Code of Honor / Alan Gratz / 278 pages

Kamran is on the fast track to success.  He is a star on the high school football team; is Homecoming King while his girlfriend in queen; is popular and has many friends; has been nominated to West Point; and plans to attend after graduation.  His older brother, Darius, who also attended West Point, is an army ranger stationed in Afghanistan.  The night of the big dance, Kamran's world implodes.  His brother has appeared on an international news feed proclaiming himself a militant Muslim with Taliban ties and claims responsibility for a recent terrorist attack.  His defection bleeds onto the entire family.  Kamran refuses to believe his brother is capable of such duplicity.  Using codes and stories from their childhood and displaying true heroism, he accomplishes the seemingly impossible.

Love Lies Beneath / Ellen Hopkins / 305 pages

Tara is a player.  Once a widow and twice divorced, she has profited from each relationship and now lives in a mansion in San Francisco and enjoys fringe benefits at a local upscale gym.  She is no one to mess with.  Her early years in Idaho with a drunken, irresponsible, promiscuous mother has made her world wise.  A Tahoe ski accident lands her in the ER for a blown knee.  There she meets the attractive DR. Cavin Lattimore...and her life is forever changer...but is it for the better?  Ms. Hopkins has described the perils and pitfalls of love in narrative and poetry, emphasizing the importance of trust...and the impact of family.


"Having a clear understanding of the past is vital to a healthy future."

The Girl I Used To Be / April Henry / 229 pages

Olivia Reinhart used to Ariel Benson. She grew up believing her father killed her mother, stabbing her nineteen times, dropping her three year old self at Walmart, then disappearing forever.  She had been adopted after some years in foster care after her grandmother died - hence the name change, but that didn't work out.  At seventeen, she is emancipated, has her GED, and works at a grocery store.  When a police officer and chaplain show up at her Portland apartment and tell her that her father's jaw bone has recently been found in the same forest where her mother was murdered; that they believe that he, too, was murdered at the same time; and that the investigation is being reopened, her life is forever changed.  Determined to find her parents' killer, she returns to Medford.  What happens next is an edge-of-your-seat whodunit with multiple suspects, compassionate confidants, and a cast of odd characters.  Loved the cover and although it is catalogued YA, it would be appropriate for middle schoolers and loved by them.

Trial by Fury / J. A. Jance / 374 pages

Detective J. P. Beaumont leads the investigation into the death of a high school basketball coach.  The coach, a black man, had been lynched and tossed amid the garbage at a local grocery store.  Following protocol, Beaumont informs and interrogates the coach's very pregnant wife.  He follows two very interesting  and unusual clues...Girl Scout cookies and a cheerleader hit list... and uncovers the perpetrator.

Keeper's Reach / Carla Neggers / 313 pages

This is a Sharpe and Donovan novel and perhaps because I have not read any of the other books, I felt the characters to be a bit transparent.  With additional back story, I believe they would come to life more.  The story opens with an attack on an elderly gardener in the Cotswolds of England, then spirals and expands to include numerous FBI agents (two of whom are engaged), an ex-nun, a fledgling security company, vets, a reformed art thief, and, of course, the four Donovan brothers.

Bitter Season / Tami Hoag / 408 pages

Minneapolis detective Nikki Liska has transferred from homicide to the new cold case unit.  Theoretically, she won't have to work the long shifts required by active cases and she will more available to her young sons.  Her ex, also a police officer, is an intermittent, immature cog in the family wheel.  Nikki's first case is a twenty-five year old murder of a cop whose family and former detective do not want the case reopened.  Why not?  Concurrently, her old unit is working on the brutal murders of a university professor and his wife.  Facts uncovered by Nikki lead to a resolution of both cases in a nonstop, can't-turn-the-pages-fast-enough whodunit.

Shoot / Don't Shoot / J. A. Jance / 281 pages

Joanna Brady #3
Joanna Brady is the first female sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona.  She was elected after her husband, a deputy was killed in the line of duty and was running for the sheriff position.  Joanna decides to attend classes in law enforcement to aid her performance in her new position.  At the school, she encounters an impossible instructor, a fellow female officer, a serial murderer, and an incredible family surprise.

Rough Justice / Lisa Scottoline / 344 pages

Marta Richter, a high-powered attorney, has partnered with the law firm of Rosato and Associates to defend a millionaire businessman on trial for murder.  He claims a homeless man accosted him at a traffic light and cut him on the face in an attempted robbery.  Elliot Steere shoots him dead, claiming self defense.  Marta believes the jury will vote for acquittal, asserting Steere acted in self defense.  As the jury begins to deliberate, Steere admits to Marta that he deliberately killed the man.  He fires Marta as his attorney, but she is determined to prove his guilt.  A hit man is sent to eradicate this threat endangering the entire law firm as well as some members of the jury.  Great suspense, plenty of action, and a well scripted climax made this an exemplary Scottoline.

