What I read in April 2012

The Pact by Jodi Picoult (April 27)

The Best of Times by Penny Vincenzi (April 19, NOOK)

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (read April 8)

My Reading Life* by Pat Conroy (read April 8, NOOK)

The Night Circus* by Erin Morgenstern (April 6)

Home Front by Kristen Hannah (April 4)

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson (April 1)

* I'll be reviewing these 2 books in upcoming posts!!!

Book 66 (2011): Smokin' Seventeen

Smokin' Seventeen is one the best in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie and Ranger have sex. Lots and lots of sex.

And stuff blows up and bail jumpers get the best of Stephanie and the the former ho Lula, her partner in anti-crime. And since Vinnie's bail office is gone and is now in Mooner's RV, Stephanie has to catch more 'bad guys' to guarantee her job.

And her mother is working hard to get her to break up with sexy fellow bounty hunter Ranger and her on again-off again boyfriend cop Joe Morelli. She has a childhood friend of Stephanie's who is trying to cook his way into her heart.

There are dead bodies, Grandma Mazur at the funeral home, Grandma Bella's evil eye, Tasy Cakes and all other great things expected. (308 pages)

A

Book 54 (2011): Sworn to Silence

When Kate Burkholder was 14, she experienced a horrifying encounter with a serial killer that left her alive but scarred for life, which caused her to shun her Amish community upbringing and become an "English" police officer. She is now the Chief of Police in her hometown, Painter's Mill. Kate's biggest problems were stray cows until a girl is found dead and all the traces are similar to Kate's past horror.

Although Kate is an excellent police officer, she is a woman and inexperienced so the town officials bring in more help with more experience. BCI agent John Tomasetti, a federal agent who's on the verge of being washed up and has his own secrets is sent to help Kate catch the killer.

The murders get more and more gruesome as the killers takes more victims. Kate, who is trying to do her job, protect her family and their secrets as well as protect herself, might have to quit her job to save the next victim, as well as herself.

It was a fine mystery and an interesting new character but Kate had too much personal angst to keep me interested in reading her any more. And having all these cops with issues when trying to solve a murder just made it an unpleasant read all the way around. I just couldn't seem to like any character! (336 pages)

C

Book 49 (2011): Shaken

Shaken is the latest installment in the life of Jack Daniels, former copy gone PI.

I like the twist- this story jumps around in flashback- but is very easy to follow- as we read about Jack entering the force, leaving the force, her partner, and about a serial killer (who she called Mr. K) she was chasing and the outcome of of that chase.... will she live or die while her family and friends race against time to find her, and to help her.

Great Jack Daniels... the author is obviously winding down the story of Jack and while she's bounded and gagged after being kidnapped by Mr K and the flashback story is her life passing before her eyes... (304 pages)

B

Book 33 (2011): Sisterhood Everlasting

Sisterhood Everlasting is the 5th installment of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Though I'm almost 40 years old, I had to read this. I'm not sure why, when I was 30, I even read the first book in the series since it's for young adults, but I did and have been hooked. Since we have the other 4 in our school library, I embraced this 5th novel and immediately squired it away for my holiday read.

This time we meet the 'sisters' as they are all ready to turn 30: Bee living with Eric in California, Carmen the actress in NYC, Lena teaching art in Rhode Island, and Tibby living in Australia with Brian. All four of them are living their own lives as adults.

On the verge of being 30, Tibby comes up with a plan to bring them all together in Greece. They all arrive and while there tragedy strikes. The story continues on, following how each of the girls (women now, I guess) deals with the blow that struck them all.

When I hit around page 100 I was sickened at what author Ann Brashares had done to the characters, to her readers, to me. I couldn't fathom how the rest of this story was going to play out. It was an excellent read for those who are fans of the Pants series, and it certainly strikes a chord.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll suffice it to say that the grown up Sisterhood is just as good as, or maybe even better, than the teenagers we met 10 years ago. (349 pages)

A

Book 27 (2011): Mourning Gloria

China Bayles the herbalist from Pecan Springs, Texas has returned and is following a possible missing person/ kidnapping in relation to an arson that happened near her house. She follows the leads and hunts for the bad guy. McQuaid, her husband is on a case out of town and Brian is away working at a camp so it's just China and her newly adopted daughter Caitlin who are home, watching the house and China watches for the bad guys.

