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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October 2006
BEFORE
I WAKE
Dee Henderson
Tyndale, Oct 2006, $13.99
ISBN: 1414308159
Rae Gabriella left the FBI after years of dedicated service when a case
went ugly. She accepts a position as a private detective at Chapel Detective
Agency II, headed by her former Fed partner Bruce Chapel in Justice, Illinois
though she has doubts about working with her former lover, but her hometown
is nearby so she can visit family and she has to start somewhere.
Justice County Sheriff Nathan Justice has his hands full with a strike
that could turn violent and his grandfather. However, he soon has more
to deal with when Peggy Worth is found dead in her hotel room, five rooms
away from where Rae is staying; a woman she met earlier in the day. Peggy's
parents hire Rae to investigate what seemed likely a natural death in
her sleep of a twenty-eight years old healthy female. Soon Bruce, Rae
and Nathan know that a serial killer murders women in their hotel room
without a whisper or a hint of a struggle, but never takes their money
or jewelry so no motive has surfaced. Whereas she seeks justice, he fears
she could be next.
This is a fabulous police procedural serial killer thriller though two
of the "cops" are former law enforcement officials. The story
line hints at a romantic triangle, but that simmers on the back burner
as the trio work together to stop a clever silent killer. The story line
is action-packed as the tension mounts on two levels, personal and professional.
Fans witness a tense suspense cat and mouse thriller.
Harriet Klausner
THE
HOUNDS AND THE FURY
Rita Mae Brown
Ballantine, Oct 2006, $24.95
ISBN: 0345465474
In Virginia, septuagenarian "Sister" Jane Arnold is the grand
mistress of the foxhounds at the Jefferson Hunt Club. Though crusty she
is normally friendly to man and beast though she finds the four legged
species much kinder than the two legged animal. However, Jane does not
like two new club members due to their cavalier attitude towards tradition.
Affluent Crawford Howard disrespects everyone especially Jane when he
deems their antiquated methodology holds him back; he commits the ultimate
insult when he purchase foxhounds to form his own rival club. Cancer specialist
Jason Woods expects VIP special treatment from the JHC especially Jane,
but even long time members do not get superior handling and Sister tries
to ignore him. Meanwhile Jane's companion Gray Lorillard audits the books
of a local company only to learn Iphigenia "Iffy" Demetrios
has been withdrawing money from it for years. Not long afterward someone
murders Iffy and wounds Gray's brother. Jane and her four legged buddies
conclude that someone fears what else the audit will reveal.
The villain is obvious and the story line with talking animals used by
Rita Mae Brown in this series (see FULL CRY) and her other major series
(Mrs. Murphy) will delight her fans who will definitely want to read this
charming cozy. The talk with the animals' whodunit is fun to follow as
Sister and her four legged pals investigate the murder and the apparent
attempted murder where she assumes Gray was the target. Fans of Ms. Brown
will enjoy her latest personification mystery.
Harriet Klausner
PLAYED
Barbara Freethy
Signet, Oct 2006, $6.99
ISBN: 0451219694
In San Francisco, Barclay Auction House will sell the Benedetti Diamonds
especially one special gem with a heart inside. Local security and a team
from Italy guard the treasures, but are unaware of the tunnels below the
auction house. Meanwhile at a gala, art historian and genealogist Christina
Alberti wears the fabulous star diamond of the collection. Attending the
party is FBI Agent J.T. McIntyre who thinks his college roommate sociopath
thief Evan Chadwick will try to steal the gem. Stefano Benedetti worries
Christina might help her father steal the gem.
Christina checks the gem and overall it looks okay but there is no heart
inside. She wonders if a mistake occurred or her father somehow pulled
a switch. J.T. and Christina are attracted to one another and he warns
her that if the diamond is stolen, she will be blamed due to her father.
He begs her to come clean with him for he believes she is hiding something.
She says he will arrest her anyway so why should she trust him. When the
gem is stolen, he joins her on the investigation that leads to her father
in Italy not his former friend in California, but J. T. fears Evan is
coming for father and daughter.
This is a terrific romantic suspense made more powerful by the complex
relationship between the lead couple as her father comes between them.
She believes her father would not hurt her so he must be innocent while
he thinks otherwise that her dad is the thief. The strong support cast
augments the fast-paced tale while a terrific final twist that will surprise
readers. In spite of the improbable scenario that the villain, who has
no grasp of reality, employs deep analysis of the logic of others that
enables him to learn information faster than the Feds or others, fans
will appreciate his cat and mouse game.
Harriet Klausner
SIGN
OF THE CROSS
Chris Kuzneski
Jove, Oct 2006, $7.99
ISBN: 0515142115
Thirty miles north of Copenhagen in Helsingor, Denmark, Father Erik Jansen
is crucified on a cross with a sign nailed to the top: "IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER". By the time touring students find the deceased, his
corpse is rotted gray and birds are dining on his flesh. The next day,
identical homicides occur in other parts of the world.
