Category: SERIES

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2013, SERIES, Taylor Jackson

2013.30 REVIEW – Where All the Dead Lie by J.T. Ellison

Tara

Where All the Dead Lie
by J.T. Ellison

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 392
Rating: 3/5
Read: July 6 – July 12, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 30
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: In her showdown with the murderous Pretender, a bullet taken at close range severed the connection between Taylor’s thoughts and speech. Effectively mute, there’s no telling if her voice will ever come back. Trapped in silence, she is surrounded by ghosts – of the past, of friendships and trusts lost … of a lost faith in herself and her motives that night.

When Memphis Highsmythe offers Taylor his home in the Scottish Highlands to recuperate, her fiancé can’t refuse her excitement, no matter his distrust of the man. At first, Memphis’s drafty and singularly romantic castle seems the perfect place for healing. But shortly the house itself surrounds her like a menacing presence. As Taylor’s sense of isolation and vulnerability grows, so too does her grip on reality.

Someone or something is coming after Taylor. But is she being haunted by the dead … or hunted by the living?

Review: This is a hard review for me to write. I am a huge fan of the Taylor Jackson series. But this book left me a little flat. I think my problem with it is that it is nothing like the previous Taylor books. It is completely different and at times I had to wonder what on earth Ms. Ellison was thinking at the time. It really wasn’t until the very end of the book that it felt like we got to actually see the Taylor that the readers know. I wouldn’t say that I necessarily disliked this book, because I really didn’t, but if this is the end of the Taylor Jackson series, I’m not sure that Ms. Ellison did Taylor justice.

I had a big problem with the change in setting. This series has always been set in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve always liked that – I live about 2.5 hours from Nashville and go down there occasionally. But in this book it is set in Scotland. It felt like it was way out in left field at times too, honestly. There is no doubt that the author definitely did her research in regards to this new setting, but I think it was just too drastic of a change for my liking.

It’s hard not to like Taylor Jackson. I’ve always liked her. And I pitied her in this book, and that’s not something that I ever wanted to do. At the same time I was a little more than frustrated with her. She knew better than to go off to a foreign country with a man like Memphis! I didn’t like what that did to Baldwin … and she didn’t even seem to care at first. It wasn’t until she really got there that she realized that she hadn’t given Baldwin a fair shake in everything.

I don’t know. It’s really hard to explain my feelings on this book. Overall, I’m glad that I read it. But if this is really the last Taylor Jackson book (I don’t know that it is – I just know that Ms. Ellison has taken off with a spin-off series with Sam’s character) I feel like it could have been wrapped up better. But then again, maybe I’m just bummed because I really don’t want Taylor’s series to end. Who knows. I might add that this book could probably be read as a standalone, just because it is so different from the other books, but then you would be spoiling a lot of the storyline with Memphis in the earlier books.

Bottom line: Recommended, but probably only to die-hard fans of this series.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Grant County, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, S, SERIES

2013.29 REVIEW – Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

Tara

Blindsighted
by Karin Slaughter

Copyright: 2001
Pages: 376
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 25-July 6, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 29
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: A small Georgia town erupts in panic when a young college professor is found brutally mutilated in the local diner. But it’s only when town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer’s twisted work becomes clear.

Sara’s ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation – a trail of terror that grows increasingly macabre when another local woman is found crucified a few days later. But he’s got more than a sadistic serial killer on his hands, for the county’s sole female detective, Lena Adams – the first victim’s sister – wants to serve her own justice.

But it is Sara who holds the key to finding the killer. A secret from her past could unmask the brilliantly malevolent psychopath … or mean her death.

Review: For whatever reason I have never started this series. It’s definitely a series that I’ve wanted to give a go for quite some time … and now I can say that I’m very glad that I started it (even if the last thing I need is another series!)

Overall I thought that this book had a very good storyline. I really liked how everything unfolded as the book went on. And while I had guessed who the killer was about halfway through (there are some pretty obvious clues), it was still interesting to see how Sara and Jeffrey solved the case.

