Immortal in Death by J. D. Robb

Immortal in Death
by J.D. Robb
$7.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley (July 1, 1996)
ISBN-10: 0425153789
ISBN-13: 978-0425153789

Annotation/Flashtalk: Will fashion or murder keep Eve from finally marrying Rourke?

Summary:
The book opens with the murder of one of Eve's snitches.  He turns up dead with this face bashed in.  An inspection of his apartment turns up a formula and some unidentifiable blue powder.

Eve Dallas' best friend Mavis knows just the man to help Eve find the perfect wedding dress, Leonardo.  It just so happens that Leonardo is also dating Mavis and he used to date the famous supermodel, Pandora. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.  Pandora is not done with Leonardo and promises to ruin him if he doesn't leave Mavis immediately.  Pandora is soon found murdered, her face also bashed in, at Leonardo's studio and Leonardo and Mavis are the prime suspects.

Nothing links the two murders except the face bashing, but Eve is determined to prove that Mavis is not Pandora's killer. The mystery must revolve around the blue powder. With the help of Rourke's resources, Eve identifies the powder and is able to link it to the beautiful women and the fashion industry. She now just needs to link the youth-promising drug to its producer to find the killer.

Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Romance/Suspense

Evaluation: 3-stars

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)

Glory in Death
by J.D. Robb $7.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley (September 7, 2004)
ISBN-10: 0425150984
ISBN-13: 978-0425150986

Annotation/Flashtalk: Strong, famous, and public women are being found murdered with their throats cut.  Can Eve Dallas figure out who the killer is before she's the next victim?
Summary:
Detective Eve Dallas is back on the job when she gets a call about a prominent female prosecutor found dead in seedy neighborhood; her throat has been slit and her umbrella is missing.  The suspects include her ex-husband, her son, and her son-in-law.  The next victim is a famous and beautiful television actress; her throat is slit too and she's missing a shoe.  What or who can these two women possibly have in common? Rourke, Eve's boyfriend, of course! But he has no reason to want them dead.  Realizing that the common thread is that they are both high-profile individuals, Eve uses her connections with the media to put herself out as bait.  When her plan backfires and a TV station employee ends up dead, Eve is racked with guilt. She must find the killer now. 

Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Romance/Suspense

Evaluation: 3-stars

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)

Naked in Death  
by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)
$7.99

Paperback: 600 pages

Publisher: Vintage Crime / Black Lizard (June 23, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0307454541

ISBN-13: 978-0307454546

Annotation/Flashtalk:
When a prostitute, or licensed companion as they are called in 2058, who happens to be the granddaughter of a US Senator winds up brutally murdered, can Detective Eve Dallas get to the bottom of it before leaks to the press threaten her career, not to mention her ability to close the case?

Summary:

Set in 2058, Detective Eve Dallas is the lead investigator in the murder of a prostitute, who turns out to be the granddaughter of a US Senator.  The case is quickly shaping up to look like the work of a serial killer. Working the case brings to the surface many of Eve's childhood traumas. The grizzly murders have been comitted with handguns, antiquated novelties now only kept by rich collectors who are licensed to do so. It seems that the killer has fixated on Eve, and begins to send her videos of the murders just to unnerve her. One of the lead suspects in the case is Rourke, a well-off business entrepreneur who has taken a liking to Eve. In an undavised moment of weakness, Eve allows herself to be swept off her feet by Rourke. Their little tryst puts her investigation and her reputation in jeopary. Eve must work twice as hard to clear Rourke, because her gut tells her he didn't do it, and to find the real killer.

Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Romance/Futuristic

Evaluation: 4-stars.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
$14.95

Paperback: 350 pages

Publisher: Algonquin Books (April 9, 2007)

ISBN-10: 1565125606

ISBN-13: 978-1565125605

Annotation/Flashtalk:

“I DON’T TALK MUCH about those days. Never did. I don’t know why—I worked on circuses for nearly seven years, and if that isn’t fodder for conversation, I don’t know what is.

Actually I do know why: I never trusted myself. I was afraid I’d let it slip. I knew how important it was to keep her secret, and keep it I did—for the rest of her life, and then beyond.
In seventy years, I’ve never told a blessed soul.”

Summary:

The novel opens almost immediately with the murder of August, the animal trainer for the Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show on Earth.  Gruen proceeds to tell the story, from the perspective of a 90+ year old Jacob Jankowski and his current life in a nursing home and a much younger Jacob as he is working on the Depression-era circus so many years ago, including how he came to witness August’s murder.

