Mystery Crime Books

I like to read. I read lots of books. Once I start a book, I want to finish it. Not this book. It's a 2 week book from my library and in 2 weeks of trying to read it, I'm not even half way through it.

The concept behind the story is interesting - try to find a guy who changes his identity. The location is a tropical island. The story moved along at the speed of someone trying to run in mud. There were random instances of nude swimming and sunbathing thrown in, I'm not sure what that was about.

I thought this would be an interesting book reading the flap and maybe it's interesting to somebody, but not me!

I've read the entire Stone Barrington series back to back, and this one is very uneventful and quite a disappointment. There's nothing new or exciting about this book -- and the Holly Barker character adds no value or interest to the story line (which is true in most of the cases where Stuart Woods uses her character with Stone). If you love Stone and just want to keep up with the series read this, but otherwise you're not missing anything.

This is my first Woods book and it'll be my last. The characters here are wooden and the plot so linear and predictible. And the ending is unsatisfying, leaving the reader to ask "Is That All There Is?" Barrington and company don't seem like very nice people and they can't seem to decide if they are on this Caribbean island to find someone or if they just want to drink and make whoopee. Also, there's a political undertone I find unpleasant. On one page the author takes a gratuitous swipe at President Bush as allegedly favoring torture, while on another page Woods' characters seem to blithely countenance assassination as a worthy activity. In Woods' mind: torture bad, assassination good. Nah, this book just doesn't cut it, for more than a few reasons.

Stone Barrington joins forces with Holly Barker to help run down a criminal mastermind who is driving the CIA crazy. In the process of tracking this criminal down, Stone, Dino and Holly find themselves back on St. Marks (which Stone previously visited in Dead in the Water: A Novel). However, behind the beautiful scenery and the tourist attractions, there are also to be found more than a few American expatriates with something to hide, as well as a corrupt system of politicians that are running the place. As they stalk their prey, they find that more than one person on St. Marks has a reason to want to hide - and that maybe the person they are seeking is right in front of them.

It seems rather ludicrous to call this one a Stone Barrington novel, as it features Holly Barker just as much. I think it is probably time for Woods to stop writing individual stories and just go with the melding of all his worlds into one. However, this is a nice book for a quick read - a good book to read on a plane, or while sitting on a lovely sunny beach. It's brain candy, but it doesn't taste too bad.

I should have known after his last book, that this would stink also. I don't know why I keep going back to Woods, probably because I run out of things to listen to. I will not be buying any more of his books or even going to the library to get them. It is not worth it. I could not even get past the first few chapters.

Her books are just a delight to read. Fast reading a very funny.
Go girl.

I generally read murder mystery series with recurring characters because I like how the character evolves over time. Although I don't expect comic relief in a murder mystery(and most have very dark characters) Janet Evanovich has taken the genre in a new direction. Her Stephanie Plum books are fun, easy to read, and down right hilarious and by the way - they also include murder. If I was to compare Evanovich's character to another in the same genre I would compare Plum to Archie McAnally, Lawrence Sander's Palm Beach Detective. If you want deep reading you may consider something more like the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly but if you enjoy reading and laughing you should read this entire series. Grandma Mazur is a hoot. One suggestion though, read the first book to see if you like it and then you better just order the whole series because if you read like me you'll be going through a book every couple of days.

After getting past the gritty language, the author tells a good story. You won't want to put the books down! These books are #2 and #3 of a series of at least 13 books with the same major characters and good plots with a lot of "laugh out loud" humor. I'm reading them in the order in which they were published. Stephanie Plum is the main star - a modern bounty hunter.

i love her books. they are funny and fun to read. can't put them down

Janet Evanovich's 2nd book kept me at the edge of the seat wanting more!! This book is a very exciting, lots of action--and humor with Stephanie's Grandma, laugh out loud funny. It's a must read!

Editor Mike Ashley has assembled more than 500 pages' worth of short mystery fiction focusing on locked room murders, impossible crimes, and even perfect murders -- ranging from one story originally published as early as 1910 to several that were previously unpublished when the book came out in 2007. Included are 30 audacious murder scenarios: A man alone in a phone booth is somehow stabbed in the back with an icepick; a man alone in a room is shot by a bullet fired over 200 years ago; a man enters a cable-car alone and is dead when it reaches the bottom; a man receives mail in response to letters apparently written by him--after his death; a lion tamer is found strangled in a locked train car; an Indian rope trick performer vanishes at the end of the trick only to be found dead in a nearby lake; three women are found murdered, their bodies seemingly untouched yet with their internal organs removed.

