Undercover by Danielle Steel

I've always regarded this author as a purveyor of romantic tales.  While this is true, some of  the novels I have read lately have a bit more depth to them than just romantic fluff.  This entry is reflective of that.

There are two main characters in this story.  The first being Marshall Everett, an undercover DEA agent who is esconced in the jungles of Bogata, Columbia.  His cover is blown and he must extricate himself immediately.  He is given a new assignment at a desk which he quickly becomes disenganted with.  His superiors then give him the opportunity of protecting the first family which he embraces with pride.

The second character is Ariana Gregory whose father has just been appointed ambassador to Argentina.  During an innocuous shopping trip, her vehicle is overcome and she is kidnapped.

How these two lives cross and the things that they have in common are part of the romantic side of this story.  I would hesitate to call this a true "beach" read for it has more depth than that.  If you are into espionage and more intricate plotlines, you will probably enjoy this.

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A Song of Shadows by John Connolly

Charlie Parker, a former police detective, has retreated to a small town on the coast of Maine where he becomes embroiled in a mystery of gargantuan proportions.

After meeting a neighbor he begins to question her background and finds himself getting more involved then he intended.  What he suspects is just the tip of the iceberg.

In the midst of a tangled web of murder, war criminals and the search for truth, Parker soon realizes that his intent to rest and recuperate is not to be.

A good read!

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The Scam by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Ms. Evanovich is yet another one of my favorite authors.  Her "number" books are a joy to read and readers are very prone to laugh while reading her stories.

The Scam is an interesting premise and the story reminded me of the television series Leverage.  The major setting in this story is Maucau, China.  Kate O'Hare and Nicholas Fox are joining forces to thwart a money-laundering operation in a casino.  Other settings include Las Vegas and Oahu.

This is a fast-paced story that will be easy to follow.

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Broken Promise by Linwood Barclay

I'm not sure when this author penned his first novel but I know I've read them all.  His stories often have a unique twist to them.  He presents his readers with believable characters and his plotlines are
easy to follow.

This story is about David Harwood, a former newspaper journalist who quits his job and moves in with his parents in the small town of Promise Falls.  He is able to land a job at the local newspaper which affords him more time to spend with his son Ethan.  Things seem to be going in the right direction until the paper folds and he finds himself without a job again.

David becomes embroiled in the life of his cousin Marla which eventually leads him to becoming a sleuth.  His attempts to untangle the web of deceit he is in the middle of are harrowing but he continues on.

One of the culprits was a surprise to me.  I thought I had it all figured out but I am pleased to say I did not.  A good ending to an interesting mystery.

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How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren

Three lives intertwine in the small skiing town of Sparkle, Colorado.

Jill, a woman estranged from her husband and dealing with the emotional constraints of having had a hysterectomy, decides to move to the only place she can call home. 

Lisa is a young woman who has led a wild life and has come to realize that she must change her ways and start looking for a good man.

Cassie is a ten year old who is learning how to live with her Dad following the death of her mother.

All three females are facing uncertain futures.  They all must walk through the difficult times in hope of a better tomorrow.

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Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

This book is touted as being a novel but in reality is the story of the author's grandmother.  I believe it's the kind of story that people might tell around the kitchen table, embellishing it a bit as it is told with no intent to deceive but rather that not everyone remembers every detail.

Lily Casey Smith was born in 1901.  Her father owned a 160 acre farm where he broke and trained horses.  He father had a speech impediment which meant that Lily often had to act as his voice.  Her father did not fully appreciate her academic aptitude and felt that he could teach her better. Lily worked in every possible capacity on the farm.

Eventually she left to teach even though she was not properly trained, the authorities sensed her ability to offer students a broad education.  Lily went on to marry a charlatan who had led her down a romantic path.  She divorced him and moved on.

Lily married again and she and her new husband operated a gas station. Later the couple managed a farm and came up with a novel idea about irrigating it. Lily was the type of person who was handed a lot of lemons in her life and she chose to make lemonade.

A story about the tenacity of the human spirit.

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