"Storm Prey"  by John Sandford

2011 Review #8

A Lucas Davenport Mystery

Booklist Review

It was an inside job, and it should have been easy. Rob the pharmacy at Minneapolis' largest hospital: in, out, wait till things cool down, and then sell the drugs for a half million or so. But the old man had to be a hero. Who knew he'd be on blood thinners and die after he was kicked? A robbery turned murder means Lucas Davenport and his Bureau of Criminal Apprehension team are called in to assist the investigation.

There's another element to the case for Davenport: his wife, Weather, a surgeon at the hospital, may be able to identify one of the killers. The case starts to escalate. An attempt is made on Weather's life. The bodies of two motorcycle gang members are found in a rural area. Davenport guesses the gang is imploding from the pressure and murdering its members.

Weather, under 24-hour guard, is part of a surgical team working to separate conjoined twins in a procedure that's captured the attention of the world's media. Meanwhile, Davenport and his team keep finding bodies of likely robbers but can't seem to isolate either the brains behind the theft or the hospital insider who pointed them at the pharmacy.

The twenty-second Prey novel includes most of the elements readers expect: sharp plot, snappy dialogue, and believable action, but the background playfulness and gallows humor that usually fill in the gaps are in short supply.

My Thoughts:

Loved it.  John Sanford is one of my favorite authors!

"Death Walked In"   by Carolyn Hart

2011 Review #7

A Death On Demand Mystery

Synopsis

Max Darling hasn't been interested in crime since his brush with a seductive young woman put him in danger of losing his freedom. He even refuses to talk to a woman who calls for help and says she is afraid. The caller leaves word she's hidden something in the antebellum house Max and his wife, Annie, are restoring. When Annie finds out, she hurries to the woman's home, only to discover her shot. Annie hears her final whisper as she holds the dying woman's hand.

Evidence links the dead woman to a nearby home, where a fortune in gold coins has gone missing. The gold coins, rare Double Eagles, were stolen from a house filled with visiting family members, twenty somethings hungry for money and several with secrets they must keep. 

Gwen’s dropout son, Robert, is implicated in both the theft and the murder, but, Max believes Robert’s been framed and works to clear his name.

My Thoughts:

As usual, Hart has put together an intriguing and attention holding mystery.  The characters are their usual interesting selves and I love the results!  A mystery to the very end!

"The Whisper"   by Carla Neggers

2011 Review #6


Summary: 


It was meant to be an adventure, a night alone on a remote Irish island. Archaeologist Sophie Malone never expected to find Celtic treasure or to end up in a fight for her life in a dark, desolate cave. 


Now, a year later, she's convinced answers to the mysteries of that night lie in Boston. Who has the priceless gold artifacts that disappeared from the cave...and who is responsible for the whispers she heard in the dark? 


Nearly killed in an explosion a month ago, Boston detective Cyrus "Scoop" Wisdom has recovered from his injuries. He's after the bomber, and he thinks it's another cop. But when Sophie unknowingly leads him to a retired officer's body amid symbols of ritual sacrifice, it's clear nobody's safe, and everyone's a suspect.  


MY THOUGHTS:
This is a new author for me and I liked this book.   The Detective and the Archaeologist bring a little romance to the book.  Just enough to make it natural and interesting.
AND...it is well written.  I'll read this author again.


   

“Ape House”   by Sara Gruen

         2011 Review #5

Review taken from Publishers Weekly:

Gruen enjoys minimal luck in trying to recapture the magic of her enormously successful “Water for Elephants” in this outing that begins with the bombing of the Great Ape Language Lab, a university research center dedicated to the study of the communicative behavior of bonobo apes.

The blast, which terrorizes the apes and severely injures scientist Isabel Duncan, occurs one day after Philadelphia Inquirer reporter John Thigpen visits the lab and speaks to the bonobos, who answer his questions in sign language. After a series of personal setbacks, Thigpen pursues the story of the apes and the explosions for a Los Angeles tabloid, encountering green-haired vegan protesters and taking in a burned-out meth lab's guard dog.

Meanwhile, as Isabel recovers from her injuries, the bonobos are sold and moved to New Mexico, where they become a media sensation as the stars of a reality TV show. Unfortunately, the best characters in this overwrought novel don't have the power of speech, and while Thigpen is mildly amusing, Isabel is mostly inert. 

 MY THOUGHTS:

I disagree with the negative remarks made in this review by Publishers Weekly because I loved this book…it is funny and full of characters!

"I'm Not Really Here"   by Tim Allen

2011 Review # 4

Review is rewritten from the Book Cover:

In I'm Not Really Here, Tim Allen takes a look at men and their relationship to wives, children, friends, the universe, God and why it's so tough to get a good night's sleep.

