Novels Now

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

A Ruth Galloway Mystery #2

Pages: 335 pages
First Published: Mar. 2, 2010 CAN (Aug 10, 2010 USA)
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

A light breeze runs through the long grass at the top of the hill.

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Summary: A Victorian home is being pulled down to make way for a luxury apartment building but is stopped due to the finding of Roman remains. As archaeologists work they find a headless skeleton of a child under the doorstep of the home and forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway is called in for her expertise by DCI Harry Nelson. The house was last used as a Catholic children’s home and that sends the investigation in a direction that will not easily bring answers. At the same time someone is literally trying to scare Ruth to death and when that doesn’t work perhaps they’ll have to get up close and personal to finish off the job.

Comments: I love this series! This book is even better the first, The Crossing Places. This was a fast, page-turner that I read very quickly; I just couldn’t put it down. Not only are there several possible suspects there are a few possible choices for the identity of the victim! I only just managed to stay a few pages ahead of each reveal but the final solution is one that you could not possibly see coming from the beginning.

Both Ruth and Harry are back the same as we remembered them from book one, only Ruth is less self-conscious but still her same outspoken, hard-headed, overweight, unfashionable self. For me personally, she is a character I could like ( I want to like) only I have great issues with her moral conduct and Harry’s as well, though both of their personal lives take new directions and this is being addressed. I am eager to see where they are each headed personally in the next book. Since the personal life is integral in these books I do recommend reading them in order.

I also was quite taken with the Catholic part of the story. Of course, starting with the investigation into a children’s home the usual preconceived prejudices are rampant and several characters are anti-Catholic. But once a retired Sister and Father are introduced as characters the journey of these characters and the Catholic part of the plot which leads to the eventual reconciliation of one of the characters is very satisfying.

Elly Griffiths, pseudonym of Domenica de Rosa, has created a wonderful mystery that is going to appeal to a lot of people. There is plenty of action and forensic detail for thriller fans and yet no gory bits for more cozy mystery fans. The plot has many layers, is quite intricate as it twists and turns upon itself and is a ton of fun to read. I’m glad to have started this series at the beginning and can’t wait for the next Ruth Galloway Mystery!

Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

Pages: 368 +reader’s guide material
First Published: Jan. 12, 2010
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Salazar Sanso raised his binoculars and looked out over the edge of the steep drop into the rosy New Mexican desert.

Reason for Reading: I’ve become a fan of Dekker’s new mainstream thrillers and wanted to try one of his books from a Christian publisher.

Summary: Janeal lives in a Gypsy community but is not altogether accepted. Her father is the leader but she is half white. She has always felt the need to leave, do her own thing and knew that one day she would. Then Salazar Sanso, a powerful and dangerous man, comes to her with a way to help her father get out of a terrible life/death “business” deal and offers her a life of everything she’s dreamed. Janeal has her own life and death choices and consequences to deal with, that leave few of her Gypsy community alive.

Comments: My summery is quite brief, I think the publisher’s jacket summary gives away too much information and I hate knowing something that happens halfway through the book so I’ve tried to keep the mystery remaining in my own summary.

I loved this book! It was a fantastic read. The plotting of the book was superb. Part One takes place when the characters are teenagers and is itself a complete story. Then Part Two picks up fifteen years later and slowly reveals who is left and what is happening now. Then at a certain point we are hit with an absolutely shocking and surreal twist. From that point on it is a fast paced roller coaster ride to the end.

The characters are great. Janeal, the main character, is the one the reader most feels for, though she isn’t necessarily someone you will like. She is shown from both sides of her personality, the teenager she used to be and the adult she has become. The book is very well written and while the Parts are quite distinct from each other and the pace goes from slow to fast, it never drags, and it always holds together seamlessly. The shocker was cleverly placed and became a “Holy Wow!” moment for the book, totally shaking things up and moving the book to another level. I really, really enjoyed the plot, the suspense and the thrill of this book.

To speak of the Christian Fiction aspect of this book, I think it’s a long shot to be labeled with that genre. The book is clean (ie. no swearing, so s*x). There is one Christian character who is quietly so and could be found in any mainstream book. The real CF part of this book comes, if one looks at it that way, from the theme, which does have a character announcing Biblical prophecy to set it up. I don’t want to give anything away so this is a bit difficult to go into. However, I did not buy the Christian theme, it did not correspond with my beliefs, it may with yours, but I felt it could just as easily be interpreted as a supernatural (a la Stephen King) theme.

This all leads to say that it doesn’t matter, didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book and don’t be afraid to pick up the book because it’s by a Christian publisher. Christians and non alike who enjoy a good suspense story with a bit of the unexplained thrown in for good measure are sure to enjoy. I surely did!

Twisted by Andrea Kane
Sloane Burbank, book 1

Pages: 376 pgs.
First Published: Mar. 2008
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

She was a true warrior.

Reason for Reading: Honestly, the cover put me off this for some reason. So it has taken me a while to get around to reading it.

