A Willing Murder/Jude Deveraux/333 pages

  Kate Medlar is moving away from her controlling mother  and moves in with a distant aunt in the hope of learning more about her father who died when Kate was very young.  Also staying with Aunt Sara is Jack, a talented, funny and a little disturbed young man.  No sooner does Kate arrive when a tree on Jack's property falls over revealing two skeletons.  A twenty year old mystery of what happened to Cheryl and her mother slowly unfolds with the help of Sara, Kate and Jack.  From the start, they have a relaxed, humorous relationship that really works.  They care about each other and make the perfect team.  The conclusion to this who-done-it was a surprise I did not figure out ahead of time.  Good read!                                                    

                                                                                                                                

Guess Who/Chris McGeorge/362 pgs

From a very young age, Morgan Sheppard
craved attention and fame.  He achieved both
at eleven years old when he solved the murder
of his Math teacher whom was presumed to have
committed suicide.
Riding on his early fame, Sheppard goes on to a
successful career as a television detective.  His adult life
is a series of days and nights filled with alcohol, drugs,
and women.  That is until one day when things take a dramatic
turn.  Sheppard wakes up in a hotel room in London
handcuffed to a bed in the company of five strangers.
He is told that there has been a murder that one of
the five committed and he has three hours to solve the
crime.

The Fallen/David Baldacci/420 pgs

Barronville, PA, once a boom town, has seen
better days.  Drugs, overdoses, and deaths are nothing                                 
new to the residents of Barronville.  Things change
when FBI agent, Alex Jamison and her partner, Amos
Decker come to visit Jamison's sister.  While in the
backyard, Decker observes something strange in the                                   
house across the yard.  Upon further investigation, he
discovers the bodies of two victims.  He and Jamison
soon realize that they are hitting too close to home in
their investigation when they are nearly killed...more
than once AND Jamison's brother-in-law mysteriously
dies at work.  This is another good Baldacci read.

The Punishment She Deserves/ Elizabeth George/ 692 pgs

I've read George's Inspector Lynley series from the beginning. I'm not even sure what book # this is. This series has always been more than just a police procedural/mystery, though it is definitely that. As you can tell by the page count, George likes to dive into her characters. Each of them, and there are many, gets a POV and we are immersed into their lives and thoughts. The story here is that a deacon of a local church is accused of pedophilia. When he's brought into police custody, he commits suicide. Or does he? Inspector Lynley and his partner, Sergeant Havers are sent to investigate when it appears the first local investigation might not have been as thorough as possible. The mystery, however, takes a backseat here to an examination of motherhood from the perspective of three different women. The story was insightful and more of a saga than some of her other stories but I liked it all the same.

The Alienist / Caleb Carr / 496 p.

BONUS Categories: Historical fiction, Story with a television adaptation


I began watching the series in January on TNT.  I loved the historical and forensic aspects of the series, but grew impatient to find out how it would all turn out.  The book is written as though it were a memoir written in 1919 about a case that took place in 1896, by John Moore, a reporter for The New York Times.  A serial killer had been killing boys in New York City, and the police department did little until the new commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt (who would later become U.S. president) asked Dr. Lazlo Kreizler to apply new scientific methods to help solve the case.  Dr. Kreizler convinces Roosevelt that he must be allowed to run his own investigation, and he gathers his team.  Kreizler and Moore are helped by Sara Howard (the first woman to be hired by the NYC police department) and Marcus and Lucius Isaacson (two Jewish brothers hired to replace corrupt police officers fired by Roosevelt).  Kreizler's servants, Stevie Taggert and Cyrus Montrose, also prove valuable in getting the team around New York City and assisting in stakeouts.


The book is slightly different from the series, but in all the best ways.  The interactions between the characters are even more complex in the book than in the series, and the background for the forensic methods is explained in more detail.  Some of the details of the characters has been changed slightly, and the suspect's background appears to be different as well.  As I've only seen the first six episodes, I can't tell yet how the TV series will turn out.


The author, Caleb Carr, was already established as a non-fiction writer before publication of this novel.  He wrote an afterword of a hoax he'd had to pull on his agent and editor to get them to agree to let him make the switch to fiction.

Dark in Death/J.D. Robb/372 pgs.

