Mystery Crime Books

This is the fourth book in the Earlene Fowler quilting mystery series.

Benni Harper and her husband Gabe Ortiz become involved in a police investigation after Benni discovers a woman's body floating in a lake next to their jogging path. The dead woman is dressed in a Mother Goose costume and Benni immediately recognizes her as Nora Cooper, a local storyteller.

Because of Benni's job as curator of the San Celina Folk Art Museum, she was well acquainted with Nora Cooper and they were both working on an upcoming Storytelling and Story Quilt Festival. Benni tries to stay out of the police investigation, but she keeps getting pulled in because she knew the victim and most of the suspects.

Benni and Gabe are newlyweds and still getting adjusted to living together which is difficult because they are both set in their ways. The situation is not helped by the arrival of three different relatives who all come to visit at the same time causing commotion in their small home.

Though Earlene Fowler gives us a patchwork of personalities and several different plots, she still manages to keep the reader interested and entertained.

I've read the entire series. Loved them all.

The Goose in the Pond is my favorite of the Benni Harper series. I love Earlene Fowler's characters they are so interesting, fun and real. When Benni discovers a storyteller in the water who is dressed up as Mother Goose, this starts a marvelous mystery. I am so happy that I rediscovered this mystery series. I have also have enjoyed reading Kansas Troubles, Dove in the Window and Mariner's Compass. I love quilts and mysteries so this series have been so wonderful!

In this book, Benni Harper, who is recently married to the Chief of Police, Gabe Ortiz, finds the dead body of one of the storytellers from the museum. Since she knows the victim and the suspects she tries to stay out of the investigation, but everyone thinks she knows more than she does.
I found the ending quite unsatisfying -- not because of who is revealed as the murderer, but the way in which this is discovered.
I also found Gabe's self-righteous macho posturing too much to take. He is at least as much to blame for the problems between him and his son, Sam, as Sam is. How could Sam not be troubled with a father who can't find anything good about him?

I have read 5 of the 8 Benni Harper mysteries. Being a serious quilter, and an avid reader I find books fairly predictable. Ms. Fowler keeps you guessing until the very end!! Ofter the title of the book which relates to a specific quilt block is not revealed until late in the book. She has so captured me that when I was telling my small quilt group about the books they thought I was talking about a real family!! I have ordered all of the remaining books that I have not read, and wish Ms. Fowler could produce one a week to keep me entertained when I am not quilting. Books are ment to help you be part of the story and these do an excellent job at that! It is nice that the characters in the books remain the same and it doesn't seem to matter if you read them out of sequence as she renews the past in a way to refamilirize you and not make you lost, guessing where who all of the people in San Celina or how they are related. Keep up the good work Ms. Fowler and HURRY with another book!

Ever since my wife brought me "Hard Candy" while in the hospital I have been hooked on Andrew Vachss' writing.
While many writers in this genre get tedious with their characters after a while, Vachss keeps his main man Burke refreshingly alive and different with each new novel!
I make it the top choice each year for Christmas, birthday and Father's Day when asked what I want the reply is always "See if there is a new Vachss book out there first, if so , that's what I want! I have read them all and am looking forward to his new one coming out in December 2008!
Enjoy!
Christopher J.Whedon

Vacchs' Burke books keep getting better! Like the characters themselves, the stories mature with each passing book. This one is terrific, especially the cliffhanger ending! So ... when's the next one?!

I also found this book a bit difficult to get through. Has a lot of sermonizing in it that takes away from the plot. However, I think Burke fans will love it anyway. If you haven't read the other Burke novels, it would be difficult to follow. Love the idea of what Burke and his family do to child molesters, doesn't even matter that they're running cons. Look forward to the next one.

This is the weakest of all the Burke novels. What is little more than a short story has been extended by the author, Vacchs, into a work that is 1/3 story and 2/3 polemics. I agree that abusers and destoyers of children all are of the lowest of the low in society and should be persecuted and prosecuted until they are removed from our world and locked away forever.

What I do not agree with is an author who creates a work of supposed fiction and then spends most of the work providing factual details to support his agendas. All that Vacchs says, as author, belongs in a nonficton work which should include additional information exploring Vacchs' ideas for dealing with child abusers; he has extensive knowledge and experience from which we all could benefit. But, he ought not to pack it into a so-called "novel."

I was expecting something of the caliber of Flood, which came out in 1985, and all of the subsequent novels. Terminal Burked me, blind-sided me, drawing upon Vacchs's name and reputation to entice me into entering the novel. I just wish I weren't hammered so hard by the author. Instead, I wish I would have been finessed by Burke, making the author's points through his actions.

