Category: 4/5

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Dirk Pitt, Fiction, Read in 2008, SERIES

Raise the Titanic! by Clive Cussler

Tara
Raise the Titanic!
by Clive Cussler
Copyright: 1976
Pages: 435
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 28-31, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read

First Line: The man on Deck A, Stateroom 33, tossed and turned in his narrow berth, the mind behind his sweating face lost in the depths of a nightmare.

The President is on a mission to secretly produce a defensive weapon that will change the world forever. To make the weapon work, a very rare, radioactive element is necessary – byzanium. Unfortunately, no trace of the element has been found to date. But Dirk Pitt has traced a stash of the element all the way to the watery grave of the Titanic. When the President gives the go-ahead, a massive undercover operation is begun that will ultimately try to raise the Titanic from the bottom of the ocean – an unheard of, unthinkable feat.
This book was really good. It had my attention from the first page. I have always been fascinated by the Titanic and loved the incorporation of it’s story into this story. I was also intrigued to see that this book was published some 10 years before the Titanic herself was actually found. Kudos to Clive Cussler for making the Titanic come to life even though in reality she is still in her watery grave.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, N, Read in 2008

The Widow by Carla Neggers

Tara
The Widow
by Carla Neggers
Copyright: 2007
Pages: 332
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 19-24, 2008
Challenge: Eponymous Challenge

First Line: Abigail Browning squirted charcoal lighter fluid on the mound of papers she’d torn up and piled into her backyard grill.

Abigail Browning experienced things on her honeymoon that no women should ever have to go through – her 4 day old marriage ended tragically when her husband, Chris, was shot and killed while on their honeymoon! Seven years later, now a homicide detective, she simply cannot get over the senseless murder of her husband. She can’t let it go. On the seventh anniversary of her marriage, she receives an anonymous call that sends her back to the scene of the murder. But her presence back on Mount Desert Island will cause things to spin out of control. As she pairs up with Owen Garrison, the search-and-rescue man who was too late to save him, they will have to push their feelings aside in order to stop a killer.
This book was really good! There was a little bit of romance, but it wasn’t overpowering, which is how I like my books to be for the most part. The killer was a complete shock for me! It kept me guessing up to the very end. New author for me, and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended!!
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Read in 2008, SERIES

Marker by Robin Cook

Tara
Marker
by Robin Cook
Copyright: 2005
Pages: 658
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 7-19, 2008
Challenge: Suspense & Thriller Challenge – Medical thriller; Celebrate the Author Challenge; Triple Eight – 500+ Pages category

First Line: In the wee hours of February 2, a cold, steady drizzle drenched the concrete spires of New York City, shrouding them in a dense swirl of purplish-pink fog.

Medical Examiner Dr. Laurie Montgomery’s relationship with fellow colleague Dr. Jack Stapleton begins to crumble when she wakes up and realizes that Jack simply cannot make a commitment to her and that her proverbial clock is ticking if she wants to have a family. So in order to distract herself during this turbulent time she dives into her work. But she soon realizes that there might be a serial killer over at Manhattan General Hospital preying on young, seemingly healthy, patients who are in the post-operative stage after elective surgeries. However, convincing her fellow medical examiner colleagues that there is a series going on is going to be harder than it sounds. Although she slowly begins to unravel the mystery, it won’t be until Laurie herself has to have emergency surgery at Manhattan General that the mystery will finally be solved.
I’m going to be honest, medical thrillers are not really my cup of tea, but I’m starting to get used to them. I enjoyed this one even though it took me forever to finish! I recommend this one. I find Robin Cook to be rather readable and enjoyable, I will probably be looking for more of his in the future.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Nonfiction, Read in 2008, U-V-W

Mistaken Identity by the Van Ryn & Cerak Families

Tara
Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
by Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 261
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 11-14, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – Bio/Autobio Category

First Line: Colleen Cerak woke up with a start to the sound of the phone ringing.

April 26, 2006. A date that the community of Taylor University will never forget. Returning from a banquet, a university bus carrying students and staff were hit by a truck. The accident scene was terribly violent and chaotic. Five people died. One survived. Laura Van Ryn’s family couldn’t believe that their little girl survived the terrible accident. Whitney Cerak’s family struggled to cope with the loss of their loved one. As Laura began the grueling healing process, her family was there to witness every moment. For five weeks after the accident she was showing amazing progress and the Van Ryn family thought that they were well on their way to returning to normalcy. Then it happened.
“Okay, Laura, I would like for you to write your name for me, the occupational therapist said. … W-H-I-T-N-E-Y…” (pg. 165-167)
The Van Ryn’s simply could not believe it. Had they been caring for Whitney Cerak for the past five weeks under the impression that it was their precious Laura?! Had the Cerak family actually buried their baby girl thinking it was Whitney?! Slowly, they began to remember strange things that “Laura” had recently been saying. Getting names wrong, not recognizing people. Just little things here and there. But it all made sense: “Laura” was actually Whitney!
Once the dental records did indeed confirm the fact that the girl who survived the horrific accident was actually Whitney Cerak, the Cerak family was contacted with amazing news.

