Review: Inmate 1577

Inmate 1577 by Alan Jacobson is the fourth book in the “Karen Vail” thriller series. Publisher: Premier Digital Publishing LLC, July 2011

When an elderly woman is found raped and brutally murdered in San Francisco, Vail heads west to team up with SFPD Inspector Lance Burden and her former task force colleague, Detective Roxxann Dixon. As Vail, Burden, and Dixon follow the killer’s trail in and around San Francisco, the offender continues his rampage, leaving behind clues that ultimately lead them to the most unlikely of places: a mysterious island ripped from city lore whose long-buried, decades-old secrets hold the key to their case. Alcatraz. The Rock. 

What a thrilling ride. The author weaves two separate events from the past to the present and it’s in the present that we find Vail and the team looking for a connection between the brutal murder and rape of two elderly women and their husbands. When more victims are found, sifting through the clues trying to find a link between them and Karen’s profile will be the key to finding the killer. This fast-paced, action-filled drama kept me turning the pages as I could not put this book down. With so many twist and turns, this thriller kept me guessing and oh man, I did not see that coming when the killer’s identity was revealed. A great story that has me waiting for the next chapter in Karen Vail’s journey.

Dru

posted previously at dru's book musing

What a Week!

What A Week!

I don't know where this week has gone? One minute it was Monday and now it's Friday. I managed to get in some writing, and a lot of cross stitch is accomplished on my family sampler. After that things become sketchy and I know it started when my dryer quit running. I know I made a lot more meals thn I have in the past week. My daughter called every night but one and I even talked to my son once this week.

However I never wrote the reviews, posted that I want authors to interview for this (I do so if you want an interview email me or leave me your email address) and I never did my Monday blog which was then intended to be my Tuesday blog and well here we are on Friday.

My hsuband is to have carpal tunnel surgery in both hands so he will have a consultation with the surgeon this coming Wednesday. It took them almost two weeks to let us know and then I had to call them Grrrrrr......

It became colder and colder over the past week. However now we are going to be in the 70's through most of next week.

Okay my purpose for this blog is not to bitch but instead talk about how much I love this month. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. So are you dressing up this year and going to a party? Are going to read a Halloween Mystery and if so which one? Are you watching spooky movies and which movie would like to be a character in? Are you writing a Halloween blog ? Do you make a Halloween Ornament Tree? Do you give Halloween gifts? Are stitching a Halloween cross stitch project? When you look in the mirror what stares back at you?

Until next week have a safe and fun weekend!

Pam

Review: The Serial Killer's Wife

Title:  The Serial Killer's Wife
Autor:  Robert Swartwood
Publisher:  CreateSpace
ISBN: 1463664079

Sarah gets a call at work one day to find her child has been kidnapped and her life is thrust into turmoil again. But Sarah is not really Sarah (her name is really Elizabeth) - she had run away and hidden after her husband was arrested as a serial killer. And now someone wants his "trophies."

Now the clock is ticking, and we meet interesting characters along the way.  Her panic is palpable. A very suspenseful read with lots of fascianting plot twists

Terri

Review: Til Death Do us Bark

Till Death Do Us Bark by Judi McCoy is the fifth book in the “Dog Walker” mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, August 2011

A Hamptons wedding gives Ellie an excuse to take a break for the first time in ten years, so she and her best friend pack up their dogs—yorkiepoo Rudy and terrier Twink—and head to the beach for a week. Since humans and canines have been invited to the festivities, Ellie hopes she doesn’t get roped into dealing with the wet-nosed wedding guests. But soon she’s chasing her tail over trouble of the two-legged variety. Before the bride can say, “I do,” someone is murdered, and Ellie and Rudy must put their noses to the ground to sniff out the killer before the entire ceremony goes to the dogs.

