Mystery Crime Books

I have read the entire Hannah Swensen series and they seem to be getting worse with each book. I could believe her not having a cell phone because she hates being interrupted by them or doesn't feel she needs one but I can't believe she wouldn't know anything about them. Ms. Fluke has trapped herself into writing characters that never grow or change because her fans liked them in the earlier books. Instead of learning and growing from each case Hannah seems to get stupider! And if she's not going to pick one man or the other then let them both go and end the boring triangle.

I really like Joanne Fluke, but this book is one of the best yet. I actually made the peach bread recipie from it.

And that is the setting for this eighth entry in the Hannah Swenson series. Hannah is involved in a big way in the Tri-County summer fair, and she and her friends also get involved in a murder. One of her fellow judges in the Baked Goods section is murdered right at the fair, and Hannah stumbles on the body. These people (Hannah and her family and friends) are starting to really feel like friends of mine. I love the interplay between the characters, and the various personalities. And the stories are quite funny too. Hannah's ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the end of the book is hilarious! Sometimes the mysteries are a little easy to figure out, like this one is, but that does not detract from the sheer fun of reading these books. It is a delight, and I'm sorry that I'm almost up-to-date on this series, and will be left waiting each year for the next one.

I have been a long time reader of the Hannah series. I actually did not rush right out and get this book because I had been so disappointed in the last one. This book was better than the last entry, but I do feel that the author needs to take heed of her reader's requests to wrap up the whole Mike/Norman/Hannah storyline.

This entry, Hannah's overly precocious niece Tracy was only mentioned in passing, and that greatly improved the book, in my opinion. Also, the mystery was given more of a foreground, unlike the last book where the murder took place in the last third of the book. These were the things that made the book more enjoyable. Some have commented that Hannah sounds condescending in her tone or that she is unlikable. I don't feel this way about Hannah. I do, however, feel that for a woman of her age who makes it known that she is independent, owns her own home, her own business, etc., it is a bit unrealistic that she would not have a computer or cell phone. Most businessowners today, even of a bakery, have a computer for billing, ordering, etc.

I will continue to read this series as it seems that the mystery is improving by being the main part of the book, and will just have to look past the whole marriage proposal storyline. Actual rating would probably be a 3 1/2.

I'm not sure if it's boredom or morbid fascination that has kept me reading this series. The mysteries are good, I have to admit, but Hannah and her perpetual (and really too obvious) see-sawing between men is getting on my nerves. It doesn't work the way that Evanovich's Plum series does, because... because Hannah is a 'good girl'. It's all so uptight and... sweet. And annoying. Sure, Hannah has some imperfections because she's not as good looking as her sisters and has impossible red hair, but she's still too idyllic to make a good main character. Give me the screwed-up world of Plum or the unexpected world of Polifax any day! Character issues aside (and really only Hannah is annoying, several of the minor characters are quite well done) they're good little cozies and do have amazing recipes!

This is the latest in a series about Joe Pickett, game warden. Probably not the best of the series, but still worthwhile. Do wish he had spent more time on the family members as in previous books, especially concerning Joe's mother-in-law. You aren't meant to like her, but I was wondering what her current husband was going to do about her 'wandering'. Joe's daughters, Sheridan and Lucy had little space in the book as did his wife. Seemed like they were there just to support Joe. Usually they play a larger role in the role.

At any rate, the book had the usual violence and Joe gets the bad guy, even though he gets no joy from solving the crimes.

I long to live out west, so I am drawn to Joe Pickett novels. However, I generally find Box's novels to be good in the set-up, but rather uneventful in the climax. This one was no different. The set-up was disappointed by the ending.

Unfortunately for Joe, C.J. Box seems to be lost somewhere in the Bighorns searching for plausible and realistic plots. Joe is an interesting character whose development has been stifled and even somewhat emasculated by the author. And unfortunately Nate's appearance does little to highten the plot line. A very disappointing read.

C J Box is a favorite author of mine. I can't wait for each book. His characters seem real and are like people you would like to know. He just keeps getting better and better.

It's a good year indeed when we are blessed with two books by C. J. Box. The stand-alone work BLUE HEAVEN was published early in 2008 and garnered a hint of the commercial success that Box has deserved since he first began setting pen to paper with OPEN SEASON. The newly released BLOOD TRAIL, his latest Joe Pickett novel, provides a point for jumping onto the series for those readers who have yet to become acquainted with this addicting character.

