FMAM MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEWS
 |
THE FMAM MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEW is the place to come
to find out what to read next. Want to know what readers are saying
(as opposed to critics) about the books you see around you? You’ve
come to the right place! And, if you appreciate a critical review
we’ll have those, too. Come in, sit down and see what’s
write with the world! (Or, right in the world of write!) New reviews this month from: . Catherine Chant . Dr. Cynthia Clark . Dawn Dowdle . Cerri Ellis . Harriet Klausner . Christine I. Speakman |
 |
|
|
||
May 2007
BLOOD RITE
Melanie Atkins
Triskelion Publishing
Also available as an ebook
May 27, 2007 $6.95
207 pages
ISBN: 1-60186-044-7
ISBN 13: 978-1601860446
Every now and then, one gets to discover a talented new author. Although Ms. Atkins is no stranger to the publishing world with several books to her credit, BLOOD RITE is the first book of hers I have read. And wow what a way to enter her world!
I started reading this book with trepidation; a serial killer is loose in New Orleans. My field and my hometown. But Ms. Atkins enthralled me from the first page.
Nick Marconi, a NOPD detective is on edge. He is an excellent cop but he is haunted by the gruesome murder of his little sister years earlier as well as the more recent murder of his partner. When a body is found killed in a manner similar to his sister, Jasmine, Nick’s captain fears Nick is about to explode and sends him to the shrink. But the regular police shrink is in Iraq, and Dr. Gracie Simmons is filling in. Gracie is haunted by her own demons.
The first victim of the serial killer had dated Nick many years earlier and during the autopsy a note and vial of blood is found stuffed in her throat. The note is addressed to Nick, warning him more women will die because Nick had sent the perpetrator to prison. The blood in the vile is his sisters.
Before long any woman Nick dated is in danger of being the next victim of this serial killer. The two worlds of Nick and Gracie collide with one murder uniting them in a common sadness that allows them to feel the electricity between them.
Which one of many criminals now out on the streets is killing Nick’s former girlfriends? What is the killer’s tie to Gracie? Did Nick arrest and help prosecute the wrong man for his sister’s murder?
Ms. Atkins weaves an extremely plausible serial killer tale through the streets of New Orleans. She is accurate in her “diagnosis” of Gracie’s patients. The sexual tension builds slowly and never detracts from the mystery or the story.
Ms. Atkins paints a vivid come to life picture with her words. Her characters stand before you doing their various machinations. You can smell the coppery blood. You can feel the breezes in the night, see the darkness.You are right there with them. If it sounds like I enjoyed this book and this author, yes, I did!
I highly recommend, BLOOD RITE, and I look forward to more books by Melanie Atkins.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give is a 5.
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.
THE BURGLAR IN THE LIBRARY
By Lawrence Block
Harper, March 2007, $7.99, 367 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-06-087287-8
Bookstore owner and occasional thief, Bernie Rhodenbarr is heartbroken. The romantic get-a-way he planned to share with his current flame––make that ex-flame––is already bought and paid for, so Bernie decides to take his best friend and pet stylist, Carolyn, in her place. The expensive pseudo-English retreat sounds wonderful, but Carolyn knows better. Or perhaps she just knows Bernie. Seems Cuttleford House is likely home to a mystery lover’s find of the century. A first edition by Raymond Chandler, signed with admiration to mystery legend Dashiell Hammett. Bernie suspects the book has been overlooked for decades and is hiding in plain sight, in Cuttleford’s library.
The task seems simple enough. Search the library, find the rare book and make off with the prize. Except for one small detail. Someone else with a passion for mysteries and mysterious deaths is playing their own version of And Then There Were None.
Block adds a delicious cadence to his voice, seasoning it with Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie, to weave this homage to the golden age of the genre. And while the mystery itself isn't a shocker, the book is a modern classic every bit as tightly crafted as the stories Block honors. Delightful, witty and packed with charm, The Burglar In The Library, is a must read for mystery buffs.
