Rabbit Factory

The beloved Rambuctious Rabbit is found dead in the staff portion of an amusement park that rivals Disney World. At first, it seems that the murder may have been because the character was being played by a child molester. The staff is eager to cover up the murder to avoid bad publicity. In a very short time, the body count rapidly increases. Biggs and Lomax are the detectives assigned to the case and they are pressured to make a quick arrest before this huge enterprise collapses.

I had heard about this book for a long time and it was as good as advertiesed. Lomax is a very kind man who is struggling with the death of his wife and deciding if he is ready to date again. The characters were engaging and much of the story was very funny. I'll be looking forward to my next Marshall Karp read.

Rating - A+

Murder with Puffins

Meg and Michael decide to try to get away for a weekend. They decide to go to Meg's Aunt Phoebe's summer cabin on a small island. Who would want to go there in the off-season. Meg and Michael soon find that the whole family is there and that a hurricane is on the way. If the storm didn't add enough drama, an artist has built a large home that the local citizens hate. He is mean and ugly and so when he is found dead, it isn't hard to find possible suspects. Unfortunately, Meg's dad and her aunt are two of the people who most recently had problems with the artist. In the midst of a hurricane, Meg and Micheal need to solve the crime.

This is my second book that I have read by Donna Andrews. It was delightful. Meg and Michael are fun and enjoyable characters. Meg's family is loony but still loveable. It was nice to see the relationship between Meg and Michael progress. I think this is a series that I will by sticking with.

Rating - A

Nowhere to Run

Joe Pickett is headed for home after a week in the mountains. He has been reassigned to a district near his home. That's why it doesn't make much sense for him to put himself in harm's way to trace down whoever seems to be stealing wild game. When Joe runs into the Brothers Grim, he realizes that he has met up with a force like none he has ever seen. Joe manages to escape with his life with the help of a strange woman. When he gets home, people doubt the story he tells and Joe finds out that the enemy he is dealing with has many strange and twisted complications.

I have read a couple of books by C.J. Box before but this one caught my interest right away. It was quick, full of action and suspenseful. I never enjoy the parts where Joe is filled with self-doubt and recriminations. There was an underlying message of big government and the rights of civilians that was a little heavy handed to me but overall it was a great read.

Rating - A-

Sizzling Sixteen

Stephanie Plum, Lula and Connie have a dilemna. It seems that their boss, Vinnie, has been kidnapped and the ransom money is extremely high. Even though Vinnie is a despicable creature, the bond agency needs him to stay in business. As usual, it's a mad romp as Stephanie and Lula trace their boss among the mob in some very strange situations. Stephanie and Morelli are not together but there is still plenty of attraction there and Ranger is at the ready, will to help Stephanie in any way.

Of course, this was another predictable Stephanie Plum novel, but they are cute and entertaining. You just can't expect too much. I am still rooting for Morelli but Ranger seems to have a slight edge in this book.

Rating - B

PRIVATE PATIENT

Rhoda Gladwin has decided to have a disfiguring scar removed from her face which has shaped her life for over 30 years. She chooses the best surgeon and decides to have the procedure done in his country manor as a private patient instead of in a London clinic. Within hours after the surgery, she is found dead in her room. Adam Dagleish and his exclusive homicide team have been called in to investigate. It soon becomes apparent that there are plenty of people who had motive and opportunity for wanting Rhoda dead.

I have never read anything by P.D. James before but she is a master in the mystery genre. She is still writing at 90+ years of age. I enjoyed the plot and the characters were well developed. At times, things seemed to move rather slowly and build very gradually but overall, it was a good read. The long, slow style gave rich detail to the overall story. I would consider reading another of Ms. James' books, especially if it featured Adam Dagleish.

Rating - B+

Shanghai Moon

Lydia Chin has been asked to help a detective who is an old friend with a case involving jewelry that was recovered from Holocaust survivors. There is reason to believe that the jewels will be sold in Chinatown. Lydia has been on the job a short time when her detective friend is killed. She feels responsible and vows to find his killer. With the help of her old partner, Bill Smith, Lydia unravels the story of German Jews who flee Germany and go to Shanghai. Life for the immigrants is no easier in Shanghai and it is believed that their jewels were stolen or sold in the war in Japan. Lydia soon realizes that the sad story of the Jewish immigrants and their Japanese family still has power today.

I haven't read S.J. Rozan's books for several years and I really am not sure why. I had heard wonderful things about this book and all were true. It was a wonderful and compelling story with lots of rich history about Japan and the Chinese and the Europeans who immigrated their before WWII. I love the characters and was glad that Lydia and Bill have mended their disagreements. I can't wait to get my hands on the newest release in this story.

Rating - A

MONKEEWRENCH

Monkeewrench, a successful video game company, is set to release a new game that involves various murder scenes and the player has to solve the crimes. Someone has learned about the game and now is murdering people in the scenarios described in the game. Two detectives, Maggozi and Gino, have to work with the very eccentric members of the Monkeewrench team to prevent the next murders from occurring. It soon becomes obvious that one of the team members, Grace, has suffered a terrible experience in the past and the other team members will do anything to protect her from further trauma.

This is a late posting from a book I read earlier this year. I have heard over and over that the Monkeewrench books are wonderful. They are written by the mother-daughter team of P.J. Tracy. This book had such rich and wonderful characters. All are colorful, all are flawed, all are endearing. I hated to have the book end and I certainly will be reading the other books in the series.

Rating - A+