THE LESSON OF HER DEATH

TITLE: THE LESSON OF HER DEATH
AUTHOR: JEFFREY DEAVER
Date: 21/02/2008
Grade: DNF
Details: Audio; 12 disks
Library

Having to drive up and down to Cavan seem like a good opportunity to get reacquainted with audio books, but obviously I didn't pick the right book for this purpose.
I only listened to two out of the twelve disks, but already found myself confused about characters and upset with some of them and decided to return the whole thing to the library.
I especially didn't like the way the nine year old girl featured in the story.
It's quite possible that I would have felt differently about the story if I had been reading it. However, I fear there's now a good chance that I'll never find out, because I tend to have a difficulty going back to a book I had previously rejected.

E IS FOR EVIDENCE

TITLE: E IS FOR EVIDENCE
AUTHOR: SUE GRAFTON
Pages: 225
Date: 22/02/2008
Grade: 4.5
Details: nr. 5 Kinsey Millhone Mystery
Own

Two days before Christmas, Kinsey discovers that $ 5.000 has been lodged into her account. By whom or why she doesn't know.
The whom remains a mystery, but the why becomes clear when she's accused of conspiring to defraud the insurance company she sometimes works for, together with a man who's warehouse fire she has been investigating.
Suddenly, Kinsey finds she's her own client as she tries to uncover what is going on, how and apparent suicide two years earlier ties in, and why two women have been murdered now.
She also has to deal with her ex-husband, David, resurfacing, and his betrayal of her as well as an attempt on her own life before she finds all the answers.
Good mystery and thrilling read. I'm glad I decided to return to this series.

THE ARMADA BOY

TITLE: THE ARMADA BOY
AUTHOR: KATE ELLIS
Pages: 217
Date: 19/02/2008
Grade: 4.5
Details: 2 Wesley Peterson Mystery
Library

Wesley's friend, Nigel, the archeologist is visiting the site he's about to start excavating when he finds the body of a man.
The corpse turns out to have been an American WW II veteran, and murdered. And Wesley have no shortage of suspects.
When a clairvoyant predicts that finding "the Armada Boy" will solve the present day mystery, both Wesley and Heffernan are very sceptical. But when a grave is found, as well as a confession from the time of the Armada, it does shine a light on the present. It seems history is destined to repeat itself and that the sins of the fathers are visited on their children.
As always a good read and a very interesting story.

THE REINCARNATIONIST

TITLE: THE REINCARNATIONIST
AUTHOR: M.J. ROSE
Pages: 465
Date: 16/02/2008
Grade: 5-
Own

Josh Ryder survives a suicide bomb attack, only to find himself left with very vivid flashbacks to two previous lives, one of which taking place in Rome, 386 AD.
In Rome his name was Julius, a pagan priest, seeing his life fall apart as Christianity is forced on the people. He, Sabina, the Vestal Virgin he loves and their child are in terrible danger.
When an ancient treasure is found in Rome, the past and the present collide, violence enters the arena again, and Josh/Julius has another chance to safe a life.
A fascinating story, fast paced and well plotted. In another book I'd say there were too many coincidences in the story, but with the theme being reincarnation, it worked.
I did have the culprit pinpointed early on though.

DEAD CONNECTION

TITLE: DEAD CONNECTION
AUTHOR: ALAFAIR BURKE
Pages: 319
Date: 12/02/2008
Grade: 4.5
Detail: Mystery featuring Ellie Hatcher
Library

Ellie Hatcher is moved from her regular job with NYPD to the homicide squad to assist an eccentric detective investigating the murders of two women.
It appears that the murders are somehow related to an Internet dating site, and Ellie joins the organisation herself in the hope of shaking something lose.
But then an earlier murder is also linked to their inquiry, one without an obvious link to Internet dating, and a fourth woman is murdered, who does turn out to be linked.
To confuse matters more, there is an FBI agent with in interest in their investigation, and a bungled earlier investigation whose now retired cop suddenly decides to get involved again.
And disturbingly, the murderer makes it clear he knows who Ellie is, and details about her life.
This was a good mystery and read. It could be the first in a series, and I hope it is.

THE SHAKESPEARE SECRET

TITLE: THE SHAKESPEARE SECRET
AUTHOR: J.L. CARRELL
Pages: 467
Date: 10/02/2008
Grade: 5-
Detail: Published in the US as "INTERRED WITH THEIR BONES"
Own

Kate Stanley is directing a production of Hamlet in the Globe theatre in London when her old professor, mentor and friend, Rosalind Howard turns up with a gift, asking for help in solving a mystery.
Just a few hours later Roz is dead, having been killed in a manner mimicing a shakespearian scene, and Kate has decided to solve the Shakespearian mystery she's inherited.
But in every place she looks for new clues, more death and destruction follow. It seems that someone is determined to stop her from finding the truth.
With no idea who she might trust, and the killer and the police close on her heals, the question is not only whether or not Kate will find the truth, but also if she'll live long enough to tell it.
Good, fascinating and fast pased mystery. But I had a few question marks about how close behind her the police was all the time, without her access to the clues or her knowledge on the subject at hand. And I also can't help feeling that those with a better knowledge of Shakespeare and his times might get more out of this book.

