Category: SERIES

5/5, Alex Delaware, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, K, RATING, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2009, SERIES

REVIEW: When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman

Tara

When the Bough Breaks
by Jonathan Kellerman

Copyright: 1985
Pages: 351
Rating: 5/5
Read: Sept. 14-17, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; 2009 1st in a Series Challenge; A Well-Rounded Challenge; 2009 Celebrate the Author; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 47

First Line: It was shaping up as a beautiful morning.

Alex Delaware is a well-known and established child psychologist when he burns out at the age of thirty-two. But he gets involved when his friend, LA police detective Milo Sturgis, enlists his help as a “consultant” with the department. Charged with helping a terrified seven-year-old girl who might have seen the perpertrators of a horrific murder, he is intrigued with the entire case whereas the police seem less impassioned about it. Determined to get to the bottom of the case, he is caught up in a web of unimaginable evil and a forty-year-old secret.

I have read a few of the more recent Alex Delaware novels and have enjoyed them, so I was really excited to finally read the first in this series. I learned so much about who Alex and Milo really are that I had missed out on in the later books. I was so intrigued by all the twists and turns. Kellerman really wrote a great story with this one. I’m probably like the last person on earth to have read this book, but if you haven’t read this one before I highly recommend this one.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, Harper Connelly, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2008, SERIES

REVIEW: An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

Tara

An Ice Cold Grave
by Charlaine Harris

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 280
Rating: 5/5
Read: Aug. 20-23, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 43

First Line: The eastern seaboard is crammed with dead people.

Harper Connelly is called to a job in Doraville, North Carolina. She is hired to find a missing boy for a grieving grandmother. He is just one of several teenage boys that has disappeared from the area over the past five years. She ends up finding them all, buried at an old deserted house. Having done the job she was hired to do, all she wants to do is get out of town. Instead she finds herself attacked and in the hospital. While recovering Harper will learn more about Doraville, North Carolina, than she ever cared to know.

This is the third book in the Harper Connelly series. I have read online at Ms. Harris’ website that the fourth book due out later this year will be the final book in this series. I sure will be bummed out when this series ends. I have read the first three this year and I have really enjoyed all of them. I personally feel as if the first is still the best so far, but this was one was better than the second. I loved how Harper and Tolliver both grow as characters by leaps and bounds in this installment. I definitely recommend this series.

Alex Cross, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, Read in 2009, SERIES

REVIEW: Cat & Mouse by James Patterson

Tara

Cat & Mouse
by James Patterson

Copyright: 1997
Pages: 451
Rating: 5/5
Read: July 25-31, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 38

First Line: The Cross house was twenty paces away and the proximity and sight of it made Gary Soneji’s skin prickle.

Gary Soneji is back! And he’s back with a vengeance and out for Alex Cross’s blood. He waits patiently in Cross’s basement to kill Cross and his family. But instead, he goes on a killing rampage … knowing quite well that Alex will follow him. But what Alex finds out will shake him to the core: Soneji has nothing to lose anymore, he’s dying. That’s why he goes on such a rampage leaving the scenes gruesome. But then the two finally have a face off in the tunnels underneath NYC. Only one can survive. Cross is sure that he sees Soneji die. So when he gets attacked in his own bed he swears that Soneji is back, because he promised Cross that he would get him even if he was to die. That what he had put into motion would outlive Soneji. But while all this is going on, another crazed serial killer is at work, a madman that is known as Mr. Smith is killing randomly in the United States and across Europe. And he’s chosen Alex Cross as a worthy opponent to stop him. And that’s exactly what Alex sets out to do.

Okay, so that probably wasn’t the best description of this book. I enjoyed it, but it was really difficult for me to explain it without giving too many spoilers away. There was really two plot lines going on with both of them loosely weaved in together – see, very difficult to describe! Anyway, as always with James Patterson’s books, it was a fun and quick read. I will say that I do believe that the Alex Cross series is 100% better than the Women’s Murder Club series (which I’m up-to-date on, but burned out on at the same time). With Alex Cross, he just continues to grow and grow as a character as well as his relationship with his friends and family members. I really enjoy this series a lot. Don’t ask me why, but I know that sometimes James Patterson’s books are very formulaic; but he’s one of my favorite authors! I highly recommend this book if you haven’t read it! It’s definitely a page-turning suspenseful thriller not to be missed!

AUTHOR, Book Review, C, FBI Thriller, Fiction, Read in 2009, SERIES

The Maze by Catherine Coulter

Tara

The Mazee
by Catherine Coulter

Copyright: 1997
Pages: 268
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: July 4-11, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge
Yearly Count: 34

First Line: It wouldn’t stop, ever.