Pickett's appeal is his fallibility. He is competent, capable, dogged and determined. But his seeming penchant for accidentally destroying government vehicles (he averages about one a year) has earned him the enmity of his former boss, Randy Pope, when he was a state game warden and was one of many reasons why he was fired from that position. At the same time, Pickett is extraordinarily lucky. For one thing, he's still alive, still married to a wonderful woman, and, thanks to the somewhat vague reasoning of Wyoming governor Spencer Rulon, still employed by the state.

Rulon is a crusty, eccentric customer who is used to shooting from the hip and aiming with instinct. He has appointed Pickett to a special position as a game warden at large in Wyoming, reporting only to the governor's office. On a rare day off, Pickett is called in to investigate the grisly murder of a hunter whose body is found field dressed and mounted at a mountain camp. The investigation throws Pickett together with Pope, his former boss and eternal nemesis, as well as Phil Kiner, the man who replaced Pickett as the game warden of the Saddlestring District.

As the men make an uneasy, and not always successful, attempt to maintain a civil relationship during the course of their investigation, it slowly becomes clear that whoever is responsible for the hunter's murder is also to blame for two other hunting deaths that had been classified as accidents. When Rulon ends hunting season early, chaos erupts in a state that is heavily dependent upon hunting revenues for its livelihood. To make matters worse, a radical environmentalist who champions anti-hunting initiatives appears in the state and begins conducting efforts that actually encourage the killer.

Pickett's investigation leads him to believe that there is an invisible link that joins the murdered hunters, but is doubly surprised to find that the murder victims are connected to a case from his own past and to that of his enigmatic friend Nate Romanowski. As the mysterious killer, who seemingly has the ability to hide in plain sight, continues the string of murders, Pickett embarks on a dangerous and ultimately deadly course to see that justice, however roughly, is done. By the time BLOOD TRAIL concludes, Pickett's life and circumstances are forever and irrevocably changed.

C. J. Box, to put it simply, is a marvelous author, worth reading and keeping for every book, every word, that he writes. It appears that the under-appreciation he and his quietly stunning work have received to date may be coming to an end. If he has escaped your notice prior to now, read BLOOD TRAIL and set aside a few weeks to catch up on his past novels. You will marvel at his wordcraft and characterization, while rabidly anticipating what is to come.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

ENVY THE NIGHT (Thriller-Frank Temple III-Wisconsin-Cont) - Ex
Koryta, Michael - Standalone
Thomas Dunne Books, 2008, US Hardcover - ISBN: 9781312361587

First Sentence: Frank Temple III walked out of the county jail at ten in the morning with a headache, a citation for public intox, and a notion that it was time to leave town.

Seven years ago, Frank Temple learned that his FBI agent father had also been a contract killer. His father was committed suicide just before he was to be arrested. Frank learned that Devin Matteson was the one who had turned his father and then gave him up to the FBI.

Now Frank learns, from Ezra, his father's close friend, that Devin is headed back to the Wisconsin property where Devin's father, Frank's father and Ezra had once been friends, and where Frank is determined to bring justice for his father.

Koryta is one of those authors whose books I can not start without finishing it the same day.

I can't think of a wrong note in the book, but his absolute strength is in the characters. He made me care about the protagonists, uncertain of the actions of the secondary characters and fear the villains. His dialogue is so good, I didn't notice it. It's a natural part of the whole story. His sense of place so accurate, you feel the elements. His action and suspense so palpable, I had to keep going to find the ending. His final twist so well done, I did not anticipate it.

The book is violent, but it is also very human with just the right dash of humor. But amongst all that, there are elements of philosophy, pathos, a bit of wisdom and an element of hope.

I have been a fan of each of Koryta's books, and this was no exception. In the Acknowledgment, Ms. Koryta thanks, among others, Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly. To my mind, he is easily fits easily among their ranks, if not a bit above. This is a man who really knows how to write.

This is the first book I've read by Koryta, but it won't be the last. He really delivers in "Envy the Night".

There's not a wasted word in this quick moving story, and the characters have a depth to them that's rare in a thriller.

The main character, Frank, is in his mid-twenties, and seemingly drifting, moving from college to college without settling anywhere or taking a degree. Then a call comes from his father's old friend, and Frank is drawn back into his troubled past.

The great turning point in Frank's life was when he learned that his much loved father, who appeared to be living the life of a straight arrow member of the law, had, in actuality, been a hitman for the Florida mafia.

All during his childhood, Frank's father taught him how to react in dangerous situations. How to shoot, how to fight.

Now, drawn back into some loose ends left by his fathers, he will need all the skills he ever learned.

Maybe I'm just not a fan of Michael Koryta's style but I didn't find this book any better than the normal run of the mill mystery. He does write good dialog but then many writers do. He develops his characters well, but then many writers do. He has a good idea of where he is taking the story, but then a lot of writers do.

