FATAL ERROR

Ali Reynolds is in the police academy and it's quite a challenge for a 40-something woman. One night, an old aquaintence who was also a newswoman, shows up to talk to Ali. Brenda obviously has some issues with alcohol and has lost her job. She is also begging Ali to help her locate her fiance who suddenly is missing. Brenda is sure that he must be in danger. With the help of B. Simpson, Ali's boyfriend, Brenda learns that her fiance is a man who was involved with multiple women online, promising each that he wants to marry them. Brenda is steamed but Ali doesn't believe that she is capable of murder.

I love J.A. Jance and look forward to each and every book. This one wasn't my favorite. I do like Ali Reynolds but this book had too many different things thrown in. Ali is at the academy but she doesn't get a job as a police officer. Ali covers the restaurant for her parents. Ali's son and his wife are expecting twins. Ali's old friend from her blog is dying and wants Ali to come to visit. We get a little about Ali and B. Simpson. I did enjoy this story but there was too much random stuff going on. Hopefully, the next book won't be quite so scattered.

Rating - B

BEAT UNTIL STIFF

Mary Ryan is the pastry chef in a popular San Fransisco restaurant. She is also angry and depressed following a bitter divorce. Her world is totally rocked when she goes into work early and while getting an apron from the laundry closet, discovers the body of one of the staff. Mary's ex-husband was a cop, so she knows a little about murder and police proceedings. Still, when the bodies start to pile up and then someone is after her, Mary realizes she is going to have to get some answers. She is also going to have to trust her husband's ex-partner, O'Connor.

I heard that Claire Johnson wrote good culinary mysteries. This was different than most because it didn't have a soft, cozy tone. Mary is sharp and sarcastic. Her world is messy from a divorce that she hasn't recovered from. At first, it was hard to even like her. We didn't get a real picture of a working day inside the restaurant because it was closed most of the time due to the murder. Still, there was plenty of food descriptions and the author definitely seemed to know her cooking stuff! I'll try the next one in the series.

Rating - A-

LONG WAY FROM HOME

Tom Brokaw was born and raised in South Dakota. The lessons he learned there and the midwestern work ethic of his parents shaped him as he grew up. He gives much credit to the way he lived as a boy making him into the man and the journalist he became. He told how he loves to return to South Dakota but in a way, no longer belongs there. His parents had rather difficult childhoods but went on to embrace family values to shape their boys into good men. "The Greatest Generation" was a great book. This one was interesting but less gripping since it only focused on Brokaw himself.

Rating - B

CRYING BLOOD

Shaw, his brothers and their sons, take off for a pheasant hunting trip in November. They decide to hunt an old farm owned by Shaw's stepfather. The land isn't being farmed and no one lives there. The hunting trip is disrupted when one of the dogs discovers a skeleton. That night, Shaw feels that a ghost is calling his name. He returns home very disturbed about the skeleton, who was obviously murdered and the haint that he can't forget. Not long after, a young Indian boy who has been following Shaw is captured. He wants to avenge the death of the skeleton that Shaw has found.

As usual, I loved this book by Donis Casey. I had long been waiting for the latest chapter in the family saga and it was well worth it. This book focused on Shaw and a little on G.W. I am hoping the next book will be about G.W. As always, Alafair and her brood are entertaining and their lifestyle and their values are some pleasant to spend time with. Just can't wait for another book in this series!!

Rating - A

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Scout and her brother, Jim, are growing up in Southern Mississippi in the 1930's. There life centers around their small town and their lawyer father, Atticus Finch. The story is told through the eyes of young Scout who loves being a tomboy and playing with her brother and their pal. Their lives change, though, when their father defends a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. Suddenly, their peaceful hometown no longer seems safe and their life is not so simple and pure.

I have heard nothing but praise for this book for years. It is the kind of book that people say has changed their lives. It took a little bit for me to get into it but I did love it, too! Scout was so precocious and funny. Her brother, Jim, was a perfect brother, sometimes a brat and sometimes kind and loving. Atticus Finch represented all that was good and was determined to live by his moral code of doing the right thing. I am glad that I took the time to read this American classic.

Rating - A+

THE SENTRY

Joe Pike is filling his tires with air at a gas station when he realizes that a small sandwich shop is being burgalarized by a couple of gang thugs. In typical Joe Pike way, he manages to make the gang members wish they had never picked on this little shop. The shop owners are greatful and Pike is intrigued by the shop owner's niece. She seems to like Joe, too. The next day, the shop has been vandalized and the owner and his niece are nowhere to be found. Joe is on a mission to find them and no one dares get in his way, not gangs or the FBI or anyone else.

Robert Crais is one of my very favorite authors. This book features Joe Pike and has plenty of Elvis Cole, too. It seems that Joe is about to start a romance which is a huge change for him. He is definitely interested in the girl that he meets in the sandwich shop. It is heartbreaking as we realize that the girl is not really the person that she seemed to be. As always, this was a fantastic read and I can't wait for the next installment.

Rating - A+

DAMAGE

Wes Farrell has been elected to the position of District Attorney, a big step for a defense attorney with no political aspirations. On just his first day in office, things start to get crazy because a young man has been released from prison after serving for ten years for rape. When another woman who was connected with this last trial is found dead and the M.O. is the same, pressure is on to arrest him. The accused has a powerful family who owns one of San Fransisco's largest newspapers. They are accusing the D.A.'s office and Abe Glitzky of homicide of trying to frame their sons. When Abe's family is threatened and the wife of the former jury foreman is also found dead, the race is on to arrest the man before he harms anyone else.

I always enjoy John Lescroart's books and this is no exception. Wes Farrell has been featured in a couple of books but he was really in the spotlight here. I enjoyed him. Abe Glitzky is always a great character because he is so solemn but a very good man and a good cop. As always, I will be looking forward to the next book by this author!

Rating - A