Lucas Davenport has his hands full. The Republican convention is being held in Minneapolis. Someone is robbing the "money man". These are the underwraps guys who pass out money to grease the wheels of the convention. Although no one wants it made public, so far, the robbers have made off with several million. It's Lucas' job to find them and stop them before more damage is done and more people are killed. In the meantime, Lucas' ward, Letty is having problems of her own. She finds out that Randy Whitcomb, a criminal who holds Lucas responsible for him being in a wheelchair, plans to abduct her. Letty takes matters in her own hands as she realizes that Lucas would kill the man and it could be very dangerous for him and his career.
I love John Sandford's Lucas Davenport books. It has been a while since I read one and I thought this one was hard to get into at first. The dialogue was very disjointed. Somehow, the writing was jarring for me. If I hadn't loved so many of the books in the series before this one, I think I would have given up. It did get better and I ended up liking the book quite a bit. I am looking forward to more of Lucas and it seems that Letty may be a main character in books in the future, too.
Rating - 4 stars
Saturday, July 25, 2009
FINGER LICKING FIFTEEN
Stephanie Plum is back and life is chaotic as usual. She and Joe have broken up. Something to do with a fight about peanut butter. So, she is working part time for Ranger trying to figure out what has gone wrong in his top-notch security company. There have been several break-ins and that certainly isn't good for business. As one can imagine, sparks are flying between Stephanie and Ranger. Lula has problems of her own. She witnessed a murder of the Chipotle Barbeque Man. His head was knocked off right in front of her eyes. The men who did it are trying to kill Lula and Stephanie is doing her best to keep her alive. Of course, Morelli is on the case, too. Lula thinks the best way to capture the murderers is to enter a BBQ contest herself and Grandma Mazur is her assistant!
I love Stephanie Plum and Janet Evanovich. Some people complain because these aren't hard-core mysteries. I say, so what? If you don't like them, then don't keep reading them. I thought that Stephanie was her usual fun and kind of mixed up self. She did manage to stay out of Ranger's bed, if not his bedroom. I found this book to be a fun little romp and like always, I am looking forward to the next installment!
Rating - 4.5 stars
I love Stephanie Plum and Janet Evanovich. Some people complain because these aren't hard-core mysteries. I say, so what? If you don't like them, then don't keep reading them. I thought that Stephanie was her usual fun and kind of mixed up self. She did manage to stay out of Ranger's bed, if not his bedroom. I found this book to be a fun little romp and like always, I am looking forward to the next installment!
Rating - 4.5 stars
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
HORNSWOGGLED
Alafair Tucker keeps a close watch on her brood of children. That isn't easy when you have three lovely daughters of marriage age. Alice has always been her sharpest and most outgoing of her daughters. She seems to have her sights set on the town's barber who is a recent widower. Things get very interesting when Walter's wife is found in a lake by Alafair's sons, Charlie and Gee Dub while they are fishing. Alafair, along with Sherrif Tucker, are bound and determined to figure who killed the woman. Alafair is sure that Walter was involved somehow and she wants to find out before Alice loses her heart to the charming but somewhat smarmy barber.
As always, spending time with Alafair Tucker and her brood is like being part of a warm and loveable family from a simpler time. I love Donis Casey's descriptions of everyday life in Oklahoma around 1912. Some of the complexities of who killed the woman and how her body got where it finally was found seem just a little too convoluted. Still, the reader is ready to overlook any and all minor faults because the characters are so enjoyable.
Rating - 4.5 stars
As always, spending time with Alafair Tucker and her brood is like being part of a warm and loveable family from a simpler time. I love Donis Casey's descriptions of everyday life in Oklahoma around 1912. Some of the complexities of who killed the woman and how her body got where it finally was found seem just a little too convoluted. Still, the reader is ready to overlook any and all minor faults because the characters are so enjoyable.
Rating - 4.5 stars
THE GIRLS FROM AMES
Eleven girls grow up in Ames, Iowa and become the closest of high school friends. Some of their friendships began in grade school, some later but by high school, they are a very tight group. Nearly thirty years later, they are still very close friends. They manage to get together about once a year and they communicate frequently by email. Together, they remember their days in school and share their current joys and sorrows that are a part of all women's lives.
