Category: RATING

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.

3/5, Alex Cross, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.4 REVIEW – Cross Country by James Patterson

Tara

Cross Country     
by James Patterson 

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 403
Rating: 3/5
Read: Jan. 17 – 23, 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 4
Format: Print

First Line: Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The surname of the family was Cox, the father a very successful trial lawyer, but the target was the mother, Ellie Randall Cox.

Blurb: Detective Alex Cross pursues the most ruthless killer he’s ever encountered – to a land of sheer terror and back. It’s the worst crime scene Alex Cross has ever seen, and then more killings, each one more ruthless than the last, quickly follow. After one death comes terrifyingly close to home, Alex realizes he’s chasing a horrible new breed of killer. Digging deeper into the case, Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, uncover a shocking Washington, D.C., underworld: a gang of teenage thugs headed by a warlord known only as the Tiger. When the Tiger’s elusive trail turns up in Africa, Alex knokws that he must follow. Unprotected and alone, can Alex manage to both survive and catch the killer?

Review: Okay, I’m not going to lie, this was not my favorite Alex Cross book at all. In fact, I actually considered putting it aside at one point. The entire portion of the book in which Alex was in Africa was not my cup of tea. I was a little sick of how cocky Alex got when he was in Africa. I mean, the guy is in a foreign country, not at all wanted there, and yet he goes around thinking that just because he’s a police officer in Washington D.C. will actually mean anything in Africa. It doesn’t work that way in foreign countries. Yet, Alex didn’t seem to comprehend that whatsoever. There is a lot of violence in this book, just a warning to anyone easily offended. I also felt like it was just a little too political for a fiction book. It just really wasn’t all that great in my opinion. I hope that the next book in this series is better, because this installment has left a bad taste in my mouth.

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

2011.3 REVIEW – Where are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark

Tara

Where Are the Children?
by Mary Higgins Clark

Copyright: 1975
Pages: 290
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 14 – 16, 2011
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense Challenge; TBR Dare; TwentyEleven Challenge; What’s in a Name 4
Yearly Count: 3
Format: Print

First Line: He could feel the chill coming in through the cracks around the windowpanes.

Blurb: Nancy Harmon had fled the vil of her first marriage, the macabre deaths of her two little children, the hideous charges against her. She changed her name, dyed her hair, moved from California to New England. Now she was married again, had had two more lovely children, and her life was filled with happiness … until the morning when she looked for her children and found only one tattered red mitten and knew that the nightmare was beginning again…

Review: This is Mary Higgins Clark’s first mystery novel. I found it just as thrilling as her recent novels! You could definitely tell that it was dated (1975), but that really didn’t take away from the actual storyline. In all honesty, this is a book that can be read 100 years from now and still be good. Overall, I thouroughly enjoyed this book. That’s not to say it was perfect, I did have a little bit of an issue with Nancy’s character. I guess it stems from me not liking such weak women characters. I have very little sympathy for weak women, so I didn’t really like Nancy’s character as much as I could have. I was also a little disappointed by the lack of background about Nancy. For  most of the book I kept scratching my head wondering if I had missed something, and then I decided that there was a lot that wasn’t revealed as early as it could have been. This is a 290 page book that was short, sweet and to the point. It could have had at least 30 extra pages in it to include this background. Of course, then I would probably be complaining about too much background, so I suppose that complaint is a double edged sword. Overall, I really did enjoy this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

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

2011.1 REVIEW – Double Cross by James Patterson

Tara

Double Cross
by James Patterson

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 402
Rating: 5/5
Read: Jan. 1 – 5, 2011
Challenge: Criminal Plots Challenge; Mystery & Suspense Challenge; TBR Dare
Yearly Count: 1
Format: Print

First Line: At the time of his formal sentencing in Alexandria, Virginia, for eleven known murders, the former FBI agent and pattern killer Kyle Craig, known as the Mastermind, was lectured and condescended to by U.S. District Judge Nina Wolff.

Blurb: Alex Cross rejoins the D.C. police force to confront two of the most diabolical killers he’s ever encountered. Just when his life is calming down, Alex Cross is drawn back into a lethal game like no other. In Washington, D.C., a maniac stages his killings as spectacles in public settings. Alex is pursuing a genius of terror who has the whole city on edge. And the killer loves the attention – he even sets up his own web site and live video feed to trumpet his madness. In Colorado, another brilliant madman is planning a triumphant return. From his supermaximum-security prison cell, Kyle Craig has plotted for years an impossible escape. If he has to join forces with D.C.’s Audience Killer to get back at the man who put him in that prison – Alex Cross – all the better.

