Category: 4/5

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Kindle County, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES, T

2012.4 REVIEW – Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow

Tara

Presumed Innocent
by Scott Turow

Copyright: 1987
Pages: 421
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 29– Feb. 9, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012 Challenge
Yearly Count: 4
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades, Presumed Innocent brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It’s the stunning portrayal of one man’s all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial – including his own life. It’s  a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you … long after you have reached its shattering conclusion.

Review: Sometime last year I picked this book up, read 80 pages, and walked away from it. I just never took to it at the time. However, I hung on to it. I considered trading it (and the other books in the series that I have collected), but I never could make myself do it. I can say that I am glad that I did not trade it. While I will admit the beginning was a little hard to get through, mainly because of all the flip-flopping between what was going on and what was being described by Rusty to his psychiatrist. But once I got through that part the book really started to take off.

I will admit that this book has to have, honestly, some of the best legal courtroom scenes I have ever read. I was just totally enthralled by the courtroom action. Sometimes I felt as if I was right there in the courtroom watching the action unfold. And when Rusty’s lawyer, Sandy, had his big shining moment in the courtroom, it was simply unbelievable! Criminal defense lawyers would probably give their right arm to have that kind of moment in a case.

That’s not to say that this book isn’t without its faults. First of all, as I mentioned above, the beginning was a little slow to get into. And my biggest complaint is that the “who-dunit” part wasn’t all that surprising to me. I kind of had an inkling about halfway through about what the outcome would be, and sometimes that irritates me. Maybe I just read too many mysteries, I have the “formula” figured out 🙂

Either way, I am very glad that I read this book (finally!). I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great legal thriller. And I’m really hoping to see the movie sometime in the future … I can’t believe I never saw the movie either!

4/5, Abe Glitsky, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, L, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.3 REVIEW – Damage by John Lescroart

Tara

Damage
by John  Lescroart

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 445
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 16 – Jan. 29, 2012
Challenge: The Eclectic Reader 2012; Mystery & Suspense 2012
Yearly Count: 3
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: The Curtlees are a powerful force in San Francisco, unscrupulous billionaires who’ve lined every pocket in the Bay Area in pursuit of their own ascent. So when the family’s heir, Ro Curtlee, was convicted of the rape and murder of a servant girl in the family home, the fallout against those responsible was swift and uncompromising. The jury foreman was fired from his job and blacklisted. The lead prosecutor was pushed off a career fast track. And head homicide detective Abe Glitsky was reassigned to the police department’s payroll office.

Then Ro’s lawyers win him a retrial, and he’s released. Within twenty-four hours, a fire kills the original trial’s star witness, and her abused remains are discovered in the ashes. When a second fire claims another participant in the case, Abe is convinced that Ro is out for revenge. But with no hard evidence and an on-the-take media eager to vilify any challenger, Abe finds himself in the crosshairs, wondering how much more he can sacrifice in the name of justice.

Review: So my grandmother gave me this book a couple of weeks ago with a glowing recommendation to read it as soon as I possibly could. Since 99% of the time we always agree on books, I jumped right into this one. I want to make it perfectly clear that while it took me what felt like forever to read this book, it had absolutely nothing to do with the book itself. It’s the fact that I’m not reading as much or as fast as I once was. That being said, seriously: read this book.

Having read a couple of Mr. Lescroart’s earlier Dismas Hardy novels, and one of the earlier Abe Glitsky books, I was a little familiar with most of the main characters in this book. And although I read it out of series order (something that I hate doing), I feel as if this could read perfectly fine as a stand-alone for anyone who is unfamiliar with Lescroart’s work.
The Curtlees were definitely some interesting characters. They actually reminded me a little bit of the people who were from the richest family in my hometown. And when I say rich, I mean super duper rich – private airplanes, trips to Paris to go shopping, vacation homes all over the country – you get the idea. And while the abovementioned family from my hometown may not be as devious as the Curtlees, they sure do own most of the town and most of the people in it. So I could relate a little bit to what the people involved in the investigation felt like when they were getting squeezed by the Curtlees to make sure that everything went their way.
I must say that the ending was surprising, but not completely out of left field for me. I had kind of a feeling as to where Glitsky was headed in his investigation into one of the murders. It was actually a really cool twist, if you want my opinion. And almost the perfect crime.
Overall, I would highly recommend this novel 100%. I thoroughly enjoyed it. As always, Mr. Lescroart has definitely written another winner in my opinion.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Myron Bolitar, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.2 REVIEW – Drop Shot by Harlan Coben

Tara

Drop Shot
by Harlan Coben

Copyright: 1996
Pages: 341
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 8 – Jan. 15, 2012
Challenge: The Eclectic Reader 2012; Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012
Yearly Count: 2
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: A young woman is shot in cold blood, her lifeless body dumped outside the stadium at the height of the US Open. Once her tennis career had skyrocketed. Now the headlines are being made by another young player form the wrong side of the tracks.