Andrew Vachss is a man with a mission.

That mission is to open up the world of child abuse and to make the world a better place by cleansing it of the people that commit the horrible crimes.

Vachss's books are reads that need to be read but sometime you need a bath afterwards, especially if you are a soul who is innocent and just likes to read good crime writing.

This book is difficult to read as the characters are complex and have evolved over the course of many years to be who they are. The storyline is convoluted but the main story is not the "crime" or the "mystery", it is the social commentary that Vachss is giving us.

Good writer, great cause, difficult book to read, unless you are a long-term fan (like myself).

I preferred The Dying Game and The Murder Game (which are actually books 3 & 4). This one was still very enjoyable and I liked being introduced to some of the secondary characters that I read about in The Dying Game and The Murder Game.

As for the relationship between Quinn and Annabelle, I definitely did not "fall in love" with them like I did with the main romantic characters in the other two books.

The suspense/mystery was good. However, I guessed who the killer was pretty early on (even though I did not have much proof or a reason why - just a hunch). When you find out how and why in the end, it's shocking and wraps things up nicely.

I also enjoy the fact that Barton gives the readers Epilogues in the end of each book. I like seeing into the future a bit.

Cast of characters: Quinn Cortez, self-made zillionaire lawyer and quite the womanizer. Annabelle Vanderley, smart, born to wealth and privilege, and keeps the Vanderley family business running smoothly. Lulu Vanderley, gorgeous cousin of Annabelle who lived hard, played hard, ended up dead. Wythe Vanderley, Lulu's creepy, lazy stepbrother. Kendall Wells, attorney; Jim Norton, police lieutenant; Chad George, slimy, pompous police sergeant; Griffin Powell, investigator extraordinaire.

It's early spring in Memphis. Lulu invited Quinn to her home to celebrate winning his latest big case. He arrives and finds her dead. He, of course, becomes the prime suspect, even though her date book lists other names many times. He hires his long time friend, Kendall Wells to defend him; a few days later she's dead. Annabelle comes to Memphis to make funeral arrangements and find out who killed her cousin. Annabelle meets Quinn; did he kill Lulu? Can she trust him? They both hire Griffin to investigate the case. It's soon discovered that other former lovers of Quinn's have been killed in the same manner as Lulu and Kendall. Is a serial killer on the loose? Is Quinn being set up? Why? Will Lulu's secret be revealed? Will Annabelle be Quinn's next love interest? Whodunit?????

There are just enough surprises in this story to keep your interest and really keep you guessing whodunit.

I have read all of Bevery Barton's other books for Zebra & enjoyed them, but I could not get into Quinn Cortez. He is not a likeable hero. The story itself is good, no problems there. The problem for me was Quinn & Annabelle. I personally thought they had no chemistry and I found nothing appealing about Quinn, except that he has good looks. For followers of Beverly Barton it is worth reading but nothing to get exicted over.

WHEN A KILLER DOESN'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT...

The woman has been waiting impatiently on her satin sheets. Her lover knows exactly how to satisfy her. But this time, he has something else planned...something that will really take her breath away...

THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO ELIMINATE HIS VICTIMS...

In the courtroom, defense lawyer Quinn Cortez has a reputation as a ruthless predator who always gets what he wants. In the bedroom, it's no different. Quinn is an accomplished seducer with a long list of conquests. But now, someone has brutally slaughtered one of them, and Quinn has no memory of the night he was found in her home...

SOFTLY...

Annabelle Vanderley wants justice for her murdered cousin, and if Quinn Cortez swears he can find the true killer, she's willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. But then another body is discovered...and another...each victim an ex-lover of Quinn's. Now, consumed by dread, Annabelle wonders just how close she may be to a twisted psychopath for whom her pain would be the ultimate pleasure...

When Annabelle Vanderlay arrives in Memphis to claim the body of her slain cousin, the last thing she expects is to find herself attracted to the man who discovered her body, who also happens to be a suspect in her death.

Quinn Cortez is a confident, sexy, self-made success. He is a shark of an attorney, with the same reputation in the bedroom. But someone is killing his lovers. As the investigation unfolds, four additional murders have the same calling card - smothered and the index finger severed, and all but one is tied to Quinn. It has all the markings of a serial killer - could Quinn be living a double life? After all, he seems to suffer from blackouts at the same time as the killings.

