Review: Adrift: A Mer Cavallo Mystery by Micki Browning

Mer is a marine biologist who is currently working as a safety diver on a charter boat, The LunaSea (I love that name). The boat is chartered by a group wanting to do paranormal studies on a sunken boat. During the dive, things go wrong and the crew's leader, Ishamel, disappears, presumed dead.

Mer is a scientist and she needs to protect her reputation after the accident. So she starts looking into things, where she discovers many inconsistencies.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. She is determined and smart, but I thought she was a bit harsh in her criticisms of the "ghost hunters". I am also not sure at all about her relationship with her neighbor. This is a great start to a series.

Review: Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer

Ron and Dan Lafferty kill their brother's wife and daughter that they claim God told them to kill in blood atonement.

Krakauer reviews not only the case and its consequences, but the history of the Mormon Church and its splinter Fundamentalist groups (of which the Lafferty brothers were part of) and their strict adherence to Polygamy (which is at the root of this case.  Allen Lafferty lived a polygamous lifestyle and his wife Brenda, rebelled against his 'prophecies'.

It is a well researched history and very informative.  What I find so sad, is that the legal and court systems seem to fail these victims of Polygamy so frequently) and that these religious 'fundamentalists' are just as violent as other extremists - using God to justify flat out murder.

Review: Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka: The Horrific True Story Behind Canada's Ken and Barbie Killers by Ryan Becker and Nancy Veysey

An account of the crimes of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo - the so called Ken and Barbie Killers.  Paul Bernardo was already active as the Scarborough Rapist before he met and married Homolka.    Apparently when the two met, it was a match made in Hell.  Though she claimed to be a victim in court to get what is arguably one of the most sweet plea deals ever, it is evident from the video tapes they made, that she was actively involved in raping, torturing and encouraging Bernardo in his crimes.  As to who committed the murders, both claim the other did - not that it should matter - they both committed horrific crimes - even raping and murdering Karla's younger sister - her virginity being Karla's GIFT to Bernardo.  It is repulsive.  Anyway, this book is very informative and covers more current info than other books on the subject I have read

Review: Deadly Secrets by M. WIlliam Phelps

Fred Andros was an influential town servant with some sort of charisma that allowed him to carry on affairs with multiple women while he is wheeling & dealing (and stealing).  As his legal woes are coming upon him, he convinces a woman he is  having an affair with to murder another woman he had been sleeping with.  This woman, Dawn, was also sleeping with the woman at his request.  The author is great at researching the background to the crime and giving insight into what happened and why.  The story is incredibly sad and the book a sad and insightful read.

Review: Murder in the Cretaceous Period by Fadhil Qaradaghi

Rasti is a theater director who is schizophrenic and paranoid. Based on his detective plays, a rich man hires him to find out who kidnapped his daughter and killed his son.

Rasti dives into the task, but as a very unreliable narrator, it is often hard to follow his thinking and delusions to see what is really going on.

He also goes back to the Cretaceous Era where under his name Tatanka, he talks about the wicked morals and infection of Man. When a dinosaur murders for sport rather than food, he believes The City and humans have infected the world and thus lead to the extinction.

He talks a lot about Cosmic Plan and Eras.

I enjoyed the story, but felt I had to work for it.