When Myron Bolitar investigates the killing he uncovers a connection between the two players and a six-year-old murder at an exclusive club. Suddenly Myron is in over his head. And with a dirty senator, a jealous mother, and the mob all drawn into the case, he finds himself playing the most dangerous game of all…

Review: So this is the second in the Myron Bolitar series. I read the first one (Deal Breaker) a long time ago. (And please excuse my terrible review, which was before I got very detailed in my reviews). I wasn’t too impressed, so naturally I wasn’t in very much of a hurry to get around to the second book. For whatever reason, I decided to give this series another shot. I’m glad I did. To be completely honest, having that big of a gap (3 years) in between reading the two books, I was a little lost. I didn’t remember the supporting characters. I didn’t remember some things that were mentioned. But that was okay for me; it didn’t hurt my opinion of the book at all.

What I continually kept asking myself while reading this book was this: was the first book this funny? I mean, I’m talking laugh out loud funny at times. Other times it was cheesy funny. But in all seriousness, I don’t recall Myron being humorous. I would assume that he was funny in the first book, that’s not something that is likely to change in a character; I just don’t remember that aspect of Myron’s character. Either way, I enjoyed the humor.

The big ah-ha moment came at a perfect time in my opinion. I hadn’t figured out what was really going on before the big reveal. That’s exactly how I like my books to be, I don’t want to figure it all out way too early and then have to finish the rest of the book. And to be completely honest, the person who ended up being the killer made perfect sense when I sat down and really thought about some of the clues left throughout the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I found it to be funny and enjoyable. And while I would recommend reading any series in order, this book stands relatively well on its own.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Cotton Malone, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, SERIES

2012.1 REVIEW – The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry

Tara

The Venetian Betrayal
by Steve Berry

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 540
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 1 – Jan. 7, 2012
Challenge: The Eclectic Reader 2012; Mystery & Suspense 2012; Off the Shelf 2012
Yearly Count: 1
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton Malone – former Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer – learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of a campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength. Born from the ashes is a new Eastern European nation whose ruthless leader will soon draw Cotton into an intense geopolitical chess game against a shadowy cabal of power brokers. The prize lies buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great – in a tomb lost to the ages for more than two thousand years. Trekking from Denmark to Venice to Central Asia, Cotton and Cassiopeia are determined to solve an ancient puzzle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people – depending on who finds the lost tomb first.

Review: This is the third in the Cotton Malone series. I find this to be such a fun series! There’s always just enough history combined with incredible action, it just makes a great combination.

I felt in this book we really got a lot more insight into who Cassiopeia Vitt is. In the two previous books, she’s kind of been an enigma in my opinion. So it was really nice to learn more about Cassiopeia in a way that the readers hadn’t before.

As I stated above, I think what really draws me to these books is how there is some historical aspect to them. The first book dealt with Templars, the second involved the lost Library of Alexandria, and this book focused on Alexander the Great and where he was really buried. Having majored in history, these books really interest me. And there’s always non-stop action. I really do find it to be a perfect blend.

I have the next book in this series already on my shelf, I hope I get to it sooner rather than later. I would highly recommend this book and the series as a whole.

4/5, Alex Delaware, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, K, RATING, Read in 2011, SERIES

2011.62 REVIEW – Over the Edge by Jonathan Kellerman

Tara

Over the Edge
by Jonathan Kellerman

Copyright: 1987
Pages: 433
Rating: 4/5
Read: Nov.. 8– Nov.27, 2011
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly Count: 62
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Brace yourself for shock –

when Alex Delaware gets a phone call from a former patient, a young, troubled genius who suffered a devastating mental collapse….

when he drives through the night to save his life and winds up in a morass of murder….

when he uncovers the secret life of one of California’s leading families, and is witness to an explosion of murderous passions and shattering revelations….

Review: It’s been entirely too long since I read the first two books in this series. But that didn’t stop me from diving right in with no problems. This book starts out strong and never really lets up in the suspense department.

