3 comments about Snatched (Bloodwater Mysteries).

1. Pete Hautman has long been one of my favorite authors. I have since discovered Mary Logue and have become a fan of her exquisite Claire Watkins mysteries. Each author writes compelling fiction filled with sympathetic and sometimes off-beat characters. I was pleased to hear they had teamed up to write a new mystery series for younger readers.
   
   As a former middle/high school teacher, I have consumed a great deal of juvenile and YA fiction. Frequently works written for a younger audience are dumbed down or "cuted up" which turns off already reluctant readers. In this case, however, Hautman and Logue write with respect for their audience and provide characters we can relate to, a fun adventure, and lots of laughs as Roni and Brian sort through clues while navigating relations with teachers and parents.
   
   This work will certainly delight younger readers, but I also recommended it for adults. It would make an entertaining read-aloud selection for any Language Arts or Reading teacher as well as for any parent who wants to laugh and puzzle along with their child.
   
   Bloodwater #1: Snatched provides us with a full-blooded male and female protagonist and with enough twists to satisfy the seasoned fan of the mystery genre. Despite a satisfying conclusion, this first installment leaves readers awaiting the next with anticipation.



2. Alicia has been kidnapped. Can Brian and Roni find her kidnapper and save the day? That's the plot in a nutshell, but the complete mystery would fill a large, very complicated nutshell.
   
   Brian and Roni go to the same high school, but the only things they seem to have in common are frequent visits to the principal's office. Brian's a science nerd, and Roni is an ambitious reporter for the school paper. Alicia is a fellow high school student who has disappeared. This first in a series dubbed THE BLOODWATER MYSTERIES has Brian and Roni teaming up to solve the crime.
   
   For mystery fans this book has it all. There is the big old family house connected to a possible curse. Part of the adventure takes the crime-solving duo to Wolf Spider Island to deal with colorful characters like Driftwood Doug and a butterfly collector named Mr. Nestor. Add in a wacky police department, suspicious high school thugs who key cars, and a trip to Nun's Island to search for a missing boat, and you have just a few of the adventures in this fast-paced book.
   
   Pete Hautman, author of Godless and Mr. Was, combines talents with fellow Minnesota author Mary Logue, to create this new series. Fans of complicated whodunit tales will not be disappointed.
   
   Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"



3. My grandmother just bought me this book two days ago and already im done with it. I missed most of my favorite t.v shows because I lost track of time reading this great book.
   
   The characters make the story more realistic but if you want to find out about it you should buy the book. But I really didnt suspect that weird twisted ending I suspected more of a thriller. It was more like a confession!!
   
   D.A

5 comments about Blood Evidence (NCIS Series #2).

1. NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) Commander Will Coburn lost his marriage due to the demands of his job. Now, he hopes he won't become estranged from his teenage children as well, but his job puts a huge responsibility on him. He must first lead his team to track down an apparent kidnap victim--a teenage girl with problems of her own. While investigating the kidnapping, though, Will and his NCIS team finds evidence of another crime--a long-ago murder of a marine. Since the marine was still in the service when he was killed, this is definitely NCIS business.
   
   The more Will pushes the investigation, the more layers he peels back. But there's political pressure for him to back off, especially when the Will turns up evidence that a long-solved crime might not have been solved after all. The victim's step-father is now a congressman who's very much in a position to make life miserable for Will and the entire NCIS. Meanwhile, one of Will's most important team members, pathologist Nita Tomlinson, is desperately trying to protect herself from pain--in the worst way possible.
   
   Will has his faith to turn to, but Nita long before rejected faith. In fact, it's her inability to live up to the trust her husband puts in her that frustrates Nita most.
   
   Author Mel Odom delivers a high-quality thriller. Although we can guess the identity of the criminal at the heart of Will's troubles fairly quickly, Odom delivers plenty of twists and turns as Will searches for the evidence that will let him go after even the most powerful. Odom's experience in criminal investigations shows through clearly, allowing him to involve us as readers in the case--without ever sounding like he's giving us lectures.
   
   BLOOD EVIDENCE is published by Tyndale, a religious publisher, and faith is an important element in the story. Odom walks the balance carefully, however, making the story enjoyable as a pure thriller for those who may not be as firmly rooted in faith as Tyndale's normal audience. Resolution of the Nita subplot does, however, sometimes get a bit heavy on the faith side. I appreciated, however, that Odom was careful to let us know that the powerful congressman was a member of the conservative party--evil lies in men, not in particular institutions.



