The Weekend Reader

Wicked Prey
by John Sandford
6/06/2009

Covenant Hall
by Kathryn R. Wall
5/27/2009

The Perfect Poison
by Amanda Quick
5/5/2009

Breakneck
by Erica Spindler
4/14/2009

Queen of Dragons
by Shana Abe
4/09/2009

Highland Warrior
by Monica McCarty
4/07/2009

Wicked Prey
by John Sandford

The Republican Party's 2008 presidential nomination convention was being held in St. Paul, Minnesota. The delegates would be in town for a week. As far as Lucas Davenport was concerned, that was bad enough. But along with the delegates there would be a smattering of pickpockets, protestors, party goers, thieves, robbers, and maybe even a professional hit man. Maintaining law and order wouldn't be easy.

The trouble started shortly after the lobbyists started checking into their hotels. They were carrying suitcases of cash for under-the-table deals and buying votes. They were targeted by a team of professional robbers. The lobbyists were easy pickings. If the money was stolen, what could they do? If they reported the crime, they would have to admit they were breaking the law as well. When the second lobbyist was beaten to the point of being hospitalized, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension stepped in.

Lucas didn't see any point in wasting man-hours on the robberies as the victims refused to even tell them what/how much money was stolen, but a call from a police officer in New York pegged one of the robbers as a cop killer. They wanted him brought in with enough evidence to keep him in jail for a lifetime. Lucas and his team set a trap only the trap backfired leaving another cop and a civilian dead. With the death of a friend, the hunt took on new meaning. Lucas wanted to nail the bastards.

On another front there's Randy Whitcomb, a pimp confined to a wheelchair having been caught in the crossfire of a shootout. Although Lucas didn't shoot Randy, Randy holds him responsible. Motivated by revenge, Randy concocts a plan to kidnap Letty, Lucas's soon to be adopted daughter. When Letty realizes what Randy is up to, she takes matters into her own hands. If Lucas knew Randy Whitcomb was stalking her, Lucas would kill him. Only the best laid plans can go awry.

John Sandford is one of my favorite authors. His character development, especially his villains, is phenomenal. You can get into their heads and really understand what motivates them and how they will react in a given situation. The villains are really bad and the innocent... are not always as innocent as they would seem.

Wicked Prey is an incredible book. The action started on the first page and didn't let up until the very end. If you are looking to add to your summer reading list, I highly recommend Wicked Prey.

Covenant Hall
by Kathryn R. Wall

Bay Tanner is a private investigator, but unlike other private investigators, Bay has trouble remaining detached. Her client's problems become her problems. The case troubling her in Covenant Hall was the search for Joline Eastman's family. Joline's daughter, Kimmie, needed a bone marrow transplant. Without it she would die. Unfortunately Joline never had any contact with her family, and was unable to give Bay so much as a starting point. All she has was an old photograph.

The other case bothering Bay was personal. Her father was dying and while searching for his medical power of attorney forms, Bay stumbled across a letter written to her. The information revealed in the letter tore Bay apart. She had a sister.

Bay was torn. She had to know why her sister's existence was kept from her, but she wanted to respect her father's privacy as well. Bay was an only child. It was a truth she grew up believing. If that proved to untrue, how many other truths she held dear were nothing more than a pocket full of lies?

Like many of the fans of the Bay Tanner Mystery Series, I'm still waiting to learn if Bay will indeed marry Red Tanner, the brother of her deceased husband. But that issue seems minor compared to the other problems facing Bay. Her life is falling apart at the seams. She would repair it, fix the rents, but it would never be the same.

Covenant Hall is a well crafted story with a depth of feeling often missing in a mystery. The choices Bay had to make were heart wrenching and difficult. The story drew me in and held my attention from beginning to end.

The Bay Tanner Mystery Series is one of my favorite series and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Covenant Hall is definitely a five star book.