What I did find unappealing about the book, was the number of stock characters. The misunderstood son of a murderer, a 'Nam Vet who went off into the "boonies", a drug guy from Miami and his bad boys, the young girl fighting to save her daddies business after he has a stroke and the gun-moll with a heart of gold. So, what is this a Lifetime movie of the week?

Well written and well done but nothing to write home about.

Zeb Kantrowitz

Frank Temple III had a bad day. First, a man who he trusted as a mentor revealed himself, like many before him, to be more interested in the story of Frank's father, Frank Temple II, who, seven years earlier, when Frank was only 17, was exposed as a hit-man. Then, the phone call from old family friend Ezra Ballard, who told Frank that the man who exposed his father, Devin Matteson, who Frank blamed for his father's death, was returning to the Willow, a lake in Wisconsin where Ballard,...more Frank Temple III had a bad day. First, a man who he trusted as a mentor revealed himself, like many before him, to be more interested in the story of Frank's father, Frank Temple II, who, seven years earlier, when Frank was only 17, was exposed as a hit-man. Then, the phone call from old family friend Ezra Ballard, who told Frank that the man who exposed his father, Devin Matteson, who Frank blamed for his father's death, was returning to the Willow, a lake in Wisconsin where Ballard, Matteson, and the Temple family owned land and spent time together. It was the last place Frank had to remember good times with his family, and Frank had not returned there since his father's death. Frank had promised himself, and Ballard agreed, that Matteson was no longer welcome there.
Frank immediately left for the Willow, leaving yet another college without finishing, another attempt at starting his life thwarted by the resurgence of his past. When he was almost at the cabin, he was in a car accident with a man he thought was Matteson. It wasn't, but was a very suspicious person, who insisted on no police involvement, and on paying for the damaged vehicles even though the accident was Frank's fault. The only body shop they could find belonged to Bud Stafford, and was his father's before that. Bud had been in a nursing home for some time, his shop in the hands of his determined daughter, Nora. Nora was barely keeping the shop open, and jumped at the opportunity to repair the two cars, against her better judgments, despite the unusual circumstances.
Frank quickly learned that Devin Matteson was not at the cabin. Instead, a woman and the man involved in the accident were. And a few others have come to town, intent on finding the man Frank was in the accident with, willing to kill anyone who got in their way.
Frank learned Matteson was not there, and the people who were had probably attempted to kill Matteson in Miami and were here hiding. But he learned too late, and he and Nora were now targets, loose ends, as he put it, and in his estimation could not be allowed to live.
Throughout the many twists and turns of the story, Frank battled with himself, and with the memories of his father. He was torn between revenge, making his father proud, and letting go, being better than his father. Ezra Ballard was also torn, not wanting to bring violence to his peaceful existence, an existence he had worked hard to achieve, and a past filled with violence that he had worked even harder to leave behind.

This is the fourth book by author Michael Koryta, and the first that is not part of his Lincoln Perry series. It is, without question, his best effort. Koryta was able to keep up a quick pace, while the character's complexities were explored. As a reader, I felt I knew how Frank and Nora became who they were. Even secondary characters, like Ezra Ballard and Nora's mechanic, Jerry, seemed more than supporting roles. In that regard, Koryta made each character, the situations they found themselves in, and their reactions understandable and believable, despite the decisions not being the right or best thing to do.
Koryta also seemed to master the environment portrayed in the book, describing the area in a way that showed he knew it well, therefore helping me get a good idea of where the story was set, and the challenges presented as a result.
While Koryta's first three books were very good, they had a sense of inexperience to them. Envy the Night does not, and shows the promise of Michael Koryta as an author who is able to tell a complex story with well developed characters as well as any of the established fiction writes of the Twenty-First Century. I look forward to reading his books for years.

What do you hope to get out of a book when you pick it up off the shelf (or click on it)? Well-written dialogue? In-depth, interesting, and unique characters? Intense and page-turning action? Well-placed humor? Moral debates that make you question what you would do in the given situation? Writing that grabs you and takes you along for the ride?

It is not often that you can get all of those qualities in one book, but Michael Koryta again has given us a thriller with such vivid writing and complex characters that "Envy the Night" answers YES to each of those questions.

The real question is: What are you waiting for? "Envy the Night" is a first-class crime/suspense novel and has me greatly anticipating Koryta's next endeavor.