Both Annabelle and Quinn retain the services of a top notch private investigator to insure that the killer of Lulu Vanderlay is caught. Though in her heart she knows that Quinn is innocent, she can't help but wonder... Also in competition for her affections is one of the investigators, Chad George. Outwardly, he is the perfect man, but as Annabelle gets to know Chad and Quinn, she gets to know who is truly the more honorable man.

I did not get the sense that the two had much chemistry; prior to Lulu's funeral, she barely gave him the time of day (she seemed more interested in Chad), then suddenly she is totally hung up on him and they can't leave the hotel room? So much was made of him being a womanizer, but when he made a list of lovers over the last two years, it was single digits... I expected a lot more from a womanizing himbo.

While there is a great deal of suspense, it really does not take a brain surgeon to see the direction the story will take when all is revealed, nor the identity of the killer. And that creepy cousin just gives you the willies. I found that I like the secondary characters better - Jim and Griffin - and I am happy to hear that they will have a story of their own coming to a bookstore soon.

For the first three-quarters of its length, "The Amnesiac" is a compelling and genuinely disturbing novel. The morbid introspection, deep loneliness, and dreamlike blurring of fantasy and reality are reminiscent of Kafka -- or, more recently, of Paul Auster. The odd situations are interesting in themselves, and it would have been fine for Taylor to end the book without explaining much of anything.

Unfortunately, Taylor introduces the running device of a Victorian "roman à clef" that comes close to derailing the entire book. These tedious interludes go on forever and become increasingly irritating as the book progresses. Worst of all, the thinly-veiled meaning of these sections is painfully obvious and stands in stark contrast to the wonderful ambiguity of the rest of the book.

Despite the gothic Victorian hoo-hah and the weak ending, most of the book is so strong that it still earns a four-star recommendation. I'm looking forward to Taylor's next novel.

The use of a novel within a novel too often distracts the reader, and in this story it becomes more complicated by the use of a Victorian mystery within a contemporary dilemma. In this book 29-year-old James Purdew, after breaking his ankle and remaining virtually homebound for six weeks, begins to recall his past--except he cannot remember three years.

He returns to the city where he attended university, where he finds both strange and familiar sights and fleeting glimpses of the past. He is fortunate when he is selected to live in and rehabilitate a house in which he had lived when in school. It is filled with tragic memories.

This is a haunting tale, and it is well-written. However, many readers no doubt will be overwhelmed by the prose and plotting, much less the above mentioned technique. Nevertheless, the book is more than worth the effort of plodding through all the metaphysics and philosophy and parables, and is recommended.

English expatriate James Purdew lives with his Dutch girlfriend Ingrid in Amsterdam. , The day before he turns thirty, James is climbing up the stairs in their apartment worried about a seemingly few seconds blackout he just suffered when he hears the phone shrilling. He rushes up the remaining stairs, but misses a step, trips and breaks his ankle. Soon afterward Ingrid walks out on him as he wears a plaster-cast.

Purdew has had some recall lapses so he keeps a journal and begins to read his last entries. He decides to fill the memory gaps of three years ago by writing his Memoirs of an Amnesiac working from the present back a few years. He also goes home to Great Britain where he obtains work on a house renovation project hoping to remember. There he finds a nineteenth century Confessions of a Killer hidden inside a wall.

THE AMNESIAC is an engaging character study starring a fascinating protagonist whose slowly recalling what he forgot and why his brain "erased" the memory. Readers will want to know what caused Purdew to go blank. The story line is fast-paced overall as James begins to learn the truth about himself and the manuscript he discovered, but when he turns reflective he slows down the proceedings. Still fans who appreciate a character driven thriller will want to read Sam Taylor's insightful look an amnesia victim trying to remember.

Harriet Klausner

Reading Sam Taylor's The Amnesiac is like experiencing someone trying to remember a dream. The book's protagonist, James Purdew, who's just turned 30, realizes in a vague way that he's forgotten things. He starts having flashbacks--or perhaps he's had them all along and forgot--of events he otherwise doesn't remember. There are several years of his life that he can't account for in any clear way. He kept journals during that time but for some reason locked them away in a box to which he doesn't have the key, and which can only be opened otherwise by explosive. He starts to investigate his past, haltingly, because sometimes time just slips away from him. And various clues start to coalesce. Eventually he and the reader come to suspect that someone is playing with him, controlling the clues, engineering his rediscovery of his past or attempting to prevent it. And certainly at least one person is watching him: our omniscient narrator sometimes surprises us by alleging that he is actually in the scene he's describing.