Review: Spoilers possible. This is the 13th in the Alex Cross series. This is one of my absolute favorite series *ever*. It’s amazing what kind of trouble Alex always ends up in (or rather, what kind of trouble always finds Alex…). In this particular installment, The Mastermind (a.k.a. Kyle Craig) makes another appearance – in the form of a pretty interesting prison escape. Alex is also having to deal with helping his girlfriend, Bree, and best friend, Sampson, with the Audience Killer case in Washington, D.C. I thought it was very interesting how Kyle Craig was brought back onto the scene by the author. But what’s even more interesting is that at the end of the book, he is still at large! It sometimes seems a little improbable in regards to how many big cases Alex Cross and the Washington D.C. police department have to deal with. And even though some of the situations that the author poses to the reader seem almost entirely impossible, I still love this series! As soon as I finish an Alex Cross book, I’m always interested to know where Alex will go in the next book. This is one of the few series that I have found that has not really gone downhill as it progresses. I highly recommend this book and series.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Kay Scarpetta, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, SERIES

REVIEW: Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell

Tara

Book of the Dead
by Patricia Cornwell

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 511
Rang: 3.5/5
Read: Dec. 24-27, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2010
Yearly Count: 67
Format: Print

First Line: Water splashing. A gray mosaic tile tub sunk deep into a terra-cotta floor.

Blurb: Starting over with a unique private forensic pathology practice in the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina, seems like the ideal situation for Scarpetta and her colleagues, Pete Marino and her niece, Lucy. But then come the deaths… A sixteen-year-old tennis star, fresh from a tournament win in Charleston, is found nude and mutilated near Piazza Navona in Rome. The body of an abused young boy is dumped in a desolate marsh. A woman is ritualistically murdered in her multimillion-dollar beach home. Meanwhile, in New England, problems with a prominent patient at a Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital begin to hint at interconnections among the deaths that are as hard to imagine as they are horrible. Scarpetta has dealt with many brutal and unusual crimes before, but never a string of them as baffling, or as terrifying, as the ones facing her now. Before she is through, that book of the dead will contain many names – and the pen may be poised to write her own.

Review: (There will be SPOILERS in this review). This is the 15th book in the Kay Scarpetta series. Overall, I felt as if the plot line was much better than the last few in this series have been. But, I do have a few issues with this book (and the series, really). First, let me just state: Pete Marino is a jerk with a capital J. Ms. Cornwell has managed to take a rough, yet likable, character and just totally ruin him and turn him into a disgusting excuse for a man. And Kay, well, if she forgives Marino one more time for a unexcusable offense, I think I will throw up. In general, the characters have really gone downhill as far as their characteristics go. Lucy hasn’t been in a good mood ever since the tumor was found. Benton, well besides the fact that you “kill” him off to bring him back 2 books later, has some serious communication problems when it comes to his feelings and Kay – and he’s a psychiatrist of all things, he should know better! But what really gets me is the fact that Dr. Scarpetta can’t stay in one place! In the last two books, she has moved to 2 different places (Florida, then South Carolina). And, having picked up Scarpetta, the 16th book of this series off my shelf to read next, I know that Kay has once again moved (Boston/NYC). I don’t know why Ms. Cornwell can’t just let her be in one place, all this moving is confusing. You meet new supporting characters, and then never hear from them again because she has once again picked up and moved. Anyways, I guess if you take away all my gripes and get down to the storyline, it’s slightly disappointing as well. There’s all this lead up to the who-dun-it part of the book, and then the killer is revealed (no big shocker, but somewhat of one) and then he’s effectively caught and imprisoned with only a slight mention in two sentences. Really? That’s how you’re going to end this book? Not sure I really care for this series anymore. I know of quite a few people who have given up on this series simply because the writing is not up to par with her early books and the characters are no longer enjoyable. It may be time for me to hang up Dr. Scarpetta as well. I suppose I will give it two more chances (since I have two more books on my shelves), after that I’m not sure I will pick up the latest installment (Port Mortuary) anytime soon.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, Review Book