Good story and since China is one of my favorite series, it was nice to have her back. Though there are many books in the series, this one felt fresh and fun and I'm certainly not tired of her or the entire Pecan Springs crew! (301 pages)

A

Book 26 (2011): Tick Tock

Tick Tock is the latest in the Micheal Bennett series, by James Patterson.

It's a super quick read and follows Irish- American detective Bennett, a NYC Cop and widowered father of 10 children, on his latest case: hunting a serial killer who likes to copy other famous serial killers. And in his personal life, the doting dad is juggling his new found feelings for the live in nanny Mary Catherine and those for an FBI agent, Emily. And, of course, his 10 kids and his Irish Catholic Priest grandfather is there in the middle of it all.

A quick beach read, and one of the better Patterson books of late. (448 pages)

B-

Book 15 (2011) Cross Fire

Alex Cross is back. And so is Kyle Craig. And I really wish neither one were back.

I started reading this series a few years ago and read about 10 of them in one summer vacation. I thought Cross was written as a smart, intellectual, guy, family first, and just with a nice twist of 'something' special in him. He seemed like a smart character.

Maybe Patterson doesn't like him anymore because he seems so cliched and tired. He seems whiny and not as smart of quick.

And I hate bringing back these former foes of his. Can't we have a new enemy?

Cross goes about Craig who threatens his family. His buddy Sampson plays second fiddle and guards the family. Nana gets mad. The kids are "smart". Alex gets married. He gets threatened. Blah Blah Blah...............

Nuff said. (356 pages)

D+

Book 54- 61 Hours

This is a great Jack Reacher book. He's former Army and is now a loner with no belongings and travels the world, righting wrongs when he finds them and just taking in life.

Until he finds himself on a bus tour with a bunch of senior citizens. The bus crashes in the middle of a South Dakota winter. Reacher goes with the seniors into the nearest town and learns of some evil afoot. He's befriended by the assistant chief of police and Reacher decides to stay and help right some wrongs in this small town where a prison was recently built.

Excellent thriller. Lots of twists and turns. A good read!

Book 52- Walking Dead

Walking Dead by Greg Rucka is part of the Atticus Kodiak series. Atticus is going after a missing girl who's been sold into prostitution as revenge for evil her father had wrought. Atticus finds himself going around the world, hunting her, in hopes to bring her back to some sort of safe life. While his girlfriend Alena disapproves because it might ruin their lives and ruin the cover they've developed over the years, he must still do it anyway to right a wrong.

Pretty exciting stuff, and it was nice to see a character appear from Atticus's body guarding days. Even though there was quite a bit of Russian "stuff" it was still easy to follow. Lots of action!

Book 48- Sizzling 16

Bounty Hunter extraordinaire Stephanie Plum is back and this time she's hunting for her slimy, sexual deviant boss and cousin Vinnie. Vinnie who owns the bond office has been kidnapped and if Steph wants to keep Rex in hamster pellets she needs to find him. Even though having him killed by his bookie's goons doesn't seem all that unappealing, Steph is from the Berg, in Trenton, where the family rules. And since Vinnie is family...

But finding Vinnie is tougher than it seems. But with reformed ho' Lula as her sidekick and with Connie the Italian mobster's daughter office manager in tow, the three women find Vinnie. Then lose Vinnie. Then get him back and lose him again...

Between the typical Ranger and Steph sexual tension, the Mooner, some Hobbits, Cluck In A Bucket, Grandma Mauzer's typical spectacle at the funeral home, some car wrecks, and some other crazy FTAs that Steph has to catch, we have a rollicking good time story with plenty of giggles and some interesting "action."

