MURDER-GO-ROUND: REVIEWS BY HARRIET KLAUSNER
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Harriet Klausner, was chosen the number
one reader in the entire USA by BOOK Magazine. What does that mean
to you? She reads constantly and knows what's out there and wants
to let you know, too. Read on for tips to great books from the wonder
reader Harriet Klausner. |
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June 2008
The Broken Window
Jeffery Deaver
Simon & Schuster, Jun 2008, $26.95
ISBN 9781416549970
Wheelchair bound Lincoln Rhyme prefers to have nothing to do with his estranged cousin Arthur Rhyme, due to a long standing feud dating back to their adolescence. However Art has been accused of murder by the State of New York and like most caught criminals swears he is innocent; Lincoln assumes otherwise, but bowing to family pressure starting with a visit from Art’s wife Judy, who he has not seen since two years before the accident, the former NYPD crime expert agrees to investigate.
Lincoln and his legs partner detective Amelia Sachs begin digging into the background to Arthur’s case. They soon find anomalies as they dig below the surface. The pair also notice a seemingly tangential link to a data mining firm that collects and analyzes consumer data with customers unaware of it. That leads the pair to begin to hypothesize that someone is using the information to serially kill people and set up innocent people like Arthur to take the fall; but how to prove their theory and uncover who seems impossible when all the hardcore evidence convicts Arthur beyond a shadow of a doubt.
The case is fascinating with an implied warning that if one IT guru can do what the culprit did with data imagine what a government agency filled with such experts can do with data. Adding to the fun of the read, is the look into his extended family and the incident that caused a schism. Readers will appreciate this strong Rhyme entry as the investigation is top rate and the insight into his broken family ties superb while bundled around a cautionary Big Brother is here caveat
Harriet Klausner
Odd Hours
Dean Koontz
Bantam, May 2008, $27.00
ISBN: 9780553807059
Odd sees the dead, has prophetic visions and dreams, and has saved many lives because he chose to do good deeds with his gift. After leaving the monastery, his plan was to go home to Pico Mundo to return to his former job as a short order cook. His plan is put on hold when he has visions of turbulent events and a woman floating over a red ocean. Odd somehow knows something dangerous is happening near the seaside town of Magic Beach where he goes.
He gets a job as a cook for a noted retired actor and children’s book author. He meets Annamarie who was the woman in his vision who talks in cryptic words, but has no information to give to him. When the local sheriff picks him up assuming Odd is an indigent, they shake hands and in both their minds they see the Red Tide. The sheriff thinks Odd knows more than he is telling. If he passes a lie detector test he will free him and pay him to keep quiet about what he supposedly knows. Odd escapes and learns what his visions mean; he will do anything to prevent this calamity from happening; failure or inaction means America will cease to exist.
Dean Koontz has created a character who wins the hearts of mostly everyone including readers who adore his innocence and courage. His innocence combined with his ability to challenge evil make him a special and aptly named person. In this tale he knows he cannot go to the authorities with his knowledge as a small cabal inside the sheriff’s office and the harbor patrol are part of what is coming. ODD HOURS is a special supernatural thriller because besides the save America plot, the hero who travels and lives off the land his way has a ghost dog named Boo for a pet and the shade of Frank Sinatra who appears to Odd. The hero wants to help him move on.
Harriet Klausner
Shadow of Light
James E. Cherry
Serpent’s Tail, Jun 2008
ISBN: 9781852424923
Forrest looks like a typical small Southern town; however, below the surface in the Tennessee town, racial tension waits for the incident to explode. One night after planning and casing a house where a respected black woman lives, white males burst in to rob it. They expected the elderly female “Big Mama” to be at church as she always is, but instead she was home. The leader of the invaders Ronny Mcalister" rapes her before shooting her.
Miraculously she lives and her livid grandson police detective Walter Robinson wants to know how close his peers are o catching the culprits. All local blacks decry the crime, but Walter’s nephew neighborhood druglord Cebo wants white blood to flow especially those who committed the obscenity. He informs the police that if the SOBs are not in custody within forty-eight hours a cop will die; another will die every forty-eight hours afterward until there are no police or the perps are caught. The town is a powder keg with only Walter able to keep the fuse from igniting, but he sympathizes with his nephew as this is his beloved grandma.
It does not take a lot of words to describe the town where blacks see no way out of poverty that engulfs communities. In some way James E. Cherry’s vivid description of a town without pity feels somewhat 1960s yet the author makes the case that poverty is the modern day de facto racism. Walter is a good person and cop as he tries to glide above the racial divide even as he understands how many whites look down at blacks; he vents his frustration on his wife. However this time he cannot ignore the incident nor does he truly want too. How he acts will determine whether this town burns down in a Forrest fire or not as James E. Cherry provides a strong thriller that plays out on two levels: town-wide and character poignancy.
Harriet Klausner
The Reapers
John Connolly
Atria, Jun 2008, $26.00
ISBN: 9781416569527
Assassins Louis and Angel kill a Russian trafficker who peddled young children to pedophiles. Bliss kills a predator in a bar’s bathroom. A wealthy dying recluse murders a man who was involved in the death of his son. All these crimes are linked in a surprising way. Gabriel and his lover Angel will learn that crimes from their past have come back to haunt them in the present.
In 1983 Louis was assigned to kill Luther Berger, but what he didn’t know was that his victim was really Jon Leahagen, son of Arthur. Mr. Hoyle, is helping the duo with people coming after them. Arthur is dying, but before he passes on he wants to take with him to the grave everyone who was involved in the homicide of his offspring. Hoyle wants Arthur dead because he killed his daughter. He hires Louis and Angel to kill Arthur and his son; they agree not because of the money, but instead want Leahagen to stop trying to kill them. When they get to Leahagen’s estate, they realize they walked into a trap, but Charlie Parker is on the way to assist them.
The REAPERS is a great thriller as the readers get a deep look at the workings of Louis and Angel. When he was young Louis a black man watched whites lynch his father and set fire to kill him. Angel was sold repeatedly to pedophiles by his father to pay for his booze. Surprisingly they have traces of humanity left inside them although for the most part their human flame is barely flickering. They receive reader empathy in spite of being condemned for their actions, as John Connolly provides a strong crime caper fueled by these two outsiders.