Taylor's story is both ingenious and confusing. Having finished it, you'll find yourself rethinking the complex plot, trying to fit pieces of the story into the puzzle. The novel is just shy of 400 pages, not unusually long, and yet it's one of those books that seem to take an inordinately long time to read. I don't mean by this that the book is dull: it's not (except for one chapter towards the end, which purports to be a biography James is reading and which slows the story down considerably). Perhaps the feeling of slowness is due to the story's complexity, or because reading it one feels some of the frustration of the protagonist, for whom understanding is tantalizingly near but elusive.

The book, both detective story and gothic romance, is at the same time an exploration into the nature of memory. (Be sure to notice the disclaimer on the copyright page, the one that usually reads, "Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.") It is in fact the very sort of book that James imagines might be written about his predicament:

"Someone should write a true-to-life detective story, James thought bleakly; an existential mystery in which the answer is not to be found, clear and logical, at the book's end, but only to be glimpsed, half-grasped, at various moments during its narrative; to be sensed throughout, like a nagging tune that you cannot quite remember, but never defined, never seen whole; to shift its shape and position and meaning with each passing day; to be sometimes forgotten completely, other times obsessed over, but never truly understood; not to be something walked towards but endlessly around."

As you can see, the author plays with blurring the boundaries between reality and text.

The Amnesiac is challenging and intriguing and would, I think, make a good film--part Memento, part Posession. It will be interesting to see if filmmakers show any interest in the book.

-- Debra Hamel

The Amnesiac by Sam Taylor is the story of James Purdew, a 30-year-old Englishman living in Amsterdam, who after breaking his ankle decides to write the story of his life in order to try and capture three years that are missing from his memory. But as he probes those missing years, pieces of his life gradually start to slip away: his girlfriend, job, apartment, and eventually his own idea of self. The tighter James tries to cling to world he knows, the less real it seems to be. Packed with stories within stories, this multi-layered story evokes Sartre's Nausea. Warning: reading this book can seriously mess you up! Turn off the TV, find a comfy chair, and retreat from the world to completely immerse yourself in this debut novel. What is the nature of memory? How much of what we remember is truly accurate or is it a construction of stories, pictures, and daydreaming? And if we lose part of our memories, do we lose a part of ourselves? Does it change who we are? Does memory mark us indelibly? Taylor asks all of these questions and more about the nature of hope and fear. Hope is fear unrealized, and fear is hope unrealized. They are opposite sides of the same coin. James is a tragic character of his own creation who is too afraid to face his own past giving him no future; his fear keeps him from hope. A novel like this is a precarious thing. If the author doesn't balance things just so and create a flawless ending, the entire book collapses upon itself. But Taylor writes this slippery, illusory novel with panache, and the ending (which I read twice) is perfect. This book was so good, it was difficult to pick up another book after it. I am spoiled by reading a book that so utterly engaged my mind.

In this fifth book of the Earlene Fowler quilting series, the community of San Celina is getting ready for Heritage Days and Benni Harper, the curator of the local folk art museum is encouraging quilters, painters and photographers to complete their projects for the show. An exhibit of women artists who specialize in Western scenes is expected to be very popular with the visitors.

Benni and her husband Gabe are still working out the kinks in their new marriage and the surprise visit of a former brother-in-law causes dissention between them. Grandmother Dove is as feisty as ever and cousin Emory visits from Arkansas. At the annual Harper family barbecue, a young and talented photographer is found dead and Benni's concerned because the young woman had confided a serious problem to her.

There's always a lot going on in these stories and the author does a great job of keeping the reader interested in all of the different plots.

I want to like the Benni Harper mysteries, I really do. I like the setting, I like the characters who surround Benni, I like the mysteries, which are well-handled, I even like the quilting connection, but I just can't like Benni. On the surface, she's everything a heroine should be, but she can't stop whining about her husband wanting to protect and care for her. As if that were something disgusting and shameful, that he shouldn't do. He's her HUSBAND! And he's a cop! Of course he wants to protect her! Would she somehow be happier if he didn't care what happened to her, and sent her off on her amateur detecting missions with a quick wave and nothing more? Surely, if he were in danger, she'd want to protect him. Wouldn't she? I don't know, but I'm starting to not care. The man is a saint, she treats him like dirt, and I don't know if I want to spend another 300 pages with someone I think is self-centered and whiny, when she has no reason to be. It's hard to like the book, if the main character is not likeable.