I read this awhile back but when "Death Perception" came out, I reread this one for fun, and am glad I did, because it really reminded me of how well Ms. Laurie ties Abby's story together, book after book.
Candice is a fun new character, a kick-butt P.I., who has helped Abby take on Dutch's "cold case" files. Abby uses her banking past to get a job and information on a suspected criminal, and wow, is this story apt today, including the real-life problem of greedy mortgage lenders taking advantage of people who don't quite understand what they are getting into and end up getting a mortgage they cannot afford.
As always, Abby's gift fascinates but she is a real person, with an imperfect but likable personality. She gets cranky, and irrational like everyone, but she has a heart of gold.
If you enjoy "Crime Seen", be sure to check out "Death Perception"!

This one was good if predictable. I love her handy man Dave.. he is personable and the new partner is going to be a good addition. I did not like her Dissing of Virgil the Cat.
She made him out to be the Evil One and cats are not.. but any how..

This was another good installment for the psychic eye series. Not only did we get a funny well written mystery, but there is a lot of character development along with new characters being added in. I can see a lot of story lines coming up for Abby. You could probably read this as a stand alone but why would you? I recommend the whole series..

Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie was excellent. Abby is a psychic who has become a crime fighter by accident through out this series. She wants to help people and because of that ends up in dangerous situations. In this novel she helps out his FBI boyfriend with a few out cases and because she is Abby people start to try to kill her... If you are a fan then you love this book and if you have never read this series start with her first and you have a new favorite must buy author. Enjoy!

Check out the whole Psychic Eye Mysteries series;#1 Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye, #2 Better Read than Dead,#3 A Vision of Murder, #4 Killer Insight, #5 Crime Seen and #6 Death Perception (due out September of 2008!)

I would also recommended; Spirited Away by Cindy Miles, Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake by Laurie Brown, My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair, Falling For Gracie by Susan Mallery and What's A Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mysteries, Book 1) by Victoria Laurie.

While I enjoy this series, this installment was definitely not the best one in the series.

While I was glad not to have the annoying Cat in this book, I was irritated by Abby's constant references to "my boyfriend" in practically every paragraph. It made her seem weak and dependent and not at all the strong lead she's been in previous books. The ending only added to that feeling.

I'll read the next installment, but hope we're not in for a series of Abby and "my boyfriend" from here on out.

This is not a specific review, but I'd like to merely point out that one of the many admirable qualities of Michael Connelly's writing is that he at least devises sensible names for his characters. One can easily imagine someone named Jerry Edgar or Norman Church or Rachel Walling or Sheehan or Rider, et al.

The hack writers, on the other hand, always burden the imagination with such painful names as . . . "Star ballerina turned private investigator Persephone Pudendum drew her poison-tipped hat pin and thrust it deeply into the evil Dr. Wolfsnout Smorgasbord . . . "

Michael Connelly is a great writer and these are his first 3 Harry Bosch stories. I highly recommend this book. I have read 8 of his other books, too, in the past 2 months and he is innovative with his stories and does not repeat himself.

This book is a good introductory book, as it contains Michael Connelly's first three novels about Detective Harry Bosh. I will review the Black Echo, his first, with the added comment that this review can also stand for all the Bosh books. These are my favorite books to read for fun. Real page-turners, that keeps you on your toes. I first heard of Michael Connelly and his Harry Bosh series a number of years ago on NPR. He was being interviewed, as he was considered the top writer of fictional detective mystery novels. I was captivated from the first book, and have read every one in the series to date. The plots are interesting, with twists that will surprise you, yet make sense. The characters seem like real people, flawed, rather than perfect. Harry Bosh is a detective with a burning desire to find the murderer in the case he is working on. Sometimes he uses non-conventional means of getting to the end. If you have watched the HBO series The Wire, McNulty reminds me a little of Bosh. Bosh is both a hero and a maverick. He has his problems both on the job and in his personal life, and you watch his character develop as the series continues. With each book you get a little more inside Bosh's characters. For this reason alone, it is good to read the series in order. Another reason that this is important is that sometimes Connelly relates back to characters in previous books, or even now and then to events. Connelly has stated that by the time he writes his last Bosh novel, you will come to know Bosh intimately. I give this book a 5 star rating in what I would categorize as just for fun reading. The only criticism I have is that sometimes I find the romance sideline a bit much, especially in the first books of the series. Bosh seems to go through a lot of romances, a new one with each book, although this tapers off somewhat as the series develops. Still, expect there to be a woman in Bosh's life in each book. Black Echo, the first in the series, won the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel awarded by the Mystery Writers of America. This book is about the murder of Billy Meadows, who was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" whom Bosh had fought side by side with. In this book he is joined with a female FBI agent, and is pitted against enemies within his own department. Bosch has to make a difficult choice between justice and vengeance, as he tracks down the killer whose identity will shock him and you.......I just find these books so much fun, I am sure that I will read every last one of then to the series' end.