After the sudden death of Jacob’s parents, he finds himself just 0ne exam sort of his veterinary license, but without a penny to his name.  The shock of the events sends Jacob adrift, where he winds up as part of the Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets Camel, part of the circus’ menagerie crew; Walter and Queenie, the show’s resident dwarf clown and his dog; August and Marlena, the animal trainer and his wife the show-horse rider; Uncle Al, the owner and ringmaster; and a host of other circus workers and performers (kinkers, but not to their faces).

Gruen’s level of research is apparent in the details she brings to the story, the language of the circus, the workings of the circus, the politics of the circus, and the subtle nuances of the time, including a real Depression-era affliction called “Jake leg.”

It is only at the end of the novel that the murder is solved, and the murder identified. Gruen leaves several breadcrumbs so that the astute reader may figure out the shocking truth.

Genre/Subgenre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Mystery

Evaluation: 4-stars.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
$14.95

Paperback: 600 pages

Publisher: Vintage Crime / Black Lizard (June 23, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0307454541

ISBN-13: 978-0307454546

Annotation/Flashtalk:

Every year, Henrik Vanger received a framed pressed flower from his niece Harriett; then one year Harriett disappeared and the flowers stopped only to start up again the following year.  Like clockwork the flowers arrive, but Vanger cannot locate his niece and assumes that someone, presumably the killer of his missing niece, is messing with him.  He hires a journalist in an effort to find out what happened to her. 

Summary:

Disgraced journalist Carl Mikael Blomkvist is facing the prospect of jail time after being convicted of libel.  He is contacted by a wealthy Swede named Henrik Vanger and offered asylum at his property in exchange for Blomkvist’s help in discovering what happened in the disappearance of Vanger’s niece over 30 years ago.  The only catch is that Blomkvist is to disguise his investigation under the guise of writing the Vanger family history.   In return, Vanger promises Blomkvist details of his past business dealings with Hans-Erik Wennerström, the man Bloomkvist is accused of libeling.

Before extending the offer, Vanger has Blomkvist investigated by the Milton security firm; the assignment is given to Lisbeth Salander, a young, anti-social, orphan rebel who likely suffers from Asperger’s syndrome. Lisbeth is a ward of the state, and she has her finances entrusted to a trustee.  Her familiar trustee, with whom she finally had reached a good working relationship dies, and her new trustee is not so kind.  He sexually abuses Lisbeth in order to control her and her access to her money.  Eventually Lisbeth reaches a working relationship with him, but in a totally unexpected way. 

Eventually their paths cross and Blomkvist and Salander work together to solve the disappearance of Harriett.  All signs point to a member of the Vanger family, but there just doesn’t seem to be any solid evidence.  Blomkvist’s daughter happens to solve the mystery of a series of numbers, the only thing that seems to tie Harriet’s disappearance to a string of murders going back decades before Harriet disappeared.  Soon the pieces begin to fall into place, and dark Vanger family secrets are revealed.  Fearing that the family secrets will get out, Blomkvist is captured, tortured and about to be killed to keep him silent; Lisbeth races to rescue him. 

Genre/Subgenre: Adventure/Thriller/Suspense/Mystery

Evaluation: 4-stars.

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

Plum Lucky: A Stephanie Plum “Between-the-Numbers” Novel

by Janet Evanovich
$6.99

Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Reprint edition (January 6, 2009)

ISBN-10: 0312377649

ISBN-13: 978-0312377649

Annotation/Flashtalk:

What would you do if you found a bag of money at the end of a rainbow? Stephanie Plum’s Granny Mazur says finders keepers losers weepers and runs off to Atlantic City. The only problem is the money belongs to a Jersey mobster, Lou Delvina.  Can Stephanie keep Grandma safe and return her home in time for dinner?

Summary:

In this “between-the-numbers” novel, we get to meet Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter, and her colleagues, Lula, Connie, Diesel, and Ranger as they track down what happened to Stephanie’s grandmother, whose gone missing after running across a mysterious bag full of money.  Shortly before her disappearance Stephanie sees her grandmother being attacked by a small man in green pants, could he be a leprechaun?  Stephanie and Lula save grandma from the attacker, who escapes in the process. 