Murder on Wheels / Lynn Cahoon / 181 pages

Jill Gardner, owner of CBM (Coffee, Books, and More) in the small California coastal town of South Cove; Greg King, lead detective and main squeeze of Jill; Amy, executive assistant to the mayor and Jill's best friend; and Justin, Amy's vest surfing buddy and a history professor, meet Kacey Austin, Dustin Austin's wife, at a geocaching event.  Jill was determined to dislike the woman.  Austin had neglected to tell Jill's friend Sadie that he was married while he wooed her and stole her recipes to sell in the gluten-free dessert bus.  Kacey is found dead on the beach and the death is suspicious.  Did Austin, the owner of the local bike rental shop, kill her?  Although Jull is determined to stay out of the investigation, she is inexorably drawn in.  Water shortages and relationship issues flesh out this final...for now...until August, 2016...book in the series.

Dressed to Kill / Lynn Cahoon / 200 pages

A Tourist Trap Mystery
Jill Gardner watched her boyfriend, Greg, South Cove, California's chief detective, stride out of Lille's Diner, wondering when she would see him again.  Dinner, if Kent (who was found dead during practice for a local murder mystery) had been called up naturally by Saint Peter's list, next month, if someone had moved him up on the list intentionally.  No matter what Greg said, when murder happened on his watch, Jill's life was always involved, even when she tried to stay out of it.  Greg's ex-wife, Sherry, has opened a new vintage clothing store in town and makes no secret about her desire to take Greg back.  Kent, a banker, was Sherry's two-timing boyfriend.  Did she kill him?  The cast of characters...and Jill's love of eating flesh out this clever whodunit.


"Money's no good sitting in a bank.  It needs to be spread around to make a difference in this world."

Hell Hole / Gina Damico / 350 pages

It all started with the theft of a cat - an ugly plastic, bejeweled, fake, atrocity,... and an affinity for dinosaurs.  Max Kilgore stole the cat from the shop where he works for his critically ill mom.  His affinity for dinosaurs prompted him to forego Friday night football games, etc. in favor of excavating on Ugly Hill, the site of a dinosaur bone discovery.  He would either dig or work in his secret dinosaur lab.  After he purloins the cat, as he is digging on Ugly Hill, the hole he is digging expands exponentially and allows a Satan to scape - one Burgundy Cluttermuck.  Burg demands a house with a hot tub. In exchange, he will vacate Max's basement where he foregoes pants, pigs out on junk food, and watches endless TV.  Max bargains to include his mom's health in the deal.  Max is aided in his devil dealing by a weird girl with an odd reputation, Lore Nedry, and his best friend - the girl next door, Audie.  This cautionary tale portrays the slippery slope of poor moral decisions.  Although Kirkus Review claimed the book was "hilarious...all the way through," I take issue with this.  A mother bedbound in need of a heart transplant and fourteen dead are definitely not hilarious.  There is a great deal of humor that would appeal to middle graders, but mature language and references definitely require a YA classification.

The Passenger / Lisa Lutz / 304 pages

"The best part of running full speed is not having time to look back."  Nora Jo Glass has been on the run ten years and circumstances have caused her to commit unspeakable acts.  "If you murder someone once, even with a tenuous argument for self-defense, you can blame it on chance, being at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong name.  But the next time you kill someone, you have to start asking all the hard questions.  Is it really self-defense or lifestyle choice?  When you kill another human being in cold blood, you kill part of yourself."  Ten years on the run and she was finally the cold-blooded murderer they'd always said she was.  "In the tradition of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, The Passenger's scorching pace, unforgettable heroine, and ingenious plot will keep you turning pages deep into the night toward a stunning conclusion that will quite simply blow you away."


"When you're not sure what the future holds, you choose to stay in the present."

Think Twice / Lisa Scottoline / 374 pages

This Rosato and Associates mystery features Bennie Rosato and her dastardly twin sister.  Bennie had come to Alice's rescue many times in the past.  Alice repays her by kidnapping her and burying her alive and impersonating her to transfer her considerable assets to offshore banking facilities.  Mary Dinunzio and Judy are drawn into the plot with Judy insisting that Bennie is just not herself.  Mary is granted partnership in the law firm - by Alice. Will that stand?  Mary and Bennie realize how important Anthony and GRady are in the grand scheme of things.

See How They Run / Ally Carter / 323 pages

This is part two in what must at least be a trilogy as the reader is left hanging at the end with problems unresolved and questions unanswered.  Grace Blakely witnessed her mother's murder three years ago.  She is plagued by nightmares and references that she might be crazy.  When she learned the truth of that fateful night, she felt worse, not better.  She has returned to the small country where her grandfather is US ambassador, where she spent her summers all during her childhood.  Her brother, Jamie, comes to visit from West Point with his friend Spence to check up on her.  When Spence is found dead after an altercation with the Russian ambassador's son, Alexie - Jamie's best friend, Alexie is, of course, the prime suspect.  Secrets abound in Adria.  Can Grace decode them in time?

