“And thereby hangs a tale”  

          by Jeffrey Archer

Review #186

This book is one of Archer’s  collection of short fiction features…stories based (sometimes rather loosely) on true incidents or people. Of the 15 stories in this book, 10 are supposed to be based on known incidents, which means, for example, that something similar to the very clever method of stealing jewelry described in “Stuck on You”, might actually have been tried...or that someone like Benny, the too-clever-for-his-own-good prison stoolie, might really have sentenced himself to a life of looking over his shoulder.

Aside from the fact that they're marked with an asterisk, it's hard to tell the true stories from the outright fictional ones.  In all of them, Archer creates engaging characters and puts them into situations that range from tragic to comic to . . . a little strange.

Doesn’t really matter because I enjoyed all of them!

“The Postcard Killers”  

By James Patterson & Liza Marklund

Review #185

Jacob Kanon has taken a leave of absence from his NYPD job to track down the "Postcard Killers" who have been leaving a trail of bodies throughout Europe, including Jacob’s own daughter, Kimmy and her boyfriend.  The killers, known to the reader, select couples in love and get close enough to drug and kill them before leaving their bodies in a pose reminiscent of the country's most famous artwork. They advertise their presence in a country by sending a postcard to someone in the media before the killing and follow it with a Polaroid of the dead bodies.

Dessie Larsson, a journalist for Aftonposten in Stockholm, has just received such a postcard and so, Jacob tracks her down and enlists her help in his investigation. Unwashed and smelling, she doesn't trust him at first but eventually they become a team (both personal and professional).  By researching all the murders, Dessie is able to identify the artwork theme, long before the police. An unexpected twist in the actions of the killers sets the story in a different direction and in the final section, one of the iconic IKEA stores plays an important role in the final confrontation between the good and bad guys.

There are some surprises in this book as should be expected from Patterson.

“In a Heartbeat”   

by Leigh Anne & Sean Tuohy  

with Sally Jenkins

Review # 183

Those familiar with the film or Michael Lewis's best-selling book, “The Blind Side”, will already know the inspiring story of how the Tuohys took future, NFL star Michael Oher, into their home and adopted him. So, what more is there to say about it, the answer is… plenty!

In “In a Heartbeat” the Tuohys attempt to explain their philosophy of “cheerful giving” and what it was that made them reach out to the homeless African-American boy they saw walking down the street in a t-shirt and shorts on a winter's day.  Leigh Anne and Sean have known tough times themselves and, as a result,  have put themselves on the lookout for troubled kids and others in need of help all around them. They may be millionaires now, but, they have not always been and they have never forgotten the help that came their way when they needed it.

This book is an in-depth look at the Tuohy family and the dynamics of their lives.  With Jenkins's help they write with humor about their quirks and the joy that Michael brought to their family, finally arriving at the belief that "we can all change people's lives by investing time in individuals."

I found this book inspiring and fun…couldn’t put it down!

“Chasing the Night”   

          by  Iris Johannsen

Review #184

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is preparing for her latest reconstruction --- a murdered young girl. With memories of her dead daughter, Bonnie, swirling in her head, she knows it will be a rough case emotionally but believes she can help the child and her family find peace. At the start of the case, she gets a call from a CIA operative she has worked with in the past, Venable, who wants her to do him a favor. She declines but soon after, finds herself playing host to Catherine Ling.

Catherine is an agent of Venable’s and a woman tormented by the loss of her son… 9 years ago.  Catherine believes Luke is alive but knows that the madman who kidnapped him when he was only two years old may have killed him. For years, he has been tormenting her with the threat to kill Luke if she tries to rescue him.  Catherine’s unwavering belief that he may still be living is what convinces Eve to help her.  What Catherine needs is an age progression picture of her son.  She is going after him and she plans to kill the man who kidnapped him.  The CIA wants her to stay away from him because they are getting ready to bring him down.  They have been dealing with this man for years in order to protect Luke but, things have changed.

What looks like a few days of trying and emotional work turns out to be much more complicated when the kidnapper gets Eve involved. Without knowing what horrors await them, Catherine and Eve leave for Russia, and with a little help from Eve’s friend and lover, Joe Quinn, and some CIA assistance, they set out to find Luke.

This is a VERY good book!

“A Day in Mossy Creek”          

by Deborah Smith, Sandra Chastain, 

Virginia Ellis and Debra Dixon       

 

        Review #182  

        The fifth book in the Mossy Creek Series

You won't want to leave Mossy Creek!  These pages offer readers a taste of country charm with some characters that feel like family.  You may not want to have a couple of them as actual relatives, but you will feel closely connected to them!


A Day in Mossy Creek is a southern soap opera with heart.  Each chapter features a different character and is written by a different author.  Surprisingly, all of these individual units come together to form an overall look at this small town and its people.  This unique style of writing actually makes the stories more realistic, as readers seem to go from house to house collecting tantalizing tidbits of gossip.


The events in this small town are both fun and fascinating.  From yard sales to years-old yearnings, there is something in these pages that touch a chord of familiarity.  The mundane appears more meaningful when the characters are loved.  And that's where this book shines.  The people that walk through these pages are similar to those we know in real life, only better.  There is a wonderful emotional connection to them, causing the pages to turn with a steady rhythm.


I loved this book!

“Agatha Raisin and 
the Day the Floods Came”           

             by  M.C. Beaton

 

Review #181

Tetchy Agatha Raisin's attempt at a little R&R in the wake of her beloved husband's defection to a French monastery gets her revved up for another mystery.  During her getaway, she notices a newlywed couple; within days, the groom drowns the bride. 

But, the real story takes place upon Agatha's return to her Cotswold home. During a dramatic flash flood, Agatha sees another dead bride, wearing a white gown and clutching a bridal bouquet, sweeping past on the river, an apparent suicide.  Agatha decides to investigate with the aid of her new neighbor, the dashing, cultured and vaguely lascivious mystery writer, John Armitage.  She also, discovers her own surprising flair for deceit and disguise.

Funny book!

"Twelve Sharp"     by  Janet Evanovich

             Review #180

             A Stephanie Plum Mystery.

Stephanie Plum, the not terribly competent bounty hunter tries to bring in some small-time criminals to lower the number of outstanding cases.  She gets us up to speed on her life as a bounty hunter in Trenton, NJ; her ever-eccentric family; and her co-workers in her cousin's bail-bond office. It doesn't take more than a few pages.

The main focus of this mystery is the disappearance of Ranger’s daughter.  Ranger, one of the two men in and out of Stephanie's life (the other is Morelli the cop), is accused of kidnapping his daughter.  He has disappeared and a woman who says she is Ranger’s wife stalks Stephanie.  Uncertain of what’s going on and certain that Ranger didn't kidnap the girl, Stephanie tries to help solve the crime.

As usual, Evanovich uses all of her considerable arsenal here, wisecracking humor and set pieces about cars, neighborhoods, family matters, and the funeral parlor (now with new directors). However, she has added celebrity stalking and identity theft to sketch a scary bad guy, and she creates in Ranger's daughter, Julie, a spirited 10-year-old version of her mesmerizing father. The ending is downright terrifying,

This book has humor, but, I must admit it scared me too!  Good read!