Summary: Sloane Burbank is a former FBI agent who was injured in the line of duty and instead of taking a desk job decided to leave the Bureau until her therapy made her fit for active duty once more. In the meantime she is working as a private consultant for corporations and the police. She is contacted by the family of a childhood friend as a last resort that their daughter has been missing for close to a year and hired to look into the case for them. This one missing person case takes her into a series of related missing women cases, all having even the remotest link to herself, leading officials to believe Sloane is the ultimate target. At the same time the FBI agent in charge is involved in a case of a series of brutal prostitute murders down in Chinatown which may somehow be related to the missing women.

Comment: Wow! This was a stunner! I wish I hadn’t waited so long to read this as I would have read the sequel by now too. Two things initially put me off, the cover and the description on the back as a “romantic thriller”. I’m not a romance reader and the word had me thinking this might be a bit of fluff, but boy was I wrong!

A very creepy, unusual serial killer is the focus of this book which shifts focus occasionally to the criminal’s first hand point of view and then back to the third person narrative of the main plot. This person is very freaky and the whole story of motive that the author has created is very unique and fantastic. I quickly had my eye on a suspect and played into the author’s hands all along as I followed her red herrings and was joyfully surprised how wrong I was at the reveal.

Usually, in these thrillers with male/female partners we have s*xual tension or a relationship going on, but the ‘romance’ writer in the author comes out in this area of the book and there is quite a bit of descriptive s*x in the book that I would rather have done without. Some people would consider it quite graphic, though in the whole realm of what I’ve read I’d say it gets very close without quite getting to full fledged graphic. For this reason I can’t give the book a full rating. I’ve read a lot of thrillers and this type of ‘romance=sex’ doesn’t sit right with me. Save it for the paranormal romances, I say.

Otherwise, Ms Kane has crafted a taut, unique and very satisfying page turner of a thriller. I will be reading the sequel soon.

The Levee by Malcolm Shuman

Pages: 211
First Published: Nov. 2008
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

When I was fifteen we used to drive down to the levee to camp.

Reason for Reading: The publisher’s plot synopsis grabbed me right away and being a mystery fan I just had to read this one.

Summary: Colin, now in his sixties, is haunted by dreams of a past event that happened when he was 15 and he can’t remember which of his dreams/memories are really accurate or just from a vivid imagination. He has become the author of True Crime books and just finished a particularly harrowing one where the murderer invited him to interview him on condition he watch his execution. This sends Colin back to his hometown of Baton Rouge to unravel the truth about the night that the Spanish teacher was killed in the cemetery while they were camping near by and Colin and the other boys each knew a little more than they ever told the police, or each other.

Comments: This rather unimposing book, just over 200 pages with a fairly dull cover is hiding a terrific mystery within its pages. Likened on the back to Stephen King’s The Body (Stand By Me) it does capture the same nostalgia of a man looking back at a pivotal moment from his 1950s childhood, a day that changed the boys’ lives forever and the day the innocence of a child left them all.

The book wanders back and forth, often within the same chapter, from the adult Colin’s quest and seeking into his past as he finds only one friend left still living in the hometown to young Collin’s re-telling of the days surrounding the murder. The whole book is told in the first person, there are little breaks between time shifts and I found it flowed nicely. The majority of the book is spent in the past with little forays into Colin’s present until the story nears the end and the final reveal is given.

The quality of the mystery is superb. I didn’t find myself trying to guess the culprit as everyone in the book was doing that, seemingly leaving no person beyond suspicion. When the reveal comes, it is totally out of the blue and unexpected but I wasn’t shocked. It fit so naturally. It was an “Ahaaa” moment. Shuman pulls this off very cleverly and there is nothing I love more than a clever mystery writer. The back of my book tells my Mr. Shuman has written 14 mysteries to date, but a quick look at amazon shows that they mostly seem to be out-of-print. I must track down another of his books through the library system to see if his other work is as clever as this one.

BoneMan’s Daughters by Ted Dekker

Pages: 401 pgs.
First Published: Apr. 14, 2009
Genre: thriller, christian fiction?
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

The day that Ryan Evans’ world forever changed began as any other day he’d spent in the hot desert might have done.

Reason for Reading: The publisher’s description of this serial killer thriller was right up my alley.

Summary: The BoneMan kidnapped and brutally murdered six girl’s by breaking every single bone in their body. He was arrested and sent to prison but there was always a feeling by some that the wrong man had been convicted. Two years later on a technicality the prisoner is released and at the same time Ryan Evans, Intelligence Officer, returns home from a gruelling POW capture in the desert. The murder’s start again and when Ryan’s own estranged daughter is kidnapped the FBI start seeing all evidence pointing towards Ryan himself but Ryan has received a message from the real BoneMan and Ryan must do what he says to save his daughter’s life.

Comments: All I can say is wow, wow, WOW! An amazing serial killer thriller. I loved it! A page-turner with gruesome details that never quite goes over into goriness used by some other authors. The back of the book tells me this is Ted Dekker’s 23rd book and I ask myself “Why am I only reading him now?” In fact, I’d never heard of him before this book came out. I feel like I’ve just discovered a treasure chest, if Dekker’s other work is anywhere near as engrossing as this one is I’ve got a lot of reading ahead of me!

