Category: 4/5

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Kay Scarpetta, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.17 REVIEW – Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Scarpetta
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 579
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 26 – July 5, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012
Yearly Count: 17
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta takes an assignment in New York City, where an injured patient in Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric prison ward has specifically asked for her. While Scarpetta examines him, she listens to one of the most bizarre stories she has ever heard.

Oscar Bane says his injuries were sustained in the course of a murder … that he did not commit. Is Bane a criminally insane stalker who has fixated on Scarpetta? Or is his paranoid tale true, and it is he who is being spied on, followed, and stalked by the actual killer? The one thing Scarpetta knows for certain is that a woman has been tortured and murdered – and more violent deaths will occur…

In the days that follow, Scarpetta, her forensic psychologist husband, Benton Wesley, and her niece, Lucy, who has recently formed her own forensic computer investigation firm in New York, will undertake a harrowing chase through cyberspace and the all-too-real streets of the city. It is an odyssey that will take them at once to places they never knew but also much, much too close to home.

Review: Okay, here’s the deal: In 2010 I went kind of bonkers and read the first 15 Scarpetta books pretty much back to back. I got burned out. Big time. In fact, I wrote a pretty negative review of the 15th book in the series, Book of the Dead. I made it relatively clear that I was burned out in that review and that I was not impressed with where this series was going. Fast forward a year and a half later and I decided to pick up book 16, Scarpetta. It was more curiosity than anything. I remembered perfectly clearly that I was unimpressed by the previous book and that I was especially ticked off with the direction the character development was going in. Oh and the fact that Dr. Scarpetta could not stay put – she was constantly moving, two new cities in two books! For me to remember that clearly so long after reading it why I hated that book speaks volumes – I must have really not liked it. However, I was determined to give her one more shot (two actually, since I’ve still got The Scarpetta Factor on my shelf).

So what do I have to say about this book? Well, it read pretty quickly for me – and when you have a 5 week old baby in the house and you are able to read “quickly” it must not be too bad of a book.

First I want to discuss the characters. I still am not impressed with Pete Marino and how Scarpetta handled (or rather, pretty much chose to ignore) the situation that occurred between the two of them in the previous book. I knew she would forgive him when she really should not have even considered such a thing. Lucy wasn’t nearly as obnoxious in this book and I think Benton is going to start coming around (hopefully) in his relationship with Kay. The supporting characters were good in this book. Jaime Berger was pretty prominent in this book (it is set in NYC, which is where Berger has always been) and I’m confident she will figure prominently in the future books as well.

The storyline was interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where dwarfism played a part in the plot. That was kind of interesting. I was also impressed with the who-dun-it part. When the blurb says things hit too close to home, well that is spot on accurate in this case. The who-dun-it part was a surprise to me, I couldn’t believe how it ended up unfolding in the end. I will say that I was a little disappointed in the overall ending. When you’ve got a 500+ page book, I kind of feel that the ending sometimes needs more than 5 pages. I know there has to be some kind of a happy medium between too drawn out and too rapid, but this particular ending was lacking a little bit in my opinion. However, I will say that everything was wrapped up relatively nicely – I didn’t think it had too much of a cookie-cutter feeling, but questions were answered at the end.

So what is my overall opinion of this book? I enjoyed it. I’m not entirely sure I’m back on board with this series yet, though. I think I will take it one book at a time. I also think that having such a long break since reading the previous book helped my opinion of this one. I went into it with a more open mind, rather than still being irritated from the last installment. Without a doubt, the early Scarpetta books are wonderful, but this one wasn’t too shabby in my opinion. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I would highly recommend this book, but I wouldn’t discourage people from giving it a shot (if they’ve read all the previous books and have become burned out like I did).