I loved this book for many reasons. I am an Iowa girl and very familiar with Ames. They girls are only a few years younger than me so many of their high school memories are things that I can relate to. I also am blessed to have friends from college that still get together and a group of adult women friends that I share many things with. We also try to travel together and we certainly share life's ups and downs together. Sometimes all the side notes about women's friendships got a little dull but I really enjoyed the snapshots of each of the girls' lives and how they related to one another.
Rating - 4.5 stars
I loved this book for many reasons. I am an Iowa girl and very familiar with Ames. They girls are only a few years younger than me so many of their high school memories are things that I can relate to. I also am blessed to have friends from college that still get together and a group of adult women friends that I share many things with. We also try to travel together and we certainly share life's ups and downs together. Sometimes all the side notes about women's friendships got a little dull but I really enjoyed the snapshots of each of the girls' lives and how they related to one another.
Rating - 4.5 stars
ROADSIDE CROSSES
Kathryn Dance is tied up with an investigation of roadside crosses that a killer is putting out with dates in the future. The deaths seem to be tied to a blog. It all starts with a fairly innocuous post about an accident that killed two teenagers. The young man driving soon becomes the victim of cyberbullying and it seems he has run away from home and has begun killing anyone who has said ugly things about him on the blog. Kathryn is in totally unfamiliar territory as she tries to learn about the world of games that sometimes seem more real to its participants than the real world. At the same time, Kathryn's mother has been accused of a mercy killing at the hospital and is facing angry mobs and murder charges.
Jeffrey Deaver is one of my favorite authors and once again, he does not disappoint. I thought this book started out a little slow but as I got more caught up in it, I found it to be very intriguing. Kathryn Dance is a very likeable character. Her relationship with her partner, O'Neil, continues to hint at a possible romance but he remains married. The new character, a professor who helps with the computer aspects of this case, introduced in this book seems like a possible love interest, too. Some of the computer stuff is too far out of my reality but overall, I enjoyed the book.
Rating - 4.5 stars
Jeffrey Deaver is one of my favorite authors and once again, he does not disappoint. I thought this book started out a little slow but as I got more caught up in it, I found it to be very intriguing. Kathryn Dance is a very likeable character. Her relationship with her partner, O'Neil, continues to hint at a possible romance but he remains married. The new character, a professor who helps with the computer aspects of this case, introduced in this book seems like a possible love interest, too. Some of the computer stuff is too far out of my reality but overall, I enjoyed the book.
Rating - 4.5 stars
DARK HORSE
Sherrif Walt Longmire has a woman in his jail who is accused of shooting her husband in the head six times after he started the barn with her horses on fire. All the evidence is there but still Walt isn't convinced that she did it. He decides to do some investigation of his own. Everyone agrees that the husband had plenty of enemies but that isn't making it any easier to find the answers as to how the murder happened. Walt finds himself in a small, unfriendly town where it seems that he may get beat up rather than get the answers he is looking for.
Craig Johnson is one of those people who just knows what it takes to tell a story. He weaves another tale of Sherrif Longmire and his friends with Walt searching for justice. There were a few things that I didn't like so well. The narrator kept switching back from the past to present tense. At times, this was very confusing. This is a more minor detail but I would have loved to have had more in the story about Henry Standing Bear, Bea, Walt's daughter and some of the other characters that have become favorites in the past few books. Overall, though, I can't wait for Johnson's next edition in the Walt Longmire series.
Rating - 4.5 stars
Craig Johnson is one of those people who just knows what it takes to tell a story. He weaves another tale of Sherrif Longmire and his friends with Walt searching for justice. There were a few things that I didn't like so well. The narrator kept switching back from the past to present tense. At times, this was very confusing. This is a more minor detail but I would have loved to have had more in the story about Henry Standing Bear, Bea, Walt's daughter and some of the other characters that have become favorites in the past few books. Overall, though, I can't wait for Johnson's next edition in the Walt Longmire series.
Rating - 4.5 stars
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)