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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November 2004
WORTH
DYING FOR
Beverly Barton
HQN, Nov 2004, $6.50, 384 pp.
ISBN: 037377012X
In Colby, Texas, seventeen years old Amy Smith waits at night by herself
for her boyfriend Dante Moran to arrive to take her home from her job
at the Dairy Dip. However, Dante is held up at college and so is running
late. Someone attacks Amy, but by the time Dante arrives his girlfriend
is gone. No body was ever recovered.
Seventeen years later, Dante leaves the FBI to take
a job with the Dundee Agency, experts on personal security. When the Governor
and two State senators from Mississippi ask Dundee to find a runaway, they assign
Dante to lead the investigation. Dante is stunned as sixteen year old Leslie
looks just like Amy did. He visits influential billionaire G.W. Westbrook and
his daughter Tessa to start the inquiries into finding the seemingly happy Leslie.
Dante thinks Tessa remotely looks like his Amy. Still, as Dante and Tessa fall
in love, she admits that she cannot remember her first seventeen years of life.
More to the point is that he must find a teen in trouble, who ran away because
she learned that her father was a state-executed rapist, a truth hidden by her
beloved mother and grandfather.
Best selling author Beverly Barton furbishes readers
with a fabulous romantic suspense starring two wonderful protagonists and a
fantastic support cast. The story line follows mostly the investigative efforts
of the hero, but also shines a light on runaway teens. The support cast is a
strong group that helpfully will lead to Dundee sequels especially two other
agents on the verge of war between them.
Harriet Klausner
SINGULARITY
Bill DeSmedt
Per Aspera Press, Nov 2004, $25.95, 512 pp.
ISBN: 0974573442
In 1908 Tunguska, a remote part of Siberia, a black hole star the size
of an atom with the weight of a billion tons crashes onto the earth, but
instead of a gaping diametric hole through the planet, it ends up orbiting
inside the orb.
Dr. Jack Adler investigates the internal orbiting star and concludes that
life is in danger from the celestial object. Someone else obviously knows
that too because someone attempts to murder Jack and his team..
CROM Agent Marianne Bonaventure drafts Jonathan Knox
to help her prove that Russian billionaire Arkedy Gristin is dealing with weapons
of mass destruction. They wrangle an invitation onto the Russian's yacht, but
fail to find evidence of WMD activities; instead they learn that Arkedy is working
on a secret project involving the black hole. Their discovery of Arkedy’s
activities proves dangerous, forcing the duo to flee for their lives in order
to regroupant and try to figure out a way to stop the Russian from exploiting
the star.
Bill DeSmedt has written an exciting action-packed
techno-thriller that will appeal to fans of Michael Crighton and Arthur C. Clarke.
Readers will particularly like the scientific explanations that though complex
are made easy to comprehend by the author. Jon and Marianne make a great team
professionally and personally while the villain is much more than just an evil
Bloefield or Goldfinger. He has in a twisted way a patriotic use for his findings.
This talented author should receive accolades for a strong tale
Harriet Klausner
FATAL
ERROR
Colleen Thompson
Leisure, Nov 2004, $6.99, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0843954213
Though her husband Brian ran off with the banker’s wife Jessica Beecher,
everyone in the small southwest Texas community blames schoolteacher Susan
Maddox while providing casseroles and sympathy for the other cuckolded
person, Hal. Some feel she killed her spouse although the runaways were
sighted in New Mexico. Even his mother spreads rumors that Susan is at
fault for her favorite son vanishing.
Being fired from her teaching job and thinking the
sheriff is an idiot, Susan asks the enemy for help. She wants Brian’s brother,
Luke to break into a hard drive that her husband used to see if there is any
evidence on it to exonerate her. Luke and Susan were attracted to one another
back in high school, but her mother interfered and she ended up married to his
sibling, whom she remained faithful to although she never forgot her first love.
As someone tries to kill her to stop her from looking into the disappearances,
Luke steps in to keep the woman he loves safe. .
This is an exciting romantic suspense with an intriguing
twist that will surprise readers although it is obvious Colleen Thompson does
a terrific job of hiding the truth. The lead couple is a fine pairing as she
seeks to clear her name while he has no choice but to help her. Adding depth
is the powerful look at small town living where innuendos and rumors can ruin
a successful career as happened to Susan, teacher of the year last year and
unemployed this year though no proof exists that she did any wrong. FATAL ERROR
is a fine tale that sub-genre fans will take pleasure in reading.
Harriet Klausner
THE
LAST DISCIPLE
Hank Hanegraaff and Sigmund Brouwer
Tyndale, Oct 2004, $19.95, 350 pp.