THE TORSO IN THE TOWN

TITLE: THE TORSO IN THE TOWN
AUTHOR: SIMON BRETT
Pages: 327
Date: 07/02/2008
Grade: 4.5
Details: nr. 3 Fethering Mystery
Library

Jude is having dinner with a family in the town of Fedborough when a torso is found in the cellar of the house. The limbless woman has obviously been dead for a while, but everything else about her is a mystery.
Jude uses this mystery to get Carole out of her self-imposed isolation after a failed relationship, and together the two women enter the social circles of Fedborough.
But this town turns out to be anything but nice, filled as it is with small mindedness, malicious gossip and secrets.
As Jude and Carole learn more, their dislike of the place grows, as does the danger for one of them.
Good mystery, interesting characters and a well written, at times laugh out loud funny story.

CHILE DEATH

TITLE: CHILE DEATH
AUTHOR: SUSAN WITTIG ALBERT
Pages: 300
Date: 05/02/2008
Grade: 4+
Details: nr. 7 China Bayles Mystery
Own

McQuaid is not going to die, but at the same time, it's unclear whether or not he'll ever walk again. And the uncertainty leaves him depressed and withdrawn.
He reluctantly agrees to be a judge in the annual Chile cook off in Pecan Springs, where he witnesses the death of another judge, Jerry Jef Cody, who dies as a result of eating peanuts, to which he is allergic. The problem is that peanuts are not part of a traditional Texan Chile.
While the police decides they're dealing with an accidental death, China and McQuaid decide to investigate. They soon find a few possible suspects, and McQuaid comes out of his depression, proposing marriage to China.
But will China be able to walk down the isle after her encounter with a bitter murderer?
As always a solid mystery and a good story.
This was the first book I read in the Booktactoe challenge.

QUEEN OF HEARTS

TITLE: QUEEN OF HEARTS
AUTHOR: CASSANDRA KING
Pages: 412
Date: 03/02/2008
Grade: 5
Library

Clare has build a successful carreer for herself, helping (mainly) women to deal with divorce, severing old ties and starting their lives anew.
But, while she knows exactly how to help others dealing with heartache, she's nowhere near as good at recognizing the signs in herself, never mind moving on.
Since her much loved husband died tragically and under unexplained circumstances, Clare has buried herself in her work, refusing to even consider loving again.
But now, with her daughter's marriage falling apart and a potential love interesting refusing to be ignored, Clare has to face her own demons, as well as those of others.
A wonderful story, filled with interesting and fun characters, this book was a true pleasure to read.

"Seems to me like we always have a choice. We can take the crap life hands us and turn it into something else. Or, we can let it take us. Problem with that is, by the time it turns us loose, we might not like what it's turned into."

CLUB DEAD

TITLE: CLUB DEAD
AUTHOR: CHARLAINE HARRIS
Pages: 274
Grade: 4+
Details: nr. 3 Sookie Stackhouse Vampire Mystery
Own

Sookie's Vampire boyfriend, Bill, has been very withdrawn lately, working on something he's refusing to share with her. And when Sookie suggests a temporary break, he seems happy enough to agree, much to her dismay.
Then Bill disappears and Sookie is recruited to find and rescue him, although by now she's aware he has been cheating on her with an old flame of his, another Vampire.
Assisted by Alcide, a Werewolf, Sookie travels up to Jackson where they are soon up to their eyeballs in Vampires, Shifters, and a Biker gang, not to mention mutual attraction.
A fast, easy, fun and exciting read. I'll continue to pick these up as I find them.

FULL DARK HOUSE

TITLE: FULL DARK HOUSE
AUTHOR: CHRISTOPHER FOWLER
Pages: 375
Date: 01/02/2008
Grade: 4.5
Detail: nr. 1 Bryant & May Mystery
Library

Arthur Bryant and John May have been a police detective partnership for 60 years when a bomb explosion kills Bryant.
Prior to the explosion, Bryant had been revisiting the details of the very first case they ever worked together, and in order to get answers about the present, May has to take a look at the past as well.
Which takes us back to London during WW II, under constant attack by German bombers.
May joins the Peculiar Crimes Squad just when it starts an investigation into a very peculiar death in a theatre, as it turns out the first of several.
As the investigation moves forwards, the deep rooted differences between the two men become clear and almost end their partnership before it has properly begun.
The case came to an end, but the solution was not as final as they thought, leading to the events in the 21st century.
This was not a fast read, but it was a very good mystery with great characters and quite a few funny moments.
I will read more in this series.

THE AMBER SPYGLASS

TITLE: THE AMBER SPYGLASS
AUTHOR: PHILLIP PULLMAN
Pages: 548
Date: 27/01/2008
Grade: 4.5
Details: nr. 3 His Dark Materials Trilogy
Own

The final instalment in this series.
Will, still devastated by the loss of his father, has to rescue Lyra from her mother, Mrs. Coulter, before the two of them can complete their dangerous journey which will take them to The Land of the Dead and a huge change in how the Universe works.
Mary Malone is in a different world discovering a way to see Dust and looking for a way to stop it from losing its function.
Mrs. Coulter turns out not to be as bad as she seemed, and she and Lord Asriel find themselves having to make a huge sacrifice.
A good story, but a bit unsatisfying in that it left some questions (more or less) unanswered; Lyra's big decision, and Mary's role as "the Snake".
I also found the writing a bit flat, not making me feel any emotions.
But the idea and the story were fascinating.