The winner of the $20 Target gift certificate is...Betsy. She submitted Last Words by George Carlin with Tony Hendra. Her take: “These will never be George Carlin’s ‘Last Words’ because his humor will be legendary.”
Thank you to the other participants this week, who reviewed the following books:
Fiddle Gome by Richard Thompson, reviewed by Kay Yewell:
"Retro-noir novel of Gypsey bunco and revenge from the author of Frog Box. A complex plot which doesn't slow down, a fascinating journey founded in WW II and ending in the 'throw back' present. Off-beat characters live the journey. A fun read."
The Old Fox Deceiv'd by Martha Grimes, reviewed by Paula: "This is the second book in what is affectionately called the 'Richard Jury' mysteries. These books are colorfully-written, in such a way as to keep the reader in another era -even though they're written as taking place in current times. I guess it is because all the mysteries take place in old (and authentic) English pubs. Then there is Richard Jury himself, who seems as quaint as the countryside. Jury has a way of putting all suspects at ease before delivering the startling and powerful questions. Grimes writes the entire book in the same manner. She has you relaxed and thinking you know who the culprit is, and then with power she delivers the surprising climax."
The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes, reviewed by Paula:
"This book introduces us to multifarious characters, three of which continue to develop throughout the entire Richard Jury series. Richard Jury is the Scotland Yard detective who keeps his nerves steady through the most bizarre murders and keeps his childish innocence by making footprints in the snow. Melrose Plant is the titled aristocrat who has denounced his titles searching for who he really is. After clumsily aiding Jury in solving four grizzly murders, could sluthing be his real inner quest? Lady Agatha Ardry, Melrose's aunt, is the self-proclaimed 'expert' detective who causes more problems than she solves and who everyone tries to avoid by sending her on bogus clues. These three lives take us through a wonderfully-foriegn world of quaintly-bizarre English pubs (each book in the series is named after and related to a pub), and somehow make us feel safe and at home."
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, reviewed by Cathy.
American Thighs: The Sweet Potato Queens’ Guide to Preserving Your Assets by Jill Brown, reviewed by Betsy: “The Sweet Potato Queens’ series is always enjoyable to read for a woman, or even a man.”
Sworn to Silence by Linda Costello, reviewed by Kay: “Witness meets Silence of the Lambs. Former romantic novelist starts a series about a woman who left her Amish faith to live in the big city, eventually becoming a cop and returning to her home town as the police chief. Good mystery with insights about the Amish-“English” interface. Naturally a former romance writer gets the infrequent sex scenes right.”
Iron River by Jeff Parker, reviewed by Kay: “Complex story of guns and the drug trade along the California-Mexico border. Second or third novel featuring a LASD deputy with an interesting backstory. Some really interesting characters and enough action to keep your spine chilling.”
Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathaniel West, reviewed by Jean M.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls, reviewed by Jean M.
The Gates by John Connolly, reviewed by Kaye: “A brilliant, hilarious, purely-enchanting novel for young people of all ages, a sci-fi fantasy where young peoples’ universe and thinking outside the box triumph over the grotesque evil wrought by adults. A must-read!”
The Beginning Runner’s Handbook by Ian MacNeill, reviewed by Monika: “Great book to start and build up on your running program. I loved the training tips by Olympic runner Lynn Kansha in every chapter.”
The Daylight Diet by Paul Nison, reviewed by Monika: “ I finished reading this book 2 weeks ago and started following some of the advice. My weight loss which had plateaued started again. Lost 2.5 lbs in the last 2 weeks. Wonderful tips for health and longevity.”
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, reviewed by Sally.
Tsar by Ted Bell, reviewed by Patricia: “Can the Cold War come back with a vengeance? Lead by a brilliant, diabolical self-appointed ‘Tsar,’ this is exactly what can happen. The possibility of one man holding the destruction of the world in his hands is bone-chilling! Clever, up-to-date, using present technology – this is a thriller that makes us all think of the possibilities.”
Silencer by James W. Hall, reviewed by Kaye: “Above-average “intimate” thriller set in rural South Florida with an environmental point-of-view. Doesn’t’ spend a lot of time with character development, but continuing characters mitigate the lack. Plenty of weird characters that you really don’t want to know better. Too much character development can slow the action down. A fast read that will raise your pulse a few notches."
A Deadly Silver Sea by Bob Morris, reviewed by Bo and Pat. (three checks for "cheers" - good book!)
