Velocity by Alan Jacobson
Reviewed by Stephanie Nordkap
Karen Vail, renowned FBI profiler, returns in Velocity, but this time her case takes an ominous and deathly turn. Vail’s boyfriend, Detective Robby Hernandez, has disappeared and little trace of him can be found, except for a blood stain and a very tenuous connection to local suspects already involved in another crime. The tension and stress keep Vail and her task force running as they know that the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours are critical in a missing person’s case.
Just as the pieces of information come together, and they close in on a suspect’s trail, Vail is suddenly called back to Quantico to handle a case of vital importance. Frustrated with the delay and being far from the case, Vail turns to Hector DeSantos, a covert government operative, to help her with the case. DeSantos uncovers confidential information that sends Vail reeling with shock, and sets her and DeSantos on a dangerous path, a path neither one could foresaw at the beginning, one that could threaten many careers, lives, and everything else one holds dear. In order for Vail to save the one she loves, she will have to negotiate the dangerous waters of the drug cartels and learn some shocking truths – truths that will have a profound effect on her life. Read the rest of this post »
September 2, 2010
Tags: alan jacobson, book review, velocity Posted in: Thriller 
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Don’t Blink by James Patterson and Howard Roughan
Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb
Reporter Nick Daniels was at the wrong place at the wrong time that particular day when he had lunch at Lombardo’s Steakhouse. He was there to interview the famous, really infamous, retired pitcher for the Yankees, Dwayne Robinson. Robinson at one time had been the best pitcher around, striking out twenty people in a single game against Oakland, a Cy Young winner. But when Dwayne failed to show up to pitch in a decisive game seven in the World Series against the Dodgers, and disappeared for seventy-two hours, only then to be found lying naked on the floor of his apartment barely conscious by his super, he went from being the hero to the goat overnight. Dwayne hated to grant interviews, because he was uncomfortable around a lot of people, so Nick had jumped at the chance to interview him.
Too bad the interview was stopped before it really got started by a violent mob hit. The hired killer came behind his victim, Vincent Marcozza., the consigliere or lawyer of the Mafia don Eddie “The Prince,” Pinero, with a scalpel, and sliced his eyes out, “like a pumpkin.” Bruno Torenzi, the assassin, said he had a message from Eddie, saying into Vincent’s ear as he lay dying of blood loss the words: “Justice is blind.” And Nick was there, capturing it all on his recorder, solid evidence that Pinero had Marcozza whacked because his lawyer had uncharacteristically bombed out in court, resulting in Pinero’s conviction.
This is just the start of Don’t Blink, the latest action-packed, violent, edge-of your-seat thriller by the duo of James Patterson and Howard Roughan. I haven’t read many novels by Patterson, just the Alex Cross books I, Alex Cross and Cross Country, but I enjoyed reading those two very much. He’s one of today’s most talented and prolific authors, and I’ve often wondered how any one man can churn out as many well-written, suspenseful bestsellers as he does so consistently and frequently. I say “one man,” but some of his novels, like this one, are collaborations. This is the first Nick Daniels novel that Patterson and Roughan have written, but they also co-authored Honeymoon and Sail. Read the rest of this post »
September 1, 2010
Tags: book review, don't blink, howard roughan, james patterson Posted in: Thriller No Comments
The Four Fingers of Death by Rick Moody
Reviewed by Allen Hott
I am not sure where to begin this review but I am fairly certain that Rick Moody didn’t know where to end the book. It seems to go on and on and is filled with his many descriptions of just about everything.
The Four Fingers of Death begins with a 59-page introduction that has been written by the author of the book. No, not Rick Moody but a character named Montese Crandall who is Moody’s author of choice. In the intro he goes into much detail about not only his wife who is dying and needs a double lung transplant but also about his new found writing technique.
Crandall has been writing, mostly unsuccessfully, for some time and decides that his writings are too long. He begins shortening everything to a sentence and then works at cutting words from that sentence.
Crandall then has a reading for his newly adapted writing style. At the reading he meets a gentleman (also a writer) and they begin playing chess regularly as this takes Crandall’s mind off of his wife’s medical problems. Along the way he discovers that his chess partner has been given a grant to write a book. Since Crandall writes and is in need of money for medical bills he challenges his newfound friend to a match. If he wins he gets the opportunity to write the book and if his opponent wins Crandall will give him a favored baseball card from his humongous collection. Read the rest of this post »
September 1, 2010
Tags: book review, rick moody, the four fingers of death Posted in: Fiction No Comments
2012: The Year of the Change: Prophecies about Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, and the World War III by Fabio R. Araujo
Reviewed by Julie Moderson
2012: The Year of the Change: Prophecies about Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, and the World War III by Fabio R. Araujo
I found the story concerning prophecies about Barack Obama to be very interesting.
