Title: 11 on Top
Author: Janet Evanovich
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Latest Stephanie Plum series novel with the usual hilarious exploits of the lovable but inept bounty hunter and her wacky family and friends.

Title: All Mortal Flesh
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Publisher: Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Spencer-Fleming proves, once again, that she is absolutely one of the best mystery writers around in this, the fifth in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series. Returning from a week's retreat to come to grips with her decision not to see the married Van Alstyne again, Clare is stunned to learn that his wife Linda has been murdered...and that Russ is the primary suspect. After all, the husband is always the first the police look at--especially one rumored to be having an affair, and, more especially, one separated from his wife. This is one series that earns a "5" for every book. Don't miss them!

Title: The Art of Detection
Author: Laurie R. King
Publisher: Bantom
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: San Francisco detective Kate Martinelli (series) and her partner Al Hawkin are called to investigate the death of Philip Gilbert, member of a group of serious Sherlock Holmes aficionados. The discovery of a manuscript, possibly written by Sherlock Holmes, intrigues the detectives because the victim's death mirrors that of the victim in the manuscript. Who had read the text?

Title: Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: Nancy Atherton
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is #11 in the series which began with "Aunt Dimity's Death." Main character Lori Shepherd and her 5-year old twin sons, Will and Rob, are sent to stay with a rich friend of the family on an island off the coast of Scotland when "Abaddon" --a lunatic, obviously--threatens her husband Bill. This is about as tame as it gets in a modern mystery series, so if you like that, as I do, you'll enjoy this story. Aunt Dimity is a ghost friend who communicates with Lori through a journal, but she doesn't figure into this particular story very much.

Title: Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: Nancy Atherton
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The 11th novel in the Aunt Dimity series finds Lori Shepard and her children hiding out in a castle on a secluded Scottish Island after a series of death threats. But even there she is drawn into a possible smuggling plot and has to call on Aunt Dimity's supernatural power to save herself and her family. Atherton's cozy amateur sleuth books are both whimsical and suspenseful.

Title: Bad Guys
Author: Linwood Barclay
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Barclay is back, and he's proved he isn't a one-book author...Bad Guys is up to the standard set in Bad Move, complete with overprotective husband/father, sassy kids and smart wife; even the move back to the city can't save the hapless dad from his obsessive worry. Fortunately for us, it's really funny.

Title: Bad Move
Author: Linwood Barclay
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Okay, gang, take Carl Hiaasen, move him to the suburbs, keep all the humor and whacked characters, and you've got Barclay. This is a terrific new voice in mystery...don't miss it.

Title: Bark M for Murder
Author: J.A. Jance, Virginia Lanier, Chassie West, and Lee Charles Kelley
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Copyright: March 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This collection of 4 short stories was enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. Short stories are rarely as fun to read as a full-length novel, so part of the handicap is the format. For die-hard dog lovers, this will be a must-read. All others can probably take a pass. The short stories are 1)Red Shirt and Black Jacket by Virginia Lanier; 2) Nightmare in Nowhere by Chassie West; 3) The French Poodle Connection by Lee Charles Kelley; and 4)The Case of the London Cabbie by J.A. Jance. Lanier and Kelley are dog lover's mystery series authors; for Jance and West, this is their first foray into this area. I particularly enjoyed Maddy Watkins with her golden retrievers, featured in the Jance story. Maddy's old but spunky and full of life. I hope to see more of her.

Title: Big Boned: A Heather Wells Mystery
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Avon Trade
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The plus-sized, ex-pop star, now dormitory Assistant Director Heather Wells (series) is back! As hard as it is to believe, another dead body has turned up in her dorm The police, her ex-con father, the school officials, and her P.I. roommate want her to stay out of this murder investigation. Her life may be getting complicated, but Heather seems to piece evidence together better than any one else and she can't stay out of it. The story is light, moves quickly and keeps you guessing.

Title: Blind to the Bones
Author: Stephen Booth
Publisher: Bantam
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Blind to the Bones, a contemporary mystery set in a small English village, pairs detectives Diane Fry and Ben Cooper. Their personal and professional relationships converge as they find the common denominator in two murders. Booth's plot features interesting characters but is somewhat ponderous getting to the point and conclusion.

Title: Blue Shoes and Happiness
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Pantheon Books/Random House Inc.
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This 7th entry in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is a delight from start to finish. As always, it is less a mystery than a peek into Precious Ramotswe's life in Botswana. Simple, charming, refreshing.

Title: The Body in the Bookcase
Author: Katherine Hall Page
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 1999
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is one of many Faith Fairchild mystery series. While catering a lavish wedding weekend she is drawn into solving a murder as well as a break-in in her own home. Witty, complex and recipies to boot!

