The Queen's Gambit - Diane A.S. Stuckart

Leonardo di Vinci is the court engineer to Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, in the late fifteenth century. The Duke, a.k.a. Il Moro, decides he wants to have a human chess match and Leonardo is in charge of making it happen. When one of the white bishops does not return from a break in the action, Leonardo sends his apprentices to look for him. Dino is the apprentice who finds the bishop dead in a secluded garden. And when Il Moro saddles Leonardo with the task of discovering the murderer, Leonardo enlists Dino to help in the investigation. Unbeknownst to Leonardo, Dino has a mystery of his own. So while Dino is basking in the joy of assisting his beloved mentor, he's also working very hard to keep his own mystery from being revealed.

THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT is Diane Stuckart's first book in the Leonardo di Vinci mystery series, and I have to say that it is the most unique idea for a mystery series that I have encountered. That uniqueness hooked me from page one, but the strengths of this novel just keep the reader anxiously turning pages.

Strength number one: the characters. Leonardo di Vinci is the epitome of the Renaissance man. History has documented that, so it isn't difficult to believe that he has a multitude of talents. Plus, Stuckart doesn't give him unbelievable talents like some of our modern-day superman-like protagonists. The choice of Leonardo as a protagonist is rather ingenious, actually. Stuckart's fictional sidekick, Dino, is equally wonderful. Dino is the narrator of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT and the reader sees the plot much like one sees it in a Nero Wolfe, Sherlock Holmes, or John Ceepak mystery. Like Archie, Watson and Danny, Dino worships his mentor, and obviously that injects a bit of a bias in the point of view.

My favorite character would definitely have to be the tailor, Luigi. His hard shell exterior is covering a sentimental, fatherly interior, and he injects comedy into the plot. Only one in a cast of excellent minor, supporting characters ranging from the poor servants up to the royalty.

Strength number two: the historical setting. I'm not a historian, so I don't know all the minor details of fifteenth century Milan, but from an amateur's eye, Stuckart did a great job of setting the scene. The description of clothing, Leonardo's experiments, the art supplies used to paint, even the evolution of chess. One of the elements I had the most fun with was the dialogue. Obviously the book is written in English, but Stuckart makes a nice blend so that the reader can have a taste of the time period but not a difficult time interpreting. I think I may add "Saint's Blood!" to my vocabulary.

Strength number three: the plot. The mystery of this novel is multi-layered, and the characters are often working in circles to try to figure out why their clues are leading them to the wrong conclusions. Chess was the perfect game for Il Moro to choose to enact with live people. The actual game was analogous to Leonardo and Dino's investigation: complex, intelligent and often deceiving.

While I've pulled out and listed these strengths individually, the blending of them is what makes the entire book work so well. While I didn't want the book to end, I was assuaged by the fact that I already have the next book in this fun series, PORTRAIT OF A LADY. I'm looking forward to rejoining Leonardo and Dino in yet another fifteenth century adventure!

Thursday's This and That

Nestle and I didn't quite make it back from our walk before the rain started, so we're both a little wet. I wanted to share a few things with you from the week and then go dry off and curl up with THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT. I may finish it tonight if nothing interrupts me.

In a couple weeks I'll be headed out to Anaheim for work. We hold a large convention every year and this year it is in Anaheim. Part of our convention involves an author breakfast. We have four authors attending, one of whom is Gary Moore. You may remember I reviewed his book Playing With the Enemy a short while back. Today I found out I'm fortunate enough to be on the team that will be meeting with the authors on Friday night for dinner and then escorting them to the breakfast the next morning. Very excited about that. I'll try to get some good pictures to share when I return. My sincerest thanks to Cindy Thompson who is in charge and made room for me in this team. She's awesome.

I read this blog post over at Trish's Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin' blog. I would TOTALLY do this. I'm not good at meeting people, but stick me in a room where the expectation is to talk about a mutual interest in books. I'd be in heaven! If anyone hears of something like this going on in my neck of the woods, please give me a holler!

