Mystery Crime Books

The second in the series and better than the first. Pat only gets better with time and this is an enjoyable one. Recommended.

I thoroughly enjoy Patrick McManus' literature. I appreciated the opportunity to add this to my library.

Mr. McManus has done it again. He must be a master at the study of people being people. This creation Avalanche leaves the reader with his mind running in all directions but is so interesting one finds themselves suspecting solutions. I have a short story primer Mr. Pat wrote and he talked about writing humor was like shooting pool the more banks you hit the better the effect. I have tried to apply this to the Two books of short stories that I have now in print. "SO YOU GOT TO GET RIGHT BACK ON ????" and "SO WHAT WAS I THINKING ????" and in the book I will soon be sending to the printer "SO I FLEW WITH THE WIND ????". I can only dream of having the same skills Mr. McManus has, he is a real inspiration.

If you have not read Patrick F. McManus stories in Outdoor Life or his many collections, please do. The world is so much easier to take when you can relate your worst moments to one of the many adventures he describes.

This book is written in the truly superb style that only McManus has. What can any review add to the writings of Patrick F. McManus? Why would anyone need convincing that they should own the entire Patrick F. McManus library!?! Try it...you'll laugh your posterior off!

First Sentence: He stood at window studiously watching the large fluffy snowflakes fill up his mother's backyard.

Sheriff Bo Tully and his father, Pap, head to West Branch Lodge to investigate the disappearance of lodge owner Mike Wilson. They barely escape being caught in an avalanche but are now cut off and must proceed with their investigation, now of a murder.

While I very much enjoyed the first book in this series, this entry left me, pardon the expression, cold. Even the character of Tully came across as unpleasant and the dialogue felt awkward. There was an appalling grammatical error that may have been done for humor, but it didn't come across that way. The setting of being cut off by an avalanche was interesting, but didn't really add any suspense as the weather never posed a particular threat to the characters. In fact, I found very little suspense in the story. I wasn't surprised by the killer, but was by the motive and I did enjoy the very ending. However, I'm not certain that was enough for me to continue which this series.

The second book in the Scot Harvath series was no letdown after "The Lions of Lucerne". With imaginative plot twists, exotic locations, and a new unlikely heroine, this second effort by Brad Thor is every bit as engaging as his first was. And as far as the cold-hearted assassin is concerned, the identity is surprising. Against the backdrop of current events, Brad Thor recognizes that politically incorrect fact, that we are at war with elements of a group of religious extremists; radical Islam. As fantastic as the action in this book was, I found it to be plausible, if not realistic.

I like the political/military thriller genre and this book did not disappoint. It was a quick read, but also required some thinking. The book was well-written and the dry sense of humor from the author that surfaces from time to time is also refreshing. I look forward to reading the rest of Mr. Harvath's adventures.

This is the third or fourth book in the series that I have read. This may have been the best one. The entire book is exciting. It is well-written and keeps you enganged the entire time. You know Scott Horvath is going to make it somehow (It is part of a series, after all) but you never know how.

The twists in this book are startling. You won't see the big one coming.

Brad has another bestseller in this novel! Full of page turning action with Scot Harvath. A must read!

This was an amazing book. I picked it up and read it almost non-stop for a couple of days. If you like spy thrillers, this is it. I hope they make it into a movie. I believe this was the first in the series.

Once again, Dorien Grey writes a winner! This book adds another layer to the ongoing story of Dick, Jonathon, and Joshua. I love how the characters aren't perfect. They handle things like everyone else. Dick and Jonathon have real struggles and Joshua is a typical 5 year old. The mystery is great, and kept me going back an forth on who I thought it was. If you haven't read any of Grey's books this one is a treat and you will want to go back and read more.

Laurie

Knowing that the new Dick Hardesty book was due, I recently re-read the
first eleven books in the series. Today I finished book twelve "The
Angel Singers". Like a good wine Dorien Grey only improves with age (of
course I have no idea of his real age) but he continues to make me feel that Dick, Jonathan and Joshua are members of my extended family. I
only hope that he continues with the series as well as continuing with
more books after "His Name Is John"

An admission: I'm prejudiced. Yes, I've read the other 11 volumes in the Dick Hardesty series, several times. Therefore, my expectations for the 12th were high. And my expectations were more than fulfilled in this well-written addition to the series..