Title: Bones to Ashes (Review #1)
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Once again Kathy Reichs enmeshes Temperance Brennan in a series of unsolved deaths and intense forensic study to determine the age and identity of the victims. But one case becomes very personal when she fears the bones may belong to her long ago childhood friend whose disappearance was never solved. Fellow detective Ryan is on the scene too, working on the possibility of a serial predator who may be involved. If you like Reich's detailed forensic study you will enjoy this one too.

Title: Bones to Ashes (Review #2)
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist, is back in Montreal and the first case that comes across her desk involves an Acadian skeleton of a young girl who may be Tempe's childhood best friend. Tempe finds herself more involved in cold case police field investigations in this tenth installment from the Temperance Brennan series, but it is truly the gripping forensic science that keeps this sophisticated thriller a page turner.

Title: Bones to Ashes (Review #3)
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: It's been a while since I've picked up a Temperance Brennan series book. Despite the time away, I found it easy to pick up where I left off. This newest tale takes Temperance back to her childhood after her father passes away. Bones are discovered that bring up the possibility of them belonging to her long forgotten friend who disappeared suddenly so many years ago. Taking on this case becomes personal as Temperance works to discover the true identity of the bones. Is it her missing childhood friend or not? Reichs takes you along for a ride as the answer is revealed.

Title: Bones to Pick
Author: Carolyn Haines
Publisher: Kensington
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The newest installment in the Bones series featuring Sarah Booth Delaney, Southern Belle and P.I.  All the quirky characters are at it again to solve another murder mystery.  Again, Haines paints the Delta with so much texture you smell the flowers and feel the temperature change as you read.  If you enjoy Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, you should give Haines’ Bones series a try.  The mysteries have more depth and the relationship between the characters is much more believable than you find in Evanovich.  Highly recommend this series.  Best to read in order but not necessary since each book has an independent story line that could be followed.  

Title: Break No Bones
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This book is the ninth addition to the Temperance Brennan, Forensic Anthropologist series.  Tempe is stuck in South Carolina filling in as professor for an archeology field dig.  The students find a recent body among the ancient Native American burial mounds and Tempe finds herself part-coroner, part-detective and living with ex-husband, Pete and new paramour, Ryan in a friend’s beach house.  The story is full of scientific forensic facts and interesting police work as Tempe sets out to solve the mystery of what is happening to the area’s missing persons.  Not one of the best Temperance Brennan books, but definitively worth reading.  Nothing in this story demands reading previous books in the series to follow the characters or the mystery.

Title: By The Time You Read This
Author: Giles Blunt
Publisher: Henry Holt
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Blunt, the author of Black Fly Season, is back with another great read! John and Catherine Cardinal have been married for years, so he knows when his wife's bipolar syndrome is reaching the blackness of depression. He's devastated when, on a routine photography outing, she throws herself off the tallest building in Algonquin Bay. Despite overwhelming evidence that her death is a suicide Cardinal sets out to prove that it was murder and uncovers the dark and twisted truth. Don't miss this one!

Title: Cat Breaking Free
Author: Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This cat lover's mystery is #11 in the Joe Grey series that began with "Cat on the Edge". This series continues to be delightful, as the feline sleuths are pawing for the truth once again. Mysteriously gifted with human intellects and the ability to speak to humans (although they only choose to converse with a select few), Joe Grey, Dulcie, and Kit encounter some wild domestic cats who are their equals, and some beastly humans who have bad plans for them.

Title: Cell
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Scribner
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Thriller with a little sci-fi (or is it). At 3PM on a sunny afternoon in October afternoon, everyone using a cell phone suddenly goes mad, reverting to the basest form of life - bestiality. The Pulse, as it comes to be known, erases everything else in the brain. People begin killing each other, tearing limb from limb with their teeth. As survivors try to escape to somewhere safe, they begin to notice a herd or flock quality to the phoners who seem able to communicate with one another telepathically. When survivors find that the phoners are using tools and seemingly planning activities, they realize that that the damaged brains are rebooting, just as a computer does.The journey to some sort of safety is fraught with dangerous encounters and near encounters and no real resolutions ever occur. The plot is somewhat intriguing but extremely gory. Typical Stephen King who, by the way, does not own a cell phone.

Title: A Charmed Death ____
Author: Madelyn Alt
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The second book in the Enchanted series is even more disappointing than the first.  Again, all the characters from The Trouble with Magic are back sans one; the most interesting, Enchantment owner Felicity Dow.  She makes an appearance midway through the book but is rather inconsequential to the mystery of finding out who has killed the local entitled teenage princess thought to have committed suicide.  The book focuses more on teaching us about the New Age witch world and the stumbling of new witch Maggie O'Neill than creating a good murder mystery.

