Night Tide by Michael W. Sherer

When I read the synopsis of this book on NetGalley what first caught my interest was the mention of one character, Perry Langford, who is being released from jail after spending the last 20 years of his life in prison for a crime he insists he never committed. My thoughts immediately went to Donald Marshall, David Milgaard and Steven Truscott, some (certainly not all) famous miscarriages of justice in the Canadian legal system.  The price these individuals paid and the toll on their family and friends is difficult to imagine. Perhaps easier to understand is the need for retribution. 

 

Langford is out of prison and he wants to even the score with the people that put him there.  He has had twenty years to think about what happened that night, the night the lab was blown up at the university he and his friend Blake Sanders attended.  The night that an innocent young woman died and he was blamed for her murder.  That young woman's sister, Kealey, ends up at Blake's home, begging him to help her find Langdon.  She believes in his innocence and she wants to find the real murderer. 

 

Sanders isn't keen on the idea of helping Kealey.  His life is simple.  He delivers papers and has a second job washing dishes in a restaurant.  A comedown from where he once was, but as long as he has enough money to pay for his meds to keep his ADHD under control and stay out of trouble, life is okay, maybe.  However, while at a BBQ at the home of the parents of his police friend Charlie, commandos show-up and start shooting.  The end result is Charlie is injured, his parents have disappeared and Blake becomes inextricably entangled in an intricate puzzle that he wanted nothing to do with.  He soon realizes that Langdon, the lab explosion and the disappearance of Charlie's parents are all somehow connected.  He finds himself in need of figuring out what, how and why, if he wants to stay alive.

In order to find all the pieces to the puzzle, the past must be re-visited, re-examined and re-imagined to decipher and illuminate current events.  The people and events are not now and were not then, what they first appeared to be.  Sanders has his work cut out for him and needs all the help he can get. 

Underlying and complementing the action, is an examination of friendship.  Can the friendship between Sanders and Langford be resurrected after all that has happened over the past twenty years?  Does deep friendship ever really die?  Can the friendship between Blake and Charlie survive the accusations being made by Blake against Charlie's parents?  Can Blake and his ex-wife Molly ever be 'just friends'?

This is a thriller and a page turner with commandos, disgruntled FBI agents, unhappy exes, some American history from the 60's and a very sought after revolutionary design worth killing for.  The plot is credible and well constructed with a myriad of twists and turns that will keep you up at nights wondering what's next.    A great engrossing read.
 

http://www.michaelwsherer.com/

When I first downloaded this book from NetGalley, for some strange reason, it wasn't readable.  The author emailed me a link to a new copy and I thank him.

Rosemary and Crime by Gail Oust

St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books

Piper Prescott is recently divorced and she has invested all her money from the divorce settlement into opening a spice shop in her adopted town of  Brandywine Creek, Georgia.  Key to the opening of the store is a cooking demonstration to be given by the local celebrity chef.  Unfortunately, hours before the opening, Piper finds chef Mario dead on the kitchen floor of his own restaurant.  To make matters worse, Piper has touched the murder weapon and other key evidence at the crime scene making her the prime suspect of Wyatt McBride, the newly appointed police chief.  So she teams up with her BFF Reba Mae, the local hairdresser, to solve the crime before McBride arrests her for murder. 

Naturally, the daring duo stumble onto their clues rather than actually discovering anything through the use of brilliant sleuthing techniques.  There is the usual slate of quirky secondary characters, family issues and a little bit of a tease in the romance department.  This is definitely your typical cosy mystery.

It always amazes me how a well-written cosy mystery can turn murder into a rollicking good read and Rosemary and Crime is no exception.  This was a quick and entertaining light read that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Perfect for the beach or a day when you are stuck in the house.

Compliments of a Friend by Susan Isaacs

Open Road Integrated Media

This is the first time I have read anything by Susan Isaacs and I don't think it was a good place to start. This is a short story; apparently the only one she has written. Now Isaacs is known for her sharp, witty writing and is a very successful author.  That being said writing a good short story is no easy feat even if that is how many authors start their career.

The story is about a chic CEO of an employment agency who dies while trying on shoes in the shoe department of Bloomingdale's. Because of a large drug content in her blood the police declare it a suicide. But Judith Singer, her neighbor, is convinced that Vanessa didn't take a large dose of drugs and then go out to buy designer shoes.  Purchasing shoes, after all, is a commitment to living, a statement that there is a future  - as in - there will be some place to where the shoes.  So Judith investigates Vanessa's life and stumbles upon a few surprises as she tracks down the murderer.