I thought it was a decent mystery.

That aside, there are two types of novels I read: those I could recommend to my grandmother, and those I cannot. I read both, but unfortunately, this was in the latter category. And it's listed as a quilting novel, for goodness sake! The trucker's mouth on Benni Harper just wouldn't sit well with anyone else I know who enjoys quilting. Besides that, this book barely touches on quilting. For all that it affects the plot, she could be wrestling alligators. Disappointing, considering all Ms. Fowler's books have quilt pattern titles.

If you are looking for a book that incorporates the spirit of quilting with a good story, I would recommend any of Jennifer Chiaverini's novels, or Alice's Tulips or The Persian Pickle Club, both by Sandra Dallas.

Although this is a soft-boiled, fun series, I find that the protagonist is too self-centered and whiny. The fact that she is the only person who believes that her ex-brother-in-law, Wade, is innocent of two murders goes a little ways in redeeming her, but not far. As for the rest of the characters, I always enjoy books like this with large families that are close and stick together to help their own. The festitives are fun, the characters are wonderful, and this book hits the ground running and doesn't stop - despite the fact that two young people were murdered, and Benni puts herself right in the middle of finding out who did it.

Earlene Fowler has peopled her Bennie Harper series with plenty of enjoyable small-town characters and an authentic, humorous, feet-on-the-coffeetable ambiance. Two things, though, were enough for me to lop off some stars in my rating.

I took off one star for the irritating practice of mentioning an event several times throughout the book--in this case, a "hot" date between Benni's best friend and her cousin--and then having the event happen sometime out of the time frame of the book. Unfair, annoying, and unnecessary, near as I can tell.

I took off another star because a young photographer gave Bennie an album of her pictures on page 13. When the photographer is subsequently killed, I waited--and waited--and waited--for her to finally remember the album and look at it. It's one of those times when you want to shout at the character for being such a numbskull. On page 289, I could finally rest easy. I love San Celine; I think its inhabitants are a lot of fun, so much so that I resented being tripped up by the author and reminded that this is, after all, a manufactured story.

Bought this for my son so he could read something else besides Star War books. Growing up I bought and read every one. I never looked back.

These three novels are great fun. The publisher also deserves credit for an attractive product at a bargain price. I read all three novels within a few weeks, and then did the same with volume two. Anyone who likes these books will also enjoy reading Raymond Chandler. It's a close contest, but I liked Chandler even a little better. Chandler's main character (Phillip Marlowe) spends less time boasting than Spillane's (Mike Hammer), and is also more real-life in his need to make a living. But you are cheating yourself if you don't read them both.

Back in the day when I was teaching university literature courses, I would annually shock some English department colleagues by suggesting to students that Raymond Chandler was a better writer than F. Scott Fitzgerald. I smile to think of their reactions today if I were teaching a course in American literature, in which I would spend serious time reading and discussing Mickey Spillane and his unforgettable character, Mike Hammer.

Spillane was never a trickster or sensationalist. He was a hard worker and a born storyteller who knew more about pacing and dialogue than most writers will ever know. He got readers to pay attention and turn the page, and he left the always wanting more. Even today, I dream of another new Hammer novel or two turning up somewhere in the dusty bottom drawer of a roll-top desk.

But even if they don't, I'll revisit Spillane/Hammer every few years, probably for the rest of my life. So many books are made for one reading, and that's it. Not these. Spillane succeeded in creating an iconic American character, a deeply flawed rebel with an unbreakable will and unwavering sense of what is right and good in life. The author and his main character were always true to themselves, and we're the beneficiaries of that truth.

Staying with these two is not tough to do; it's easy!

--Robert McDowell, The Poetry Mentor (www.robertmcdowell.net), author of POETRY AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, July 15th, 2008, from Free Press.

It had been around fifteen or twenty years since I had last read a Mickey Spillane book before I had started the Mike Hammer Collection Volume 1. Back then, it had been the first Hammer book, I, the Jury. Over the years, I had forgotten almost all about the book except the very end. Rereading it and the other two novels in this edition, I figured out that this was appropriate: Spillane ends his stories with exclamation points, not periods.

This omnibus edition contains the first three Mike Hammer novels: in addition to I, the Jury, there is My Gun is Quick and Vengeance is Mine. As with the other books, I, the Jury doesn't waste much time with exposition. By the end of the first page, we already have a dead body, in this case, Jack Williams, Hammer's best friend. Almost immediately, Hammer makes a vow: he will kill Jack's murderer. The bulk of the novel is Hammer's investigation, a combination of legwork, intuition, deduction and intimidation, with a little romance added into the mix. It is, in a way, a routine tough guy private eye story, with some decent writing and a memorable ending.