Dead to Rights / J. A. Jance / 373 pages

Joanna Brady #4
Joanna Brady is still new to the job of sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona.  When she investigates a demonstration at a local vet's office she has no idea of the violence that will occur before the day is over.  The protester believes the Doc has escaped justice.  Years ago he ran over and killed the protester's wife while driving drunk.  His life was altered little by the light sentence, while the protester's life was ruined.  He is carrying signs to let the public know the vet is a convicted drunk driver.  When the vet is found dead inside his burning barn, the unconscious protester, also found in the barn, is, of course, the prime suspect.  Great suspense, clever plot twists, and Joanna's difficult relationships with her somewhat resentful co-workers make this a profitable read.

Conviction / Kelly Roy Gilbert / 342 pages

Wow!  I have never read a book more fraught with moral dilemma.  Young Braden is a sixteen year old pitcher with designs on a major league career.  His dad has a local radio talk show, is much admired and respected in the community, and has definite plans for Braden's future.  Braden's life is far from perfect.  His mother dropped him off as a baby so she could pursue a career as a dancer.  She was a one night stand and Braden's dad didn't even know she was pregnant.  His older brother, Trey, dropped out of school and left for New York where he owns and operates a restaurant.  He hasn't been home or talked to his dad since.  But things are about to get much worse.  Without warning, the best man Braden knows and the person who taught him right from wrong, is arrested at gunpoint on the street outside their home.  How Braden copes with the situation fate has dealt him is awe inspiring, thought-provoking, and encourages one to examine faith, our relationship with god, and our responsibility to others...and ourselves.


"A person's worth is measured by what he does."


"Faith always makes more sense when you look back on it later."


"Baseball's nothing if not proof of all the ways history matters to you."

All Fall Down / Ally Carter / 310 pages

An Embassy Row Novel
"Diplomatic relations are like an iceberg, about 90% of them exist beneath the surface, unseen by the world at large, but they are still there, and if you are not careful, they will sink you."  Grace Blakely is the granddaughter to the US ambassador to Adria, a country forgotten by time.  The embassy itself was built by a spice baron in 1772, became the US embassy after World War II, and was the only home her mother ever knew, and Grace's home every summer...until three years ago when her mother was killed.  Grace insists she was murdered and she saw the assassin, a scar-faced man.  Now she has seen the man again, but her grandfather insists he is not a murderer.  Grace follows him through underground tunnels and overhears his declaration that he will kill again.  Can Grace stop an assassination by an international hit man?  Although the ending is somewhat predictable and the happenings a bit unbelievable, this first book in the Embassy Row series is a tense page turner sure to please the YA audience.


"Eventually, everybody falls."

If the Shoe Kills / Lynn Cahoon / 203 pages

"Spousal abuse happens in all families."  As a family law attorney Jill Gardner knew this to be true.  She'd seen her share of abused wives, trapped in the vicious cycle.  Now owner of Coffee, Books and More in a small coastal California town, Jill recognizes the syndrome in a local shop owner, Marie Jones.  Marie escaped her situation and her abusive husband claimed she had been kidnapped and a  ransom had been paid.  Marie remained missing.  Apparently Ted had hired a PI to find her and tracked her to the small town of South Cove.  When Ted is murdered, Jill is the one who finds the body and begins investigating the rude employment agency director.  She uncovers his wealthy roots, his wife, and an excellent motive for murder.  A dead rabbit is left on her doorstep to stop her snooping.  Loyal readers of the series will know this is impossible for Jill.

Mission to Murder / Lynn Cahoon / 217 pages

Maybe the South Cove, California detective liked his women on the wrong side of the law.  That was Jill Gardner, "a rebel coffee shop/bookstore owner with an unused law degree."  She is investigating the murder of Graig Morgan, the obnoxious owner of South Cove's most popular tourist spot, The Castle.  She is the prime suspect as she was seen arguing with the man twice the day of his death.  He was determined to thwart her claim of historically significant mission ruins on her inherited property.  He was also hogging city marketing revenues that could be used by her business.  Jill's investigation encompasses a bike gang, drug trafficking, and an abusive stalker.  Another great installment in the Tourist Trap Mystery series will leave the reader wanting more.


"We only win if we work together."

Killer Run / Lynn Cahoon / 183 pages

This is the fifth book in the Tourist Trap Mystery series.  South Cove is asked to host the first annual 5K Mission Run.  The race is a fundraiser for the local preservation society.  Jill Gardner, the owner of CBM and heir to Ms. Emily's estate, is anxious for the commission to rule on the authenticity of the mission wall found on her property.  Unfortunately, runners stumble over a dead body on the race course.  Was the wife of the promotional company sponsoring the event a victim of hit and run or murder?  Is the vandalism at the local train store related?  Jill Gardner investigates despite her beau's objections.


"If you hold anger in your heart, it turns to evil."