Arujo believes that hundreds of years ago Mayan priests predicted Barack Obama and a Russian president in similar manner to the way that Jesus Christ was predicted. He believes that because there will be elections in 2012 in the USA and Russia that this is what the Mayan priests were predicting. Mayan priests predict a future leader will come and save us or destroy us. Jewish and Shiite Muslims expect a Messiah as a political leader. Could 2012 be the time when this all comes true?? Read the rest of this post »
September 1, 2010
Tags: 2010: the year of the change, book review, fabio r. araujo Posted in: Novel, Uncategorized No Comments
The Ghosts on 87th Lane: A True Story by M.L. Woelm
Reviewed by Teri Davis
Most people really do not believe they have ghosts in their home. What would you do though if there seems to be evidence that you have one or more of these creatures living in your house and treating you like you are the guest in your own home? What if you cannot afford to move? How do you make peace with the other questionable entities abiding in your abode?
That is the problem this author had beginning with her move to new home in Minnesota in 1968.
Living in an apartment with a husband and two small children is a challenge. Needing space for the family prompted Paul and Marlene Woelm to begin the house hunting process. They finally discovered a bungalow that needed some work and the owners were definitely motivated enough to lower the price. Everything now should calm down in their lives. Shouldn’t it?
Marlene, as a stay-at-home mom was puzzled after the family moved in by the voice asking for mommy. Her children called her, “Momma”. Granted that wasn’t a big issue, but it was a concern. Then things began to disappear. Things began to be dropped. There were loud noises where the house should be silent. It felt like someone was watching her. The house just didn’t feel right. Added to that was the discovery that one of the children who had previously lived in the house had died of a ruptured bowel. Could that child be a ghost?
The author, Marlene Woelm, has stated that she has always been “sensitive” to the supernatural. As a child, she saw what others were incapable of seeing. Did this make her more inviting then to the ghostly world? Read the rest of this post »
August 29, 2010
Tags: book review, m.l. woelm, the ghosts on 87th lane Posted in: Children, Non-Fiction No Comments
Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie
Reviewed by Teri Davis
Andromeda (Andie) Miller feels that she has successfully placed the past in the past and has moved on with her life since her divorce ten years ago. In fact she feels so confident about this, that she decides that it is time to face her past and to return all the alimony checks to her former husband. She doesn’t need or want them. She chose not to cash them. This confrontation is what she needs to move to her new life with her soon-to-be husband who happens to be a well-known and successful writer.
However Andie did not expect her ex-husband, North, to offer such an intriguing temporary job. She is to be a nanny to two distant relatives who have been orphaned and apparently are convincing people that their estate is haunted. The twosome has successfully eliminated nannies recently. North would like her to settle the children so that they can be moved closer to his home. The clincher is when he offers to pay Andie ten-thousand a month for this challenge. How awful can this situation be for that much money?
Andie agrees to this arrangement and discovers the estate to be run-down with an eccentric and aged housekeeper, Mrs. Crumb, a distant and silent preteen, Carter, and an eight-year-old fashion-disaster, Alice. Added to this is what appears to be ghosts which Andie has difficulty believing really exist. Read the rest of this post »
August 29, 2010
Tags: book review, jennifer crusie, maybe this time Posted in: Romance No Comments
Shamra Divided (Book 2 of the Shamra Chronicles) by Barry Hoffman
Reviewed by Stephanie Nordkap
In Shamra Divided: Book 2 of the Shamra Chronicles, Dara learns about her heritage from family she didn’t know existed as she is attacked by what she will learn is her most powerful enemy; an enemy who has lain dormant for over 170 years, who has attacked countless civilizations and destroyed many of them, who fears Dara for what she will become, and is intent on destroying her no matter what. Dara must learn how to protect herself as she reluctantly becomes the leader of her army in order to fulfill a destiny that has been waiting for her for almost two hundred years.