My Gun is Quick - the longest of the three novels - moves a little more slowly, with the first death not occurring until the eighth page. In this case, it is a prostitute trying to get out of the business and who briefly befriended Hammer. The investigation again takes Hammer into the seedy side of New York City, and unlike the first novel, Hammer takes a real beating this time. Eventually, however, he will get to administer his own violent sort of justice.

Vengeance is Mine! has a corpse not only on the first page, but in the first sentence. The trouble for Hammer is that the man was killed with the detective's gun while the hero was drunkenly unconscious. This leads to Hammer losing his license, but that doesn't stop him from finding the killer, in this case entangled with a modeling/call-girl outfit and an illegal casino.

Outside of Hammer, there are really only two recurring characters. Pat Chambers is a homicide captain who is Hammer's friend and tolerates Hammer's behavior because he delivers the goods. He is able to keep Hammer on a leash, but it is a long one and occasionally it doesn't work. Velda is Hammer's beautiful secretary, who adores her boss. Hammer knows he should marry her, but at the same time he can't keep away from all the other beautiful women who fall for his hard attitude.

Mike Hammer, however, is the center of each story, a narrator with barely restrained rage. He is often a bully, but he also has a sense of fairness and is more tolerant than many fictional detectives of this era, even having a love affair with a prostitute in My Gun is Quick. In I, the Jury, Spillane is still honing Hammer's voice, but by the second novel, he has Hammer perfected. This is not great art - I doubt even Spillane would have claimed that - but it is solid entertainment and really hard boiled fiction in the classic vein.

Fine writing by a fine author. Pictures appeared in my mind with his use of words and always enjoyed each story. No one else like Spillane - not ever.

I've read four in this series and this is the best one. I recommend it. Sometimes you have to trick white folks into reading about Africa. This does the trick. I love the humor and dialog and philosophizing. And I'm in love with Precious Ramotswe, a most precious lady.

Second book in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

Newly engaged Precious Ramotswe continues to solve local mysteries as she negotiates her relationship with master mechanic Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. Watching them decide where to live, the matter of the engagement ring, and the surprise arrival of two foster children is gently humorous and true to life.

Absolutely wonderful. I especially recommend the audio version.

This was the first book in this series that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot is exciting but relaxing to enjoy, and there are so many subplots that make it truly fun. The gentle, eye-opening descriptions of a truer Africa were fascinating to me. I heartily recommend this book!

In this second book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, Mma Ramotswe is newly engaged to her friend Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni. Her fledgling detective business in Gaborone, Botswana, is doing well, and she takes on several new cases, including those of a cheating wife and a son who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. She also learns that her secretary, Mma Makutsi, has some detecting talents of her own.

What is quickly becoming one of my favorite aspects of the books is the subtle ways the author provides small morsels of cultural information to the reader. Although chances are small I'll ever be fortunate enough to visit myself, I feel like I'm slowly getting to know Botswana.

Loved it! This author writes with clarity and passion such that I find myself immersed in his work. Truly a don't miss!

Nero Wolfe leaves his home in each and every one of these stories - perhaps that's why A&E picked up "Poison A La Carte." Was it easier or cheaper to produce than "Too Many Cooks?"

There are a lot of similarities - the Ten for Aristology stages a dinner at which a murder occurs. Wolfe has to defend Fritz's innocence - a very tricky set of circumstances.

"Method Three for Murder" is not all that cryptic. When you're accused of something, there are three optionsL stand mute, tell the complete truth, or lie without embellishment. Remember: for methods one or two, you never have to remember what you said...

"The Rodeo Murder" prefigures "Death of A Dude" (1969) in that Lily Rowan's extensive land in Montana is the base of operations for some cowboys with personality limitations.

These are good stories, all, but you do sense that Stout's milking the cow pretty hard...

Three stories of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Three murders to solve, two meals, a taxi cab with a lady driver who isn't its owner and lots of cowfolk. The stories are all delightful to a Nero Wolfe fan and are all linked by a very rare event. In each story Mr. Wolfe leaves his house! True, sometimes there was a good meal involved, but it is still rare to see him outside his brownstone. He has also been known to leave it because of flower related affairs, but you know how he hates cars, thinks they're death traps. And he might be right.
Anyway, if you are a fan, buy it. If you're not a fan, buy it anyway. Get three stories for the price of one and become a fan of the greatest detective of all time!