At the same time of the crucifixion murders, archeologist Dr. Charles
Boyd leads a dig at the Middle Ages "Vacation Vatican haven underneath
Orvieto, Italy. There he believes he will find a depository of scrolls;
that is if he and his crew can locate the Catacombs that most of his peers
classify on a par with the Loch Ness monster. Boyd proves right as he
and his assistant Maria Pelati make a discovery that would destroy Christianity.
Now they are targets of several diverse groups, one of which is killing
priests already and another is sanctioned by the Vatican. Their only hope
to stay alive long enough to show their finding from first century Rome
to the world reside in the penitentiary in Pamplona, Spain where former
MANIACS Jonathan Payne and David Jones linger waiting for "official"
intervention.
Loosely echoing the Brown phenomena, SIGN OF THE CROSS is an action-packed
Christian conspiracy thriller that goes full speed from the onset (with
the murder of Father Erik) and never slows down until the final explanation
of the finding. The fast-paced story line grips the audience as the plausibility
of the discovery seems reasonable so that the too many cat and mouse encounters
that follow appear possible. Though the cast in some ways come out of
Brownian 101 casting, readers will appreciate Chris Kuzneski strong thriller
that refreshes the Christian conspiracy sub-genre.
Harriet Klausner
SPY
Ted Bell
Atria, Aug 2006, $25.95
ISBN: 0743277236
Alex Hawke knew immediately that his vessel the Pura Vida on the Rio Negro
was destroyed by the explosion killing many of his colleagues including
marine biologist Dana Gibbon. He had to let go of her hand to reach shore.
He made it to land only to be caught and sold as a slave worker to the
Xucurur who guard the work camps of the Muhammed Top. Alex serves on a
road contraction crew and as a human target in case enemy combatants attack;
life expectancy is zero. Though death looks more welcoming than life,
Alex, wondering about this Al Qaeda army in the middle of the Amazonian
jungle escapes.
He realizes the American government leaders are preoccupied with reelections
which mean fake temporary concentration on the Mexican border; though
real issues abound involving masse illegals and the Mexican army crossing
into American territory and young females kidnapped from border towns.
Alex turns to trusted friends Ambrose Congreve and Stokely Jones to help
infiltrate the Las Medianoches Al Qaeda cell because he believes they
plan something spectacularly jihad against the United States probably
at that suddenly prominent line in the sand called the Mexican Border.
In his fourth appearance (see ASSASSIN, HAWKE, and PIRATE) Alex is at
his best as he suffers survivor guilt though he also believes those like
Dana are better off dead. Yet the premise of Mr. Bell's work is that the
"terrorists in the jungle scenario" is based on the immigration
of Hezbollah operatives from Lebanon during the 1970s civil war. Fans
will appreciate the fast-paced and action packed thriller; as readers
join Alex and his teammates on a quest to prevent the jihad from happening
with the odds heavily favoring the terrorists in their plan to devastate
North America.
Harriet Klausner
SHATTERED
DANCE
Caitlin Brennan
Luna, Oct 2006, $12.99, 400 pp.
ISBN 037380248X
At the bottom of the Mountain live the horse mages and their horses who
are really gods. Valeria is the first female horse mage and one of the
most powerful as is her lover First Rider Kerrec. After giving birth to
their daughter, Kerrec and Valeria ride to the capital city of Aurelia
so the riders and their horses can dance theCoronation dance, a magical
spell that shapes the future. Once they arrive in the capital, they sense
the foulness of the One God and the Empress falls into the trap of one
of her priests.
The Empress is rendered sterile which means that Kerrec's children will
be her heir, but first he must marry a noble woman. Although she understands
why this has to be, Valeria leaves the city to go to the outlying edge
of the empire where the barbarians still rule. The Ard Ri is Euan, the
barbarian prince she loved and whose life she saved twice even though
she stopped him from toppling the empire. He wants to make her his queen
and she agrees not realizing that if she goes through with the marriage
she will destroy all she holds dear.
This romantic fantasy will bring tears to the eyes of the audience as
two lovers put the needs of the empire before their own desires. Caitlin
Brennan has written a fabulous adult fairy tale in which the audience
wonders whether hero and heroine will live happily ever after. The characters
are well developed and the setting is reminiscent of the Roman Empire
with the barbarians at the gates temporarily restrained. SHATTERED DANCE
is a very special story and this reviewer hopes there will be more tales
starring these remarkable characters. This is one fantasy readers will
hate to see end.
Harriet Klausner
MAGIC
STUDY
Maria V. Snyder
Luna, Oct 2006, $21.95, 384 pp.
ISBN 0373802498
Yelena has left Ixia where she was under an order of execution to return
to her birth home of Sitia where she once was kidnapped when she was just
a child. She wants to meet her birth family and study magic at the Citadel
under the tutelage of her mentor, Master Magician Irys. Her first disappointment
comes when her brother Leif thinks she is an lxian spy. When she kidnapped
by the only living royal who has a claim to the Ixian throne, Leif sides
with him.
When she arrives at the Citadel, she is mind raped by the First Magician
who admits she is not a spy. Yelena's magic is powerful and doesn't always
work the way it is supposed to because she lacks experience and training.
