X by Sue Grafton

I've been reading this author's work for 33 years and I have enjoyed every single book.  I love her lady detective in the person of Kinsey Milhone.  I love Kinsey's landlord, Henry and the local watering hole called "Rosies".  Each time I pick up the latest in the "alphabet" series, I find myself looking forward to see what scrapes Kinsey has gotten herself entangled in.  I've never been disappointed either in the quality of the writing, the storyline, or the characters.  This latest entry is just another indication to me that I will be sorely disappointed when Ms. Grafton pens her "Z" novel.

There are three scenarios going on in this story.  One scenario surrounds the divorce of a wealthy couple that was far from amicable.The second scenario involves a sociopath who seems to enjoy tormenting his wives, past and present. The third scenario is the strange couple that has moved in next door to Henry.

The story opens with the discovery of a cryptic code which Henry is able to decipher.  This leads Kinsey on a path to unravel what connects all the dots in the code. Then,  Kinsey is hired to locate a long, lost baby. She is also given the uncomfortable task of returning some hidden artifacts to an unwitting recipient. Finally, she must get to the bottom of why new tenants are esconsed in a house in close proximity to her own.

All in all, a good mystery or perhaps I should say a good collection of mysteries.

Thank you again Sue Grafton for motivating this reader to read on!

Ladybookbug!

Silver Linings by Debbie Macomber

This is the fourth installment in the Rose Harbor Inn series by this author.

Jo Marie has returned, as well as Mark.  In this entry, Mark expresses his love for Jo Marie and then proceeds to put his home on the market and move out of town.  He gives Jo Marie no explanation for the abrupt move but readers will be pleased to know that all is revealed by the end of the book.

We are also introduced to several of the inn's guests.  Coco and Katie are visiting the area for the celebration of their 10th reunion from High School. Both are intent on settling old scores.  Whether or not they are able to do so is for the reader to discover.  We also encounter a young honeymooning couple, albeit briefly.

As with all of this author's work, this is a predominantly lighthearted story with just a touch of drama. Her characters read as real people we might meet on the street in our own hometown.  Her plot lines are plausible and easy to follow.

If you  are a Debbie Macomber fan and more importantly, a fan of this series, you'll want to read this entry to find out what is "happening" at The Rose Harbor Inn.

Ladybookbug!

Signal by Patrick Lee

This is the second book in a series featuring Sam Dryden, an ex-Special Forces operative.  Not having read the first book in this series, I became acquainted with this character for the first time.

This book had a sluggish start for me and I kept putting it down, thinking I would not read it. However, today I picked it up again and read it right to the end.

The premise of the book is that a machine has been invented that has the capability of predicting the future.  Actually, it reminded me of an old television series where a newspaper was dropped at the door of the main character.  The headlines depicted what was going to happen the next day and it was up to the main character to difuse it.

In this story the machine has been developed over many years and kept secret.  A friend of Sam Dryden's discovers the machine and contacts him to let him know all about it.  It seems that these people have the power to effect events before they even occur.  It is up to Dryden to prevent the horrific events from happening, fully realizing that these people know just what he is up to.

Don't let the first few chapters slow you down--read on and things will pick up quickly.

Ladybookbug!

One Way or Another by Elizabeth Adler

Ms.Adler is a very prolific author and I have read many of her books, as well as reviewed them in this blog.  I'd have to say this was probably more intense than much of her work.

As young woman has been lured into the web of a maniacal sociopath who is intent on killing her.  He invites her to spend time on his yacht.  One evening she is hit on the side of the head and pushed overboard.  Unknown to the perpetrator of this crime,  a young man witnesses the entire occurrence and is compelled to get to the root of the matter.

She is rescued by a passing boat and is eventually returned to the tentacles of the sociopath.  She is held captive and is abused and tortured.  Although it would be expected that she might feel helpless and hopeless, she clings to the thought of survival and the memory of her mother.

Fraught with intense emotion and devious plans, this story compels the reader to read on, hoping that justice will be served and the fate of the young woman will be positive.

Well-written and exciting, Ms. Adler's characters are very real.  As much as this story relates the vulnerability of young women, it also portrays their strength.

Ladybookbug!

Nemesis by Catherine Coulter

Lacey Sherlock and Dilon Savich have returned in this entry by the prolific Catherine Coulter.  Ms. Coulter has written many FBI thrillers in the past and this is another one to add to the list.

The story opens when a terrorist tries an attack at JFK Airport in New York. Special Agent just happens to be there and is able to stop the attack.  Soon after, another attack is thwarted at St. Patrick's Cathedral.  While Sherlock is engaged in determinig all the perpetrator of the JFK attack knows, her husband Savich is trying to unravel a serioes of murders involving Wiccans.

Some of the titles I have enjoyed by this author in the past include, but are not limited to The Maze, The Cove, and Riptide.  This entry was okay.  I found it difficult to entertain the plot involving the Wiccans and would rather the author focused entirely on the first plot.

Nonetheless, if you are a Coulter fan, you'll want to add this to your list.

Ladybookbug!

Badlands by C.J. Box

The setting for this entry is a small town in North Dakota, the home of "the badlands".  A young boy witnesses a rollover and later finds a dufflebag filled with drugs and money.  He brings it home in hopes of helping his mother. The people who own the bag are intent on finding out just where it is.

Enter Cassie Dewell, a detective who has been assigned to be the new deputy sheriff in the small town.  She is not welcomed with open arms by everyone on the staff but she is determined to do her job and do it well.

This is a stand-alone novel and I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I missed Joe Pickett.  Although this story was fast-paced and deals with gangs,drugs and the demise of a small town, it was not my favorite novel by this author.

I am looking forward to the next entry in his Joe Pickett stories.

Ladybookbug!

Who Let the Dog Out? by David Rosenfelt

Andy Carpenter, lawyer and all around nice guy is back again with his wife and the son they adopted in Mr. Rosenfelt's last book.

Andy is engaged in trying to determine why a dog was stolen from the local rescue and found next to a dead body. He cannot leave it alone and his curiosity gets the best of him.  He is intent on finding out the answers.

The police arrest a man for the murder and Andy decides to represent him.  While the reader is engaged in "another legal story" there is something more going on behind the scenes.  Something much bigger than what meets the eye.

Fast-paced and interspersed with humor, Mr. Rosenfelt has given us another interesting plot that invites us to read on.

Ladybookbug!

The English Spy by Daniel Silva

We are reintroduced to the character of Gabriel Allon, spy and assassin who has appeared in Mr. Silva's previous entries.

The settings for this tale of espionage are multi-faceted and include Belfast, London, a yacht, Lisbon, Jerusalem, Cornwall, Northern Ireland and Buenos Aires and they remind the reader that espinoonage and terrorism knows no boundaries.

Mr. Silva's writing is fast-paced and is reminiscent of the "Jason Bourne" movies. The action portrayed in the story is realistic and frightening.

In this story Gabriel is in search of a master bombmaker by the name of Eamon Quinn who was presumed dead in an altercation several years prior to the current setting. Quinn leads Gabriel on a twisted path through several countries before engaging in the ultimate confrontation.

Mr. Silva is an expert in spinning tales of international intrigue.  This book is no less exciting than the many other titles this prolific author has written.

Ladybookbug!