[...]

The other great thing about this 3 in 1 book (besides Harry) is the weight of this book. It is light as a feather and easy to hold and carry around. Enjoy!

Couldn't put this down. I was glad I had all three books to read at one time. Excellent homicide detective stories set in LA.

I was disappointed in this latest offering. I look forward to the latest addition to this series each year, but this one was disappointing. There was too much "cute baby" and not enough dog interaction. I hope she gets back to her previous format, if she continues this series, although the ending might indicate there will not be an addition. Not enough Poodle input!!

Laurien Berenson's latest entry in her Melanie Travis series shows the problems that arise in a series -- too many characters, too much back story to keep moving, not enough attention to the mystery. I've been an eager follower of this series from the start [A Pedigree to Die For]. The series is strongest when it focuses on Melanie, her aunt Peg, her son Davey, and their assorted, gorgeous, and well-trained poodles. It also needs a strong mystery, serious contenders for the "guilty" title, and a whiff of danger.

Her previous entry, Hounded to Death, was a tighter book, with suspects coming in and out of focus and a strong sideline with Aunt Peg and her rescue dog. That book benefited from taking Melanie, Aunt Peg, and Bertie out of their homes and into the confined area of a resort -- so there weren't so many extraneous characters and plot lines to keep moving. [Her ex-neighbors unseen husband? Really!] Here, the strongest suspense comes with Davey's venture into Junior dog handling. And while Melanie figures out the victim's fatal flaw that got him murdered, the killer announces him/herself rather than being tracked down by her.

Stronger entries show that the author can do much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next entry.

Even though she moved out of her neighborhood after she married Sam, Melanie Travis remains in touch with her good friend Alice Brickman, who is returning to work after being a stay at home mom for years. Worried about her Golden Retriever being alone in an empty nest, Alice asks Melanie to investigate the Pine Ridge Canine Care Center to see if it would be a good place for her to leave her beloved dog Berkley while she works.

When Melanie goes to inspect the doggie day care center, she is taken aback to see the canines enjoying a luxurious lifestyle watching TV while sitting on couches and chairs and playing with toys. When she and Alice go to sign up Berkley, they find the co-owner of the facility Steve Pine shot to death. Melanie learns that Steve's partner his sister Candy inherits the doggie day care center. She also learns an irate neighbor Adam Busch loathes the Pine siblings blaming them for ruining their neighborhood. Finally the victim was a womanizer who hit on his female clients and Lila Bennington who is suing the facility. Suspects are everywhere.

Although Melanie's plate is full with her Aunt Peg and her newborn Kevin, and with a dog show coming up she cannot resist investigating the homicide; why she does so beyond the Nancy Drew obsession syndrome is an unanswered question. The number of suspects is enormous, which in turn makes this a great entry in the caper canine series. Fans will enjoy this fine cozy while wishing their lives went to the dogs, at least those pampered at Pine Ridge.

Harriet Klausner

The 15th in the Melanie Travis series, this outing finds new mom Melanie blissfully happy in her role as a stay-at-home Mom to new baby Kevin and son Davey, with the help of her husband Sam, who runs his software business out of their home.

Her friend Alice however, is going back to work as her children are both in school, and she needs to find a place to keep Berkley, her large, rambunctious dog, happy while she is gone during the day. She talks Melanie into checking out the Pine Ridge Canine Care Center, run by Steve and Candy Pine.

Melanie is impressed, the staff seems to really care about the dogs, the owners seem friendly and competent, and the setting is idyllic for a dog. When she goes back for a second visit, to check on details like on-call vets and food, she hears Candy scream from a back hallway, and they find Steve shot dead in his office.

Alice implores her to investigate, and Melanie does, simply because she feels sorry for Candy. Steve had been in charge of the books and business; Candy was in charge of the dogs. Melanie's cover is that she is hanging around asking questions because she is going to re-do the web site. She finds out about an angry neighbor who blames the Center for his neighborhood going commercial, some angry ex-girlfriends, a disgruntled former employee, and then she finds out about the silent partner, who seems on the surface to be happy with the set up.

Melanie's big question is: Why is handsome Cole Demarkian continually delivering supplies from Byram Pet Supply, if the memberships are down, and the storage closets are full? Melanie decides to search Steve's files after closing one night, but while she is alone in the office....

You will enjoy Melanie and her family and friends, and also the dogs. Melanie and Sam have five standard poodles. And you will enjoy the mystery-there are lot of suspects, an inventive setting, and a convincing bad guy. What more could you ask for?

Armchair Interviews says: Another fun cozy in the Melanie Travis series.