2. I enjoy the NCIS Novels by Mel Odom. His characters are human...forgiven but not perfect...at least as long as they're on this earth.



3. This is the second book in Mel Odom's series on the Naval Criminal Investigative Services. The head of the team, Will Coburn, is separated from his wife, and he is trying to spend more time with his children. But he is called away to rescue a teenage girl who has been kidnapped. In the course of the rescue, they stumble on the corpse of a Marine who has been missing for 17 years. Inside the pants cuff of this Marine, they find a charm from a girl who had been murdered 17 years ago, supposedly by a serial killer. How did the charm get there? Is there a connection to the serial killer? The investigation leads the team into twists and turns in the plot that made this story a page turner that I could not put down.
   
   The medical examiner on the team, Nita Tomlinson, has become an expert in forensics, but she finds the roles of wife and mom to be stifling. She grew up without a father and with a promiscuous mother who drank too much and often abandoned her, and Nita has no feel for how to act as a wife and mom. She feels compelled to visit her mother, with whom she has not talked in fourteen years. Though hurt feelings remain and the relationship is strained, Nita and her mother move one step closer to understanding one another.
   
   The pacing of this novel is excellent, and the characters are so real they come to life. I also enjoyed the many details about how the criminal investigation and forensics jobs are conducted. This is the work of a master story-teller who seems to get better with each novel.



4. I checked out Paid in Blood, the first NCIS book by Mel Odom, and really enjoyed it. So I stuck it out for part 2.
   
   Plot:
   Will Coburn and team intervene on a girl's kidnapping. This leads to the discovery of a whole lot of drugs and a 17 year-old corpse of a Marine with the charm of a teenaged girl who was kidnapped and murdered about the same time. As the team digs deeper, they learn that the two mysteries (the girl's murder had never been completely closed) may in fact be intertwined.
   Also, Nita is feeling overwhelmed with being a mother and a wife. She longs for the simplicity of life before marriage and tugs away from her husband, Joe, and her daughter, Celia.
   
   Good:
   Again, excellent mystery! I am impressed with how Mel Odom is able to take a particular incident (a teenaged girl's kidnapping) and have it lead to the real mystery (the 17 year-old corpse of a Marine). You certainly won't be board, trekking through North Carolina in pursuit of Bryce Ketchem or digging through the archives on Haskins or seeing through the eyes of Congressman Ben Swanson.
   Also, the characters are diverse and real. You can feel Will's pain at his divorce and Nita's longing to get out of her trapped marriage (more in a bit). Shel, Remy, Maggie, Estrella...they are all people, not just names thrown in just because. They all serve a purpose--and if they aren't needed at a particular time, Mel Odom doesn't feel like he has to bring them up constantly (something many authors should take a hint from).
   When I first started writing this just a little past the half-way point, I had some serious issues with Nita's marital problems. First, in this time, Joe was far too perfect. He really doesn't come off as a character, merely as a litmus test to show how bad Nita was being. Nita is full of rage; Joe is perfect, understanding, continually loving, always forgiving and wanting to work things out. However, I had to highly amend this review after I finally finished the book. He starts getting peeved at how Nita is being so selfish and even says so when she asks him not to let Celia, her daughter, call her. He is not afraid to be blunt and tells her to leave them alone. This change from perfect being to human being was great.
   Lastly, Nita's reuniting with her mother was absolutely awesome. I won't spill the details, but the whole exchange was an ultimate climax for Nita and a turning point as well.
   