Pulled from the dangerous swamp in which she finds herself, Dara meets Briana who claims that Dara has been with her clan for five days; furthermore, Briana tells Dara that she is destined to lead her clan against the Chaos, a powerful enemy who has destroyed many civilizations in the past. As Briana takes Dara on a hunt to teach her some clan traditions, she recounts tales of the past and of a divided people within the Shamra. She tells the tales of the brave women who refused to let the clan die off, tales of bravery, civil unrest, deceit, treason, and loyalty. She tells why Dara is the one destined to lead the clan, and why she alone is the one to stop the Chaos.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is the strong, powerful women. Many were leaders who had to make difficult decisions during difficult times, and it is very empowering for young girls to read novels where women are powerful and courageous. There is also an element of taking responsibility for one’s actions and how your actions can have ripple effects throughout an entire community, causing division and unrest. I also liked the examples of cultural prejudices that are examined in this novel, especially in relation to the Galvan. In one sense, the author shows what can happen when you trust implicitly without knowing all the facts about another culture, but in another sense, he shows how two different peoples can work and live together, using their strengths and weaknesses to support one another. A great example of this is when Cym (Galvan), Enwee (Tweeble), and Reva (Shamra) all work together to destroy a threat greater than themselves, using their various strengths from their particular races to advantage. Read the rest of this post »
August 29, 2010
Tags: barry hoffman, book review, shamra divided Posted in: Uncategorized No Comments
Caterwauler by Chris Masuda
Reviewed by Joanne Reynolds
Wes is a ponderous young man who has been on unemployment and has just acquired a job working in a porn shop on the graveyard shift.
This book is written in diary form, so we are insiders to his thoughts and are also treated to the traumas and doldrums of his employ in said shop.
What unfolds is a miasma of humanity. There are all walks of people who walk through the door of the shop and Wes has become quite numb to the clientele and the goods being sold to them.
Wes is slowing falling in love with a co-worker, but doesn’t really want to admit that to himself or to her. Seems that he is afraid to let go and just have the relationship. We don’t really learn much about his history, so we are not privy to why he has such an aversion to declaring his feelings. Read the rest of this post »
August 29, 2010
Tags: book review, caterwauler, chris masuda Posted in: Fiction No Comments
Fever of the Bone by Val McDermid
Reviewed by Patricia Reid
When teenager Jennifer Maidment is murdered and mutilated, Tony Hill, criminal profiler is called to Worcester to help with the case. It is revealed that Jennifer and her friends are fans of the social network Rigmarole. Jennifer left her friend to meet with someone she had connected with on Rigmarole and was not seen again alive. The person Jennifer went to meet is known as ZZ. Jennifer is the first teenager to disappear but she will not be the last.
Meanwhile back in Bradfield, Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan is still heading up the Major Incident Unit but has been put on notice by the new Chief Constable that her team is on a three month trial and at the end of the three months, there might be major changes in the unit. The Chief Constable also informs Jordan that Tony Hill is too expensive and if a profiler is necessary, she needs to request one from the newly trained profiling unit.
A teen-aged boy is reported missing in Jordan’s district. The boy’s body is found and he has been victimized in the same manner of Jennifer Maidment. The boy also has a connection to Rigmarole and has a special friend on the network who goes by just initials. Tony and Carol are both investigating along the same lines but unable to share information with each other.
They are both beginning to believe that there is a violent killer using the social network to attract victims and kill in a way that is very gruesome as well as puzzling. As the victim list gets larger, the two are finally able to put their findings together and go after a killer who is unlike any they have come across before. Read the rest of this post »
August 29, 2010
Tags: book reivew, fever of the bone, val mcdermid Posted in: Mystery No Comments
An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd
Reviewed by Nancy Eaton
Nurse Bess Crawford is returning to England with a number of severely wounded soldiers from the battlefields in France. Among them was a severely burned victim, a pilot. His bandages had to be changed every hour and the way he looked would be enough to make anyone cringe due to the fact that he had several open burn wounds. It was believed that the one thing that kept this soldier alive was the photo of his wife that was pinned to his tunic.
While at London’s Waterloo train station, Bess notices a woman and a soldier. The woman appears to be very upset and crying. Bess could not get over the fact that the soldier did not seem to reach out to the woman to provide some kind of comfort. As Bess caught a glimpse of the woman’s face, she could not believe what she saw. There was no mistake about it. This woman is the same person in the photo the burn victim has pinned to his tunic. What is going on?
Almost by accident, Bess discovers that the mysterious woman has been murdered. The murder happened the same day that Bess saw the woman and the soldier at the train station. When her husband is told this tragic news, he commits suicide. Bess is granted leave to give her information to Scotland Yard. Read the rest of this post »
August 25, 2010
Tags: an impartial witness, book review, charles todd Posted in: Mystery No Comments
SECOND LIFE (SUCCESS AND FAILURE ARE BUT TWO SIDES OF THE SAME PAGE)
