011. I enjoyed it that much. Highly recommended.

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

2011.10 REVIEW – The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer

Tara

The Tenth Justice
by Brad Meltzer

Copyright: 1997
Pages: 483
Rating: 5/5
Read: Feb. 23 – 28, 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011 ; TBR Dare; What’s in a Name 4 Challenge
Yearly Count: 10
Format: Print

First Line: Ben Addison was sweating. Like a pig.

Blurb: Ben Addison, fresh from Yale Law, is a new clerk for one of the Supreme Court’s most respected justices. But when he accidentally reveals the secret outcome of an upcoming decision, a blackmailer makes millions and Ben starts to sweat. Big time. He turns to his co-clerk, Lisa, and his housemates, Nathan, Eric, and Ober, for help. Washington’s best and brightest, they offer coveted insider access to the State Department, a major Washington newspaper, and the Senate. But before they know it, their careers – and their lives – are on the line.

Review: Since reading The Inner Circle (via NetGalley) late last year, I have been wanting to read more Brad Meltzer. This is the first book that Meltzer wrote and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I did have one slight problem – about 100 pages could have been cut out. It’s not like it was really a drawn out book, but I felt like some of it could have been cut. There were numerous twists and turns throughout this book. In the end, I was still surprised at what unfolded. While reading I continuously went back and forth trying to figure out what was really going on. And just when I thought it was the end, there was another twist. It was a really good storyline. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good legal thriller.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Goldy Schulz, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.9 REVIEW – The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson

Tara

The Cereal Murders
by Diane Mott Davidson

Copyright: 1993
Pages: 335
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 17 – 22, 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011 ; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 9
Format: Print

First Line: “I’d kill to get into Stanford.”

Blurb: Goldy Bear, the premier caterer of Aspen Meadow, Colorado, is no stranger to violence – or sudden death. But when she agrees to cater the first College Advisory Dinner for Seniors and Parents at the exclusive Elk Park Preparatory School, the last thing she expects to find at the end of the evening is the battered body of the school valedictorian. Who could have killed Keith Andrews, and why? Goldy’s hungry for some answers – and not just because she found the corpse. Her young son, Arch, a student at Elk Park Prep, has become a target for some not-so-funny pranks, while her eighteen-year-old live-in helper, Julian, has become a prime suspect in the Andrews boy’s murder. As her investigation intensifies, Goldy’s anxiety level rises faster than her homemade doughnuts … as she turns up evidence that suggests Keith knew more than enough to blow the lid off some very unscholarly secrets. And then, as her search rattles one skeleton too many, Goldy learns a crucial fact: a little knowledge about a killer can be a deadly thing.

Review: This is the third in the Goldy Schulz series. This one was just as good as the first two. I have to say, the students at Elk Park Prep and their parents are all insane!!! But overall I felt like this was another good mystery – I honestly had no clue as to who the killer was until it was revealed in the end. I also enjoy the progress in Goldy and Tom’s relationship. I am interested in seeing what Arch will get into next! I find this to be a fun and easy book series so far, I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of these books. I highly recommend these books to anyone who enjoys a good read.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Goldy Schulz, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.8 REVIEW – Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson

Tara

Dying for Chocolate
by Diane Mott Davidson

Copyright: 1992
Pages: 320
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 11 – Feb. 16, 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011 ; Take a Chance Challenge 3; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 8
Format: Print

First Line: Brunch is a killer.

Blurb: Meet Goldy Bear: a bright, opinionated, wildly inventive caterer whose personal life has become a recipe for disaster. She’s got an abusive ex-husband who’s into making tasteless threats, a rash of mounting bills that are taking a huge bite out of her budget, and two enticing men knocking on her door. Determined to take control of her life, Goldy moves her business and her son to the ritzy Aspen Meadow Country Club, where she accepts a job as a live-in cook. But just as she’s beginning to think she’s got it made – catering decadent dinners and posh society picnics and enjoying the favors of Philip Miller, a handsome local shrink, and Tom Schulz, her more-than-friendly neighborhood cop – the dishy doctor inexplicably drives his BMW into an oncoming bus. Convinced that Philip’s bizarre death was no accident, Goldy is soon sifting through the unpalatable secrets of the dead doc’s life. Her sleuthing will toss her into a case seasoned with unexpected danger and even more unexpected revelations – the kind that could get a caterer and the son she loves … killed.

Review: This is the second in the Goldy Schulz series. I really enjoyed this one too. Cozies are not my normal fare, but for whatever reason, I like Goldy’s character. I’m interested in seeing where she goes from here. The plot in this book was really something, I honestly had no clue as to who the bad guy really was until it was revealed. That’s always a nice feeling for me. I did have a slight issue with this Philip Miller making an unexpected appearance as a boyfriend only to be killed off within the first couple of chapters. I am a slight emetophobe (weird, I know), so I like how Ms. Davidson refers to that as “being sick” in her books, that makes it much easier than the v-word for me, which can turn my stomach just seeing the word. I know, I’m really strange. Anyways, I’m definitely looking forward to progressing with this series and see where Goldy and Tom end up, and how Arch turns out, and the “Jerk” (ex-husband) too. I love finding a new series! It’s almost like the first date all over again!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Goldy Schulz, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.7 REVIEW – Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson

Tara

Catering to Nobody
by Diane Mott Davidson

Copyright: 1990
Pages: 310
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 6 – Feb. 11, 2011
Challenge: Criminal Plots Reading Challenge; Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011 ; TBR Dare; TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 7
Format: Print

First Line: Catering a wake was not my idea of fun.