Cerri Ellis
DARKNESS AT FOXGLOVE CORNES
Dorothy Bodoin
A Wings ePress, Inc.
February 2007 $6.95
329 pages
ISBN: 1-59705-898-X
Jennet Greenway’s home is severely damaged by a tornado. She and her dog Halley are lucky to be alive. When she surveys the damage, a few things have survived, a cuckoo clock for example. But it’s too much for Jennet to handle, so while insurance is taking care of things she rents a house in Foxglove Corners, the same town she bought her trusted best friend in.
Foxglove Corners is a small town, actually barely a town. The homes have acreage with them and the town is a ways away and all of a few blocks.
Jennet meets her neighbor in the yellow Victorian with the gorgeous flowers. Camille is neighborly, a great gardener, and a cook too!
While exploring the land surrounding her home she comes upon a man carrying a gun. He tells her that he is interested in buying some land to build a cabin. But she has her doubts. She eyes the gun, and he explains that it’s a replica. And then he’s gone.
She tells Camille about this odd encounter and Camille predicts that she will this man again. In the meantime the tornado has unearthed an old journal. One where the author was very unhappy and in an abusive relationship. The journal has to be 30 years old and the newspaper starts running experts from it.
The author of the journal planned to kill her abusive husband and before long people are wondering had she?
Jennet sits down at the local diner to eat breakfast and read the first installment, when the man from the woods joins her. She is apprehensive at first, but the waitress knows him, so she feels okay about it. And nearly as quickly as he sits he is gone. Odd at best.
As time progresses, we discover the man is Crane, the local cop and he and Jennet develop a fondness for each other.
As Jennet continues to read the entries on the infamous Tornado Journal, she begins to suspect her neighbor is indeed the author.
She confronts Camille with her suspicions. At first Camille denies them but then Camille admits that she is the author of the journal.
But is her husband dead? Did she kill him? And who is sending threats to Camille? First, it’s a note, then a clipping, then a snake in the mailbox, followed by an invitation to death. Who is terrorizing Camille and why have they added Jennet to their list?
DARKNESS AT FOXGLOVE CORNERS is a cozy. It is predictable but enjoyable none the less. Ms. Bodoin has you wanting a dog, especially one like Halley, and I’m a cat person. She has quite a cast of characters, including providing subtle clues with some of the ancillary characters. So, for a light easy read DARKNESS AT FOXGLOVE CORNERS is a good one.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.8.
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.
DEATH ON DELIVERY
Anne K. Edwards
Twilight Times Books
$16.50
ISBN: 1-931201-60-9
Jania Yewbanks is rich and nosy. When a package arrives COD she can’t resist opening it up and trying on the pearl earrings she finds inside. It’s the last thing she does. Her husband, Ted arrives home in time to watch his wife die. He takes his time calling for help. The coroner rules her death as natural. But her sister doesn’t buy it, she thinks her brother in law Ted killed her sister.
Meanwhile across town, Hannah Clare a widowed, grandmotherly chain smoking PI is reading the obits and thinking that the death of Jania Yewbanks is odd.
Hannah’s husband’s partner is hired by Jania’s sister to investigate Ted. Hannah steps in as an undercover maid. But then Brom (her boss) dies for what appears to be no apparent reason and Hannah is convinced foul play is afoot. She begins to put together a pattern of deaths and before long she unearths a new kind of delivery service.
Ms. Edwards creates a charming yet rough old lady in Hannah. She is fun to read and fun to follow. Personally, I picture a sweet looking little old lady, smoking like a chimney, yet brilliant like Helen Hayes, with a little roughness around the edges. Delightful!
The ancillary characters are just as descriptive and interesting from the short living Brom to Yewbanks to Freda, the nosy neighbor, and others.