So let me talk about the characters now. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I am huge on character development. It’s a must for me. And it’s probably why I read so many books that are part of a series … you really get to know the characters when they are featured in numerous books. But I have to say that I really liked Sara’s character. Here you have a woman who has a dark secret in her past. A terrible thing happened to her and she’s done nothing but try to move on from it. But she really hasn’t dealt with it, actually, she’s just tried to put it out of her mind and only her family knows about it. That’s really a sad way to live, but understandable at the same time. I was just shocked that she had been married to Jeffrey and never felt the courage to open up to him. I can’t imagine keeping such a part of your life from your spouse. But then again, having never experienced that kind of pain, who knows how someone would really react. Either way, I really enjoyed seeing how Sara and Jeffrey interacted. You can tell that there’s still a lot of feelings on both sides, but who knows if they will ever really work out as a couple. Whatever happens, I’m interested in seeing how it works for them.

I don’t think I could ever have imagined a pediatrician also being a local coroner. The two just don’t mix for me. But for some reason, I really think it works. I think it provides a good balance for Sara’s character – she gets to have the easy, but busy, office work while at the same time gets the challenges of doing autopsies and solving murders … sounds like a good balance, right? I know it sounds funny, but I actually really liked it for some reason! Maybe I’m just that macabre, ha!

There is one thing that I was a little confused about. There was a whole lot of emphasis on the restaurant owner and his employee, and then all of a sudden that whole storyline disappeared. I didn’t ever feel like there was any conclusion to that part of the story. I know it wasn’t the main storyline, obviously, but I just felt as if things were left hanging in some way. It’s hard for me to really describe my feelings on that, but like I said, something didn’t feel wrapped up in regards to those characters.

Overall, a very good first book in what I hope will be a very good series. Highly recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Harry Bosch, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.26 REVIEW – The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly

Tara

The Concrete Blonde
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 1994
Pages: 397
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 11-16, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 26
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: They called him the Dollmaker – the serial killer who stalked Los Angeles and left a grisly calling card on the faces of his female victims. With a single faultless shot, Detective Harry Bosch thought he had ended the city’s nightmare…

But then the dead man’s widow sues Harry and the LAPD for killing the wrong man – an accusation that rings terrifyingly true when a new victim is discovered with the Dollmaker’s macabre signature…

Now, for the second time, Harry must hunt down a death-dealer who is very much alive, before he strikes again. It’s a blood-tracked quest that will take Harry from the hard edges of the L.A. night to the last place he ever wanted to go – the darkness of his own heart. 

Review: This is the third book in the Harry Bosch series, and I think these books just keep getting better. After not being overly impressed by the first, The Black Echo, I gave the second, The Black Ice a go earlier this year and really enjoyed it. So I figured picking up the third book would be a great place to sneak in a TBR book 🙂  

This particular installment is mainly set in the courtroom, where Harry and the city of Los Angeles are having to fight a civil case brought against him by the Dollmaker’s widow. I think we really got to see more of Harry’s character in this book. I know I personally saw a softer side to him. From his interactions with his girlfriend, Sylvia, to the internal conversations he has with himself during the course of the trial, I think that he is really starting to open up some. I definitely liked that. I want to like Harry as a character, but I have to admit that he wasn’t too likable for me in the first book. So I felt as if it was some much needed character-development. I also really appreciated that we finally got to see why Harry had been demoted, but I think he will work his way back up the ladder eventually. He definitely seems to have the backing of the chief after this case. 

I had a lot of fun trying to figure out what was going on … was it the Dollmaker or was there a copycat? Was it a cop? Or someone just close to the investigation. I definitely went round and round trying to figure it out. Mr. Connelly sure did a great job of making me fall into trap after trap with Harry. And although who the killer ended up being was not very original in my opinion, it definitely took me the entire book to figure it out. 

Overall another great installment in this series that I would highly recommend. 

AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Fiction, Mitch Rapp, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.24 REVIEW – The Third Option by Vince Flynn

Tara

The Third Option
by Vince Flynn

Copyright: 2000
Pages: 402
Read: June 1-June 6, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013; 2013 Sequel Challenge
Yearly count: 24
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

The Third OptionBlurb: Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s most lethal and efficient counterterrorism operative, is putting into play a meticulous plan to take out a notorious sponsor of terrorism – when he falls prey to government forces with an agenda of their own.