Title: Charmed to Death
Author: Shirley Damsgaard
Publisher: Avon
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Book 2 in the Ophelia & Abby Mystery series. Ophelia again stumbles upon a dead body in the small town of Summerset, Iowa. Now, she has to deal with her emerging psychic gifts alone since grandmother Abby is indisposed and the town is full of person’s from her past trying to link her to previous murders. A quick read murder mystery where the secondary characters, at times, seem more interesting than the lead character. The series makes you wonder if living in a quiet, small town might be more dangerous than city life.

Title: Executive Power
Author: Vince Flynn
Publisher: Pocket Books
Copyright: 2003
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Political thriller. Outed undercover agent Mitch Rapp now is on the kill list of terrorists across the globe and has been reassigned as a CIA Advisor. While investigating the ambush of a Navy Seal team, he uncovers a probable leak within the State Department. In addition, powerful Middle Easterners are plotting to ignite a global war to further their evil goals of world domination. Political intrigue on an international level. Great.

Title: Fever Moon
Classification: Mystery
Author: Carolyn Haines
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Haines’ remarkably descriptive writing style that always seems to capture the texture of small town southern life works against her in this murder mystery set in the war-robbed small town of New Iberia, Louisiana in 1944.  I tried more than once to get through the book but to no avail-the characters just weren’t interesting enough and the story moved way too slow.

Title: Fool's Puzzle
Author: Earlene Fowler
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the first in a mystery series you'll recognize by the quilt on the cover. In addition to a good "light" mystery, the books take you through several changes in the life of the main character, Benni Harper.

Title: Forty Words For Sorrow
Classification: Mystery
Author: Giles Blunt
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2001
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: One of the most surprising things about this author is that he isn't front and center on bookstore displays. In fact, I had to special order this: and it was worth the wait! This is the first in the Algonquin Bay series featuring cop John Cardinal, and is as absolutely great as the others. Cardinal's bipolar wife Catherine is hospitalized, his daughter Kelly away at school, when he's called out to view the most unusual results of a murder: the victim is frozen in a block of ice. Missing for months and almost dismissed as a runaway, young Katie Pine has been found. Set in Canada, this book will chill you as Cardinal tries to find the killer and as he hides a shameful secret. My recommendation? Read this book!

Title: Full Scoop
Author: Janet Evanovich & Charlotte Hughes
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperback
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Full Scoop is the sixth in their Full Series and with each book, the stories and characters from Beaumont, South Carolina keep getting better. This novel has more suspense and action than mystery, but humor is in all the right places. A quick, fun read.

Title: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Knopf
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Precious Ramotswe, Botswana's leading, and only female detective, continues to solve mysteries in her quiet thoughtful way. This 8th book in "The No 1 Ladies Detective" series also features her husband and office manager, both of whom try their hand at new ventures. McCall Smith's mysteries, although not fast paced or dramatic, are sprinkled with compassionate wisdom.

Title: Grave Secrets
Author: Kathy Reichs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2003
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Grave Secrets" finds Tempe Brennen, a forensics examiner, in Guatemala this time where she must try to find a connection between an earlier government massacre, 4 possible new murders of young women and the attack on two of her co-workers. She also must balance the attention of two admirers with her investigations and her own well being. The books in this series include a lot of forensic detail and many varied interesting characters.

Title: Grave Sight
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Harper Connelly is a twenty-something woman, who after being hit by lightening is able to find dead people. She is for hire and travels around the south with her step-brother, Tolliver, acting as her emotional protector and business manager.  This story is darker and lacks the endearing characters usually found in Harris’ other books.  Harper may be good at what she does, but seems somewhat wimpy and a little too whiney for a lead character.  If you like murder mysteries with a slight supernatural twist, you may enjoy meeting Harper and Tolliver in this first book. (The second installment, Grave Surprise, is set for release in November, 2006, and I hope Harper gets a grip on her unique skill by that time.)  

Title: Grave Surprise ____
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Well, it seems Harper Connelly has gotten a grip on her unique skills in this second mystery featuring Harper and her brother Tolliver Lang.  Harper Connelly is a twenty-something woman, who after being hit by lightening is able to find dead people and knows how they died.  She is for hire and travels with her step-brother, Tolliver who acts as her emotional protector and business manager.  Both siblings are sharp and on top of their game as they as they tie up loose ends from the first book in the series, Grave Sight (Check out my review on this title in my Back Shelf page).  If you like murder mysteries with a slight supernatural twist and a touch of deadpan wit, you will enjoy reading about these sibling sleuths in Harris’ new series.