Ms. Edwards weaves quite the mysterious tale. Will Ted get caught? What is going on with this delivery service? For the answers read DEATH ON DELIVERY, a charming mystery. There are some slow spots but once you get over the few slow spots the action picks up and the pace sails.
On a scale from 1 to 5, I give it a 4.7.
MURDER UNFOLDS
Sharon Short
AVON, March 2007, $6.99, 256 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-06-079327-2
ISBN-10: 0-06-079327-9
Stain specialist, columnist, and laundromat owner, Josie Toadfern is put in the unenviable place of giving a speech at a memorial dedication. The late honoree is none other than her hated history teacher from junior high, Mrs. Oglevee.
If she could just get the words right without help from the deceased’s voice in her head, the speech would be a success. But Mrs. Oglevee isn’t about to give up, because you see, Mrs. O. thinks she may have been murdered. That and a strange note given to Josie just before the dedication, makes her suspicious. As she and her friends set off to celebrate her thirtieth birthday in style, they learn that some stains, like some ghosts, are hard to remove.
Sharon Short writes with an hear for dialect, and a wonderful sense of humor. Readers will chuckle over this series of cozy mysteries, with its oddball characters, story twists, and dirty laundry.
PERILOUS PASSIONS
Teri Thackston
Electronic book Publication: March 2007
Cost $6.49
ISBN 9781419907883
Publisher’s website www.cerridwenpress.com
Warning: Some Graphic Sexual Scenes
Suspense-Romance.
Okay, for those who’ve read my reviews before know this means a bumpy match – me and suspense-romance. And you’re not wrong.
Taking the romance part of this eBook, and yes it was a bit too much for my tastes. However, I can safely say this aspect of the story was well written. The tension between our hero and heroine was, for lack of a better word, hot. She wasn’t sappy or stupid, and neither was he. I even laughed over some of the tall tales our heroine was forced to tell as she explained the presence of our hero.
Suspense aspect was interesting but not as strong as I would have liked. The hero – Deputy Marshal Hunt Ramsey – is staking out our heroine’s neighbours. Our heroine’s – Reilly Shea – neighbour and childhood friend, Cliff, has become involved with a very dangerous man. It appears this man killed one of Hunt’s fellow officers, and Hunt believes Cliff is the key to finding the killer.
Reilly and Hunt are thrown together because Reilly arrived home early – her uncle had died – and due to an ice storm they’re stuck together. By the time Hunt could safely get Reilly out of the way, the neighbours discovered them and assumed Hunt was the mystery man Reilly supposedly married in Europe. At least this gets Hunt closer to his query.
I would have liked more detail on the stakeout and killer, but as you know that’s my taste. For those who enjoy a Harlequin Mystery type story, you won’t be disappointed.
A SCENT OF DIAMONDS
Dorothy Ann Skarles
Copyright: 2001
Cost $4.95
ISBN: 1-933353-12-0
Publisher’s website: http://twilighttimesbooks.com
A brilliantly crafted mystery, worthy as any polished gem.
Ms. Skarles takes us on an artist’s tour of Mexico only to drop us into an international mystery of man-made diamonds and espionage. Will our heroine, Tyla Winters, make it out alive or will she be gunned down like her friend, Select Inter Service (SIS, a CIA branch) agent Tom MacClusky.
“A Scent of Diamonds” contains a cast of characters of which any could be the informant, killer, and/or traitor. Who’s working for the corrupt Inspector Reba? Who killed Tom’s partner and now hunts Tyla? Even Tyla’s love interest, Alexander Pappas, doesn’t appear to be everything he pretends to be. Yes, there’s some romance involved in this story. Some unacknowledged, waiting to be acknowledged chemistry between these two, but not enough to turn me away from this page turner.
Ms. Skarles has written a story so tight that each line is packed with action, emotion, and excitement. I forced myself to stop reading so that I could be alert enough to figure out Ms. Skarles’ ending before reaching it. I never did manage to completely figure it out. YES! Love it when that happens. I also didn’t want the story to end. It played out like a movie in my head. Everything vivid and alive, I forgot I was reading.
