December reading

Jan Burke, Kidnapped
Latest in the Irene Kelly series. I felt Bloodlines was so good, this was a bit of a let down, but was very good. One of my favorite series.

Greg Iles, Dead Sleep
Thriller about a woman who is trying to solve her twin sister's kidnapping and is still struggling with her father's disappearance during Vietnam.

Louise Penny, Still Life
FIrst in a series, can't wait for the second one. A police team from Quebec is sent to a small village to solve a murder case. Excellent writing, an incredible cast of characters, very enjoyable.

Greg Iles, The Quiet Game
One of his earlier ones. Good plot, involving a young widower and his daughter returning to his hometown of Natchez and getting involved in an unsolved case from the 60s, but it went on too long. Could have used another edit!

Lee Harris, The Cinco de Mayo Murder
Latest in the Chris Bennett series. I have really enjoyed this series and am willing to overlook the average writing and weak dialogue because the plots are usually entertaining and involve cold cases. This one is a cold case, but Chris' involvement in it is such a stretch, I found myself rolling my eyes a bit.

Robert B Parker, Hundred Dollar Baby
When a minor character is brought back for the third time, does that mean he has totally run out of plot ideas? Not the best in the Spenser series.

Charlaine Harris, Grave Surprise
#2 in the Harper Connelly series. Very enjoyable. Harper has the unusual ability to find dead bodies and identify the cause of death, which she was left with after being struck by lightning. In this one, she has gone to "demonstrate" her skills for a class and she discovers the body of a young girl she had been hired to find years before. Good characters and she makes the supernatural element seem very mundane.

Jennifer Weiner, The Guy Not Taken
Collection of short stories, many of which are very good. Similar themes throughout (dealing with divorced parents, angry siblings, whiny children) but very different in tone and style.