The cases herein occur in April 1958 and August-September of 1960.

"Poison a la Carte" - Adapted for A&E's 2nd Nero Wolfe season. Lewis Hewitt talked Wolfe into loaning Fritz to the Ten for Aristology for an evening - an elite group of gourmets who have a special dinner every April 1st, marking the birthday of Brillat-Savarin (Fritz keeps a bust of the great gastronomist in his room). Archie, attending as a friend of the cook and to keep an eye on Wolfe, passes the time by collecting the names and phone numbers of the twelve beautiful girls serving dinner (actresses hired for the occasion). But when someone serves poison to 'theatrical angel' Vincent Pyle, he of the nasty reputation for sexual harassment in the theater world, Wolfe's client is Fritz Brenner - for no fee, although he and his friends from Rusterman's who were assisting would be willing to ante up if Wolfe would let them - they take exception to being used as cat's-paws. Good story, but even Wolfe and Archie can't solve it by pure deduction - be prepared for a charade. :)

"Method Three for Murder" - Archie has quit (or Wolfe has fired him) for effect in an argument about 30 - 40 times, but never in front of company. Archie's almost serious this time, when he stalks out of the brownstone after a post-dinner quarrel, only to find Mira Holt parked out front with a cab containing only the murdered body of Phoebe Arden. Mira borrowed the cab from its real driver, Judith Bram, and came to hire Wolfe for help after finding the victim. Archie takes her on. After the cops show up, Wolfe stomps out to the front step to find out what's going on, and Archie takes Wolfe on as a partner. :) The title refers to Archie's advice to Mira that there are 3 methods for coping with police questions: 1) stand mute, 2) the complete unvarnished truth, or 3) a simple basic lie with no trimmings. Very good story, and the puzzle gives the reader a fair chance.

"The Rodeo Murder" - Some of the characters later reappear in _Death of a Dude_, working at the Bar JR (Lily's ranch in Montana). She's throwing a party in her penthouse for various competitors in the World Series Rodeo (being held at Madison Square Garden), and since she's serving blue grouse cooked by Felix of Rusterman's, Archie persuades Wolfe to accept an invitation. When one of the few other guests who isn't a cowboy or cowgirl - rodeo promoter Wade Eisler - is found murdered via lasso, Lily takes exception to the violation of hospitality and engages Wolfe to catch the killer. Unfortunately, Eisler had a caveman approach to women and was dumb enough to apply it even to girls who were crack shots and could catch and rope struggling calves, so nobody else is terribly eager to see the killer caught.

This book started off pretty good. But it did began to get really slow in the middle. I fond myself skipping over all the flashback scenes from all the different characters.

Ultimately the book failed because the ending was horrible. Tried too hard to be complicated and it was silly and beyond belief. A lot of the characters and actions were beyond belief.

One example: No hospital would allow the parent to sign off on permission, especially when the spouse is right there. jack is a lawyer, and would know that!
The Latrina character just never truly fit into the story. There was nothing believable about her. Someone as careless as she was, was some informant? The whole revenge part was just too much, and really weakened the story.

The transformation of Cindy was also another unbelievable plot gimmick. It was just not believable.
Even the last accusations Jack makes at the end are just stupid!! Exactly when did it happen? between the time they arrived at the house and the time Jack got to the room?? Who broke the glass in the house??
Just makes no sense at all.

Are there any good writers left? Do all the suspense writers use the same BS gimmicks that insult people's intelligence.?

This author always keeps me on the edge of my seat. His books are hard to put down and are read within a few days. I find myself reading the book when I should be doing something else.

After reading some of the reviews I was a little worried. Don't be worried. I really enjoyed Mr. Grippando's second installment of Jack's life. I'm not going to write a plot summary since Amazon and several reviewers do that quite well. I liked how fast paced this novel was and I did like the concept/ideas presented. I did agree with some of the other reviewers about how it wrapped up. Just felt it wrapped up way too quickly with some plot holes. I enjoy his books so maybe I'm a little bias. I do recommend this book in the series so you can understand the future books but The Pardon has been the best one so far that I've read.

Albeit the theme's book is kind of new, the viatical story with the Russian mob, the book loses itself in overly Miami descriptions. It also makes the love story of the first book "The Pardon" a phony one because in this book you'll know that Jessie was distraught since she were nine. So many of the situations in both books were because of Jessie, not because of Jack.

