Book 25 of 2013 – Breaking Point – C.J. Box

Breaking PointSo the other night, while the “Lost Boys” that populate Dave Eggers What is the What, were in Atlanta and Kansas, I took a side trip to Saddlestring Wyoming  and read another one of Joe Pickett’s adventures. Book 25 for the year is Breaking Point, the 13 th in C.J.Box’s great series and it’s another good one. I had checked the book out a couple of weeks ago, but I got immersed in two other books and it sat on the shelf. Finally, a few nights ago I picked it up and I don’t think I set it down until I was done! Box can really tell a story with believable characters and suspense that doesn’t let up! read more

Fireproof – Alex Kava

What’s Happening!

So,far 2013 has not been a great year, I think that I’ve missed more work both at Target and Lippincott Jacobs this month than I did all last year, as I’ve fought this upper respiratory virus. My wife his been fighting the same virus. Then top that with the loss of the son’s brother-in-law Will, and Peter’s wife’s grandfather and well it hasn’t been a great month to say the least!

There are some bright spots though first, my daughter Elizabeth has two interviews this coming week for graduate school, one with a top choice Lehigh and the other with a mid-level choice Rider, on Monday and Tuesday and another with Northeastern in Boston at the end of the month! Second I read six books during the month! read more

Book 20 of 2012 – Die a Stranger – Steve Hamiton

In 2004 I read my first Steve Hamilton Alex McKnight novel, Winter Of The Wolf Moon, the second book in the series. The only reason that I read that novel first was that the award winning Cold Day in Paradise was checked out of the library! But after finishing Book 2,  Book 1 followed closely, and I’ve been a fan of the series ever since! Yesterday the 9th  book in the series Die A Stanger became book 20  of 2012! Alex McKnight is an ex-Detroit cop who, with a bullet lodged near his heart, rents cabins in Paradise, a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  This installment of the series focuses on Alex’s best friend, Vinnie LeBlanc. It started as a bad week for Vinnie, his mother the respected leader of the Bay Mills Reservation had died. On her death bed, she mistakes Vinnie for his father, who had long ago  abandoned Vinnie and his siblings. Later that night Vinnie a teetotaler because of this father, meets Alex at their favorite inn, The Glasgow and orders a drink, resulting in the first night he ever got drunk! But that same night, after parting ways with Alex….(from Hamilton’s website) read more

Book 34 of 2011 – Iron House – John Hart

From the first John Hart book I read Down River I was a fan and so are lots of others.  Hart is the only author in history to win the best novel Edgar Award for consecutive novels. (Down River and The Last Child) He has also won the Barry Award and England’s Steel Dagger Award for best thriller of the year. So I was excited when I found his new book Iron House in the library last week and Book 34 for 2011 Iron House did not disappoint! Here’s a quote from Bill Ott’s Booklist Review: read more

Lassiter – Paul Levine

By Paul Levine

So a couple of years ago after reading Paul Levine‘s book Illegal I sent him a message on Facebook and told him that I liked the book but sill missed Jake Lassiter! He emailed me back and told me that his next book was going to be a Lassiter novel. Well, that book, appropriately named Lassiter is Book 33 for 2011.Jake Lassiter is a “low-rent”  Miami attorney, whose clients are usually not from the upper echelon of the Miami social scene. Lassiter also previously played for the Miami Dolphins and was featured in a series of seven books that started with To Speak for the Dead in 1990 and ended with Flesh & Bones in 1997. I’ve read six out of the seven – Number 1 is the only one I haven’t read. And now thanks to reissusing of the books as e-books  for the Kindle, that can be read for only $2.99! read more

Book 24 – Fallen – Karin Slaughter

So for seven years and six books, Karin Slaughter entertained her readers with her Grant County series, featuring Sara Linton and her husband Jeffrey Tolliver. Jeffrey was a cop and Sara a pediatrician and a medical examiner. In 2006, she started another series featuring a dyslexic Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agent Will Trent and his partner Faith Mitchell. In 2009 the two series merged (I’m not telling why) in Undone. Book 24 for the year is the 3rd book in this series Fallen This book had me from the first page and I zipped through the book looking forward to what was going to happen next. read more

Back to Williamsburg and Book 23 – Stealing Faces

Barrett Hall

So the last couple of days have been hectic. Wednesday was a travel day down to Williamsburg, Va. to take my daughter back to college. Yesterday was spent lugging her stuff up three flights of stairs to her room. Fortunately, it was not quite as hot this year as last, but it was still hot! In addition to taking stuff from the car we also had to go and get the stuff she left in storage in the attic (the 5th floor) of a dorm a couple of dorms over from hers. That excursion included carrying the refrigerator and a large box down the stairs because they were working on the elevator! Then after we got her moved in it was time to go to Target and get the final stuff that she needed and then to The Home Depot for the rug  and the air conditioner!  But everything is moved in and her room looks great! Today was the trip home with a side trip to a cemetery in Baltimore to find some children of a distance cousin on my wife’s family tree. That trip was unsuccessful but I’m sure she took some good pictures! read more

Book 21 – Chris Mooney – Remembering Sarah

Book 21 of the year Chris Mooney‘s Remembering Sarahhas been on my To Be Read pile for some time now. But the other day after moving some books around it was sitting out, so after finishing The Baxter Trust, I picked it up and for a couple of days I couldn’t put it down. The story begins when Mike Sullivan promises to take six year old daughter Sarah sledding on The Hill. When his overprotective wife Jess  hears about the outing, she tells Mike no way! So like a good husband Mike waits until Jess leaves and then sneaks out with Sarah to the hill! At the hill, Sarah, ever the strong willed and independent girl, wants to go up the hill by herself. Mike always encouraging her independence and strong will lets her go. Then the worst happens, Sarah never comes down! The book takes off from there as, Mike, with his marriage falling apart relentlessly searches for Sarah investigating every lead he can to find her. Mike, and everyone in town, is convinced that the Father Jonah, who has already been linked to the disappearance of three other girls is the culprit. But Jonas is dying and Mike must find out what he knows before he passes on or will lose Sarah forever!  Amidst all this Mike is also dealing with a mother that left him when he was twelve and a criminal and abusive father, not much on his plate, huh! Like I said I just couldn’t put the book down last night until I finished! read more

Book 20 – 2011 The Baxter Trust – Parnell Hall

So one of my favorite mystery series is Parnell Hall‘s Stanley Hasting series. Well now Mr. Hall wishes to be the “King of Kindle” and as such he has placed his books at the Kindle store at bargain prices. In addition, he has put up a series he wrote under the name of J.P Hailey. These books feature a down on his luck lawyer, actor, and cab driver named Steve Winslow. Book 20 for 2011 is the first of these books The Baxter Trustand while it may not be  great literature, it is great fun! read more

Book 19 – Misery Bay – Steve Hamilton

So I was all set last night to write about my run. How another rock band Voodoo Circle and their new album Black Heart Syndrome was the soundtrack for the 4.2 mile run complete in just under a ten minute per mile pace (which was not bad because I went uphill for parts of the run), but alas that was not to be! I sat down started to read Book 19 Steve Hamilton‘s latest Alex McKnight novel Misery Bay and continued reading until I went to bed,(except for that 1/2 hour nap). I finished the book at lunchtime today.<u> Misery Bay</u> is the eighth book in the McKnight series and the first since 2006 and is a worthy addition to the series. read more