The story is fast-paced and never lets up, some of the scenes are a little beyond believability but I chalked it up to an Intelligence Officer being overly intelligent and perhaps overly lucky. There’s no sense picking apart a thriller like this when you are on a wild ride of tension. Ryan’s character is fully fleshed out and we come to understand and feel for him. The secondary characters are less realized though they do not play emotionally integral parts to the plot. The bad guy is bad, pure evil, and this is one thing I particularly like in thrillers. There are no grey areas as to who is evil. The fight of good vs evil is very clear, as in a Dean Koontz novel.

And mentioning Dean Koontz, I’d like to comment on the Christian Fiction aspect of this novel. Never having read anything else by Dekker I can’t comment on him yet, as an author, but on this book alone, if that tag bothers you, don’t let it. Likening this book to Christian Fiction would be the same as likening Dean Koontz to Catholic Fiction. (Koontz is Catholic and his books contain many Catholic themes, if you know to look for them) There is a Biblical theme behind the killer’s motive (very common in thrillers) and the main character believes in God, thus there are some Christian elements/quotes in the story. Of course, I am a Christian and none of this stood out to me but I had no idea I was reading Christian Fiction until I looked up the amazon link and saw all the CF tags and checked out his other books and found that he was a popular CF author!

A fabulous book, thriller readers should not miss out on this one, and you can be sure you will be seeing more Ted Dekker reviews from me in the future.

The Private Patient by P.D. James
Adam Dalgliesh Mystery, Book 14

Pages: 395 pgs.
First Published: Nov. 18, 2008,
Genre: mystery, British police procedural
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

On November the 21st, the day of her forty-seventh birthday, and three weeks and two days before she was murdered, Rhoda Gradwyn went to Harley Street to keep a first appointment with her plastic surgeon, and there in a consulting room designed, so it appeared, to inspire confidence and allay apprehension, made the decision which would lead inexorably to her death.

Reason for Reading: I’m a fan of P.D. James.

Summary: Rhoda Gradwyn goes to an exclusive manor, which houses a plastic surgery and recuperation facility, out in the English countryside to have a large scar on her face removed, one she has had since childhood. The morning after the operation she is found strangled to death in her bed. Being only one of two patients, a nurse, an assistant doctor, a small household staff, and a couple of on property live-ins the suspect list is limited. Adam Dalgliesh is called along with his partner Kate to solve the death of this famous investigative journalist.

Comments: It has been a while since I’ve settled down with Adam Dalgliesh and what a delight it was! James continues to write the quintessential British mystery, taking place in a house full of people where one them must be the murderer, and she both keeps the old-fashioned air to it while at the same time keeping it modern. There are many times when one really has no awareness of the time period, old stone cottages, an old manor way out in the country, bicycling instead of using the car, with nothing intrinsically modern standing out and yet we know the time is the present as people simply answer their cell phones, go to print something off the computer, speak of DNA, etc.

James takes time to build her story, the first 100 pages or so are about the murder victim’s life leading up to her murder. Adam Dalgliesh is a thinking man. He and his officer’s ask questions, take statements and at the end of the day get together and piece together what they’ve got so far over coffee or wine. You won’t find the hero running through the woods trying to capture the killer in this book. No, you’ll find yourself baffled with the explanations, trying to figure out ‘whodunit’. Then a second murder happens and suddenly all your theories are thrown out the window but AD doesn’t seem fazed. He picks up the pieces and starts putting them back together.

A very enjoyable mystery. I was shocked in the middle but by the time the reveal came at the end I’d figured it out too, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment. I really enjoy reading gruesome serial killer mysteries but sometimes there is nothing like sitting down with a master mystery writer such as P.D. James and experiencing not just a brilliantly crafted mystery but an intelligent one as well, written with James’ wonderful command of the English language. I found myself reading sentences twice just because I like the way they are written. A very good book, but not for those who expect a quick, wild plot. The Private Patient is more for those who like to figure out an intriguing puzzle while getting to know an assortment of eccentric characters.

The Taken by Inger Ash Wolfe
Hazel Micallef Mystery (Book 2)

Pages: 415pgs.
First Published: Oct. 27, 2009 (Canada), Jul. 15, 2010 (US)
Genre: mystery, crime
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

What always broke his heart was the way they dressed themselves.

Reason for Reading: Next in series.

Summary: Reports of a body found at the edge of a nearby lake have Detective Inspector Micallef and her sidekick DC Wingate investigating. What appears to be an apparent drowning is by no means a mere murder but only the beginning of a twisted game being played out by a psycho. The drowning seems familiar and is found detail for detail in the last issue of the local paper’s summer serial story. When the next installment is printed the police begin a frantic investigation to save the life of a kidnap victim before he is killed or not enough of him is left to be rescued.