   Bad:
   If the first one gave you the heebie-jeebies at the forensics, don't expect this one to be better. In fact, it may be worse. Several people die rather violent deaths. One man receives a glancing blow to the head. A dead man is found in the lake. A woman's injuries from a hit-and-run accident are brought up. Mention is made to what happens when someone is shot point blank in the base of the head (and this is rather disgusting, in my opinion). These rather graphic descriptions made me cringe and almost gag as I was reading.
   Other things that bugged me:
   1. Will's children bug me. First, Wren, Will's seven-year-old daughter, knows way too much about baseball. I don't care if she watches it on television. There is no way that someone that young knows maneuvers and call outs as well as she does in the book. It's cute, but unrealistic. Second, Steven falls into the stereotypical teen category. I wish for once that people could write teens not as moody, rude beings but as actual humans with feelings and concerns (especially in favor of parents). I mean, Will was constantly surprised that Steven seemed to care about him. Duh! What teen doesn't!
   2. Mel Odom's editor should be fired. He missed or glossed over several huge mistakes. "Maggie" is referred to when it should have been "Nita" (page 80). It is unclear whether the "husband" Laura is talking about is her ex-husband, Ben, or someone else (i.e. Chloe's dad or whichever husband she is currently married to) (page 160). He has Nita telling a cowboy "Merry Christmas" then mention something about Spring (May or June, I believe) while I think there is another reference to March (or at least snow)! What time of the year is it? Just decide and keep to it! My last beef is a major one: Will is talking with Haskins' widow and says, "You mentioned Mason" (Page 415). First off, I poured over the entire previous exchange. "Mason" wasn't mentioned once between Will and Cindy (widow). Mel Odom probably made a change and his dumb editor never saw the gap. It was very confusing and ruined the whole effect that the scene was trying to play on.
   3. The whole David Horton almost-affair thing went from understandable to weird. I was okay with it until his wife approaches Nita. First off, this guy is an absolute jerk. Mrs. Horton should have left him in the dust years ago--kids and all. Second, this husband is fooling around--and he doesn't even bother to hide the fact he's fooling around by telling Mrs. Horton about Nita? "Honey, I was trying to cheat on you and this lady decided not to and hurt me. Wah!" Please. And then to make matters even weirder, Mrs. Horton goes to the same church Joe does. Please cue "It's a Small World". Lastly, this whole thing explodes into NCIS--but how? Does David run to his superior officers and say, "You got to punish Nita because she wouldn't sleep with me and I tried to make her and she hit me?" Does Mrs. Horton call Nita's boss, Larkin, and say, "You got to watch out for that ME of yours--she steals husbands"? I wish Mel Odom had left the whole stupid thing to be only between Joe and Nita. The incident (and her wanting to leave) could still have impacted NCIS without the whole "It's a Small World" thing playing in the background.
   4. Practically everyone in the book is described as being fit for their age with the exception of the creepy politician, Ben Swanson. What's up with that? Not like I don't expect Will, Shel, Remy, and Maggie to be fit, but why must the lawyer, Wardell, Estrella, Nita, Joe, and practically every other character be described in this way? Take a look on the street, and you will notice far more people that are not fit than are.
   
   Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
   Alluded to or non-existent. A woman is almost raped. Other times, sexual situations are alluded to (Congressman Ben Swanson has had extramarital affairs, Chloe's dad is not mentioned to have ever been married to Laura Ivers, etc.). Violence is pretty extreme (as mentioned in the beginning of "Bad") and ranges from shoot-outs (typical fare) to attempted rapes to hand or gun fights or hit-and-runs. If you are even the slightest bit squeamish, do not read this.
   
   Overall:
   When I first started writing this, the bad was outweighing the good. The editing was bad and Nita's home situation got in the way. After finishing the entire thing, I was very impressed. I loved the mystery and was moved to almost-tears during the Nita and her mother scenes (and I am not a crying person!). The plot was a little confusing (but is mostly explained in the end), the editor should have been fired, Nita's home life was a little overdramatic in the beginning, and the descriptions of autopsies and injuries was disgusting, but this was a fun way to spend the time. What makes this better than many other action stories is that this has character--real people doing real things. A good follow up.



5. BLOOD EVIDENCE is the second book in Mel Odom's NCIS Series. Once again, we follow the investigative team under the leadership of Commander Will Coburn. When their current case is linked to the death of a Marine captain's daughter who was murdered 17-years-ago, they follow their leads all the way to Washington D.C.
   
   BLOOD EVIDENCE allows us a closer look at some of the members that make of Will's team, seeing both the personal and professional struggles that these strategic players deal with.
   
   A great thriller with twist and turns that keep you turning page after page. Again, not a romance book by far, but a great read for those of you who like suspense.

5 comments about Last Resort (Hideaway Series #3) (Steeple Hill Women's Fiction #22).

1. Sorry but it's true. I've been a huge Hannah Alexander fan but this one just fell flat. Could not even finish it. I think it's time to retire the town of Hideaway and come up with something new and fresh.



