#85 Four to Score

#85
Four to Score
Janet Evanovich
1998
338
Mystery
3.5 out of 5
Library


This one seemed to drag a bit for me. Even though Morelli was hotter than ever, the whole storyline was a bit slow. This time out Stephanie is tracking Maxine Nowicki, who's wanted for skipping out on a car-theft charge. But of course that is not the whole story and in walks the usual cast of crazies that usually inhabit Stephanie’s life. Sally Sweet, a cross dressing drag queen, Sugar his kinda roommate, the wonderful Lula, hot Joe Morelli, the very mysterious Ranger, the pot selling vegetable guy, Grandma Mazur and Joyce who just never seems to disappear. Of course apartments are firebombed and of course another car is torched, but hey, this is Stephanie Plum and these things happen. The romance, or whatever you would call it, heats up between Stephanie and Joe is what kept me reading this book. Their “relationship” was more interesting than the mystery, if that is what you would call it.
Amazon Review:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312966970/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#84 Other People's Love Letters

#84
Other People's Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See
Bill Shapiro
2007
192
Letters
5 out of 5
Library

Accidentally on purpose, Bill Shapiro read a love letter left on his girlfriends counter, not once, but three times. Thus began his collecting of love letters. Not your usual collection of letters, not always the undying love type, these letters will make you laugh, cry and at times make you glad that crazy obsessed stalker like people have found others to write to. At the end you will find a post script to some of these letters that will warm you heart all over again. Designed in very much the same way as the Post Secret Books, this is a great gift to share with your friends. Amazon Review:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307382648/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#83 Don't Tell

#83
Don't Tell
Karen Rose
2003
340
Thriller
4 out of 5
TBR
Mary Grace Winters had to reinvent herself. There was no other choice after her abusive cop husband threw her down the stairs for the second time causing her extensive injuries. Finding a safe house and a friend, she and her son change their identities and became Caroline and Tom Stewart and a new life began. She goes back to college, finds a secretarial position in the history department and when her mentor suddenly dies, in walks the new department head, the handsome Max Hunter. But little did Caroline know, her husband is not totally out of the picture. As their love grows and their literal scars are shown, Caroline’s past life reappears and both she and Max are in for the ride of their lives. No past is left buried for long, but with the love of friends and family there is nothing that they can’t face together. Not even a brutal wife beater.I can’t call this a fun book, but it does keep you turning the pages. Rose handles the topic in an honest way without it being preachy and the intimate scenes are warm without being too mushy. I enjoyed the book and will continue on with this author.
Amazon Review:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446618969/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#82 If I am Missing or Dead

#82
If I am Missing or Dead
Janine Latus
2007
307
Biography
2 out of 5
Library

Oh yeah, and my sister was murdered. This would have been a much better title to this self serving book. What is billed as one sister’s love for the other, of the death that involved fear and pain is really a repetition of the author’s horrible abusive relationships, of a father that is one step short of a rapist, of a woman who claims repeatedly that she is a feminist, but never stands up for herself. Who thinks all men what to have sex with her, that if only this abusive man will love me and I make his world perfect all will be well. Amy, the one the book is supposed to be about is mentioned only in passing until page 200 when the author finally gets around to saying she is missing; then 253 when she is presumably dead and then the book is over on page 307 where there is a call to donate to her sisters Courage Fund. Why was I lied to? Tell me that this is a woman's experience with domestic violence, tell me that it’s a woman’s struggle to overcome that violence, tell me that the experiences that the two sisters lived with their father caused them to become further victims. Trust me with the truth and not lie about the subject of the book.Amazon Review:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WPPX50/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#81 Snobbery with Violence

#81
Snobbery with Violence
Marion Chesney
2003
226
Cozy Mystery
4 out of 5
TBR
When Sir Geoffrey Blandon makes his intentions know that he would like the hand of Lady Rose Summer, her father wants to know if his intentions are honorable and hires the rather questionable Captain Harry Cathcare to do some intelligence work. Lady Rose, still young and impetuous, outs Blandon and is therefore called into question herself as not being ladylike and rather ruined for the season if not for all suitable suitors. Being banished from all proper soirees, Lady Rose finally accepts a weekend invitation to Lord Hedley’s estate and what do you think happens – a woman is murdered, fingers are pointed, accusations are made and it’s up to Rose, her newly fashioned and quite clever maid Daisy, Cathcare and his servant Becket to save the day. And don’t forget Superintendent Kerridge of the Scotland Yard who just might have his eye on that unfeminine female.This was a fun romp of Edwardian scandal, intrigue and high society.Marion Chesney also writes the M. C. Beaton series Agatha Raisin and Hamish MacBeth Amazon Review:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312997167/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#80 No Time for Goodbye

#80
No Time for Goodbye
Linwood Barclay
2007
338
Mystery
3 out of 5
TBR
Twenty-five years after her entire family vanishes in the night without a trace, teen rebel Cynthia Bigge Archer is still struggling to make sense of their disappearance and to live a normal life with her husband and daughter. That is until disturbing clues begin appearing and start to pull her world apart. Does she know more than she is telling, is her husband trying to drive her insane, who knows what, and who is trying to bring the past to the present. Soon Cynthia fears for her own sanity and before long the shocking truth is told, but would it have been better left buried.This book was rather slow moving for me. Not that you could guess the ending, but after awhile I found that I didn’t care about the ending. Too many people with too many secrets stretched out for too long. The only fun character was Vince; you could actually make a whole book out of his adventures. Amazon Review:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055380555X/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#79 The Mourning Sexton