Ellie and Viv with their furry pals (Rudy and Mr. T) are in the Hamptons attending the wedding of Viv’s oldest sister. Instead of a happy celebration, Ellie finds herself involved in yet another murder, the groom-to-be. Secrets are exposed as Ellie, with help from Viv and Rudy, search for clues that will shut the door on wedded bliss for the killer. This easy-paced tale was such a fun read. I thought I knew the identity of the killer, but the author had other ideas that led me astray. With Viv’s family at the forefront, it was fun watching Viv’s relationship with her family as she worked together with Ellie and the dogs to prove a person’s innocence. The banter between Ellie and her canine friends is just as entertaining as the conversations she has with her human friends. This was another good story in this likeable series.

previously posted on dru's book musing

Pamela's Progress on Bookshelf project

Review - Close to Home

Close to Home by Jenna Bennett is the fourth book in the “Savannah Martin” mystery series. Publisher: Bente Gallagher, September 2011

Savannah’s late. The kind of late that comes with midnight feedings and the pitter-patter of little feet. And while it’s a circumstance that should make everyone happy – now she can finally settle down and marry Todd Satterfield, the way everyone’s been hoping and praying! – it isn’t Todd’s baby. And Rafe Collier, whose baby it is, didn’t sign on for fatherhood.  Add in the murder of Savannah’s sister-in-law Sheila, the trial of Sheila’s friend Marley, and the disappearance of Rafe’s twelve year old son David – the kid he never knew he had – and things get complicated fast. And there is worse to come: When Rafe comes back to Nashville to help look for David, and learns that Savannah’s pregnant, things do not work out the way Savannah hopes. In the end, she’s left with nothing she wanted and a whole lot of trouble she didn’t, and when she gets in over her head, Rafe’s not there to save the day.

This story evoke so many emotions that I could not put this book down. This was a departure from the previous three titles when a murder hit very close to Savannah and her family. While dealing with her own health issues, a missing “boyfriend”, helping her brother find an heir; Savannah looks into who wanted her SIL dead and faces an opponent that gave her cause. The page-turning, action-filled drama pulled me in from that first sentence to the last line and I can’t wait to read the next book in this wonderful series.

Dru Ann

 Previously posted on  dru's book musing

Review - Sleight of Paw

Sleight of Paw by Sofie Kelly is the second book in the “Magical Cats” mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, September 2011

Kathleen Paulson never wanted to be the crazy cat lady. But when Owen and Hercules followed her home from mysterious Wisteria Hill, she realized her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her: Her cats have magical abilities. And when a body is found near Kathleen’s favorite local café, she knows Owen’s talent for turning invisible and Hercules’s ability to walk through closed doors will give the felines access to clues Kathleen couldn’t get without arousing suspicion.  With her pet partners, and perhaps the assistance of a certain handsome detective, Kathleen is determined to find out who kill Agatha Shephard, an elderly woman who seems to have helped almost everyone in town at one time or another. Someone is hiding dark secrets, and it will take a bit of furtive investigating to catch the coldhearted killer.

This was a good read. When Kathleen’s friend is arrested for murder and believing in her innocence, Kathleen begins an earnest investigation into the murder. This was easy-paced story that was very appealing. The mystery was good and with guidance from her mystical cats, Kathleen was able to expose a killer. I liked the character developments; the easy flow of conversations; the small-town feeling and of course, her two furry roommates. I look forward to reading the next book in this charming series.

Previously posted on  dru's book musing

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AND HANDMADE GIFTS:

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AND HANDMADE GIFTS:

Have you started your Christmas shopping? I did this past month but I am a cross stitcher and in order to have any ornaments or gifts you must stitch a season or two in advance. Soooo today I pulled the floss and fabby to start a gingerbread ornament. We need to cheer me on to get this one done as I am a very slow stitcher.

Have you started your Christmas stitching, quilting, crafting etc....and if so what are you making this year?

Do you think you will complete your projects in time ?

Okay I am going to stitch before I get back to my book Town In Lobster Stew by B.B. Haywood.

Happy Autumn and Christmas Cheer!

Hugs,

Pam

Review - Death in a Difficult Position

Death in a Difficult Position by Diana Killian is the fourth book in the “Mantra for Murder” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, September 2011

Though he’s new in Stillbrook, the charismatic Reverend David Goode has wasted no time in pointing a righteous finger at the town’s center of sin: A.J. and her studio. A.J. tries to have a civil word with him, but the fire and brimstone only gets worse. In fact, her former partner turned ruthless yoga rival, Lily, approaches her suggesting they present a united front against Goode before he drives them both out of business. But when Goode is found murdered and the hot-tempered Lily is accused, A.J. discovers that the good reverend was actually a bad, bad boy, with a flock full of motives for murder. And if she wants to clear Lily’s name, A.J. is going to have to stretch her sleuthing skills to the limit.