The story line is complex - the murder of a member of a gay men's chorus that Jonathan has joined. Does the murder involve the chorus or is it just a coincidence that the victim is one of the singers? We read on to see how Dick solves the mystery, following various alternatives to the solution, to the final conclusion. We delight in the process as Dick questions himself, trying to separate his emotions from the evidence, and trying to resolve sub-plots that develop during his investigation.

The main reason I enjoy the Dick Hardesty series is the development of the characters: the continued growth of Dick as an individual and in his relationship with both Jonathan and as a parent of Joshua, the maturation of Jonathan as a complete character apart from Dick, and the presentation of Joshua as a true typical five year old.

Lastly, I want to comment as a member of a gay men's chorus. Not only has Dorien gotten his facts correct as to the organization of a chorus, and putting on a concert. He expertly relates the emotional values within a chorus - the relationships between the singers, the feeling of family, the love of music..

I recommend not just The Angel Singers, but the entire Dick Hardesty series.

This is the twelfth, and most explosive, Dick Hardesty story.

In some ways I was quite relieved when Grant died. He was, to put no finer point on it, a bastard. And he isn't the only bastard to meet his end during the unwinding of this complex tale.

It's difficult to talk about the gripping main mystery plot without spoiling it for the reader. Suffice to say, Dick's loved ones are put in grave peril because of it. His investigations also bring him back in contact with the delightful Iris and Arnold Glick. Alas we saw little of his friends, Jared, Jake, Phil and Tim.

Dick's personal life continues to enthral. Joshua is a delight. He's a typical five-year-old kid. By which I mean, he's moody, melodramatic and messy, but still loveable. Grey does an awesome job in writing about life with a pre-schooler.

Jonathan. What can I say about this guy that I've not said before? He has grown from the innocent and naïve man who first appeared in Dick's life several stories back. His increased maturity is natural and believable. However, there still remains an essence of trustfulness and a willingness to try to find good in everyone he meets. The closing of the story had me blinking away tears at just how true this last statement is.

Warner's second in the Boxcar series is pretty much more of the same. Gone however is any real novelty or discovery.

This time around it gets a little creepy by modern, postfeminist standards. The girls delight in nonstrenuous domesticity, whereas the boys do the heavy lifting and shop work. Henry assumes the role of Father Knows Best autocrat for the little family, the rich grandfather being mostly absent again.

Not too surprising, given that Warner's generation also made the infamous mental hygiene classroom films and social engineering initiatives of the post-WWII era.

If traditional, rigidly-defined, sex-linked roles taught by example are okay with readers' parents, go for it. Progressives and modern liberals will surely be appalled. The enigmatic character of Joe could never be written into modern stories.

The artwork in this edition of Surprise Island is wretched, nothing at all like the first book's.

Growing up in the same town as Ms. Chandler, I was lucky enough to go to the library to hear her read her stories. I loved them. I wasn't sure if my kids 30 years later would love them as much as I did. I think we've read the Boxcar #1 at least 6 times. The kids just love the idea of setting up a home, without adults, and taking care of themselves. Who doesn't love the pink cracked cup and the stream cooler. I wasn't sure if Surprise Island would have the same kind of magic. It did! Not only did it have a lot of the same elements as the first one, my boys loved the kids finding Indian relics, and mystery of who Joe was and of course why can't they go into the yellow house? (read #3 for that one). It is so refreshing that a book written so many years ago can be relevant today, that you don't need potty humor,TV show references or violence to engage children's imaginations.

My kids, 9, 6, and 3, love these books, which is a surprise since they don't contain any electronics, fantasy adventures, or magic. They beg me to read "just one more chapter!" everytime. So refreshing to read about kids interacting with nature and who are so polite to adults. Definitely a good purchase.