2. "The Last Resort" is a very good mystery, not real intense but it does drag in spots in the story.



3. Hannah Alexander (the husband and wife writing team of Dr. Mel and Cheryl Hodde) has written another exciting episode in the Hideaway series. Hideaway is a small town in the Ozarks peopled by families who have lived and worked there for generations. The Cooper family has been prominent in Hideaway history and has weathered more tragedies than one would expect in such a peaceful, bucolic setting.
   
   When Carissa Cooper was six years old, her mother left and was replaced by monsters that hid under her bed and in her closet, terrorizing her every night. But her loving father Cecil, caring stepmother Melva and nearby extended family helped her, and now, at age twelve, she is a fairly well-adjusted young lady. However, when she decides to do a school project involving her family's history, she unwittingly stirs up long hidden secrets that have been haunting the Coopers for many years --- secrets so powerful that Carissa is abducted and nearly killed in an effort to keep them from being exposed.
   
   Her cousin Noelle, who has the gift of premonition, senses something is wrong and races to Cedar Hollow from her home in Springfield. There she runs into her childhood friend Nathan Trask, who has been praying for her to return home so they could renew their once precious friendship. He becomes her ally as they seek to unravel not only the mystery of Carissa's abduction but also of the secrets that threaten the lives of the entire Cooper family.
   
   However, evidence points to the fact that the very family that is in danger also harbors the one who is guilty of past crimes as well as the current abduction. None is above suspicion, including Carissa's brother Justin, her cousin Jill, and even her great-aunt Pearl. Has the family history of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) transformed somehow from a neurosis to a psychosis?
   
   With Nathan's help, Noelle begins to renew the faith of her childhood and learn to accept the gift she has instead of fearing it. Through their efforts the family learns to deal with "Cooper's Curse" and to rely upon God instead of their own feeble attempts to keep the truth hidden out of fear. As LAST RESORT unfolds, redemption comes in many forms to those who learn to embrace the love and grace of God. This is a well-written story with some breath-holding rescue scenes, and a tender love story thrown in at no extra charge!
   
   (...)



4. Hannah Alexander's Last Resort, set in the beautiful Ozark town of Hideaway, has it all; romance, adventure and suspense.
   
   Twelve year old Carissa Cooper is working on a school project of her family history when she disappears, an apparent kidnap victim.
   Her cousin Noelle rushes to Cedar Hollow from her home in Springfield, determined to find her young niece. Nathan Trask, who has always loved Noelle promises to her help search for Carissa. Evidence points to the fact that the girl has accidently stirred up long hidden secrets the Cooper family has kept hidden for many years. . .secrets so dark someone would kill to keep them from being exposed. As Noelle and Nathan race against time to find Carissa, they strongly suspect the kidnapper may be a member of the Cooper family. But could a family member actually hurt Carissa? Noelle is afraid the answer may be yes.
   
   A strong theme of love, forgiveness and redemption runs through the book as the Cooper family learns to face their fears and trust in God. Last Resort is a well-crafted, engrossing story, one I recommend.



5. The Last Resort, is a medical thriller in the Hideaway series, that deals with an inherited psychological disorder. When twelve year old Carissa Cooper goes missing in Cedar Hollow. We learn that when she was a very small child, her mother abandoned the family, and Carissa subsequently had nightmares about monsters that her dad Cecil and stepmom Melva helped her deal with. At the time of her disappearance, Carissa was a fairly well adjusted child. However, when she innocently decides to do a school project on her family's history, she unwittingly stirs up an old secret that someone is willing to commit murder to keep hidden. Her older cousin Noelle has a gift of premonition, which she has fought for many years. Yet she senses something is wrong, and leaves her home in Springfield to race to Cedar Hollow. Soon she runs into Nathan Trask, her childhood friend, who has been praying for Noelle to return. He becomes her ally as they seek to unravel her family's past and to find Carissa. The suspense builds as they are racing against time. The evidence shows the abductor is a family member, and some of the family are in such denial they are giving cover to the abductor. What are they hiding? And why? And how does a psychological disorder come into play in this mystery? With Nathan's help, Noelle renews her childhood faith in her Lord as they explore what has been called "The Cooper Curse." As the book unfolds, redemption comes in many forms to many of the characters, as they learn to more fully trust in the love of God. The end of the book gives us a riveting rescue scene. It's a good read.

