Catching up - November and December reads

Just for the record, here are the November and December 2007 lists.

November

Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Acts - another excellent one from Picoult; dealt with a woman who does search and rescue and learns that her own life is not what she thought it was. Very compelling characters and a complex plot.

Kate Ellis, The Painted Doom - another strong entry in the Wesley Peterson series; really enjoy the historical aspects that blend in with a present-day case

Robert B. Parker, Now and Then - one of the better recent Spensers

December

Stuart Woods, Shoot Him If He Runs - Stone Barrington and his superb vodka gimlet recipe return to action

Benjamin Black, Christine Falls - Black is the penname used by Irish novelist John Banville, for this, the first in a projected mystery series. Set in 1950's Dublin, interesting characters, and a plot that jumped across the pond to Boston, I really enjoyed this and look forward to more. Definitely not a formulaic mystery; very well written.

Sue Grafton, T is for Trespass - latest in the Kinsey Millhone series; an excellent entry in one of my all-time favorite series

Kate Wilhelm, A Wrongful Death - latest in the Barbara Holloway series - well done story of a woman caught up in industrial espionage and a custody battle who turns to Barbara and the crew for help.

Dean Koontz, The Darkest Evening of the Year - I don't typically like supernatural type novels, but Koontz does it so well. His recent works have been very deep, with good characters and plotting, and this one continues that trend. Do I believe that the spirit of a little girl could come back and embody a dog in order to help her mother in many ways? It doesn't matter, really. The book is excellent.

Valerie Martin, Trespass - an intriguing tale of two families that connect through the romance of the respective son and daughter; very richly drawn characters and a plot that weaves together the brutality of the Bosnian conflict and present day America.