Category: 4/5

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

Firestorm by Iris Johansen

Tara
Firestorm
by Iris Johansen

Copyright: 2004
Pages: 339
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 6-9, 2008
Challenge: What’s in a Name – Weather Event Category

First Line: She couldn’t breathe!

Kerry Murphy’s life is seemingly consumed by fire; from a fire that took life the of her mother as a young girl to the present. Along with her dog Sam, she is an arson investigator. However, when a mysterious man by the name of Silver invades her life and practically forces Kerry to join in him in stopping a psychopath with a love for starting fires. Her decision to help Silver might destroy Kerry and the people closest to her.

Like any other Iris Johansen book that I’ve read, I enjoyed this one. It wasn’t one of her better ones, but it was still pretty good. I enjoyed it. I would recommend this one to anyone.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Read in 2008, T

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason

Tara

The Rule of Four

by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
Copyright: 2004
Pages: 446
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 29-March 2, 2008
Challenge: Numbers Challenge
First Line: Like many of us, I think, my father spent the measure of his life piecing together a story he would never understand.
The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a Renaissance text, and Tom Sullivan have always had a love-hate relationship. This book consumed his father’s life. And during his final year at Princeton, he finds the book consuming him and his roommate, Paul Harris. As Paul tries to figure out all the pieces to the puzzle of this book, the deadline for his senior thesis hovers above him. But then, a long-lost diary is found and Paul believes he has solved it. But before he has time to finish his thesis and state his conclusions, thereby revealing the final pieces to this mysterious puzzle, he has to fight forces that are against him. With the help of Tom and their two roommates, Gil and Charlie, they embark upon a journey that might kill them all.
I really enjoyed this book. Although it does seem to lag in certain places, overall I felt myself rushing through it because it was so suspenseful! I could hardly wait to get to the end of it. I have read that some people are likening it to The Da Vinci Code, but I wouldn’t. I felt that in a way it was much better than Dan Brown’s book, whereas in other places (like the writing style) it did sort of lack what Brown’s book had. It’s hard to describe, but definitely an enjoyable read!
4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, Read in 2008

The Assassin by Andrew Britton

Tara
The Assassin
by Andrew Britton
Copyright: 2007
Pages: 586
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 23-28, 2008
Challenge: Suspense & Thriller Challenge – political thriller; Triple Eight – 500+ pages category

First Line: Anita Zaid folded her arms as she glared across the cavernous lobby of the Babylon Hotel.

There is an explosion at the Babylon Hotel. A high ranking Iraqi official is critically wounded. Another attack is made on another high ranking Iraqi official. For CIA Agent Ryan Kealey, it can only mean one thing: someone is trying to take over by disposing of these people. But for Kealey, it becomes a little more personal. In his quest to find the truth, he runs across the madman who killed his fiancee the year before. The same madman, coincidentally, that everyone thought was already dead. But in order to convince his superiors, Kealey has to risk his entire career in order to catch this man once and for all and to put a stop to what could possibly be the worst attack on American soil – one that would ultimately be worse than 9/11.
WOW! This book for me was really, really good! It started out for me kind of slowly. I was a little bogged down by all of the Iraqi names and places as well as the military terminology. But once I got used to it, the book went really quickly. It was high paced and enjoyable in the last 250 pages – which is where all the action is. I would recommend this book to those who do enjoy books of this nature. This was my first time reading a spyish-type political thriller, and I highly enjoyed it.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Read in 2008, U-V-W

White Crosses by Larry Watson

Tara
White Crosses
by Larry Watson
Copyright: 1997
Pages: 371
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 12-14, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read

First Line: When Sheriff Jack Nevelsen got the call from the dispatcher about the accident out on Highway 284 — single car, two fatalities — his first thought was, kids.

Sheriff Jack Nevelson is called out on a fatal accident. However, what he finds is that the two in the car had no business being together at all. He finds Leo Bauer, the principal of the elementary school and June Moss, a recent high school graduate. What were these two doing heading out of town together? Nevelson has to make a decision … does he try and figure out what was going on with these two, or does he try and save Leo’s reputation by concocting a story that seems to adequately explain what these two were doing together?
I loved this book! I picked it up and could barely put it down. I felt that the choices that the Sheriff made were wrong, but I still understood what he was doing at the same time. Sometimes I felt like the author took a few liberties in regards to the language and writing style – he could have made it more readable in places, but overall it was well written. I highly recommend this book!!
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Read in 2008

Class Reunions are Murder by Taffy Cannon

Tara
Class Reunions are Murder
by Taffy Cannon

Copyright: 1996
Pages: 290
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 6-7, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read

First Line: There were probably, Nan thought as she walked into the Spring Hill Inn, a thousand more odious ways to spend an August Saturday night.