5 comments about The Half-a-Moon Inn.

1. The Half-A-Moon Inn is a great story because it teaches that everybody has to grow up soon or later.
   This book is about a boy named Aaron who goes looking for his mother when she doesn't come home. This is the first time he has been home alone because of his muteness. When his mother doesn't come back on his birthday he gets worried and goes after her into the woods that are near his house. In the woods he gets tangled with a ragman and then has to work for an old lady that owns an inn. When his mother finds out that he left the house she went around looking for him and stopped in at the inn. The mother recognizes right away that one of the things the the inn keeper had and figured she had seen him.
   At the part where Aaron doesn't stay at the house, I think that he should've stayed because his mother said to never leave sight of the house. I also think he should've locked the door when he went to bed worrying about his mother.
   I would recommend this book to my friend who likes adventures and stories that have wicked,horrible,and terrible people in them. I recommend this boo k to her because she also likes sad and scary stories.
   I like this story an,d t.hat is why I hope that whoever reads it will like it too.



2. What 11 year old boy wouldn't want to stay home alone. I thought. Aaron has a difficult life because he is mute, and wouldn't want to be home alone.
   Aaron is scared to be left alone because he is mute, and it could be dangerous for him.
   I felt like if I was inside Aarons shoes because I felt sad for him when his mom didn't come back. When we read this book I thought it was a wonderful and sad novel because at the end Aaron found his mom.
   I recommend this novel to everyone that will like to enjoy Paul Fleischman's stories/novels.I think that people who likes sad novels would like Paul Fleischman's stories because of his feelings.



3. This book is about a boy who was born mute. He has just turned 12 and his mother decided that she should go to the market without him, and she left him at home overnight. When she doesn't come back, he gets worried. He decides to go out looking for her. He gets into lots of trouble and can't seem to find her anywhere.He finds an Inn, and thinks it might help, but it only leads him into much more trouble.



4. 12 year old Aaron Patrick has a disability. His mother decides to go to the market. A blizzard wipes the road clean and Aaron goes looking for her. He finds a strange man, who takes him to the Half-A-Moon-Inn. The evil director, an old lady them keeps him there for a reason unknown to Aaron. Her name is Miss Grackle. Will he escape her and her willow switch? Will he run away from poking around in people's dreams? Buy and find out!



5. The Half-A-Moon Inn book is about a boy named Aaron who's mute. Aaron has just turned 12 and his mother decides he is old enough to stay home alone. One night a blizzard holds her up and she doesn't return. Aaron gets worried and goes looking for her. While out looking, he gets lost and finds refuge in an inn. When he's there the innkeeper turns out to be mean and decides to keep him there for good and makes him stay pick pocketing and peeking into people's dreams will he have to stay there forever or will he escape?
   
   What I liked about the book was that it had you in suspense at the end of every chapter. The Half-a-Moon Inn,
   I personally think, is a "page-turner!"

1 comments about Night Sins/Guilty as Sin.

1. I was glad to see these two books come out in a dual reprint. These were among the first Tami Hoag books I read and enjoyed thoroughly. Loved the way she continued the storyline into the second book with the prosecuting attorney. No one does dark mystery better than Hoag.

5 comments about The Target.

1. This book had a refreashing plot. It keep you thinking. But,I really don't think men are that mesmerised by a woman that easily. I give them more credit than that. I received it in great shape.



2. I have read several of the reviews and everyone has their own thoughts but I liked the book but not as much as The Maze. I think I liked the humor and romance between Sherlock and Savage more than the characters in The Target. One Reviewer talked about Ramsey being obsessed with Emma and even said he touched her too much and etc. I didn't see that. He saw her at the worse time right after she had been beaten and abused by this horrible person. I thought he handled it well, gaining her trust and protecting her. If police and therapists had been brought into it at the beginning, she would probably have been more terrified. Ramsey and Molly did seek professional help later. I thought the author's idea for Ramsey was a sensitive caring man and he was devastated by the ordeal of Emma. He indeed did love her and was protective of this little girl who had been wonded physically and mentally. I think Ramsey did love Molly but the author leaves you thinking he marries her just to get Emma, but still think he was in love with her and she him. I have noticed in Catherine Coulter books, she seldom has the romantic characters say "I love you". I kept looking for it in "The Maze" and believe I saw it once from Sherlock. The characters have other ways of dipicting they love the other person but kept wondering why they doen't just say it. Interesting! If I had a problem with the book was a Federal Judge being able to accept the Crime Lord's way of killing and getting away with it. I'm sure that is the way of real life but I had a hard time dealing with that. However, I found the book a "Thriller" and kept my attention from the beginning to the end.