Comments: This second book by Wolfe was even better than the first. A very unique murder mystery case unlike any I’ve read before kept me riveted to the book. The gruesome factor is enough to make the squeamish squirm and keep the interest of hardened thriller readers as myself. A well-paced story with a mystery that kept me guessing to the end and I really enjoyed the read. The book also focuses on Hazel’s personal life and progresses her character forward to a more likeable one than in The Calling, yet I still just do not find her someone I particularly like. I think there are also moments within the story when one must suspend reality a tad. I suppose that is inevitable with most crime thrillers, to a point, but this just stands out for me with a 62 year old woman taking on so much action. Ultimately, though, the plot is unique, the case is quirky and The Taken is a compelling read. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what case Hazel must solve in her next book.

The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe
Hazel Micallef Mystery, book 1

Pages: 419 pgs.
First Published: Mar. 4, 2008
Genre: crime, thriller
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

He was precisely on time.

Reason for Reading: My sister brought the book to my attention and I saw that Mo Hayder had put a blurb on it so I definitely was intrigued by this new author.
Summary: Inspector Hazel Micallef is the acting chief of police at a small Ontario town. At 61 years of age daily life for Hazel and this police force involves drunks, trespassing, speeding and maybe the occasional domestic dispute. That is until an elderly town citizen dying of cancer is brutally murdered and drained of all her blood. Investigating the murder Hazel and her force stumble upon a similar case in a small town not so far away and believe they have stumbled upon the trail of a serial killer who has been working his way across Canada. Can they find him before he reaches the Atlantic?

Comments: A fabulous new crime writer for me to follow! Inger Ash Wolfe is actually a pseudonym for Russell Smith, an already published Canadian author. While Smith’s own books don’t hold any appeal for me to read, The Calling is a fantastic addition to the serial killer genre. Very well-written with a creepiness that just oozes from it’s pages. The gruesome factor nowhere matches Mo Hayder but it has enough, written with style to satisfy fans looking for hard edge mysteries. It was mostly the plot and the mystery that kept this book alive for me though as I couldn’t quite find myself comfortable with the main characters. Hazel is the central figure with a few of her police officers taking secondary character roles. Nobody was particularly likable to me; they all just rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps this may be unique to this particular reader. Yet I find it hard to 100% enjoy a book when I don’t like any of the main characters. There was one guy who I started to like by the end of the book but it is left up in the air as to whether he will be returning. I guess I’ll find out in The Taken. I’ll certainly be continuing with this series. The plot and the crime are so very unique that I’m eager to find what else Wolfe will come up with and I’m hoping that with another book I’ll find a regular character that grows on me. A definite not-to-be-missed book for serial killer crime fans.

To-Do List:

1. Take Laurie to her one-month wellness appointment.
2. Visit Galigani in the hospital, find out what happened to him.
3. Find George.
4. Interview Kiku (bring own water!).
5. Call Winter Henderson re: hippie chick alibi.
6. Read the parenting book from library.
7. Find the parenting book from library.
8. Oh yeah, diet, exercise, clean car, be good mom/wife, cook clean, and all that jazz. - from Bundle of Trouble, page 124 -

Kate Connolly is on leave from her job because she has just given birth to her baby daughter, Laurie. But her maternity leave quickly becomes complicated following a call from the San Francisco medical examiner’s office investigating a dead body found floating in the Bay. When Kate discovers the dead man is the husband of a high school friend, and then that friend turns up dead, she becomes immersed in the case. Kate does not let the lack of formal training as a private investigator deter her…and with baby in hand, she pieces together the clues to solve the case…and remove her own husband from the suspect list.

Bundle of Trouble is Diana Orgain’s first mystery novel…which I would classify as “cozy.” Lighthearted and a bit predictable, the story makes for a quick read. It veers down a different path from most books in this genre because of its protagonist Kate…whose first role is as new mother, and who gives a new meaning to multi-tasking.

Orgain writes firmly in Kate’s point of view, my only quibble was her use of questions as internal dialogue which wore on me after awhile. Although Orgain’s protagonist is certainly likable, I had a hard time relating to Kate having no children of my own – not a fault of the author, but something to consider in terms of the target audience for this book. Bundle of Trouble was a bit cutesy for me – but in fairness to the author, it is not supposed to be deep literary fiction, and I will admit to not always loving books from this genre.

Despite these minor flaws, Orgain has created an entertaining and comical debut novel which cozy-mystery lovers will enjoy. Penguin will be publishing more of Orgain’s Kate Connolly mysteries…in fact, the next book in the series (Motherhood Is Murder) will be available in the Spring of 2010.  The Maternal Instincts Mystery Series juxtaposes child development with Kate Connolly’s development as a P.I.  Bundle of Trouble represents the first six weeks of baby development; Book Two represents month two, etc… Read more at the author’s website.

“So cold,” he murmured. “Once she was warm and breathing.”

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Pages: 349
First Published: May 5, 2009, paperback May 4, 2010
Genre: thriller, mystery
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ.

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs
Temperance Brennan, Book 12

Pages: 308
First Published: Aug. 25, 2009
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

Cold.