The Perfect Poison
by Amanda Quick

The Arcane Society is a secret organization formed in the 1800's. The original members and their descendants have paranormal abilities. The purpose of the society is to provide support for its members, and to further research in the psychic realm.

A hundred years after its origination, the Arcane Society was experiencing growing pains. There were crimes committed against, and by Society members that could not be properly investigated by the Garda. A secret splinter group determined to recreate the Founder's Formula was another issue. The Founder's Formula is dangerous. While it enhances the users psychic abilities giving them the much craved for rush of power, it is highly unstable and addictive. In response to the need, Caleb Jones, cousin to the current master, forms a psychic investigation agency.

Lucinda Bromley was no longer accepted in polite society. Yes, she was an expert on organic poisons, but she didn't use her skill to poison her fiancé. What the ladies in police society thought didn't matter. She was a botanist and as long as she had her beloved plants, she would be happy.

When Inspector Spellar, a constable with the Garda and an Arcane Society member asked Lucinda to determine if Lord Fairburn had been poisoned, or if he died of natural causes, Lucinda didn't hesitate. She could detect the psychic residue a poison left behind. If Lord Fairburn had been poisoned, what she had to say may be the only evidence the Inspector had to go on. A man was dead. He deserved justice.

It wasn't the first crime scene Lucinda had visited, or the first dead body she had witnessed, but Lord Fairburn's death rocked her to the core. He was poisoned, and the poison used was derived from a rare fern stolen from her conservatory. If she told the Inspector what she sensed, she may well be arrested for murder. She needed help and who better to turn to than Caleb Jones and his psychic investigation agency. As a member of the Jones family, he was good at keeping secrets, and ferreting out the truth.

The minute Lucinda met Caleb Jones she knew she was in trouble. She expected the raw psychic power, but had not counted on her reaction to it. Their psychic gifts seemed to resonate. Desire bloomed and together they were drawn into the heart of not one conspiracy, but two.

The Perfect Poison is the sixth Arcane Society novel. The modern day Arcane Society novels such as Running Hot, are published under the name Jayne Ann Krentz. The historical ones such as this one are published under the name Amanda Quick.

The Perfect Poison is a historical romantic suspense, but in keeping with the genre, it is not as fast paced or intense as its modern day counterparts. It is a refreshing change to watch love blossom within the confines of proper ninetieth century society.

The Perfect Poison is an excellent addition to the growing number of Arcane Society Novels. Read it as part of the whole or as a free standing historical romance.

Breakneck
by Erica Spindler

Detective MC Riggo has everything going for her. Professionally (she's a homicide detective) all is going well, she has a great partner, and the man she loves just asked her to marry him. A few days later her world came crashing down on her. The man she loved and trusted was killed in a seemingly random act of violence.

Random?

MC has a hard time believing Dan's death was a random act of violence, and when her cousin is murdered a few days later, she knows she has to investigate. There's a connection there's a connection ... somewhere.

The connection is a professional hit man known as Breakneck, and he was systematically killing the computer geeks that ripped him off. Not only was Dan involved, but several of her family members were as well. Torn between family loyalty and duty, MC's not sure which way to turn.

Breakneck is a fast-paced suspense, a classic cops-and-robbers type story. It has a fantastic plot with a complex cast of characters. It will keep you glued to your seat and flipping the pages as fast as you can.

Easily 5 stars.

Queen of Dragons
by Shana Abe

IQueen of Dragons is Shana Abe's third book in the Drakon series. The Drakon are a race of people who can walk among humans, but can turn to smoke and then dragon. They are a strong race with a social structure based on strength and ability, much like that of a wolf pack. They are ruled by the alpha, and the rules are stringent. The survival of their race depends on it.

In Dream Thief, the Drakon clan realized they are not the only Drakon in the world. There is a tribe in Transylvania and they have mixed and mated with humans for generations. The blood of some descendants so diluted that they couldn't be called Drakon anymore.