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, M, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, Review Book

2012.16 REVIEW – Jack 1939 by Francine Mathews

Tara

Jack 1939
by Francine Mathews

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 358
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 19 – June 26, 2012
Challenge: Eclectic Reader Challenge
Yearly Count: 16
Format: Print
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program

Blurb: It’s the spring of 1939, and the prospect of war in Europe looms large. The United States has no intelligence service. In Washington, D.C., President Franklin Roosevelt may run for an unprecedented third term and needs someone he can trust to find out what the Nazis are up to. His choice: John F. Kenedy.

It’s a surprising selection. At twenty-two, Jack Kennedy is the attractive but unpromising second son of Joseph P. Kennedy, Roosevelt’s ambassador to Britain (and occasional political adversary). When Jack decides to travel through Europe to gather research for his Harvard senior thesis, Roosevelt takes the opportunity to use him as his personal spy. The president’s goal: to stop the flow of German money that has been flooding the United States to buy the 1940 election – an election that Adolf Hitler intends for Roosevelt to lose.

Review: I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program.

I was immediatley intrigued by the description of this book when I first saw it on LibraryThing’s website. I am a JFK junkie; anything with John F. Kennedy even remotely mentioned will immediately draw me in. So I was definitely more than thrilled to learn that I had managed to snag a review copy.

I will say that historical fiction is not my usual genre. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, because for the most part I do, it’s just not something that I read a lot of (which is funny, I was a history major in college, so you would think that I woud read more historical fiction just because of that). And while this is historical fiction, I use that term loosely, because when I think of historical fiction, to be completely honest, I think a lot farther back than 1939. But that’s a discussion for another time 🙂

Okay, so on to the nitty gritty about this book. I enjoyed it. I was sucked in immediately, pretty much from the first page. I was very pleased with how Ms. Mathews portrayed JFK. He was a Kennedy – so he was charming, smart, funny, well-traveled, etc. But she also portrayed him as somewhat of a romantic. And she didn’t hide his illnesses either – something that he seemed to work very hard at hiding throughout his public life. I think she was really able to get to the gist of who JFK really was.

The story line was very interesting. I never realized there was no intelligence agency back then. I guess I thought the CIA had been around longer than it obviously has. So I found it quite interesting when the President of the United States recruited his own “spies.” It was also quite eye-opening to realize that Roosevelt was in the precarious situation of not being able to trust certain people around him. That would be extremely hard for the President to have to deal with. And J. Edgar Hoover – well we all know just how difficult he was.

My only complaint with the entire book comes with an issue I had near the end of the book. At this point Jack is hopping from place to place all over Europe. And I had trouble keeping track of where he was and where he was going. It might have had more to do with the fact that I was trying to read and take care of my 4 week old son than the book itself though. 🙂

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. I think that it will appeal to a variety of readers – historical fiction lovers, mystery lovers, spy/intrigue lovers, there’s even some romance. It definitely appealed to my obsession with anything JFK.

Bottom line: Enjoyable read, highly recommendable.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Eve Dallas, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.15 REVIEW – Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb

Tara

Immortal in Death
by J.D. Robb

Copyright: 1996
Pages: 320
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 8 – June 19, 2012
Challenge: Eclectic Reader Challenge; Mystery & Suspense 2012
Yearly Count: 15
Format: E-Book
Source: Library

Blurb: It is 2058, New York City. Lieutenant Eve Dallas uncovers a world where technology can create beauty and youth, but passion and greed can destroy them.

She was one of the most sought-after women in the world. A top model who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted -even another woman’s man. And now she’s dead, the victim of a brutal murder.

Police lieutenant Eve Dallas puts her life on the line to take the case when suspicion falls on her best friend, the other woman in the fatal love triangle. Beneath the facade of glamor, Eve finds that the world of high fashion thrives on an all-consuming obsession with youth and fame-one that leads her from the lights of the runway to the dark underworld of New York City, where drugs can fulfill any desire, for a price

Review: It has been forever since I read the first two books in this series. I recall being less than thrilled with the second one, which is probably why I never got around to the third one. Most of my problem stems from the fact that these books are set so far in the future (2058) that I have a hard time getting past all the futuristic parts involved. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

To be completely honest, because of that big gap in between reading book 2 and book 3, I was a little more than lost when it came to the characters and any previous development/interaction. But overall that doesn’t really take away too much from this book. While it is obviously a series, I wouldn’t necessarily say that it stands well as a stand-alone, but it definitely wasn’t too hard to follow in my opinion.