The newest, eagerly awaited, Melanie Travis mystery is as engrossing and enjoyable as expected. This book shows that a lot has changed in the Melanie's life lately....new house, new baby, new job status and a still-in-the-honeymoon-phase new husband. As I have said in a previous review, one of the best aspects of this series is that the characters are continually growing and developing. The changes in Melanie's life are realistic and interesting and the characters so likeable, that you will find yourself cheering them on. The setting of the doggie day care center is perfect for providing a diverse and often hilarious cast of characters/suspects. Melanie's interaction with the bratty receptionist is priceless. The mystery was unexpected with such a wide cast of suspects and I enjoyed the involvement of Alice Brickman, Melanie's best friend and the mother of Davey's best friend. It reminded me of Faith/Pix friendship in the Katherine Hall Page books and was a nice development in the series.

In general, this series avoids a number of pitfalls that drive me crazy in other series in this genre.....the angry, overprotective husband/boyfriend who doesn't want the heroine to investigate, the unrealistic, cheesy love life (usually a love triangle and/or the unlucky in love), the non-passage of time, etc. The tone and progression of this series is pitch perfect. The only thing I am kind of missing is the dog show backdrop, there is just so much atmosphere to enjoy at a dog show that the books that primarily take place at dog shows are my favorites. I do, however, understand that it would be pretty silly if someone dropped dead everytime Melanie went to a show. Also, I am ready for Aunt Peg to have another boyfriend :) All in all, another pick of the litter.

"Stop turning the pages so fast." Flip. "Slow down; make it last." Flip, flip. "It's going to end too soon!" Flip, flip, flip..... "Damn!"

Why only 5 stars available? Why not 10? Or 20? I read a LOT of books. This was special. Cotterill can truly write. He can tell a story. He can create a mystery.

But his characters! His characters are indescribably marvelous. Without taking page after page to tell everything about each of them you get to know them by their conversations, mannerisms and reactions to the events around them.

The dialog flows. It's the way people actually talk to one another. It's like you're sitting there listening in.

The author doesn't have to resort to foul language and gratuitous sex to move the story along. He keeps you guessing as mystery piles on top of mystery. He doesn't insult your intelligence, because it is intelligently written.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants an enjoyable read. I have just ordered the next three in the series.

This book is throughly enjoyable. The characters are very beliveable and compelling. The novel gives one a real glimpse of what life in Laos is like now. The plot was complex but convincing and the resolution was highly satisfying.

I was hesitant at first to read The Coroner's Lunch as I had never really preferred procedural police mysteries. But I am so glad I did! The writing is light but the imagery is rich and dense. I was immediately and completely immersed in a world I have never been but seemed very real from the page. The humor is dry and subversive - I caught myself several times laughing out loud when I least expected it. There is a spiritual component and at first I was skeptical of whether it would fit in with the wit and realism of the rest of the writing but the writer successfully melds both with a delicate deftness. When I finished this book I couldn't wait to read the next in the series! Thankfully, there are several more.

Colin Cotterill has created some wonderful characters which he weaves into a tale that is gripping, humorous, and culturally enlightening. I love how he uses Lao and Hmong beliefs, spririts, and traditions to add a supernatural flavor to his insight into solving cases and dealing with life as a wise, elderly coroner in Laos. These books are very easy to read in a day. I have read Cororner's Lunch and Thirty Three Teeth, both of which I read back-to-back. I am buying the rest in the series and look forward to more.

First of all, thanks to V.J.Canberra for recommending this historical/esoteric/ethnic series of crime novels around Dr.Siri.
Meet the hero: the man is 72 and reluctantly (he would rather retire) national chief coroner of the recently turned Republic of Laos under communist Pathet Lao rule. The time is 1976. Dr.Siri is insufficiently qualified as well as equipped and staffed. He makes that up by being the founding father of cynicism. He has odd green eyes. Dogs hate him (until a turnaround point in the plot when they begin to love him). His bosses are weary of his atttitude. Women seem to love him, but he has only recently begun to notice, his wife died 10 years ago. He has been a long time party member, but for the wrong reasons (chercher la femme! though Thai radio propaganda against the new regime claim that all Lao communists are ugly.) On top of all this, Siri is psychic. He sees dead people, "all the time". (saw that movie? it would help)
All Asian countries are heavily infested with ghosts and spirits. Probably the poorer, the more infested. As Siri is otherwise short of resources, he makes best use of his off-curriculum abilities (which actually go against his scientific mindset.)
The novel has three concurrent crime cases, which stretch poor Siri's skills to the limits.
First, a communist top cadre's wife has died under strange circumstances. While this case is the most normal of the three and easily seen through, it provides most of the suspense in this otherwise rather funny book.
Second, three shady Vietnamese turn up killed, which threatens to cause an international confrontation. Siri solves the case and saves peace, which however doesn't fully convince; it may not be fully thought through. Third, in an army project that wants to help minority people to substitute opium by other cash crops, the army commanders have been dying one after the other in strange circumstances. The story leads into realms of spirits that I am not familiar with and that make Siri become an unexpected exorcist's assistant.
I was considering to deduct a star for too much reliance on the other world and for a wobbly second case, but then, as I like the book a lot, I thought, what the heck. Go for it!