Sometimes the reader knows the killer, watching to see whether he can beat the investigators; sometimes the story is a whodunit, where everyone is a suspect; and sometimes the crime is such a head-scratcher that one can only turn the pages hoping to figure out what in the world happened. Along the way, the editor calls on such familiar authors as Edward D. Hoch, Bill Pronzini, and J.A. Konrath, while also digging up a healthy assortment of lost classics. (Ashley avoids any examples from John Dickson Carr and G.K. Chesterton, two masters of the form, because those authors' stories are often so readily available.)

Some of the stories are great, some are okay, and one or two make you slap your forehead in amazement. Overall, a fine collection for any fan of puzzle mysteries.

I really enjoyed this book. One of the hazards of short story collections, particularly if you read as voraciously as I do, is that you end up getting a "new" collection full of lots of stories you've read before. I got a great deal of pleasure from this book because, while I recognized many of the authors, all of the stories were new to me. The authors came up with some very clever twists on the "locked room" theme--I highly recommend this book!

Publishers Carroll & Graf and its crack editor Mike Ashley serve up another wonderful collection of murder mysteries. In this case the stories collected are of a kind, seemingly impossible murders that defy explanation. As always, Ashley's instincts are impeccable with nary a clunker found in the 30 stories therein.

The stories in this anthology span the years from 1910(!)to 2006 with authors ranging from Peter Crowther to Edward D. Hoch, Robert Randisi, Richard Lupoff, Peter Tremayne and Bill Pronzini. Among the 'perfect crimes' are the following: a man seemingly alone in an all-glass phone booth who dies from an ice pick in the back; a lion tamer found strangled in a locked train car; a man wounded, while sitting alone in a room, by a bullet fired 200 years ago; an Indian rope trick performer who vanishes at the end of the trick only to be found dead in a nearby lake; three Denver women found murdered, their bodies seemingly untouched yet with their internal organs removed; a dead man who continues to receive mail in response to letters apparently written by him after he died; and so on.

My favorite tale in this volume is Bill Pronzini's "Proof of Guilt." Pronzini's clever, clever story concerns the murder of an attorney. A client who was with the attorney when he was murdered claims he's innocent and the police are stymied. The story has such a marvelous - and funny - denouement that it automatically earned the book a five-star rating!

In any case, if you're an armchair detective, you'll want to pick up this book. It's a wonderfully entertaining collection of stories!

***
I'd suggest you keep this book by your bed or favorite chair and sample the contents rather than reading it straight through - better to savor each unique, imaginative tale a story at a time.

The great James Robinson (Starman/JSA) returns to Batman to write this creative relaunch of the Batman and Detective Comics series. He is the perfect choice but the artwork fluctuates between good and bad with artists Andy Clark (good) and Don Kramer(not so much) taking turns with each of the six chapters.
It has become tradition with batman where better writers are stradeled with below par artists to mediocre effect. There should have been more effort to try to have one artist do all the art chores (Like the "Up, Up and Away" storyline which appeared in the Superman books at the same time this series was orignally released), or at the very least hire two artists with compatible styles.
As is, the book's quality is uneven and DC squanders another chance to gain new readers for their now flagship character by hiring a big name writer and pairing him with an average artist.

I couldn't decide whether to give this two or three stars, but it gets three thanks to the art. Every page was consistently top-notch and well-executed, and the covers, especially the Two-Face ones, were absolutely stunning.

The writing, however, left much to be desired. As a bit of a grammar Nazi, I have to mention that Robinson's punctuation errors were rampant. (Most notably, he doesn't seem to understand the relationship between a period and a question mark.) Still, that's a minor problem.

It's clear that Robinson didn't really know how to handle his characters--Harvey Dent went from cured to Two-Face quicker than a Corvette goes 0 to 60. Poison Ivy looked like she just might turn over a new leaf (sorry, had to do it). And even Batman was not the focused, analytical detective that long-time readers have become accustomed to.

The story left me feeling that perhaps I wasted my money. Poison Ivy shows up more powerful than ever, and how does Batman defeat her? He threatens her plants, and she gives up immediately. Waste of an issue. Murders start happening, and it looks like Harvey Dent's responsible. This leads to a stupid and irrational confrontation between Batman and Dent and an uninteresting and poorly-written re-emergence of Dent's psychosis. Two-Face's first crime after his return is to take over a zoo. Seriously, a zoo. Honestly, who cares? Apparently the agonizingly boring zoo caper was just so he could tell Batman that it was his fault that Two-Face had come back. Pointless and irrational, even for Harvey. And so the book ends, having made several changes, but without any actual plot or solid character interaction.