Reason for Reading: I read every new Kathy Reichs book.
Comments: Tempe wakes up to realize that she is tied up and trapped within a small brick structure within complete darkness. Chapters alternate between her present situation and some relative distant past and a case she’s been working where the skeletal remains of an elderly woman are recovered and linked to 2 other violent deaths of elderly women and 1 current missing persons case that fits the same descriptors. Tempe is also experiencing difficulties at work in the Quebec office with a new staff member added to the crew and each other person in a gloomy mood; then she receives a nasty note and confirms someone has tried to discredit her recently. Tempe works this second personal case to get the guy who’s after her reputation behind the scenes while working on the ‘grannies’ case.

This was a great entry in the series. I spent my holiday Monday basically doing nothing but reading the book and read it in a day. (Well I read a bit the night before in bed, too) A very exciting, compelling read. The elderly woman case was a good one and different but I did find that the book lacked Reichs’ usual flare for the gruesome details. I absolutely loved the switching back to a trapped Tempe, her memory is all hazy and she can’t remember the immediate past, so the reader also has no idea how she ended up this way. These bits where she mentally tries to survive and talk herself into physically surviving and trying to escape were really my favourite parts of the book.

While the mystery centres around the main case of the elderly women there are also a few side stories and mysteries going on as well. And while the main case proves to be a solid mystery, one of the other mysteries that ran the whole book was rather transparent and very easy to figure out from the beginning. I was quite surprised with that. Reichs usually holds up very solid mysteries. I wish she had advanced Brennan’s personal life a little further in this book but instead she kept the Tempe/Ryan relationship pretty much business only and briefly let us see into where her thoughts were with anything further, we are fully aware of where Ryan stands on the issue. The book does end on a note that lets the reader know which direction the relationship will certainly go in the next book, though.

On a final note, fans will devour this one and not be disappointed. It’s a solid, all-nighter read and will keep us waiting for the next book.

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay

Pages: 399
First Published: Aug. 11, 2009
Genre: mystery, suspense
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

The morning of the day I lost her, my daughter asked me to scramble her some eggs.

Reason for Reading: Last year I read and enjoyed Barclay’s Too Close to Home so much I just had to read his newest book.

Comments: One day Tim Blake’s 17yo daughter Syd goes off to work her summer job as per usual but she doesn’t come home. Since they had a spat that morning he gives her some leeway thinking she’s angry and not calling to say she’s working late but once plenty of time has gone by he drops by the hotel she’s been working at all summer to find out that they’ve never heard of her, she hasn’t worked there at all. And thus begins the worst journey of Tim’s life as he searches for his missing duahter finding out about a dark and dangerous world he’d never known existed and also finding out that the police are not always on your side.

Wonderful book. First, a very different type of story than Too Close to Home, which is closer to my usual murder mystery genre. This one would be classified more as a suspense and I could very much see it as a being made into a movie. The plot isn’t exactly fast-paced as it is pretty much one theme all along, the search for Sydney, or rather the chase. However, there is so much action happening all the time that the book does move along at a fast past. The twists and turns and reveals that are thrown regularly at the reader at any point in the story keeps the suspense and tension high, as one doesn’t know what is going to happen next or who is not really whom they seem to be. From the two books I’ve read, I’m seeing this as Barclay’s forte as an author. I look forward to reading more of his books.

I enjoy Barclay’s writing. He keeps a tight, taut thriller with plenty of possible chances for the reader to figure it out but with all the twists from start to finish you’ll be lucky to completely solve the intricate plot on your own. I had my eye on a suspect from the beginning but what they were guilty of I hadn’t a clue, I was right in the end, but not very proud of simply picking out a guilty person. The only thing I’m not pleased with is the ending. The mystery plot itself is wrapped up nicely but it ends with the characters and it’s a “what the?” ending. It’s very abrupt and seeing as where the characters’ plot was going, disappointing. Not a nice note, for me at least, to end a book on. If you’ve read the book you’ll know what I mean. If you haven’t don’t let that stop you reading the book. Books don’t always have “happily ever after” endings and this one is worth the ride. Looking forward to dipping into Barclay’s backlist and hopefully a new book in the new year (2010)!

Haunted by Barbara Haworth-Attard

Pages: 273
Ages: 14+
First Published: Aug. 18, 2009 (Canada only)
Genre: paranormal, thriller, mystery, magical realism
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

Dee spread feed over the ground, calling, “chick, chick.”

Reason for Reading: I love a good ghost story.

Comments: Set in the Bruce Peninsula area of Ontario at the time that the soldier’s had returned home from WWI, Dee and her Grandmother live in a small cabin at the outskirts of a rural town. Grandmother is the town’s midwife and also the one people come to for “medicines” when they are sick. The town does have a doctor, has for some years and business isn’t what it used to be but some folks still would rather trade goods with Grandmother than pay cash to the doctor. Fourteen year-old Dee has been raised by Grandmother as her own mother ran off with a travelling show when Dee was only a few months old, her father is unknown. Otherwise the only special thing about Dee is that she sees dead people.

Her ‘gift’ which she keeps secret even from her Grandmother tests her endurance when a former friend of hers’ bones are found up on the mountain approximately four years old. Everyone thought she’d run away with a boy at the time and now people are remembering other girls who ‘disappeared’ in the past. It isn’t until a new girl is found dead that a Detective from Toronto is sent for to find this serial killer in their midst.