Blurb: Catering the wake of her son’s favorite teacher is not Goldy’s idea of fun, especially when her former father-in-law is nearly killed by a cup of poison-laced coffee. Investigating officer Tom Schulz, though smitten with Goldy and her food, is forced to shut down her business – forcing Goldy to root out the person responsible for attempted murder. As Goldy follows the wicked recipe to its logical conclusion, she discovers some very unsavory ingredients flavoring the neighborhood – and poisoning her own family with the bitter taste of deceit and revenge…

Review: This is the first in the Goldy Schulz series. I do not read a lot of cozy books. However, I wanted something fun to read after getting bogged down with a DNF book. So I picked this book up. I really enjoyed it! I like Goldy as a character – she’s likeable and believable. I found the storyline to be interesting, I only had one part of it figured out at the end. And to be completely honest, I don’t even know how Goldy figured out the other part of it! I must have missed some clues somewhere, because it was a surprise to me. I am a serial series reader, so I’ve already picked up the second in this series to begin reading. I’m sure I’m like the last person on the planet to pick up this book and start this series, but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery.

Sharing a funny paragraph that made me laugh out loud:

The phone rang again. Alicia couldn’t come: she’d had a blow out on I-70. Her load of pumpkins had exploded like grenades when they hit the concrete. Two dozen cars had spun out in orange slime … no one was hurt … the road was closed so it could be cleaned … traffic had backed up for six miles. With significant understatement, she added, “You can’t imagine the mess.”

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

2011.6 REVIEW – Divine Justice by David Baldacci

Tara

Divine Justice
by David Baldacci

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 523
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 28 – Feb. 2 , 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011 ; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 6
Format: Print

First Line: The Chesapeake Bay is America’s largest estuary.

Blurb: Known by his alias, “Oliver Stone,” John Carr is the most wanted man in America. With two pulls of the trigger, the men who destroyed Stone’s life and kept him in the shadows were finally silenced. But his freedom comes at a steep price: The assassinations he carried out prompt the highest levels of the U.S. government to unleash a massive manhunt. Yet behind the scenes, master spy Macklin Hayes is playing a very personal game of cat and mouse. He, more than anyone else, wants John Carr dead. With their friend and unofficial leader in hiding, the members of the Camel Club risk everything to save him. Now as the hunters close in, Stone’s flight from the demons of his past will take him from the power corridors of Washington, D.C., to the coal-mining town of Divine, Virginia – and into a world every bit as bloody and lethal as the one he left behind.

Review: SPOILERS POSSIBLE. This is the fourth book in the Camel Club series. I must say: the trouble that Oliver Stone manages to find himself in book after book is just amazing! He might have been on the run in this installment, but no one with luck like Oliver could have ever ended up in a town like Divine, Virginia! I must admit when the entire Divine storyline began, I was confused. I didn’t understand where in the world Mr. Baldacci was going. But in the end, I really enjoyed the storyline. It made the book so much more believable. I loved the introduction of a couple of new characters who could possibly make an appearance in the next book (and possibly more books?). I will be very interested in knowing what happens between Oliver and Abby. I have devoured this series these past couple of months. The latest book, Hell’s Corner, is available at my library (with a small waitlist), but I have vowed to read only from my TBR pile until April, so it will be a while before I can get to the next one in this series, but I’m axiously awaiting that! Definitely looking forward to more of the Camel Club!

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011

2011.5 REVIEW – Alex Cross’s Trial by James Patterson

Tara

Alex Cross’s Trial
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 380
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Jan. 24 – , 2011
Challenge: TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 5
Format: Print

First Line: A few months after I hunted a vicious killer named the Tiger halfway around the world, I began to think seriously about a book I had been wanting to write for years.

Blurb: From his grandmother, Alex Cross heard the story of his great-uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a book he’s written – a novel called Trial. A lawyer in early-1900s Washington D.C., Ben Corbett fights against oppression and racism – and risks his family and his life in the process. When President Theodore Roosevelt asks him to return to his hometown to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse. In Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. With their help, Ben discovers that lynchings have become commonplace. He vows to break the reign of terror – but the truth of who is really behind the killings may break his heart.

Review: This is not your typical Alex Cross book, so if you’re looking for that, this installment might not be your cup of tea. First of all, this particular book is actually a book within a book. It starts out with a brief introduction from Alex Cross about how there’s a story in his family history that he’s always wanted to tell, and that the subsequent book is that story. Then the reader is taken back to Mississippi in the early 1900s. Lynchings have become a way of life in the small town of Eudora. But the President, Teddy Roosevelt, wants all of the violence to stop. Unable to step in because of his role as President, he sends Ben Corbett down as his “spy.” Ben then embarks upon an unforgettable journey. This is the story that Alex tells of, Ben Corbett’s time in his hometown of Eudora, trying to fight all the racism and violence. I was a history major in college, so the Civil War era and anything to do with racism, Ku Klux Klan, slavery, etc., will immediately attract me. That being said, this book will not be for everyone. The violence experienced by the black people of Eudora is not at all sugar-coated or covered up in this book. I found it to be a good historical story. But as I stated above, if you’re looking forward to another good Alex Cross book, you might want to skip this book.