I bought Face the Face looking for a good story and some interesting development to the complicated character that is Harvey Dent. I didn't find it here.

Face the Face has many of the requisite elements that one would expect from a classic Batman story. It is a noirish flavored tale which employs many of his great gallery of rogues, punctuated by the return of possibly the greatest, Two Face. The rogue cameos are similar to Jeph Loeb epics like the Long Halloween and Dark Victory but lamentably also have the same flaws; while some do enhance the narrative, like Poison Ivy and Killer Croc, others only serve to pad pages and just make the villains appear weak and ineffectual. A few actually get killed, and it is probably no big reveal to disclose that Arnold Wesker is one of them, a decision that was controversial in some eyes. Of course the big news here is the return of Two Face; the lengthy scene with Harvey debating and battling with his evil alter ego over his possible return is the highlight of the entire story. Another entertaining aspect was the retro flavored backup feature in the `Tec issues featuring Jason Bard, a throwback to an earlier era and, if used wisely, something to possibly be explored further in the future. Last but certainly not least, much of the appeal of FTF, more than most stories, comes from its' mood provoking artwork. Considering the large group of artists that contributed to it, its' consistency is astonishing. Kudos also go out to colorist John Kalisz for his black and orange hued night scenes which immensely helped to create the proper atmosphere. Regrettably much of the radiance of the art was lost in the transition to trade and its' ill conceived use of cheaper paper. This story was the end of a very productive run in Batman comics that started with Bruce Wayne Murderer/Fugitive and continued on through Hush, Broken City, As the Crow Flies, War Games, and Under the Hood. While James Robinson is about to embark on a new run on Superman, and best wishes to him on that venture, here is one fan that wishes he was returning to Batman.

One year later after the cataclysmic events of Infinite Crisis, Batman makes his return to Gotham City with somewhat of a new outlook and attitude in regards to his crime fighting methods. No longer do we see a super-paranoid, almost fascist-esque vigilante patroling the streets of Gotham, as the year off has done both he and his partner Tim "Robin" Drake much good. While away, Batman left a reformed Harvey Dent to defend the city, which he has done quite well, until a series of lower-tier villains are murdered, with all the signs pointing to a return of Two-Face. But is it really Harvey behind it all? What makes Face to Face so good is that while it is a bit predictable, veteran writer James G. Robinson provides enough of an entertaining story to make up for the flaws. Not to mention that the closing moments between Batman and Robin aren't only generally surprising, but even more surprisingly touching to boot. There's solid art all around, and all tin all, Face to Face is a pretty good Batman story that helps re-establish the Dark Knight in a post-Infinte Crisis universe, and paves the way for the great Grant Morrison's run on the title.

Face the Face centers mostly around a two-face plot, and really gives insight into how the character thinks. If you don't know anything about Harvey Dent, it doesn't matter, because the basics of his character are covered without being redundant for readers already familiar with him. The plot is also written out well enough that, while this plotline is clearly a continuation or result of some other events, not knowing what happened prior isn't important because everything makes sense within the context of the book. I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to any Batman fan of any capacity.

While this novel may have an important place in the history of crime fiction it is simply an awful read. The plot is convoluted and the violence is over the top. If you were going to read only one Dashiell Hammett novel please make it The Maltese Falcon which I have read over and over.

I had problems with this novel. I couldn't follow all of the complexities of the ultra-complicated, ever-shifting plot of wholesale corruption in a small, industrial Western city (corporate, police, mob, etc.). And it all seemed so familiar, hackneyed. But then I remembered a couple of things: That this was so familiar because hundreds of other authors and thousands of other books have tried with varying degrees of success to mimic and further develop Hammett's "hard-boiled", noirish style in the past 75 or so years. And also, that perhaps it wasn't necessary to follow the incredibly convoluted plot, or even keep full track of who each of the legion of sleazy characters are, in order to best enjoy the book. After I made those decisions, the rest of my reading experience was much more pleasurable and rewarding. In a strange way it reminded me of some the French "nouveau romain" authors where the style, the words, the way things are expressed, the endless repetition of certain motifs, words, and concepts become the primary or perhaps only true point of the novel. After a while, it became hypnotizing, marvelous, and, for me, laugh-out-loud hilarious, particularly with the "Laudinum" chapter (and actually, a lot of the second half of the book) beginning to remind me of things like Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a favorite book of mine. Always very granular and factual, the overload of facts, events, wise cracks, sleaze, and more sleaze and wise cracks becomes like some kind of demented (but amazing) symphony. I believe I'll remember this one for quite a while -- although I'm not sure I'm ready to jump into another one of his works right now. I'll save it for later when I've recovered from this one.

