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Click on any book cover to go directly to Amazon.com Somebody’s
Baby by Charlotte Vale Allen Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Bill
and Hillary- The Marriage by
Christopher Andersen Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z The
Day John Died by
Christopher Andersen Rating: *** This book about the tragic death
of JFK Jr. seems more a history of the Kennedys in general instead of focusing
directly on JFK Jr. It also
doesn’t really cover his death in detail (maybe the author figured you had
overdosed from all the news reports at the time?), but rather tells the story of
his life. Depending on how familiar
you are with the Kennedy history, you may learn some new things.
Jackie and Caroline are discussed quite a bit, which makes sense as they
were very important to John. This
book is good as a historical perspective on the Kennedys, but not really as a
book with insight into what went wrong the day JFK Jr. died. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Saving
Faith by
David Baldacci Rating: *** The title of this book threw me a
little. I read it thinking it had
something to do with religion and beliefs, but Faith is the name of one of the
characters. This story is about
Faith Lockhart, who works for Danny Buchanan doing lobbyist work on Capitol
Hill. Danny has an enemy in the
CIA- Robert Thornhill. Danny had
been making bribes with Senators, and Thornhill found out. Faith knows something is wrong- it seems both strange
and fishy, so she runs to the FBI. An
FBI agent is killed in the process, and Lee Adams, a P.I. gets involved
unknowingly. The chase thereafter is pretty impressive.
There is corruption in both the FBI and CIA, and this story gets really
intriguing. I’ll admit it is a
little slow starting out, and also a little confusing, until you learn the
characters and follow the various story lines, but once it gets rolling, it
doesn’t stop. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Wish
You Well by David Baldacci
Rating: **** This is an excellent novel,
although it’s not the typical suspense novel that DB normally writes.
The story is set in the 1940’s, in the mountains of Virginia.
Louisa (Lou) and her brother Oscar (Oz) grew up in NYC, and have been
sent to live with their great grandmother, because of the car accident that
killed their father and severely injured their mother, who’s now in a coma. Lou and Oz are city kids, and mountain living is quite
different. The story tells of how
they adapt to farm life, and get to learn about their family history.
In a way, it reminds me of a typical Oprah selection, but without all the
melancholy! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z
The story is about Benny Hogan, an only child who grows up in Knockglen, Ireland. She becomes friends with Eve, and orphan who lives in the convent in town. They grow up best of friends, and head to Dublin- Benny to the University, and Eve to find a job and take bookkeeping courses. There in Dublin, they meet new friends- Nan, Jack, and many others. The new friends bond together, and go to many functions as a group- a Circle of Friends. Heartbreak and betrayal would soon ensue amongst members of the Circle, testing the very Circle of Friends itself. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z The
Return Journey
by Maeve Binchy This
book is a compilation of short stories- 14 of them to be exact.
These stories are pretty good, but they’re just short enough to get you
hooked into the story, and then the story ends!
Most of these stories are set in Dublin, as that’s where the author
lives. This book is perfect for
when you need a quick read- waiting at the airport, etc. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Tara Road by Maeve Binchy Rating: **** Tara Road is set in Dublin Ireland, and focuses on the life of Ria, who when the story begins is a teenager. It covers her relationships with her family, her husband, her children, and her friends. Tara Road is "the" road to live on, and Ria and her home seem to be the center of all goings-on in town. Ria is an innocent woman, and truly believes she is so fortunate to have such a perfect life. As the story progresses though, Ria learns that her life is not what she thought it was. In the midst of hearing shocking news, Ria decides to swap houses for the summer with Marilyn, an American. Ria and Marilyn are both healing over different events in their lives, and they come to help each other and discover ways to heal. This novel is the kind that really pulls you in, and makes the book hard to put down. You imagine that you're one of the characters in the book, and really get wrapped up in the story! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z A
Secret Affair by Barbara
Taylor Bradford Rating: **** Yet once again, BTB opens her
story with the fact that a spouse has died, only in this case, it’s the wife
that has died. Bill Fitzgerald, the
widower, has slowly been recovering from his loss, and pouring himself into his
work; he’s a TV correspondent for CNS (similar to CNN), and is working in
war-torn Bosnia. He takes a
much-needed break and goes to Venice for a week.