ISBN: 0842384375
In 65 AD Nero rules Rome with an iron fist; since the Great Fire he persecutes
Christians who refuse to accept that he is divine blaming the inferno
on them. Vilas, a trusted advisor, knows the emperor is mad, and does
his best to curb the worst of the excesses. He especially tries to save
Christians who Nero is about to kill. Believers of Christ think Nero is
the Beast and this is the time of the tribulation.
Vilas is sick of war and the blood on his hands so
he goes to Jerusalem to report on the Roman in charge of Judea, who is thought
to have committed crimes against the Empire. In Judea, Vilas asks Sophia, the
former Jewish slave he freed, to marry him although she is Christian and he
is part of Nero’s inner circle. They agree to hide her religion when they
return to Rome as a married couple. However, Vilas has enemies who see his wife
as the instrument to destroy him. At the same time, John the Revelator who is
the last living disciple is in danger as he comforts incarcerated Christians.
John and Vilas meet as both flee the wrath of the Beast.
THE LAST DISCIPLE depicts Nero as the Beast of Revelations
as he persecutes Christians. The period is when people still living can provide
eye witness accounts about the miracles Jesus performed. Vilas is a terrific
representative of the age as he tries to remain loyal to the Empire, but detests
the ruler he believes is destroying it. Much historical information is included
in this biblical thriller so that readers obtain a taste of life in the first
decades following the crucifixion in Rome and Judea, which makes for an enthralling
read.
Harriet Klausner
APOCALYPSE
BURNING
Mel Odom
Tyndale, Sep 2004, $14.99
ISBN: 1414399336
The disappearance of millions of people around the globe which includes
all the children under twelve years old fails to stop the latest Middle
East flare-up. When Syrian forces attack the Turkish city of Sanliurfa
US Ranger Captain Cal Remington vows that this engagement will not derail
his career so he eagerly accepts help from the soon to be appointed Secretary
General of the United Nations Nicolae Carpathia, who sends his minion
to abet the ambitious American soldier. First Sergeant Samuel Adams "Goose"
Gander realizes that his friend has aligned himself with the forces of
evil, but has no idea what he can do about this but he is not willing
to give up on Cal.
Goose is unaware that at Fort Benning, Georgia fighters
are skirmishing in a different battlefield. His son Chris is one of the children
that vanished and his stepson Joey is nowhere around. His wife Meg, a post counselor
is being charged with dereliction of duty for failing to inform an abusive father
that his son was hospitalized; depriving him of their last minutes together.
He plans to sue Meg and the Army in civil court if she is found guilty.
APOCALYPSE BURNING follows the trials and tribulations
of Goose and Meg as they cope with war, the disappearance of their child, and
evil forces that want to destroy them. Goose remains an admirable leader of
soldiers especially in contrast to Cal who will use murder to further his career.
Using two fronts and a global backdrop, Mel Odom has written an exciting war
and legal thriller that focuses on two decent people trying to do the right
thing in a world heading towards its final countdown.
Harriet Klausner
THE
SECRET ON ARARAT
Tim LaHaye and Bob Philips
Bantam, Sep 2004, $25.00, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0553803239
Biblical archeologist Michael Murphy searches the world to find artifacts
mentioned in the bible. When he is not exploring the globe, he teaches
biblical archeology at Preston University. After passing a test set for
him by his nemesis Methuselah, Michael wins the prize of a chunk of wood
that he believes came from Noah’s Ark to Dr. Isis McDonald of the
Parchments of Freedom Foundation to examine.
The Seven, a cabal of powerful people whose strategic
goal is world domination, learns what Murphy apparently found. They send assassin
Tallon to the Foundation to steal the wood. They also provide an anonymous donation
to the Foundation to fund an expedition if Murphy leads it to search for Noah’s
Ark on Mt. Ararat. Of course, if Murphy succeeds the cabal plans to pilfer anything
valuable and kill those on the quest. Murphy agrees to lead the trek, but every
time he finds solid information the people who provide it die. On the mountainside,
Murphy and he crew fight the elements, Tallon and other minion of the Seven
while searching for remnants of the Ark.
Tim LaHaye’s new series "Babylon Rising"
is an exciting thriller in the tradition of Indiana Jones. Murphy is an ideal
hero, an adventurer seeking to do the right thing yet a person still grieving
the murder of his wife. Through his trials and tribulations he firmly believes
in God and lives his life accordingly. The Seven is an intriguing opponent as
readers learn more about them in THE SECRET ON ARARAT and look forward to additional
insight in the third installment of this series
Harriet Klausner
DARKER
THAN NIGHT
John Lutz
Pinnacle, Nov 2004, $6.99, 549 pp.