Princess Maricara was the child bride of the ruler of the Transylvania tribe. When her abilities were discovered, she was plucked from her home and forced to marry Imre, the last pureblood ruler. He died when Maricara was fifteen. As women were not allowed to rule, her brother assumed the position with Maricara at his side.

When emissaries from Darkfirth, the English holding, were found murdered in route to Transylvania, Maricara knew something had to be done. It was the Dragon Hunters, not Drakon that killed the emissaries. The Darkfrith tribe had to be warned of the danger.

Upon arrival at Darfirth, Princess Maricara discovered that she was meant to marry the alpha, Kimber Langford, Earl of Chasen. It also became clear that the Drakon of Darfirth had a plan in place. They wanted to combine the two tribes, with the Darfirth alpha ruling them all. Maricara was not going to stand still for that. There were too many rules to abide by, and Kimber was a domineering man. If she bowed to his will, she would lose her sense of self and the freedom she fought so hard for.

Kimber Langford, Earl of Chasen knew Maricara was meant for him. Their species was ruled by instinct as well as laws. She would be his. With the Drakon Hunters on to them, he didn't have time to woo her. The protection of his tribe had to take precedence. The freedom she valued was putting the tribe at risk. He would rein her in even if that meant locking her in the executioner's holding cell.

Queen of Dragons is an enjoyable addition to Shana Abe's Drakon series. It is a historical suspense set in an alternate reality so vividly described it became a reality. Both the hero and the heroine had their strengths and their weaknesses, common causes and apposing viewpoints. That in and of itself made it an excellent story, but the added mystery/suspense sent it over the top. It was an excellent read. I couldn't put it down until I finished it.

Highland Warrior
by Monica McCarty

In the early 1600's the Highlands of Scotland were changing. Feuding Lairds could no longer take the law into their own hands. The King wanted the fighting to stop and a peaceful coexistence to exist. The transition of power was far from over. A Laird's control over their lands and their clans was a long-standing tradition, one that would not be willingly forfeited.

Laird Lamont was caught between a long-standing tradition of sanctuary and the new order. He didn't want to harbor a fugitive, but tradition and honor demanded it. He knew he had to create an alliance with the powerful Campbells if his clan was to survive the fallout. Giving his daughter to Jamie Campbell, the Earl of Argyll's right-hand man would give him the leverage needed to get out of this mess. Jamie Campbell was dubbed "The Henchman" but rumors were often exaggerated. Surely Caitrina would understand.

Caitrina Lamont loved her family. Having lost her mother at an early age, she assumed the role of hostess for her father and mother to her brothers. Sheltered by her father and over-protective brothers, she knew little of what happened beyond the walls of Ascog Castle. Content with her life as it was, she was not happy with her father's talk of marriage and alliances. She didn't want a husband. The family she had was enough. She turned down Jamie Campbell's proposal with a haughty air. If she had to marry she would, but not to a Scourge of the Earth Campbell. Jamie left with dire warning that smacked of a threat ringing in her ears.

Twenty-four hours later Caitrina's father and brother were dead. Colin Campbell, Jamie's brother attacked the castle. The Lamont's were harboring fugitives. When they refused to surrender them, Colin Campbell took matters into his own hands and attacked.

Caitrina didn't believe Jamie when he claimed he had nothing to do with the attack. Her family and her home were gone. The only way Ascog Castle would be returned to the Lamont tribe was to accept Jamie's offer and marry him, but could she do it? Jamie's idea of justice and hers didn't jive. Could they find a middle ground and make it work? Could they build a life together on the rubble of the past?

Highland Warrior is an excellent character driven historical romance. Jamie Campbell is the legendary enforcer with his eye on the law. He doesn't always see that the law and justice are not always in accord. Caitrina wants to love her husband, but suspicion and doubt keep tripping her up. Both Caitrina and Jamie are complex and fallible characters. I found myself caring for them and worrying when things when wrong.