One day, while running in the rain, he runs into a beautiful woman.
He is so intrigued that he tracks her down.
It doesn’t take long before they’re a couple, but Vanessa has some
bad news for him- she’s married. Bill
is not thrilled, but doesn’t want to give her up; hence they have A Secret
Affair. But as all things in life go, nothing ever turns out the way
they’ve planned. You may not like
what happens, but this is an
excellent story, and a quick read too! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Dangerous to Know
by Barbara Taylor Bradford Rating: **** This is a suspense novel that revolves around the death of Sebastian Locke, a wealthy, charitable man and father. Sebastian is mysteriously found dead. Vivienne, his ex-wife from years ago, had remained friendly with him, and is determined to find out what happened. His grown children weren’t close to him, and seem indifferent. As Vivienne starts digging, she unearths secret after secret, and follows the trail around the world. This is quite an entrancing novel, and hard to put down. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Everything
to Gain by Barbara Taylor Bradford
Rating: **** The title of this novel fits perfectly.
The story is about Mallory Keswick, her husband Andrew, and twins
Clarissa and Jamie. Mallory truly
has a perfect marriage, and a perfect family.
Nothing could be better for them, until one fateful day when Mallory’s
world is torn apart by a senseless random act of violence.
Mallory thinks life as she knows it is over.
But she has the love of her family that pulls her through.
As her mother-in-law said…”You have nothing left to lose, and Everything
to Gain.” Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Power
of a Woman by Barbara Taylor Bradford Rating: *** BTB seems to like to put a tragic spin on her stories, and this novel is no exception. For the most part, the story takes place in England. Stephanie (Stevie for short) Jardine lost her husband when she was only 26 years old, and with 3 young boys. Stevie was never close to her in-laws, who were owners of Jardine’s- a highly respected jeweler. But to help Stevie cope with her loss, she suggested to her father-in-law Bruce that she come to work at Jardine’s- both for her well-being, and to help maintain the business until her sons were old enough to take over. Stevie and Bruce slowly come to trust and respect one another. Stevie has an illegitimate daughter, but has never told anyone who the father is, out of respect of who he is and his social standing. This story takes place starting at Thanksgiving and going through Easter. Stevie’s children are all grown now, and there are new issues to face, tragedies to occur, and secrets to reveal. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z High
Exposure
by David Breashears
Rating: *** Because of my fascination with Mt. Everest and the deadly
1996 climb, I had to read yet another book about it! This book is really an autobiography of the author, focusing
not only on Mt. Everest, but his life growing up and how he got into climbing.
It even talks about the filming of the Stallone movie Cliffhanger, of
which he was one of the “extra climbers”.
There is quite a few chapters on the 1996 Mt. Everest climb, and it
really adds a different perspective from Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air.
These two books compliment each other, but if you only want to read one, Into
Thin Air is the preferred choice. Also-
check out Left for Dead by Beck Weathers. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: **** Excellent! This
is a really long novel, but it’s a great story with an even greater finish.
This novel is more of a romantic suspense style.
Lute Pettijohn, a prominent Charleston businessman, was just found
murdered. Hammond Cross is the assistant D.A, Steffi Mundell is his
assistant, and Rory Smilow is the detective.
Everything seems to be proceeding as a normal murder case.
The only problem is- the night this all happened, and before Hammond knew
what had happened, he slept with the prime suspect in the murder, Alex Ladd.
He questions himself- did she know who he was and did she purposely set
him up as her alibi? Hammond truly
believes that Alex isn’t the murderer. But
if she isn’t- who is?? Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Best Kept
Secrets by Sandra Brown Rating: ** Alex Gaither, a hot-shot assistant DA, has come back to her
mother’s hometown to reopen her murder case.