ISBN: 0786016337
While investigating a drug deal murder, New York Police Department Lieutenant
Frank Quinn discovered that a group of his peers were receiving kickbacks
to look the other way on illegal activities. Before he goes to Internal
Affairs, someone informed IA that Frank raped a fifteen years old girl.
He chooses the moral path, but his wife and IA do not believe in his innocence
and takes their daughter across the country leaving a stunned Frank behind.
He took a half pension rather than be fired
A serial killer The Night Prowler is murdering married
couples in their kitchens. Nobody seems to hear him when he lets himself in
using an apparent key. Assistant Chief of Police Henry Cortez, with a chance
for the top job, feels Frank can solve the case and brings him on as a civilian
consultant. Frank feels he has a chance to redeem himself and get his job back.
Readers will believe that they just stepped off a
tilt-awhirl after reading this action-packed police procedural. Though he knows
he got a raw deal, the protagonist instead of whining and feeling sorry for
himself, he jumps into the fray the first chance he has to prove himself. Fans
will root for Frank, who has powerful enemies that he is unaware of who want
him removed form the scene. John Lutz places Serpico in a serial killer venue
with his blue knights still after him.
Harriet Klausner
SEEDS
OF DOUBT
Stephanie Kane
Scribner, Nov 2004, 288 pp.
ISBN: 0743245571
Thirty years ago in Vivian, Colorado, four years old Freddie Gant disappeared;
his body was ultimately found by a grain elevator. The police deduce that
someone shoved him off the top of it. Attention focuses on twelve years
old Rachel Boyd, who eventually was arrested and found guilty by a jury.
She recently was paroled and lives with her brother Chris, a wealthy banker.
When the six years old son of Chris’ gardener
vanishes, everyone looks towards Rachel. When his corpse is found near Denver,
attention again focuses on Rachel. Besides her history, she was seen with Benjamin
the day he disappeared. Chris hires dyslexic lawyer Jackie Flowers to defend
his sister. Jackie goes the extra mile when she agrees to allow Rachel to stay
in her home as part of the bail stipulation. Jackie, who has spent her life
hiding her learning disability from even loved ones, struggles with the defense
because Rachel refuses to cooperate by defending herself. Jackie knows the prosecution
has circumstantial evidence, but the prosecution’s strength lies with the
fact that the same MO used in both child murders.
Stephanie Kane is part of the Supreme Court of legal
thriller writers who readers know always provides dramatic courtroom scenes
that bring electrifying realism to her tales. Her current novel, SEEDS OF DOUBT,
is complex with multilayers as readers wonder if Rachel is guilty or, if not,
what is she hiding and why rather than help make a viable defense. With powerful
action and strong characters, the verdict beyond a shadow of a doubt is that
Ms. Kane has provided another superb read.
Harriet Klausner
LAST
SEEN IN ABERDEEN
M.G. Kincaid
Pocket, Nov 2004, $6.50, 320 pp.
ISBN 0743467574
Young Matthew Adair was LAST SEEN IN ABERDEEN in broad daylight and then
in the twinkling of an eye he vanished. No ransom demand was ever made
and a Scottish task force was convened to find the child that caught the
whole nation’s attention. It was during a traffic accident when a
horse trailer turned upside down that Matthews’ lifeless body was
found, the victim of blunt force trauma to the head. Also, inside the
trailer were two dead lambs that belonged to Finovar Castle.
CID sergeant Seth Mornay is currently working the
case trying to find the boy’s killer. The job is not made easier by Deputy
Justice Minister Lord Mindo Gordon, who is using Matthew’s death to make
a bigger name for himself by insisting the police are not working hard enough
to find the killer. If that wasn’t enough Mornay’s father is under
investigation for smuggling drugs and Pamela who is carrying his child is in
a coma in a hospital while her sister is threatening to sue Seth for custody.
Evidence in Matthew’s murder seems to implicate the inhabitants of Finovar
Castle and in particular David Lockward who refuses to tell the police where
he was on the day Matthew was kidnapped.
M.G. Kincaid has written a brilliantly plotted British
police procedural that stars Seth Mornay who first appeared in THE LAST VICTIM
IN GLENN ROSS. Readers gain more insight into the complex character of the hero
whose professional and personal lives are falling to pieces. LAST SEEN IN ABERDEEN
gives armchair travelers a feel for what life in Scotland is like. This author’s
star is on the rise.
Harriet Klausner
FALLING
AWAKE
Jayne Ann Krentz
Putnam, Nov 2004, $24.95, 432 pp.