Harriet Klausner
Scream For Me
Karen Rose
Grand Central, May 2008, $16.99
ISBN: 9780446509206
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Daniel Vartanian remains in shock and grief as he still reels from discovering his late brother Simon was a serial killer who before his demise murdered their parents, whom the cop just buried (see DIE FOR ME). Still though some at GBI thinks Daniel should take leave, he feels he would be better off working a case instead of brooding.
His superior assigns him to investigate a recent murder that copy cats the unsolved cold case homicide of Alicia Tremaine thirteen years ago. Daniel meets Alice’s twin sister Alex Fallon, who left their hometown of Dutton just after the murder of her sibling. She is home because her stepsister Bailey Creighton vanished leaving her four year old daughter Hope behind and distressed over mommy. As more people are murdered with the same M.O. of thirteen years ago, Daniel wonders who the serial killer is ultimately targeting as he also fears completion of the circle with Alex as the victim; he vows to keep the woman he is falling in love with safe, but from whom.
This exhilarating serial killer thriller grips readers from the onset and never slows down; whether the events occurred thirteen years ago or in the present. Even the well written supportive romance enhances the tale by personalizing the murders in the mind of the hero who is reminded that he “failed” to protect his parents; guilt even if it is unwarranted can rip out one’s gut. Karen Rose proves her publisher was right going hardcover with what is sure to be another bestseller.
Harriet Klausner
The Prodigal Nun
Aimee and David Thurlo
St. Martin’s, Jun 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780312367312
Extern nun Sister Agatha is able to communicate with the outside world unlike her sisters who are cloistered and never become involved in worldly affairs. In another lifetime, Sister Agatha was a good reporter and those investigative skills have led her to solving many homicide cases.
When the local priest is conducting Mass, Sister Agatha hears a pop in the parking lot. She does not think anything of the noise until she learns someone shot parishoner Jane Sanchez who wanted to talk to her to talk to her about something that was troubling her.
With the permission of the local sheriff, Sister Agatha starts sleuthing and learns that Jane was fueuding with her daughter and was trying to get her to leave he husband, a police office who she hated. Someone seems to be targeting Sister Agatha and Sister Jo almost suceeding in killing them. Using her sources Sister Agatha tries to find out who has it in for them and why; yet the clues point to a person who the sleuthing nun believes is innocent.
The latest Sister Agatha mystery is the best to date in this exciting series because this time the nuns and the monastery are under direct attack. The Archbishop, other religious leaders, and the mayor are concerned, but mostly to prevent collateral damage to their political careers. The heroine has no time for the foolishness of politicians whether they wear suits or religious garb as she has a murderer to catch. As she risks her life, fans will appreciate the Thurlos’ absorbing whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
Paint it Black
Michelle Perry
Medallion, May 2008, $7.95
ISBN: 9781933836003
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Necie Bramhall joined the department as a means to achieving her life goal. She feels the DEA will enable her to destroy her father, a notorious drug lord father, who deserted her and her mother years ago. To her euphoric surprise Necie succeeds in capturing her father; his incarceration makes her wonder now what though she hopes to move on with her life.
However, Necie is unaware that revenge breeds more vengeance as her unknown half sister Maria Barnes hates her. She has spent her lifetime hearing from their father how wonderful his other daughter is. She plans to prove to her dad that she is the chip off the old block who would never betray him by ruthlessly destroying Necie’s family staring with the abduction of her niece. Necie’s only hope to save her daughter from her half sister lies with the man who sired her, the man she placed behind bars; her daughter’s paternal grandfather.
This is an exciting suspense thriller starring a dysfunctional family. The story line is fast-paced from the onset as Necie captures her dad while Maria captures her niece. Although a bit over the top, fans will not care as the action keeps on coming with twists and spins everywhere while readers anticipate one wild family gathering in which ironically it started on Thanksgiving.
Harriet Klausner
The Prefect
Alastair Reynolds
Ace, Jun 2008, $25.95
ISBN 9780441015917
Panoply Prefect Tom Dreyfus is a highly regarded law enforcement official whose beat is the Glitter Band habitats that surround Yellowstone planet. His superior Jane Aumonier assigns him to investigate the shocking destruction of Ruskin-Sartorious Bubble habitat that left over nine hundred dead in a mass murder attack. Tom understands the signifcance of the motive is not just to help identify the culprits, but to understand why so as to prevent more assaults on innocent people.
At the same time that Tom begins his inquiries into the horrific case, Deputy Field Prefect Thalia Ng works on programming to prevent fraudulent voting following an incident at the House Perigal in which six died. As Tom works his case and Thalia tests her patch, Jane is removed from duty at a time she is considered critical by field prefects. Tom believes an unknown person or group has put together a clever diabolical plot to take control of the entire Glitter Band.
The latest Revelation Space thriller is an excellent science fiction police procedural as Dreyfus is at his best uncovering a conspiratorial scheme one clue at a time. The story line is fast-paced as the Prefects investigate several goings-on besides the prime mass murder case; interestingly Alastair Reynolds cleverly uses the cases to provide some history and geography enough for newcomers to understand the Glitter Band and for long term fans not to be irritated. Although the conspirators remain for the most part behind the scenes so never flushed out beyond their objective, fans will appreciate this excellent whodunit in Outer Space.
Harriet Klausner
The Murder Notebook
Jonathan Santlofer
Morrow, Jun 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780060882044
NYPD forensic artist Nate Rodriguez is in demand. Bronx Lieutenant Bill Guthrie wants him to do a facial reconstruction of a skull with bullet holes that was also burned in a fire. Chief of Deportment Perry Denton wants his help on the case of a murdered student who turned hi back on the ghettand won a schiolarship at City University.
Nate interviews the dead student’s girlfriend who describes a man who picked a fight with her boyfriend for no apparent reason. The sketch evidently leads the police to the killer who ends up committing suicide. That should have proven the end of the case, but soon afterward another murder-suicide occurs with echoes of the most important elements of the first incident. Guthrie tells Rodriguez to drop the case of the skull, but the artist works on it anyway because he feels compelled to finish the job. More murder-suicide crimes occurred and Nate convinces his peers they are linked, but no one knows how; besides the FBI takes charge. Nate risks his career with the help of police officer Terri Russo to solve the case, but soon realizes its their lives on the line from a DARPA conspiracy to conceal the truth.
The link the cases have in common is horrific and chilling because it is believable. Although why the detectives fail to see a connection is a stretch even considering Nate as the star. Yet in spite of that THE MURDER NOTEBOOK is an extraordinary police procedural as the protagonist on a quest for justice follows the clues one step at a time, but struggles as things are not linear and it takes intuition to skip the logical sequence. Jonathan Santlofer provides an enjoyable investigative tale.