I have just finished reviewing in this space all of Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe detective series. It occurred to me that I might as well review the work of that other exemplar of the modern hard-boiled noir detective story, Dashiell Hammett. Most of those familar with his work know it from Nick Charles of the Thin Man or, more likely, Sam Spade of the immortal Maltese Falcon but Hammett, like Chandler, did not blossom forth with these classics without a grinding apprenticeship in pulp detective fiction. Red Harvest represents Hammett's baptism. This story of an unnamed shamus who moreover works for a detective agency runs against the type we have come to expect from Hammett and Chandler-the independent, no-holds barred character. Have no fear our Continental Op has most of those qualities and the single-mindeness to clean up a rotten crime-dominated town no questions asked. While there is not the plot or character development of Hammett's later work here this is still a good read.

RED HARVEST arose from a series of short stories Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) wrote between about 1923 and 1927 that featured "the Continental Op," specifically an operative for the The Continental Detective Agency, San Francisco office.

Hammett has to jump through a lot of narrative hoops to consolidate these short stories into the novels RED HARVEST and the slightly later THE DAIN CURSE, and the result is often excessively convoluted; readers often have to turn back several pages to figure out who has done what. Even so, both novels continue to crackle today, and in creating them Hammett not only essentially created the American P.I. novel, he also developed a uniquely sparse, often brutal, yet often poetic style. To say that both accomplishments have cast a long shadow indeed would be a profound literary understatement.

RED HARVEST finds the nameless detective summoned by newspaper publisher Donald Willson to Personville, a mining town crammed to overflowing with corruption of every variety imaginable--and before the Op can meet with his client Willson is gunned down in highly suspicious circumstances on Hurricane Street, not far from the home of notorious good-time girl Dinah Brand. It happens that Willson's father Elihu Willson, who founded the city, is now a captive to its corruption in more ways than one, and after the Op settles the question of who killed Douglas, the Op blackmails the old man into allowing him to clean up the town.

The Op seldom plays by law-and-order rules, and his solution to the problem is both clever and direct: he creates a series of situations that sets the various crime bosses at odds. Before you know they are gunning each other down in the streets, leaving both the Op and Dinah Brand to do some mighty frisky hopping in an effort to stay clear. But can they, when there are so few easy ways out?

A mixture of alcoholism and politics cut Hammett's career short; his short stories aside, he produced only five novels, and critics are quick to point out that THE MALTESE FALCON is his finest work. I would agree with that, but while RED HARVEST may be less smoothly written, it has the unexpected energy of a great talent's first major work, and that more than makes up for the occasional rough edge in technique. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Some novelists are great in their genre. Some novelists create a genre. In many respects, this book exemplifies the birth of the genre referred to as the American crime novel - one which Raymond Chandler said ". . . took murder out of the Venetian vase and dropped it into the alley. . . ." And, oh how from-the-street this novel is.

This novel started a critically acclaimed writing streak for Hammet - 1929 ("Red Harvest"and "The Dain Curse"), 1930 ("The Maltese Falcon"), and 1931 ("The Glass Key"). Hollywood was right behind the publishers as they produced his books to film almost as soon as the print dried on the second printing: 1930 ("Roadhouse Nights" based on "Red Harvest), 1931 ("Maltese Falcon" ) and 1935 ("Thin Man" and 5 other movies to follow with the Thin Man theme.)

Hammett was hot. Maybe the hottest commodity in print and screen the first five years of the 1930's. Then in 1936 he secretly joins the Communist Party and you can guess the rest.

This book reviews many of his personal experiences. At 31, he became a private detective (Pinkerton Agency) and the major character of this book is a 190-pound 5'6" solidly built unnamed character who works for a similar agency. He is called an Op. And, his "Old Man" sends him to Personville which is affectionately referred to as Poisonvile - dank and mysterious, it lost its innocence when old man Willsson hired Italian goons as union busters to preserve his bottom line for his many capitalistic ventures. After they did their dirty business, they stayed and the old man could not live as he had before - in total control of the city.

When the Op is shot at by goons and cops, he decides that even though his business is over, he will stay and earn $10,000 while making himself a Poisonville regular. Thereafter, 24 bad people are murdered - cleaning the streets of the bad blood - and the worst injury suffered by the Op is a burn. Good conquers all, or mostly all. The Op meant what he said, and said what he meant, he hated the town 100%.

