"For The King"

"For The King" is a historical novel (full of intrigue) written by Catherine Delors and set in France in 1800. Chief Inspector Roch Miquel is a young man who seems to have everything going for him -- a future with the police, a beautiful mistress, and a loving father -- but all of that is jeopardized by an attempt on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. As he investigates the attempt on Bonaparte's life the case takes many twists and turns while his personal life begins to fall apart (as does his ability to decide who he can trust).

Delors was born and raised in France and she does an excellent job of writing about this era and bringing it alive even if it also reveals some of the gruesome events of the day - makes me glad I didn't live during the time of the revolution! Check out her web site at www.catherinedelors.com.
I definitely plan to read her other novel, "Mistress of the Revolution."

pazt

"Killing Neptune's Daughter"

"Killing Neptune's Daughter" is Randall Peffer's first novel. Billy Bagwell (aka Bagman or Bagger) is called home by one of his best friends (Zal, now a priest)to attend the funeral of a mutual childhood friend, Tina Werlin,who was murdered in New York.

Billy's friends believe he somehow holds the key to who murdered Tina and why - which he denies. However, as he begins to relive some of the darker aspects of his growing up years while reconnecting with his friends, his life is threatened on two separate occasions as he begins to unpeel the layers of his past. The memories that surface lead he and his friends to the killer among them while putting their lives in danger.

This is as much a psychological thriller as it is a murder mystery but the darkness of the story might be unappealing to many. Although it is a well written story, it's not one I'd choose to read again.

pazt

"A Drink Before The War"

"A Drink Before The War" (winner of the Shamus Award) by Dennis Lehane is the novel where he introduces Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro -- a couple of private investigators who are smart, tough, and good friends. Since this is the first in a series about these investigators, we're introduced to their personal life and friendship and I like that in depth background information that brings the characters to life. When Kenzie takes on the task of finding a missing cleaning woman for some powerful Boston politicians, Gennaro isn't too happy. As it turns out, the theft this woman has been accused of is more complex than it would appear at first glance. Kenzie and Gennaro find themselves embroiled in murder and scandal and have to find a way to dig themselves out without becoming victims, too. It's an engrossing read and I look forward to the next book in this series.

pazt

"The Informationist"

"The Informationist" is a thriller by first time author, Taylor Stevens.
Michael/Vanessa Munroe, the heroine of this book, is hired to find a Texas oil billionaire's step-daughter who disappeard on vacation in Africa four years earlier. Despite the attempts of detectives he hired in the past, no trace of her has been found and the assignment Munroe has accepted seems impossible to complete. However, Munroe has skills that give her an edge previous investigators lacked and her journey back to Africa, where she was born and raised by missionary parents, is more than just an assignment. It's a chance for her to face up to her own demons.

I found Stevens to be an extremely talented writer and this book kept me engrossed throughout. Once I started it I found it hard to put down so even when I fell asleep reading it, I'd wake up in the middle of the night to continue the story. Vanessa Munroe is a strong heroine and, if the next Vanessa Munroe novel that Stevens is currently working on is as good or better, you won't want to miss either. I can't recommend this book highly enough!!!

pazt

"Hermit's Peak"

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that I like to read series novels in order so I just finished Michael McGarrity's "Hermit's Peak," which is a Kevin Kerney novel. I love McGarrity's rich attention to detail and a good example is on pages 22 and 23 of the papterback copy of this book where Kerney is doing what he can to eliminate the fleas on a stray dog he's found wandering on his property. This type of detail brings the story and the characters to life for me.

As usual, this is another action packed adventure for Kerney with murders happening too close to his own home for comfort. He's also in charge of the state police at the moment while his friend, the chief, is off on another mission. In the midst of all the action, Colonel Sara Brannon has been promoted and shipped back stateside early from her duty station in Korea and pays a surprise visit to Kerney. He has a lot to juggle throughout this novel but does it with his usual admirable style and brings several cases (with the help of able staff) to a successful resolution as well as making some significant decisions about his personal life.

I can't praise McGarrity enough so I hope you've had a chance to check him out if you're a mystery fan.

pazt

"Sleep and His Brother"

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"Sleep and His Brother" is the first book I've read by author, Peter Dickinson, and I picked it up on the best bets bookshelf at my local library. It is a Felony and Mayhem mystery (www.FelonyAndMayhem.com) and recommends other authors in the front of the book including Cynthia Harrod-Eagles who is one of my all time favorite British mystery authors. That said I had great expectations for this book but it left me disappointed. The style of writing is a little vague and was hard for me to follow. There was a mystery that I caught glimpses of throughout the book but I'm not sure I even yet understand what I read. I'll probably try one of his other books to see if this is his typical style or just a technique he used for this particular book before I decide whether I want to read more of his work.

The basic story line centers around "cathypnic" children which appear to be a figment of the writer's imagination also. Recently retired from Scotland Yard, Detective Jimmy Pibble is persuaded by his wife to go to McNair House (where these children are housed and cared for) to look into some things happening there that she's heard about in her charity work and she thinks he might be able to offer some assistance. This sets off a bizarre chain of events leaving me unsure what really happened most of the time.

Would I read this book again? No Would I recommend it? No Why did I finish it? There were fleeting times during my reading that I thought it might actually be leading to some kind of understandable conclusion so I kept reading to see if I could find it.

pazt

"Mission Road"

This Tres Navarre series by Rick Riordan really heats up in "Mission Road" when Ralph Arguello, a close friend of Navarre's, comes to him for help to prove he didn't shoot his cop wife, Ana DeLeon. While they're on the run from police trying to find out who really did it, Ana is fighting for her life in the hospital and Navarre's lawyer girlfriend,Maia, is trying to help them while keeping a secret of her own. The investigation takes them back to a cold murder case that Ana was working on involving a not so nice mafia family in San Antonio. It starts out with a bang and the suspense doesn't let up. I couldn't put it down and now I'm off to the library to find the next book in the series!

pazt

"Home to Holly Springs"

"Home to Holly Springs" by Jan Karon is the first of the Father Tim novels -- based on Father Tim Kavanagh, a 70 year old Episcopal priest from her Mitford series. I decided to read this book based on a post my brother put on his Facebook page because it sounded like a mystery that I might like. This is my first Jan Karon book and, although I did enjoy the book, and plan to read the second one in the series, I had some difficulty with the heavy "religious" content. I consider myself to be a spiritual person but my beliefs have changed significantly from what they were when I was a child when they more closely matched those of the characters in this book.

The story, though, has a lot of merit. Father Tim receives an unsigned note saying simply, "Come home," and based on that returns to his home town of Holly Springs after a 32 year absence. It's a very personal journey -- just he and his dog as a companion -- leaving his wife and adopted son at home. However, it's a profound journey of reconnections, forgiveness, and discoveries about his past and present that have the ability to forever change his life.

There is a quote I like (on page 307 of the hardback copy): "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea." On that note, I'll sign off!

pazt