Harriet Klausner
No One Left to Tell
Jordon Dane
Avon, May 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780061253751
Chicago homicide detectives Raven Mackenzie and Tony Rodriguez investigate the brutal murder of Dunhill Corporation security agent Mickey Blair near downtown’s St. Sebastian’s Chapel. The firm’s chief Fiona Dunhill demands the cops work with the head of security, Christian Delacorte, if they want her cooperation. Having no choice although far from pleased with taking on a civilian “rookie” the detectives acquiesce, but Delacorte objects also though he too ultimately agrees.
She does not trust him since there is a link between a message left at the murder scene and the slaughter of his family two decades ago; while he thinks cops are failures after watching them bungle the investigation into his family’s murders. When her partner is nearly killed, Raven and Christian think Fiona, who raised him, knows how the modern day homicides link to his past, but she is not telling even as a killer plans for NO ONE LEFT TO TELL.
This second No One Left To tale is a superb Chicago mean streets investigative thriller with a solid supporting romantic subplot. Filled with twists from the grave as much as from the chapel, the story line is fast-paced as secrets surface. Fans who appreciate a dark crime thriller starring a likable couple falling in love while on the case will appreciate Jordan Dane’s entertaining walk on the side of Chicago Ferris Bueller avoided.
Harriet Klausner
The Dark of Day
Barbara Parker
Vanguard, Jun 2008, $25.95
ISBN: 9781593154615
Using a fake ID, high school aged teen Kylie Ann Willis attends a party at the affluent South Beach, Florida estate of Billy Medina. Drunk and unable to find her ride, model Alana Martin is accosted by two men. However, a man claiming to be security rescues her and takes her to her Miami apartment.
Architect Milo Cahill asks celebrity attorney CJ Dunn to defend Rick Slater, the chauffer to Congressman Paul Shelby accused of driving off with the since missing Alana from Medina’s party although Billy is her boyfriend CJ accepts the case. As she and her private investigator Judy Mazzio work the defense that is now a capital case since Alana’s corpse came to shore, CJ realizes that her friend’s adopted daughter Kylie Ann is Rick’s alibi. However, the teen is missing and her client refuses to mention his witness while the lawyer wonders why the Congressman has hired her to represent an employee who has worked for him for only a few months.
Filled with twists on both a personal and professional level, THE DARK OF DAY is an exciting suspense thriller more than a legal tale in spite of the lead couple’s initial professional relationship. Although the romance feels more obligatory, the story line is action-packed from the onset as the spins and revelations keep on coming making Barbara Parker’s tale an engaging read.
Harriet Klausner
The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending
Jon Land
Forge, Jun 2008, $24.95
ISBN 9780765315342
In 1975 in Caltagirone, Sicily his farm family was murdered when Michael “The Tyrant” Tiranno was seven years old, but he survived taking his father’s gold medaillen with him when he saw them assasinated and took a bullet too. He survived and a Sicilian Mafia Don raised the lad and instilled certain values in the child. As an adult Michael becomes a super real estate king, whose showcase is the Las Vegas casino Seven Sins that accommodates the fantasies of their customers.
However, suicide bombers explode their cars at four Vegas casinos including the Seven Sins. The media, Homeland Security, and most Americans assume Islamic radicals brought their form of terrorism to the sin capital for its symbolism. However, Michael postulates that the other casino hits were to conceal their target inside a Jihad terrorist cloak to throw off the scent. He thinks he was the target. With help from his lawyer Naomi Burns, Michael investigates his theory knowing some of his other properties are at risk by a birlliant diabolocal adversary who accepts without any remorse collateral damage of the innocent. However he is unprepared to learn his late father’s antique gold medallion that fascinated him as a young child might be at the epicenter of the attacks.
This 368 page thriller is a one sitting action-packed tale that grips the audience from even before the Vegas attacks and never slows down for an iota until the final confrontation. In between readers are escorted on a whirlwind tour all over the place as they accompany Michael and Naomi on their quest to stop an enemy from more destruction. Over the top story line and characters somewhat comic book, but no one is going to care; readers are not landing until the book is finished as few novels are as exciting as the SEVEN SINS is.
Harriet Klausner
Not in the Flesh
Ruth Rendell
Crown., Jun. 2008, $25.95
ISBN 9780307406811
Digging for truffles Jim Belbury and his late brother’s Jack Russell Honey find something they were unprepared to come across. Instead of truffles they find a corpse buried on a vacant lot. He calls Information who get him connected to the Kingsmarkham police station. Chief Inspector Wexford leads the investigation in which he does not need forensics experts to tell him the body was interred a long time ago. Inside the basement of the abandoned building on this same property the police team finds a second murder victim; also dead for quite a long time.
There is little useful evidcne at either crime scene so the team begins to slowly and methodically interview the neighbors who offer little help, but most act somewhat suspciously as if they are hiding something pertinent or another crime. Resolving the double homicides seems to be going nowhere, but Wexford keeps digging uncovering clues that begin to shape the case.
There is a second investigation involving genital mutilation of Somali immigrants that add to this strong Wexford police procedural. Wexford calmly interrogates eccentrics while opining to the readers that civilization is dying due to modernization; his proof is the people he interviews. NOT IN THE FLESH is an engaging investigative tale as the case unfolds slowly one clue at a time.
Harriet Klausner
Cold Plague
Daniel Kalla
Forge, Apr 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780765318336
Dr. Claude Fontaine and his team develop a method to bring to the surface fresh water from a gigantic lake two miles under the Antarctic ice. Claude sees the economic possibilities as his pristine pool will contain no modern day toxins. He plan is to sell bottles containing this natural water at exorbitant prices.
The World Health Organization sends its investigative infectious disease specialist Dr. Noah Haldane (see PANDEMIC) accompanied by Duncan McLeod to France where horrific human deaths from the human equivalent to mad cow disease have been reported. The European Union's Agricultural Commission sends agent Elise Renard to join them the WHO representatives. However, as the evidence mounts, Noah believes these deaths are something similar but not quite the same as mad cow; the speed is much more rapid and the effect much more intense. He soon links the deaths to the Antarctic water that is being pushed by the bottom liners as a health elixir for the wealthy.