The storyline in this installment was very good. I was just as stumped as Eve was about who the killer was until it was revealed at the end. And honestly, it was a surprise for me – something that doesn’t necessarily happen every time, but something that I really like in a book.

To be completely honest, this book was a great distraction for me. It was an easy read. I read the majority of this book on my iPhone during Garrett’s middle of the night feedings. I’m going to have to fire up my Nook in the future, because the iPhone screen is not the easiest thing to read a book on! (Or I could just wait until I get my iPad next month for my birthday!!)

So what’s the bottom line here? It was a good book, provided me with some great distraction when I needed it most and I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series (I already put myself on the waiting list for the e-book through my library).

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, Michael Bennett, P, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.13 REVIEW – Tick Tock by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Tara

Tick Tock
by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 387
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 25 – May 27, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012
Yearly Count: 13
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: A bomb set in one of New York’s busiest places is discovered before it explodes. But relief turns to terror when the police realize it is just a warning of greater devastation to come. The city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside vacation with his ten adopted children and their beloved nanny, Mary Catherine – leaving his entire family open to attack.

Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Beth Peters. His affection for Beth grows into attraction and then something stronger, and his relationship with Mary Catherine takes an unexpected turn. Another horrifying crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer’s pattern — and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan.

Review: I can always count on a James Patterson book for a great escape. For whatever reason, I always seem to fly through his books. And luckily, this one was no different. I had actually picked this book up last year and tried to read it but never got very far into it. So I decided to give it another shot and the pages just flew by.

I’m a sucker for Mr. Patterson’s books. I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t like him or his work. I have to admit that when you put out a gazillion books a year with your name on it, it is a little hard to make them feel authentic. And while a lot of people have issues with how he uses so many different co-authors, I don’t seem to mind at all. I just like the fun that usually comes with a Patterson book.

For me, while I like the Michael Bennett series, it’s not my favorite. However, there was something about this book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I like where Mike and Mary Catherine might be going. I like how the kids (yes, all 10 of them) each manage to have a small role in the book. And, as usual with Mr. Patterson’s books, it was a fun roller coaster ride of a story.

While these books will never win any great literary awards, I would definitely recommend this series, but definitely start with the first one (Step on a Crack).

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Lucas Davenport, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, Review Book, S, SERIES

2012.10 REVIEW – Stolen Prey by John Sandford

Tara

Stolen Prey
by John Sandford

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 402
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 16– April 24, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2012
Yearly Count: 10
Format: Print
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program

Blurb: Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the Minnesota town of Wayzata, an entire family has been killed – husband, wife, two kids, dogs. One the wall, in blood: “Were coming.” No apostrophe.

There’s something about the scene that tugs at Lucas’s cop instincts – it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution he’s seen from Mexican drug gangs. But this is a seriously upscale town, the husband ran a modest software company, the wife dabbled in local politics. None of it seems to fit.

Until it does. And that’s when everybody starts coming to town: the DEA, the Mexican federales, and some independent operators who are decidedly less welcome.

Where it all leads … will take Lucas into the darkest nightmare of his life.

Review: I received this book through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. It has a publication date of May 15, 2012.

I honestly haven’t read very many of the Lucas Davenport books (even though I have quite a few of them accumulated on my shelves), but I was really excited to see this one offered on LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program. And then I was thrilled when I saw that I had managed to snag a copy. But at the same time, I was a little apprehensive. It’s the 22nd book in a series. A series in which I’ve read maybe two previous books.