Her lover in Ixia, Valek, second only to the leader Commander Ambrose
journeys into Sitia as part of the delegation and since he is immune to
magic he is the perfect person to save her from two kidnappers and an
attempt on her life. However, to save the life of an innocent, Yelena
must risk everything. She also knows that failure means rebels will overthrow
the lawful government.
Picking up where POISON STUDY left off, MAGIC STUDY is a fantastic fantasy
set in a world where magic exists in some countries and banned in others.
Yelena's adventures have forced her to mature and though she doesn't know
the extent of her powers, she knows that she wants to learn to use them
to help people. Her time in lxia and her roots in Sitia give her an understanding
of both countries that nobody else has which means she has plenty of options
for her future.
Harriet Klausner
THE
BANCROFT STRATEGY
Robert Ludlum
St. Martin's, Oct 2006, $26.95
ISBN 0312316730
Because he is considered the best at locating the target, U.S. intelligence
agent Todd "The Hound" Belknap is granted by his boss a much
wider degree of discretion than his field associates to accomplish his
mission. Currently the Hound is irate that his superiors refuse to try
to retrieves captured agent "Pollux" from a Lebanese militia
in Beirut. Refusing to leave a peer in enemy hands, the Hound comes out
of the warmth to return to the cold. He heads to Lebanon to liberate Pollux
or die trying.
At the same time, the Hound begins stirring up local hostility in the
Middle East, financial analyst Andrea Bancroft begins to realize that
her family's philanthropic foundation is a cover for nefarious disturbing
international plots. She digs deeper as she uncovers a connection to a
missing American agent in Beirut. Going on site to see what is truly happening,
Andrea fears that the Bancroft Foundation is at the core of global unrest
even as she wonders if she is over dramatizing the conspiracy; that is
until she meets the Hound.
Though Robert Ludlum of the Bourne fame died five years ago, new thrillers
under his name have continued to appear. The latest THE BANCROFT STRATEGY
is a fast-paced international thriller starring a lone espionage renegade,
a courageous intelligent female, a conspiracy, and a secret cabal with
the vortex between them being Pollux. The action never slows down, but
lacks the freshness that Bourne contained (and still does). Still this
is a fun tale filled with plenty of action that fans of the author will
enjoy even if it is Ludlum-lite.
Harriet Klausner
OFFSPRING
Liam Jackson
Dunne, Oct 2006, $23.95
ISBN: 031235570X
The Runner, as Lucifer prefers to be called, knows that he won't be the
one to cause Heaven's Gate to fall; instead the Usurper, one of the Seraphim,
has turned against the Creator with over one third of the angels joining
his cause. Lucifer turned his eye towards earth and has corrupted the
Eye of God, the vortex in the multiverse where all planes connect. This
enables travel from one locale to another. Lucifer makes a temporary alliance
with the demons from the plane of Sitra Akhra to further corrupt humanity.
The Greater Demons want the Offspring, the descendents of angel and human
mating, destroyed so Lucifer sends his Fallen to perform the task. He
also wants them to un-make the Earthbound Host. Of particular interest
to the Demon and by default Lucifer is teenager Sam Conner, an Offspring,
who like his peers is heading to Abbottsville, Tennessee. Along the way
he has divine assistance and joins with other Offspring, who answer the
Call of the Eye of God, which must be closed before more and greater demons
enter earth to destroy it.
The fearful protagonist is prepared to fight his enemies and if need be
die at the gateway to earth to accomplish his mission. Acting as he does,
he displays courage though he is very afraid and does not want to die.
The adrenaline pumping story line is reminiscent of Frank Perretti's books
in which spiritual warfare on earth is common. Liam Jackson opens his
six saga thriller with an awesome tale as the OFFSPRING try to give humanity
a choice between the light and the dark.
Harriet Klausner
WHAT
CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER
Elizabeth George
Harper Collins, Oct 2006, $26.95
ISBN: 006056332X
In London preadolescent Joel Campbell feels the weight of the world upon
him as he resides in his Aunt Kendra's dump with his older sister Ness
and his crazy younger brother Toby. His dad is dead from a bad drug deal
and his mom is locked away in a psycho ward. Ness is more hooligan than
sibling as she suffered sexual assault from male relatives that has turned
her into a sex abuser and drug loser. His Aunt assumes a roof is enough.
Thus Joel watches over Toby, who looks like he will be taken away into
the foster system.
His efforts to save his siblings always fail and lead to tragic consequences.
Saving Toby from punks almost led to the youngster's death in an inferno;
his helping Ness with her nasty boyfriend led to her gang rape and subsequent
knifing of those who harm her. Now he arranges with local drug dealer
Blade to protect his siblings, which leads the eleven years old adult-child
to Belgravia where he holds a gun waiting for Helen Lynley, wife of a
Police Inspector. As always Joel's efforts turn tragic and now he is the
focus of a seemingly senseless homicide as she is gunned down on her doorstep,
but is it really random?
Although readers might feel there is too much Dickensian pathos in this
tale, WHAT CAME BEFORE HE SHOT HER is a powerful condemnation of western
society's inability or perhaps just not giving a darn about the plight
of the disenfranchised poor, especially the young once they are born.
