FEARLESS FOURTEEN

Stephanie Plum is back and as usual, her life is full of chaos. She has agreed to help Ranger provide security for Brenda, an aging rock star. When she brings in a woman for skipping her court date, the woman begs her to pick up her 13-year-old son from school. Little does Stephanie realize that she and Morelli will become the computer geek kid's guardians. Life gets even crazier when the word leaks out that a bank robber may have burried $9 million somewhere on Morelli's property. With people digging in the yard, Mooner acting as a babysitter for the computer geek, Lula planning a wedding with a reluctant groom and Stephanie as the only one who can save the boy's mom, it's typical Stephanie Plum insanity.

Several reviewers wrote this recent installment in the Plum series off as being totally worthless. I'm not saying that it was great literature but it was a fun read, typical Janet Evanovich humor and nonsense. I can't imagine who would expect anything different. I thought the storyline was amusing and easy to follow, so what is there to complain about? Besides, this book had lots of Morelli and he's my favorite!

Rating - 4 stars

MITFORD BEDSIDE COMPANION

This book is a compilation of many of the favorite scenes in all the the Mitford series. Jan Karon, along with the help of her sister, show again why this series was so popular with readers. As I read this book, I was reminded of my favorite characters and taken back to scenes and story lines that I had forgotten. Some parts were a little redundant, like the section relating to the seasons, but overall, it was very pleasant to spend time again in Mitford with Fr. Tim, Cynthia, Dooley and the whole gang. I'm not much of one for re-reading books but this was a pleasant way to review and yes, it does make me consider reading the whole series again. Either that or I can wait for the next in Karon's Holly Spring Series.

Thanks for a wonderful review of my Mitford memories!

Rating - 4.5 stars

BILLY BOYLE

Billy Boyle is a young police detective from Boston. When it seems clear that he will have to serve in WWII, his family decides to do whatever possible to keep him from being in harm's way. They contact his distant, Uncle Ike, and Billy is assigned to the General's staff. He expects to find himself in an office position doing paperwork. Instead, he is to be a detective for the General. He soon finds himself searching for the killer in a castle at a summit. With the help of two new friends, Billy tests his own abilities as a detective. Racing all over England and getting into plenty of scrapes, Billy begins to learn what the war is really all about.

This is the first in the series by Bern and it was lots of fun! Billy is a wisecracking American and his new friends, Kaz and Daphne, make great companions. Billy got to the rank of detective with help from his family and he's not too confident that he really knows how to conduct an investigation, plus all of the rules that he knew at home have changed. The book is an great look at WWII from the perspective of more than just Americans. Sure, some of Billy's success is purely luck, but overall, this book was very enjoyable.

Rating - 4.5 stars

AUDITION

Barbara Walters tells her story of her very successful life. It is interesting to hear how her family influenced many of her choices. Barbara had the opportunity to be part of television in its very early days. She blazed a trail for other women to follow by being a first as an anchor. She had a glamorous career in many ways but at times, her personal life was less than happy.

It took three times checking this audiobook out from the library but I finally finished it. Overall, it was enjoyable and I'm glad Barbara narrated the story herself. She is a very professional and intelligent woman. I don't agree with all of her personal choices but overall, I still feel great admiration for all she has accomplished.

Rating - 4 stars

DEATH'S HALF ACRE

Judge Deborah Knott has a secret. Only she and her daddy, former bootlegger Kezzie Knott, and one other person know the circumstances that led to her appointment as a judge. It seems like that secret might be in danger of being revealed when Candace Bradshaw, county planning and zoning commissioner is found dead. Candace collected information on as many people as possible and used it to gain money and power. No surprise that the list of suspects of people who want her dead is a long one!

I have loved this series by Margaret Maron. Sometimes, she gets a little preachy as she carries on about how development in this area of North Carolina is destroying farming and old ways of life. I do understand her concerns but it can be a little tiresome. As usual, though, I love her characters. It is wonderful to have Deborah happily married. It's always fun to hear about her many brothers and her wonderful daddy. As usual, as soon as I finished, I was hoping for another Deborah Knott story very soon!

Rating - 4.5 stars

WHISKEY SOUR

Jack Daniels, a Chicago police detective, has been having a tough time. Her boyfriend moved out and in with his personal trainer. She's thinking of trying a dating service to meet new men but that has some glitches, too. Most disturbing of all is a serial killer who tracks down women and leaves his signature - a gingerbread man. He seems to delight in taunting Jack and it's a race to see if she can catch him before he kills other - or even Jack.

I have heard of this series for a quite awhile. Mostly, I found this to be a good mystery. I had some reservations about Jack. She's a very tough cookie and it seems that for someone her age, she doesn't have her life together at all. Her mother, although a minor role in the book, seemed pretty unrealistic to me. I'll probably try another book in this series at some point, but it didn't grab me like some books do. It could be the graphic descriptions of the violence but I think most likely it's that I wasn't as drawn to the main character.

Rating - 4 stars