CLASSIFIED AS MURDER

Charlie is a semi-retired librarian who is asked to help an elderly gentleman catalog his extensive rare book collection. Unfortunately for Charlie, that means he will be spending time with the man's eccentric and difficult family. Charlie is also surprised when his grown son appears on his doorstep with the announcement that he has quit his job and would like to live with his dad for awhile. It would be fine but Charlie and Sean's relationship has been strained since Sean's mother, Charlie's wife died four years ago. Things get even stickier when the elderly gentleman is found dead in his library and it appears someone has poisoned him.

This happens to be the second in this series by Miranda Bliss which I didn't realize until I was a ways into the book. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the story was interesting enough. For some reason, I had some problems with the main character. It seemed that the female author didn't ring true in describing Charlie. His thoughts and actions often struck me as somewhat feminine. Sometimes, I have problems with when the main character is of the opposite sex of the author. It could just be me and I'm willing to try another in this series.

Rating - B

MISS JULIA ROCKS THE CRADLE

There's plenty going on at Miss Julia's house these days. Hazel Marie is expecting twins and when they arrive in the midst of a snowstorm, there is a very unlikely group to deliver them. Then, a dead man was discovered in the toolshed of one of Lloyd's teachers and the whole town is speculating who died there and why. There is also the matter of Miss Julia bouncing checks around town and of course, she is certain that it must be the bank's fault, not hers. Julia promised Sam she wouldn't get involved in other peoples' affairs but a promise like that can be hard to keep!

It's been awhile since I read a Miss Julia book and this one was lots of fun. Julia is so funny in her prim and proper ways. She is great when she finally decides to follow her heart and set aside the rules of decorum which seem so important to her at times. There seemed to be a little less whining in this book and things kept moving along at a good pace. I won't rush but I'm sure that I'll be reading another Miss Julia book in the future.

Rating - B

GHOST HERO

Lydia Chin has been asked to investigate a Chinese painter. He was supposed to have been killed at Tinneman Square but Lydia's client has reason to believe that there are new paintings being circulated. Is there some kind of fraud going on or is the painter really alive? Lydia and Bill jump into the investigation. They are soon joined by another Chinese private investigator who has ties to the Chinese art world. Besides getting shot at a few times, most of this case was settled over drinks - tea, coffee, cosmos, etc.

I love S.J. Rozan's series and Bill and Lydia seem like old friends. This book seemed to move a little slowly. It may have been because I read it in a choppy manner, just a little at a time or maybe it was because there never was a murder to solve. Overall though, I did enjoy the characters. Sometimes it was tough to keep the Chinese characters, thugs and diplomats alike, straight but it was enjoyable anyway.

Rating - B+

FULL

This book was written by Dr. Michael Schneider who is a well-known bariatric surgeon. He has spent a lifetime helping people lose weight by surgical means. He also believes that people can control their weight by learning when they are full. The author does have a diet bar that helps people to feel full quicker and I expected that he would be promoting that. He didn't mention it at all which I felt was a good thing. I really didn't want a commercial. He gave many "tools" to help people lose weight. I was a little frustrated, though, because he kept saying that his way wasn't dieting, which it wasn't counting calories and such, but still most of the "tools" he advocated are touted by most diet books. Overall though, it was a reasonable approach to weight loss based on scientific studies.

Rating - B+

EMBRACE THE STRUGGLE

Zig Ziglar has been a motivational speaker for many years and I've enjoyed his books and tapes. I was shocked to learn that he had sustained a head injury several years ago at the age of 80. He suffered a fall which has resulted in serious short term memory issues. This latest book describes his challenges to go on in spite of serious health issues. He is able to continue speaking in an interview style with the help of his daughter, Julie. Most touching were the interviews with family members as they describe the changes they have had to deal with as a result of the changes in their father's health. Needless to say, nearly everyone has to face some kind of struggle in their lives and Zig encourages us to do so with an upbeat spirit. This book is filled with quotes from the Bible and stories of many people who have had to deal with various challenges that life has thrown them. Overall, it was very enjoyable and worthwhile.

Rating - A-

TILT-A_WHIRL

Murder isn't a common thing in Sea Haven but a bigwig developer by the name of Hart has been shot multiple times on the Tilt-A-Whirl at the amusement park. His daughter, Ashley, escaped and luckily for her, John Ceepak, an Iraqi vet and his driver, Danny Boyle are on the case. Sometimes, Ceepak seems a little too straitlaced for this kind of town but Danny admires him because he follows his "code" no matter what. Ashley stands to inherit millions and millions and the number of people who might want to kill Hart are pretty staggering but Ceepak and Danny will find the answers, no matter how twisted they might be.

I have heard rave reviews about Chris Grabenstein's Ceepak and Danny series but finally, I got around to reading it. Indeed, this is a very good book and I am eager to snatch up all the books in the series and read them straight through. This was one of those books that I loved from the very first page.

Rating - A+

FOLLOWING POLLY

Alice Teakle is a Harvard grad but she's having trouble making it in the world. She gets fired from her job as an assistant casting director by a boss that she absolutely hated. Trying to figure out what to do next, she begins following Polly who was the golden girl at Harvard and has gone on to become a successful businesswoman married to a movie producer. Alice is good at following people without being noticed...until she finds Polly dead. Soon the police realize that Alice had been stalking Polly. Alice runs to seek help from the man she has loved for 14 years. The only problem is that he doesn't know Alice at all.

This is a debut book by Karen Bergreen and it was lots of fun. Alice is just plain weird. She is socially awkward, yet she is kind and very smart. When she finally gets a chance to meet her darling Charlie, he is adorable, too. Unfortunately, I didn't get quite as good of feel for the characters of Jean and Alice's mom. In a way, things tied up a little too neatly, but very sweetly at the end. Still, it was a very good story and I hope that we'll meet Alice again.

Rating - A

ZAPPED

Reagan and Jack return to town after their honeymoon. Their apartment is being remodeled so things are a mess. Reagan gets caught on the stairs to their roof when a blackout hits - and someone has locked the stairway door. That's only the beginning of a crazy evening. An actress is desparate to get into the hidden safe in the apartment that Reagan and Jack have bought. A contractor wants to break into the safe, too. He says it's a contractor's dream to find hidden riches. Kit is on crutches and gets left behind at a comedy club by a very strange girl, who has a thing about seeking revenge on men who remind her of her old boyfriend.

As usual, there are several different stories going on at the same time in this episode by Carol Higgins Clark. I seem to enjoy these books more in audio form. As usual, Reagan, Jack and Kit are a delight and as usual, all of the loose ends get tied together very neatly at the end. It's a little kooky and crazy but lots of fun.

Rating - A-

BUFFALO WEST WING

Ollie and her staff are dealing with a new president and his young family. Things get off to a bad start when Ollie refuses to give the kids a box of wings delivered to the White House without anyone knowing where they came from. It's a breach of security protocol and the kids are mad at Ollie. That's not all of her troubles. A new chef has been hired to cook for the family. He doesn't appreciate his role and wants to be in the limelight. Then there is Cyan's new love interest and Ollie's ongoing issues with her ex-boyfriend, Tom, who is now head of the Secret Service.

It's always fun to see what's brewing in the White House kitchen. It always makes me appreciate what really goes on behind the scenes. We didn't get as much food info as sometimes but it was nice to have Ollie begin a new relationship with someone who isn't always irritated with her capabilities. It seems like she and Tom were always at odds. I'll be looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Rating - A-