If you read this book first than the other one you may like it because of the brisk pacing of the story. But that won't happen if you first read "The Pardon"

This is my second Grippando novel (I previously read Under Cover of Darkness) and I am starting to become a fan of this author. This book takes a big turn from the other book and has a great deal more action and suspense. Jack Swieteck defends a former girlfriend who ends up dead in his own bathtub. To complicate matters she apparently was murdered because of a medical scam against a group of investors who had bet their funds that she would die of Lou Gehrig's Disease. At first Jack is the primary suspect but then the blame seems to shift to his friend Theo (a former death row inmate).



The book has the usual "unstoppable" assassin (Yuri) running around that likes to determine how his victim will die by whether or not they left their porchlight on. He gets involved in some really graphically described scenes of pure torture that could make the most insensitized individual cringe.



Meanwhile there is an avenger named Katrina (she is really Cuban but Katrina is her adopted Czech name) who you are never really sure what side of the playing field she is on.



The book is full of plot twists and turns and never gets boring.

I will try to read more of her only because it took me
3 chapters to figure out who did what. Will never be a PD James.

In Lippman's latest installment of the Tess Monaghan series, Tess has taken on a new gig as consultant to the local newspaper, where her job duties are to train reporters in investigative techniques, using three recent cases as paradigms. One of the cases Tess plans to focus on is the murder of a local federal prosecutor. When Tess's significant other, Crowe, befriends a homeless street kid, Tess inadvertently learns the young man has information about who killed the prosecutor. In an effort to inform the authorities without identifying her source, Tess sets up an interview between the young man and a reporter. Although she promises Crowe she will do everything she can to protect the young man's identity, federal agents insist she reveal her source. When Tess doesn't cooperate, they begin to threaten her family and hint at filing felony charges against her. Crowe goes into hiding with the young man, unaware that two federal agents have honed in and are after them, not to bring them in but to kill them.

The Tess Monaghan series remains a constant bestseller in PI series to date. Tess is a strong character, a young woman with an edge. To counterbalance her cynicism is her mate, laidback and amiable Crowe. Lippman excels at characterization, and with No Good Deeds allows the reader a deeper look into Crowe's persona and background. And, as always, spending time with Tess is a bonus. This must-read moves at a fast pace and has plenty of interesting characters.

This is the third Tess Monaghan novel I've read and I don't think it compares well with Ms. Lippman's earlier work. Crow is an annoying character. It is hard to understand how Tess even tolerates him. While reading it I kept thinking how two-dimensional he is. A 1960s hippie-wannabe who doesn't seem to understand how the world works. It also bothered me that by the end of the book there were still a couple of unresolved plot twists. Ms. Lippman is an excellent writer and her style and pacing kept me interested enough to move through the book in a single sitting. Because of her writing ability I'm looking forward to reading her latest novel, "What the Dead Know." At least I know I won't have to put up with Crow in that one. (It is a stand alone book, not part of the Monaghan series.

I think Laura Lippman is a terrific writer, and I love Tess and this entire series. However, the one character I've never been able to stand is Crow, so I didn't really enjoy a book that was mostly about him.

I thought it was out of character for Tess to not question Crow about all his money via the disposable cellphone, and moreso to not be upset to find out he'd been keeping it from her considering her own financial problems. I also couldn't understand why she'd be putting herself and her family at so much risk for someone she didn't even know (who tried to take advantage of her) and a guy she was slowly finding out she barely knew and might not be able to trust.

As with all her books, this one was well-written and hard to put down. I just wish I didn't have to suffer through the annoying Crow to enjoy it.

When PI Tess Monoghan and her boyfriend, Crow befriend (a little unwillingly on Tess's part) Lloyd, a tough, black teenager from the ghettos of Baltimore, they put in motion a series of events which are connected with murder, drug dealing and extortion by people who should know better. Lloyd is living on the streets in a hand to mouth fashion, getting money for food from begging, scams and from skirting around the edges of a criminal element which uses young boys to do their dirty work. When the body of Federal Attorney, Gregory Youssef is found, Agents begin digging to find connections with drug dealers and Lloyd clearly is frightened by the name of Youssef, even though he claims never to have met him. Tess, Crow and their families are threatened when crooked Federal agents try to locate Lloyd and so are forced to go into hiding and to call in favours from family and friends, to remain alive. It's an exciting, pacy read which fans of Tess Monoghan will thoroughly enjoy.