Alex’s grandmother has given Alex a lot of guilt about her mother’s
death, so she’s out to solve the murder mystery once and for all.
Celina died 25 years ago, and the prime suspects are her two best
friends- Junior and Reede. What makes this story really crazy is that Alex has romantic
notions about her top two suspects- and her mother’s old friends!
This is one of SB’s earlier romance/mystery novels, and it’s quite
evident. There’s really not a
whole lot of suspense. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Bittersweet
Rain by Sandra Brown
Rating: *** This is one of Sandra Brown’s 1980’s romance novels, so
it’s a little predictable, but a good story.
Caroline Dawson, a girl who grew up “white trash”, is married to
Roscoe Lancaster, the richest man in the county and 30 years her senior.
Roscoe has cancer and he doesn’t have long.
Rink, Roscoe’s son, hasn’t spoken to his father in 12 years.
Rink is summoned by Roscoe’s attorney to come see his father before
it’s too late. Caroline is having
a hard enough time with her husband dying, let alone crossing paths with Rink,
who was her first love, and for whom she still has feelings.
What will happen when Roscoe dies? Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: *** This book is one of her earlier romantic suspense novels (1994), and it’s pretty good. She does take a while to get the story rolling, and it’s not until the last few chapters that you’re on the edge of your seat trying to figure out exactly “whodunit”. The main character is Cat Delaney. She is a soap opera star who is in need of a heart transplant. A few years after she gets the transplant, she begins to receive mysterious newspaper clippings about the deaths of other heart transplantees- transplantees that all received their new hearts on the same date she received hers. It appears that someone wants a donor heart silenced, and is planning to kill everyone that is a potential recipient of that donor heart. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Eloquent
Silence by
Sandra Brown Rating:
*** I
really like Sandra Brown’s never novels, but this older one isn’t too bad!
It is a 1980’s romance novel, first published under a pen name, but it
has a good story line. Lauri is a
teacher for the deaf. She works at
a boarding school for children, when she is asked to take a one-on-one tutorial
job in New Mexico teaching Jennifer. Lauri
is stunned to find out that Jennifer’s parent is Drake Rivington- a hot soap
opera star! Lauri and Jennifer take
an instant liking to each other, but that’s not the case with Drake and Lauri.
Drake still is in love with his dead wife’s ghost, and that’s
hard for Lauri to deal with. As
time goes on, revelations come out, giving this story a good ending. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z In a
Class by Itself by Sandra Brown Rating: *** This is an older book that has recently been republished to
capitalize on the author’s popularity. It
is a pretty good romance book, and a very quick read!
The storyline is about an affluent young woman- Dani, who is going back
to her hometown for her 10-year high school reunion.
She’s nervous, and you find out why when she runs into Logan, her high
school sweetheart. Logan and Dani
were once in love, and had even gotten married.
Her parents found out, the marriage was annulled, and Logan was thrown in
jail on some technicality. The
sparks fly, and it’s interesting to see if and how they get back together. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: *** This book was previously published under the pseudonym of
Erin St. Claire, and it follows your typical 80’s romance storylines.
Jenny, 26, lost her family in a house fire when she was 14, and was taken
in by the local pastor and his wife. The
pastor has 2 sons- Hal and Cage, about Jenny’s age. Hal is the favored son who
can do no wrong, and Cage is the rebellious one.
Jenny and Hal have a real close relationship, and eventually plan to
marry. Hal goes off to free
political refugees, and their relationship is tested. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: *** Standoff is a great little novel, and it’s different from
most novels in that the story moves in real time- over a few hours, aside from
the last chapter, which happens a week later.
This book does have some interesting character names- Tiel and Sabra.
Tiel is a TV reporter, on her way to a story, when she gets lost in a
remote town. She stops at a convenience store to call her boss for
directions, when a couple walk in and hold up the store.
Tiel soon gathers that this young couple is the same couple she’s
chasing for a kidnapping/runaway story. Sabra
is pregnant and in love with Ronnie, but her father has threatened to take their
child away and ban Ronnie from seeing Sabra, so they’re running away.
