The First Ten of my Book Reviews
                                      
                              Reviews 1 ~ 10


You will soon come to realize that I prefer books by authors who have recurring characters. I have become friends with these characters and feel comfortable with them.

I would like to thank my local Library for help in writing the following reviews. I had read 10 books and I needed help remembering some of the plots.

#1 Nothing to Lose     by Lee Child

Jack Reacher only rents rooms one night at a time, confirming his absolute freedom to move on. About the only thing sure to convince Reacher to stick around is someone telling him he has to leave. That's what happens when the former military policeman turned inveterate loner stops for a cup of coffee in a company town called Despair, Colorado. Strangers aren't allowed in Despair, he's told, and two cops arrive to drive him out to the city limits. You can run Reacher out of town, maybe, but you sure can't keep him out.

You will enjoy this one.

#2 Persuader      by Lee Child

Jack Reacher is back! Here he discovers a diabolical enemy whom he thought a decade dead, as well as a major smuggler and his sadistic bodyguard living in a gothic horror of a mansion overlooking the sea. Reacher allies himself with a band of FBI agents who want to bring down the bad guys and find one of their own who's missing. Persuader includes a number of intriguing plot twists, and Reacher always finds himself in tense, tight, and exciting situations. Well written!

You’ll love it!

#3 Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings 
       by Emily Brightwell

Two weddings provide the backdrop for Brightwell's enjoyable 26th Victorian mystery, the first of the series in hardcover, featuring mild-mannered Inspector
Gerald Witherspoon and his indomitable housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries. As Christmas approaches, the inspector's servants are busy preparing for the marriage between Smythe, the coachman, and Betsy, the maid. Meanwhile, Rosemary Evans and her older fiancé, Sir Madison Lowery, are celebrating their impending nuptials with a formal tea, which is interrupted by the discovery of a former governess of Rosemary's lying dead with a knife in her chest outside the Evans house in a posh London neighborhood. As usual, Mrs. Jeffries and her fellow servants gather and sort through clues while their sometimes dilatory master investigates.

These books are fun!

#4 There Goes the Bride: 
     an Agatha Raisin Mystery 
           by M.C. Beaton

In Beaton's 20th Agatha Raisin mystery, trouble comes with an invitation to ex-husband James's engagement party. Agatha is reluctant to attend but can't stand appearing jealous of the young bride. The party is a disaster, with angry words for everyone from the bride, barely dressed waiters, and a beleaguered groom. But when the wedding is canceled, it's because the bride has been fatally shot at the altar. As soon as she's cleared of suspicion, Agatha begins her own investigation into the murder, providing the police with solid clues and a few suspects, including a debonair Frenchman she'd like to date. But she can't stop questioning herself and her choices. Agatha's insecurity over her looks, her sleuthing skills, and her appeal to men soften her gruff personality, allowing readers to root for a happy ending for her no matter what trouble she starts.

Agatha is a trip! You will hate her, love her, disapprove of her, feel sorry for her and… love reading about her!

#5 A Study in Scarlet and 
     The Sign of the Four 
             By  Arthur Conan Doyle

It’s 2 books in 1 with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson…what else can I say?

#6 Death on Demand   by Carolyn G. Hart

Annie Laurance runs a mystery book store, Death on Demand, which she inherited from her beloved uncle. Once a week she has a meeting of the Sunday Night Regulars, local mystery writers from the South Carolina island where she lives. One of the writers, Elliot Morgan is a disagreeable fellow who threatens to reveal things about his fellow writers which they would prefer to keep quiet. Before he has a chance to do so he is killed, presumably by one of the Sunday Night Regulars. The local police suspect it is Annie herself but with her friend Max Darling, she sets out to find the real murderer. There are lots of wonderful references to classic mysteries and mystery writers as Annie and Max work to solve the case.

This is the first book of a justly popular series.

#7 White Elephant Dead    by Carolyn G. Hart

When Henny Brawley, organizer of the Broward's Rock (S.C.) women's club annual white elephant sale, goes missing, Death on Demand Book Store owner Annie Darling and her wealthy, very charming husband, Max, quickly begins a search. They find Henny, but unconscious and in the vicinity of a dead body. The new police chief pins the murder on Henny, so Annie, Max, and droves of club members come to the rescue. Bubbling with energy, good humor, hearty appetite, and affection, Annie saves the island village from murderous deceit.

Bouncy prose, great characters, and frequent references to other mysteries makes this highly recommended for series fans.

#8 April Fool Dead   by Carolyn G. Hart

In Hart's 13th book in the series to feature Annie Darling, the owner of Death on Demand Bookstore, "the best mystery bookstore east of Atlanta," has planned the signing to end all signings for a local writer on their South Carolina island. But someone produces fake copies of publicity flyers for the signing and sets a cat among the pigeons to solve some old crimes and settle some old scores. Annie and Max, hasten to salvage the shop's event and Annie's reputation. Their efforts to resolve the mystery of the bogus flyers bring to light clues to several unsolved crimes. A high school teacher subsequently turns up dead. Was the murder committed to keep old secrets buried, or is a new onslaught of crime just beginning?
Readers will relish the banter between the couple that evokes classic screwball comedy, though at times the author can be overly formulaic. Max is always "sexy as hell." "Hell" and "damn" are about as strong as the language gets, by the way.

This is one book in a consistently fine series!

#9 Deeper Than the Dead   by Tami Hoag

In Hoag's newest thriller, the year is 1985; DNA evidence and the Internet are distant glimmers on the horizon. In a sleepy California suburb, four children stumble across the body of a dead woman in the park. Young hotshot detective Tony Mendez is convinced the woman is the third victim of a serial killer and solicits the FBI. His call reaches the ears of Vince Leone, a pioneer in profiling, just returning from medical leave. The children's discovery also draws teacher Anne Navarre into the mystery. Once the team is in place, the race is on to find the killer before he strikes again.

This is a serial killer story with a little romance thrown in. You’ll like it!

#10 Hothouse Orchid   by Stuart Woods

CIA agent Holly Barker returns home to Orchid Beach, Fla., where she was once chief of police, she's reunited with both welcome and unwelcome figures from her past. Renegade ex-CIA agent Teddy Fay, sporting a new identity, has chosen to settle in nearby Vero Beach. Lauren Cade, a former military comrade, is now a sergeant with the Florida State Patrol. Holly is shocked to learn that James Bruno, her former commanding officer who was tried and acquitted of raping Lauren and who once tried to rape Holly herself, is Orchid Beach's new police chief. Holly's not so shocked to learn that a serial killer and rapist is at work in the area. Playful dialogue and romantic sexual escapades lighten the atmosphere.

Not Wood’s best, but still a good read!