Hammett, probably from having to gumshoe streets following leads for the Pinkerton Agency, understood American vernacular. Implementing the same created his "style" which probably was not consciously done. But, it was artistic. And, this artistry is purely Americana. American vernacular was new in literature - something which was also brought to readers by another hot commodity of the 1930's - Ernest Hemingway.

His curt and precise statements, dialogue, and great descriptions of the physical appearances of characters are Hammett's best weapons. And, this is one of his best books - probably only exceeded by "Maltese Falcon." It seems only a shame that he could not produce more of these novels

Wow, a body in the quarry. Nothing quite says murder mystery like that. And nearly two decades later Kinsey is called in to do a little of her classic and quirky investigating.

It's a good, solid mystery that relies just as much on characters and conversation as action--though I admit that does get a little dull after awhile. But if one wants a good subtle mystey, this hits the spot.

While I've been enjoying Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries immensely, this was not one of my favorites. I initially found the non-fiction element to be really enticing and thought it would bring an extra element of suspense to the novel. This might have been the case, but I think the mystery that this book is based on is simply not that thrilling. Other reviewers complained about the subplot involving Kinsey's family, but I always enjoy reading about her relatives and her relationships with them. I did not particularly care for either Oliphant or Dolan's nearly constant presence as Kinsey tried to solve the murder. I would rather she had been alone and working with her wits rather than having Oliphant and Dolan along for the ride, bickering with each other most of the time. The book ends on an interesting note with the inclusion of a rendering of the Jane Doe victim that the plot surrounds, but the mystery just isn't intriguing enough for the majority of the book. Factoring in all negatives, you can't really complain too much about a Sue Grafton book since they are all pretty great, but this is just not one of the best.

A body is found in a Quarry (Q, right), and is linked to a disappearance of a teenage girl 18 years previously. Kinsey Milhone links up with 2 retired police officers to track down the killer. The book is full of details that detracted, rather than helped, me as I read along. There are too many characters in the story, many of of them interlinked to each other in really complex ways. At one point, I almost had the urge to make a chart of them all and draw arrows, etc to make sense of who was who. In any event, when the identity of the killer is revealed, I was relieved....this book was beginning to sap my patience, and I was about to put it down and give up on it. This is the first Sue Grafton/Kinsey Milhone book I have read. I may just try one more book of hers, before I give up on her.

I think this is one of her better books.
Have read the series up to this one, and like them all.

It's a cold case that Kinsey gets involved in this time. Lt. Dolan who is suffering from heart issues and is retired now takes it as his mission to help his friend, former sheriff Stacy Oliphant who could be dying of cancer solve the one case that has haunted him, a murder that happened years ago. A young woman remains unidentified and they are determined to give her a name and catch her killer. This story is based on a real life event. Though it drags at times, it is still a good book. We find out more about Kinsey's long lost relatives too.

Pretty typical action crime fiction. Good guy hero with some personal problems comes to the rescue of damsel in distress. Makes for a quick read, but nothing memorable about this story.

I was told about Sean Doolittle by another writer who recommended his work. So I bought THE CLEANUP because the description made it look like a good start. Indeed! The really great thing about this book is that the characters are all working class folk. Grocery store clerks, laborers, beat cops, carpenters, slackers, etc. This is not a thriller packed with holier-than-thou professional types from the upper crust of society. I liked that about this book, plus the fact that it was just by-gosh so well written. I very highly recommend this book, and I'll be looking out for Doolitle's other novels!

This is one of the finest paperbacks I've read in years. Sean Doolittle equals Elmore Leonard at his own genre, by which I mean that the dialogue is superbly realistic and the plot moves swiftly along. There are no dull and pointless passages of description (as in Patricia Cornwell) that you're tempted to skip, nor is someone described on each page as lighting a cigarette (as in Patricia Cornwell), nor is there any rhapsodizing over what music the protagonist is listening to. My only complaint is that the anticlimactic ending seems to fall apart and seems hastily thrown together as if Doolittle had to meet a deadline.

Although the novel closely resembles the crime fiction of Elmore Leonard, it made me recall Patricia Highsmith's A Dog's Ransom (Open Market Edition). In both novels, a naïve and good-natured young cop stumbles into trouble, then things get worse, then they get real bad.