Title: Ham Bones
Author: Carolyn Haines
Publisher: Kensington
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This seventh installment in The Bones series gets a four solely based on the return of some of the most endearing Southern Daddy’s Girls that ever tried to solve crime-Sarah Booth, Tinkie, Cece and the Dahlia House haunt, Jitty.  As soon as Sarah makes a New Year’s resolution to put her past behind her, it slaps her in the face when her New York acting associates bring the theater and murder into her life.  Charged with the murder of an old nemesis, Sarah is self-absorbed and lacks the strong lead she usually commands in most of the series’ stories.  This murder mystery is hardly a mystery and the characters seemed posed to survive without Sarah by the end of the book.  The series receives a five; this story is the weakest installment and is only worthy of a three.

Title: Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
Author: Sharyn McCrumb
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Set in the mountains of Tennessee, this book weaves a haunting Appalachian story of murder, suicide, history, and prescience. Much more than a murder mystery; it's a moody, moving story of the deep rural south.

Title: I Heard That Song Before
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Patty
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In usual Mary Higgins Clark style, the 'who done it' novel is full of twists and turns which I am grateful for as I hate it when I can guess the ending of the story halfway through. This story centers on Kay Lansing Carrington, the latest “Mrs. Carrington”. The ultra rich husband, Peter, has a sordid past. A previous dead wife and missing and presumed dead girlfriend…which Peter is suspected of being behind but it can’t be proven. When the body of the girlfriend is found on the property, Kay and Peter’s lives are focused on proving his innocence.  The diligence of a hired private detective by the dead girlfriend’s mother searches for the truth of did he or didn’t he do it.

Title: Hoe Lot of Trouble
Author: Heather Webber
Publisher: Avon
Copyright: 2004
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A cute mystery (the first in the Nina Quinn series) featuring the owner of a landscaping firm, her police officer husband, and his teenage son. And, of course, Xena the snake. A light, fun read in the style of Elaine Viets and Sharon Short.

Title: Hold Tight
Author: Harlan Coben
Publisher: Dutton
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Coben does it again! Following the suicide of a teenage boy, Mike and Tia Baye are worried about their son...so worried that they install spy wear on his computer to monitor his activities. Their discoveries lead them into a new culture of drugs and murder and the fear that they will be too late to save their son. Although not quite as tightly-written as Tell no One or Gone For Good, Coben paints a fairly convincing picture of the potential for terror in today's tech-driven world.

Title: How to Succeed in Murder
Author: Margaret Dumas
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: A slick, funny and light amateur sleuth story involving a newlywed couple who infiltrate a software company where an alarming number of executives turn up dead. The characters, Charley and Jack, are an appealing and clever couple.

Title: The Hunt Club
Author: John Lescroart
Publisher: Dutton
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: When the body of a federal judge is found shot to death alongside his equally dead mistress, homicide inspector Devin Juhle assumes it's a simple case of wifely jealousy. Investigation, however, reveals that the judge had many powerful enemies. Meanwhile, Juhle's best friend, private investigator Wyatt Hunt has become enamored with Andrea Parisi, a beautiful lawyer, who is a commentator on Trial TV, and who has ambitions of making the big time in New York. But hunt soon discovers that Andrea also had a connection with the murdered judge and, furthermore, that Juhle considers her the prime suspect. Then Andrea disappears which Juhle feels strengthens his case. Hunt fears she has been kidnapped or even become another victim. As the investigation continues, Juhle is adamant that everything be done by the book and fears Hunt may get in the way and jeopardize his case. Hunt just wants to find Andrea alive. He gathers a loose group of friends and associates -the hunt club- who don't mind bending the rules to achieve their goals. Intricate plotting and superb characterization make this an excellent read.

Title: The Husband
Author: Dean Koontz
Publisher: Bantam Books
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Thriller. Landscaper Mitch Rafferty is in the middle of planting annuals in a client's garden when his cell phone rings. On the other end of the line, a voice says "We have your wife. You can get her back for 2 million - cash." Whomever is calling is unimpressed with the fact that Mitch has no possible way to raise such a sum, saying that he'll find a way - if he loves his wife enough. This intense thriller will keep you in it's grip from the shocking beginning through the labyrinth of plot twists to the astounding conclusion. Dean Koontz at his very best. (Click here to check out Nancy's review of the same book)

Title: An Ice Cold Grave
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Harper Connelly and her stepbrother/manager, Tolliver head to Doraville, NC to find a missing boy in this third story from the Harper Connelly Mystery series. What they find is a frozen grave yard of young boys who have been tortured, abused and murdered over the years. The find is shocking, considering so many young boys have gone missing in this small town and most of the locals just assumed they ran away. Add a personal twist in the relationship between Harper and Tolliver, and this story becomes even more unbelievable. The series is dark, full of suspense and quirky characters that keep you coming back. However, if the characters continue to vacillate between professional competence and whinny personal trauma, this series could go down hill fast.