This exciting medical thriller pits economic interests against health interests and unlike the American federal government science matters so that Noah and company have a reasonable chance to stop mass production if they can stay alive long enough to make their point heard; the opponents own the media. The story line is fast-paced, but takes a bit too long to get to the bottom line confrontation between money and health. Readers will enjoy this fine tale, but wonder if this occurred in the USA instead of France what the outcome would have been.
Harriet Klausner
The Betrayal
Kathleen O’Neal Geer and W. Michael Geer
Forge, Jun 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780765315465
The Ecumenical Council of Nicea met in 325 AD to decide what texts go into the New Testament codifying the Scriptures of Christianity. The Council was convened under the auspices of the Emperor Constantine who demanded a definitive version of Jesus’ life that will in turn solidify his rule. He orders people who know the truth including members of the church killed and heretics defined as such by him burned.
At the Monastery of St. Stephen the Martyr in Egypt, Romans order the monks to burn the texts. They poison the food killing almost a hundred monks, but three survive because they were overlooked having been in an obscure section of the church. Barnabas the scholar grabs as many books as he and the others can carry. He escapes with the help of former Roman aide to Constantine Cyrus and the newest monk Zarathan and the beautiful Kalay. The Romans pursue the trio wanting to capture Cyrus and kill the others. Barnabas takes them to the secret cave of his mentor who provides the fleeing trio with a map that leads to the greatest treasure of all.
This captivating biographical fictional account about the life of Jesus does not fit the official Church doctrine as the Geers draw a different conclusion than the Nicea Council did. The authors make a case for a radically dissimilar interpretation of the events and the personality of Jesus; insisting that three plus centuries later the victors rewrote the history. Those who objected to the True Church tenet were declared heretics and subject to torture to gain confessions and ultimately burned at the stake (still relevant today). THE BETRAYAL is a terrific thought provoking historiographic action thriller that delves into the life of Jesus by focusing on those who wrote the doctrine in the fourth century.
Harriet Klausner
Eclipse
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown, Sep 2007, $19.99
ISBN: 9780316160209
Washington State feels like a place under siege as a rash of strange homicides has frightened everyone. Meanwhile Isabella “Bella” Swan, relatively new to the town of Fork where her father is chief of police has two boys interested in her. She likes both of them, but loves Edward the vampire, who fears his family’s blood lust could harm her; she also has befriended Jake the werewolf whose natural enemy is a vampire. Their love for Bella makes them even more bitter rivals than their species already are. She fears picking one over the other might ignite a local species war.
A previous incident involving Bella has come home to roost leaving her in danger. When Jake and Edward realize the threat, they reluctantly team up as Bella’s safety supersedes their animosity though each wants to be the hero left standing with the woman they love.
Though similar in story line to the first two Bella in peril paranormal thrillers (see NEW MOON and TWILIGHT) the paranormal species seem genuine as the three teens struggle with adult issues that none want to deal with; treat us like adults except hold us accountable like a child. Stephenie Meyers continues to pay homage to the energy and vigor of first love as ECLIPSE is a strong young adult romantic suspense fantasy, but the triangle only glacially moves closer to resolution. Still fans will appreciate this fun and entertaining thriller.
Harriet Klausner
A Fatal Waltz
Tasha Alexander
Morrow, Jun 2008, $23.95
ISBN 9780061174223
At the request of her friend Ivy Brandon, Lady Emily Ashton attends a party at the country manor of odious advisor to the Queen Lord Basil Fortescue, a toad Emily loathes. Making what would be an evening of torturous boredom worse is Austrian Countess Kristiana von Lange who is also attending. She allegedly has had her moments with Emily’s fiancé, royal investigator of potential embarrassing situations Colin Hargreaves.
However, ennui is the last thing that occurs that night as someone kills the host. Ivy’s spouse Robert is the prime suspect as he had motive, means and opportunity being the repulsive Basil’s political follower. For Ivy’s sake and believing Robert is innocent though an aristocratic traditionalist throwback, Emily invesigates the homicide. Her only potential clue is a letter describing an assassination in Austria. Emily leaves London for Vienna, where Colin is stationed. In Vienna, Emily and Colin enjoy their reunion, but she places both of them in danger as spies and anarchists without conscience are everywhere and eliminating a nosy English lady is fine as far as all these agents are concerned.
This is an exciting late Victorian amateur sleuth tale that uses famous Austrians like Klim to anchor time and place. The story line is fast-paced and filled with plenty of twists especially since double agents abound; one spin in particular is wonderful as Emily teams up with her rival the Countess. Although thoroughly modern Emily seems more twenty first century than late nienteenth, fans will enjoy her spunk and courage as she investigates in Austria, an English country murder (see AND ONLY TO DECEIVE and THE POISONED SEASON for her previous sleuthing).
Harriet Klausner
Delusion
Peter Abrahams
Morrow, Apr 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780061137990
Two decades ago in a courtroom, Nell Jarreau dramatically testified that Alvin "Pirate" DuPree murdered her boyfriend, Johnny Blanton wile she watched in horror. Pregnant with Johnny’s offspring Nell married Clay, the chief detective on the homicide case, while Alvin went to prison.
Twenty years later, due to the devastation of Hurricane Bernadine swamping Belle Ville, FEMA accidentally found tape evidence with a time code on it that affirms Alvin’s alibi that he was at Nappy’s Liquor Store. Nell is stunned as she is positive Alvin killed Johnny yet the evidence is otherwise conclusive. Clay, now the Belle Ville chief of police, cautions his wife to move on, but she is disturbed by her identifying an innocent man. The press has a field day as they dig into the Pirate’s wrongful conviction case while Nell's daughter Norah seems even more negatively affected by the case than her. Guilt laden, Nell needs closure again so she decides to investigate.
This is an entertaining crime thriller as readers wonder who killed Blanton if not Alvin. DuPree is a perfect “victim” as he is a nasty odious person who many in the audience will believe should remain incarcerated even if he did not commit the homicide as he probably did others anyway. Nell is the prime player, but she fails to come across as an amateur sleuth on an emotional quest to solve a cold case murder she witnessed. Still this is an enjoyable tale.
Harriet Klausner
New Moon
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown, Sep 2006, $19.99
ISBN: 9780316160193
In Forks, Washington, after having recovered from a vampire assault (see TWILIGHT), Isabella “Bella” Swan celebrates her eighteenth birthday with her boyfriend and rescuer Edward Cullen and his family of vampires that are “vegans”; never drinking human blood. However when Bella cuts her arm, Edward and his kin struggle to control their desire as the trickling red liquid is like catnip to them. They do not harm her, but he realizes they can never be together and ends their relationship breaking her heart.