Officer Matt Worth of the Omaha Police Department is at a personal and career nadir. Recently divorced, he's now on a provisional assignment guarding the theft-prone SaveMore supermarket pending a psychological fitness sign-off after having slugged the Homicide detective that stole his wife. But even in that punch-up, satisfaction was muted as the other guy was the better hitter. In any case, Worth's only current job satisfaction is flirting with the pretty check-out girl, Gwen. But Gwen has an abusive boyfriend, Russell T. James, whom she bludgeons to death with a bedside table lamp while he sleeps after giving her a particularly nasty beating. With no one to turn to but Matt, she shows him her bruises at the hospital ER then the body back at the apartment. Sympathizing with her predicament, Worth decides not to make an arrest but rather to permanently eradicate Russell's corpse and live at let live. It seemed like the right and gentlemanly thing to do at the time.

What Worth doesn't know is that James was employed as a narcotics and drug money courier by Eddie Tice, owner of Tice Is Nice Quality Used and Discount Furniture, who also has two local plain clothes cops on the take. That, and the $260 K gone missing with Russell, makes for an escalating set of complications for the chivalrous Worth.

Worth, who's a perfectly average shmoe both in his personal and professional life, riding a bad situation into a disaster exemplifies one of my personal favorite adages, which is that No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. If you insist on acting out of the goodness of your heart, either do it with complete anonymity or be prepared for an unacceptable gain/loss ratio.

If life imitates art, or vice versa, then THE CLEANUP, a delightfully entertaining piece of unpretentious lit noir, certainly illustrates the Law of Unintended Consequences. Moreover, it's a conveniently quick read, after which you can go back to saving the world.

A fast moving thriller/mystery that is fast-paced, cleverly written and well plotted. The hero is less fun than the villians and that alone makes it an interesting change of pace. But the way the author keeps you privy to his thinking as he reacts to events makes him a lot more credible than most of his type. Enjoyed it.

Excellent mystery,don't want to put the book down, and with God in the center of it all - outstanding!

I could not lay this book down. Great suspense and action. Colleen Coble is my new favorite author.

Colleen presents her story world in a way that makes me want to be there, then makes me believe I am there. The characters are real and likeable, including her beloved search-and-rescue dog, Samson. When he turned up missing, I wanted to search for and rescue him. When someone got in trouble underwater, I found myself helping by holding my breath. I was thoroughly involved in this warm, taut suspense with happy ending.

One of the most pleasurable thing in these books is the vivid atmosphere, and the depth of all the characters. It seems they are all friends or acquaintance of yours.
From the dogs to the sherif and Bree and her friend they all are very attractive.
But please, stop inserting God all over the pages. All the readers are not that religious!

I was up until midnight finishing this book. The setting is so vivid I thought I could walk outside my door and find myself in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the characters felt like real people. The main character's search for a murderer is complicated when her beloved dog Samson is snatched by a dog-fighting ring, and I agonized along with her every step of the way. I loved the scuba diving scenes, too! A great mystery suspense story. I can't wait for Coble's next, which her website says will be based in Hawaii. I've always wanted to visit Hawaii, and I know this talented author will take me there as surely as if I've been there in person.

Secrets from the past come back to haunt. Lies and deceit follow where ever we go. For Carla Radling, her buried secret just happens to be intertwined with a powerful presidential candidate. The choices she made 16 years ago come rushing back to her when a perspective client turns out to be a well paid hit man. Fleeing for her life, Carla finds herself reliving her past, searching for a way to survive for the future. However, someone else knows her secret and after years of living with the guilt, Tanya Evan's ready to tell the truth, but will she live long enough to do so?

Crimson Eve is a powerful book focused on choices. The decisions we make can have far reaching effects and this book paints those effects in brilliant color. The decisions of Carla Radling, stand as a bold example to all who try to use deceit and lies to gain what they desire. It also stands as a beautiful example of God's forgiveness. At times it's hard to believe that someone would make the choices that Carla made, however, I think we all have our secrets we'd like no one to know. We've all made decisions based on our own best interest, and we've all told a few lies to help our own cause. This book is a great reminder of how lives can be destroyed as a result of one lie that compounds into many. It's also a great reminder of God's knowledge, presence, and forgiveness.

Kanner Lake realtor Carla Radler has a nibble. Possibly a whole bite. She's positively elated about the chance to sell Edna San's estate to a tall, dark, and handsome. But Carla keeps her poise in front of this charming man with rich brown eyes. When she learns that this British gentleman with a cocky James Bond attitude will pay cash if he likes the place, she really gets excited. Who wouldn't?

What Carla soon finds out is that things are not as they seem.

