PAUL ADAM -
Sleeper (Time Warner-UK, 2005; Paperback; Amateur Sleuth; Italy; 5th
book)
Giovanni “Gianni” Castiglioni is a luthier – a
violin maker – at whose home his friends – a policeman, Guastafeste, a
priest, Father Arrigh, and a fellow luthier, Rainaldi – gather each
month as an informal string quartet. After one of their
sessions, Guastafeste and Gianni find Rainaldi murdered in his
studio by. His widow tells them he was searching for “The
Messiah’s Sister,” the twin to a perfect, unplayed, priceless violin
made by Stradivari. Gianni is asked by Guastafeste to help in the
investigation.
*** This book is being released in hardcover by St. Martin’s as The
Rainaldi Quartet in February 2006. No matter the title, I
thoroughly enjoyed this book. The character of Gianni, the
supporting characters and the settings in Italy were well done.
The killer, and the motive, weren’t ones I anticipated. But it
was the history of violins and violin making I found fascinating.
The information enhanced, rather than detracted, from the story.
If this is an example of Mr. Adam's writing, I should definitely read
another book by him. Good Plus
JANE ADAMS
- The Greenway (Macmillan (UK), 1995; hardcover; Suspense/Police
Procedural; England; 1st book)
Cassie Maltham’s cousin disappeared while they were
taking a
short-cut home through the Greenway, an ancient passageway in
Norfolk.
Cassie couldn’t remember what had happened, but has suffered from
depression and nightmares ever since. Now, 20 years later, Cassie
has
returned to Norfolk trying to let go of the past. But when
another
young girl disappears, it draws Cassie back into her nightmares.
Detective Inspector Mike Croft, through the urging of Sergeant Bill
Enfield, elicits the help of John Tynan, the retired detective who
investigated the disappearance of Cassie's cousin.
*** Ms. Adams has written a haunting, yet very human book about guilt
and loss. Cassie suffers survivor’s guilt; why did her cousin
disappear rather than she. Croft knows the anguish of losing a
child,
although his son had been killed in a hit-and-run. The story was
absorbing with good twists along the way and touches of the
supernatural. I shall definitely read more of Ms. Adams’
work. Good
Plus
BRIGITTE
AUGER - Death from the Woods (Berkeley Prime Crime, 2005,
Paperback; Suspense; France; 1st book)
As the result of a car bomb, Elise Andrioli is a
blind, mute quadriplegic. Left by her caregiver Yvette in a park
to wait, Elise is befriended by Virginie, a 7-year-old who tells Elise
she knows who is killing young boys. When Elise is attacked, she
is faced with finding a way to communicate and to stay alive.
*** Translated from French, the story, for the most part, flows well
and was only occasionally in the dialogue aware of it being a
translation. Aubert did a very good job conveying the
protagonist’s emotions of frustration, anger, determination, humor and
fear. But that was the strength of the book. The plot
became more convoluted as it progressed and the ending was
anticlimactic as the mystery wasn’t resolved through a series of clues,
but by the recitation of one of the characters. So, while I felt
the character of Elise was well done, the overall story was only
good. Good
LEE CHILD
- Die Trying (Jove; 1998; paperback; Suspense; Montana; 2nd in Jack
Reacher series)
Jack Reacher, former MP and expert sharpshooter, just tries to be a
nice guy to a woman having trouble folding her dry cleaning. In
exchange, they both end up being kidnapped and taken to a paramilitary
camp in Montana. The woman isn’t just anyone; Holly Johnson is an
FBI agent with a very powerful father and godfather. The
militarists don’t want money, they want to start their own country.
*** Strong characters, excellent dialogue and non-stop, albeit very
violent, action combine to make this a fast, entertaining read.
I’d categorize this as a perfect airplane book — a great book in which
to escape for a few hours, but not one you’re likely to collect or
reread. VG
MICHAEL
ALLEN DYMMOCH - White Tiger (St. Martin’s Press, hardcover;
2005; Police Procedural; Chicago-1970s; 5th in John Thinnes
series)
Detective John Thinnes views the body of a murder
victim at the morgue, and realizes she was the Vietnamese wife of his
best friend when serving as an MP during the Vietnam War. Upon
meeting the late woman’s son, he remembers his friends’ wedding night,
waking up hung over and naked and now wonders whether he could be the
boy’s father.
Thinnes goes to his friend Dr. Jack Calab, a
psychiatrist, who served in Vietnam as a medic and is in a veterans’
group dealing with his own memories of that experience.
When one of the group members is murdered, it links the two cases
together with tales of the White Tiger, a mysterious criminal from
Vietnam, now in Chicago.
*** I have been an admirer of Ms. Dymmoch's work from the beginning and
regret more people are not aware of her. While I love her
previous titles, they may have caused people to think her books are
light. This book, with its succinct title, will certainly remedy
that perception.
