Review of A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (2007) (Three Pines Mysteries #2)

Posted by on Dec 9, 2013

Bottom line: A strong continuation of a very good series. Rating: Recommended Blurb: CC de Poitiers managed to alienate everyone in the hamlet of Three Pines, right up to the moment she died. When Chief Inspector Armand Gamache begins his investigation, it seems like an impossible murder: CC was electrocuted on a frozen lake, in […]

Review of A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer (2009) (Rumpole series)

Posted by on Dec 2, 2013

Bottom line: A fun holiday read with a little murder, theft and blackmail thrown in here and there. Rating: Recommended Blurb: Of the late Sir John Mortimer’s many beloved characters, it is widely agreed that Horace Rumpole was his greatest fictional creation. Here, collected in book form for the first time, are five delightful tales […]

Review of The Anatomist’s Wife by Anna Lee Huber (2012) (Lady Darby Mysteries #1)

Posted by on Nov 18, 2013

Bottom line: A powerful mystery with a great new detective. Rating: Recommended Blurb: Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister’s estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to […]

Review of Inferno by Dan Brown (2013) (Robert Langdon Series)

Posted by on Nov 11, 2013

Bottom line: Take all the negative aspects of Dan Brown’s writing, leave out the good stuff, and add in a very thorough self-guided walking tour of Florence. Rating: Not Recommended Blurb: In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring […]

Review of Whiskey Sour: A Jack Daniels Mystery (2004) by J.A. Konrath (Jack Daniels Mysteries #1)

Posted by on Oct 2, 2013

Bottom line: Definitely worth a read for hard boiled fans who don’t mind a little cliché and dose of humor in their gruesome detective stories. Rating: Recommended Blurb: Lieutenant Jacqueline ‘Jack’ Daniels is having a bad week. Her live-in boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, chronic insomnia has caused her to max out […]

Close Encounters of the Fourteenth Century Kind

Posted by on Sep 9, 2013

Howdy! I’m on vacation in Brazil for most of September, so I turned the tables on my readers and opened up the blog for guests posts while I’m gone. Today’s post comes from John, a.k.a. Mr. Lector’s Books. I have a confession: I listen to a lot of audiobooks.  Where most people listen to music, […]

Review of Illusion by Frank Peretti (2012)

Posted by on Aug 19, 2013

Bottom line: A fascinating and intriguing story about love, time-travel, and magic. Rating: Strongly Recommended Blurb: In a world where nothing is as it seems, anything is possible. DANE AND MANDY, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy’s life—or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane […]

Review of The Host (2008) by Stephenie Meyer

Posted by on Aug 5, 2013

Bottom line: A fun science fiction story with great characters, action, and romance. Rating: Recommended Blurb: Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading “soul” who has been given Melanie’s body, didn’t expect […]

Review of by Miss Pym Disposes (1946) by Josephine Tey

Posted by on Jul 29, 2013

Bottom line: A quirky novel with a murder. A good read for fans of the Golden Age mystery era who are looking to add some more authors to their list. Rating: Recommended if you are a fan of Golden Age mysteries. Blurb: Miss Lucy Pym, a popular English psychologist, is guest lecturer at a physical […]

Review of Temperance Brennan (A.K.A. Bones) Series by Kathy Reichs

Posted by on Jul 15, 2013

Bottom line: A good look at the behind the scenes of police work and what a forensic anthropologist does – extremely violent and sometimes sub-par storytelling. Rating: Recommended if you’re a fan of police procedurals or the TV show Bones. Review: I watched several seasons of Bones before giving up. It’s a good mystery show, […]