The Boxcar Children #2 Suprise Island is a great book for kids and others 15 and under. My favorite part was when the kids found Indian Point and all the artifacts hidden there. After they found all the artifacts they made there own museum. My other favorite part was when the dogs raced each other. When they had to leave they weren't very disspointed because they knew that they were going to come back.The author is such a realistic writer that when you read this book you think that you are there with them.

When I say "So many surprises," I really mean it! For example, the children find Indian artifacts, when they never thought they would. Benny and his friend found a mini-cave. I like this book because it had so many surprises!

This is a good book for my 4th grade son. It is hard to find books on his reading level that hold his interest. The narator of the story is Hank the cowdog (also self proclaimed head of ranch security). The chapters are only 3 or 4 pages and give my son a sense of accomplishment for being able to read a couple of chapters each night.
Hank also has a few pronuciation problems, allowing the young reader to identify correct pronunciation and grammer. The stories are interesting and funny and have really improved my son's interest in reading as well as his grades in reading and language skills.

I love all the Hank books, and this is a great one for the Christmas season. These books are hilarious and more important to the young reader, fun to read. I'd also check the rest of the series.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

Hank the cowdog is about a dog named Hank and he lives in a farm.Everything is going right fo Hank because he is the leader of the dogs and nobody ever dared to talk back to him until one day another dog named Rufus came to take over.Then Rufus starts making fun of Hank for having crossed eyes (he got crossed eyes because he tried to see the part where his nose had no skin on it).One time Rufus was acting like Hank (imitating Hank)and Hank ran away.Hank confronted (met) snakes and big birds which he had trouble with.Hank had to deal with Rufus.Do you think he (Hank) might get away with still being the leader?,well if you keep on reading the ending you will know.

My ten year old son is a rapidly developing avid reader who has fallen absolutely in love with this excellent series. Erickson creates rapid narratives filled with honest (and yes, corny) humor and pleasently comic action and an occasional moral or two.

This series provides young readers with a simple, yet appropriately challenging vocabulary. It also provides fine entertainment as it can hold a young man, who favors outdoor activities and sports, and his attention span for countless hours. A most highly reccomended series of books designed to encourage and develop young readers.

This is my all time favorite Hank the Cowdog book! I love Madam Moonshine and Wallace and Junior. It's witty and humorous throughout the book. I'm impatiently waiting for #34 to come out. I recomend any of these books to children and adult alike.

We first meet Homicide Detective Rebecca Montgomery working off steam in the SAPD's gym, frustrated because the investigation of her sister's disappearance seems to be going nowhere. She is not allowed into the investigation as 'she is too close to the victim'. But still, frustration rules, and an argument insues with the lead detective Paul Murphy. Lieutenant Arturo Santiago breaks them up and sends Becca to investigate the remains found behind a wall in a burned-down theater.

Becca believes, in her gut, that the remains are tied in with her sister's disappearance somehow and when she gets too close to home, the FBI involves themselves and pushes her off the case and into a `forced' vacation. But she doesn't stop, even on vacation.

Having met Diego Galvan outside the theater, she is determined to blackmail him into helping her solve her case. She believes that the man he's working for, Hunter Cavanaugh, is behind it all.

The remains, identified as Isabel Marquez, another missing young woman that had disappeared several years ago, seems to be tied in with her investigation. After interviewing the brothers, Victor and Rudy, she believes that something sinister is going on and is now wondering who murdered her as her suspect list grows.

As she investigates, she gets closer to Cavanaugh and his second-in-command, Matt Brogan. But they won't be caught, and plan their own retribution against Diego and Becca. While Diego, who is actually working as an informant to the FBI while in Cavanaugh's house under the guise of the company merger with his father, Joe Rivera, and Cavanaugh, is occupied with Cavanaugh, Brogan has Becca kidnapped, intending to close down their operation, get rid of the rest of the girls, along with Becca and Diego. And Becca is in for an even bigger surprise - her sister isn't dead after all. But will they all make it out alive?