Dr. Irene Kennedy is named the successor to dying CIA Director Thomas Stansfield – a choice that enrages many inside the world’s most powerful intelligence agency. And her detractors will resort to extreme measures to prevent her from taking the reins.

But what the Washington conspirators and backstabbing insiders do not know is that Mitch Rapp won’t tolerate being their pawn. And he will stop at nothing to find out who has set him up.

Review: This is the second in the Mitch Rapp series and I felt like it was another strong installment.

I honestly think that my only complaint about this book is that it could have been a smidge shorter, but it wasn’t enough that it made me dislike the book itself.

This book really showed some characters’ true colors. And let me just tell you that when the mole was revealed, I was surprised – when I really should not have been. However, this just makes it an interesting set up for the next book in the series. Mitch, Irene and the President might be fooled for right now, but they are eventually going to figure everything out … and oh, boy!, watch out when that happens!!

I think what I really liked to see was Mitch being brought into the office. He was ready to walk away from the Agency. So I was very glad to see that they were willing to bring him inside in order to keep him, because he’s really a great character. Plus it will only help his relationship with Anna – I’m not sure they could survive what happened in this book if he wasn’t brought into the inside of the Agency.

Overall, another great Vince Flynn book that leaves me anxious for the next one! Highly recommended (although I definitely suggest reading in order).

AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, Fiction, Nina Reilly, O, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.20 REVIEW – Motion to Suppress by Perri O’Shaughnessy

Tara

Motion to Suppress
by Perri O’Shaughnessy

Copyright: 1995
Pages: 450
Read: April 23-29, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf Challenge
Yearly count: 20
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb:Misty Patterson only remembered the fight, the polar bear statue she used as a bludgeon, a trail of blood, and the comatose sleep that followed. When she awoke, her husband and the statue were missing. Only the blood was left. She had come to attorney Nina Reilly’s office seeking a divorce. But when Anthony Patterson was found on the bottom of the frigid lake, Misty needed a miracle.

Barely a week before, Nina Reilly had been a happily married San Francisco lawyer. Suddenly she’s a single parent, opening a shoestring practice in Lake Tahoe. And now Nina finds herself embroiled in a case that’s going to change everything she believes about the law. It’s going to rock everything Misty Patterson believes about herself. And it’s going to give both women a look at the damning piece of evidence that will challenge their faith in each other. Or give them their one and only chance to win…

Review: This is the first in the Nina Reilly series. It’s also been a series that has been on my “to start” list for ages. Recently I started acquiring the first few in this series and since I needed a break from review books, I figured now was as good a time as any to start another series (ha!)

Honestly, I really enjoyed this book. There’s just something about Nina Reilly that really hit home for me. I don’t know quite how to explain it, but I just really enjoyed her character. She felt so real to me. She wasn’t perfect, but she was doing the best she could with what she had. And that husband of hers … ex-husband, now … what a sleaze bag. He rubbed me the wrong way. But it will be interesting to see what happens between her and Paul!

The characters, even the secondary ones, are so well-developed in my opinion. I know sometimes it’s hard to make secondary characters seem important, but the O’Shaughnessy ladies (they are two sisters), definitely make it happen.

I have to say that I wasn’t exactly surprised by the ending. I kind of had an inkling of where things were going, but I didn’t have it completely figured out until it was revealed. It wasn’t hard to figure out who was behind the threats on Nina and Misty. But what happened to Anthony, well that one was a little more surprising.

I felt as if the book went along at a nice pace, it never slowed down for me. And I really felt that Nina was amazing in the courtroom – those scenes were some of the best in the book, in my opinion.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this first book and look forward to reading more in the series soon!

AUTHOR, Book Review, E, Fiction, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES, Taylor Jackson

2013.15 REVIEW – So Close the Hand of Death by J.T. Ellison

Tara

So Close the Hand of Death
by J.T. Ellison

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 406
Read: March 15-24, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 15
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

So Close the Hand of DeathBlurb: It’s a hideous echo of a violent past. Across America, murders are being committed with all the twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows instantly that The Predator is back … and he’s got helpers.

As The Pretender’s disciples perpetrate their sick homages – stretching police and the FBI dangerously thin – Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won’t risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll – she’s beside herself and ready to snap.