The plot line twisted and turned, catching me off guard more than once. No surprise there. Jamie and Caitrina's lives are complicated. They have to deal with the past and the future while trying to find their place in the present.

I enjoyed the story from start to finish and look forward to Monica McCarty's next book.

5 Stars

Night and Day
by Robert B. Parker

Paradise is a small town on the Massachusetts coast. The police force consists of only 12 officers and that's including the Chief of Police Jesse Stone. Paradise is a small town with small town problems. The Wednesday night peeper is one problem, and the junior high principal's slut patrol is another. And then the wife swapping swingers get into the act.

Jesse knows that the principal, the wife of an extremely powerful lawyer, will not be charged for violating the privacy of a bunch of thirteen year old girls, but he felt she should be punished. Making the girls lift their skirts to reveal their underwear for inspection was wrong, not to mention mortifying for the pubescent teens.

The Wednesday night peeper was an annoyance until his stunts escalated home invasions. Forcing a forty something year-old woman to strip before a camera had to be as mortifying as asking a thirteen year old to reveal her panties.

The intertwining mysteries caught and held my attention. Robert B. Parker is very good at spinning a quality who-done-it, but it was the personal saga that kept me glued to the seat with my nose buried in the book. Jesse is an alcoholic and part of that was due to his obsession with his ex-wife. By taking a good, hard look at what drove the Night Hawk, Jesse started to see himself and his obsession a little clearer. The Night Hawk's obsession was destroying his life. Would Jesse allow his obsession destroy his life as well?

Night and Day is the eighth book in the Jesse Stone Mystery Series and they just keep getting better and better. It's a classic who-done-it without any grizzly murders or serial killers lurking between the pages. For the first time in ages I read a book from cover to cover without being temped to skip a page every now and then.

It's a five star book from cover to cover.

Blue-eyed Devil
by Lisa Klypas

Like most young women, Haven Travis was struggling to find her niche in life. She was smart, vivacious, and determined, but her family's wealth loomed over her. She was not an empty headed heiress or a spoiled rich girl. Unfortunately the media and the public thought otherwise.

Haven's father and older brother's were domineering men. As the youngest and the only girl in the family, they felt they had the right to dictate what she could and couldn't do. When Churchill Travis, Haven's father, told her to dump her boyfriend, he assumed Haven would comply. Nick was more leach than man. Haven trusted his judgment in the past. Surely she would trust it now.

Haven knew her father would follow through on his threat and disown her if she married Nick, but she was tired of toeing the line. She loved Nick and their love would carry them through. They didn't need the Travis money to build a life together. They could do it on their own.

Haven and Nick eloped. Haven went into the marriage with visions of love and happiness dancing in her head. Nick had visions of dollar bills in his. Haven's father would come around eventually. A grandchild would do the trick.

The dynamics of Haven and Nick's marriage morphed into a nightmare. Over time Nick systematically stripped Haven of her confidence, her choices, and her freedom. If he occasionally lost his temper and beat her, well she asked for it.

After living in an abusive relationship for over a year, Haven no longer had the backbone to defy her husband, but when he told her to go off the pill, she did just that. The key was to not let him know she was defying him. Months later when Nick discovered Haven's secret, he practically beat her to death and dumped her outside. She would come to her senses by morning.

Haven did come to her senses. Beaten and abused, she walked for miles in bare feet to a pubic payphone and called her oldest brother. She needed help.

Hardy Cates was a Texas roughneck. Through sheer grit and determination he clawed his way to the top of the oil industry. He was a self-made millionaire, but like most self-made millionaires he made a few enemies along the way, and the Travis family topped the list.

He met Haven when he crashed her brother's wedding. Gage was marrying an old girlfriend of his and he wanted to wish her well. Meeting Haven was an unexpected bonus. Hardy was enthralled. Even after he heard that she had married, he continued to dream of her. She made him feel whole again. When Hardy heard that Haven was divorced and living in Houston again, the obstacles didn't matter. He would have her.