Title: The Jasmine Moon Murder
Author: Laura Childs
Publisher: Berkley
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is one of the "Tea Shop" mysteries where main character, Theodosia Browning, an amateur sleuth, finds herself trying to solve the murders without becoming a victim. She runs a Charleston tea shop so there is the added touch of southern recipes and "tea" tips.

Title: Judas Burning
Author: Carolyn Haines
Publisher: River City Publishing
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Carolyn Haines is amazing at capturing the live-style and flavor of the Mississippi Delta and you can almost feel the mosquitoes buzzing around Jexville, Mississippi in this murder mystery. However, there are too many mysteries surrounding each of the characters and the story doesn’t always appear connected or cohesive. Lacks the whimsical, light-heartedness found in Haines’s Sarah Booth Delaney mysteries. Still, I would recommend it if you are in the mood for a well-written Southern small-town murder mystery.

Title: The Kalahari Typing School for Men
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Copyright: April 2003
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Book four in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Precious is still waiting for a wedding date from Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and solving mysteries meanwhile. Mma Makusti has decided to start her own business venture teaching men how to type. Will this lead to romance for Mma Makusti? This light story ties in with the flavor of the other books in the series. A nice light read.

Title: Lady Killer
Author: Lisa Scottoline
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Lawyer Mary DiNunzio is juggling her typical caseload of South Philly clients (responsible for the sign on the office door that reads "Must Wear Shirts")when former high school classmate Trish (Trash) Gambone shows up in her office, hysterical. Trish is terrified that her abusive boyfriend is about to kill her, and with his Mob connections it's a real possibility. So when Trish goes missing, Mary is sure she's dead and sets out to find her murderer. Written with Scottoline's trademark humor, this is a very good read.

Title: Lean Mean Thirteen (Review #1)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Stephanie Plum (series) is back and as funny as ever as she juggles Morelli and Ranger while trying to solve the disappearance of her scumbag ex. Lula is in rare form as she and Stephanie track down a no-show for the bond office in a trailer inhabited by a monster python and through a cemetery in the dark, and as they try to apprehend a taxidermist afraid to leave his house. Evanovich is dependably hysterical...it would be great if she gave up on her other series and gave us more Plum!

Title: Lean Mean Thirteen (Review #2)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Stephanie Plum and the gang are back in this 13th addition to one of the funniest mystery series ever written.  Nothing new develops; no major character development; just Stephanie, Grandma, Lulu, Ranger and Joe dealing with murder, a missing ex, wrecked cars, funeral showings and family dinner at the Plums.  As long as you don’t expect something new, enjoy another funny, totally fluffy romp around New Jersey with Stephanie, the inept bounty hunter.

Title: Lone Wolf
Author: Linwood Barclay
Publisher: Bantam Dell/Random House
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this, the third in the Zack Walker series, Zack is working as a feature writer for the Metropolitan when he gets the call informing him that his father is dead. Not just dead, but eaten-by-a-bear dead. When he arrives at his father's camp he finds, not a bear, but a group of survivalists who are armed to the teeth and whose artwork on the walls features a picture of Timothy McVeigh. At least his father isn't dead, but a lot of people might be if Zack can't find out just who is being targeted by this group and stop them before it's too late. Maybe a notch less funny than the first two, but still a must-read.

Title: Lost in a Good Book: A Thursday Next Novel
Author: Jasper Fforde
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2004
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this second volume literary sleuth Thursday Next ventures through several literary classics to get back her "eradicated" husband and, perhaps, save the world. Fforde's novels are inventive, witty, fun and sometimes confusing, but this one will especially appeal to "literary" readers.

Title: Messenger of Truth: A Maisie Dobbs Novel
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Publisher: Picador USA
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Set in London in 1931, the fourth Maisie Dobbs mystery finds Maisie investigating the "accidental" death of a controversial artist. Once again she must deal with post-WWI England's struggle with widespread unemployment, poverty and political upheaval as well as her own personal problems. Winespear's novels are for those who enjoy historical whodunits and compassionate introspective protagonists.

