The Overlook

Don't overlook this one. The Overlook, the latest entry by author Michael Connelly, brings LAPD detective Harry Bosch and ex-wife Rachel Walling back together again to solve a homicide.

The story opens with the discovery of a body on the overlook of Mulholland Drive. This leads to the discovery of a missing pig of radioactive substance. Enter a well-known high profile person of Middle Eastern heritage, an e-mail threatening the dead person, a drifter from Canada who witnessed the crime, a wife who was found bound and bruised, a gung-ho military style RAT team and you have a swiftly moving, intriguing story.

I like this author. He makes me feel as if I am inside Harry Bosch's head. I find myself rooting for Harry and wanting to look beyond the obvious and more closely scrutinize the subtleties of the crime. After all, this is what leads to the solving of the crime.

Ladybookbug!

Summer People

Summertime and the livin is easy or so we thought. Another new novelist, Brian Groh, (who has previously written for MTV and National Geographic Traveler) has just come out with his first novel entitled Summer People I'm sure this is just the beginning for this writer.

I must admit I'm an aficionado of great mystery books. I love the challenge of trying to determine who committed the crime before the author reveals all. This book is NOT a mystery. However, one cannot state that there were no crimes committed.

Mr. Groh does a very interesting thing in this book. At the head of each chapter is a brief synopsis of what is to come. It was a bit disconcerting so I elected not to read the synopses anymore.

The story takes place in a small summer colony on the coast of Maine. The family of an elderly lady with some infirmities has hired a young man to care for her for the summer. The story is told from his perspective. Some examples of elitism are evident as the story unfolds.

Other characters include a privileged son, an unconventional minister, a family in denial, and an indiscriminate young lady among other less prominent characters.

It all seems a bit fluffy on the surface but in actuality, this story has quite a bit to do with the young man's perspective of life. We are able to observe how his relationship with his care receiver blossoms, how his naiveté is abused and ultimately who steps to the forefront in his behalf and saves him.

I would be interested in seeing what happens to Nathan in the future. I don't know if the author is planning a sequel or is content to leave it as stand-alone but whatever, I look forward to reading his books again.

Ladybookbug!

Broken for You

This is not a new book. It was published in 2004. It is the first book by the author Stephanie Kallos and it was okay but way too busy for this reader.

The story opens with the main character, a 76 year old woman, having been diagnosed with a brain tumor. She has had a series of unfortunate events in her life which leaves her living all alone in a mansion. She decides to change her ways a bit and opens her home to a young woman whose love affair has just ended. She opens her home to other characters along the way. If the author had just stuck to the interactions of these characters it would have moved along a bit more quickly.

However, the main character has some quirks. She talks to her "things" and she also hears comments from time to time from her dead mother who reminds this reader of a "Mommy Dearest" type.

There was a book several years ago that talked about people getting rid of anger and frustration by breaking china. The two main characters in this book do just that in the backyard of the mansion. I presume the title has something to do with the broken china and broken people and how they are mended.

I would hope the author's next entry is simpler and easier to follow. With all this said, I will look for a forthcoming title by Ms. Kallos.

Ladybookbug!

Free Fire

There is a photograph of the author on the back of this title. He is shown with a black lab. As a lover of black labs, how could I not pick up this book.

C.J. Box's latest entry into the "Joe Pickett" saga is great. Everything happens in Yellowstone Park. Just about the only things I know about Yellowstone is that it is a national park, it has bears and wolves among other animals and that it is located in the state of Wyoming. In addition to enjoying this fast-moving mystery, I learned a thing or two. That's always a good thing.

The story opens with a killer admitting that he has killed four people in the "Zone of Death" in Yellowstone which (by the way) is a real location. Oh, you might think that this story ends in the first chapter. But no, you see there is a twist in regard to the ability of the authorities to incarcerate the perpetrator.

Along comes Joe Pickett who has been assigned by the Governor of Wyoming to look into the deaths and their connection with the perp. We also get to see Joe's friend Nate in action again. A long-lost relative enters the scene as well. All of this is combined with some additional deaths and close calls.

Bio-mining and possible liquified fuel sources in the park add to the intrigue of this novel, which may be intimidating to those of us who are not scientifically minded, but do not let this stop you from reading a really good book. Also, be sure you read the afterword.

As for me, I am going backwards to re-read other Joe Pickett books and looking forward to reading more about Joe Pickett in future titles.

Ladybookbug!

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini has created a brilliant masterpiece in his new book A Thousand Splendid Suns, which should come as no surprise for those of you who have read his previous entry, The Kite Runner.

It is a story about perserverance, patience, strength and fortitude. The mental image that comes to mind is a dandelion protruding through blacktop. Here we have two dandelions, Mariam and Laila. From the onset, we recognize the internal strength of both women. We are also privy to the oppression of the culture in which they live.

Above all, this is a story that will long be remembered as one that depicts women facing centuries of oppression and having the courage to do something about it. It also reminds us that we cannot and should not assume that everyone living in an oppressive society condones the behavior of those in power. More importantly, this book forces those of us who are fortunate enough to live in a free society, a glimpse and perhaps an understanding of the other side of the coin.