Blue-eyed Devil is a sequel to Lisa Kleypas' first contemporary novel, Sugar Daddy. As with Sugar Daddy, once I started reading I couldn't put it down. There were some frightening and emotionally challenging scenes, but there was also love and compassion, and a lot of witty humor. The chemistry between Haven and Hardy smoldered. It is a beautiful love story that touches on some social issues that have been ignored for too long. It is an excellent book, well worth reading.

I'm looking forward to Lisa Kleypas next novel, Smooth Talking Stranger. It's scheduled for release the end of this month.

White Witch, Black Curse
by Kim Harrison

White Witch, Black Curse, the seventh book in Kim Harrison's urban fantasy series. It is a page-turning tale of magic and murder in post-Turn Cincinnati.

Rachel Morgan's life, a white witch bounty hunter, has hit an all time low. She's covered with demon marks and smut, living with a living vampire and a pixie family in a converted church, and is forced to return to the ever-after every week as Al the Demon's student. To make matters worse, due to a forget charm, she can't recall the night her vampire boyfriend was murdered. He was permanently dead but the person/thing responsible was still at large. It seems as though everyone she loves ends up dead. Would she be forced to spend her life alone?

While Rachel struggles with her lack of progress in her investigation into Kisten's death, a new problem arises. Rachel's FIB Agent friend Glenn is beaten and left for dead. A banshee was responsible but Inderlander Security brushed the problem off. Humans didn't really understand that there were predators and there were prey. The Banshee was as the top of the food chain. They fed off the auras of humans and Inderlanders alike, but they usually chose prey from the fringes of society. Nearly killing a FIB Agent had to be an accident, but accidents happen. Get over it.

Edden, a FIB Captain and Glenn's father, was not about to turn the other cheek. He put Rachel on the payroll and sent her after Mia, the Banshee, and her family. Rachel knew she was no match for the banshee but what could she do? Glenn was her friend and he was left for dead. Mia would kill again and again, and now she had an aura sucking child to feed... She had to be stopped.

Rachel Morgan is a fascinating character. Unlike so many heroines, she is has weaknesses and insecurities that keep tripping her up. But she has a heart of gold and strong sense of right and wrong, even if it is a bit skewed. She's a white witch but if she has to dabble in the darker stuff to get the job done, so be it. She's already covered in smut and carrying two demon marks.

As with all Kim Harrison's books, I thoroughly enjoyed White Witch, Demon Curse. The action is not as intense as it has been in past books, but the added character development makes up for it. This is the seventh book in the series and if you read the first six, you'll enjoy this one. For potential new Kim Harrison readers, I recommend starting with the first book in the series, Dead Witch Walking. White Witch, Black Curse is not a stand-alone novel.

5 Stars

Legally Dead
By Edna Buchanan

United States Marshall Michael Venturi has a strong sense of right and wrong. He knew mobsters were placed in the witness protection program. He didn't approve of using scum to convict bigger scum, but it wasn't his decision to make. He did his job to the best of his ability, but when he came across an article of child abduction and molestation in a town where he had placed a known sex offender, he knew something had to be done.

His boss said no.

Angered over the fact that the powers that be felt convicting a crime boss was more important that the lives of innocent children, Michael took the suggested vacation. Only he didn't go on vacation, but sent someone in his stead. Michael headed to New Hampshire. Gino Salvi was abducting and killing children. He had to be stopped.

Thanks to Michael's interference, the mobster when down for armed robbery, murder and child molestation. Unfortunately the Marshall's Service was taking heat. They knew Michael interfered but couldn't prove it. It didn't matter. The Service needed a scapegoat and Michael fit the bill.

Fired and at loose ends, Michael ended up in Florida. Thanks to a wrongful death settlement from an accident that took his wife and unborn child, he didn't need to work. But he thought of the money as tainted and didn't want to use it. That changed when he stumbled across a man determined to end his life. The man had been victimized through no fault of his own, and now he had little chance of pulling his life back together. When the public condemned, innocence didn't matter.