I love these books. I would love them more if Steph would have more Ranger sex. And I think this one is better than the last few, though this is the 16th in the series so it's nice to see a bit of "freshness" in Evanovich's writing.


And I did break my stride of 'women, food, memoirs' because I LOVE this series and was dying for it to be released!

Book 41- The Likeness

STOP!!! SPOILER ALERT! And this review is only a spoiler alert to the first book in this series, In The Woods. If you plan to read the novels by Tana French, and haven't read the first one yet, go no further! These two novels are completely tied together! Now, if you don't care and have no desire to read an intricate, complex, and engaging thriller, with well developed characters, an intriguing storyline, and an author who uses words wonderfully, well, then.... by all means, read on!

SPOILER FOLLOWS...


Tana French's second novel The Likeness follows right on the heels of her first one, In The Woods, and picks up a few scant months after it ends, with Cassie Maddox having transferred out of the Murder squad to Domestic Violence and she's in a serious relationship with Sam, and Rob Ryan is gone.

First and foremost, I want to say that The Likeness was about a million times better for me since I read In The Woods. I'm trying to objectively think about if this could be read as a stand alone, and I certainly don't think so. Cassie's mindset and her nerves are still shaken from the case in Woods, and influences all the choices and decisions she makes in this novel.

In The Likeness, the Murder Squad finds a dead body of a young woman who is the doppelganger of Cassie. And not only is this girl identical to Cassie in look, but she has also identity theft Cassie- no, she's not Cassie Maddox Dublin Cop, but she stole her undercover persona, Lexi Madison.

So Cassie goes undercover and pretends to be Lexi, moving in to the house with the 4 other Trinity University grads students with whom she lived. And Cassie manages to pull it off, trying to find her killer, letting people think she was only wounded and critical but recovered. She can work the case from the inside and she's bait, seeing if the killer will come after her again.

This is an excellent novel. I loved it. I think I liked it better than the first one. I love an author who treats readers like they are smart- so French's vocabulary made me happy. I love her words. I also thought she wove an intricate storyline and mystery together that was utterly fascinating.

Her characters are engaging and well throughout. They're interesting and developed. Cassie struggled because of what happened to her in Woods, and it was interesting to see that she carried this guilt, fear, and pain over into this novel. And how it affected how she continued to do her job. Not only was Cassie amazingly developed, but so were the four prime suspects, "Lexi's" housemates.

I liked everything about this novel. I can't wait to see if French writes a third!

Book 35- Worst Case

Worst Case by James Patterson is the third book in the Detective Mike Bennett series.

Bennett is a widower with 10 children, an Irish priest grandfather, an Irish nanny named Mary Catherine, and is a police detective in NYC.

In this third outing, Patterson writes with Michael Ledwidge in typical Patterson style- quick thoughts, choppy sentences, and a fast paced mystery. I like Bennett, especially in this novel, as he hunts a kidnapper and killer of New York's wealthiest children, racing against time, also a popular devise in Patterson's writing.

Also, readers are treated to possible romance between Mike and a feebie assigned to help with the case, and the home fires are burning a bit brighter as Mary Catherine finally lets Mike know that she, too, is interested.

I'm a moderate fan of Patterson, usually on a lower level because I can read his stuff quickly, it's beach quality, and it's cotton candy for my brain. I really like the Mike Bennett series, though. Mike is a more developed and a round character. he also had a neat story line. I like his almost as much as I do the Alex Cross series! This is a good one; add Mike Bennett to your reading rotation!

Book 33- The 9th Judgment

The 9th Judgment is the ninth book in the Women's Murder Club series written by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.

A cat burglar is stealing jewelry from the rich and famous and during a heist, a famous actress is killed, looking like the burglar shot her- but is that true?

Meanwhile, a sicko serial killer is on the loose, killing innocent women AND children. Lindsey Boxer is working both cases, burning the candle at both ends trying to find the killers. Of course, the rest of the woman are there: Clare the ME who has to take care of the carnage, Yuki the attorney who plays a minor role in this novel, and Cindy, the reporter who is also in love with Lindsay's partner Rich.