The aunt and her three dumpees are fully developed protagonists whose
troubles grip readers from the start especially the seemingly Shakespearean
like doomed tragic Joel. Showing a different perspective from WITH NO
ONE AS WITNESS (both are stand alones, but complement one another) in
which Helen was murdered, Elizabeth George is at her best with this powerful
chilling censuring of Blair's England.
Harriet Klausner
CUTLINE
Bonnie Hearn Hill
Mira, Oct 2006, $6.99
ISBN 0778323471
The Body of San Francisco Father David McCaffrey is found slashed to death
in Golden Gate Park. Because the victim is a priest, a media feeding frenzy
explodes as the police investigate the homicide. When the forensic report
confirmed Father David had sex just before dying, the media turns euphoric
as they now have sensational cutlines starring the Father and "The
Razor Killer". Among those reporting on the murder is Times journalist
Leta Blackburn, but she vanished soon after Father David died.
Reporter Geri LaRue arrives in San Francisco expecting to meet her friend's
sister Leta at the airport, only to learn the award winning journalist
has disappeared without a trace. Geri reviews Leta's file on the case,
which leads her to therapist Malcolm Piercy, who believes the culprit
gets off sexually by murdering beloved mates sort of like a black widow.
As they work together and are attracted to one another, the killer observes
Malc and Geri with plans of a horrific CUTLINE involving a female reporter
dying after a sexual encounter.
The latest Bonnie Hearn Hill journalistic investigative tale (see IF IT
BLEEDS) is a terrific tense thriller as readers ironically know how much
danger Geri is in while the reporter is clueless in spite of her finding
evidence pointing towards the killer. Geri is a dedicated solid reporter
who knows that Malc is hiding something from her; Malc feels guilty but
has doubts about revealing his theory even OFF THE RECORD (next LaRue
installment). Fans of suspense cat and mouse thrillers with a romantic
subplot will enjoy the exciting CUTLINE.
Harriet Klausner
THE
WIDOW
Carla Neggers
Mira, Oct 2006, $21.95
ISBN 077832303X
In Mount Desert, Maine, FBI Special Agent Chris Browning and his wife
Boston homicide detective Abigail are on their honeymoon when someone
murders him. Seven years later, the homicide is unsolved and classified
as a cold case by local authorities.
Thirtyish Abigail has not been able to find closure as long as her spouse's
killer walks free. She decides she has waited too long so she resolves
to return to the killing scene to investigate. She begins questioning
locals starting with Owen Garrison, who had informed her that Chris was
dead. Most of the locals offer nothing while the summer people offer less.
However though emotionally dying with every step, Abigail refuses to back
off even when someone tries to kill her.
THE WIDOW is a fabulous private investigative tale (Abigail may be a cop
but she is on her own) in which the heroine seeks closure, but finds a
myriad of plausible suspects instead. The Maine background adds to the
feeling of New England stoic silence that seems to hammer at Abigail's
inquiries. Though a romantic subplot with Owen seems more a throw in to
fans of that genre, Carla Neggers provides a strong thriller.
Harriet Klausner
GRAVE
SURPRISE
Charlaine Harris
Berkley, Oct 2006, $23.95
ISBN 0425212033
In a Memphis cemetery cynical anthropology professor Dr. Clyde Nunley
tests Harper Connelly's clairvoyance skills in front of his students;
he expected either a fraud or failure. However, Harper realizes something
is wrong with a freshly dug grave. Inside is a different person than that
identified by the cemetery.
Surprisingly, the victim is a missing twelve year old, Tabitha Morgenstern,
whom Harper failed to find two years ago in Nashville. The police look
closely at Harper and her manager, her stepbrother Tolliver Lang as prime
suspects as the coincident seems too much. Clyde sticks to his belief
that Harper is a con artist, but soon after he accuses her of chicanery
while imbibed, his corpse is found in the same burial plot that Tabitha
was interred in. The Memphis police live in Harper's hotel room looking
for evidence while Tabitha's family wants more from the psychic and the
media turns this into an even wilder circus.
The second grave investigative paranormal mystery (see GRAVE SIGHT) is
a terrific amusing sleuth tale in which the heroine and her stepbrother
decide to take on the case because they are the prime suspects only every
clue they find adds to the growing evidence that the siblings did the
homicides. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with dry graveyard
humor yet contains a strong sleuthing subplot. As with the Sookie tales,
Charlaine Harris has another winning series to her credit.
Harriet Klausner
LONE
WOLF
Linwood Barclay
Bantam, Oct 2006, $6.99
ISBN: 0553804553
Zack Walker is relived to learn that the body found at his fishing camp
near his cabin belongs not to his father, but to Morton DeWort, a guest
who was staying at the home that Timothy Wickens is renting from Arlen
Walker. Timothy claims a bear mauled him, but a nurse at the camp insists
that Morton died from dog bites. The Wickers own vicious canines trained
to kill people so everyone avoids them and even Chief Orville fears confronting
them.