But it worked out fine. This book can read as a standalone. I had very little idea as to who the characters he mentioned really were (his wife and daughter, namely), but that didn’t take away from the book whatsoever.

The plotline revolved around Mexican drug dealers, money laundering, murderers, bank fraud. Oh yeah, and murder. It all made it seem very current to today’s world. It was made very interesting when someone ended up being not who they appeared to be.

Overall, I found this book to be very fast paced and enjoyable. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, Sean King & Michelle Maxwell, SERIES

2012.9 REVIEW – Split Second by David Baldacci

Tara

Split Second
by David Baldacci

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 481
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 28– April. 4, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2012; Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 9
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Michelle Maxwell has just wrecked her promising career at the Secret Service. Against her instincts, she let a presidential candidate out of her sight for the briefest moment and the man whose safety was her responsibility vanished into thin air. Sean King knows how the younger agent feels. Eight years earlier, the hard-charging Secret SErvice agent allowed his attention to be diverted for a split second. And the candidate he was protecting was gunned down before his eyes. Now Michelle and Sean are about to see their destinies converge.

Drawn into a maze of lies, secrets, and deadly coincidences, the two discredited agents uncover a shocking truth: that the separate acts of violence that shattered their lives were really a long time in the making – and are a long way from over…

Review: This was a very good, fast-paced book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed all the characters. I think it will be interesting to see how this series progresses with Sean & Michelle partnering up for a private detective agency. I also wonder if there will be a romantic relationship between the two also, since there is a very obvious mutual attraction. I’m also curious to see if Joan will make a return in the future, she could definitely throw an interesting wrench in the proverbial mix!! Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series in the future. Highly recommended!!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Lincoln Rhyme, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.8 REVIEW – The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver

Tara

The Empty Chair
by Jeffery Deaver

Copyright: 2000
Pages: 479
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 18– Mar. 28, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2012; Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 8
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Lincoln Rhyme faces his ultimate opponent: a kidnapper and murderer dubbed the Insect Boy. But Rhyme is in for a surprise when he learns that catching a criminal is one thing … keeping him is another. Now Rhyme finds himself hunting a ruthless killer in the heart of a southern swampland – and going head-to-head with his protegé, Amelia Sachs, in a rivalry that tests the limits of both their expertise and their love.

Review: This is the third in the Lincoln Rhyme series. It’s been a while since I read a Deaver book. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I completely understood why Amelia felt that way she did toward Garrett (aka – Insect Boy). There were definitely some twists and turns that I never saw coming until they were halfway past me! That’s exactly how I like my books to be. I would highly recommend this read, and while it’s not necessarily required to read the first two in the series before you read this one, it will definitely help you understand the characters better if you do.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Oregon Files, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.7 REVIEW – Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler

Tara

Golden Buddha
by Clive Cussler & Craig Dirgo

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 420
Rating: 4/5
Read: Mar. 7– Mar. 18, 2012
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 67
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Clive Cussler, creator of the bestselling NUMA and Dirk Pitt series, presents his latest and most intriguing high seas action hero: the enigmatic captain of the Oregon, Juan Cabrillo.

In his first feature-length adventure, it’s up to Cabrillo and his crew of expert intelligence and Naval men to put Tibet back in the hands of the Dalai Lama by striking a deal with the Russians and the Chinese. His gambling chip is a golden Buddha containing records of vast oil reserves in the disputed land.

But first, he’ll have to locate–and steal–the all-important artifact. And there are certain people who would do anything in their power to see him fail…

Review: Every once in a while I like to break out of my mystery reading and pick up a fun adventure book. This particular book definitely fit the bill for that! Apparently Mr. Cussler introduced Juan Cabrillo’s character in one of his Dirk Pitt novels. Having only read two Dirk Pitt novels, I had never met Juan Cabrillo before. That being said, I found him and his Corporation to be quite interesting.