For those of us with friends and/or relatives who
fought, and died, in Vietnam, this is a painful but wonderfully written
book. The story is told in alternating perspectives of Thinnes
and Calab, as well as the present and the past, but it absolutely
works. While there is a present-day case to be solved, the story
is really about the experiences and impact of war on those who fight
it. One of the members of Calab’s group is from Desert
Storm. The mystery and suspense serve almost as a backdrop, but
it’s absolutely a book well worth reading. VG
KJ
ERICKSON - Alone at Night (St. Martin’s; paperback original;
2005; Police Procedural; Minneapolis-1984/present; 4th book in Mars
Bahr series)
In 1984, Chief of Police Sigvald “Sig” Sampson
handled the case of a beautiful young clerk who disappeared from a
convenience store where she worked alone at night. That
case was never solved. Now, in 2003, Marshall “Mars” Bahr has
reopened the case.
*** This starts out really well, and I didn’t even mind the dual time
periods as Erickson quickly tied the events of the past into the
present. The characters of Mars Bahr – okay, I’ll admit I'm a
little tired of cute names for protagonists – and Nettie Frisch are
interesting, although I did feel there was a lack of development
without having read the previous books. Bahr’s son, Chris,
supposedly 11, reads more like 16 to me.
The plot started out well, but rather this being a
suspenseful police procedural, it degraded into involving Viet Nam at
one end and Osama bin Laden at the other. I kept feeling as
though the author was trying to integrate political views rather than
focus on a mystery. There was only one suspenseful scene toward
the end, and its outcome was projected and predictable. I’m
afraid I just wasn’t very impressed. OK
CHRIS
FREEBURN - Dying for Redemption (Quiet Storm Publishing; trade
paperback; 2004; PI/Fantasy; standalone)
Calamer “Callous” Demar is a private
investigator. He also died in 1953. His agency, located in
Limbo, helps the recently murdered find out who killed them.
Callous’s secretary, Ann, has brought him the case of Willow Flannery,
a millionaire businesswoman, who was killed in a car accident, except
that the brakes were cut. But Callous must also help his
great-grandniece Abby accept her death and find her killer.
*** The story alternates points of view between Callous and Abby.
I found this very distracting as at times I had to check the
chapter heading to know which POV was speaking. Callous’s ‘notes’
to himself were amusing but not completely logical as you assume he has
been a PI in Limbo since he died and would have been exposed to the
changing times through his ‘clients.’ Still in all, it was clever and entertaining and
had some interesting points about life and death. The two
mysteries were well plotted with good twists. I should recommend
this to those who enjoy the paranormal and want something a bit
different. Good.
ASHLEY
GARDNER - The Sudbury School Murders (Berkeley Prime Crime,
paperback original; 2005; Amateur Sleuth; England-1817; 4th in Gabriel
Lacey series)
Retired dragoon Captain Gabriel Lacy and his
manservant, Bartholomew have left London for the Sudbury School, where
Lacey has taken the post of secretary to the school’s headmaster,
Everard Rutledge. The school has been beset with pranks and
Rutledge wants Lacy to find out who's behind them. But it’s no
prank when there’s a murder.
*** These days, it’s not easy to find a true mystery with a murder,
clues and a solution. This is just such a book! Captain
Lacey is an interesting character, one whose merits are seen and valued
by others much more than him. He is a strong, appealing character
with a history and unresolved issues. Lacey is supported by
interesting secondary characters and a vivid depiction of the time
period. The dialogue is well done; neither so focused on being of
the period it slows down ones reading, nor so modern as to be
anachronistic. The story is so involving that I read it straight
through. I very much enjoyed this book, but it is best to read
the series from the beginning. The good news is that the 5th book
is already out, and the
6th is due in June 2006. VG
SIMON R.
GREEN - Paths Not Taken (Ace; paperback original; 2005;
Fantasy; Nightside; 5th in series)
John Taylor is a private investigator in Nightside,
a hidden part of London where it is always 3 a.m. and the residents are
anything but ordinary. John has learned that his mother is
Lilith, the first wife of biblical Adam. He, Suzie
Shooter and Tommy Oblivion travel back in time to learn how his mother
created Nightside and find a way to stop her from destroying it.
*** This series that must be read in order and is not for the faint of
stomach. It is for those who enjoy action and fantasy.
Personally, I’ll admit I’m a bit disappointed in the path the series
has taken. The first two books were truly a PI in a fantasy
world. Now, Taylor is on a quest and each book is a bit more of
the same. Taylor and his friends are engaging characters, but the
story seems to be stuck on a theme. The story moves well and
doesn’t lack for excitement, but I’d like to see this thread wrapped up
and John get back to fighting crime in Nightside.
Good Plus
KERRY
GREENWOOD - Urn Burial (Poisoned Pen Press; trade paperback;
2005; Private Investigator; Australia-1920s; 7th in Phyrne Fisher
series)
Phryne Fisher, her maid Dorothy, her lover Lin
Chung, and his man Li are headed for a holiday at Cave House in the
Australian countryside. On the way, they hear a rifle shot and
find a hysterical maid who has been molested. Later. after their
arrival, Phryne finds the maid dead, but when she returns with help,
the body is gone. Phryne discovers each of the houseguests has a
secret and the host is receiving threatening letters.