Furthermore, in the Toolman's inimitable way, he deals with some of the urgent questions a man faces: What is real? What should I eat for breakfast? ("The gummy cinnamon buns or the cereal no one can pronounce? Moose lips, Mouse licks.") Why do parents always tell you not to stir your ice cream into soup? Why are the canned beans next to the tampons in the supermarket?

MY THOUGHTS:

Tim Allen is a very funny man and his second book is as funny as he is!

(His first book was "Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man")

“Hell’s Corner”   by David Baldacci

         2011 Review #3

         An Oliver Stone and Camel Club Mystery

Review taken from “Library Journal Review”…

“Hell hath no fury like a retired CIA assassin in pursuit of a terrorist.  Baldacci's fifth book in the "Camel Club" series opens with Oliver 
Stone as a wounded victim of a bombing. The terrorist attack takes place in Lafayette Park in front of what should be the most secure of all American buildings, the White House. The British prime minister was supposed to have visited the park that night, so a debate sparks about who the intended target was.

Stone, already pulled back into service by the President, is assigned to work with a British agent, Mary Chapman, to find the terrorist. But as that pair and the rest of the Camel Club delve deeper into the mystery, they find this attack may be only the beginning of a much more insidious and deadly plot. The mastermind behind the attack always seems one step ahead, and it'll take all of Stone's cunning to ferret out the truth from the lies. Verdict Camel Club fans and thriller aficionados will rejoice at having a new action-packed, conspiracy-laden, politically intriguing mystery to solve.”

MY THOUGHTS…

I have never read a bad Baldacci book and this one is no exception.  Loved it! 

“All by my selves: 
Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and me”
                   by Jeff Dunham

          2011 Review #2

         An Autobiography…

Synopsis:

All by My Selves is the story of one pretty ordinary guy, one interesting hobby, one very understanding set of parents, and a long and winding rode to becoming America's favorite comedian. With wit, honesty, and lots of great show business detail, Jeff shares all the major moments in his journey. From the toy dummy he spotted at a toy store when he was 8 years old to playing to arenas filled with screaming fans, Jeff takes readers behind the curtain to explain how he turned an old fashioned art form into something truly modern and hip. Best of all, Jeff's story is accompanied by asides and interruptions from his characters-who share all the hilarious details Jeff himself is too embarrassed to include.

"The most popular standup comic in the U.S." –Time

His YouTube videos have been viewed more than 400 million times by fans all over the world. He has played to sold-out venues across North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia. He has sold more than six million DVDs, Forbes has ranked him in their Celebrity 100 list of most powerful entertainers for two years running, and he has been the top touring comedian in the United States for the last two years. Whether he's breathing life into an old curmudgeon, an over- caffeinated purple maniac, or a screaming, skeletal, dead terrorist, Jeff Dunham is the straight man to some of the funniest partners in show business.

MY THOUGHTS:

I found this book extremely interesting, funny and heart touching in places.

My nephew gave me a copy of this book and one of Dunham’s DVD’s for Christmas.

One of my favorite gifts!

TO MY READERS...

The 2010 “52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge” has ended and I have decided not to participate in the 2011 Challenge.  I read and posted 193 books last year and will continue reading (as I have done my entire “able to read” life) and I will continue to post the books I read on this blog.

However, I am changing my format somewhat.   Instead of writing my own reviews,  I will use reviews written by others, most of the time, and add my own thoughts to them.  I hope you find this acceptable and will continue to peruse my blog.

Thank you for your attention in the past year!  I certainly have appreciated your feedback.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Port Mortuary”  by Patricia Cornwell

2011 Review  #1  

A Dr. Scarpetta Mystery

Taken from the “Booklist Review”…

“Told in the first person, the story finds Kay Scarpetta, now the chief medical examiner of the new Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts, involved in a couple of cases: the mysterious sudden death of a man and the murder of a child (whose confessed killer seems to be innocent).  Soon she begins to suspect the two cases are related joined by a piece of high-tech hardware found in the first victim's apartment and before too long, she realizes she's facing what could be her most clever foe yet. 


For the first time in a while, Cornwell seems genuinely interested in Scarpetta again, giving the novel that spark of life that has made the series so enjoyable for its many fans. The book is still a long way from the glory days of Postmortem (1991) and From Potter's Field (1995), but it's definitely a step in the right direction. Series fans who have felt a bit let down of late will be pleased.”

MY THOUGHTS…

I absolutely love Pat Cornwell’s books (I’ve read all of them) and especially Dr. Scarpetta’s character plots.  Not so much this newest one.  I didn’t actually read all of it because I found it boring.  After reading the first quarter of this book and all the forensic details, I just skipped through the book looking for the interesting parts.  I was mostly disappointed in this one.  Doesn’t mean I won’t read the next one.