Bella is depressed until she meets Ford High School sophomore Jacob, a sophomore from her school who belongs to a motorcycle pack. She begins to come out of her funk though she misses Edward. However, she soon learns what the pack truly is and what Jacob will become; a natural enemy of Edward; not just because they like the same girl.
The second Bella tale is a terrific paranormal young adult thriller as the heroine is sort of like Marshall Teller of Eerie, Indiana landing in one bizarre situation after another. This time the vampires show up towards the end of the tale as Bella learns there is a lot more species under the sun (make that the moon) than humans. Although Jacob behaves towards Bella identically the same as did Edward in TWILIGHT even considering the first person filtering of the heroine in peril, fans will enjoy watching what happens on the NEW MOON on the Olympic Peninsular.
Harriet Klausner
Twilight
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown, Sep 2006, $10.99
ISBN: 9780316105844
Seventeen year old Isabella Swan leaves her newly married mother in Phoenix to live with her father Charlie, the police chief of Forks, Washington on the Olympic Peninsular; a four hour flight to a place she has never visited, but life starts anew for her. Her first day at Forks High School leaves her nervous as there were three hundred and fifty seven students yesterday who know each other. Today there is one more pupil who nobody knows; Bella knows no one.
On that first day in potential purgatory, Bella meets the enigmatic Edward Cullen. She is very attracted to him, but he acts schizoid towards her. One moment he seems to want her; the next he loathes her. She also acts out of character as she spit out her life to this stranger. However, she begins to unravel the mystery of the teen she desires who at times acts as obsessed with her as she is with him. Although she does not fully believe what she has found out, Bella realizes Edward and his adoptive family are vampires whose sustenance comes from animals. Other vampiric clans are not as regimented as they feel vampire superior should dine on inferior beasts including humans; Bella is fair game.
This is an exciting young adult romantic fantasy starring two teens besotted with one another in a taboo love. The story line is driven by the lead couple as their attraction causes problems for each of them and their families especially when outsiders intervene. Although the climax is rushed and too much of what occurred is passively explained instead of actively happening, readers will enjoy forbidden teen love between a purebred human and a purebred vampire.
Harriet Klausner
The Host
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown, May 2008, $25.95
ISBN: 9780316068048
They came from outer space without any fanfare. These parasites inserted themselves inside the human brain taking over the host. Disease and war are long gone, but some infected humans insist this is not Eden as security for freedom is to high a price; the space “Souls” control the body while the human brain activity ebbs. Seekers search for those still independent to turn them over for conversion by the centipedes from space. No place is safe.
In Chicago, one of these human insurgents twentyish Melanie Stryder wants these “Souls” to leave her alone. When the Seekers capture her, a "Soul" is placed inside her brain. She learns the creature surprisingly has a name, Wanderer. Obstinate Melanie refuses to fade into the background. She as the Host persuades Wanderer to find her brother Jamie and her boyfriend Jared missing in the Arizona desert as long as they find the parasite’s significant other too. When the coupling meets up with her loved ones in a secret rebel hideaway led by her uncle, the purebreds suspect both of them sharing her body, but soon Wanda as they start calling the parasite begins to win over the insurgents just like this Soul did her host.
Although first impressions is THE HOST is a futuristic Invasion of the Body Snatchers; in fact Stephanie Meyer’s tale is a much more complex character driven thriller. Relationships are the key to this superb tale that focuses on Wanda-Melanie and those the Host cherishes like her brother and her boyfriend. Jared’s thoughts bring perspective when he kisses Melanie he wonders if he is kissing her, Wanda, or both; geometrically adding to the complications is Ian. Fans who want invasion action and its consequences need to go elsewhere like The Invasion of the Body Snatchers; but those who appreciate a deep look at a personal level will enjoy this fine thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Spectre
Phaedra Weldon
Ace, Jun 2008, $14.00
ISBN: 9780441015931
While walking out of her body one day Zoe Martinique clashed with a Sybiont she calls Trench Coat from the Abysmal plane. She changes into a Wraith when something happens to her or her loved ones. When she is OOB and Wraith, Zoe is not human, but Other. Trench Coat took her voice and gave her his mark on her hand. Zoe is able to use her new powers as a Traveler and a Wraith to work as a private investigator.
Since she hasn’t completed her last assignment for Maherba, she is forced to acceptfor him her them or it an assignment at a benefit at the Atlanta’s Westin Plaza; where she is to listen in on a conversation between Congressman March Knowles and Atlanta based businessman Francisco Rodriguez. She hears about two groups, a shipment and something in it that two groups want. She learns these groups somehow linked to three homicides with missing body parts from each victim. Two groups want to catch Zoe in order to control or kill her, but she does her best to elude them while her powers grow. However even she is not strong enough to override the Compulsion of the Command Eidolon that one of her adversarial group’s leaders places on her. She is his to command unless her friends can free her.
The supernatural beings are fascinating characters in SPECTRE whether they are daimon, symbiont, shade or ghost; as each has a distinct personality. Zoe remains ignorant as to the extent of her powers or how much they will expand, but though she is often more Other than human and the Wraith is her dark side, she remains an independent free thinker trying to do what she believes is morally right for humanity. This is a great urban fantasy that will have fans anxiously waiting for the next installment in Zoe’s saga.
Harriet Klausner
Blue Smoke and Murder
Elizabeth Lowell
Morrow, Jun 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780060829858
Jill Breck is a Colorado River guide whose current clients are father and son Joe and Lane Faroe. Jill knows the river like the back of her hand so when Lane goes overboard, she jumps in and saves him from a sure death in the rapids. His grateful father gives a card from St. Kilda’s Consulting to her, a top of the line private security firm, and tells her if she ever needs any help call the number.
When her Great Aunt Modesty dies in what the local sheriff claims was an unfortunate accident, Jill goes to Northern Arizona to settle the estate. Everything burned down except the cabin Jill lived in as a child and a note from Modesty directing her to the hiding place only her late aunt, her mom and Jill knew. Inside are twenty paintings and a letter saying she sent one out to be appraised but the response was it was worthless, misplaced, and how about $2000 to make up for the neglect. Jill sends Jpeg pictures of the paintings to various dealers and galleries only to receive a death threat.