ISBN 0399152229
Lucid dreaming is the ability to control one’s dreams and be able
to find answers to questions and problems that one can’t obtain when
awake. Isabel Wright, a level five dreamer, works at the Belvedere Center
for Sleep Research where she analyzes the dreams of other lucid dreamers.
When her boss dies and his son takes over, he fires Isabel who intends
to be a free-lancer. He doesn’t realize until it is too late that
without her work, the company will go bankrupt in a few months. He is
determined to lure her back to his company.
One of Isabel’s anonymous clients is Ellis Cuttler,
an operative for a black ops organization; he believes lucid dreaming can help
solve murder investigations. His director orders Ellis to do whatever it takes
to bring Isabel into the operation. Ellis and Isabel have dreamed about each
other for months before they even met and an instant attraction flares to life
as soon as they do meet. The road to happiness is bumpy because someone is gunning
for Ellis and doesn’t care how many innocent victims get killed in the
crossfire.
Jayne Ann Krentz has written another fantastic romantic
suspense novel that will satiate her myriad of fans who eagerly looking forward
to the next tale as the author always scores a five on a five star rating system;
FALLING AWAKE is no exception. The support cast is as quirky as ever and the
protagonists are thoroughly likeable and effortlessly to care about. The action
is fast paced with plenty of action scenes but characterizations are not neglected.
Each key person in the FALLING AWAKE is a three dimensional individual whose
motivations are easy to understand.
Harriet Klausner
BYE,
BYE, LOVE
Virginia Swift
Harper, Nov 2004, $24.95, 304 pp.
ISBN 0060543310
Popular pop star Nina Cruz moved from California to Wyoming where she
intends to set up the Wild West Organization to support activities from
animal rights to taking care of mother Earth. She intends to hold a concert
to raise funds for the proposal and she persuades country superstar store
Jones to perform along with many other performers who are household names.
College Professor Sally Adler is thrilled when her idol Jones asks her
to attend the opening act.
One day when Nina hears gunshots in her woods even
though there are signs stating no hunting, she runs into the forest hoping to
catch the hunter. When Nina fails to come back people look for her and find
her corpse with a bullet in it. Sally thinks it would be a nice testimonial
if she writes a book about Nina’s extraordinary life. On Halloween Eve,
someone leave an envelope of white powder on Sally doorstep and though it isn’t
anthrax a big scare occurs. A second murder happens when one of the members
of Sally’s band is killed. It becomes obvious someone wants to stop Sally
from gathering information about Nina but that doesn’t stop Sally from
looking for a killer.
Readers get a taste of the individuals who make their
position clear on social and political issues in a state where conformity is
discouraged. Talented storyteller Virginia Swift provides readers into a compelling
tale of love betrayed and the dark side of fame. The protagonist is an independent,
charming and delightful person who tries to do what is right even when it places
her in danger. BYE, BYE, LOVE is an electrifying and offbeat amateur sleuth
tale.
Harriet Klausner
INDUSTRIAL
MAGIC
Kelley Armstrong
Bantam, Nov 2004, $6.99, 560 pp.
ISBN: 0553587072
In Portland, Oregon, powerful witch Paige Winterbourne splits from her
mother’s ultraconservative American Coven of Witches following her
matriarch’s death. Feeling the group is to self centered to understand
society as a whole, she begins to form a new coven.
Meanwhile, someone is killing the teenage offspring of the Cortez Cabal.
Leader Benicio Cortez is concerned and his own law enforcement team has
not been able to stop the serial killer, always arriving just too late
in spite of modern technology enhanced by paranormal powers. He asks his
son and cabal heir Lucas and the lad’s girlfriend Paige to stop a
murderer before others innocents die.
The latest Underworld tale is a superb horror fantasy
that hooks the audience the moment a beleaguered teen makes the cell phone call
in an Atlanta park until the final confrontation with a supernatural serial
slayer. The story line moves quickly, but what makes the tale so good just like
its predecessors like DIME STORE MAGIC is that the paranormal seems so normal,
a way of life. Paige is a terrific heroine and Lucas is a perfect partner for
her in many ways; together they make a dream team that the audience will appreciate
as they face off against an evil doer.
Harriet Klausner
AND
A PUZZLE TO DIE ON
Parnell Hall
Bantam, Nov 2004, $24.00, 320 pp.
ISBN 0553802445
She is known as the puzzle lady but it is really her publicity shy niece
who is the puzzle constructor. Cora’s favorite pastime is solving
real life murder mysteries, which is why she agrees to lawyer Becky Baldwin’s
proposition. Becky wants Cora to find out if convicted murderer Daryl
Daigue really killed seventeen year old Anita Dryer two decades ago. Depending
on what Cora digs up, Becky will decide whether she wants to take the
case.