This is a story that will not soon be forgotten.

Ladybookbug!

The Double Bind

Chris Bohjalian has a new title The Double Bind which is actually a psychiatric term used to describe the theory of the same title. It is thought that contradictive interaction causes schizophrenia. That said....this is a very good novel. This author doesn't skimp on details or character development. This was not the quickest of reads, but it was worth it.

It is the story of Laurel, a young social worker who is employed by a homeless shelter in Vermont. She suffers a traumatic event in her life and this is her story since the event occurred. It is also the story of a homeless man who dies and leaves behind a photographic legacy. Actually, interspersed throughout the book are pictures which were left by a once homeless man who had died in Vermont, which is the setting of the novel.

At the end of the book is a reader's guide. Even if it was not there, this book was destined to be a good choice for a book discussion.

You may remember this author 's Midwives which was an Ophra selection several years ago. He has also written an in-between novel entitled Before You Know Kindness. He has several other novels in his repetoire.

There is a twist at the end which was similar to a book I read many years ago. None-the-less, it surprised me again.

Ladybookbug!

Blue Zone

Andrew Gross of the James Patterson partnership has a new novel out. According to the manual WITSEC regarding the Witness Protection Program, there are three stages of U.S. Marshals agency involvement. The Blue Zone is one of them. Hence, the title of the book.

The story involves an upper-class family residing in Larchmont. Two parents, three kids. All of the kids excel at what they do. The dad owns a company that sells gold to other companies. One day, out of the blue, he is arrested by the F.B.I. and life as he and his family knows it goes downhill from there.

Mr. Gross, in true James Patterson fashion, moves the reader right along with his shorter-than-most chapters. This reader appreciates this form of writing. The chapters are to the point and motivate the reader to want to read more.

The Witness Protection Program plays a big part in this story. Although it has been visited many times by many authors, it is still interesting to hear about. This book is a winner. Hoping for more from Mr. Gross. So glad he changed career paths.

Ladybookbug!

6th Target

Monday, Monday...... James Patterson has a new addition to his popular series, the women's murder club, entitled 6th Target .

In this latest entry, a member of the club is shot, a seemingly deranged shooter is put on trial, a brilliant child and her nanny are abducted and Lindsay experiences a romantic meltdown.

As usual, this was an easy read, all the more so due to the author's tendency to offer brief chapters.

I like Patterson with few exceptions but this one lacked intensity. Still, I'm looking forward to #7.

Ladybookbug!

What the Dead Know

From time to time our well-read patrons will recommend a title to me. Often I will check it out and bring it home to read and just as often I'll read a few pages and become disenchanted with the story, the writing, the size of the print or whatever and put it down. Since I'm not in college anymore and don't have any "required" reading, I can do this. It doesn't necessarily mean that I won't re-visit the title at a later date, it just means I don't want to read it right now.....

But....then there are stories like the one I've just finished. I could have read it in one sitting but I was getting tired and that's a good thing so I completed reading it this morning. A new-author to me but one that has me hooked into wanting to read everything she's ever written.

Her name is Laura Lippman. She's a former newspaper reporter and prolific writer. According to the book jacket..." Her novels have been awarded every major prize in crime fiction." No doubt! This one's about two sisters who go to a nearby mall on the premise of shopping and disappear. It's also about their parents and how they cope with guilt, loss and life. What the Dead Know was well organized, had good character development and I kept changing my mind in regard to how the mystery would be explained.

Honestly, if you're dying to get out on the sun porch or just sit on a chaise on the back lawn and you're tired of listing to NPR or jazz, pick this one up. If you're into solving mysteries while enjoying the pleasure of good writing, you won't be disappointed.

Other books by this author are: In a Strange City, The Last Place and No Good Deeds. I can't promise they'll be as good as this one but if nothing else, we can hope this author's next title is at least equal to this one.

Lady Bookbug!

The Woods

One of my favorite series is going off the air and I suspect another one might as well. I'll just add it to my ever-growing list of good t.v. which is sure to be replaced by bad t.v. However there is a solution to this and it is.......

"Read books--they never go off the air"--If you want to revisit one, check it out at the library. If they don't have it, you may be able to pick it up at an out-of-print bookstore AND possibly at a fraction of the original cost.

With that in mind, I was happy to pick up a new read by Harlan Coben--one of my current favorite authors entitled "The Woods". In true Coben fashion, this one has a twist at the end. It's about four young people who go into the woods of a summer camp one night. Two meet an unfortunate end and the other two seem to disappear completely. Unfortunately by the time you get to the end you've pretty much figured out the mystery. However, I could not put it down and read it right through last night. If you are a fan, you'll need to add this to your collection. If not--try it you might like it.
Lady Bookbug!

Simple Genius=Oxymoron?

Having read David Baldacci's latest entry in to the published works foray, I must admit it was quite good (in this reader's humble opinion). It was great to read about Sean and Michelle again although I was more interested in Michelle's "mystery" than in the case that they were solving together. The story line seemed very plausible which is not a given in this day and age. I think it was particularly so having read "On A Blue Day" earlier this year. If you're into CIA/FBI plots against the government and P.I. infiltration, this one's for you!

Ladybookbug!