Jill calls St Kilda who sends operative Zach Balfour to find out and eliminate the problem. Someone who sees the Jpegs believes they are pictures of originals though unsigned Dunstans. The buzz in the art world reaches an investor who does not want Dunstans on the market or even authenticated. This adversary hires a goon to kill Jill or burn the paintings whichever proves more expeditious. Zach vows no one will harm the woman he loves.
BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER is Elizabeth Lowell at her best as she guides her readers into the dark side of the art world where some players will to do anything to obtain famous works or even destroy masterpieces to keep values high. The heroine is tough but wise enough to know she needs a pro on her side; she is also brave, willing to be the bait to trap a killer. Ms. Lowell provides fans with a strong romantic suspense thriller starring a wonderful heroine and the operative who loves her.
Harriet Klausner
America the Beautiful
Laura Hayden
Tyndale, May 2008, $13.99
ISBN: 9781414319391
Kate Rosen and Emily Benton met in high school. They became friends while Kate believed Emily was going to go very far. Years later, now the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Emily runs for president with Kate, her closest friend, as her campaign manager and her ethical conscience magnet.
Kate is a religious person who finds the dirty tricks of running for high office depressing. She fears her morals are being corrupted, but wants to be there for Emily. When Kate has a chance to go negative, she hesitates, but the race is ruthless and she must choose between her friend and country vs. her beliefs in God.
This is a fascinating political thriller that stars two fully developed characters who have come a long way baby. Back in high school, super K and the Big E were idealists out to change the world; but neither realized how much compromise of a person's ideals occurs to be successful. The bottom line in this insightful tale is does Kate have the stomach to destroy the opposition (think Swift Boat) with half truths, innuendoes and one humongous exposé; all this contrary to her deep belief in God and what is right for her country may not be good for her best friend’s run. Is there room for a true believer in the politics of America the Beautiful?
Harriet Klausner
Chernobyl Murders
Michael Beres
Medallion, Jun 2008, $25.95
ISBN: 9781933836294
In 1985 in Western Ukraine, Chernobyl engineer Mihaly Horvath is upset at what is going on at the nuclear plant. He believes safety is being ignored and unnecessary risks taken. His brother Lazlo, a Kiev detective, investigates the unclear facility, which angers his bosses, brings him and his family to the attention of the KGB and the CIA. However, the biggest stunner for Lazlo is to learn his family man sibling is having an affair with Chernobyl technician Juli Popovics.
When the Chernobyl plant explodes, Mihaly is among the dead. Lazlo wonders if his sibling was murdered to conceal incompetence and corruption. Juli informs him that she is pregnant carrying his brother’s child. Meanwhile KGB major Grigor Komarov insures nothing but radiation leaks out of the Ukraine; he executes those who know the truth with an eye on the prize replacing Gorbachev as the Soviet Union teeters. Falling in love Lazlo and Juli flee for their lives from this incessant maniac who needs these witnesses dead before they reach the west.
Although there is an exciting Cold War murder mystery with an exhilarating chase, the star of this explosive thriller is the Chernobyl tragedy whose face will always be Nadia. The story line is fast-paced as the events leading to the nuclear explosion unfolds through the brothers, but it is the aftermath that grips the audience without the plot turning overly melodramatic. The Soviet control of media leakage (think what You Tube could have done in the 1980s with Nadia the Olympics Gold innocent and the Nadia the radioactive victim) and killing anyone who would pose a threat, but unable to control radioactive leakage that makes this a sensational thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Killing Bridezilla
Laura Levine
Kensington, Jun 2008, $22.00
ISBN: 9780758220431
Freelance writer Jaine Austen has not had much success in her chosen career. Her biggest coup was writing an slogan for plumbers which on an award. when Patti Devane, the uber-bitch from the in-crowd back in high school, calls Jaine offering three thousand to write her wedding vows, the financially scrapped writer agrees to ignore her loathing, as she needs to pay her bills; rationalizing that necessity is the mother of bill paying.
Patti met her fiancé at a high school reunion and stole him from his wife. Jaine realizes her client has not changed much from her high school days as a cruel selfish individual; who treats servants like dirt and considers Jaine a servant. The caterer detests spoiled Bridezilla; her former bridesmaid loathes obnoxious Bridezilla, and the ex-wife threatens to kill despicable Bridezilla. Even Jaine begins to consider bankruptcy a better option. When Patti dies in a murder made to look like an accident, Jaime’s snooping gene activates and she starts nosing around to uncover who killed the bride from hell.
Laura Levine provides a humorous amateur sleuth tale starring a heroine who continually lands in ridiculous situations. Although the ex is the obvious prime suspect (except to sub-genre fans who know how that plays out), there are plenty of other people, almost the entire wedding party and those working the event, praying for Patti to die. Even the audience will cheer re her demise as fans will laugh at this riotous pick me up crime caper.
Harriet Klausner
August Moon
Jess Lourey
Midnight Ink, Jun 2008, $14.95
ISBN: 9780738713250
Battle Lake, Minnesota has a population just over nine hundred residents. On the surface, it is a quiet quaint samll town in which everyone knows their neighbors and strangers are always noticed. Mira James has a radically different opinion on the town that she believes is the murder capital as she has recently been involved in several homicide investigations.
When Johnny Leeson stands her up, Mira decides to leave Battle Lake. She finds a replacement librarian and gives notice to her boss and at the paper where she writes a column. She is glad to be leaving since Pastor Meale and his wife opened up the New Millennium Bible Camp. The Meales want to dictate what books the library can circulate and what must be banned because they go against God’s commandments. A cheerleader who works part-time at the library is assassinated by a bullet stunning everyone. Mia Googles the Meales for their prior connections and engagements and learns other girls were killed who looked like the late cheerleader. The Pastor declares that a local festival is devilish and those who partake pagans. When a teen is kidnapped, Mia thinks she knows who is behind the crimes, but her guess proves false, leaving her life in danger.
AUGUST MOON is a fabulously entertaining amateur sleuth tale in which the audience like the heroine will not identify the killer, but also will be shocked when the culprit reveals their identity. Jess Lourey is a fabulous story teller who uses everyday people as the back drop to her fine whodunit. Mia is an interesting lead character who is torn between what she wants and what she needs; however when it comes to murder she is confident in what she must do. Readers will empathize and admire this caring woman who holds this regional tale together.