Sara visits Darryl in prison; he acts like a criminal
but insists that he was working at the time Anita was killed and he was covering
for Ricky Gleason, the actual killer. Before leaving the prison, Warden Profack
subtly warns Cora not to work on Darryl’s case. Sara find that admonition
suspicious and keeps digging which leads to her being followed by a private
detective who is murdered at Cora’s birthday party. Later, someone throws
a rock through her window and she is arrested for absconding with a toy poodle
that belongs to a woman who was also murdered because she had something that
the killer wanted. The truth about who hired Becky and the two murders comes
out when Cora has her day in court.
AND A PUZZLE TO DIE ON is a deliciously convoluted
amateur sleuth mystery in which everyone connected to the case has a hidden
agenda. The protagonist is in fine form as she breaks into offices and homes,
steals what turn out to be significant, winds up spending a night in jail, and
refuses to conform to court etiquette. Parnell Hall has written a complex who-done-it
that has the requisite number of red herrings and misleading clues.
Harriet Klausner
DEATH
BY INFERIOR DESIGN
Leslie Kane
Dell, Nov 2004, $6.99, 400 pp.
ISBN: 0440241758
As a gift to his wife, Carl Henderson hires interior designer Erin Gilbert
to redo their bedroom. When Erin arrives at her client’s home, she
finds her competitor Steve Sullivan is redesigning the den of the Henderson’s
neighbor Kevin McBride. A third neighbor Randy Axelrod sets up a competition
between the rival designers with the winner getting a story in his magazine
Denver Lifestyles. Erin and Steve accept the contest because both know
that the free publicity should bring many new customers.
Carl’s son Taylor works with both designers.
He opens a bottle of cyanide that is in the back of Erin’s van. She notices
some missing, but he denies taking any when she confronts him. Later that day,
Randy keels over; he dies at the hospital. Erin’s information leads to
a toxic screening that shows he died from poisoning. Erin has a second reason
to regret taking the job when she finds her baby picture on Carl’s wall.
Having been adopted, she believes her biological parent is nearby. Not long
afterward, someone shoots at her car. Although she promised her adopted mom
to not seek her biological parents, events force her to reconsider her vow before
a killer murders her too.
The Crestview, Colorado neighborhood where all the
action occurs seems so middle class with family values that the right wing would
showcase it as the real America, but underneath the veneer are marriages on
the rocks. Each family wants Erin to decorate a part of their house and though
she knows to stay aloof, she is drawn into their lives. DEATH BY INFERIOR DESIGN
is an exciting opening act of an amateur sleuth series starring a delightful
beleaguered protagonist.
Harriet Klausner
THIEVES
BREAK IN
Christina Summers
Bantam, Nov 2004, $6.99, 336 pp.
ISBN: 0553584316
During construction work at Datchworth Castle in the village of Wallwoon
in Oxfordshire, England, a secret room is uncovered. Expensive silver
dating from the Cromwell era and manuscripts are found in the forgotten
room. Rob Hillman is hired to translate and catalogue the manuscripts,
a job he loves. Not long afterward, castle owner Sir Gregory asks his
butler to bring Rob to him, but after he seemingly vanished; the translator
is found murdered on the grounds although the police can find no motive
for killing the popular Rob.
Reverend Kathryn Koerney was planning a visit to Oxford
to show her New jersey parishioners the real city beneath the modern day glass.
She also was going to see her cousin Rob, but learns he is dead. She turns the
tour over to a friend and accompanied by Police Chief Tom Holden journeys to
Datchworth castle to pick up Rob’s belongings and hopefully to uncover
a clue, not understanding that the killer has no mercy especially if someone
starts sniffing too close.
Christina Summers uses flashbacks from various post
World war II years so that readers obtain a feel for the families that occupied
Datchworth Castle, but that sense of location and tradition also confuses the
audience because there seems no link to the homicide. Thus in spite of a fun
amateur sleuth working with a professional law enforcement official, the interesting
trivia disrupts an intriguing who-done-it (especially the why). Still fans of
British modern day castle murder mysteries will enjoy this tale.
Harriet Klausner
CRUSHING
CRYSTAL
Evan Marshall
Kensington, Nov 2004, $22.00, 256 pp.
ISBN 0758202288
Literary agent Jane Stuart works and lives in Shady Hills, New Jersey
and is glad to be away from the crime and troubles of New York City. She
has a wonderful nanny Florence for her eleven year old son Nicholas; because
of her friendship with Florence she allows her nanny’s sister Crystal
Ryerson to stay at her home for two weeks. When they move Crystal into
her new home, Jane is thrilled to get rid of the obnoxious, meddling know
it all busy body.