The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch…

Review: I love, love, love the Taylor Jackson series. It’s one that I found a few years back and have read almost all of them – I only lack the latest one (is it the last? I just might cry if it is … but at the same time, I’ll be relieved because I kind of prefer to have some closure to series, not the huge 40+ book long-running ones).

Anyways, I must start this review with stating that if you have never read a book in the Taylor Jackson series, do not start with this one. You will be so confused. You probably won’t like Taylor’s character. You have to start from the beginning to really understand this book and who she is in this installment.

That being said, I think that this is the best book in the series that I have read. It’s so raw. It’s so eye-opening. It’s just a perfect blend of everything I love in  my mystery/thriller books.

The storyline is so fast paced in this book. It really starts off and never lets up. I was constantly turning the pages trying to figure out what was going to happen. And the end-game between Taylor and The Pretender is not at all how I expected things to happen.

And I must say that I really like the sound of the next book in this series. I don’t have a copy of it, but I’m definitely on the hunt. I think it’s going to be a very good installment. I’m interested in seeing what happens between Taylor and Baldwin … there’s a definite disconnect after the events of this book, and it will be interesting to see what happens between them.

Final Thoughts: I can’t say enough good things about this book. Or the entire series, really. So –  read this series. End of story.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Fiction, Mitch Rapp, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.12 REVIEW – Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn

Tara

Transfer of Power
by Vince Flynn

Copyright: 1999
Pages: 549
Read: Feb. 24 – March 2, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf Challenge 2013
Yearly count: 12
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: On a busy Washington morning, the stately calm of the White House is shattered by a hail of gunfire. A group of terrorists has descended on the executive mansion and gained access by means of a violent slaughter of dozens of people. Through the quick actions of the Secret Service, the president is evacuated to his underground bunker, but not before nearly one hundred hostages are taken.

While politicians and military leaders argue over how to negotiate with the terrorists, one man is sent in to take control of the crisis. Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s top counterterrorism operative, determines that the president is not as safe was Washington’s power elite had thought. Moving stealthily among the corridors and secret passageways of the White House, Rapp makes a chilling discovery that could rock Washington to its core: someone within his own government is maneuvering to make his rescue attempt fail.

Review: This is the first in the Mitch Rapp series and over the years I have accumulated most of the series. For one reason or another I had never started this series. Well, now I can safely say that I definitely regret not starting this series sooner.

This book starts off with a bang and never really lets up until the ending. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, they were very well-developed. And there’s even a love interest for Mitch – something that I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

It’s hard for me to review this book without giving away the ending. But overall I think that this is a solid first installment in a series that I hope only continues to get better.

Highly recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Harry Bosch, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.11 REVIEW – The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

Tara

The Black Ice
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 1993
Pages: 427
Read: Feb. 16-22, 2013
Challenge: 2013 Sequel Challenge; Off the Shelf Challenge 2013
Yearly count: 11
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: Narcotics officer Cal Moore’s orders were to look into the city’s latest drug killing. Instead, he ends up in a motel room with a fatal bullet wound to the head and a suicide note stuffed in his back pocket. Working the case, LAPD detective Harry Bosch is reminded of the primal police rule he learned long ago: Don’t look for the facts, but the glue that holds them together. Soon Harry’s making some very dangerous connections, starting with a dead cop and leading to a bloody string of murders that wind from Hollywood Boulevard to the back alleys south of the border. Now this battle-scared veteran will find himself in the center of a complex and deadly game – one in which he may be the next and likeliest victim.

Review: This is the second in the Harry Bosch series. I read the first, The Black Echo back in 2008 and hadn’t ever gotten around to reading this one. I think my problem is that I wasn’t all too impressed with the first in the series – I remember it being just okay. That probably affected my choice in to continuously pass this book up. Plus is also doesn’t help that there’s a gazillion more books in this series – I tend to get really overwhelmed when there’s a lot of books ahead of me (I must read all the books, in order).

Regardless of the reason as to why I had waited so long to read this one – I finally picked it up. And I have to say that while it had a somewhat slow beginning, it got really good really quickly. However, I didn’t think it was all perfect. There were some things that I just didn’t care for – first of all was the Mexican connection. Obviously, having read the blurb, I knew that it was a part of the book. However, I wasn’t expecting more than half of the book to be set in Mexico. And for some reason I had a problem with it – I felt like Harry was much better when he was in LA, on his own turf. But this is just a personal preference.