In the midst of the hold up, Sabra goes into labor.
What to do now? This book
moves really fast, and is quite intriguing. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: **** SB has yet again written another great suspense novel!
This story is about 2 identical twins- Melina and Gillian.
They sometimes switch lives with each other, and this last time,
something goes horribly wrong. Melina
had encouraged Gillian to switch with her and escort a famous NASA
spokesperson around town. Gillian
ends up murdered, but no one really knows why.
Melina has a personal mission to find out.
All roads seem to lead to the insemination clinic where Gillian
was a patient, and to a high-profile TV evangelist.
There are many twists and turns in the plot, and you never know
who to believe! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Temptation’s
Kiss by
Sandra Brown Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Tomorrow’s
Promise by Sandra Brown Rating: ** This book has an interesting storyline of a young woman
whose husband of 3 weeks was sent off to Vietnam, and disappeared.
12 years later, Keely is head of a MIA support group, and on her way to
Washington D.C. to plead to congress to continue to fund the search for the
MIAs. On the airplane there, she
meets Dax Devereaux, her state congressman.
There’s instant attraction, but Keely won’t let herself fall for
another man while her marriage is in limbo.
How would it look if the head of the MIA group abandoned her husband, and
how would it look if a state congressman began an affair with a married woman?
This is a good story, but very predictable. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: **** This book is also a 1980’s romance novel, previously
published under the pseudonym of Erin St. Claire. I really liked this book- it has a pretty unique storyline
that I haven’t seen in other books. Rusty
went to a hunting lodge in the Northwest Territories, Canada with her father,
but was so miserable that she flew home early.
But on the flight home, they crashed.
Rusty thought she was the only survivor of the 9 on board, and then she
notices that a man- Cooper- is starting to stir. The two of them are opposites in every sense of the word.
The plane is leaking fuel, so they have to get out.
This is an interesting story of survival in the wilderness, and the
potential for true opposites to attract! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Pulse
: A Novel by Edna
Buchanan Rating: **** This is a great suspense story based on a 40-ish man who is
on his deathbed and receives a heart transplant. Frank is so thankful for his new heart that he’d like to
show the donor family his appreciation. He
enlists a PI to track them down. He
feels this pull towards them, and is sure that his new heart wants him to meet
grieving wife. Frank is sure that
his heart’s old owner’s habits have been transferred to him, and he’d like
to learn more. He feels like a new
man, and at the same time seems to be drifting away from his wife and daughters.
Frank finally decides to meet Rory, the widow, face to face.
After he does that, weird things start happening to him- he sees people
(illusions or not?), witnesses a murder, becomes a suspect in another murder,
and then becomes convinced that the heart he has didn’t come from Rory’s
husband- he believes Rory’s husband is still alive!
Very action-packed! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Before
I Say Good-Bye by Mary Higgins Clark Rating: *** For a MHC novel, I have to say I was kind of disappointed
with this story. I know that she
can write so much better than this. The
intrigue and suspense are just not there, unlike her older novels.
This is a good story though, featuring Nell, the wife of an architect-
Adam, and granddaughter of a NY Congressman- Mac.
Mac has been dying for Nell to run in the election to take his seat. Adam
has been against it, causing Nell much torment.
Adam and Nell have a big fight about politics and her candidacy.
The next day, the ship that Adam and his business associates are on blows
up in the NYC harbor. Nell is
distraught, and tries to piece her life together.
Detectives start uncovering all kinds of interesting facts about the
case, causing Nell to wonder who she was really married to.
This book has a psychic undertone, which, depending on your beliefs may
make your take on the story believable or unbelievable.
Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z My
Gal Sunday by Mary Higgins Clark Rating: *** This is a compilation of 4 short story mysteries featuring a husband and wife team of sleuths- Henry and Sunday. Henry is a 44-year-old ex-President of the United States, and Sunday is his 32-year-old congresswoman bride. The newlyweds seem to get themselves thrown in the middle of situations dealing with their friends and the political society. Between the two of them, Henry and Sunday are able to solve the mysteries at hand. This book is very similar to The Lottery Winner that featured another husband/wife team of sleuths- Alvirah and Willy. These short stories are good, but they don’t have near enough of the suspense that you expect from MHC’s full-blown novels. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z We’ll Meet Again by
Mary Higgins Clark Rating: **** MHC is one of my favorite authors, and this novel does not disappoint! This is one of MHC’s best. It keeps you in suspense right up until the last few pages. The story is about a young wife, Molly, who discovers her husband brutally murdered. She goes into shock and can’t remember anything. Due to incriminating evidence, she is convicted and serves 5 ½ years in prison. But did she really murder her husband? She enlists the help of an old school chum to investigate what really happened, through research and interviewing her friends/ acquaintances. Molly starts to slowly recall things- and someone is running scared! But who, and why? This is classic MHC! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: **** Contagion is an excellent medical thriller- you won’t want to put it down! The story revolves around Dr. Jack Stapleton, a medical examiner (coroner). Jack has had a tough past, and moves to NYC to start anew. Jack diagnoses a patient with a deadly disease, and his whole world turns upside down. Soon, bodies are arriving with the plague, influenza, etc. Jack makes himself heavily involved in his cases, and expands his role, much to the dismay of his boss and the city health officials, who would rather keep this quiet. As Jack tracks down these outbreaks, someone wants him silenced, and makes several attempts on his life. Can Jack solve this case before someone stops him? This ending will shock you! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: *** This is an earlier RC book, and although it’s pretty good,
it’s still lacking the suspense that you find in his more recent books.
Don’t get me wrong though- I liked this story!
Dr. Jason Howard meets for dinner with another doctor, and Jason senses
something is wrong. Dr. Alvin tells Jason that he’s made an ironic discovery,
but fears for his life. He thinks
someone is following him. Before
Jason hears the details, Alvin dies right at the table.
The results of the autopsy show he died of old age-, which makes Jason
suspicious. Then his patients start
dying- of the same thing! Jason
doesn’t know what to do, so he starts doing some sleuthing on his own.
He goes through all the patient charts of physicals he’s done, as well
as his fellow doctors, who are also experiencing the same epidemic!
When Jason finally realizes what’s going on, it may be too late. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Toxin by Robin Cook Rating: *** A great medical thriller! The story revolves around a doctor- Kim, his ex-wife Tracy, and their daughter Becky. Becky and her father eat hamburgers at a fast-food joint, and shortly after, she’s feeling ill. Her symptoms worsen enough to warrant a visit to the ER. Kim takes his daughter to the hospital where he works. As in real life, managed health care and cost cutting are the ruling factor in the hospital. It is discovered that Becky has E. coli poisoning. Kim is not trained for this medical catastrophe, and feels helpless when the hospital denies lab tests, specialist consults, and doing what’s right for the patient without regards to cost. Kim loses his temper and does some foolish things. As Becky’s condition worsens, Kim and Tracy unite to investigate where the contaminated meat came from, and how it passed USDA inspections. Kim risks his and Tracy’s lives to discover the truth- a secret the meat company will kill over. This book will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next. Don’t read this book alone at night! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Vector
by Robin Cook Rating: **** Another great Dr. Jack Stapleton story! This story takes place a couple of years after the Contagion story- so you need to read Contagion first. This medical thriller is about the threat of biochemical weapons (anthrax) being released in a major city. 2 neofacist militia members are hell-bent on destroying the government. They meet up with Yuri, a Russian émigré, who has knowledge of anthrax and how to grow and cultivate it. Jack discovers a case of anthrax while doing his autopsies, and begins sleuthing around to discover where it came from. Meanwhile, his counterpart Dr. Laurie Montgomery is trying to trace what happened to one of her autopsy cases, a man who was skinned alive. Jack and Laurie cross paths with Yuri, and end up racing against the clock to find out if their cases are related, and who is behind them. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Cause