Today I received a newsletter from Mystery Lovers Bookshop in PA. They are now offering FREE SHIPPING on any orders over $10! Awesome! Remember, they specialize in mystery, but they'll order any genre of book for you. Help support an Indy bookseller, get great books and save the shipping charges. I'm already making my list of what I'm going to order! And if you live in the vicinity of Pittsburgh (being a Clevelander it pains me to say that), Mystery Lovers has GREAT author appearances! Make sure you check out their schedule.

That's about it for me tonight. Hope you have a great Friday. Happy Reading!

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a book of letters written by and to Juliet Ashton following World War II. Juliet is a writer, living in London and looking for a new idea for her next book when she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, a farmer on Guernsey Island. Dawsey has acquired a book by Charles Lamb once belonging to Juliet (her name was in the book). He writes to tell her how the book had been important to him during the war and to ask if she knows of any others by Lamb. This letter starts a communication between Juliet and all the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which ultimately draws Juliet to Guernsey Island to meet them all.

My summary of this beautiful novel, written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows does it no justice. But I don't want to give away any of its magic for those of you who have not read it. I listened to this one on audio; I had to wait six months to get it from the library, but it was well worth the wait.

The audio is read by five different individuals: Paul Poehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills, and the effect is magnificent. I'm not an expert on dialect, but I thought the readings by all five people were wonderful. There was energy and passion in their readings. And the recording overall was extremely calming. This was the kind of audio that draws you to sit in your car a couple extra minutes after you arrive (regardless of how late you might be) because you just don't want to turn it off.

O.k., so it was a nice audio, but how about the book itself? The word that continually came to mind for me while I listened was CHARMING. It is utterly charming. In a time of devastation and heart ache a group of people bond together to find the good that still exists. They've all experienced loss and have been damaged by the war, but still they thrive through the mere existence of their love for one another. There is a wide range of characters on Guernsey, sharing an unlikely appreciation for literature.

The book at times is humorous, at other times it is heavy-hearted, and still yet it is uplifting and hopeful. This is not a fast-paced, heavily extrinsic action book. There is a lot of action, but it is intrinsic in nature and occurs in the form of relationships. So many relationships are forged and nurtured throughout the course of this plot. Relationships between the characters and the literature they choose to read; traditional relationships between the characters; even relationships the characters develop with themselves. At a time when there was so little in material form, relationships were priceless, and this book reflects that beautifully.

The final point I want to emphasize for TGLAPPPS is the romantic nature of the book. And when I say that I don't mean Harlequin romantic, I mean the romance of letter writing. It is such a beautiful art that is quickly dying away in an age of phones, e-mail and text messages. There is something so personal and special in a letter, but in these letters especially. The writers are putting themselves in their missives. They are drawing beautiful portraits with words, portraits that the receiver waits anxiously to find in the daily post. To me that is the essence of romance.

I will be purchasing a copy of this book for my personal library. It is one I know I will come back to again and again. Charming, romantic, lovely. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Agatha Nominations

Very quickly this morning, I wanted to let you know that the Agatha Nominations are out. You can see the entire list here. Sending out special congrats to my friends Chris Grabenstein who was nominated in the Best Children/Young Adult category and Jane Cleland who was nominated in the Best Short Story Category!!! Yay!

Barbados Heat - Don Bruns

Barbados Heat is the second book in the Mick Sever series by Don Bruns. In this installment, Mick is headed off on a vacation when Congressman Robert Shapply is murdered. Ordinarily this probably wouldn't be a big deal to Mick Sever. But Robert Shapply also happens to be the father of Sever's former best friend AND he's the man who stole money from Sever and his former wife, Ginny. So, when Sever is offered a job to cover the story of Shapply's murder, he jumps at the chance. It doesn't take Sever long to start connecting the congressman's death to the death of a 13-year-old girl twenty years earlier, and when he does he discovers that he may have become the next murder target.