Could they pull off a civilian version of the witness protection program?

All was well. Michael and his team had placed several worthy candidates in their version of the witness protection program. All was going well until someone started brutally murdering the mobsters Michael had placed before losing his job with the Marshall Service. Where they trying to flush him out of hiding, was he being set up for a bigger fall, or was one of the "innocent" candidates placed not so innocent after all?

Edna Buchanan's Legally Dead is a fast paced thriller that will keep you reading from start to finish. There were several sub-plots that I didn't feel were necessary to the story, but they didn't take away from it either. I enjoyed it from start to finish and look forward to Edna Buchanan next novel.

Fire and Ice
by Julie Garwood

Sophie Rose is a journalist, but her fame has not come from her writing. She is the daughter of a career criminal, Chicago's own Robin Hood. The FBI, CIA, IRS and every other initialed federal agency were trying to get their hands on him, but the residents of Chicago loved him. He didn't target the working man, stole from the rich that obtained that status through illegal means. The corrupt shuttered when they heard his name.

Bobby Rose was in the news again which meant Sophie was getting threatening phone calls again. She didn't take the threats seriously. Unfortunately the threat was real. Locked in a sniper's sights, Sophie takes a bullet in the chest. Fortunately the bullet lost most of its punch after it shattered the window and cut through the clasp of her favorite purse. A trip to the emergency room and a few stitches later, Sophie was ready to get back to work.

Her boss and the FBI had other ideas.

She disliked the FBI on principal and didn't appreciate their intrusion in her life, especially Jack McCallister. The handsome FBI agent is Alec Buchanen's new partner. Alec is her best friend Regan's husband (from the novel Murder List).

Determined to ignore the FBI's presence, Sophie focuses on work. She couldn't go into the office but she could follow up on the missing William Harrington. Before her world turned upside down, Sophie was assigned a ho-hum article featuring William Harrington, winner of 24 5K runs and counting on publicity for his 25th win. Sophie finished the initial interview but then the puffed up and pompous Mr. Harrington disappeared before the race even started.

Sophie's irritation turned to curiosity when a she took a call from a police officer in Alaska. They had a dead man on their hands and the only identification they found was Sophie's business card tucked in the man's sock. The man had been eaten by Barry, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska's resident polar bear.

I am a long-time fan of Julie Garwood's. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of her books with her last historical being the only exception. Garwood weaves an excellent story using romance, intrigue and suspense, with humor woven through it all. Long-time fans will enjoy this book and if this is your first Garwood read, odds are you'll be looking through her backlist. If that's the case, I would like to recommend Ransom. It's one of my all time favorite historical romances.

Killer View
by Ridley Pearson

When a skier goes missing on Galena Summit, Sheriff Walt Fleming called out the Search and Rescue team. He didn't want to. The call wasn't verified and there was a storm brewing, but if there was a skier out there, he would be dead by morning if not rescued.

During the dangerous trek through the mountains, the Sheriff thought he heard a shot. When one of his later Search and Rescue team members, Randy Aker, was found dead a short time later, he had to assume the two incidents were related.

When Randy's brother Mark, a fellow Search and Rescue team member and veterinarian disappeared, at first Walt assumed he needed some time alone to grieve. Later that day Walt discovered the connection between the girl brutally attacked the night before and Mark, realized there was a major increase in the number of sick employees at the water bottling plant, and witnessed the burning of hundreds of animals. Something was off. Sun Valley was a peaceful area. Surely it wasn't the target for terrorist activity.

Killer View is a police procedural in a beautiful, rustic setting. It is fast paced with a lot of surprising twists. The scenes were described in vivid detail, and I felt like I really got to know the characters. After reading the first couple of pages I was hooked. I couldn't put it down until I reached the end.