This is the first book I’ve read by Barbara Haworth-Attard, though she’s written many juvenile and YA novels. I highly enjoyed it. I found the serial killer mystery to be tightly written and fast paced with plenty of clues but not easy to figure out at all. I had it narrowed down to two suspects from the start but wavered between them for a while. I think the intended audience will have a great time with this mystery.

The supernatural element was an added bonus to an already strong straight-forward thriller plot. The spooky ghostly episodes certainly added to the sense of fear surrounding the plot. This brings about a second theme that runs through the book of Dee wondering why she sees these spirits and wonders about her Grandmother’s special gifts and why her mother ran away and has never come back. Overall, a very intricate plot that carries many threads and combines the paranormal with reality with the ease of an accomplished writer.

I enjoyed everything about this book. Dee is a fun character, fully developed, as is her Grandmother who has a hard shell that Dee occasionally cracks and sees underneath. The only thing I found disappointing is the stereotypical use of a mentally challenged character (which appeared to be downs syndrome to me), who was called “retard” by the nastier folks in town. This character is introduced first but as soon as the girl’s bones are found it’s obvious that stereotypically the “retard” is going to come under suspicion of the murders. I expected it from the get go. And indeed the author fell into that trap. It’s typical of the time period but something a little less obvious would have been more original.

Otherwise, I read this book throughout a day, thought it was a brilliant serial killer mystery for this age group and loved the paranormal aspect. Recommended!

The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl

Pages: 386
First Published: mar. 17, 2009 (paperback coming Oct. 6, 2009)
Genre: Historical fiction, mystery, literary thriller
Rating: 3.5/5

First sentence:

Neither of the young mounted policemen fancied these subdivisions of the Bagirhaut province.

Reason for Reading: I’m always interested in Victorian historical fiction plus I’ve read two other books this year that concerned Charles Dickens: ‘Drood’ by Dan Simmons and ‘Wanting’ by Richard Flanagan. Therefore I thought why not add a third to the mix especially since this concentrated on Dickens last novel as did ‘Drood’.

Comments: Dickens has just died leaving his last book “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” only half-finished. But one of the partners of his American publishing house James Osgood is certain he may be able to find clues to Dickens’ intentions for the story’s ending if he travels to England which leads him into a much deeper, darker and dangerous mystery than he had counted on. The book also flashes back a few years to a plot line that follows Dickens’ final book tour of America and the trials and tribulations that accompanied him on that last trip. And finally, the book follows a third less frequent plot line of Frank Dickens, Charles’ son, who is an officer stationed in India. The time period being consistent with the recent death of his father.

This is a much researched and historically accurate tale as far as Dickens and his family and acquaintances go. Many small real life incidents of his life are included which adds authenticity to the period. I found the characters and the setting to be spot on with regards to Victorian attitudes and ambiance. While the book is populated fiercely with a motley crew of characters, two do stand out as the main characters and I found both James and Rebecca to be both truly believable and completely compelling. Rebecca never stepped out of her place as a woman of her times but as a divorced woman working as a bookkeeper she took no nonsense from anyone as regards her sex. I loved her stinging, yet witty remarks, that kept her completely within her confines as a Victorian woman.

The plot follows many clues and red herrings sending James and (sometimes) Rebecca all over London’s shadier sides and to the East End and finally to the dregs of opium dens and thieves quarters. While certainly an interesting read that did keep me reading, I found the pacing slow. It was a book I could put down and not be in a hurry to pick up again. Not because I wasn’t liking it but just that it didn’t have that certain intensity to it. The ending does increase in pace and there is a typical high energy rush in the final chapters as the mystery is solved, which is all rather cleverly done on the author’s part.

One thing I did find fascinating was the description of the the cut-throat world of American publishing at the time. The underhanded dealings, the nefarious goings on, the blatant disregard for international copyright, and in particular the way in which the Harper Brothers were portrayed. If the beginnings of Harper & Bros. and the characters of the brothers themselves have been portrayed realistically here an historical fiction on their family would be an amazing read.

This book would be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys a good literary mystery but I also think it will satisfy all the people who did not like ‘Drood’ by Dan Simmons very much because of the supernatural elements. Now I loved that other book, but for those of you who didn’t, I think you’ll love ‘The Last Dickens’ more than I did.

Free Agent by Jeremy Duns
Paul Dark Trilogy, Book One

Pages: 338
First Published: June 23, 2009
Genre: espionage, thriller, historical fiction
Rating: 4.5/5

First sentence:

As I edged the car onto the gravel, the front door of the house swung open and Chief’s steely grey eyes stared down at me.

Reason for Reading: I don’t typically read modern spy novels as I’m not interested in today’s political climate. However, I used to be quite addicted to them in the eighties when I read the likes of James Bond, Robert Ludlum and Gorky Park. When I read the synopsis that this was set in the middle of the Cold War, the plot really intrigued me.