Stephanie and the gang, and the man in the green pants find grandma at a casino in Atlantic City.  We find out that Snuggy (the man in the green pants) had originally stolen the money from mobster Lou Delvina. Delvina is now holding Snuggy’s horse for ransom, but grandma won’t give up the money.  Delvina comes to Atlantic City looking for his cash and winds up with Grandma Mazur instead. Stephanie and the gang have less than a day to come up with the money, or a way to rescue both grandma and Snuggy’s horse.

Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Humor

Evaluation: 2-stars.

"B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

“B” is for Burglar
by Sue Grafton
$7.99
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (November 29, 2005)

ISBN-10: 0312939000

ISBN-13: 978-0312939007

Annotation/Flashtalk:

Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone is back again is this second novel of mystery and intrigue; this time she’s investigating the disappearance of a rich widow, Elaine Boldt, who abruptly and out of character, left early for her summer home in Florida.

Summary:

Kinsey is hired in what seems like an ordinary and easy case of tracking down Elaine Boldt to sign some legal documents.  Elaine’s sister, Beverly, is unable to find her and the reaches out to Kinsey, a local P.I. to do the leg work.  When the case turns out to be more difficult than Kinsey suspected, and it is beginning to look like Elaine might be the victim of foul play, Kinsey suggests that Beverly file a missing person’s report.  Beverly decides against it and tells Kinsey not to pursue the matter further.  Not one to let a case go unsolved, Kinsey continues to poke around.  The trail doesn’t lead Kinsey to any solid conclusions, rather deeper into the mystery.  The suspect list is growing larger.  Could Elaine’s sister Beverly be involved? Could Elaine’s disappearance have anything to do with her being a witness to a violent murder the night before her departure? Who is the secretive Pat Usher, the woman staying in Elaine’s Florida condo, and how is she involved?  Kinsey Millhone’s dogged persistence takes us on a wild ride of clues and suspects until we finally find out the real story behind the disappearance of Elaine. 

Genre/Subgenre: Mystery

Evaluation: 3-stars.

Tell No One by Harlan Coben

Tell No OneBy Harlan Coben
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Dell (August 25, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440245907
ISBN-13: 978-0440245902

Annotation/Flashtalk:

Today, Dr. David Beck received an email message that could have ONLY come from his dead wife Elizabeth…but…she has been dead eight years, the victim of a serial killer, in an attack that left David unconscious. How could she be alive? David’s elation and confusion are cut short by the shocking news that the local sheriff thinks he is a suspect in the murder of two recently-discovered bodies, also from eight years ago, found near the place where Elizabeth disappeared. David’s story of that fateful night just doesn’t seem to add up. Follow Dr. David Beck as he trys to clear his name, and find out if Elizabeth is still alive or if someone is setting him up, in Tell No One by Harlan Coben.

I created a book trailer; it can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k53a8h8cCl8

 

Summary:
David Beck and Elizabeth (Parker) Beck were childhood sweethearts; they met at summer camp at Lake Charmaine. Each year they celebrate the anniversary of their first kiss by returning to the summer camp and adding a notch to the tree where they first carved their initials so many years ago. On the night of their 13th kiss anniversary, their lives changed forever. That night, David was knocked unconscious and left for dead and Elizabeth was kidnapped, only to be found five days later, the victim of a serial killer.

Fast forward eight years, and a series of events leads David to question all he has known. Two bodies were recently discovered near the lake where David was assaulted and Elizabeth was kidnapped. The police suspect David may be involved in the murder of these two men, because his story about the night of Elizabeth’s disappearance just doesn’t add up. Earlier that same day, David receives an email that could have only come from Elizabeth. The coincidence is just too unnerving. Following the instructions in the email, David is taken to a website that links to a street-level camera, and for a brief second, he sees her – but it can’t be Elizabeth, can it?

With the help of his sister’s girlfriend, and an attorney, David attempts to fight the charges against him so that he can remain free to find out if Elizabeth is really still alive. His search pits him against the police, the FBI, and a couple of henchmen set on keeping him from learning the real truth.

Genre/Subgenre: Adventure, Thriller, Suspense/Mystery

Evaluation: 3-stars.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs
by Jacqueline Winspear
$15.00

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Penguin Books (May 25, 2004)

ISBN-10: 0142004332

ISBN-13: 978-0142004333

Annotation/Flashtalk:

There is something not right about "The Retreat." Why do former solders, with disfiguring injuries, who have moved there to be better understood by living among their peers, renounce their surnames, give up their assets for the greater good, suddenly end up committing suicide?  Can Maisie Dobbs figure it out before it's too late for James, the son of Maisie's wealthy benefactor?