#79
The Mourning Sexton
Michael Baron
2005
405
Legal Thriller
4 out of 5
TBR
Struggling to put his life and career back together after serving time for embezzling and defrauding his clients, attorney David Hirsh is approached at minyon by Abe Shifrin a member of his synagogue. It is coming up on the third anniversary of his daughter Judith’s death and he would like David to finally find justice for her. Knowing of this car accident David thinks that there is little that can be done considering the only other person in the car was a US District Judge and the case was closed. Little did David know that what he was getting into when he agreed to look into it from a product liability case involving faulty tires and big names. What begins as a simple inquiry turns into a case of cold-blooded murder and high-level conspiracy.The reader is taken deep into the legal and religious world of David Hirsh. At some points a non-lawyer like me got a little lost, but the story is tightly wound with enough Yiddish thrown in that it makes you glad that there is a little dictionary in the back. Told in much the same way as Turow or Grisham, this book will keep you engaged to the end. Favorite character was Rosenbloom with his raw humor, intelligence and love of the fight. Also writes under the name of Michael KahnAmazon Review:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0515141461/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#78 On Strike for Christmas

#78
On Strike for Christmas
Sheila Roberts
2007
319
Fiction
4 out of 5
Library
Laura and Joy, fearless members in the Stitch ‘n Bitch knitting club are tired of their husbands do nothing, or at least as little as possible, attitude towards holiday planning, entertaining and gift buying. So they boycott, they go on strike, if the men don’t care, neither do they. Soon other members of the group join in which leads to a comical mess of trees and wrapping, not to mention family photos and children’s pageants. When harried husbands are involved you just don’t know what you are going to get.I laughed my way through this book. There were a couple of rather token moments that Roberts added to tug at our heartstrings, but for the most part it was an hilarious romp through the hectic holiday with a magnifying glass into marriages and what when you boil it all down is important.Amazon Review: Christmas Man-Stylehttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312370229/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#77 The Christmas Box

#77
The Christmas Box
Richard Paul Evans
1993
125
Fiction
4 out of 5
TBR

Rick, Keri, and their 4-year-old daughter, Jenna, respond to an advertisement written by an elderly woman who is looking for a couple to work as caretakers and companions just before the holiday season. While moving in, Rick finds an old box that he is drawn to and one evening hears music coming from the box. When he opens it, he finds old letters that stirs his curiosity. That combined with reoccurring dreams of angels and Mary questioning what the first true gift of Christmas was, lead the reader on a wonderful journey of the joys and the true meaning of Christmas. And how if we get too drawn up in our own lives, we miss out on the lives around us.

Amazon: A Christmas Gift

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684814994/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#76 The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up

#76
The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up
Rich Blake
2007
246
Biography
5 out of 5
Library

In 1995, 34 year old Buffalo firefighter, Donny Herbert was trapped under a collapsed roof in a burning house and deprived of oxygen for six minutes; he suffered severe anoxic brain injury and lapsed into a coma with occasional semi responsive moments. His wife, Linda, and their four young sons prayed diligently and reached out to their Catholic community, and over the years tried different forms of rehab for Donny, including intensive physical and speech therapy in addition to new drugs cocktails. However, he remained more or less unchanged, and the doctors seemed to give up hope and predicted a vegetative state for the rest of his life. Not giving up or taking no for an answer, Linda took him to Dr. Jamil Ahmed, who experimented with Donny's medications, and on a what appeared to be a typical day in 2005, Donny simply started talking again. At first nobody believed the call from Donny’s sister in law since she was the family practical jokester but the family quickly ran to Donny’s rehab center and for a few days Donny caught up on nine years of family history, including re-meeting his young son who he could not believe was the baby that he remembered; the talking eventually subsided, and the family had very little time left with Donny. It is impossible not to tie Donny's recovery to divine intervention since faith and the story of Father Nelson Baker are such crucial parts of the whole story. This is a truly remarkable account that that has you turning pages way into the night and gives you hope that true miracles can and do happen.

Amazon Review: A Miracle Not Easily Forgotten
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307383164/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

#75 18 Seconds

#75
18 Seconds
George D. Shuman
2006
308
Mystery
4 out of 5
TBR

When Sherry Moore was 5 years old she was found near death at the bottom of the stairs of a city hospital. She had no memory and no eye sight. As a young child, Sherry attends a funeral and while touching the deceased hand she “sees” what happened in their last 18 seconds of life. Their visions of life and their death. Kelly O’Shaughnessy new police lieutenant with seemingly unrelated abductions in Wildwood, New Jersey. That is they seem unrelated until she receives a phone call that starts to put some of the pieces together. Together with the help of Moore and her partner John Payne, crimes are solved that lead all parties concerned in directions that they could never see coming. A large cast of characters that seems to be disjointed all come together in a terrifying ending that has you rapidly turning pages until the dramatic conclusion that leaves you breathless and wanting more from an extraordinary author. If it’s such a great book why only a 4? I was expecting it to be more about Moore’s character. All characters are well drawn and each has their own storyline. Guess I just jumped to the wrong conclusion and got stuck there.

Amazon: Leaves You Breathless and Wanting More 12/05/07

#74 Organize your Corpses

#74
Organize Your Corpses
Mary Jane Maffini
2007
276
Cozy Mystery
4 out of 5
TBR

Charlotte Adams has returned to her hometown of Woodbridge, New York as a professional organizer. She has received a call of an old teacher known widely as Hellfire Henley. When Charlotte’s returns to the Henley Mansion, Hellfire is found dead under a mound of old newspapers and Charlotte is drawn into a confusing and dangerous who-done-it, and being the prime suspect, she must clear herself before she becomes the next victim. A larger cast of characters that gets a little twisty at times, you have to pay closer attention than most cozy mysteries.

Amazon Review: You have to pay attention

http://tinyurl.com/276ff8