While his father recovers from injuries, Zack runs the camp and also investigates
the Wickens. He finds their yard is a mess filled with cars in various
need of repair. The house smells of feces and the only apparent way in
is via a padlocked gate. A picture of Timothy McVeigh on the wall increases
Zack's worries as does the feeling of horror from a family who believes
the holocaust is a lie and Jews and Blacks are second class citizens.
A feed store worker is killed and thousands of pounds of fertilizer is
stolen. Timothy's daughter asks for refuge for her and her son from her
father. Zack thinks the Wickens plans to explode a major bomb, but he
lacks proof.
The Wickens are obviously a bunch of whackos, but no evidence proves they
are doing anything illegal besides which they have intimated everyone
including the police chief and lawyers as Arlen learns when he cannot
obtain legal help as one attorney's house was previously blown up. Zack
sees the ties between murder, the stolen fertilizer and the alleged bear
killing, but lacks proof that the Wickens plans something nasty. Though
perhaps the villains are too evil, Linwood Barclay masterly provides deeply
developed characters starting with the paranoid Zack and following with
the malevolent Wickens.
Harriet Klausner
CALCULATED
LOSS
Linda L. Richards
Mira, Sep 2006, $6.99
ISBN: 0778323455
When she hears the news that her celebrity chef and former spouse Braydon
Gauthier committed suicide, day trader Madeline Carter is shocked because
that seems so out of character for the upbeat bigger than life gourmand.
Feeling an obligation and having divorced amiably, Madeline attends Braydon's
funeral in Vancouver while wondering why he killed himself.
However, when she learns he killed himself by dining on a poisoned duck
a l'orange and beef Shiraz, Madeline knows instantly he was murdered.
She tries to explain to the local police her rationale, but they blow
her away as a griever in denial. Knowing Braydon would never have had
that type of combination that separately are delights but together kills
the palate, she begins investigating starting with his finance even as
someone watches her closely to insure if she seems too close to uncovering
the truth, a second suicide of a the grieving "widow" will follow.
CALCULATED LOSS is a fascinating amateur sleuth tale starring a heroic
protagonist whose logic for why Braydon died is odd, but shows she knew
her ex spouse. When the police tell her to forget it, Madeline cannot;
so she begins her inquiries seeking a motive as to why someone poisoned
the gourmet chef. Linda L. Richards provides a delicious Vancouver whodunit
that never slows down until the final meal is served.
Harriet Klausner
HUNDRED
DOLLAR BABY
Robert B. Parker
Putnam, Oct 2006, $24.95
ISBN: 0399153764
Boston private investigator Spenser makes no moral judgments of how people
live so when hooker April Kyle (see CEREMONY and TAMING A SEA HORSE) needs
help, he provides it. He goes even further hooking (pun intended) her
up with a high class madam. April is in trouble again so she turns to
Spenser for help. Someone wants to take over her business and so has hired
Ollie DeMars to harass and frighten her into paying for protection.
Spenser learns that the man behind the muscle is Lionel Farnsworth who
teamed up with April to scare her mentor out of money used to open up
a chain of bordellos. April claims she broke off with Lionel when she
caught him having sex with one of her girls and tells Spenser to back
off. Soon after confronting his client, Spenser finds out that someone
murdered Ollie, who once shared a low security cell with Lionel. Spenser
feels strongly that April is hiding something from him; he needs to find
out what that is because he believes she is in a lot more trouble than
she admits.
Spenser is at his best in HUNDRED DOLLAR BABY as he tries to help a female
friend who rejects his assistance as she spirals downward. One of the
hero's endearing traits is he makes friends with politically incorrect
individuals who in many cases work outside the law. Robert B. Parker refreshes
his long running series as Spenser struggles with the object of his protection
insisting he butt out.
Harriet Klausner
SHORT
STRAW
Stuart Woods
Putnam, Oct 2006, $25.95, 304 pp.
ISBN 0399153683
Santa Fe attorney Ed Eagle wakes up surprised to see that his wife Barbara
is nowhere to be found at home or in their new office. He learns that
one and a half million dollars is being transferred to an account in the
Cayman Islands. His broker tells Ed that he liquidated his million dollar
account and are getting ready to wire it. He's able to stop the money
from being transferred except for the $300,000 Barbara took out of her
new account.
Ed hires private detective Cupie Dalton to Mexico City where the money
bounced to from the Cayman Islands. He wants Cupie to find his spouse
and have her sign six sheets of papers. Barbara ends up shooting him and
even though the wound isn't severe he sends another private detective
Vittorio for back up. Someone in Mexico wants Barbara dead and the two
PIs end up protecting her. She tricks them into thinking she signed the
papers not once but twice and Ed realizes just how dangerous she really
is when he learns she took a hit out on him. Ed with the help of the two
private detectives is determined to bring her down, but Ed wants his wife
alive while other men want her dead for what she did to them.
The antagonist is the personification of a black widow, willing to kill
her mate (and others) to get what she wants which is his money. This leads
the audience to wonder how Ed and others missed her lethal avaricious
traits. SHORT STRAW starts out at light speed and never slows down as
is typical of Stuart Woods' action thrillers. Surprisingly his characters
are three dimensional, not stereotypes and all of them are believable.
Let us hope the author writes more works starring Ed Eagle, a protagonist
who gets things done his way.