The writing is sharp and I like the premise of the story, but I think for me personally, the characters needed to be fleshed out more and then it probably would have been a great read instead of simply a good read. 

Little Elvises by Timothy Hallinan

Soho Crime

Well it has taken me six months to get around to reading the second Junior Bender novel, but I am glad I waited.  Boxing Day is my day to wear pajamas and do nothing but read and it was the perfect day to sit, almost uninterrupted, and enjoy Little Elvises.

This time around career criminal Junior is coerced into helping out Detective DiGaudio prove that his uncle, Vincent DiGaudio, an aging music producer, is innocent of the murder of a reporter.  In order to find out what the reporter had uncovered, Junior begins investigating Vinnie's background, with the help of his computer savvy daughter Rina. Through the wonder of the internet and You Tube, Junior visits the 1950's and '60's world of rock and roll that came out of Philadelphia. The world that brought us American Bandstand (called American Dance Hall in the story), with a new band every week and dancers we couldn't take our eyes off of. A time when producers made the money, not the stars. Stars that were often one week, one hit wonders, never to be heard from again.

During this investigation, Junior's motel of the month is run by a vodka drinking landlady whose adult daughter has disappeared.  His sympathetic soul makes him feel sad and sorry for Marge, the landlady, and he agrees to search for her daughter. Working the two investigations at the same time keeps Junior busy and nearly gets him killed, more than once.  

In this book we learn more about Junior's personal life and there is a lot more interaction with his daughter Rina.  Things get a little complicated when Junior's ex, his daughter and Junior himself, all find new love interests at pretty much the same time. Things do not run smoothly.

Hallinan writes sassy, smart dialogue that is both funny and informative.  The plot moves at a fast pace and you just don't want to stop reading.  Despite the fact that there are quite a few characters, each one is so well described, like the Tootsie Roll chewing Detective DiGaudio with his pork chop hands, that you have such a clear mental image of each one you feel like you know them, for better or for worse.

This book will keep your interest throughout, make you laugh out loud once in a while, and leave you wishing it had more pages than War and Peace.  I'm  torn.  Do I read "The Fame Thief", the third Junior Bender novel now or do I keep it so that I have something to look forward to?  Hopefully, Mr. Hallinan will hear Junior's voice telling him more stories in the very near future and make my decision easier.

The Last Clinic by Gary Gusick

From Random House Publishing Group

The story begins with the shooting of an evangelistic minister outside an abortion clinic he regularly pickets, in small town Mississippi.  Immediately, the doctor who runs the clinic becomes the prime suspect and a lynch mob starts to form.  Sheriff Shelby Mitchell knows he has to find the killer quickly, to satisfy the towns people and to protect his career to survive another election. He calls in detective Darla Cavannah,  who is home on sick leave after the tragic death of her husband in a car crash.  She is reluctantly teamed up with Tommy Reylander, a local detective whose claim to fame  are his Elvis impersonations and the pink Cadillac he drives.  There is also Uther, a computer geek doing an internship with the police force, who turns out to be quite the whiz at putting puzzle pieces together.

There are some interesting characters in the story, a little romance, and an intriguing trail to follow to find the Reverend's killer.  I enjoyed the strong character of Darla and found her to be sympathetic and intelligent and would look forward to reading another book featuring her.  However, I have to admit my favorite character (bit of a spoiler here) was the hired killer/terrorist.  The in depth intel he was provided and the scenarios he created to cover the real agenda were believable, making them just that much scarier. Coming in second was Sheriff Shelby, who I could just picture sitting on a porch, chewing on a piece of hay while sipping bourbon and saying "Yup", belying a quiet intelligence that could pull the rug out from under most people.

Darla and her team have to investigate people on both sides of the abortion issue and overall, the subject is presented in a fairly balanced manner and woven neatly into the story line.  I think there was a slight edge to the pro-choice side but that could just be my perception.  Through her investigations, I learned about some of the history and "traditions" that are rooted in the early days of slavery that I had never heard of and are key to the plot.   

 

Although at times I thought the South was presented a little too much along the lines of the Dukes of Hazard, and Reylander reminded me very much of "Boss Hoggs", it was essentially done for dramatic emphasis and a bit of fun.

 

Overall, an enjoyable read that will keep most readers engaged and quickly turning the pages.

Murder in Thrall by Anne Cleeland

Whatever your basic expectations of a mystery are, they will have changed by the time you finish reading this book.  Your concepts of love and romance may also get a serious overhaul.