Comments: Paul Dark is an MI6 agent, has been since World War II and still is now in 1969. Since the War, the various British agencies have found KGB double agents within its ranks and every now and then another one comes to light but it’s been years now since they’ve uncovered any. Now a Russian wants to defect and he says he has information on a British double agent who has been working for the KGB since WWII, that’s 24 years of leaking information to the other side! MI6 wants to know who this agent is and Paul finds himself one of the agents whose been around that long and thus, falling under suspicion. Paul starts to find out that his whole life is starting to unravel and as he becomes cornered he decides to fight back.

Set first in London, then quickly moving to Nigeria amidst the fighting of the Civil War in 1969, this is a fast-paced, exciting and shocking thriller. Filled with just the right amount of historical and political information to make the reader knowledgeable without *ever* going overboard into boredom territory. The book has obviously been heavily researched. After reading the final paragraphs of Chapter One it is impossible not to be completely hooked on this book. In fact, I dare you to read *just* the first chapter. With so many twists and turns in the plot one never really knows who the bad guy(s) is or are. Paul knows more than the reader does so we are often shocked rather nonchalantly by a sudden action of the main character. But there are also many secrets that Paul is not aware of and those reveals are brilliantly crafted by the author. This book will keep you guessing right up to the last page where the ending is not what you think it’s going to be.

Paul Dark’s character is well written. He’s one of these ambiguous sorts who is not really a likable character, he can be downright nasty and cold hearted at times, but the author has made him human and Paul grows on you and by the end of the book I actually liked the guy, well as much as you can like that type. Secondary characters were hit and miss. Some really stood out whether they lasted one chapter or several, such as a female journalist and Chief. While others seemed rather two dimensional, Paul’s superiors, and others were rather stereotypical, the lazy, drinking, fat, colonial office head just putting in his time. But whether the characters were fully fleshed or not I will say they were all very colourful.

A very satisfying read. A cleverly crafted thriller. I will definitely be reading the next two in the trilogy. I’ve also been reminded how much I enjoy reading Cold War spy novels and will have to make sure I read one every now and then.

I was like a man, shovel in hand, finding himself standing in a freshly dug grave but with no memory of having dug it. I stayed there because at least if you’ve hit bottom you had no farther to fall. - from The Long Fall -

Leonid McGill is a man of contradictions. He has spent much of his life working for criminals as a Private Investigator, immersing himself in the dangerous world of organized crime. But he has a conscience and now wants to live a different life – one where people don’t get killed just because he can locate them. He’s an ex-boxer who appreciates fine art. He’s a no-nonsense, tough guy with a soft spot for his teenage son and a commitment to a marriage that doesn’t work. Sardonic, oddly sensitive, and matter-of-fact, it is Leonid McGill who narrates Walter Mosley’s newest novel The Long Fall.

It becomes clear from the early pages of The Long Fall that McGill has his hands full with his marriage, his errant kids, and a new job which ends up being a little different than he expected.

I still had a family that looked to me for their sustenance. My wife didn’t love me and the two out of three grown and nearly grown children were not of my blood. But none of that mattered. I had a a job to do, and more than one debt to pay. – from The Long Fall -

Mosley writes in a direct way, revealing his protagonist as a man who although willing to do what it takes to get the job done, also struggles with the choices in his life and realizes he must eventually face his demons. I did not love Leonid McGill, but he eventually grew on me. There are few characters in the book who resonated with me – McGill’s children are a mess, his landlady (who wants to be his lover) is superficially drawn, his wife is pathetic, the men who McGill “works” with are cold-blooded killers for the most part, and even his friends are not people with whom I would enjoy an evening. Because of this, I struggled a bit with this novel. I admit, I want to love the characters I spend my time with…and most of Mosley’s characters seem to have been scrapped up from the worst dregs of society.

Despite this flaw (for me) in the novel, the plot itself is interesting enough. Written like a hard-boiled type mystery, Mosley lays out a mess of a plot, and then gradually untangles it. The narrative style – conversational, direct, rapid-fire – works for the novel. The book reminds me of those old 1940s movies which start out with a guy, feet up on the desk and a curl of cigarette smoke wafting to the ceiling, talking about one dark and lonely night.

The Long Fall is the first in a planned series of mysteries featuring McGill so readers who want more will get their wish. Mystery readers who like their books hard-boiled and who want a flawed character who eventually redeems himself, will enjoy The Long Fall.

The trajectory of any life, laid out across a table, reduced to jottings in a pad, would no doubt seem both damning and inane, our imperfections difficult to justify despite our best intentions. - from Best Intentions, page 302 -

Lisa Barkley seems to have it all – two beautiful daughters with enough money to afford private school for them, a handsome husband who is a journalist, and a prestigious job. But, beneath the seemingly perfect veneer are cracks. When Lisa listens to a voice mail on her husband Sam’s cell phone, she hears a woman’s whispered voice arranging a meeting. Lisa’s suspicions grow when inconsistencies appear in Sam’s itinerary for a story he is working on, and very quickly half-truths and omissions begin to add up to a certainty that Sam is having an affair. To make matters more complicated, Lisa begins to worry about losing her job; her best friend Deidre seems to be embroiled in a dangerous liason with a photographer; and Jack, an old friend from college and Deidre’s ex-boyfriend, arrives in New York to celebrate his 40th birthday with Lisa, Sam and Deidre. Doubts, betrayal, unspoken desire, and secrets come together to ignite the unthinkable, leaving everything changed.