A murderer is on the loose, and is using mystery author Blaine DeLano's books as inspiration for method and victims. Murder cop Lieutenant Eve Dallas is tasked with finding the murderer, and stopping him/her before another person dies. It's a good addition to the popular series, and one that I recommend with no reservations!

The Paris Secret/Karen Swan/408 pgs.

There is a Paris apartment that has been vacant since after World War II. The Vermeil family, who the owners, learn of its existence, and the art objects in contains. Flora Sykes, a fine art agent, is called into assess the contents, and to trace the history of the paintings stored there. All is not as clear cut as it initially appears to be. Who were the original owners of the works of art, and how did they come to be in the Vermeil family's possession? There are family secrets--not only on the Vermeil side, but also in the Sykes family. There is something for everyone in this novel: mystery, romance, family secrets, a smattering of art history and World War II history. The book was highly recommended by a colleague--and it didn't disappoint. Highly recommended!

Lucky the Hard Way/Deborah Coonts/309 pgs.

In addition to being part of a series, Lucky the Hard Way is the sequel to Lucky Break. In Lucky the Hard Way, Lucky O'Toole makes her way over to Macau in order to save her former lover, Teddie, who is the prime suspect in a murder investigation, AND to save her father's Las Vegas casino, the Babylon. If that's not enough, she's leaving behind her fiancé to prepare for the opening of their new hotel and restaurant. There is murder, mayhem, double crosses, etc., which results in a fast paced enjoyable read. It's a fun (and funny) series. Recommended!

Lucky Break/Deborah Coonts/281 pgs.

This is the 6th entry in the "Lucky Vegas Adventure" series. Lucky O'Toole is Vice President of Customer Relations for the Babylon, a casino resort. She's newly engaged, and is preparing for the opening of her own restaurant with her fiancé. Murder has a way of always altering Lucky's plans. Her ex-lover is being accused of murder, and Lucky is determined to prove his innocence. This is a fun series--it revolves around Vegas, Lucky's quirky and dysfunctional family, and a cast of characters you can't help but like. Highly recommend this book and series.

Righteous: an IQ novel/Joe Ide/330 pgs.

Isaiah Quintabe, a.k.a. IQ, is still on the hunt for whoever murdered his older brother, Marcus, ten years ago. Up until that point, Marcus was Isaiah's mentor, best friend, and care giver--it was the two of them against the world. Isaiah eventually dropped out of school, and used his high intelligence for solving crimes in his downtrodden neighborhood. In this second book in the series, Isaiah is not only trying to discover (and bring to justice) the person responsible for Marcus's death, but also to find Marcus's girlfriend's sister, Janine, who has gone missing. There are so many threads in the story line--but it works. Isaiah isn't your typical "hero"--he's awkward, lacks social skills--but he is someone you want on your side. I can't speak highly enough of this new series. Highly recommended!

Mind Game/Iris Johansen/374 pgs.

In this latest Eve Duncan series entry, the action focuses on Eve's adopted daughter, Jane MacGuire and her complicated "love" interest, Seth Caleb. When Caleb's sister, Lisa, is kidnapped, she reaches out to Jane, telepathically, seeking help. This creates a situation for Jane with Caleb, as to how to rescue Lisa. It turns out that Lisa is being used as a pawn, and that Caleb is the true target. It's a fast read, with other story lines woven throughout the novel, and reaches a satisfying conclusion. It's a strong addition to an entertaining series!

Secrets in Death/J.D.Robb/370 pgs.

In this latest Eve Dallas installment, Lt. Dallas becomes involved in solving the murder of Larinda Mars--a gossip reporter of the rich and famous. It turns out that Larinda had a side business going--blackmail. It's up to Dallas to find out whose secrets resulted in Mars's death. It's a fast paced, enjoyable addition to a very entertaining series!

That Darkness/Lisa Black/308 pgs.

Evidently this is the start of a new series by Lisa Black--and I'm hooked. Maggie Gardiner is a forensic investigator for the Cleveland Police Department. While investigating some recent murders, she begins noticing some similarities with the corpses. Enter Jack Renner--a killer. He is a detective, also with the Cleveland Police Department, who believes he has a mission to dispose of hardened criminals who might otherwise escape justice. As Maggie gets closer to discovering the truth about Jack, the suspense builds, leading to an interesting conclusion. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series!