3. When a kid is smarter than the adults fiction is in trouble. Kidnapping and child abuse are tough subjects, but a Judge who doesn't notify the police and a mother who isn't hysterical are hard to swallow. I've enjoyed Coulter's stories in the past but THE TARGET never worked for this reader.
   Savich and Sherlock do stop by for an encore, but without their normal punch. If you are a fan of her writing you may enjoy it, but for others pass this one by, Ms. Coulter can construct a better story.
   Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.



4. Let me start off by saying that the ratings on this book says something. I've seen items where the five stars and four stars well outweigh the lower rankings. On controversial books, the sign of it being effective is a lot of five stars and a lot of one stars, with little in between. While I'm in the largest group (I'm #22 of the five stars), the smallest group (the two stars) has a respectable number.
   
   What does this mean? If you are one who relies on reviews to decide whether to get this book, read ALL the reviews. Don't base your decision on just mine unless you happen to be a fan of my reviews and consistently trust my opinion.
   
   This is the third Catherine Coulter FBI thriller I've read. It is not Pullitzer prize writing, but it keeps my interest. I like the characters in her books, though for some reason I picture the leading men (Judge Ramsey Hunt here, James Quinlan from "The Cove", and Miles Kettering from "Blindside") as all looking the same, and I just realized I see them all looking like Barry Van Dyke (Dick's son) from Diagnosis Murder.
   
   This book is more disturbing than the other two I read because of its child molestation story-line. Also, one thing I'll give away is that the molester is a former priest. This is the first Coulter novel I read that does not have a protestant minister as one of the bad guys -- this time it's a former Catholic minister. (I wonder if Coulter has any books where a minister is a good guy, or at least, where none of the villains are connected with Christianity.) Maybe the preachers she knows are all child molesters and child kidnappers and murderers, but most real preachers are nothing like that.
   
   Also, this book does have some erotica which I skimmed over, and which is not necessary. Also, there is some cussing which I never consider a positive, though I'll add that it is not pervasive in this book.
   
   One thing that cracks me up is the long distance mob battle between Mason Lord and Rule Shaker. With names like that, I wonder if Coulter read Dick Tracy comics or watched James Bond movies for research.
   
   In her plot description, she promised a twist at the end that even the best mystery solvers would not expect. I don't consider myself great at solving mysteries, but I successfully guessed what that twist was. Maybe I would have been surprised if she didn't warn me of the twist.
   
   This is not a perfect book. Many have pointed out the illogical way the judge acts in the situation, though if he did what he was supposed to there wouldn't have been a story. Having completed a novel, I noticed that Coulter is not always consistent with the point of view. But if you want to entertain yourself, this would work.
   
   One other note. The other two books I've read in the series (and I'll add Hemlock Bay, which I started and decided to read later, maybe) had two different stories going on ("Blindside" had a third little situation unrelated to the other two); this one focuses on the main story.
   
   I will conclude by saying that I do like the way the book ends.



5. Once again Ms. Coulter has kept me on the edge of my seat. I have all the F.B.I. series books and everyone is teriffic.

5 comments about The Year of Fog.

1. This book is repetitive, and I did just skim some of Abby's narrative, but I could not put it down. I was up until 3:30am reading, because as a rule I don't skip to the end of books. Jake's anguish is palpable, but I thought his treatment of Abby in the end was quite unfair. She was the only one who believed Emma was alive, and never gave up the search. Then he just shuts her out ultimately.



2. The book is so slow! I would not compare it to a Jodi Picoult book and will not read anything else from this author again.



3. While the story itself is rather good and you end up feeling for the characters. This book could have and SHOULD have been much shorter. There are about 20 chapters where nothing happens and you don't miss anything by skimming the pages to where something does. Save your time and read Jodi Piccoult, you get the same type of stories and a more captivating style of writing where you don't even think about skipping pages.