Title: Morality for Beautiful Girls
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Copyright: September 2001
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The third novel in the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series finds Precious Ramotswe in a bit of a bind. Her fiance Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has given up any desire to work and maybe suffering from what the doctors in Botswana call depression. Mma Makutsi is now in charge of the car garage while Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni gets better as well as having a case of her own regarding beauty pageant contestants. Precious on the other hand uses her common sense to solve other mysteries that are brought to her such as a wilderness boy and another case of a jealous wife. Again, another good, light read in this series.

Title: Motor Mouth (Review #1)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Alexandra "Barney" Barnaby (series), first introduced in "Metro Girl", returns in this fun and sexy multi crime mystery. NASCAR driver Hooker and the Cigar Ladies Felicia and Rosa add to the cast of characters for a light quick read. Evanovich continues to create supporting characters who add immensely to her books.

Title: Motor Mouth (Review #2)
Classification: Mystery
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2006
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Okay, so this isn't Stephanie Plum, but it's still laugh-out-loud funny. Barney is back (series), working for (and trying to resist) Nascar Guy Sam Hooker. When another driver races to the win, Barney is convinced that he's cheating. And when bodies start to turn up, Barney and Hooker have to race against the clock to find the murderer before they end up in jail...or dead.

Title: Motor Mouth (Review #3)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: I care zip about car racing, but I still laughed my way through this book. Mechanic Alexandra Barnaby, more commonly known as Barney, and racecar driver Sam Hooker start out to help a friend and end up on the run from the bad guys, with hilarious results. This sequel to Metro Girl is much better than the original, in which 'NASCAR Guy' talked about himself in the third person and was as appealing as Jar Jar Binks. Thankfully, the authors have divested him of that habit in this second appearance. The crack-up character Lula from the Stephanie Plum series does not appear in the Barnaby books, but I felt that her spirit was there in the pages of it.

Title: Motor Mouth (Review #4)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: I heard so much about this NASCAR themed series, and love most of Evanovich’s witty characters, I felt compelled to read this second installment of the series about mechanic turned sleuth Alexandra Barnaby and her on-again-off-again love interest, race car driver Sam Hooker.  What a major disappointment! The characters are so ridiculous and the story so far fetched from reality, it became harder and harder for me to turn the page.  At times I wonder whether the main character, an educated mechanical engineer, was just acting stupid or whether her exposure to the NASCAR scene made her so.  She would find a dead body, discuss whether or not to have sex, dispose of the body, discuss whether or not to have sex, hunt down hired killers, and hide out from a major police hunt with her sex-crazed ex-boyfriend while they tried to figure out who and why dead people kept getting in their path.  Who cares!  I would rather have dust on my shelf than this book and it gets a two only because Evanovich, even at her worst, can write. 

Title: Moving Is Murder
Author: Sara Rosett
Publisher: Kensington Books
Copyright: April 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: #1 in the new Mom Zone series. A decent read about a woman, newly "mommed," who is married to an Air Force pilot. The story takes place after their move to a new home, so although the plot does not center around the actual experience of moving, the family is unpacking and settling into their new neighborhood. With a murderer on the loose, of course. The author gives a few moving tips at the ends of chapters. The main character may develop a home organizing business in future books. So, military, new motherhood, organizing for a move--if any of these topics hold appeal for you, you may enjoy the themes in this mystery.

Title: Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse
Author: Lee Goldberg
Publisher: Signet
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: If you like the TV show "Monk", featuring a brilliant detective who is crippled by extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder, you'll enjoy this paperback novel by one of the show's writers. In June 2006, Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii. I can't wait!!

Title: Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii
Author: Lee Goldberg
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Copyright: July 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This second book in the Monk series is sure to delight the fans of the t.v. show. Full of depictions of Monk's obsessive-compulsive habits, this story had me laughing out loud. My one complaint is that the mystery was too easy. If I could figure it out, a genius like Monk certainly should have caught on sooner. But I found it very enjoyable just the same. Now we have to wait until Jan. 2007 for the "Blue Flu" to be released. I'm getting my order in early!

Title: Mrs. Jeffries Appeals the Verdict
Author: Emily Brightwell
Publisher: Berkely/Penguin
Copyright: May 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: #21 in the Mrs. Jeffries series. I typically enjoy this light Victorian mystery series featuring an Inspector whose detective work is helped out considerably by his household staff. However, this one did not particularly engage me, probably because I so recently read the previous book in the series, and the stories are too much alike after awhile to read one right after another.