“We have reason to believe that the girl identified as Laura Van Ryn is, in fact, your daughter Whitney Cerak.” (pg. 3)

Colleen Cerak could not believe her ears. Could they really have buried a girl other than Whitney? Could they have buried Laura instead?! No one in the family had the strength to view the body before burial … then Colleen began to think, five weeks!?!? How had five weeks gone by without the truth being obvious?! When the Cerak’s were reunited with their daughter, Whitney, everything was perfect.
But then, the Cerak’s wondered, how are the Van Ryn family coping?! They were the ones who, five weeks ago, felt amazingly blessed that their daughter survived a horrific accident in which she should have died. Now they were feeling the despair and heartbreak that the Cerak family had been experiencing for the past five weeks. And to make it worse, the Van Ryn’s were caring for a girl that they believed to be their daughter when in fact it was a stranger to them. How is something like that even possible?!
This book tells their story. It is heartbreaking. It is uplifting. It is amazing. I enjoyed it. Although I am not particularly religious, I understood that their story had to be told from that aspect since both of the families faith is a huge part of their life as well as this story. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It’s a must read.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, Read in 2008, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

4th of July by James Patterson

Tara
4th of July
by James Patterson
Copyright: 2005
Pages: 416
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 7-9, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read

First Line: It was just before 4:00am on a weekday.

Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer finds herself in the defendant’s seat after a short car chase which ends fatally. She retreats to her sister’s house for privacy before the trial is set to begin. There she is faced with a small town who is in the grips of a string of unsolved, grisly murders. Being the cop, she can’t leave things alone and gets involved. Not only is she facing financial ruin in San Francisco, but she is also facing a cold-blooded murderer who will stop at nothing to keep Lindsay from discovering the truth behind the murders.
Another good book in the Women’s Murder Club!! This one was not as good as the 3rd Degree, which is the best in the series so far. The middle of this book was a little slow, but the ending … Oh My Goodness! It was a total shocker! I couldn’t believe it, I had no idea who the killer actually was!! I highly recommend this series!!
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, Read in 2008, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

3rd Degree by James Patterson

Tara
3rd Degree
by James Patterson
Copyright: 2004
Pages: 339
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 6-7, 2008
Challenge: Suspense & Thriller Challenge – Terrorist thriller

First Line: It was a clear, calm, lazy April morning, the day the worst week of my life began.

In this third installment of the Women’s Murder Club, terrorists are at work on Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer’s streets. After more and more people are murdered for the “cause,” Lindsay calls a meeting with the girls. But the investigation will put one of the Women’s Club members in grave danger.
This book was amazing!! I really, really enjoyed it!! It’s almost heartbreaking in places. And the ending is truly shocking. I highly recommend this book. This series is great!! This book is definitely the best one in the series so far!!
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Eve Dallas, R, Read in 2008, SERIES

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Tara
Naked in Death
J.D. Robb
Copyright: 1995
Pages: 306
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 23-27, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – 1st in a Series; Suspense & Thriller Challenge – romance thriller

First Line: She woke in the dark.

New York City police Lieutenant Eve Dallas thinks she’s seen it all in her 10 years on the force. But when the case of a murder of a Senator’s granddaughter comes across her desk, she experiences something she’s never thought about – being seduced by a possible suspect in the murder case. Even though every ounce in her body tells her to ignore the millionaire Roarke’s advances, she finds herself falling more and more. And before long, she realizes that she will need his help and resources in order to solve this murder.
Overall, I really liked this book. However, I felt a slight disappointment with it. I guess I had myself pumped up for a little more solidness to it. This book is set in the future, like the 2050s, but there was no real explanation for any of the technological advances when I felt like they were a little necessary. I’m sure I’m going to continue with this series, but I felt that this book could have been more solid.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, Read in 2008, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

2nd Chance by James Patterson

Tara
2nd Chance
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2002
Pages: 400
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 21-22, 2008
Challenge: Numbers Challenge

First Line: Aaron Winslow would never forget the next few minutes.

The Women’s Murder Club returns in this second installment of the series! This time, they are up against a brilliant murderer who is seemingly killing people at random. But Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer is under the impression that the killings are somehow related and that there is a serial killer on the loose. But in order to convince her boss and co-workers, she has to enlist the help of her girls in the Club. And what they find out will rock the city to it’s core.

This was another great one from James Patterson! This one read so incredibly fast and was a great read!! I still do not know why I waited so long to start this series, but am definitely glad that I’m reading them now!!

Finishing this book also completes the Numbers Challenge. (My first finished challenge! Yay! – I’ll post a end-of-challenge round-up post shortly).

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Read in 2008, S

The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve

Tara
The Pilot’s Wife
by Anita Shreve
Copyright: 1998
Pages: 293
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 16-17, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read

First Line: She heard a knocking, and then a dog barking.

For a pilot’s wife, that middle of the night knock at the door is part of life. But when that knock comes on Kathryn Lyon’s door, she is not only unprepared to hear of her husband’s death, but also of the damning circumstances surrounding the explosion that took out his plane and 103 other people on board. But she can’t really give up – she realizes that she must find out who her husband really was, regardless of what the results will do to her heart.
This was a really good book. It read extremely quickly for me. I had trouble putting it down. I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t believe the twists and turns that occurred throughout the book. The ending is not at all what I expected, and I really enjoyed this book!
4/5, A, AUTHOR, Book Review, Nonfiction, Read in 2008

Diana’s Boys by Christopher Andersen

Tara
Diana’s Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved
by Christopher Andersen

Copyright: 2001, 2002
Pages: 365
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 4-10, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – Bio/Autobio category; Eponymous Challenge

First Line: That the beautiful, complicated Princess of Wales — arguably the most celebrated woman of the twentieth century — died so violently, so senselessly, and so young at age thirty-six was tragic.

Such a great book! Andersen makes the story of these two boys flow so easily. He really goes into a lot of detail about what life was like for them growing up not only as royals but also as children who had to watch their parents quarrel almost constantly. It’s really amazing how they got away with quite a bit, but both of their parents were always keeping them in line (although Diana was more likely to let them have a little fun than Charles). Andersen also spends a lot of time explaining how their parents’ problems and subsequent divorce as well as the tragic death of their mother effected their lives. Great read.