Harriet Klausner
THE
CHEMISTRY OF DEATH
Simon Beckett
Delacorte, Oct 2006, $22.00
ISBN: 0385340044
A drunk driver killed his wife and daughter, but walked away from the
vehicular homicide scene without a scratch. A despondent Dr. David Hunter
left everything behind including his forensic anthropology vocation to
move to the small English village Manham as an assistant to general practitioner
Dr. Henry Mallard.
A corpse found in the woods turns out to be Sally Palmer, a woman that
David was once involved with. He also finds her dog dead from a knife
wound to the throat. At the request of Chief Inspector Mackenzie, David
examines the crime scene and the body; he concludes that the killer held
the woman captive for three days before killing her. When Lyn Metcalf
vanishes while running, the fear is the culprit has abducted his second
victim, which proves true when her body is found. As David helps Mackenzie
connect the dots, Jenny the woman he is dating vanishes making the investigation
personal.
Fans of Patricia Cornwell and Christine McGuire will love this enticing
investigative thriller. The protagonist lost everything when his family
died, but has returned to life when he met Jenny. He is unable to remain
a spectator leaving her life in the hands of the police though he respects
the Chief's competency. Thus he begins his own investigation with readers
encouraging him. Simon Beckett provides a delightful village whodunit
starring a scarred soul trying to prevent another tragedy.
Harriet Klausner
COLD
AS DEATH
T.J. MacGregor
Pinnacle, Oct, 2006, $6.99, 352 pp.
ISBN 0786016817
After the Category Five hurricane destroyed the Florida Keys, psychic
Mira Morales is trying to piece her life together. She has construction
teams work on her home and bookstore and is also trying to get over her
break-up with Shep who doesn't want to deal with wormholes, trips to the
past, visions, ghosts, and things that go bump in the night. Mira is taking
a walk trying to clear her mind when she sees the ghostly vision of a
woman fleeing a house.
When the ghost disappears, she enters the house and finds the dead body
of a maid. Paul Nichols, one of the owners of the house thinks, she killed
the woman and kidnapped her son Adam but the FBI doesn't consider her
a suspect since she has helped them many times solve cases. It is former
actor Spenser Fitch who took Adam because he blames Paul, a director and
his academy awarding winning wife Suki for his failure to become a well
knows actor because they rejected him for the leading role in one of their
pictures. Suki hires Mira to find her son and she ends up getting kidnapped
and put in the same room as Adam; it will take otherworldly intervention
to get them out of there alive.
Shep gets drawn back into Mira's world when they work on the case together
and despite his desire to never experience the paranormal again, he acknowledges
that he is bound emotionally to Mira. The antagonist has killed before
but he acts like a mixed up kid who is still in recovery from the trauma
of being raised by a physically abusive father. COLD AS DEATH plunges
the reader into an absorbing thriller that takes place on two different
levels; the real world and the metaphysical realm. Did I forget to mention
the mermaid?
Harriet Klausner
A
PEACH OF A MURDER
Livia J. Washburn
Signet, Oct 2006, $6.99, 272 pp.
ISBN 0451219740
The townsfolk of Weatherford, Texas is getting ready for the annual festival
and housemates Phyllis, Mattie and Carolyn are plucking peaches in Newt
Bishop's Orchard. Phyllis happens to notice that Newt is arguing with
another man who turns out to be his own son. When she hears a scream coming
from the barn, they see that Newt's car fell on top of him. They later
learn that it might have been murder instead of an accident.
At the cooking competition, Donnie, an affluent businessman and one of
the judges, suddenly keels over; it is later discovered that his water
jar was laced with arsenic gotten from the laetrile from the peach pits.
Suspicion falls on Carolyn because her daughter who worked for Donnie
was arrested because he charged her with embezzlement; she claim he wanted
revenge as she spurned his advances. A high school student commits suicide
and one of the teachers is run over in a hit and run. Nobody realizes
all these events are linked and when Phyllis discovers who the link is
she doesn't want to believe it nor do any of the townsfolk.
Instead of pining away when her beloved husband died, the heroine opened
her home to boarders and now three retired teachers and a widower who
recently lost his wife are active in the community and are there for one
another. Although Phyllis and Carolyn were competing in the cooking contest,
Phyllis starts her own investigation because she is sure her friend is
innocent. There are many surprises in this entertaining who done it but
when the killer is revealed, nobody can believe that person is the killer.
Livia J. Washburn has a refreshing way with words and knows how to tell
an exciting story.
Harriet Klausner
FEAR
OF THE DARK
Walter Mosley
Little, Brown, Oct 2006, $25.99
ISBN 0316734586
In 1956 Watts, Ulysses "Useless" S. Grant IV visits his cousin
bookseller Paris Minton with his usual request; he needs his help to extract
him out of a potentially lethal but definitely dangerous situation that
he insists is a misunderstanding that got out of control. With a personal
philosophy to avoid trouble, Paris, who refuses to allow Useless into
his home or store, knows he needs to say no because assisting his cousin
means you bought into strife you do not need. Still he loves his aunt,
Useless' mom, so cannot refuse the creep; needing a hero, he turns to
his friend Fearless Jones.