 

There are two threads to the storyline, the murder and the romance.  A horse trainer is murdered at a race track and this murder is followed by a number of other seemingly related murders.  Two Scotland Yard detectives are on the case.  Kathleen Doyle, the junior, and Chief Inspector Michael Sinclair (Lord Acton) lead the inquiry.  She is young, inexperienced, comes from modest means and is intuitive in her investigative style.  He is older, wealthy and established and known for his brilliance in solving high profile murder cases.  He appears to have decided to become Kathleen's mentor and she is eager to work with him and learn.  Because he has singled her out there is a certain amount of animosity towards her in the squad room. 

 

I want to say that the murder investigation became secondary to their relationship, but that would be a half truth.  Their mutual effort and method in solving the crime make for an engaging read. Despite a number of red herrings, two major clues made it easy for me to identify the murderer, but I was completely surprised by the motive.

 

Anne Cleeland's writing left me feeling like I was always coming from behind and getting blindsided by twists in the plot.  First, Doyle and Acton have worked together before but we only learn about this through statements made here and there.  Secondly, we join the story with the investigation into the murder already underway. Also, she opens each chapter with thoughts from what at first appears to be someone stalking Doyle.  A writing style often used in psychological thrillers. It is only at the start of chapter four that you learn the thoughts belong to Acton.  Say what? This is pure genius on her part and typifies how she diverts the reader.   

 

She informs the reader in a casual "by the way" manner of a fairly major event in the story long after it has happened. This had me going back and rereading pages and pages to see if I had missed something. No. She just likes to toy with the reader.  Which may also explain why the epilogue is actually the prologue.

 

Her writing is descriptive, the dialogue is interesting and well-written and the psychology between the two main characters is mesmerizing.  Is their relationship dysfunctional, weird, creepy, bizarre or twisted?  Absolutely, all of these and possibly more. But it works for them; it works well within the plot line; and it works for me as a reader.

 

I can't wait for the release of Murder in Retribution, the second book in the series.

http://annecleeland.com/

Border Angels by Anthony Quinn

Open Road Integrated Media
MysteriousPress.com/Open Road   

At its core, Border Angels is not a particularly original story.  In fact, when I first started reading the book, I had this vague feeling that I had read the story before. A woman who has been held captive in a brothel, escapes her captors and is on the run to save her life and to reach a border that signifies safety. In this instance, the border is the one that separates Northern Ireland from the Republic.  The woman is Lena Novak.

Lena is a woman who has survived her captivity in a brothel by allowing a part of herself to die.  Despite this, throughout her months in captivity, she never loses the desire to return to her home and family in Croatia.  When hope arrives in the form of shady businessman Jack Fowler, a client at the brothel, Lena is ready to capitalize on the opportunity.  But before Fowler can rescue her, she is forced into a car ride with her pimp that ends in a fiery explosion and Lena escaping barefoot in the snow. 

Celcius Daly is assigned to investigate the violent death of the pimp, and later, Fowler's death as well.  Daly becomes obsessed with the footprints in the snow leading away from the burned-out car and to the riverbank.  Who do they belong to? Where did the person come from? Where did the person disappear to? etc.  From the moment he spots the footprints, Daly is trying to catch and catch up with Lena.  She is always steps ahead of him, even when she is standing right in front of him. There are others chasing Lena, in particular the prostitution ring owner Mikolajek.  But she is wily, she is fast, she is resourceful and she has nothing to lose. She has also had time to plot her revenge.

Aside from human trafficking, threaded through the story are other elements such as black market operations, empty housing developments and references to Northern Ireland today, after "The Troubles", that round out the story.  However, it is the tango between Lena and Daly that creates the tension that holds the story together.  Lena choreographs every move to make Daly think he is the lead dancer, but his every step is designed to distract from her own fancy footwork. 

I would have liked to have understood Daly better.  He is a sympathetic character, but a bit too easily deceived for a police inspector. I gather to know Daly better I need to read Quinn's previous book Disappeared, but Border Angels certainly stands alone.

Quinn is very adept at creating atmosphere and his descriptions of the border area left firmly implanted images in my head of a rugged, wind swept land with a cold dark river running through it. The overall feeling is that of grayness.  His characters are all very human, their weaknesses and strengths are neither hidden nor flaunted, they are just a natural part of each character's story.

The plot is well thought through with a twist at the end and the pace is quick but not rapid.  Definitely a worthwhile read.