Yoga, a sin? That is what the newly arrived Reverend is telling his congregation. While A.J. and the other yoga owners tried to talk some sense into him, Lily lets her temper get the best of her and when he is murdered, Lily becomes the prime suspect. Knowing that A.J. like sleuthing, Lily asks A.J. to find the killer before she is doing a 7-year stretch. I enjoyed this lighthearted and fast-paced story. The mystery was good, as I didn’t pinpoint the killer until later in the story and it was fun watching A.J. and her mother “work” the case. New characters were introduced in this tale and I hope we get to see more of them in the next installment of this likeable series.

--Dru

  Previously appeared at dru's book musing

Guest Blogger - Alice Duncan

Oh, my. You know how some months have great stuff in them and also some awful stuff? I guess that means there was both mayhem (galore) and magic (some) in my own personal September.

To begin with, I’ve been fortunate to be getting more independent editing jobs recently. This is a Very Good Thing, because otherwise I’d be living in abject poverty. As it is, thanks to the independent editing stuff, I live in mere poverty. The independent jobs pay ever so much better than my work for the book packager. So that’s been marginally magical.

Also, and this is a minorly magical thing, my January book, PECOS VALLEY REVIVAL, is a finalist in the New Mexico Book of the Year Awards. Yay, me. And thank you, Mike Orenduff, who’s the one who entered the book in the contest to begin with. Heck, I didn’t even know there was a New Mexico Book of the Year Award, which goes to show how on top of things I am. Sigh. My particular book is a finalist in the historical fiction category. I’m actually kind of a double finalist, since a book I edited, THE FAERIE HILLS, by Susan McDuffie, is also a finalist. So yay, Susan, too! And yay, Mike, whose THE POT THIEF WHO STUDIED EINSTEIN is a finalist in the contemporary category!

However, a couple of hugely mahem-ish things happened only this past week. The first was sad: my oldest wiener dog, Skipper, died sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. Skipper was my first “foster failure” with New Mexico Dachshund Rescue. A “foster failure” is when you’re fostering a dog and decide to adopt him/her yourself. I adopted Skipper because he was such a sweetheart. The first time I saw him was when I picked him up from the veterinarian right after he’d had his shots and been neutered. I figured the poor doggie would be in a good deal of pain after what he’d been through, so I expected to be very gentle with him. The vet’s assistant had him in her arms, and she handed him to me. As soon as I took him, he looked up at me and pretty much said, “I love you,” with his big brown eyes. I mean, who could resist after that.

Skipper was cremated, and his ashes will be scattered in the Sacramento Mountains, which couldn’t be a lovelier place for anybody, human or canine, to spend eternity. Well, I suppose he’s crossed the Rainbow Bridge by this time and is frolicking with the rest of my late wiener dogs, including his particular pal Dandy. I tell you, when my time comes to cross the bridge, I’m going to be run down by a pack of dachshunds!

And then, on Tuesday, my computer gave up the ghost. It’s taken all week long, but I finally have a new computer. Now all I have to do is figure out how to use the stupid thing and reconstruct all my contacts and web sites, etc. Sigh. I just hate it when computers act up, mainly because I don’t speak computer, and I feel like a total idiot when I talk to people who do know what they’re talking about. But I’ll get over it. And with luck, this new computer will be better than the old one, which pretty much stank from the beginning.

Speaking of PECOS VALLEY REVIVAL (not that we were), I’ll be giving away a couple of copies of that book (since it’s downright almost famous now – that’s a joke) at the end of the month. Actually, I won’t be giving them away until early November, because I’ll be in California at the end of October! Yay! What’s more I’ll be signing books at the Pasanita Dog Obedience Trials on October 30, in Brookside Park (that’s where the Rose Bowl is), if you happen to be in the area. I know; probably not, huh? However, if you want to enter my contest, just send me an e-mail with your name and address to alice@aliceduncan.net, and I’ll toss your name into my special contest doggie dish. Thanks!