September

Can't believe September is gone already. A good month of reading, though.

Ruth Rendell, End in Tears, A-
Latest Inspector Wexford, quite well done, seemed slow-paced a bit, but worth it.

Michael Connelly, Echo Park, A+
Latest Harry Bosch -- got an ARC to review this for Library Journal, lucky girl that I am. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

Margaret Maron, Winter's Child, A
Latest in the Deborah Knott series, one of my favorite series.

Karin Slaughter, Triptych, A+
Not part of the Sara Linton series, but we will forgive her. A richly layered, suspenseful tale, to say the least. Her work is graphic, but worth it. There is a twist at the end of the first section that literally made my jaw drop open and sent me back through looking for clues and hints. She is so damned good.

Greg Iles, Blood Memory, B+
Had never read one of his. Pretty well done, a little corny, the main character is just a little too flawed, etc. Plot involves repressed memories of sexual abuse - definitely not a light hearted romp here.

Iris Johansen, Blind Alley, A-
In this one, Eve Duncan's adopted daughter Jane is 17 and being stalked by a psycho killer. Interesting plot twists involving Roman history.

Iris Johansen, Countdown, B
Jane is now 21 and at the center of an international intrigue. Little too farfetched and too much romance novel aspect (read gushy sex scenes).

Morag Joss, Funeral Music, A
First in the Sara Selkirk series - Sara is a cellist who gets involved with solving a murder at the arts center. She gives cello lessons to a police detective and teams up with him in solving the case.

Christopher Fowler, Full Dark House, A
Begins in present day London, with a pair of octogenarian special detectives, but most of the novel takes place during World War II, when they worked their first case together. Well done.

Jodi Compton, Sympathy Between Humans, B-
And I'm an easy grader. I wasn't too impressed with the first one she wrote, but for some reason picked this up at the library. Way too many plot convolutions and a heroine so flawed it isn't even interesting.

C J Box, In Plain Sight, A-
Recent Joe Pickett. Joe and his family are targeted by someone with an axe to grind from a case in the past. Well written, interesting characters.

August reading

August went by in a blur. A busy month, plus I was knitting a lot and reading less. Some good ones, though, and lots of good new releases on the horizon for fall.

Jill Paton Walsh, Debts of Dishonor, A
After a long hiatus, Imogen Quy returns. Plot involves shady financial dealings that affect the college and the possible murder of an alumni.

Susan Wittig Albert, Bleeding Hearts, A
Latest China Bayles. China gets involved in a case involving the local football coach. Good character development as always.

Maggie Sefton, A Deadly Yarn, A
#3 Kelly Flynn. When a friend dies unexpectedly, Kelly and her friends can't believe it was suicide and uncover the truth.

PJ Tracy, Snow Blind, A
Latest in the Monkeewrench/Magozzi/et al series. Another excellent page-turner. What a diabolical way to hide a body!

Laurie R King, The Art of Detection, A-
Finally, Kate Martinelli returns! I'm not the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan, so the "lost" story inserted in the middle was not of great interest, but the plot was good overall.

Rett MacPherson, Dead Man Running, B
Recent Torie O'Shea. Not the strongest of the series. The characters were more annoying than charming this time out, and the plot twists were a bit strained.