“Do you know the most boring thing in the world to photograph?” Ben asks as he looks over my shoulder.

I shake my head.

“Perfection.”

“What is the most interesting?”

“Duplicity,” he says. “To catch someone in the lie and lay it bare. To expose the difference between who people present themselves as and who they really are. That’s the moment you wait for. The tricky thing is that you don’t always know if you’ve captured it until you see the film.”

“Everyone has a face they present to the world. That doesn’t make them a liar.”

“Maybe not,”  Ben replies. “But it is a very thin line.” – from Best Intentions, page 199 -

Emily Listfield’s novel Best Intentions is classified as a mystery – and indeed, there is a murder and several suspects – but, at its core, the book is about relationships and how those relationships may be altered by misconception and half-truths. It is also about the secrets people keep from each other, the desires they hide, and the lies they tell – especially to those closest to them.

Suspicion crackles and pulls, nags and infiltrates, it coils around your brain, distorting your perceptions, it is the smoke you see everything through that refuses to lift. But a lie, hard and indisputable, freezes in your lungs, its ice spreading through your pores, chilling every synapse; a lie once discovered paralyzes you. – from Best Intentions, page 73 -

Listfield builds her story slowly. Narrated in the first person from Lisa’s point of view, the reader gains a deep understanding of Lisa’s fears and insecurities. This limited viewpoint works to build suspense as Lisa begins to doubt not only her marriage and relationship with her best friend, but also when she begins to uncover dark facts about her co-workers and clients.

Readers who are looking for pure mystery will be disappointed in Listfield’s book – not because it is not well written (it is), and not for lack of suspects (there are plenty)…but because the pace is slower than most mysteries. It is not until the last third of the book that the murder takes place and must be solved. Up until that point, the book reads more like women’s fiction or literary fiction with the focus on building the characters and their relationships to each other.

I like character driven novels and I was not put off by having to wait for the mystery to develop. I liked Listfield’s prose – direct, unswerving, and focused – and so I found this a hard book to lay down. I was pulled into Lisa’s life living in Manhattan, rubbing elbows with shallow and wealthy people…her tender relationship with her daughters, her self-doubt and desire for a simpler existence. I cared about her.

I recommend this book for readers who, like me, want more than a mystery. I am looking forward to reading more of Listfield’s work.

Undone by Karin Slaughter
Special Agent Will Trent, Book 3

Pages: 436
First Published: Jul. 14, 2009
Genre: thriller, mystery
Rating: 5/5

First sentence:

They had been married forty years to the day and Judith still felt she didn’t know everything about her husband.

Reason for Reading: Karin Slaughter had a new book out!

Comments: A victim of unspeakable torture is found on the highway as she is hit by a car. Convinced she must have escaped from somewhere close by Special Agent Will Trent relentlessly searches until a second, dead, victim is found. An all available manpower hunt continues looking for the crime scene when Will unearths a hidden cellar dugout in the forest floor, a horror room of unimaginable violence. Agent Will Trent and his partner Faith Mitchell plow ahead through local police territory looking for information to make this a case for the GBI. It is in the hospital that they first meet the attending ER physician, Dr. Sara Linton, who works on the first woman who was hit by the car. Soon enough, two more woman are reported missing and time is running out.

Karin Slaughter is back in top splendid form. This is an incredibly crafted novel. What an amazing crime, one of the most unique crimes I’ve ever read in a thriller. She combines a lot of typical serial killer elements with some very unusual aspects and themes that create a downright creepy case. Karin gives her fans everything they’ve come to expect from her: a gruesome intriguing crime, a difficult to solve mystery (I had my eye on the wrong person the whole way through!), a page-turner, read late into the night book that you wish you could just inhale. Splendid.

The only thing I didn’t like is the direction the main characters’ personal lives are taking. Reading the series in order, you find the personal lives of Will and Faith are a little soap opera going on in the background and I’m just not pleased with the direction each of them seems to be headed. Guess, I’ll have to wait for the next book! Sara’s character is nicely wrapped up from the dangling ending of her last appearance in Beyond Reach and I’m pleased with the author’s resolution with this character although I’m rather annoyed with some of her Grant County opinions, which also leads me into my last statement. I still want more Grant County, Ms. Slaughter! I like Lena Adams (better than Sara to tell you the truth) and want to know what’s happened with her and the rest of the folks at the Grant County Police Station.

Karin Slaughter is at her best with Undone. No fan is going to be disappointed with this one.

If you haven’t read Karin Slaughter. Please do read her books in order. This one book is both a sequel to Will Trent Book 2, Fractured and Grant County Book 6, Beyond Reach. Plus Sara, introduced as a character in this book, was one of the major characters in all the Grant County books to date. Also both Will Trent and his boss Amanda (can’t find the last name right now) both first made appearances in Grant County books before moving onto their own series. You will get much more enjoyment if you read her books in the order in which they were written.