*** This is a delightful book with an equally delightful and capable
protagonist. Phryne can fly her own plane, shoot, and ride and
take lovers with delight. She’s also clever and solves crimes
through skill and observation. Greenwood does a wonderful job of
creating strong, interesting characters, excellent dialogue and tight
plots. She also teaches me something in each book – in this case,
it’s the geology of caves – without beating me over the head or slowing
down the story. There is even a delightful homage to Agatha
Christie in this book. While this entry may not be quite as
strong as others in the series, it was still very
enjoyable. Good Plus
SUSANNA
GREGORY - An Unholy Alliance (Time Warner-UK; paperback;
Medieval Mystery; England/1300s; 2nd in Matthew Bartholomew series)
The plague has passed and physician Matthew
Bartholomew wants only
to train his students and attend to his patients. As senior
physician,
he is called to examine a body mysteriously discovered inside the
treasured and supposedly secure University chest, which holds all the
most valued documents. Witchcraft is also on the rise and someone
is
brutally murdering prostitutes and marking their feet with a small
circle of blood.
*** Ms. Gregory has created an interesting 14th Century physician
protagonist who would rather be teaching and attending to his patients
rather than conducting investigations. With strong supporting
characters and rich historical detail, this is another very good book
in a well-done series. The stories are just a bit overlong and
the
plot over-complicated, but it all works together well. I
recommend
reading the series in order, and I do recommend reading the
series.
VG
HARRY HUNSICKER
- Still River (St. Martin’s Press; hardcover; 2005; Private
Investigator; Dallas; 1st book)
PI Lee Henry “Hank” Oswald is a Gulf War approached
by a former schoolmate to find her brother, a former drug addict and
alcoholic. Hank’s dying partner Ernie asks Hank to help his
niece, Nolan, also an investigator. The case expands to include
murder, violent drug dealers and a major real estate scam.
*** Some have compared this book to Lehane and Connelly. While I
understand the comparison, to me this book just didn’t have the same
cachet as those. Hank is interesting, and he has as sidekicks a
well-armed and violent gay couple sidekicks, but I never felt connected
to them. Hank gets beat up and shot, and shot, and shot, but he
is the proverbial Timex. There are a lot of bad guys without any
of them being memorable.
The dialogue is good, although the author needs to
ensure he does not overuse the phrase (paraphrasing) “If someone knows
of a better … I wish they’d show me.” The author works too hard
at clever names for his characters: Lee Henry Oswald, for a book set in
Dallas; Vera Drinkwater, client with an alcoholic brother; and bad guys
Clairol and Fagen. For all that, the story moves well and there
are some clever moments. The book was good, but it didn’t knock
me out. Good Minus
JOHN
LESCROART - 13 Dead Irish (Signet; paperback; 2005; Police
Procedural/Amateur Sleuth; San Francisco; 1st in series)
Dismas Hardy is a Viet Nam vet, former cop, and
former attorney who works in a bar. Abe Glitsky is a
homicide cop and Hardy’s former partner. The son of a mutual
friend is found dead and it looks like suicide. Glitsky and
Hardy disagree and decide to work together to find the killer.
*** It’s always good to read the first book of a series, as it lays the
groundwork for the characters and their relationships. This
book did a very good job of creating and defining the principal
characters by making them interesting enough that I want to read more
about them. The setting was well done. However, the story
had too many red herrings, and I found myself disappointed by the
ending. Good Plus
MARTIN
O’BRIEN - Jacquot and the Waterman (Headline; trade paperback;
2005; Police Procedural; Marseilles, France; 1st in series)
Chief Inspector Daniel Jacquot is still recognized
for scoring the winning try (touchdown) in a Five Nations final 20
years' earlier. He faces a new challenge now with a serial
killer, dubbed the Waterman, who is leaving nude, sexually abused dead
woman in various watery locations around Marseilles. The
investigation takes Jacquot among both the criminal set and the
wealthy, who have secrets of their own to hide.
*** Good police procedurals are one of my favorite types of mysteries,
and this was good! Jacquot is an interesting and memorable
character who is tied to his city, his friends and his past. He
may not be lucky at love, but he loves what he does. He is
out to get the bad guys, but has a certain realistic viewpoint about
it. There were a lot of characters, but I never felt
confused.
The suspense begins at the opening chapter and,
while not nail-biting, it is maintained through the story. The
dialogue is excellent. Not knowing Marseilles at all, I’d have
liked a stronger sense of place, but it didn’t diminish my
enjoyment. There are very good twists along the way, and even for
the one bad guy who gets away, you have a sense fate will catch up with
them down the line. Book two of the series is already on my
shelf. I highly recommend this to fans of police
procedurals. VG
Happy
Reading,
LJ
_____________________________________
YOUR
COMMENTS
ARE WELCOME:
Copyright
©
2006 by Steve
Lewis. All rights reserved to contributors.