Harriet Klausner
Shadow of Power
Steve Martini
Morrow, Jun 2008, $26.95
ISBN 9780061230882
San Diego, California legal partners Paul Madriani and Harry Hinds reluctantly agree to represent Carl Arnsberg on a first degree murder charge that if convicted would most likely result in capital punishment. Arnsberg, a known racist, is accused of using a hammer to murder nonfiction author Terry Scarborough, whose bestseller Perpetual Slaves led to rioting.
Scarborough exposed the section of the Constitution written by the revered Founding Fathers that still remains part of the land of the law having never been repealed in spite of the Bill of Rights and the Civil War Amendments. The document claims that Negroes be counted as three-fifths human. His publisher says that Scarborough’s next exposé would be based on a letter written by one of the Holy Fathers Thomas Jefferson that would make his first book look like a kindergarten primer. The letter considered key to the defense by the legal team vanished when the author was killed.
Although the twists and the underlying foundation require the reader to ignore probability, fans will appreciate the latest Madriani legal thriller due to the compelling courtroom trial that affirms the theory that the American judical system is a contact sport. Madriani is at his best as he defends a client he dislikes against evidence that could fill up Death Valley. Plausibilty may be doubtful, but entertainment is definite.
Harriet Klausner
China Lake
Meg Gardiner
Obsidian, Jun 2008, $799
ISBN: 9780340822494
In Santa Barbara, California Pastor Peter Wyoming and his Remnant supporters heckle at the AIDS funeral of Claudine Gerard. Close friend novelist Evan Delaney is outraged by these religious nuts and tells them so. However, Peter gets the last word when he implies his cartoonist is Evan’s runaway sister-in-law Tabitha, who deserted her Navy fighter pilot husband Brian and their now six-year-old son Luke two years ago. Brian’s sister Evan has raised Luke who is going to join his father shortly at the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center. Evan fears that Tabitha brainwashed by Pastor Pete and his Remnant will try to abduct Luke.
When the Remnant use cops to take Luke, Evan does what she can to stall them until Brian arrives. Soon afterward a Remnant member is murdered; the cops suspect Brian. Evan believes she must prove her sibling’s innocence. However, she fears leaving Luke with anyone else even her lawyer somewhat wheelchair bound boyfriend Jesse Blackburn. She also cannot bring the lad to some of the dives she will visit like Tabitha’s home, Pastor Pete’s church and compound, and the desert bars where her sci fi is a cult favorite.
This is an exciting thriller in which the courageous though stupid (for some of the moves she makes John Wayne would avoid) heroine challenges a dangerous fanatical sect who wants her nephew as a pawn for something insidious. The Remnant is a fascinating in a macabre way sect whose leadership plans to move forward the day of reckoning. Although the cops seem more Keystone than professional especially when they fail to arrest any Remnant member involved in snatching Luke (with their assistance) once they know the truth, fans will enjoy the exciting adventures of Evan Delaney, protective lioness keeping her cub safe from a jungle filled with lunatics.
Harriet Klausner
High Marks for Murder
Rebecca Kent
Berkley, Jun 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780425222041
In 1965 in the remote English village of Grickling Green in the Cotswolds, the suffragette movement has caught the interest of the ladies enrolled in Bellehaven Finishing School. The Headmistress Meredith Llewellyn is in St. Edmunds’ church when she sees an evanescent image that coalesces into a female ghost. She becomes worried because home management teacher Kathleen Duncan is not attending the services and she never misses them.
When she leaves the church, Tom the gardener is visibly upset and takes Meredith and the other instructors to the body of Kathleen. Besides the corpse is a broken branch that was sawed off. It has blood on it so Meredith knows that her friend was murdered. As Kathleen keeps appearing Meredith vows to find her killer, but she does not understand the clues the ghost is presenting to her. Unless she can interpret what Kathleen is communicating to her when the ghost points at flowers, the killer will remain free.
This is a very atmospheric paranormal amateur sleuth historical mystery. The school building, the storms, and the darkness surrounding Bellehaven contribute a gothic feel to Rebecca Kent’s fine tale. Meredith is a strong willed person who in some ways a futuristic anachronism as she ignores the rules of society that insist she find a wealthy husband. She is the only one who sees the apparition so her staff insists she is overwrought and imagining things. Readers will give high marks to Ms. Kent for an interesting creative whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
Nothing to Lose
Lee Child
Delacorte, Jun 2008, $27.00
ISBN: 9780385340564
Jack Reacher decides to diagonally see the country so he leaves Maine heading for San Diego using whatever transportation he can find. When Jack enters Colorado, he notices on his map a road from Hope to Despair, which fascinates him and he takes it. However, in town, the waitress at the only restaurant ignores him when he enters. Soon four big men tell him to leave; he breaks the nose of one of them and demands coffee, which is served. After locking him up for a few hours, the judge orders him removed from Despair. Jack decides if they put him on the road west he will keep going but if they point him towards Hope he will return; Jack never retreats.
At the edge of Hope, police officer Vaughn picks him up and tells him to forget Despair, a company town that is run by the enigmatic owner of the state’s largest metal recycling plant. Jack tells Vaughn he will return to Despair and does so by sneaking around until he trips over a dehydrated corpse. Back in Hope, Vaughn tells him a college age girl wants to see him at the restaurant. Her boyfriend is missing since they entered Despair. Jack talks to her and vows to himself that he will find her husband as she explains she married her boyfriend and what is going on next door; not anticipating that evil in Despair is killing American soldiers overseas.
NOTHING TO LOSE seems over the top of the Rockies but no one will care as Reacher being who he is refuses to back down from a confrontation; sort of like Rambo starring in A Bad Day At Black Rock (instead of Spencer Tracy’s Macreedy). The story line is action-packed from the moment Jack decides to get a bite at the company town’s restaurant and the four deputies prove they don’t know Jack when they confront him. Fans of the series will appreciate his latest quarrel that soon leads to repercussions half way around the world.
Harriet Klausner
The Julius House
Charlaine Harris
Berkley, Jun 2008, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425222034
In Lawrenceton, Georgia wealthy businessman Martin Bartell, the manager of the Pan Am Agra Plant, fell in love with Aurora “Roe” Teagarden from the moment they first met. Older and more sophisticated than her, they set a wedding date within weeks of their first meeting. As a wedding present Martin gives his fiancée the deed to the Julius House.