I didn't find the story as intense as the synopsis set out to make me believe. Sure, there was tension and suspense, but not intense. I found it lacking. As for romance, while Diego made a few smooth moves, and I did feel a physical attraction, I didn't feel anything deep-seeded as love. The plot could have used more mystery, more complexity - it made me feel as if I were watching some cop show on TV where they don't write the episode to complicated so that others can't follow. It started off a little slow, and everything was based on a `gut instinct'. Becca wasn't finding anything to actually tie to Cavanaugh and/or Brogan other than witness accounts and statements.

It isn't until Becca is followed while on her way to talk to a witness that the tension and suspense begins to really build. When she is kidnapped right under the nose of the surveillance team that were secretly placed to watch over her, and the truth is brought to light inside a supposedly vacant warehouse that you really feel the suspense and tension. The FBI and SAPD bursts in and a shoot-out begins, and while the action is excellent, I thought the end of that part of the story was rather plain - as in used too often before. I'm glad that Danielle is okay, but I actually wished that we'd get a scene between Becca and her mother after Becca's remembered scene earlier in the story. And while you're still feeling the physical attraction between Diego and Becca, I still didn't feel enough between them to bring love into the picture.

While the story isn't bad, it isn't the best. It could have used a lot more action, mystery and suspense to truly be a great story.

This was the first book I have purchased by this author. I really liked it and want to buy more from this author.

I'm also, along with some others, puzzled by the 5 star reviews. I will say that the plot was fairly good, but it didn't have me guessing about the kidnappings. The crime is, sadly, somewhat common today. What bothered me was the dialogue. I cringed when she called Diego "Slick".It reminded me of the old 40s movies and the sexy tough gal with the cigarette hanging out of her mouth calling the hero "Slick" while letting her eyes travel up and down his body. This was after they had started the romance, which, by the way started almost immediately after they met. But what had me tempted to hurl the book across the room, was the comic book sound effects like "arrrgh". I have never read that in a novel before. I remember seeing it in comic books as a child, though. I thought that was completely unnecessary and it was said several times. She could have described the pain felt by the character. To me, it was lazy writing. But, I did like the book enough to buy the others she wrote. I just hope I didn't waste my money. I also hope I don't see "slick" and "arrrgh" again.

I am not sure what is going on with Amazon and its reviewers. I have noticed over the past year or so...more and more reviewers giving average books 5 stars.

Now, I realize that as individuals we all interpret things differently. What I may feel is a two star someone else may feel is a four star. But there are a LOT of "average" books that are continuously receiving 5 stars. We are talking about a book being considered the highest rating...excellent...couldn't be improved, etc..

What is frustrating is that I can't use the reviews as a serious source anymore. If you purchase a book based on the star rating, you can often be very disappointed. I tend to read all the reviews and see "why" people like or don't like a book.

This is not a reflection on Ms. Dane as a new author. Kudos to her for her ability and her effort. I did not feel this book was by any means special, but do believe she has potential as an author. The dialogue was a little contrived in my opinion and a little more character depth and realism was needed. Good first effort though.

I hope Amazon finds a way to deliver a better system of reviewing though....something to negate this influx of 5 star reviews on everything that exists...

I encourage everyone to leave their reviews so we have a better system to judge the books to buy. A review should be how you feel about the book though, its strengths and weaknesses, not a slander of the author who is dong what they love...

It's been five months and the only thing that police have managed to find of homicide detective Rebecca Montgomery's kid sister Danielle is a bloody crime scene. Guilt rules her and she desperately wants on the case, but is reassigned to an arson investigation which turns into a murder when skeletal remains are uncovered. At the crime scene she runs into the dashing Diego Galvan, a shadowy man with unsavory friends. When she links the possible victim to a man under FBI surveillance, her case is soon taken from her and she's put on leave; but not before putting her cards on the table with wealthy and shady businessman Hunter Cavanaugh. On leave and still investigating, she finds herself drawn to Diego, who is not who he appears to be, and her many questions and relationship with Diego put her in danger.

Dane's romantic suspense takes a little while to build up, but after getting through the first couple chapters, the story picks up and turns into a really satisfying novel. I didn't feel that the romance between Diego and Rebecca was fully explored - it just seemed a little too abrupt, but Dane manages to make both her characters really strong without sacrificing the plot. There is also a nice twist at the end.