There was a pretty big twist that I found to be very interesting. It definitely made the book so much more enjoyable. It was quite shocking to me, and I really liked how Harry brought everything together in the end. Bosch also did something that for sure made it obvious that he’s not a cookie-cutter police officer. I liked that.

All in all, as I was reading this book I realized that I was wanting to know more about Harry – who is he, where did he come from? We get snippets here and there of the boy he was and the man he is; and I can only look forward to learning more about Harry Bosch in the future!

Bottom line: Want a good hard-boiled story with a flawed detective? Pick up this book. And although this book can be read as a standalone, as with any series I read, I recommend starting at the beginning.

AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Dirk Pitt, Fiction, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.8 REVIEW – Iceberg by Clive Cussler

Tara

Iceberg
by Clive Cussler

Copyright: 1975
Pages: 340
Read: Jan. 30-Feb. 10, 2013
Challenge: 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge, Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 8
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: The luxury yacht had disappeared long ago, on its way to a secret meeting at the White House. Now, it has been discovered – within a million-ton mass of ice …

The only clue to the ship’s demise – and its missing cargo – are the corpses of its crew, and a set of ornately carved rings. The only man who can find the answer is Dirk Pitt…

Review: This is the 3rd book in the Dirk Pitt series. Overall I enjoyed this book. But it definitely wasn’t perfect. First of all I didn’t really like the technical details about the underwater probe that went missing. And while that wasn’t a huge portion of the book, it was definitely a central theme. Luckily, there was enough action in the book to keep me going. I find it amazing just how much trouble Dirk Pitt finds himself in time after time. You’d think that the man would have died 50 times by the third book – but he always manages to find his way out of the trouble he’s in. The ending really surprised me, there was a twist to it that I really never saw coming. And I’m not sure how Dirk made the connection, either, to be completely honest.

It’s really hard for me to review this book without giving away a large portion of the plot. So I’m just going to leave it at this … I liked it.

While these books aren’t for everyone, I thoroughly enjoy them. But what I like about this series is that (so far) they stand well on their own – you don’t necessarily have to read them in order to have a complete understanding of what is going on. I look forward to continuing on with this series in the future.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Jack Daniels, K, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.3 REVIEW – Bloody Mary by J.A. Konrath

Tara

Bloody Mary
by J.A. Konrath

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 338
Read: Jan. 5 – 11, 2013
Rating: 4/5
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013, 2013 Sequel Challenge, What’s in a Name 6 Challenge
Yearly count: 3Bloody Mary
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb:  When Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels receives a report of an excess of body parts appearing at the Cook County Morgue, she hopes it’s only a miscount. It’s not. Even worse, these extra limbs seem to be accessorized with Jack’s handcuffs. Jack must put her train wreck of a personal life on hold to catch a terrifying and brilliant maniac – a maniac for whom getting caught is only the beginning…

 

Review: This is the second in the Jack Daniels series. I read the first (Whiskey Sour) back in 2011 and am wondering why I waited so long to get to this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I have to just start by saying that Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is one of the funniest characters I’ve enjoyed in a long time. And the trouble she always seems to find herself in – you can’t help but laugh about it.

While this book was primarily set in Chicago, IL, Jack has to make a flying trip down the state to Carbondale after a connection is made to Southern Illinois University. I still smile when I think about it – I graduated from SIU in 2007, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where SIU was mentioned! I thought that Konrath really gave SIU a great shout-out when the school and Mortuary Science program was included in the book (and, FYI, the mortuary science program at SIU is actually a very good program).

I thought that the characters really got some good development. Jack’s partner, Herb, is going through a mid-life crisis, Jack is dealing with her stubborn mother, an ex-husband that makes an unexpected (unwanted?) appearance in her life and a boyfriend who wants her to move in with him. All this is going on while she is trying to hunt down a killer in her district. It definitely makes for some interesting dialogue at times.

If you want a good laugh, a good mystery and just an overall fun time, I highly recommend this book (and series).