Mysteries: Appointment in May by Neil Albert This is the 5th in a series of detective mysteries. Mr. Albert delivers as always. His endings are always a surprise. A solid detective story! The Secret of Villa Mimosa by Elizabeth Adler Nice light mystery/romance. It was a nice trip to South of France. Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews A thoroughly entertaining murder mystery with quirky, likeable characters and a good mystery to solve. I will read more books in this series. Oakdale Confidential by Anonymous It was not a good book. All the female characters had so many affairs with other people that I could not follow the storyline. Aunt Dimity & the Deep Blue Sea by Nancy Atherton • Good book. • Lori and her husband Bill and their twin sons, Will and Rob confront true evil with the help of friends. All are changed by the events. (There is no new stuffed animal in this book.) Nails by Peter Bowen Not the usual murder mystery. Because of the number of characters and the author’s use of cowboy ‘lingo’ the story moved slowly until the last few chapters. I do not agree with “Midweek Book Review” that Bowen does for Montana what Hillerman does for Mexico. Evan Help Us by Rhys Bowen Great reading for anyone who likes light mystery and chair side touring. If you are an Anglophile, in love with Wales, this is the book for you! One of a series, all on the same theme. Out of Range By C. J. Box Enjoyed the book and the described local area as it brought back memories of vacationing in the area. Well written and developed. I’ll look for other titles by this author. The Witness at the Wedding by Simon Brett Family dynamics through the generations when a wedding is involved. Sour Puss by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown Have always loved this series and its promotion of the idea that our pets are smarter than we think. Felt this one had too much technical information about wine making, but it is a good continuation of an excellent mystery series. The Judgment by D.W. Buffa A great thriller! I could not put it down. A must read. Crusader’s Cross by James Lee Burke Another great read starring, Dave Robicheaux, a sheriff’s deputy in Iberia Parish, LA. With his usual blend of mystery & mayhem, Burke has once again given his readers a winner!! Fabulous descriptions of southern LA make his books truly special. A Mysterious History by Charlotte Carter (Guidepost Mystery) An OK read. Sometime a slight bit tedious. Not really a gripping mystery. Celebrity Trouble by David Champion (Bomber Hanson mystery) Shades of Michael Jackson!! Enjoyed the book. Think Tod Hanson a great character as well as “Bomber”. Easy Come, Easy Go by David Champion The book was OK. I’m not crazy about lawyer books, but the way Bomber (the father) treats his son (Tod), I’m not crazy about someone like that. Not even in a book. The book did have a good twist at the end though. Nobody Roots for Goliath by David Champion Good read, not as enjoyable as some of his other books. Phantom Virus by David Champion Up to usual “Bomber” standards. She Died for her Sins by David Champion Exciting, amusing and enjoyable. Tod Hanson finds his dream girl!! 2 Too Rich and Too Thin by David Champion As always, Bomber and Tod Hanson triumph against all odds. A good read. Our Lady of Pain by Marion Chesney (Edwardian Murder Mystery) • An independent young lady of Edwardian times gets involved in a murder to the consternation of her very proper parents. • Fun read. Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs I love the “Indigo Tea Shop” mystery series. Theodosia and all her staff and Earl Grey, the dog, are interesting participants. The descriptions are wonderful and so real you can taste the scones and “goodies’. You feel you are right in Charleston enjoying the shops and gardens. There’s always a good murder for her to solve. Fleeced by Carol Higgins Clark Very interesting mystery. This Reagan Riley story keeps you guessing until the end. It’s consistent with other stories by this author. Hitched by Carol Higgins Clark • A great plot with humorous “characters”. Bringing the various themes together with weddings as the pivot is definitely interesting. Reader is always waiting for the next twist! • I really tried to finish this book but the characters were so shallow and the writing…well, I’ve read compositions by 8th graders that were written better. If you enjoy shallow, fluff novels then this book might be for you. But if you prefer your novels to be well written, then don’t bother with this book. International Association of Crime Writers Presents: Bad Behavior edited by Mary Higgins Clark I read this because of Mary Higgins Clark’s reputation, but this is definitely not as good as hers. Quick easy read. Some stories good – Some not. None were great. 3 The Lottery Winner by Mary Higgins Clark This is a typical murder mystery, but done with a different twist. Alvirah and Willy are working people who have won a big lottery. She still solves mysteries. Murder on the Aisle by Edited by Mary Higgins Clark Some stories are better than others. Short stories easy to listen to while out running errands. Not a collection I would check out again. Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter by Blaize Clement Great book. Page turner. Couldn’t put it down. Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben This book is about an ex-basketball player who found out about an illegitimate son who needs bone marrow in order to survive. It’s a great murder mystery with lots of twists. I enjoyed it immensely. Gone for Good by Harlan Coben I found this book very violent and overly kinky. When beginning the book, it looked interesting but the further I read it went downhill with all his confusing sub-plots. Promise Me by Harlan Coben Great book. Steamed by Jessica Conant & Susan Conant A feisty, fast paced look at the high-end restaurant business and basic human nature. Yummy sounding recipes. Bride and Groom by Susan Conant A dog lover’s delight! Holly, a successful columnist, a writer of “101 ways to cook liver,” and owner of 3 malamutes falls in love with a successful veterinarian who owns 2 dogs. When the wedding takes place all the dogs are participants. Along with this, 3 murders take place in and around Boston. 4 Scratch the Surface by Susan Conant I guess I’m used to Braun’s stories with the 2 Siamese personalities that take on active roles in those stories and well as their owner. It seemed strange to me that the cat writer in this one didn’t own a cat until this story and didn’t seem to know how they would act. Blood Work by Michael Connelly The book was well-written – little mystery, little medical, little love and a lot of suspense. Great storytelling. The Closers by Michael Connelly A good read – Many twists and turns in an old murder case. A crime novel with suspense. The Ying on Triad by Kent Conwell Pretty fast moving, but predictable. All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell As always, Cornwell creates a detective story with tasteful levels of criminal acts and a faint love affair. At Risk by Patricia Cornwell • Much better than Cornwell’s previous novel. (Blowfly) Great twists and turns and of course a surprise ending. Very fast reading most like her earlier novels. • Very different from the Scarpetta novels – involves a DA and her investigator and the re-opening of a 20-year-old case outside their jurisdiction – politics, greed, ego involved. • Not one of her best books. • It was different from her usual series with Kate Scarpetta, but not too bad. I think I would like to learn more about the way Win works. I did enjoy this book. • A more simplistic ‘who-dun-it’ than her Scarpetta novels but full of rich developed characters. Holds interest and is a quick read. Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell Excellent mystery of twists and turns. 5 A Vineyard Killing by Philip R. Craig Good book – sometimes the characters were hard to keep track of. L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais Good detective story. It is suspenseful and a page-turner. You cannot wait to turn the page and read on to find out if the clues lead to getting closer to solving the case. A Catered Christmas by Isis Crawford I feel the author could have told this story in half as many pages. Author worked too hard to make a story out of nothing. Her other books may be described as “mouth watering mysteries”. But not this one. Dead Man Docking by Mary Daheim Humorous and fun. A Bed & Breakfast mystery without the B & B. Judith Flynn & her cousin Renie Jones find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation instead of a vacation cruise to the South Pacific. The Enemy of God by Robert Daley Great character development exhibiting the frailty of man leading lives of quiet desperation. Recall earlier published book “Year of the Dragon” that was good. Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson Light reading. Enjoy how the author uses recipes in the story and then is kind enough to include them in her books. Charity by Len Deighton He has not lost his touch. This is the last in the series of ten books concerning Bernard Samson and his spying on the Communist East.