Personal twists and turns in the lives of the ladies as well as trying to catch a killer and a burglar all wrap together in this typical Patterson beach read mystery.

It's Patterson, so it's not great literature, but it's a fast read, bit print, small words, and a quick story. If you can over look the choppy short dialogue and the poor quality character development, then by all means, take this out for a spin, for there's nothing wrong with a few hours of mindlessness!

Book 30- Holly Blues

It's Christmas time in Pecan Springs, Texas which finds China and Ruby and the gang gearing up for traditional Christmas doings, along with some dead bodies in the newest mystery Holly Blues.

China's husband McQuaid is still teaching and PI-ing when his ex-wife Sally comes to town bringing nothing but trouble, as usual. With her comes lots of lies and China and Ruby set out to find the truth. Turns out that McQuaid is working on a case and Team China/ Ruby are also at work and the information they find compliment each other, rather than causing problems (which is typical when China and amateur wannabe-a-private-detective Ruby get in on the case solving actions).

We have the usual gang of suspects: Blackie the Sheriff and Smart Cookie the Chief of Police. Brain, China's step-son, and her adopted daughter Caitlin play small roles in this novel, as do the staff of Thyme and Seasons, and other business partner Cass.

This is the 18th book in the China Bayles series and I've read them all. I try to read this objectively and figure if it could be a stand alone novel and I'm not sure. Author Susan Wittig Albert writes this novel from the first person narrative voice of China, who gives a brief "get to know me" synopsis at the beginning of the story, so I think while anyone could pick the book up and enjoy the quick paced mystery, I think a reader who hasn't followed the majority of the story lines will be missing out on some good stuff.

I've enjoyed the China series for years and I always look forward to a new one. While I don't think Albert's writing style is always up par of her past novels, I do like the books. One thing that always makes me laugh is the references Albert makes to other mystery characters like author Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone; to me, this is cute and funny, but probably because I read that series too, so I get the 'inside joke'. I also love that the characters keep growing and evolving. I love the bits and pieces about herbs at the beginning of every chapter; that probably my favorite part of every novel. Ruby is usually my favorite character- with her wacky ways and new age-ness. I also want to point out that Albert has a fabulous web site, Abouthyme. The addition to yummy recipes at the end of the books since the characters have opened a tea room business is also a delightful feature of this series.

This is a wonderful series and if you're a person looking for a fun, new set of books to read and enjoy "mystery lite", then try China Bayles.

Cornelia Read's newest out now!

Author Cornelia Read has a new book about, her third about Madeline Dare. I LOVE this woman's books! Insightful, so very, very smart, the character is likable, dry wit, good mystery... I'm thrilled it's finally out now! I've waited forever for Invisible Boy. I love her writing style- she is a smart lady and I love how she doesn't pander to readers but she gives them words to chew on and a story to think about.

Her first two Madeline Dare novels are A Field of Darkness and Crazy School.

Thank you, Ms. Read, for delivering a new novel! Can't wait to get my hands on it!

Book 15- U is for Undertow

The latest in the alphabet series installment by Sue Grafton, U is for Undertow, finds us in 1988 with female private eye Kinsey Millhone.

This time Kinsey is digging into a cold case of a missing child. But she chases on lead after another to no avail. Then she finds out her client isn't the most reliable sort so she wonders if she's really chasing leads or illusions.

While the story of Kinsey's hunt for the missing girl is happening, Grafton also tells the parallel story of different people in flashback and readers see how it ties to her missing person's case.

Often times in a flashback writing, it seems to mire down the story or isn't very interesting, but in this case, the stories of Walker and Jon and Debbie were as interesting as the main story. And they all were woven together marvelously!

I also enjoyed all the usual characters, Henry her landlord and friend, and the Hungarian bar owner Rosie.

I was surprised at how good this was. I have read all the books in this series and I was disappointed by all of the ones since Q so this was a delightful step in a great direction. I hope the next 5 books are a yummy as this one was!