L.A. Attorney Nan Robinson returns to her hometown of Spring Hill, Illinois for her twentieth high school reunion. She is surprised to see the Class Tramp Brenda Blaine waltz in. Although she is surprised by Brenda even showing up, she is completely unprepared when Brenda is murdered just outside the reunion. Instincts set in and Nan can’t help but want to solve the murder herself. What she finds out will be the surprise of a lifetime and some things that a lot of surprising people want to keep hidden forever.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a quick and easy read. It was a great break from what I consider the heavier books that I’ve been reading lately. I usually don’t like books like this, but sometimes it’s nice to have a little change in pace. Besides, I thouroughly found myself enjoying this one. And I was very shocked with the ending! Very good book!!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, Read in 2008, SERIES

Hannibal by Thomas Harris

Tara
Hannibal
by Thomas Harris
Copyright: 1999
Pages: 544
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 30 – Feb. 4, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight – From my TBR Shelf Category
First Line: Clarice Starling’s Mustang boomed up the entance ramp at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms on Massachusetts Avenue, a headquarters rented from the Reverend Sun Myung Moon in the interest of economy.
Dr. Hannibal Lecter escaped seven years ago. He might think he’s safe, but the multimillionaire that he left alive many years before, is on the verge of finding him – and seeking his revenge. Lecter also has to worry about an Italian policeman who is willing to sell him for a large sum of money. And there’s also Clarice Starling; she hasn’t been the same since last time. However, only one of these people will get Hannibal in the end, the question is, which one will it be?
I enjoyed this book. There was a section almost in the middle of about 150 pages that I definitely got bogged down in. I was not impressed with the part that was set in Italy. Other than that, though, the book read rather quickly and was quite enjoyable. Makes me ready to read Hannibal Rising!
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, L, Nonfiction, Read in 2008

The Night Lives On by Walter Lord

Tara
The Night Lives On
by Walter Lord
Copyright: 1986, 1987
Pages: 226
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 28-29, 2008
Challenge: Back to History
First Line: Just 20 minutes short of midnight, April 14, 1912, the great new White Star Liner Titanic, making her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, had a rendezvous with ice in the calm, dark waters of the North Atlantic.
In this book, Walter Lord attempts to tell the story of the Titanic. He tries to figure out why certain things occurred – things which ultimately caused the Titanic’s demise. He especially focuses in on why Captain Smith seemingly ignored the numerous ice warnings and why the ship Californian was nearby and ultimately ignored the distress flares. He also delves a little into the main players of the disaster, including some passengers. He uses the Senate hearings and the British inquiry into the event for most of his sources. I enjoyed this book. The beginning was a little slow, but it quickly picked up pace. This was the first book I had ever read on the Titanic, having being fascinated by the event for years and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Eve Duncan, Fiction, J, Read in 2008, SERIES

The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen

Tara
The Face of Deception
by Iris Johansen
Copyright: 1999
Pages: 446
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 24-25, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight Challenge – First in a Series category
First Line: It was going to happen.
Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan wants nothing more than to find the body of her murdered daughter and do her work. Unfortunately, work is all she has for now. But her world is turned upside down when billionaire John Logan confronts her, offering her a large sum of money for the use of her services. Unsure of his reasons, she reluctantly agrees to the job. What she will find out in the process will not only stun the nation when revealed but also puts her and her closest family and friends in danger.
This was a really good book! I enjoyed it a lot! It was a good introduction to the Eve Duncan series and I want to pursue this series more. I highly recommend it!
4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Nonfiction, Read in 2008

Murder in Greenwich by Mark Fuhrman

Tara
Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley
by Mark Fuhrman
Copyright: 1998/1999
Pages: 401
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 18-21, 2008
Challenge: Triple Eight Challenge – True Crime Category; What’s in a Name challenge (Place category)
First Line: Although she had lived in Greenwich for only a little more than a year, Martha Moxley had made many friends.
Mark Fuhrman goes into great detail about the Martha Moxley murder case. In this book he really goes into how the Greenwich police bungled the case practically from day one. To say that they were unprepared and inexperienced for such a case would be quite an understatement. Fuhrman’s book really tore the case wide open. He made the world look at the case in a new light and made them want to solve this case regardless of what it took. He clearly states that Michael Skakel is the murderer and that suspicion needs to rest on him rather than the other suspects. I enjoyed this book. I’m glad that he took the initiative to dive into a case that was long cold and also something that most Greenwich residents wanted to forget about completely.

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

Gone by Lisa Gardner

Tara
Gone
by Lisa Gardner
Copyright: 2006
Pages: 448
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 16-18, 2008
Challenge: No challenge; personal read
First Line: She is dreaming again.
Former FBI Agent Rainie Conner is missing. Her car is found on a deserted highway in the middle of the night with the engine running, her car door open and purse still on the front seat. Her husband, ex-FBI profiler, Pierce Quincy goes nuts trying to help with the investigation. Rainie has a lot of ghosts in her past, has one of them come back to haunt her? Or was this a stranger to stranger abduction? Regardless, the police and Pierce have to team up to follow the ransom notes and find Rainie – dead or alive.
I enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written and read quickly. This was the first book I’ve read by Lisa Gardner and thought it was really good. The twists and turns were really good. The kidnapper was a complete shock (yet not surprising if you know your psychology). I recommend this one to anyone.