In the short time she has been in town, Crystal complained
to Children Services stating that Myrtle Lovesy’s daughter, a former drug
addict, is not fit to raise her child. She also gets a teacher fired for stealing
computers that he categorically denies. Crystal, an assistant director at the
public library, arranges a reading group. At the very first meeting the teacher
and Mrs. Lovesy are there. When Crystal climbs a ladder to get a book from the
top shelf of the bookstore, it falls on her killing her instantly. Florence
ask Jane, who has solved five homicides, to find her sister’s killer; she
agrees to help her friend not knowing that she is putting her life on the line.
CRUSHING CRYSTAL is a fantastic cozy and a delightful
amateur sleuth tale all rolled up into one terrific package. The protagonist
is intelligent and loyal willing to go the extra mile to help her friend. Evan
Marshall has written his best mystery to date because there is a subplot involving
a missing beautiful high school girl that seamlessly returns to the main story
line. This delightfully charming mystery is definitely deserving of an award
nomination.
Harriet Klausner
RAGTIME
FOR SIMLA
Barbara Cleverly
Dell, Nov 2004, $6.99, 353 pp.
ISBN: 0440242231
In 1919 Alice Conyers reaches Paris, the first leg of her trek to India
to take over the reigns of the Imperial and Colonial Trading Corporation.
Since the death of her brother Lionel during World War I, she inherited
51% of the stock while her second cousin who she plans to marry owns the
rest. However, their train falls into a ravine killing almost all on board.
Alice continues on to India where she makes her firm a success.
In 1922 Northern India, Scotland Yard Detective Joe
Sandilands has finished up his tour of duty in India and is now the guest of
Sir George Jardine, Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. He plans to spend a month
in the guest cottage at Simla at the base of the Himalayas. Joe gives a lift
to Russian opera singer Feador Korosovsky and witnesses his murder in the car
driving them to Sir George. He reports the homicide and learns that Lionel,
Alice brother died in the same spot with the same MO. Sir George asks Joe to
help the authorities. He does finding all roads lead to Alice and that train
wreck.
Barbara Cleverly has written a fantastic historical
police procedural at a time when India learned it was the equal of their occupier
sand wants freedom from British rule. The exotic locale enhances the mystery
and romance by adding an aura of danger to the westerners. The protagonist is
an enigma who readers will not like; while the antagonist receives empathy though
the choices that person made were criminal. RAGTIME FOR SIMLA provides readers
with a sense of time and place during the final hours before the sunset of the
British Empire.
Harriet Klausner
FORCED
CONVERSATION
Donald J. Bingle
Five Star, Nov 2004, $25.95, 256 pp.
ISBN: 1594142548
In the not so distant future, out of control population growth and exponentially
rising crime and disease has made earth a less than desirable place to
live. Science has advanced to the point that a mind can be downloaded
into a virtual reality utopian world, but entry is one way as the body
dies. The Mandatory Conversion Act makes it illegal not to convert.
Most earthlings reside in the VR realms; the locations
are top secret and heavily guarded to keep the computers from terrorist attacks.
There remain some outlaws refusing to convert; the Conversion Forces (ConFoes)
like Derek hunt these renegades down to either kill them or force them to convert.
Derek meets a Mal, who believes conversion is anti-religious. Scientists and
religious believers who know where the computers are hidden unite to try to
destroy the devil’s machines.
The protagonist enlisted into the ConFoes because
his paraplegic sister would have movement inside the VR realm. He plans to join
her once his enlistment time ends. He hates the real world where he detests
his fellow troops who are violent sociopaths and is forced to kill those who
try to murder him because of the uniform he wears. There is plenty of action
that flows to and from Derek while readers will also ponder the ethical issues
that raise the overall quality of this strong sci fi.
Harriet Klausner
KINGS
Ken Abraham & Daniel Hart
Plume, Sep 2004, $13.00, 274 pp.
ISBN: 0452285205
The world is beginning to believe that the simultaneous disappearance
of millions of Christians and all the children means the rapture has occurred.
War breaks out with General Izbek Noir and his mujahideen forces winning
in Africa, Asia and South America. His military is poised to take Turkey
and Europe next. A stunned fearful world turns to Azul Dante to stop Noir
and bring peace and unity to the globe.
Dante creates the Prodigal project, a religion slightly
different than the bible. Reverend Henderson Smith spearheads the movement to
bring people into the tent of the Prodigal Project. Smith made a deal with a
demon to come to the shaken by global events United States to preach. Although
he understands the Faustian deal he made, Smith is part of the Seven who will
go out and spread God’s truth to bring people to Christ. The other five
will also be tested as they follow heavenly direction.