Title: Mrs. Jeffries and the Silent Knight
Author: Emily Brightwell
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
Copyright: October 2005
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Inspector Witherspoon is a gifted homicide detective: gifted in having a household staff, headed by housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries, accompanied by a few friends, who enjoy secretly helping him catch murderers and thus enhance his reputation. In this 20th entry in the series begun by "The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries", set in Victorian England, Witherspoon continues to be charmingly puzzled by "his" brilliant ideas. If you like your mysteries tame, without extensive blood/gore/unwelcome insights into the twisted minds of psychotic killers, you'll be safe with this entertaining series.

Title: Murder On a Girls' Night Out
Author: Anne George
Publisher: Avon/Hearst
Copyright: 1996
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The first in the Southern Sisters mystery series, this is a delight. The series features Sister and Mouse, two elderly Southern sisters who sleuth. The relationship between the women rings absolutely true and the supporting characters are fun, too.

Title: Murder On A Girl’s Night Out
Author: Anne George
Publisher: Avon/Hearst
Copyright: 1996
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: First in the Southern Sisters series. A mildly entertaining story about two very different sisters who become involved in a murder case when the former owner of a Country Western bar is murdered right after one sister buys it from him.

Title: Murder Unfolds
Author: Sharon Short
Publisher: Avon
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this, the fifth in the Stain-Busting series, Josie Toadfern (laundromat owner and stain-removal expert) tries to determine whether her former high school teacher (grumpy Mrs. Oglevee) was murdered. Although Short has vastly improved her writing style and story-telling technique she still has a way to go. I understand the difficulty of concealing the identity of whodunit, but throwing in lots of superfluous characters as red herrings just muddies the story without advancing the plot. Short's humor, though, shines in the first half of this book. For a chance to meet the author, check the Foul Play site (linked on our home page); she'll be appearing there in June 2007.

Title: Murder Unleashed
Author: Elaine Viets
Publisher: New American Library/Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Copyright: May 2006
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: #5 in the Dead-End Job Mystery series. Main character Helen Hawthorne works at the Barker Brothers Pampered Pet Boutique in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is not a typical dog-lover's mystery: the main character does not have a dog, and the dogs as individual characters are not central to the plot. However, the animal-centered setting is very central, and its originality (a pet store catering to the extreme rich) makes this an appealing, inviting read for dog-lovers regardless. The story weaves together a lot of interesting elements that make for an entertaining, fun, fresh read. The primary focus of the story is pets, humor and adventure, but please note that there is a sexual element that makes this story unsuitable for young people.

Title: Nature Girl
Author: Carl Hiaasen
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf/Random House
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Hiaasen does it again! When Honey Santana answers the phone to sleazy telemarketer Boyd Shreave, it's the last straw for her...she enlists the help of her computer geek son to give him a taste of his own medicine. With a full cast of quirky Hiaasen characters (although missing the governor), this is terrific. Add it to your must-read list!

Title: A New Leash on Death
Author: Susan Conant
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is the first book in my favorite dog lover's mystery series. The unofficial sleuth, Holly Winter, is a writer of dog articles who shows Alaskan malamutes in competition. Her dogs are real dogs and act like it: they misbehave, even though they are well trained. Fun! Plus I learned tons about the dog show world.

Title: Night Fall
Author: Nelson Demille
Publisher: Warner Books
Copyright: November 2004
Reviewer: Marilyn
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Thriller concerning filght TWA 800. One of my big, big favorites. Be aware that is begins with a very explicit sex scene which is critical to the plot. Fortunately that's the only such scene. Don't miss this one! (Check out Nancy's review of the same book by clicking here)

Title: No Clue at the Inn: A Special Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery
Author: Kate Kingsbury
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: 2003
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this late Victorian British mystery Cecily Sinclair Baxter and her husband, returning to manage the Pennyfoot Hotel for the Christmas holidays, become involved in solving two mysterious disappearances. An enjoyable read somewhere between "light" and intense.

Title: The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 1998
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Precious Ramotswe has decided to become the fist lady detective in Gaborone, Africa. She has no formal training in being a private detective, but uses her intuition and observation to creatively help people solve their problems from cheating husbands to missing children and curious doctors. I really enjoyed this first novel in the series and look forward to reading more from McCall Smith.

Title: Not a Girl Detective
Author: Susan Kandel
Publisher: William Morrow/HarperCollins
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: I collect all the hardcover reprints by Applewood Press of the original Nancy Drew stories, so I hoped to enjoy this contemporary mystery with its Nancy Drew theme. Sadly, this book is not worth reading unless you struggle with insomnia. I don't know how the author manages to turn such interesting topics into dull, tedious, mind-numbing, "is-it-over-yet-please" stories. I only finished reading it because I wanted to give the book a fair shake for its review by reading it all the way through. I dreaded the chore and celebrated when I finally finished reading this extremely boring story. I felt the same way about the author's first book, "I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason," and I LOVE the Perry Mason mysteries. Two strikes and this author's out. The boring-ness of her first book was not a fluke; it's a trend. I will not read Susan Kandel again. On the other hand, it's cheaper than sleeping pills.