Another enjoyable Lacy Smithsonian escapade with help from girlfriends Brooke and Stella.

While Lacy is enrolled in a PI course to help (she hopes) get her another beat on the Eye Street Observer, during the break of the night's first class she stumbles across the body of society divorcee Cecily Ashton. Cecily is found dead in her car and no one is sure if it is murder, suicide or a robbery.

Lacy becomes involved in trying to determine who killed Cecily and why. As always, with help, wit and fashion clues Lacy embarks on the case with Stella and Brooke's assistance.

All of the books in the series are an enjoyable read. You certainly can't go wrong with this delightful series.

Ellen Byerrum has done it again! Lacey Smithsonian continues to be a fun read. The books are well written and always surprise me at the end.

I thought "Raiders of the lost corset" and "Grave apparel" were good but Miss Byerrum has come up with another winner.

Lacey Smithsonian is taking a PI course with an acquaintance of her very personal PI - Vic Donovan and at the lunch break on the first day, a dead woman's body is discovered in the car park, a woman who Lacey interviewed just days before.

Vic is out of town so it is up to Lacey and her girl pal's Brooke and Stella to sort out the fashion clues.

Vic arrives back just in time to ride to the rescue together with former
nemesis from Raiders of the lost corset Nigel Griffen and Gregor Kepelov.

My one complaint, is that I will have to wait another year for the next book.

As Chekhov might have said, don't put Lacey Smithsonian in the opening of your story unless you're planning for a murder to happen. Well, Armed and Glamorous not only provides us and Lacey a murder-slash-robbery, its mise en scene is a Northern Virginia academy for private investigators whose motto is NO LOADED WEAPONS IN THE CLASSROOM.

Mixed in with the crimes, Byerrum provides a frothy frappe of fashionista fun. In addition to Lacey's usual sidekicks (blonde attorney Brooke, starlicious Stella, and Damon Newhouse, who's made paranoia profitable), we are reintroduced to ex-KGB spy Gregor Kepelov and New Orleans psychic Marie Largesse, and meet a classroomful of private investigator wannabees and their teacher.

After society divorcee Cecily Ashton is murdered-slash-robbed, Lacey, Brooke, and Stella take to the shooting range, and form a no-boys-allowed club, the PCC (sorry, you'll have to read the book for translation of all acronyms). Speaking of acronyms, there are a couple of other new Inside the Beltway (ITB) pearls of acronymous fun waiting to be discovered: PDA (no, not that PDA) and PWIP.

Getting more serious, Armed & Dangerous has a chapter later in the book which explicates Lacey's internal conflict over being a fashion reporter as well as it has ever been stated. Lacey Smithsonian doesn't really want to be a fashion reporter, but because she is, murder (with a little help from Our Lady of Fortuitous Coincidence) seems to find her, not only when she's investigating fashion stories, but also, as we find out in Armed & Glamorous, when she's engaged in extracurricular activities. Fashion is how Lacey understands a lot of the world around her. She parses Hansen the photographer, to name one character, by means of a thorough analysis of his fashion choices: "His fashion accessories consisted of half a dozen press passes to government buildings, including one for Congress and one for the White House." We understand Hansen's psyche as well as we might were a psychoanalyst to psychoanalyze: "If you loved Hansen, it wasn't for his wardrobe. It was for the inner Hansen." And in so doing, we come away with an understanding of what makes Lacey tick.

On the food front, Stella and Nigel create the new drink sensation, the Washington Wintry Mix. And Felicity contributes to the baking arts with an almond cake with lemon filling and glaze, topped with whipped cream.

Oh, and before I forget (Department of Local Color): One out of every six people in DC is a spy.

I'm not going to give away the ending. I HATE spoilers. Let's just say Armed & Glamorous ends on a suitably Chekhovian note.

The DC Eye Street Observer fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian would prefer to work the crime beat, but her editor refuses to okay the transfer because he considers her a great journalist whose column often turns into murder investigations. She enrolls in Bud Hunt's private investigation class that will enable her to become state certified as a private detective.