As are most of her more recent books, this one is entertaining and keeps you reading. Have this series and enjoyed each one.

I enjoyed Traceless and Nameless but this one just didnt do it for me...Kind of slow and anti climatic....

Deputy DA Carson Tanner's family was brutally murdered and they have finally caught the culprit... or have they? After a night of passion with a sexy stranger he discovers that she's under investigation by the Feds who hope to have her turn on her mentor. But Annette Baxter has a scarred past and doesn't tow the line quite so easily, as she draws Carson into a web of intrigue and questioning those closest to him. She is a "fixer" of sorts and knows just about every secret about the town patriarchs who will do anything to silence her. When she tells Carson that the serial killer who admitted to the crime is not the culprit and drops other clues, he is compelled to investigate and forced to question his loyalties. But at what cost?

After devouring Webb's previous two novels "Traceless" and "Nameless" I was a bit disappointed with this one. The writing is strong but I did not feel a connection to the story and never really felt the passion between the two characters. Annette is a difficult character to like and after awhile, I didn't find her a bit redeeming. When compared with other anti-heroines such as Andie in Linda Howard's latest "Death Angel," her transformation just isn't believable. I did like the twist to the story in the end, so that kept it from being a mediocre read. She's still an auto-buy for me - I chalk this one up to being a fluke.

Debra Webb is becoming one of my must have authors, and FACELESS continues her list of great reads. After a surfeit of urban fantasies I found it a wonderful change of pace.

Carson Tanner is a Deputy District Attorney, he is also a man on a mission. Fifteen years ago his family was murdered. Known as the Avenger, because of his dedication to his job, he has finally closed the murder of his family when a serial killer includes them in his final list. Unfortunately that is just the begining for Tanner. A beautiful woman seduces him one night and the next day he finds that she is the subject of an FBI investigation. Then she tells him everything is connected to his family's murder. He doesn't believe her but suddenly things are changing to quickly for him to understand.

Annette Baxter has come from nothing, from the foster care system to being a prostitute, to being the go to person for the movers and shakers in Alabama. She has fought and climbed out of the gutter into the afflunce of the rich and famous. She is the protoge of Otis Fleming and the FBI intended to use anything they could find to force her to testify against him. Annette isn't worried about the FBI, she is worried about the people she has helped. The very ones who should be helping her are setting her up. She knows too much about certain people and things. Esspecially the murder of Carson's family.

The story is intense and filled with action. The relationship between the characters is deeply emotional as Carson goes from hateing her to being unable to forget their interlude. Now he must use her and her knowledge, which she doles out piece by piece, to try to save their lives and bring the true killers to justice.

I loved it. It is everything you want a good mystery to be. I was shocked and surprised at the ending and as long as she writes like this I will be buying her books. Very good read.

Fifteen years have passed since the senseless slaughter of his family in Alabama, but in spite of his current position as a Deputy District Attorney, Carson Tanner has not received any closure; the case went cold a long time ago. He still thanks his girlfriend's father Senator Drake for taking care of him back then when he was a teenager suddenly alone with tragedy and trauma; however putting it behind him remains impossible. That is until apparently now when serial killer John Stokes confesses that he killed the Tanner family.

Carson does not feel like his nightmare is over. When he meets Annette Baxter, they fall into each other's arms for one wild night. However, he soon learns she is a problem fixer for the affluent, including someone under investigation by Tanner's office. Soon afterward, leaks suddenly appear re the Tanner family homicides that lend credence to a rumor of a false confession. Carson begins to wonder what role Annette has played while she understands the only survival to the threats to their lives means escorting the ADA into a world of dishonesty

This is a fascinating investigative romantic suspense thriller starring two opposites at least on how each sees justice. Carson was shaped by the deadly traumatic incident and goes out of his way to stay legal as he feels the law is above reproach; Annette has no qualms gleefully going outside the law and is proud to do so. They make the tale as together they might swim out of a small-town cesspool polluted with toxic corruption and murder; separately they will be the next two statistics.

Harriet Klausner