The reach that the Corporation has is truly intriguing. It was interesting to have all these smaller storylines running along with the others only to have them connect back up a little later on in the book. As I mentioned above, I mainly read mysteries, but an adventure book is almost always fun. This book (when I had time to actually sit down and read more than a couple of pages) was really fun and fast paced. The way the story just unfolded in front of me was amazing. Little things here and there ended up being connected to the overall story in ways I never would have imagined.

Overall I’m definitely glad that I gave this series a chance (as if I needed another series, haha!). And I hope to be visiting the Oregon again soon!!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES, Taylor Jackson

2012.6 REVIEW – The Immortals by J.T. Ellison

Tara

The Immortals
by J.T. Ellison

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 389
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 22– Mar. 6, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 6
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: It is Samhain – the Blood Harvest. Nonbelievers call it Hallowe’en. The night when eight Nashville teenagers are found dead, with occult symbols carved into their naked bodies. It’s a ritual the killers believe was blessed by Death himself.

When children are victimized, emotions always run high, and this case has the public both outraged and terrified: a dangerous combination. Recently reinstated homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows she has to act quickly, but tread carefully.

Exploring the baffling culture of mysticism and witchcraft, Taylor is immersed in a darkness that threatens to unbalance the order of her world, and learns how unchecked wrath can push a killer to his limits.

Review: I have enjoyed all of the Taylor Jackson books in this series so far and this installment is no exception. I had a bad feeling going into this book when I found out that there was an occult spin on the storyline. I tend to steer clear of anything with witches/vampires/werewolves, etc. It’s just not my thing. But I love Taylor’s character and was pleasantly surprised to find this one enjoyable. I guess I should say that while there was that aspect to this story, it wasn’t too overpowering for someone who tends to not care for paranormal stuff.

For whatever reason it had been a few months since I had read the previous Taylor Jackson book. I don’t know why; this book had been on my shelf since before I finished the previous book. (It’s probably because it had the occult/paranormal twist and I was putting it off). So I had a little bit of trouble recalling some things that had happened previously. But all in all I found this one to be another great installment in this series.

I need to say that while you do not have to read these books in order, it is definitely for the best that you do.

So I guess my final rating would be that it was another good installment in a favorite series!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, S

2012.5 REVIEW – Don’t Scream by Wendy Corsi Staub

Tara

Don’t Scream
by Wendy Corsi Staub

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 476
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 9– Feb. 15, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 5
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: In a remote, heavily wooded area near the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Rachel Lorant died on her birthday. But she didn’t die alone. That night, her four sorority sisters make a solemn, trembling pledge. They will never reveal what has just happened in those woods – ever. Instead, they will take their terrible secret to their graves…

Now, ten years later, their secret is coming back to haunt them as each receives a card in the mail from Rachel: “Happy Birthday to Me. xoxo R.” It’s clear that someone knows what happened that night. Someone is stalking them and sending mysterious, chilling gifts that only they can understand – deadly warnings of what is to come. For the sins of the past have come back with a vengeance, and a killer will see that they all pay in blood…

Brynn Costello has never felt such pure fear. She didn’t want any part in what happened so long ago, but now, the mother of two will do anything to stay alive and protect her family – even if it means matching wits with a killer she can’t see … a twisted psychopath who is closer than she thinks and who is saving her death for last…

Review: This book was such a fun read! It was non-stop suspense with lots of twists and turns. When I looked back at my records, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t read a book my Ms. Staub since 2009 … and all I can do is question what’s wrong with me?

Overall, I would highly recommend this book (and this author in general). The writing was very good. The characters are well-developed and interesting. I found it cool that Brynn and Fiona had remained friends after their college days, even though they were polar opposites!

The who-dun-it part was quite interesting to me. The killer was not at all who I thought it was going to be, which is always a nice surprise. Even though Brynn was pretty much the main character, I liked that the reader gets to hear from the other characters as well, I always find that enjoyable in a book such as this where there are quite a few characters.

I guess I don’t know what else I can say about this book. I liked it. A lot. I would definitely recommend it.