During a class break, another student Willow goes out to the parking lot only to find the corpse of Cecily Ashton inside her car; a bullet shot through the righte side of her face. They know it is homicide not suicide as no gun was found in the vehicle or nearby. Lacey interviewed the victim just last week re her clothing collection stored in a series of interconnecting closets in her home. There are plenty of suspects, but no solid evidence to make a case against anyone. Lacy investigates the murder that soon turns into a kidnapping and potentially a deadly experience for the heroine.

Readers will enjoy the latest Crime of Fashion investigative tale (see GRAVE APPAREL and RAIDERS OF THE LOST CORSET) as the heroine once again uses her journalistic skills to try to identify the killer (and stay alive too). Ellen Byerrum is especially skilled at creating fascinating eccentric characters starting with Lacey who thinks outside the designer box her editor prefers to keep her locked inside of; and the strong support cast who move the story line forward. Fans will relish ARMED AND GLAMOROUS, a cozy starring a fashionable trench coat, essential killer heels and designer whipping pearls.

Harriet Klausner

The audio book shipped fast and was packaged very well. The prices are
always good at Amazon also. I will continue buying products from Amazon.

The book itself was great. I already had it in hardback but bought the
audio for my husband to listen to while traveling back and forth to work.
Patterson usually comes out with great books and this one was no exception. When I started reading, I could barely put it down.

"Judge & Jury" by James Patterson's is yet another collaboration with Andrew Gross. The two once again team up for a quick and easy suspense novel. Meet Andie DeGrasse, a single mother/struggling actress who has been called as a potential juror in the highly publicized trial of Mafia Don Dominic Cavello. Tracked down and brought to justice by a dedicated FBI Agent, Nick Pellisante, Cavello is preparing for his trial, which is turning into the trial of the century. Unfortunately, Cavello doesn't intend to go down without a fight, or plan to serve any serious time in prison, and orchestrates something that will live in the minds of those determined to bring him down, for the rest of their lives. Bent on revenge and dishing out their own idea of justice, Andie and Nick set out to bring down the man that has caused so many people to lose their lives.

This book was quick and easy to read. It is not as well thought out and executed as some of Patterson's early works, but it isn't as bad as some of his other collaborations. Getting it from a friend and reading it just as something light between your heavy reading, would be fine.

Typically fast-paced, this brings a rogue Special Agent face to face with a trio of powerful, well-trained hit men guilty of the most horrific crimes. There's a romance, and the story moves from one exotic location to another, with never a dull moment! As is so typical of James Patterson, the hero doesn't play by the rules, but we root for him anyway. One of the innovations in this novel is that the leading lady learns not to play by the rules in exacting her revenge for her son's murder. The story raises some interesting questions about juror safety, questions all readers will be pondering the next time they happen to receive a summons for duty.

I am a big James Patterson fan. I like to read his books- they usually have a lot of mystery to them, secret characters, and unexpected plot twists. This book had none of the those elements. This book basically introduces you to the good guys and the bad guys and then tells the story of how the characters reach the predictable and boring conflict resolution. No surprise, no suspense.

James Patterson's reliable beach reads don't subvert or twist the conventions of the thriller genre, but rather revel in them. So, in a crime thriller like this one, you get lots of action, some courtroom theatrics, a little international espionage, and, of course, some hot romance. In the sense that you've seen these elements before, I guess it's all "by the numbers", but the author always delivers these things in a skillful manner, making you want to shoot through the story even as you're well aware of the formula. I was quite entertained by "Judge & Jury", a joint venture between Mr. Patterson and occasional collaborator Andrew Gross.

Despite the safe, marketable formula, "Judge & Jury" does get a few extra points for one or two instances of gutsiness. For one thing, something truly tragic and shocking happens to heroine Andi DeGrasse about a third of the way into the book, something beyond what most editors would probably consider an acceptable level of bad business to inflict on a bouncy female character appearing in a summer beach read. Second, the scenes of sexuality, though not constant, aren't afraid to venture well into adult R-rated territory. These two examples demonstrated to me that the book, despite its clear intent to be a huge seller, wasn't afraid to be a little tough and a little adult. I liked that.

I actually listed to "Judge & Jury" in unabridged audiobook form, wonderfully read by actor Joe Mantegna and peppered throughout with sound effects and music cues. I often find those latter elements corny when they appear in audiobooks, but they worked here, making the whole thing remind me of an entertaining, involving movie.

But whether you listen to this book or read it the old-fashioned way, I think you'll enjoy this capable, gutsy tale that runs the gamut from revenge to romance, with all kinds of interesting business in between.