REVIEW: At the Crossroads of Terror by Lenny Emanuelli

Tara

At the Crossroads of Terror
by Lenny Emanuelli

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 224
Rang: 4/5
Read: Dec. 22-24, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge
Yearly Count: 66
Format: Print

First Line: They threw the woman to the ground, naked, on top of a pile of dirt at a construction site on the corner of Front Street and Noble Avenue in Philadelphia

Blurb: An Asian Crime family with the perfect setup, an unsolved double homicide, a billion dollar drug business, a wanna be, big time, news reporter, creating the perfect setting for a suspenseful romantic mystery thriller. Charlie Johnson, a man suspected of killing a local merchant, reluctantly teams of with a television street reporter, Sherry Mann, trying to prove, he is innocent which takes them both deep into the world of an organized Asian street gang, who is on the verge of making their biggest stride, in their drug business.

Review: I received this book for review from Amy at Phenix & Phenix Publicists. This is a very fast-paced, enjoyable thriller. I will say, that I can see where some people might have some issues with the subject matter. But I’m not easiliy upset by what I read, so I had no problem with this book. I throughly enjoyed this book, especially since I probably never would have been made aware of this book had I not had the opportunity for review. I wouldn’t exactly recommend this book for anyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Nonfiction, RATING, Read in 2010, READING CHALLENGES 2010, Review Book

REVIEW: Defending the Enemy by Elaine B. Fischel

Tara

Defending the Enemy: Justice For the WWII Japanese War Criminals
by Elaine B. Fischel

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 383
Rang: 4/5
Read: Dec. 17-21, 2010
Challenge: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge
Yearly Count: 65
Format: Print

First Line: 1946. World War II had ended and the United States was to occupy Japan.

Blurb: From 1946-48, Elaine B. Fischel worked in Tokyo alongside the American attorneys assigned to defend the Japanese war criminals held responsible for the torture and deaths of millions of civilians and prisoners of war. She recounts the post-WWII transition in Japan to the country’s occupation by their former enemy, and the subsequent surprise on the part of the Japanese citizenry that the U.S. allegiance to democracy meant providing a fair trial even to the men considered the most evil perpetrators or atrocities. In letters to her family at the time, the author as a young woman tries to explain her relationships with the defendants and her own surprise at the growing fondness she felt for many of the “villains” of WWII – particularly prime minister and general Hideki Tojo, known during the war as “Razor.” Defending the Enemy is also the story of a young woman who wants to make the most of her time in a country so full of beauty. Fischel interweaves the activities and intrigues of the trial alongside her tales of travel throughout Japan, her social engagements with high-ranking military and civilians, and her unique enduring relationships, such as her friendship with Emperor Hirohito’s brother, Prince Takamatsu. In doing so, Fischel illuminates the paradoxes inherent during this period in history.

Review: This book was sent to me for review by Phenix & Phenix Publicity. As a history major in college, I was intrigued by this book when it was pitched to me via email. World War II is not a point in our history that I have studied a great deal on, so I was immediately drawn in with the chance to learn something about this time period. I do not read a lot of memoirs, either, so I was also looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked how the author was able to include portions of her letters home to really tell the story of her time in Japan. Ms. Fischel must have been a prolific letter-writer during this time period, but that is great for readers like me who enjoy reading about what life was really like through primary documents, such as letters. I did have two slight problems with the book, though. First, I tired rather quickly about hearing how many men she “dated” during this time span. It seemed like every single letter that was quoted, she was talking about a different man, and how good looking he was. This was fine at first, but like I said, it got to be a little bit repetitive. I understand that she was one of very few women over there, but I’m not sure the point had to be hammered home as often as it was throughout the book. Second, I sometimes felt as if the author switched topics with lightning speed. At one point, on page 117, the author went from attending fancy parties to horseback riding with no real transition paragraph (or sentence!). This was always a big no-no when I was writing papers in college, so it’s something that sticks out whenever I read now. However, those two issues really didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of this book. One thing that I really want to point out is how the author really had to handle her feelings toward the defendents in the case. When she was writing letters home to her parents, she had to pretty much conceal her true feelings towards the Japanese because public opinion of the Japanese back home in the United States was so poor. But at times, her true feelings would show through and she would try and explain to her family why she felt such a connection to the people she interacted with on a daily basis. I enjoyed seeing how she tried to explain to her family her thoughts and opinions. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to any history buff. It’s a really interesting read.