I was bummed with how little Milo was included in this installment, but I also understood that the interaction between Alex and Milo had to be limited because they were both working the same case – on opposite sides. I mention this because after looking back through my review for the previous book (Blood Test) I had specifically mentioned how little character development there truly was. I understand that Alex is the main character, but the supporting characters are always important in my opinion and I enjoy getting to know them just as well as the main character. Maybe in the next book 🙂

Overall, this was an action packed adventure. Alex kept running into wall after wall, but he never stopped. And I can only imagine what it would be like to go up against the kinds of people he was dealing with. An affluent family hiding behind their attorney – that would be hard for anyone to deal with.

So I would definitely recommend this book. And I hope that I don’t wait as long to get to the next book in this series as I did to get this book!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, Scot Harvath, SERIES, T

2011.58 REVIEW – State of the Union by Brad Thor

Tara

State of the Union
by Brad Thor

Copyright: 2004
Pages: 523
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 25– Oct. 2, 2011
Challenge: Take a Chance 3 Challenge
Yearly Count: 58
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: With the fragile peace between the world’s nations shattered, Harvath must unravel a brilliantly orchestrated, fiendishly timed conspiracy intent upon bringing the United States to its knees. Teamed with beautiful Russian Intelligence agent Alexandra Ivanova and a highly trained CIA paramilitary detachment, Harvath races from the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., to the streets of Berlin, the coast of Finland, and into the heart of Mother Russia herself before returning home for a final showdown with an enemy from America’s past more sinister and deadly than has even been seen before…

Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! Having liked the previous book (Path of the Assassin), but not really enjoying the whole Middle Eastern theme involved, I was really excited to read about Cold War-era Russian spies. For me, that’s more up my alley than the what the previous book dealt with. This book was definitely action packed. Scot Harvath manages to find himself in all kinds of trouble, no matter where he goes, it seems! And his sense of loyalty to those closest to him is amazing, he definitely puts himself in harm’s way for his friend, mentor  and boss, Gary Lawlor. I am definitely enjoying this series. We didn’t get to see a lot of Meg in this installment, but hopefully in the next book we will get to learn more about her and Scot and where they go to.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, Scot Harvath, SERIES, T

2011.57 REVIEW – Path of the Assassin by Brad Thor

Tara

Path of the Assassin
by Brad Thor

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 503
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 19– Sept. 25, 2011
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly Count: 57
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: After rescuing the President from kidnappers, Navy SEAL turned Secret Service agent Scot Harvath shifts his attentions to rooting out, capturing, or killing all those responsible for the plot. As he prepares to close out his list, a bloody and twisted trail of clues points toward one man – the world’s most feared, most ruthless terrorist, Hashim Nidal. Having assembled an international league of Islamic terrorist networks in an ingenious plot to topple both Israel and America, Harvath and his CIA-led team must reach Nidal before it’s too late. One problem remains – they have no idea what the man looks like. With no alternative, Harvath is forced to recruit a civilian – a woman who has survived a brutal hijacking and is now the only person who can positively identify their quarry.

Review: This was a very good book. It was fast paced and exciting. It definitely makes me look forward to the next book and seeing what happens with Meg and Scot. I enjoyed that Meg is such a strong female character. She is able to keep up with Scot so easily, it’s definitely refreshing to see such a strong female character. The only thing that I had trouble with was the Israel terrorist plot line. I’m not all that up-to-date or interested in Israeli terrorists and the like and so I find it difficult for me to read about. Other than that I found this to be a highly enjoyable book and am definitely looking forward to continuing this series with the third book.

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

2011.55 REVIEW – The Guardian by Robbie Cheuvront and Erik Reed

Tara

The Guardian
by Robbie Cheuvront and Erik Reed

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 443
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 13– Sept. 15, 2011
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly Count: 55
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley

Blurb: Plunge into the world of seen and unseen forces in The Guardian. Anna Riley has just come into possession of a two-thousand-year old scroll that God gave to John the Disciple. Her mission—to guard the scroll and unlock its secret. Jason Lang, her protector, has his work cut out for him as they begin their journey around the world, facing corruption and dodging bullets—all the while trying to keep his attraction to Anna at bay. Will he succeed in defending the woman he’s vowed to protect? Will Anna, forced to trust other people to stay alive, fulfill the challenge that she’s accepted?

Review: I requested this book from NetGalley having been immediately intrigued by the description. And I must say that I was not disappointed. While I am not a particularly religious person, that didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book. Personally I felt as if the characters were well-developed and likable. And the action. Wow, was this a great thrill ride of a book! It was non-stop from the first page to the last page. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thrilling read.