Fast forward to a phone call at Bailey Truitt's coffee shop, Java Joint. Carla's in more trouble than Bailey knows. She can't let Bailey know what's going on. What if the phone lines are tapped?

Carla's run for her life takes a desperate turn. No one can know where she is. No one. Or he'll kill them too.

Brandilyn Collins reveals the secrets of Kanner Lake residents one by one in this series. In Crimson Eve, she again mixes real-life with fiction in her references to a real blog called Scenes and Beans, which is based in a fictional coffee shop called Java Joint.

She has woven another well-paced suspense in Kanner Lake, only this time we leave town.

"Crimson Eve," the third book in Brandilyn Collins' Kanner Lake Series, is, simply and truly, a great book... terrific suspense, an underlying tribute to faith, and well-crafted characters, about whom a reader cares (or, in some cases, hates). Having read and enjoyed all of Ms. Collins' novels, this is her very best. To use a cliché, 'a real page-turner!' My wife and I highly recommend "Crimson Eve," and we eagerly await the fourth and final installment of the Kanner Lake Series.
--Ron Howe (a.k.a., Toby Martin II) Erskine, Minnesota.

I loved this book. It grabbed me and I started running and couldn't stop until I was finished with the story. This is fast constant action and I enjoyed it very much. Brandilyn writes with good description and you are right there pushing her characters, trying to help them stay out of trouble.

Paulette L. Harris Author/Speaker

A woman on the run from a dangerous secret. Another woman, with a key to open the mystery. And men desperate to shut them down before positions of power are shaken at their foundations. Hmm. This could play right into some of the things we see in politics nowadays.

The amazing thing about "Crimson Eve" is that Brandilyn Collins takes high stakes and big concepts and fits them into a small-town story. She stays focused on the characters who have so much to lose, rather than turning this into an over-the-top political thriller. Once again, we start out in Kanner Lake (boy, this town sees a lot of action), but Collins wisely detours into outlying areas, allowing us a break from that besieged town, while keeping us in touch with some of our beloved friends from previous books. She does this in ways that seem fitting to the story, never forced.

The first two Kanner Lake books were mysteries with some great suspense. This book is a full-speed-ahead thriller, with some mystery thrown in. I was reminded a number of times of Harlan Coben (one of my favorite authors). Sometimes, Coben comes up with so many twists that it seems almost too much. Here, too, Collins uses some story ideas that push that edge of credulity, considering the four or five people all complicit to make this mystery work. Never fear, though, Collins is a master at her craft and she has us buying into this conspiracy theory while also relating deeply to the struggles of her main characters. She uses diary excerpts to great effect, allowing us to understand what has gone before, and what is to come.

I don't know how Collins keeps coming up with these great stories. She's consistent. The stories are fast-paced. And the characters come to life. When it comes to Christian suspense, Collins is one of those leading the charge.

It is irritating that critics still feel that anyone could think the reader in this day and age would not be able to feel the resonance of a character's voice just because it's realistically spoken in a period's language. Cockneyed accents, usage of Victorian terms and thoughts, combined with the despair of being alone in a large, uncaring, and unseeing city only enhances the beauty and strength of protagonist, Enola Holmes.

If thinking that students and middle aged students cannot follow Nancy Springer's new book because of the terminology and such, take heart. She explains in detail many times what things are even while making this odd quirkiness just another delightful part of Enola's 14-year-old, inquisitive voice. Believe her, she does not underestimate her readers and neither should you.

Enola spelled backwards forms the word, alone. And that is exactly how Enola feels. Having run away (which is why I call her a protagonist) from being sent to boarding school by her particularly emotionless older brother Mycroft Holmes (yes, that Mycroft Holmes), she now lives in London as a "person who finds lost things" during the day and "Sister of the Streets" by night. (Get your mind out of the gutter, this book is aimed at fifth graders.) "Sister of the Streets," a mute nun who feeds and offers comfort to the lowest of the dredges of the poor only reveals the heart-breaking seedy side of London. Springer's details to everything London could and was during this period never gets glossed over. London, harsh and devoid of warmth, but into it Enola ventures and manages with a perserverance felt anew each time she comes out of her adventures successfully.

In this installment, Enola becomes stronger, but lonelier. Learning that her other brother, Sherlock Holmes may have actually been affected by her disappearance, she finds herself faced not only with loneliness, but stabbing pains of guilt and remorse. In the midst of this emotional turmoil, she still searches for a Lady on streets where Jack the Ripper and other frightful characters roam. Each new day, she approaches life warily but determinedly and her sheer pluck at desiring to help the plight of others make her a true heroine worthy of admiration. The mystery surrounding her never seems contrived and the danger very real. Every new situation offers more mystery, more puzzles enticing the reader to be buffeted along in eager anticipation of what could possibly come next!