Agent Lacey Sherlock is fresh out of the FBI Academy when Special Agent Dillon Savich chooses her to be included in his new unit. They’ve met once before, when Sherlock took down Savich in Hogan’s Alley – the famed FBI training town. But neither one of them is prepared to have sparks fly between them while trying to track down serial killers. Sherlock has joined the FBI in the hopes that it would allow her to catch the madman that killed her sister, Belinda, and six other women in her hometown. But she’s not prepared for what she learns about her sister and the killer.

This is the second in Coulter’s FBI Thriller series. I really am glad that I picked up The Beginning at the library, which is essentially both The Cove and The Maze in one book. I really don’t know why it took me so long to get around to reading this series. I guess I was putting it off because of the romance angle for so long, but really it’s not the meat of the story in these two books. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Savich and Sherlock grow old together (and hopefully we can see more of Sally & James Quinlan too!)

AUTHOR, Book Review, C, FBI Thriller, Fiction, Read in 2009, SERIES

The Cove by Catherine Coulter

Tara

The Cove
by Catherine Coulter

Copyright: 1996
Pages: 262
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: July 1-4, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; 1st in a Series Challenge
Yearly Count: 33

First Line: Someone was watching her.

The daughter of a murdered high-powered lawyer is on the run. She can’t remember the murder of her father, but she fears that she is at fault. She ends up in a quaint little town on the doorstep of her aunt’s house. However, an FBI agent is hot on her trail. In fact, he’s followed her to The Cove. But what they find out about The Cove is chilling, it’s not as quaint a town as the residents would like outsiders to believe. In fact, there’s evil residing here and it will be up to Sally and the FBI agent, James Quinlan to figure out what is going on in The Cove while simultaneously trying to figure out what happened to Sally’s father.

Okay, so I’ve had numerous Catherine Coulterbooks on my shelves for years. (Of course this was not one of them, this was a library book, lol). I have to say that after a slow start I really enjoyed this book! However, the whole whirlwind romance of Sally and James was a little unbelievable (they met, fell in love and got engaged in about the blink of an eye). Other than that, I thought the suspense was great, I couldn’t figure out what was going on in The Cove, but I knew something was! If you’ve never given this series a try, I definitely recommend this book!!!

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, Harper Connelly, Read in 2009, SERIES

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

Tara

Grave Surprise
by Charlaine Harris

Copyright: 2006
Pages: 295
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 20-24, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge
Yearly Count: 32

First Line: I didn’t like Clyde Nunley the first time I met him face-to-face in the old cemetery.

Harper Connelly is back in this second installment. This time around, she finds herself in Memphis, Tennessee. She has been called in by Professor Clyde Nunley to demonstrate her ability for his Occult Studies class. They end up in an old cemetery on campus where Harper goes to work identifying the people in the old graves as well as what they died from. But she finds someone she never expected to be there – a little girl that she had failed to find the previous year. Now Harper and her step-brother Tolliver set out to find out how Tabitha got where she was and how it could not possibly be a coincidence that Harper ended up finding her in the end.

I really enjoyed this book. I really think that this is a fun and interesting series. I have really taken to Harper as a character, I think that she’s believable even with her strange ability. I am definitely looking forward to reading the third in this series as soon as it comes available at my library, as well as the long-awaited fourth book which is due out later this year.

AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Read in 2009, SERIES

Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark

Tara

Snagged
by Carol Higgins Clark

Copyright: 1993
Pages: 306
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: June 13-14, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 29

First Line: Richie Blossom tumbled from the side of his bed as he bent over in an awkward attempt to pull on his brand-new pair of panty hose.

In Miami for a wedding, Regan Reilly meets the bride’s Uncle Richie. He has produced seemingly indestructible panty hose. With the panty hose convention in town, he has plans to sell his invention to the highest bidder. But panty hose manufacturers will do nearly anything to keep Uncle Richie from putting these on the market – perhaps even kill. So after two attempts on his life are made, Regan finds herself surrounded by numerous suspects while trying to keep an eye on Uncle Richie.

Okay, so I read the first Regan Reilly book, Decked, two years ago. I enjoyed it. But this one was really good! There was just enough humor sprinkled throughout the mystery that it was a really good mix. To be honest, I was surprised at the ending of it – I had no idea who the killer really was – and it was a pleasant shock! Overall I liked this book and will definitely look forward to continuing this series.

AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Cotton Malone, Fiction, Read in 2009, READING CHALLENGES 2008, SERIES

The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry

Tara

The Templar Legacy
by Steve Berry

Copyright: 2006
Pages: 475
Rating: 5/5
Read: June 3-7, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; Countdown Challenge; 1st in a Series Challenge; Suspense & Thriller Challenge – Religious thriller subcategory
Yearly Count: 27

First Line: Jacques De Molay sought death, but knew salvation would never be offered.

Cotton Malone, once an agent for the US Justice Department, is enjoying a peaceful life in Copenhagen as a antiquarian book dealer. But all of that changes when his former boss tries to meet up with him while she is on vacation. However, he finds out rather quickly that she is not on vacation; she is not an any type of operation, but she is up to something. As he sets out to figure out what it is that his former boss does not want to let him in on, he quickly finds himself involved in an ancient puzzle that has mystified scholars for ages. The more involved he finds himself, the more dangers the stakes become, and the more intrigued Cotton Malone becomes. For there is one very powerful man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even with Cotton in his way.

I’ve been keeping my eye on this book for a while, but I had been slightly unsure about reading it. However, after seeing Angels & Demons in the theater, my interest in this type of book has been renewed (I also have Angels & Demons waiting anxiously on my TBR pile for me). So I checked this book out of the library the last time I was there. And let me tell you – I was absolutely hooked on this book from about page one!! I loved it. I loved the historical/religious aspect of it intertwined with the fast paced race-around-the-clock action!! I highly recommend this book if you haven’t read it yet!

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, Read in 2009, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

The 8th Confession by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Tara

The 8th Confession
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 284
Rating: 5/5
Read: May 28-31, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009; Suspense/Thriller Challenge – Police Procedural Category
Yearly Count: 26

First Line: The old chrome-yellow school bus crawled south on Market Street at half past seven that May morning.

The seemingly perfect murder has been committed in San Francisco. Isa and Ethan Bailey, young millionaires in the prime of their life have been found dead in their beds. How or why they have died is a mystery. Not even Claire can explain to her friend Detective Lindsay Boxer what happened to the Baileys. And as other young wealthy and healthy millionaires are dying in the same manner, they realize that they have to figure out what is killing these people and who and quickly. But as Lindsay is working that case, her friend, reporter Cindy Thomas, is on her about a homeless man, Bagman Jesus, who has been found murdered, shot brutally on the streets. But the man is not as saintly as his street name indicates. As Cindy works that case on her own, sparks begin to fly between Cindy and Lindsay’s partner, Rich Conklin. But as Lindsay and Rich get closer to the truth in the millionaire deaths, one of them will have a scare.

Okay, so I stated in my last review of the 7th book in this series that I wasn’t impressed with 6 or 7 and that I would read 8 and that that might be it for me with this series. Well I just finished the 8th and I have to say …. I am back on the Women’s Murder Club bandwagon! I absolutely loved this book!! I thought that the writing was better, the plot line was much better, the characters developed a lot more and overall I was very pleased after reading this book. It definitely made me look forward to a ninth if there will be one (the inside of the cover states that this will be the only installment for this year – are they ending this series soon?). So I am happy to report that I enjoyed this book immensely and that I recommend everyone read it 🙂

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, Read in 2009, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

7th Heaven by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Tara

7th Heaven
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2008
Pages: 353
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 12-19, 2009
Challenge:  2009 100+ Reading Challenge; RYOB 2009
Yearly Count: 23

First Line: Tiny lights winked on the Douglas fir standing tall and full in front of the picture window.

The Women’s Murder Club is back! In this seventh installment of the series, Detective Lindsay Boxer is running two cases. The first is the missing teenage son of California’s ex-governer. He’s been missing for quite some time, and when the first break happens, it’s devastating. But at the same time, Lindsay and her partner, Rich, are also investigating some fatal fires. The fires are destroying some of San Francisco’s most beautiful homes. But as Lindsay starts to really get into the investigation, one fire rages way too close to home.

I think I said this with the 6th book in this series – these books are getting so formulaic! I wasn’t going to read this one for a while, but the 8th in the series came up on my PBS wishlist and I accepted it and figured I would need to read this one first. I enjoyed it to a point, but I just keep wondering how far this series is really going to go. Personally, I’m not really seeing a whole lot of growth in the characters. Lindsay still hasn’t settled with Joe (although they have made big changes), Yuki and Cindy haven’t seemed to change at all, and all that’s happening with Claire is that she had a baby. There’s really no character development to me and that’s something that I really enjoy in a series. I’m going to read the 8th book since I already used a PBS credit for it and would like to get my credit back when I finish it, but if there’s a 9th I’m not sure I’ll be rushing to read it.