And an interesting sidenote: I was originally unaware that one of the authors (Cheuvront) was actually part of the country band LoneStar, who I personally think has some really good songs.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, Scot Harvath, SERIES, T

2011.52 REVIEW – The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor

Tara

The Lions of Lucerne
by Brad Thor

Copyright: 2002
Pages: 507
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 7– Sept. 10, 2011
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly Count: 52
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: On the snow-covered slopes of Utah, the unthinkable has happened: the President of the United States has been kidnapped, and his Secret Service detail massacred. Only one agent has survived – ex-Navy SEAL Scot Harvath. He doesn’t buy the official line that Middle Eastern terrorists are responsible, and begins his own campaign to find the truth – and exact revenge. But his search makes him a marked man by the sinister cabal behind the attack. Framed for murder by the conspirators, Harvath goes on the run, taking the fight to the towering mountains of Switzerland. There, he finds an unlikely ally: the beautiful Claudia Mueller of the Swiss Federal Attorney’s Office. Together they must brave the subzero temperatures and sheer heights of treacherous Mount Pilatus – and their only chance for survival is to enter the den of the most lethal team of professional killers the world has ever known…

Review: First of all, I must state that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was exciting from page one until the end. The suspense never let up. The hoops that Scot’s character had to jump through … most men wouldn’t have made it as far as he did. And Claudia’s character, she was an amazingly strong female character. I liked that Mr. Thor imagined such a tough lady (fiction novels need more characters like Claudia!). This is the first in the Scot Harvath series, I have most of the others already on my shelf waiting patiently for me. I can honestly say that I hope to be getting to the other books quickly. If they’re as good as this book was then I will have found a new favorite series. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book. It was fun and easy to read. The characters are interesting. The storyline and the conspiracy were incredibly believable. The writing was very clear and precise. This was just an all-around great book that I would highly recommend.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Jack Morgan, P, RATING, Read in 2011

2011.50 REVIEW – Private by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Tara

Private
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 363
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 1– Sept. 3, 2011
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly Count: 50
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Former Marine Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned global investigation company. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. Jack is already deep into the investigation of a multimillion-dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of eighteen schoolgirls, when a horrific case hits close to home: His best friend’s wife, Jack’s former lover, has been slain. It nearly pushes him over the edge – until he pushes back and devotes all of Private’s resources to tracking down her killer. But Jack doesn’t have to play by the rules. As he closes in on the murderer, he must choose between revenge and justice – even as a workplace love affair threatens to blow the roof off his plans.

Review: Okay, so I will be the first to admit, I am a James Patterson fan. His books are always such mindless, easy reads for me. I can devour them in a couple of days. He’s got some great characters, even better villains and interesting storylines. I also know that people either love him or hate him. And I’m not stupid, I can only imagine that Maxine Paetro wrote 90-95% of this book. I know a lot of people have negative feelings toward him and the way that he constantly seems to have a new book out every month. Honestly, I’m okay with all of that stuff. I don’t really care, I’m not all that invested in who writes the books or who gets the money from my purchases (because let’s be honest, I don’t actually buy a lot of the books I read anyway, most of my books are either acquired used, given to me by my grandmother, or from the library).

But that whole line of thinking could be another post in itself. Personally, I liked this book a lot. I am very intrigued by Jack Morgan’s character. He’s definitely got some baggage and one heck of an evil twin. A former Marine, he saw some nasty stuff in combat and is dealing with some issues surrounding what he experienced. His father was in prison before he died. His mother died during the trial. And as I mentioned, he’s got a seriously wicked twin brother who has just as many problems as Jack does. At one point in the book Jack finally has to face what his memory has been blocking out from his time in combat. That revelation makes him seem to see things a little bit differently in regards to his personal life.

My one complaint with this whole book was that there were so many different storylines going on, I had trouble keeping them straight. There was the Schoolgirl investigation, the NFL gambling scandal and Jack’s best friend’s wife (who was Jack’s former lover) got murdered. Between unraveling those three separate cases, the reader also learns more about Jack and his family dysfunction and a little bit about what Jack went through in combat. It was really a lot to keep straight in 363 pages.

However, although the book was a little over-filled with the three separate investigations, I thought that it was a well written book. It kept me entertained and eagerly anticipating the next book in this new series. I’m very anxious to see what happens between Jack and Justine as well as what Jack’s twin brother will do next. Oh, and let’s also not forget that Jack has gotten somewhat involved with the Mob. Sounds intriguing, right?