of Death
by
Patricia Cornwell Rating:
*** This is a good story featuring Dr. Kay Scarpetta, the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia. Kay gets an anonymous call on New Year’s Eve that a diver, supposedly hunting for Civil War relics in the Elizabeth River, has drowned. Kay goes diving in the river to see what the area looks like, and then takes the body in for an autopsy. She discovers cyanide in the body- this was not an accidental death. Mysterious things start happening, and Kay realizes that someone thinks she knows something- she needs to figure out what that ‘something’ is, before she or more people turn up dead. This book really moves and keeps you entranced! Top
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Books N-Z Cruel
& Unusual by Patricia
Cornwell Rating: *** Kay Scarpetta stars in this novel, and she’s one of my favorite characters. This is an earlier Cornwell novel, and it’s kind of nice because it fills in some history of the early days of Kay and the people she deals with. This novel has a good storyline, and is similar to Cornwell’s more recent Scarpetta novels. Kay is investigating a murder of a young boy, and it’s reminiscent of a murder from 10 years ago. Kay starts digging in, and before she knows it, she’s become the prime suspect in a murder case, with a lot of evidence pointing right at her! Kay and her buddies Marino and Wesley know that she’s innocent, but can she prove it in time? Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z The
Last Precinct by Patricia
Cornwell
Rating: **** Another great Kay Scarpetta novel.
Kay is one of my favorite fictional characters, and this story
doesn’t disappoint! Kay
was nearly the victim of Chandonne, a freaky guy with a chain of murders
behind him. As Kay tries to
sort through her feelings and assist in solving the case, the AD is
secretly compiling evidence that points to her murdering one of the
victims and making it look like Chandonne’s handiwork.
Kay now has to not only solve the case, but salvage her
reputation too. Excellent
suspense and intrigue! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Southern Cross by Patricia Cornwell Rating: * Horrible, Horrible, Horrible! This novel by Cornwell is a non-Kay Scarpetta novel, and it’s quite different. I really like the Kay Scarpetta stories, so this was disappointing. Cornwell can write so much better than this! The plot is about a police chief and her 2 assistants that come to Richmond, VA to revamp the police force and reduce crime. There are many characters in the story- so many that it’s hard to keep track of who’s who- especially when the names of the characters are Smoke, Smudge, Bubba, Weed, Sick, Divinity, etc. This book starts out really slow. Fortunately it does pick up the speed half way through. I normally like Cornwell’s novels, but this one is a huge disappointment!! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Unnatural Exposure
by Patricia Cornwell Rating: *** Kay Scarpetta is back in this novel! Kay is a medical examiner, and the story revolves around bodies being discovered that are dismembered. Kay does detective work and autopsies- only now is she aware that there’s more to the story than the dismemberment…. All the bodies are infected with a pox-type virus! Is it smallpox? Has she unwittingly been exposed? Can Kay, with the help of the police and the FBI track down the assailant before it’s too late? This is a medical thriller, and the story moves along, but it doesn’t have nearly the captive story as some of Cornwell’s other novels. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: *** This is a suspense novel that takes you into faraway places
and has a lot of obscurity. Some of
the storyline is almost too perfectly choreographed- it would never happen that
way in real life. Mac’s sister
Jilly is in a coma after driving her car off a cliff and into the river.
Mac flies out immediately to be with her, and slowly finds out that Jilly
wasn’t trying to kill herself, and that there’s a lot more to what happened
to her than people are saying. The
story starts out in Edgerton, Oregon, and moves to the rainforest in Costa Rica
of all places! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z False
Pretenses by Catherine Coulter Rating: *** This is an early suspense novel from CC, so it may be
lacking a little in the suspense area, but overall, it’s not a bad storyline.
Elizabeth Carelton has been accused of murdering her husband, Timothy.
She’s near the end of her trial, when a surprise “witness”, Dr.
Christian Hunter comes forward and claims he can vouch for Elizabeth’s
whereabouts on the night in question. He’s
so convincing that the jury believes him, and Elizabeth is acquitted.