The house has a mysterious history because one night six years ago the family vanished without a reason or a trace; leaving everything behind. When Roe finds something illegal that her new spouse is involved in, she tries to ignore her qualms by investigating what happened to the Julius family. Her inquiries almost kill her; and it is only thanks to her tenant Angel that she survived the harrowing situation. When she finds the bodies of the family members, a new mystery surfaces that takes Roe and Angel into danger in New Orleans where people want them dead.
Charlaine Harris is one of the best writers of regional cozies. Her amateur sleuth tales are filled with colorful characters, red herrings, plenty of suspects, and clues that ask more questions than they answer. The protagonist is a classical southern steel magnolia; beautiful to look at with a strong metallic spine as she is not afraid to face danger and confront horrors even involving the man she loves.
Harriet Klausner
Old Flames
Jack Ketchum
Leisure, Jun 2008, $7.99
ISBN: 9780843959994
“Old Flames”. In Manhattan Owen dumps his lover Dora Welles by message. She confronts him and the married with children Owen admits he found someone else to be his lover. Dora destroys some of his prized possessions like a seventeenth century vase. At a bar she meets Estha from her high school class of twenty-five years ago. Estha says she hired a private detective who found her teen boyfriend Ralphie. Dora decides to do like wise she hires Flame Finders Joseph Ledo who quickly locates Jim Welbourne, an attorney with a wife and kids living in California. Dora goes west to see if he is the one. If not she will assume her significant other was her late cat Lawrence; but if yes his family will be collateral damage.
“Right to Life”. In1998 Manhattan married with a son Greg Glover is worried about his pregnant lover Sara Foster as he takes her for an abortion. He knows she lost a child in a lake accident that also ended her marriage. He drops her off near the clinic while he goes to park the car. When he arrives at the clinic after dodging the picket line, he asks for Sara, but she has not checked in. He franticly looks for her and obtains help from the cops, but Sara is nowhere. Panicked Greg knows this is not like Sara; what he does not know is Sara is wakening up in a “prison” cell in New Jersey having been abducted by the picketers.
These are two well written exciting psychological horror thrillers that put twists on seemingly everyday people. Readers will appreciate Jack Ketchum’s shockers that take adverse relationships plausibly further than one would expect.
Harriet Klausner
The Dirty Secrets Club
Meg Gardiner
Dutton, Jun 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780525950660
A string of celebrity murders-suicides has shaken San Francisco; none make sense as the victims and culprits are not just rich and famous they seem mentally stable. The final straw for the beleaguered police department is when highly regarded prosecutor Callie Harding drove her BMW off a bridge onto a minivan below. Desperate the SFPD hire forensic psychiatrist Dr. Jo Beckett as a consultant. Considering herself to be an expert "deadshrinker", Jo performs psychological autopsies.
Though still grieving the death of her husband, Jo teams up with SFPD Lieutenant Amy Tang. The pair soon finds a link between the recent deaths and a nebulous group, the Dirty Secrets Club, whose members are some of the city’s most famous and affluent. Jo begins to theorize that a debunked former associate may be causing members like the 49er football star to commit suicide.
This is an exciting police procedural starring a fascinating forensic expert and a tough minded cop. The investigation is superb as the two intrepid females make inquires that take them deeper inside THE DIRTY SECRETS CLUB whose members prefer death to exposure. Readers will enjoy Meg Gardiner’s excellent whodunit as the streets of San Francisco have rarely been more appealing.
Harriet Klausner
The Whole Truth
David Baldacci
Grand Central, May 2008, $26.99
ISBN: 9780446195973
CEO of Ares Corporation, a major Defense Department contractor, Nicholas Creel wants to drum up business so he needs a new crisis as Iraq only goes so far, but is nothing like the glory days of Reagan’s Cold War. He hires “perception management” guru Dick Pender to create a Cold War. Soon false news stories and supporting disinformation surface on the Internet with news bloggers and hounds having a feeding frenzy over “documented” Russian atrocities. Nicholas is ecstatic.
However, when the London based think tank, the Phoenix Group, is allegedly slaughtered by Russians, Nicholas hopes Pender can connect the murders to a Beijing government sponsored hit; hoping that leads to the immense profits to be made from a Russian- Chinese war. However, undercover operative Shaw is outraged as his fiancée died in the Phoenix Group mass murder and with the help of a defrocked reporter begins to uncover THE WHOLE TRUTH behind the perception management driven crisis.
This is an exciting thriller due more to the PM concept than to the Ares vs. Shaw contest. The PM crowd makes up truths using the Internet and other mass communication techniques to tell a Big Lie and not as David Baldacci says afterward “spin the facts”. In fact some in Congress claim this technique was used by the Administration leading to the Iraq invasion. Although the prime plot is entertaining, it is the perception management big lie that makes the difference of what otherwise would be another well written thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Blood Noir
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley, Jun 2008, $25.95
ISBN: 9780425222195
Jean-Claude’s pomme de sange Lycan Jason visits his master’s human servant vampire executioner and living vampire who feeds off of sex, Anita Blake to ask his friend to accompany him as his pretend lover when he visits his dying estranged father. Anita agrees when Jason informs her that his father refuses to speak to him not due to his lycanthropic condition, but because the older man believes his son is homosexual.
Jason and Anita arrive to find out that Keith Summerland, who looks like Jason’s twin, is getting married this weekend. Pretending affection in public Jason kisses Anita in front of a reporter causing a scandal in which other Masters consider grabbing the seemingly weakened Jean-Claude’s territory. To prevent this Jean-Claude will have to display anger in public and punish his errant servants.
Meanwhile first vampire Marmee Noir, the Mother of All Darkness and asleep for a millennium, is attracted to Anita’s powers. She strikes at Anita and Marmee Noir makes her have sex with two shapeshifters including a were-tiger. Anita feels another metaphysical tiger in her body. Jason and Anita still worry about an enraged vampire because Keith married the wife of the Master of the City; and the Master Vamp wants the interloper dead. The authorities fear for the lives of Jason and Anita while she also has to deal with Marmee Noir without the help of Jean-Claude
BLOOD NOIR is very different in tone than the previous books in the Anita Blake saga as the heroine for the most part costars with one man rather than her usual male queue. This allows the audience to see another side of the vampire slayer as she shows she can relate to a man with being in love with him; an extraordinary concept. Although well written, too many key unanswered questions involving Marmee Noir exist, which subtracts from an otherwise strong tale as Anita proves to herself she can enjoy without love sans guilt. Blake fans will appreciate how far the star goes for a friend.
Harriet Klausner
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