4. The Year of Fog is as much a novel about relationships as the manic search for a missing child. The persepctive is that of the terror and trauma of those left behind, rather than the child. Richmond's prose is lovely and peaceful, a direct contrast to the heartbreaking story. She explores guilt bordering on obsession, and provides a provocative tale showing how one moment is capable of altering a lifetime. Richmond is a master of the carefully crafted, thoughtful sentence. Her descriptions read like a slow dance, yet the story continually moves forward. Memory is a pervasive theme, and factual information regarding memory is deftly woven into the narrative.



5. I LOVED THIS BOOK! THE PREMISE IS,OF COURSE, THE MOST DEVASTATING THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A FAMILY... BUT THIS BOOK IS SO BEAUTIFULLY PACED,THE CHARACTERS SO WELL DRAWN,THAT IT WAS A PLEASURE TO READ. YOU REALLY FEEL FOR ABBY AND JAKE,THEIR LIVES SO SHATTERED. AND IT WASN'T A TYPICAL CANNED ENDING,BUT ONE SO SAD,BUT ALSO SO HOPEFUL.... MICHELLE, KEEP WRITING. YOU HAVE A RARE TALENT...

5 comments about The Alexandria Link.

1. Waaaaaaaaaaay too much description of the setting! Seriously, 1/3rd of this book could be eliminated, chalked up as irrelevant. The storyline itself, though, was really good. A completely enjoyable plot, once you get through being dragged through an architectural tour of a ton of different historical sites.



2. I got this book for free when I went to a free screening of Sweeney Todd which was sponsored by The New York Times. The book was not bad but I felt like I was watching National treasure. The beginning of each chapter was really frustrating because I was always, "wait who are these people again". The story was poorly organized the author could have added some clever conversations. The dialogue was so stiff.



3. With the phenomenal success of the Da Vinci Code, it is no surprise that more novels of such genre surface the market. I bought this book expected to find some aspects of the Alexandria Library history, as I learnt about Da Vinci's work from the Code. To my disappointment, nothing of such nature is found here. The name Alexandria Library is mentioned only as the reference point as the origin of the Link. No other history trial is covered. The majority of the book is dedicated to the hunt of such "treasure." The most boring part for me is when they are trying to decipher the clues, the way it was portrayed in the Code, but this time only ten percent as good. I stopped reading it after having covered about 3/4 of the book, didn't want to waste my time further.



4. Steve Berry delivers another globe-hopping thriller with retired US operative Cotton Malone attempting to live a quiet life running a bookshop in Copenhagen. Retirement comes to an abrupt halt when he escapes the assassins who burn down his bookshop and tell him they have kidnapped his son. Cotton is forced to join forces with his acerbic ex-wife Pam when it seems assassins may be on her tail, as well. They get their son back, but then they find themselves caught between ancient organizations: the Guardians of the Library at Alexandria, pledged to keep its secrets safe, and the Order of the Golden Fleece, a ruthless sect of the powerful who meet in secret and who have vowed to claim the Library for themselves. Accompanying Cotton and Pam is the Order's pet assassin, who has a few plans of his own regarding the library.
   
   At the same time, treachery is afoot in the US government with the president, vice president, secretary of state, and the heads of several security departments all mistrusting each other as a web of secrets and lies is unraveled. Some find this kind of thriller gripping. Unfortunately, I find it a bit tiresome, and in this book, everything that was happening inside the government was not essential to the main plot of Cotton Malone following a quest to the lost Library of Alexandria. This is also the third Steve Berry book I've read starring an idiotic and unlikeable female lead. When Pam Malone, yet again acting stubborn and stupid, gets herself shot, I found myself wishing they'd put her down then and there. This author obviously has some issues with women. The author also seems way out of touch with children. Gary Malone was supposed to be 15 but came across as a 10-year-old in size, maturity, vocabulary, and deed.
   
   I think they're a dime a dozen, but thrillers involving clueless protagonists doing a lot of chasing around the globe while unaware of the web of lies surrounding them as they follow a trail of clues in close proximity to the know-it-all bad guys are pretty popular. Some such books are sometimes a thrill to read, but often they miss the mark and fail to grab my interest. Since this book also contained one of my least favorite plot devices of all the characters knowing something that was kept from me until the very end, it failed to grab my interest.