Sutton Place by Louise Gaylord

Little Moose Press

Julia Fairchild is from a wealthy New York family and is on the road to personal success.  After years of studying hard she has landed an internship in the Department of Psychology, at Payne Whitney in New York.  Her work is impressing everyone in the department and her attraction to a colleague, an older doctor, seems mutual.  Life is good.

The story begins on Julia's birthday.  She has a birthday lunch with her beloved sister Ariel, and then later, a dinner celebration with her parents.  The family is close and spends a lot of time together, except for Ariel, who has recently become secretive and distant.  At the root of her distance is a family secret.  A secret that is only one of many that have been hidden by the family to avoid scandal.  Secrets that in the end will be responsible for the pain and suffering of those they were meant to protect. Secrets that will be linked to murder and attempted murder. 

 

In an effort to save herself from the dark figure and secret from her past, Julia moves away to New Mexico to start a new life.  But there is no escaping the monster who will stop at nothing to possess and control her.  He has been patient for years, waiting and planning.  But now he is tired of waiting.  It's time - time to claim his treasure.  

This is the first book I have read by this author and when I first read the synopsis of this story I thought it sounded like a cozy mystery.  Well, I was wrong about that!  I have read other reviews of this novel that describe it as being about family (agree), scandal (agree) and obsession (disagree).  The behavior of the character this refers to is not obsessive; it is behavior that is pathological and perverted. The exploitation of the therapist patient relationship, as described in this story, is not just an inappropriate and disconcerting relationship; it is a nauseating abuse of power that will make you cringe.  Definitely not a cozy.

That being said the book is well written, well paced and the tension mounts as the plot twists keep you hooked and turning the pages.  Transitions between chapters, characters and perspective are very well executed.  There is some back and forth between past and present that it is seamless and natural, and essential to the plot.

Just be prepared to cringe.

Louise Gaylord looks like such a nice person - you have to wonder where those dark thoughts come from.

http://www.louisegaylordauthor.com/index.html

 

The Bleiberg Project by David Khara

Translated by Simon John

Le French Book

I’m not a big fan of books that relate to World War II, the Holocaust, and famous Nazis etc.;  but I do like a good thriller.  I also very much like the books I have read from Le French Book and that is why I decided to read The Bleiberg Project. 

 

The story centers on Jay Novacek, real name Jeremy Corbin, a trader who has made himself a small fortune on Wall Street, enough money to last him the rest of his life if he chooses.  Money however, can’t buy him happiness or the peace of mind he so desperately seeks. 

The news of his estranged father’s death is the first domino in the series to fall.  When he tells his mother the news, she gives him the locket she has always worn and asks him to leave her alone. Before he has the chance to ask his mother about the locket’s contents she is assassinated and he turns to the one person he knows he can trust, his boss, only to discover that he too has been keeping secrets.

Suddenly, men in black cars with Argentinian plates are after Jeremy and they mean business.  The first attack on his life ends with him being inexplicably saved by a giant of a man, Eytan Morg, a very dangerous Mossad agent.  At this point the CIA enters the picture and Jeremy finds himself on a plane to Zurich with Jackie, a very petite and attractive CIA agent.  Jeremy soon realizes he needs to discover what his father had been involved in if he stands any chance of staying alive long enough to enjoy the fortune he has amassed.

The story ricochets between past events and the present to gradually make sense of what is happening in the present. The WWII backdrop provides real monsters to interact with the fictional ones to reveal a consortium at work to gain the ultimate power to rule the world. This may sound a little like Austin Powers, especially when a scientific formula is included in the plot, but it is much, much better than that.

Khara has written a fast-paced race against time thriller with sympathetic characters.  Everyone has a secret it seems and it is this vulnerability of each of the main characters that serves as a stark contrast to the power seekers for whom life is cheap.  The pace is a bit slow at the very beginning but once it picks up it doesn’t let up. My one criticism is that the epilogue could have been fleshed out a bit more but that is really a small detail.

This is a thriller that fans of John Grisham, Robert Ludlum or Ian Fleming will enjoy.


http://www.lefrenchbook.com/

Edgar Allan Poe

164 years ago today, Edgar Allan Poe died, fittingly, under mysterious circumstances.  The stranger who routinely visited Poe’s grave on Poe’s birthday each year to place 3 roses and half a bottle of cognac on the grave, has also disappeared without any explanation.

 

 

Not very original, but like many others, my favorite Poe pieces are The Raven and The Murders in the Rue Morgue.  Much of his work has an underlying sense of loneliness and the feeling of being trapped, probably why it often appeals to teenage angst.