A long standing Sherlock Holmes fan, this book whets my appetite for more of his interaction with Enola. Each book, he corners Enola in ways of his making and sometimes not of his making. Yet like the last book, Enola must discard her old persona and create a brand new one to escape detection. A brilliant twist to an already enigmatic heroine. One day will she ever be able to live as she is surrounded again by those she loves and not disguised, uncertain and alone? Only Springer knows, but I for one am as anxious for her as her brother, Sherlock Holmes!

The year is 1889. Fourteen-year-old Enola Holmes always thought very little of her mother, but once she disappeared - on her birthday, no less! - Enola realized just how very much she truly wanted her mother by her side, and felt as if she had been plucked into a lonely existence. That is, until her older brothers - Sherlock and Mycroft - came about, attempting to turn her into the proper young lady she has strived so hard not to be. Refusing to conform to the standards of society, Enola takes her life into her own hands, and escapes the clutches of her controlling siblings to embark on a high-risk life among the streets of Victorian London. Others of her young age may be frightened, but to Enola, frightened isn't even so much a part of her vocabulary.

Working as a perditorian, Enola is convinced that she will be able to kill a large part of her days, but business is slow. Luckily, she has her mother's ciphers to piece together, constructing secret messages to communicate with her lost parent. Using a handful of aliases, and disguises, Enola has managed to keep the coppers off her trail, but it may not stay that way for long. Sir Eustace Austair's teenage daughter, Lady Cecily, has recently disappeared from her privileged life. The only clue to her disappearance being a large ladder placed against her windowsill. Enola, being similar in age to Lady Eustace, is convinced that she has the ability to locate the girl and return her to her cushy lifestyle. But upon some investigation, Enola comes to realize that Lady Cecily may not want to be found. The girl is a magnificent artist who manages to capture the hopelessness and sadness of the London street folk, and seems bent on ranting on about the horrible times these individuals experience after being cast out from their homes. Enola wonders if the girl hasn't purposely runaway to live among these people. But with a few interviews, she comes to believe that something more sinister is at work here. Something involving magic and hypnosis. Maybe even kidnapping and threats. Enola knows that it's up to her to rescue Lady Cecily, but, if she's not careful, doing so may cost her, her very own life.

I fell in love with Enola Holmes when she debuted in THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS, and I have only grown to adore her more since completing THE CASE OF THE LEFT-HANDED LADY. Nancy Springer has done such a splendid job of bringing Enola, and the 1800's to life. Enola is such a spirited, hardheaded, brave, independent young woman, whose determination to prove her brothers wrong, and fulfill her mothers prophecy - that she will do quite well on her own - is thrilling. The maturity that she displays in each and every situation is both humorous and remarkable; while Enola's ability to fool just about anyone leaves the reader praising her for her handiwork. The backdrop of Victorian London makes the tale even more lovely, as you are treated to cobblestoned streets, unscrupulous individuals, and drizzly, windswept evenings; along with countless historical facts that leave you feeling as if you've just had a history lesson - albeit a fun one. Left or right, you won't be able to keep your hands off this book!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

While written for young adults, the Enola Holmes books have a lot to recommend them for readers of any age. This is the second book in the series; I strongly recommend that you read "The Case of the Missing Marquess" first. Nancy Springer has created a smart, brave leading character, while still being true to the spirit of the Conan Doyle stories. When I heard about these books, I rolled my eyes at the idea of Sherlock holmes' younger sister. But Springer does a fine job of making the characters and relationships plausible. I'm looking forward to Book Three!

I really like the first book in this series so naturally I bought the second. I liked the first one better but this book was still worth the read. Like a previous reader stated, Enola is an interesting character who's fun to spend a couple of hours with. Some of the content is a bit mature of younger readers, and I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive children under the age of 12, but otherwise it's a good read.

This is the second book in the series and I have enjoyed it even more than the first. It is an excellent picture of the Victorian era through the eyes of a 14 year old girl. Enola Holmes has already proven a match for her brilliant older brother Sherlock and certainly much more likable that Mycroft the eldest of the lot. It is hard to believe a girl this young could survive in London during this time, even with money left her by her mom. Nancy Springer brilliantly makes a good case for Enola's survival. It is a tale that even the most hardened Sherlockian would approve. Now to pass it on, like the first, to my 14 year old grand daughter.