5. What a waste of time and money! Either Mr. Berry has a poor research team or he is so set against Jews and the Jewish State that he has all facts upside down. Writers like him are dangerous! Under the pretense of presenting historical facts, he throws at uninformed readers grossly inaccurate stories that may become "documented facts" because Mr. Barry - the successful writer, said so. The British did not help the Jews have a state. On the contrary, in 1948 they stopped Jews who returned from concentration camps get to Israel. Jews did not create the Palestinian refugee problem - they had a choice to stay or go. Their brethern in all the surrounding Arab states incited them to run because "the Jews would kill them." No, Mr. Berry cannot be that ignorant - just ill-intended and a shameless liar.

5 comments about The Blade Itself: A Novel.

1. As an avid fantasy reader I am sick to death with some same old fantasy novels that all seem to go down the same line, however this book is different. The characters are some of the best developed in fantasy They are not 2 dimensional like a lot of books that I have read and there is not one character that is the normal hero of fantasy. Every character is deeply flawed in one way or another given them depth and making them appear real. In most fantasy books the plot depends on good vs. evil, however in this book the boundaries between these are blurred, there are things you hate about every character but there are also things you love about them. This again moves from the norm of fantasy books. Its hilariously funny at times and at others cruel and cynical. It's nice to read something new and refreshing, so I recommend this to anyone who is bored with the same old stories and anyone else who likes a good book.



2. This book had all the ingredients but no depth. It had a plot, characters, a beginning, middle and end but there was nothing to hold you or involve you. I know this is not much of a review but it is typical of the book..it is not quite right and not quite wrong.



3. This was a fun, fast read, but nothing spectacular. I recommend Joseph Finder for off-beat intrigue!



4. I picked up this book after having heard the Ben Affleck was going to be making this into a movie. I read through all the reviews and was excited to read it. Boy was I wrong! This book was way predictable, the plot lacking and you could care less for the characters. It didn't hold my attentions and it took me a couple of weeks to finish. I only finish it to see if the ending was what I thought it would be and what do I know it, I saw it coming from a mile away. I was disappoint and hope they reconsider about making the movie.



5. It was an entertaining read, no question about it. Seemed Elmore Leonard influenced. Perhaps the ending was a little tidy, and there was another scene or two that seemed a little pat, but I appreciate a book that can keep me glued to it and after mid-way I pretty much was. Not that the beginning was hard getting through either. This book moves quick. I like sit-coms and fast food for the same reason. There's obviously an art to this kind of writing and maybe it's not great literature, but for killing a train ride or two, this one won't let you down.

5 comments about Gone.

1. This is my first of Gardner's books featuring Quincy and Rainie, but enough background is given that I'm not left in the dark.
   I haven't finished the book yet, but I have one thing I find hard to swallow. How does a cloth blindfold get tied around one's head so tight it can't be pushed up or pulled down by your own hands bound in front of you? Try it I bet you can pull it from your eyes every time. Other than that the other complaints I have are minor.
   But it seems the old story of so many law enforcement swarming all over the place that no one can figure anything out. But then this is just day 1.



2. Enjoyable read but the plot is a bit contrived and messy. I'd still suggest it if you are a loyal Lisa Gardner fan.



3. It was an easy reading book, very light subjects. I prefer a more involved mystery but it was nice summer reading. Worth buying



4. This is my first Lisa Gardner book and I won't hesitate to pick up another one from her. I finished the book last night (or this morning at 1:00) as I couldn't put it down. I was so intent on seeing if I had correctly guessed whodunit (I was right) that I stayed up to finish it. I read some of the other reviews before posting mine and as I said this is my first book to read from Lisa so I wasn't able to compare to anything else.
   That said, this was a great and entertaining read. One other reviewer noted how strong the female characters were and I have to agree. Rainie may have been kidnapped but she didn't give up and hang her head (as other females are often written). The plot did contain one too many twists but that is okay because it almost made me change my suspect which is always interesting. I think this had enough suspense, mystery, and drama to keep the reader engaged. I can't wait to read another one of Lisa's books.



5. Another winner by Lisa Gardner. I was first introduced to the works of this author about 3 years ago. What a great imagination! I love her books and recently purchased her latest. If you love murder mysteries with a little romance, this is the series for you.