 

 

So pay tribute to a great writer by sitting back with a finger or two of cognac or brandy, and listening to Vincent Price, Christopher Walken or James Earl Jones read The Raven; they all can be found on You Tube along with The Simpsons episode, if that's more your style. 

I enjoy this rendition by the Alan Parsons Project.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAE1XTvKLXA

 

Image from Morgan Library
& Museum site
http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?id=82

Or if you happen to be in New York, visit the Morgan Library and Museum to experience what sounds like an interesting and unusual exhibition “Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/books/edgar-allan-poe-exhibition-opens-at-the-morgan.html?_r=0

And from the Huffington Post - 11 Things you didn't know about Poe
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lynn-cullen/11-things-you-didnt-know-_1_b_4059140.html?ref=topbar

 

 

 

Letters From a Murderer by John Matthews

 

Angry Robot Ltd.



Exhibit A

 

                                            

Google Jack the Ripper and you will literally be presented with thousands of hits and just as many unanswered questions.  The Ripper’s identity has never been confirmed and there have been many theories, but  no proof.  One theory is that he was a German sailor, who was eventually executed for murder in New York City.  So, did the Ripper cross the ocean and continue his murder spree in NYC?  This is the angle Matthews uses in the tale of Letters From a Murderer.

The story begins with the murder of a prostitute in NYC.  Since the crime scene appears identical to the original Ripper murders, it is deemed a smart move to involve one of the pathologists who had worked on the original Whitechapel victims, Finley Jameson, currently living in New York.  This seems to please the Ripper and he starts addressing letters to Jameson by sending them directly to The Times.  Then as now, the Press plays a significant role as the Ripper uses the press to manipulate the police and the police use press conferences to communicate with the Ripper.

Paired with Jameson is Joseph Argenti, a hardworking and reliable Inspector, handpicked by the Mayor to replace Inspector McCluskey, who has fallen from the Mayor’s good graces due to the rampant corruption in his department.  This does not go over well with the city’s head gangster, Michael Tierney, who has McCluskey on his payroll.  Jameson and Argenti are exposed to a two-pronged attack, the Ripper on one front, the Irish mob on the other. 

 

Matthews is deft at creating atmosphere and painting a picture of the Victorian era.  You can almost hear the clicking of the horses’ hooves as the hansoms go by, the bustling of the crowds in the busy city by day, feel the danger lurking in the dark shadows at night on streets meekly lit by lamplight, if there is any light at all.  He also conveys the stark reality of the social/economic differences between the haves and the have nots – very Dickensian in mood and tone.  His strong characterizations bring out the flaws, as well as the strengths of the characters, creating empathy and sympathy for many, and a sense of appallment for the behaviors of others.

 

The plot keeps you guessing at every turn and is well thought out.  Fact, fiction and theory are seamlessly blended and the tension builds at an even pace. 

Think of this book as a New York Cocktail - 1 part Ripper, 1 part Holmes & Watson, 1 part Gangs of New York - definitely shaken not stirred.

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/jack-the-ripper-solved-investigation-german-sailor_n_3981837.html

 

 

 

 

Loula is Leaving for Africa by Anne Villeneuve

Kids Can Press

 

Most adults and children can relate to the feeling of wanting to run away because nobody is paying attention or seeming to care about them.  That is definitely how Loula feels.  Her three brothers are stinky and mean.  Her mother and father are too busy to take any notice that she is upset.  So she packs life's essentials into her suitcase, and along with her pink cat, her tea set and her best drawing she leaves for Africa - a.k.a. the tree in her front yard.

Sitting in the tree, she comes to the attention of the family chauffeur, Gilbert.  He explains to Loula that he thinks Africa is further away and that she needs to take a boat to get there.  So they set out together to look for Africa. Gilbert drives her to a park where they encounter "giraffes", "chimpanzees", cross a "desert", take a "plane" and a "boat" before they arrive at their destination and admire a beautiful "African" sunset.

 

This story is filled with imagination and the ability to turn the everyday into something special. Author Anne Villeneuve is also the illustrator and her drawings are whimsical and wispy, and convey mood and movement through the skillful use of simple line drawings and colour. 

This is a great book to read with a child who is feeling a little down or left out.  It is a reminder that we all need a form of escapism every now and then, even if we don't all have a caring, enlightened chauffeur to get us to our destination.  We just need someone who will take the time to care and share.

http://www.annevilleneuve.com/