Fearless has his own problems at the moment as he fears the dark ever
since he was buried in a crawl space with a dead Tiny Bobchek, former
boyfriend of his lover Jessa Brown and all he could think of when he was
in the crawl space was sharing eternity with this loser. Still he will
do anything for his friend Paris even saving the sorry butt of blackmailing
trickster Useless. Enlisting the dirty dozen, Fearless and his allies
seek the leader of the blackmailing ring leaving behind with each clue
a corpse or two.
In his latest appearance (see FEARLESS JONES and FEAR ITSELF) Fearless
faces his fears as he assists his friend Paris help his useless cousin
out of love for the cretin's mom, Aunt Three Hearts. The violent exciting
story line contains an interesting philosophical underpinning that ties
ancient Mythos musing to 1950s street corner thinking as the hero, his
loyal sidekick, and the fool do what it takes to survive, thrive, and
jive in pre Dodger Los Angeles.
Harriet Klausner
SHOOTING
GALLERY
Hailey Lind
Signet, Oct 2006, $6.99, 352 pp.
ISBN 0451219732
Annie Kincaid grew up knowing the people who populated the art underworld
thanks to her grandfather, the expert forger Georges LeFleur. Annie is
almost as good an artist and at seventeen was arrested for selling forgeries
of French masters. The only reason she isn't doing prison time is there
was no evidence and the French couldn't believe an American could do such
work that even the experts were fooled.
At an open air art exhibit, Annie is the only one who knows that the sculpture
of a man is really a dead body with his fingers chopped off. At the same
time of her discovery, a Chagall painting is stolen and her friend Bryan
is the number one suspect. She promises to find the painting and while
there she is hired by the Hewitts to get back the sculpture Head and Torso
taken by his creator Robert Pascal. She also agrees to help her landlord,
the owner of a security firm, to restore a Picasso that has crayons drawn
on it. When Michael, the notorious art thief comes back in her life, she
suddenly receives death threats and is almost killed by someone who believes
she has something they want.
The protagonist in SHOOTING GALLERY is a vibrant and quirky character
who tries so hard to stay on the right side of the law but when the people
she cares about are in trouble she finds herself in shaky legal territory.
The support cast is populated with eccentric characters who add a lot
of humor to this fast paced delightful amateur sleuth tale. Readers will
want more mysteries starring the incomparable Anne Kincaid
Harriet Klausner
ELECTRIC
BLUE
Nancy Bush
Kensington, Oct 2006, $19.95
ISBN: 075820907X
Dwayne Durbin is mentoring process server Jane Kelly on the fine art of
becoming an information specialist also known as a private detective.
For the most part the rookie is doing great work. He assigns her to tail
a woman at a spa whose husband believes she is cheating on him. She discovers
who the perpetrator is vandalizing a homeowner whose house extension is
opposed by his neighbors. She is paid for these jobs, but the Purcell
case, which takes up much of her time, is gratis.
Jazz Purcell contacts Dwayne who dumps him on Jane because he thinks she
and he and his blood kin are crazy. Jane meets Jazz's grandmother Orchid
to learn if the elderly matriarch is mentally slipping perhaps into dementia
or Alzheimer's. Jane is uncertain, but advices Orchid not to grant power
of attorney to any or her relatives as the tyro sleuth trusts none of
them to care for the interests of the geriatric and probably want her
dead. When Orchid dies, Jane feels a murder occurred and is obsessed with
uncovering the killer's identity though that places her and Dwayne at
risk.
Nancy Bush has written a witty clever private investigative tale that
is filled with plenty of surprises and skeletons that see the light of
day due to the stubbornness of the heroine. Jane is a hoot as she turns
away from the wealthy handsome Jazz because he is not the one yet remains
in denial when it comes to Dwayne who deep down may be the one. Readers
will be disturbed by the dysfunctional seemingly uncaring Purcell family
that in some ways could come from recent headlines. ELECTRIC BLUE is simply
electrifying thanks mostly to Jane who concocts quite a cocktail.
Harriet Klausner
GAITS
OF HEAVEN
Susan Conant
Berkley, Oct 2006, $22.95, 336 pp.
ISBN 0425211878
Ted and Eumie won training lessons for their golden Aussie hiskapoo at
the Cambridge Dog Training Club. Holly Winter feels responsible for their
good natured but untrained and not housebroken Dolfo since she was the
one who convinced the club to offer the free lessons. She volunteers to
train the Green's dog but at one of the very first lessons, Holly finds
Eumie dead in her bed.
The police believe she was murdered because powerful drugs were found
in a health drink that only she imbibed. Eumi's daughter Caprice, who
can't stand her stepfather or stepbrother Wyeth, goes to live with Holly,
her husband Steve and their five dogs. The remaining Greens are severely
dysfunctional and infested by a plethoric of various mental health care
needs. Wyeth is perhaps the most troubled of all and his actions lead
to a group meeting consisting of anyone connected to the Greens including
the killer.
