CHILI CON QUESO

Once again, the Flab Five are fighting crime. They are enrolled in a Mexican cooking class for a break from dieting. One of the classmates agrees to help out with a field trip to a cave with one of Lindy's art classes. During the trip, the beautiful Parker is found dead. Lucy and James are no longer dating but both are working to solve the murder. James finds himself with a new girlfriend in Murphy and she's also super-sleuth to solve her friend's murder.

Sometimes, the beginning of these books getting to the murder seems a bit contrived. Still, one must just hang in there. The Flab Five seem like old friends as they struggle with their diets and still seek to achieve their dreams. It was kind of sad having Lucy and James split up and something leaves the reader to think that something more could happen there. It was fun to meet Milla, the cooking teacher and see how she becomes friends with James' father. I found out that I skipped the second in the series, "Fit To Die", so I'm sure that I will be picking it up again very soon!

Rating - 4.5 stars

TRUE EVIL

Alex Morse is an FBI agent, whose life has recently been turned upside down. Her father was shot in an accident while he was working as a private investigator, her mother is dying of ovarian cancer, Alex is seriously injured in an accident that killed a co-worker, and most recently, her sister died unexpectedly of a stroke. On her deathbed, Alex's sister Grace, insists she was murdered and begs Alex to save her son from his father, Grace's husband. As Alex learns more, she is certain that a certain divorce lawyer is killing off wealthy client's spouses to save them money they would lose in a divorce. When Alex approaches Dr. Chris Shepherd and tells him that she has reason to believe that his wife is trying to have him killed, Shepherd finds it hard to believe the distraught FBI agent. He is certain that her personal tragedies have impaired her ability to cope. Slowly, though, as more evidence comes to light, Shepherd realizes that Alex may be on to something and his life could be in danger.

This is the second Greg Iles book that I have read, and once again, I really enjoyed it. I did hate the part about the pathologist and his snakes. Snakes always creep me out but once again, the characters were complex but evoked sympathy. Iles books are long and in depth but it's worth hanging in to find out the conclusion. This one had me sitting in the garage listening for a few extra minutes because I was so hooked.

Rating - 5 stars

THE ASSOCIATE

When Kyle was an undergrad, he did some pretty heavy partying and some pretty stupid stuff. He is graduating with honors from Yale Law School now and the past if far behind him, or so he hopes. Those hopes are dashed one February night when he is blackmailed with a video tape of a drunken night that Kyle hoped was forgotten. The girl in the tape is now saying she was raped. Even though Kyle was not one of the accused, he had been present and a trial would be a very ugly thing for him and his friends. The blackmailers are obviously very connected and seem to know everything about Kyle's life. The plan is for Kyle to take a job in a large legal firm and sneak out confidential data to the blackmailers. It goes against everything that Kyle believes in but he feels he has no choice. He begins to plot to rebel against the blackmailers, but does he have any chance at all against their power?

I almost gave up on John Grisham after his last book. I absolutely hated it. I heard this one was closer to his earlier books, so I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did. For once, I was totally sympathetic to Kyle, the main character. He also had a very likable father and realistic friends. The situation that Kyle and his fraternity brothers found themselves in was also one that anyone would try to avoid. Bennie, the blackmailer and his organization, were pretty nebulous. I enjoyed the book, admired the main character for his guts and found the description of large law firms appalling. Still, it's a little frustrating that Grisham refuses to tie everything together in the end.

Rating - 4 stars

HAIL TO THE CHEF

It's the busiest time of the year for Ollie Paras. As the head chef at the White House, the season from Thanksgiving through the holidays is absolutely crazy. In the midst of holiday preparations, the head electrician is electrocuted. Ollie begins to think that it may not have been accidental. Next, there are bomb threats and of course, training for all the staff to be prepared in case to detect possible bombs. When the President's nephew is found dead, Ollie is sure it wasn't a suicide. He had been advising the First Lady about her father's business, and despite pressure from the other owners to sell, the First Lady doesn't want to do it. As usual, Ollie finds herself in the middle of all of the activities, even the ones that seem to involve murder.

This is Julie Hyzy's second White House Chef book. I think I enjoyed this one even more than the last. There wasn't any international intrigue in this one which is fine with me. It is fun to see Ollie as the head chef and the other characters are fun, if not as well developed. Ollie's job is certainly challenging and it is delightful for the readers to get a glimpse of life in the White House as a staffer, especially in the kitchen.

Rating - 4.5 stars