But Elizabeth has never seen this man before, and the general public, as
well as her husband’s wealthy family doesn’t believe Elizabeth is innocent.
Elizabeth tries to fight back, but who can she trust? Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Rating: *** This is quite a good suspense novel.
It’s definitely more realistic than her previous novel The Edge, but
still has some far-fetched plot lines! Becca
is a speechwriter for the governor of New York.
She begins receiving threatening phone calls that tell her to stop
sleeping with the governor. As
Becca doesn’t have an intimate relationship with the gov, she’s confused.
The calls become more and more threatening.
Becca goes to the police, but they believe she’s making it all up for
attention. She flees to a small
town in Maine, where she meets up with an old male college friend.
A man shows up and tells her that he is there to protect her, but can’t
tell her whom he’s working for. Becca
is confused and scared, and fears that her life is in danger.
She doesn’t know who to trust, and of course that’s key- if she picks
the wrong man, her life is ended. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Secret
Song
by Catherine Coutler This is an historical romance novel, which is actually the third book in a trilogy. I haven’t read the first two books, and would have never known this was a trilogy if I hadn’t read the back cover- it’s very good on its own. The story is set in the 1200’s in England. Daria is to be married, to a man her uncle has arranged. Daria does not want to marry her suitor. She is sent to meet him, and gets kidnapped along the way, by her uncle’s archenemy. Her uncle hires a man to retrieve her- Roland. Roland and Daria become friends, and then some, but Roland’s duty is to bring Daria back to her uncle. Many things happen, making you wonder- does Daria go back to her uncle, back to her uncle’s enemy, or to Roland? Top
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Books N-Z Rating: *** I have to preface this by saying that I am not a sci-fi fan.
The story is pretty good, and it keeps you intrigued until the end, but
if I were a sci-fi fan, I probably would have liked this book much better.
This is a sci-fi novel dealing with time travel to France in the 14th
Century. There is a lot of
technical jargon and talk that is way over my head.
Some of what is written you just have to believe to make the story flow.
I found parts of it pretty unbelievable- if it were true, then why
hasn’t it happened in real life! The
story is about a Professor and his team of students that are excavating an old
monastery ruin from medieval France. They
are being funded by ITC Corporation, who has this time travel technology. The Professor goes in the time machine, and fails to come
back. The students decide they need
to go in the machine to bring the Professor back.
What problems they run into while back in the 14th Century is
what makes this story more interesting than all the technical lingo! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Crazy
for You by Jennifer Crusie
Rating: *** This is a typical Crusie novel- very entertaining with
romance, comedy and suspense. This
story takes place in the small town of Tibbett. Quinn and Bill are both teachers at the local high school.
Bill is the coach of the championship football and baseball teams, and is
awed by all. Quinn and Bill have been dating for a while, when Quinn comes
to the conclusion that she doesn’t love Bill, and is ready for a change.
The last straw is when Quinn takes in a stray dog, and Bill forbids her
to keep it, going to extreme lengths to get rid of it.
Quinn moves out of their apartment, with the help of Nick, her
ex-brother-in-law. Bill thinks that
Quinn is just going through a phase, and will come back to him anytime now. As time passes, Bill literally goes crazy- hence the title of
the book! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Tell Me
Lies by Jennifer Crusie
Rating: *** This book is a comedy, romance and suspense novel all in one. The setting is Frog Point, Ohio- a very small town where everyone knows everything about each other, and gossip runs rampant (sound like Goodrich and The Buglers???). Maddie is married to Brent, and has been unhappy for a while. The final straw is on Friday when she’s cleaning out his car and finds women’s crotch less panties under the front seat. She and her friend Treva search his office, and they find a lock box-, which Maddie takes home and breaks into- with some interesting stuff in it. She’s decided she’s had enough, and is going to file for divorce on Monday. But before she does that, she runs into C.L. Sturgis- an old high school chum, and has an affair with him that night for revenge. When she finally gets home, Brent is waiting for her, livid, and not upset that she was with another man but rather that she had stolen his box, and he didn’t know what she knew. Things get out of hand from here. There seems to be secrets everywhere- if only Maddie could get to the bottom of it without being the hottest topic of gossip in town! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Prime Cut by Diane Mott Davidson Rating: *** This is a pretty neat culinary mystery, complete with
recipes! Goldy owns Goldilock’s
catering, which was the only caterer in Aspen Meadow before Craig Litchfield
came to town. Now life couldn’t
be worse. Craig has gotten a list of her menus, clients, and prices, and has
been undercutting her, causing her to lose some major accounts.