Susan Conant is well known for her colorful and intriguing amateur sleuth
mysteries. In addition to telling a great story, she deals with social
issues that are relevant today and in GAITS OF HEAVEN the biggest issue
she addresses is the over medication of doctors who don't communicate
with their peers so they never fully know what pills their clients are
taking. The plot is fast paced, the characters are hot and eccentric,
and the dogs stealthily steal the show as is typical in a Ms. Conant tale.
Harriet Klausner
DOLLED
UP FOR MURDER
Deb Baker
Berkley, Oct 2006, $6.99, 288 pp.
ISBN 0425212637
Gretchen Birch's family has some interesting occupations; her mother collects
and repairs dolls and her aunt Nina trains small dogs to stay in purses.
When Nina calls to tell Gretchen that her mother is missing, she asks
Gretchen to fly out to Phoenix. When she arrives there she learns that
her mother's friend Marha, a "one time doll collector" who ended
up as a homeless person fell off the cliff on Camelback Mountain. In her
hand there was a note in her hand stating "Carolina Birch-put her
away"
Two hikers saw Caroline on the mountains shortly after Martha was murdered
which makes her the prime suspect. It doesn't help that Caroline disappeared
or that an inventory list contained a doll that belonged to Martha was
found in Caroline's home. Caroline meanwhile is in Chicago looking at
a doll and bidding on another doll on e-bay in the hopes of bringing down
a villain and clearing her name. Gretchen and Nina work independently
of the police but everything they unearth points to Caroline as a killer.
Deb Baker has written a charming cozy that brings into the light the dark
side of doll collecting. The support cast is so well drawn that readers
understood their motivations, including the two homeless persons integral
to the plot, and the heroine who is an everyday person who goes about
investigating in a rational realistic manner. DIALED UP FOR MURDER is
a great opening book to what feels like a charming new mystery series.
Harriet Klausner
KIDNAPPED
Jan Burke
Simon & Schuster, Oct 2006, $24.00, 366 pp.
ISBN: 0743273850
Five years ago Richard Fletcher was murdered, his head bashed in to disguise
a bullet wound and his daughter Jenny disappeared. Jenny's brother Mason
was found in the desert with drugs in his system and the murder weapon
and bloody clothes in the back of his car. He was tried and convicted
for the murder of his father and the kidnapping of Jenny. He was given
life without parole but his brother Caleb believes his sibling is innocent.
His mother remarries Richard's brother Nelson who has loved her for a
lifetime.
In the present Las Piernas News Express reporter Irene Kelley has written
a story on missing children. She receives a multitude of calls from grieving
parents including a heartbreaking one from Blade Ives who was married
to former Express reporter Bonnie Crews. She also covers the story of
a body being found by a cadaver dog belong to Sheila Polson, another Fletcher.
When Irene visits Sheila at her home, she finds her murdered and sees
a car driving away. As Irene tries to connect the dots that link the murders
of Shelia and Richard, Jenny's disappearance and the buried body her life
is in danger from someone who will kill to keep certain secrets buried.
Anytime Jan Burke writes an Irene Kelly mystery it is a time for rejoicing.
Ms. Burk's novels continual back and forth moves from the third person
point of view to the first and should be jolting but instead seems effortless
as readers don't notice due in part to the author's creative style. Great
characterizations unexpected twists and plenty of surprises pull the audience
deep into the storyline and keep them there until they finish the book.
Kidnapped is a fascinating work, deserving of an Edgar nomination.
Harriet Klausner
THE
DEVIL'S BACKBONE
Kim Wozencraft
St. Martin's, Sep 2006, $24.95
ISBN: 0312290632
Katherine "Kit" Metcalf and her sister Jenny reacted differently
to the family dynamics after their mom died. Whereas Jenny obeyed their
martinet father by becoming a cop like him and is engaged to an undercover
police officer, Kit chose philosophy in college and avoided anything remotely
involving law enforcement. Adding to Kit's estrangement is a rape that
she never has come to terms with or gotten over. In anger towards all
males, Kit becomes a stripper at Austin's Blaze gentleman's club where
she can safely tease men with glass between her and them.
However, the dynamics change again when Austin police detective Jenny,
investigating a porn ring and related murder tied to Blaze, is found dead.
Needing to obtain justice for the sister she feels she let down, Kit begins
to obtain therapy with psychiatrist Dr. Emily Wolfe and investigates her
sibling's murder over the objections of everyone she knows. However one
objector has personal reasons to prevent Kit from succeeding either with
therapy or her case. That adversary attacks Dr. Wolfe and steals Kit's
file. Kit ponders if it is her dad, her late sister's fiancé Luke
Saner, or someone else close to her who needs the truth to remain buried
perhaps in her subconscious mind.
More a psychological thriller than an amateur sleuth tale, fans of both
sub-genres and anyone who appreciates a deep character study will want
to read this superb candid tale. The story line is action-packed, but
it is the psyche of Kit that grips the audience as she grieves with no
help from her stiff upper lip family who didn't help her when her mom
died. Kim Wozencraft provides an incredible look at a woman over the edge
without a safety net. The Devil's Backbone is a chillingly thrilling tale.
Harriet Klausner
Harriets's Archived Reviews
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