Title: Now You See Me
Author: Rochelle Krich
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Los Angeles crime reporter Molly Blume is asked to find the 18 year old run-away daughter of a rabbi who was once Molly's teacher. The investigation leads her into the world of chat rooms, exam cheating, sexual harassment. Midway through the story the girl returns home, only to be led into a tangled murder plot, which Molly must solve. This is the 5th of the Molly Blume series (but the first one I've read) and I'm looking forward to going back and reading more.

Title: Of Blood and Sorrow
Author: Valerie Wilson Wesley
Publisher: Ballentine Books
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Although Wesley is an author I've enjoyed before, this latest in the Tamara Hayle series is a letdown.  Tamara's son Jamal witnesses a murder and seems to be the chief suspect, despite the fact that the police don't seem to be in any hurry to talk to him.  When Tamara and Jamal get into a screaming match (with lots of exchanges of the "f" word), Jamal vanishes.  There are just too many stereotypes here, and too many excuses for awful behavior.

Title: Officer Down
Author: Theresa Schwegel
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2006
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: "Officer Down", winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel of 2006, introduces Chicago police officer Samantha "Smack" Mack, a woman with multiple personal problems. She realizes she has been set up to take the blame for her partner's death, investigates on her own and comes face to face with the killer. Schwegel's writing is gritty, even shocking, and intense.

Title: Pardonable Lies
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Publisher: Henry Holt
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The third in a series, "Pardonable Lies", takes London investigator Maisie Dobbs back to France in the early 1930's to solve two intertwined cases and to confront her own wartime torment. Maisie is a "modern" young woman with much depth and insight.

Title: A Pedigree To Die For
Author: Laurien Berenson
Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Dog lover's mystery. First in the amateur sleuth Melanie Travis series. She's a single mom who enters the world of show Poodles and discovers an aptitude for solving crimes.

Title: A Play of Dux Maraud
Author: Margaret Frazer
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright: August 2005
Reviewer: Leigh
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: This is a mystery of a different flavor. The stage is set the 1400's and a wedding is about to happen. A theatre troupe has been sent to the celebrations to discover all the dirty secrets surrounding the event and figure out if there may be any truth to the feeling that the groom is in mortal danger.

Title: Plum Lovin' (Review #1)
Classification: Mystery
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2007
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The second in the Evanovich Diesel sub-series, this short-story sold as novel is about as good as Visions Of Sugar Plums (the first). Although it's mildly amusing, Evanovich risks alienating her fans by asking them to spend money on something that would be better as a part of a collection of short pieces. Cute, but who cares?

Title: Plum Lovin' (Review #2) ____
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Copyright: 2007
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Stephanie Plum is back in this “between the numbers” short novel that is so brief in length, it is just a tease.  Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching and Stephanie finds herself having to aid a match maker complete her tasks before she will allow Stephanie to take her in on her bond violation. There is no one quite like Stephanie and Evanovich should focus on the entertaining, laugh-out-loud characters in her Plum books instead of wasting time writing her other, sappier romance stories that have hit the shelves of late.

Title: Plum Lucky (Review #1)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: Well, I have to say, this little between-the-numbers novella has all the hilarity of Evanovich's full-length Plum novels, with Grandma Mazur finding a bag full of money and heading for Atlantic City with Stephanie in pursuit. The entire cast of regulars is here, although in abbreviated form, and Stephanie's quirky style has rarely been more evident. A terrific read that will tide us over until the next book!

Title: Plum Lucky (Review #2)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2008
Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:A Between-the-Numbers Stephanie Plum novel. This thin 'novel-light' falls between number 13 and number 14 in one of the funniest, charismatic mystery series out today! Yes, Stephanie and most of the gang are back; this time with a little person who believes himself to be a leprechaun. The gang's antics will make you laugh out loud as they descend on Atlantic City to find grandma and a horse being held hostage by a local gangster.

Title: Poison Heart: A Novel of Suspense
Author: Mary Logue
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2005
Reviewer: Carol
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: In this mystery Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins delves into a history of lies, deceit, arson and poison in a small Wisconsin farm community. A collection of varied individuals and family settings contribute to an enjoyable read.

Title: Pretty Poison <