Satan and the Antichrist are walking the earth in
his war like role as Noir while the other cons a stunned world into believing
he is the people’s champion. KINGS is an action-packed thriller that will
enthrall the audience from start to finish as Ken Abraham & Daniel Hart
tell their version of Revelations. This is a must read end times thrillers.
Harriet Klausner
A
GENTLEMAN'S GAME:
A QUEEN AND COUNTRY NOVEL
Greg Rucka
Bantam Oct 2004, $24.00, 368 pp.
ISBN: 0553802763
The terrorist attack on the London Underground leaves over three hundred
people dead. The English citizenry is outraged and scream for retribution
so the government decides to retaliate. British Secret Intelligence Service
Special Ops MI6 Division sends their top man (or in this case woman) agent
Tara Chace to take out Dr. Faud bin Abdullah al Shimmari, the extremist
ultimately responsible for the attack.
Terrorism is an international business and other nations
want a piece of Faud. Several spy agencies from western allies insist that Faud
belongs to them having suffered from his extremist terrorist activity in their
respective nations. However besides sleeping with some of her so called allies,
Chace is tired of the endless negations. She is elated when she is finally sent
to kill Faud. However, as she completes her mission with an assassination inside
the Great Mosque, a Saudi Prince dies as collateral damage. This international
incident has flamed the Moslem world with the audacity of these infidels.
This is an exhilarating espionage thriller that takes
a highly regarded comic book heroine and effortlessly turns her into the star
of her novel. The story line starts all over the place making it difficult at
first to follow, but those who remain patient will enjoy the antics and frustrations
of Chace, who knows that you cannot just make a kill in the geopolitical world
of today though that is her favorite climax. Though typical of the sub-genre
except for the gender bending superstar, fans will enjoy the adventures of this
wild Jane Bond.
Harriet Klausner
ABSENT
FRIENDS
S.J. Rozan
Delacorte, Oct 2004, $24.00, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0385338031
NYC firefighter Captain James McCaffrey is one of the fallen heroes who
died trying to save lives during the tragic collapse of the Twin Towers.
James had a heroic history with the department before his death; however
reporter Harry Randall paints a darker side of the fallen hero. He insists
that two decades ago 9/11, James and his six Staten Island compatriots
were involved and probably killed a stepson of a mob kingpin; one of them
Mark went to prison.
The four survivors of the magnificent seven, two including
Mark having died years ago, rally to protect their deceased childhood leader’s
reputation. The final foursome look back at what happened, but soon begin to
wonder why James consistently and anonymously gave money to the family of Mark.
Could James be paying off blackmail, guilt or could he be simply taking care
of a friend?
The multiple perspectives, which include flashbacks
and the thoughts when alive of individuals now dead, adds complexity, but makes
it difficult to keep track of who thinks what of James. Still the backdrop of
the aftermath of 9/11 on the City provides a fantastic thriller as the James-Mark
relationship is shown up as a minor nothingness in comparison to the humongous
tragedy. S.J. Rozan keeps the two outlooks apart so that the audience admires
a heroic fallen first responder in a city reeling but already beginning to recover
by 9/12. His allegedly dark past seems minuscule with his actions when people
needed him. This is a strong look at the immediate post 9/11 Manhattan.
Harriet Klausner
DOUBLE
SHOT
Diane Mott Davidson
Morrow, Oct 2004, $24.95, 310 pp.
ISBN: 0060527293
Caterer Goldy Schulz cannot believe the Governor of Colorado commuted
the sentence of her ex-husband wealthy Dr. John Korman, imprisoned for
aggravated assault for beating up a girlfriend like he did Goldy on numerous
occasions. Still she cannot worry about the "Jerk" as she has
an event to cater. However, not long after John is freed, harassment of
Goldy begins that turns violent when she is knocked unconscious and the
Memorial luncheon for Albert Kerr is ruined by mice and spoiled food.
She has no doubt that John is involved with her woes. To make matters
worse, the Jerk arrives at the Kerr memorial to yell at Goldy over their
teenage son Arch.
Not long afterward, someone kills the Jerk with Goldy’s
stolen gun near the body. The Aspen police believe Goldy is the prime suspect
although other members of the fifty-four conquest club have motives to see him
dead including his only other former wife Marla. Even dead the Jerk interferes
with Goldy’s life so she decides to no longer wait for the detectives to
find the killer; accompanied by her peer in the exclusive former wives' club,
she and Marla investigate.
The death of long time nemesis the Jerk will be welcomed
by readers as he had become an albatross to a fine culinary mystery series;
thus his removal works on two levels as Goldy investigates his homicide to clear
her name also. The story line is like a DOUBLE SHOT of fresh brewed coffee that
fans will appreciate as the heroine and her amusing partner make for a fine
feast. Except for the Atkins Diet crowd, readers will enjoy feasting on this
solid entry.