Summary:

Maisie Dobbs mother died when she was a young girl and her father could not take care of her and, as was the custom of the times, he sent her to work as a maid.  It was there in the home of Lady Rowan that she was caught reading in Lady Rowan’s library without permission.  Unsure of how to handle the situation, Lady Rowan consulted her long-time friend Dr. Maurice Blanche. Maurice recognizes Maisie’s intelligence and takes her under his wing tutoring her, and teaching her the skills of his trade, private investigation. 

Maurice has retired, but still acts as a mentor to Maisie who now runs her own detective agency.   Maisie current case was opened by a husband suspicious that his wife may be cheating on him.  Through her investigation, Maisie learns of a retirement farm for disfigured war veterans, which sounds a bit suspicious for the veterans sign all of their assets over to the farm which is run like a co-op. It is only when Lady Rowan’s own son, James, is making arrangements to live at “The Retreat” that Maisie pursues her suspicion further.  Enlisting the help of Billy Beal, the handyman from her office building, Maisie devises a plan to investigate the goings-on at The Retreat.  Can Maisie and Billy figure out what is going on before it gets too dangerous for Billy?

Alternating between the story of the case that Maisie is working on and her time in serving as a nurse for England during WWI, we learn of Maisie’s true love Simon and their fairy-tale romance carried across the French battlefield by ambulance drivers.  We also learn of the harsh toll that war can take on the injured and non-injured alike.

Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Historical Fiction

Evaluation: 3-stars.

The Last Child by John Hart

The Last Child:A Novel
by John Hart
$14.99
Paperback: 432 pages

Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 Reprint edition (March 9, 2010)

ISBN-10: 0312642369

ISBN-13: 978-0312642365

Annotation/Flashtalk:

After the disappearance of his 13-year-old twin sister, Johnny mounts his bike in an effort to scour the county to find her. He will stop at nothing to find her; including spying on the county’s known pedophiles.  Will Johnny find in himself in more trouble or will he find out what happened to his sister?

Summary:

Johnny is beside himself at the loss of his twin sister, Alyssa.  The police have no leads.  His father feeling guilty that he didn’t pick Alyssa up at the library feels responsible for her disappearance takes off, leaving Johnny and his mother alone.  Johnny’s mother so distraught is kept in a drugged and catatonic state by her new boyfriend, Ken.  With no one on the trail of what happened to Alyssa, Johnny takes up the quest himself.  He rides his bike crisscrossing the county using maps from the library he spies on the town pedophiles knowing that one of them must be responsible.  He is sometimes aided by his best friend Jack.  Also haunted by Alyssa’s disappearance is Detective Hunt.  Hunt’s was the lead detective on the case, and his obsession over the department’s inability to find Alyssa destroys his marriage and his relationship with his son. 

The violent death of a local professor and his dying words spur on Johnny’s quest to find Alyssa, for the man is clutching a piece of the clothing Alyssa was wearing when she disappeared.  Johnny’s continued pursuit of the case brings him face to face with danger, makes him truant in school, and lands him in the hospital.  But will it land him any closer to finding out the truth about Alyssa?

Genre/Subgenre: Suspense/Mystery

Evaluation: 4-stars.

The Summer of the Big Bachi

The Summer of the Big Bachi

by Naomi Hirahara

$12.00

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Dell (January 29, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0440241545
ISBN-13: 978-0440241546

Annotation/Flashtalk:“In Japanese, bachi was when you snapped at your wife, and then tripped on a rock in the driveway. You didn’t suffer your punishment in another lifetime, but within the same life, even within the next few minutes.” This is the first thought that came to mind when Mas Arai heard that Joji Haneda was dead.

Summary:Mas Arai, a mild-mannered gardener to some of the finest homes in Pasadena, is forced to play detective when a well-dressed man from Japan shows up at the local lawnmower shop asking questions about people and events from Mas’ childhood in Japan. Many of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the hibakusha, who immigrated to America, live quiet and unsuspecting lives; however, now, memories are unearthed by this unsuspecting visitor, and lives are put in danger. It is up to Mas to get to the bottom of it all, but is it for the love of his friends, or because he is protecting himself from his own bachi?

The tale is filled with Japanese phrases and some Japanese-accented English.

Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Detective/Asian-American

Evaluation: 2-stars.