At the same time, a mysterious death happens to a local contractor, and
Goldy’s husband Tom, a policeman, is put on unpaid leave for unjustified
reasons. Then Goldy’s teacher
mysteriously dies. Goldy starts to
secretly investigate, and slowly puts things together.
She’s not sure who she can trust, and realizes that her life is at
stake! Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Bronze Mystique
by Barbara Delinsky Rating: * This is a romance novel that has to be one of the cheesiest I’ve ever read. The author wastes no time in connecting the hero and heroine, and it’s very unrealistic. The setting is Martha’s Vineyard. Sasha (gag!) is a romance author, and Douglas, who is a famous men’s clothing designer, has just moved to the island. They meet by accident, of course. Douglas is immediately smitten by Sasha, but she wants nothing to do with him. The chase begins, and doesn’t last long! They’re an item almost immediately. The author then tries to throw in some mystery, but it only makes the story worse. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Coast
Road by Barbara Delinsky Rating: *** This is a romance novel, but it’s different than your typical plot lines- it’s about a divorced couple that come back together through a tragedy. Jack and Rachel had been married for over 10 years when they just drifted apart. They have 2 teenage daughters. Rachel and her daughters moved from San Francisco, where Jack lives, to Big Sur- to be in the country and have a quiet environment in which she could paint. Rachel is on her way to a book club meeting, when someone hits her from behind, and she goes over the cliff of the coast road. She’s in a coma, and Rachel’s best friend calls Jack to let him know. Jack comes immediately, and discovers a lot as he sits by the bedside of Rachel, and learns more about his daughters. Jack finally realizes what he gave up- is it too late to get it back? Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Secret of the Stone by Barbara Delinsky Rating: ** The plot of this novel is of two very independent people whose lives cross paths. Paige is an acclaimed sculpturer, with a reputation of an ice maiden. Jesse sees Paige at one of her gallery showings, and makes a bet with his friend that he can break through the ice. In the process of Jesse trying to win the bet, he actually falls for Paige, and likewise, she for him. But Jesse is a loner and a wanderer, and Paige is independent and used to being alone. Can their lifestyles meld? This is a pretty sappy story, but flows easily, and has a good ending. Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Three
Wishes
by
Barbara Delinsky Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z Variation
on a Theme by
Barbara Delinsky Top
of Page
Book Critiques Homepage
Books E-M
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General’s Daughter by
Nelson DeMille Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z The
Lion’s Game by Nelson
DeMille Rating: **** This is a very long novel, and a really great story! Detective John Corey (of Plum Island fame) is back, and he’s just joined the ATTF (Anti-Terrorist Task Force). He and his fellow ATTF members are headed for JFK airport to take into custody Asad Khalil, a Libyan terrorist who is defecting to the West, and turned himself in to protective custody in Paris. 2 Federal Agents are accompanying Asad to NYC, so there should be no problems. As they wait for the plane to land, Corey senses that something is wrong, but doesn’t know what. The plane lands, but doesn’t move off the runway. Shortly thereafter, Feds board the plane and discover that all 300+ passengers, pilots, and crew dead, and the plane was landed on autopilot…or was everyone dead? This is just the beginning of Asad- which means Lion in Arabic- Khalil’s plans for America. Corey is sharp, but can he thwart the Lion’s game plan in time?? Top of Page Book Critiques Homepage Books E-M Books N-Z
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