“A Scent of Diamonds” is exceptional!
THORNE
Patrick Welch
Copyright: 2006
Cost $5.50
Publisher’s website: http://twilighttimesbooks.com
WARNING: Some strong sexual scenes, in context to story.
When is your everyday hunt for a serial killer not an everyday hunt? When the hunter and hunted are vampires.
Addison Thorne is the hunter, or more precisely, the sanitizer for The Kind. The Kind are the ruling vampire family. They have a set of rules all vampires must obey, for the safety of all. When a vampire goes rogue, they send Addison.
No one questions The Kind. Life’s simple this way.
You got it; Addison’s life is about to become very complicated.
Due to the nature of Addison’s life, he has to be able to move quickly and keep a low profile. Therefore, he takes the least demanding employment he can find at the most undesirable hours. Sunlight won’t really kill him, but it hurts like heck. So, right now he works the night shift at a copy center. It’s a good cover while he hunts another killing vampire.
Killing vampire? Aren’t they all killers? No. The Kind uses personal herds for feeding. Yes, we humans are their herd. Each vampire keeps a few humans and spreads the feeding among the herd, never taking too much or too little. Hey, what we don’t know won’t hurt us, and if it does, our vampire will revenge us.
Not a bad life. Until Addison’s complication, he’s now the only suspect in a murder - a co-worker’s murder. Stranger, yet, the killing looks very vampirish – no blood.
If the police can discover as much information about him as they have, The Kind isn’t as safe as they think. Addison realizes he has to go against The Kind, ignore their wishes and find this killer. If only, to protect The Kind.
“Thorne” is an appealing read. It has a new believable turn to the old vampire legend. There’s a well-written murder mystery scenario. And the characters aren’t perfect; they’re distinct in their individuality – no cookie-cutter characters, here.
I liked “Thorne” and wouldn’t mind reading more with this character.
THE TUNNELS
Michelle Gagnon
MIRA Books
299 pages $6.99
ISBN: 13:978-0-7783-2446-1
FBI agent Kelly Jones returns to her alma mater to investigate a series of grizzly murders in the college’s underground tunnel system. Tied to the two girls’ deaths are rather bizarre paintings in blood on the walls of the tunnels. DNA reveals a third victim yet to be discovered. The autopsy reveals odd stomach contents including oatmeal and large black seeds that resemble pepper corns but are a sedative. The girls were alive when they were punctured in their femoral arteries and allowed to bleed out. Their lungs and rib cages are missing. As Agent Jones and her partner Agent Morrow are joined by the private security expert Jack Riley they discover a connection to Runes, Norse Shamanism, and a specific ritual.
With the help of a one armed janitor, Jerome, the FBI think they have closed off all of the tunnel openings. And then another girl is missing.
Agent Jones is not at a loss for suspects from Josh, one of Anna’s (one of the victims) room mate, to the Dean of the college, the President of the college, Jerome, Professors, and them some frat boys. Michelle Gagnon has created a host of characters. She makes you feel like you are ease dropping on a college campus. From the frat boys to the Dean and the President to Claire, the school newspaper reporter out to win a Pulitzer, her characters ring true with a vividness of reality.
I did find The TUNNELS, slightly predictable, but that did not detract from the fast, easy read that it is. I was able to read the book in two sittings, not wanting to put it down. I enjoyed the descriptive narrative, the cast of characters, and Kelly Jones. Kelly is a likeable heroine ready to move on to more mysteries to solve.
Michelle Gagnon has written an enjoyable, pull you into the action and mystery novel. It is indeed a great debut into the literary world. I look forward to more Agent Kelly Jones adventures.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.8.
Main Book Reviews Index
All rights reserved.
Contact Lida: publisher@fmam.biz
Website contact: webmaster @ fmam.biz