Harriet Klausner
BURIED
STUFF
Sharon Fiffer
St. Martin’s, Nov 2004, $23.95, 304 pp.
ISBN: 0312314167
One person’s garbage is another person’s treasure. Just ask
Jane Wheel, a picker who goes to real estate sales to buy objects which
she expects a demand to resell. She is also a private detective who seems
to attract dead bodies like a magnet and finds out who killed them. Both
professions provide Jane with the same powerful adrenalin rush although
one seems a bit more sedate than the other.
Her friends persuade Jane to host a garage sale to
rid her of the overflow and make room for new purchases. Shortly after the opening,
Jane receives a phone call from her mother in Kankakea, Illinois asking for
her and her geologist husband Charley to visit in order to examine some remains
her neighbor Fuzzy found buried on her property.
Jane, Charley and their son Mick camp on Fuzzy’s
land. A noise awakens Jane who sees a man fall to the ground. She realizes that
he is Fuzzy’s neighbor Johnny Sullivan, a now dead reporter; she also sees
Fuzzy walking back to her home. Once again Picker ad Private Investigator Jane
is on the case of a homicide.
BURIED STUFF is a terrific cozy due to the strong
support cast and obviously the center of the novel Jane, who does not know the
meaning of the word quit. Readers get a look at a Midwestern small town in which
most of the natives pull together to improve life for everyone. Sharon Fiffer
provides an interesting story that grips fans without resorting to violence
as Jane struts her stuff trying to solve this fascinating mystery.
Harriet Klausner
THE
FAMOUS FLOWER OF SERVING MEN
Deborah Grabien
Dunne, Nov 2004, $22.95, 224 pp.
ISBN: 0312333870
Theater producer of the traveling troupe The Tamborlaine Players Penelope
Wintercraft-Hawkes and folklorist and building restorer Ringan Laine never
expected to deal with ghosts again after the exorcism of the latter’s
home. Penny is ecstatic when she learns she inherited Bellefield, a theatre
on Hawthorne Walk in London. She hires Ringan to restore the place as
she plans to put on the play Iphagenia.
However, from the moment that Penny sets foot in her new theatre she hears
voices and sees visions of a woman on fire asking for a priest. The angry
ghost hurt Ringan and indirectly caused the death of an art restorer.
Until they can get rid of the ghost they cannot restore the place nor
rehearse the upcoming production. With each passing day, the ghost grows
stronger intending touse Penny as the means to leave Hawthorne Walk.
Deborah Grabien has written a fabulous ghost story in which the seemingly
mean-spirited ghost will elicit fan empathy. The protagonists are likable
and complex while brave enough to try to banish the ghost. Historical
tidbits from the reigns of Richard II and the Regent John of Gaunt provide
an authentic anchor to an enjoyable paranormal tale. Readers who enjoyed
THE FAMOUS FLOWER OF SERVING MEN will want to obtain the first novel starring
Penny and Ringan, THE WEAVER AND THE FACTORY MAID.
Harriet Klausner
INCUBUS
DREAMS
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley, Oct 2004, $23.95, 672 pp.
ISBN: 0425198243
On an alternate earth vampires and shapeshifters exist with the same legal
rights as mortals. Vampires who break the law can be killed as soon as
a federal marshal, who is a vampire executioner, catches them. One of
the most feared vampire executioners is Anita Blake, a necromancer whose
powers just keep growing thanks to the triumverate she is part of. The
other two members are St. Louis master vampire Jean-Claude and Richard
the werewolf, who desperately wants to be human again.
A group of vampires, one of them a master vamp sneaked
into the city unnoticed; they are killing strippers so the Regional Preternatural
Investigative Team of which Anita is a member is assigned the case. When Anita
is not looking for the rogue master vampire, she somehow forges a new triumverate
in which she is the master and the vampire and the shapeshifter add their powers
to hers. Richard, Anita and Jean-Claude try again to make the triumverate work
because they know the whole is greater than the individual parts.
The heroine’s life is obviously never boring
as she jumps from one lover to another and one crime scene to the next one always
knowing this could be her last leap. Anita Blake is one of the most original
characters around and she remains as fresh as if this is her first appearance.
INCUBUS DREAMS is highly erotic with plenty of sex scenes that add to the plot
and the prime player as it enables the audience to see her growing power and
its impact on her two lovers. This gender bender will appeal to romance, fantasy,
and mystery and of course horror fans.
Harriet Klausner
Harriets's Archived Reviews
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