As with Jamaica Blue, Barbados Heat is a look at the "ugly" side of the music business. Barbados Heat deals more with the folks behind the scenes of the music, however. And they are ugly, too. One element of this novel that really sat uncomfortably with me was the rumored "relationship" between an older man and the 13-year-old murder victim. It is regularly referred to as an "affair." However, anything sexual in nature between an adult and a 13-year-old is NOT an affair.

A new character that appears in this novel is Tony Beauregard, a.k.a. T-Beau. His character, a former rapper/biker/music manager lends some additional dimension to the investigative team. Ginny Sever also returns. Together they chase down the 20-year-old murder from Washington D.C. to Sarasota, Florida to Barbados in hopes that they will find the clues to solve Shapply's present-day murder.

Like Jamaica Blue, I listened to this book on audio. It is also read by Bruns in the same style as Jamaica Blue. You can see my review of Jamaica Blue here.

The Camel Bookmobile - Masha Hamilton

Fiona Sweeney is an American librarian with a desire to do something with her life, something that matters. Her family has always been rooted in the same New York neighborhood, but Fi isn't content to stay rooted. Instead, she decides to take a job in Kenya, helping to start a traveling library. The library takes books, by camel, to different tribes of people throughout the bush of northeastern Kenya.

The people of Mididima have differing feelings about the traveling books. Matani was sent away by his father to be educated in Nairobi, and he returned to teach the children of Mididima. However, most of the people of Mididima do not share his values or appreciation for books and learning. They believe that by learning to read the stories are lost because people do not make an effort to keep them in their brains to retell them orally. The elders know that the paper can be destroyed, but if the story is in one's brain, it cannot go away, it cannot be lost.

Many of the people of Mididima want the library to stop coming altogether. And when Taban, a.k.a. Scar Boy, does not return his library books, an action that is strictly forbidden, chaos erupts in the community.

I fell in love with The Camel Bookmobile on page one, paragraph one:

The child, wide-legged on the ground, licked dust off his fist and tried to pretend he was tasting camel milk. Nearby his father spoke to a thorny acacia while his older brother hurled rocks at a termite mound. Neither paid him any attention, but this didn't change the fact that for the child, the three of them existed as a single entity. It was as if he drank dust, beseeched a tree, and threw stones all at once. He took this oneness for granted. Separate was a concept he was too young to recognize. Nor did he know of change, or fear, or the punishment of drought. All of life still felt predictable, and forever, and safe.

Hamilton could have been more concise and simply said the boy was an infant, but she chose to remind the reader about the mind of infancy, something the reader probably doesn't remember personally but can definitely understand. And that is one of the strengths of this novel. Hamilton attempts to take the reader inside the minds of the characters, all of the characters. The point of view changes by chapter, alternating between Fi, various people of Mididima, and the Kenyan librarian. The reader is able to experience the plot from different age perspectives, different cultural perspectives, different gender perspectives. The mesh of these perspectives illustrates the mammoth complexity of cultural change.

Fi travels to Kenya with the best of intentions, but what Fi doesn't realize is that she is seeing everything through the eyes of Western culture. As Mr. Abasi, the Kenyan librarian, points out to her,

"You Americans," he said, his tone at once exasperated and indulgent. "With your unflagging belief in your ability - and your right - to change the course of another's history...You love the idea of what you think you are accomplishing in Mididima. But they have their own approach to their lives, Miss Sweeney. Don't assume it needs to change."

And likewise, the people of Mididima who are dead set against literacy see things through the eyes of their own culture. And when Nature begins to tell them that their way of life cannot be sustained much longer, their response is not to learn a new way of living but rather to move to another geographic location that will support their present way of life.

The novel is almost a tennis match, volleying back and forth between the two cultures. One of my favorite passages illustrates the differences between the clothing styles of Fi's New York City and Matani's Mididima:

In New York, fashion favored colors associated with soggy soil and clammy foods - blacks and browns and grays renamed as nutmeg, platinum, eggplant, midnight. Here the tints were as if from tubs of kindergarten finger paints, the garments like a rap poem, or a shout to their primary god, the Hundred-Legged One...

But then there are times when the cultures mesh and the similarities between fellow members of the human race emerge. The infancy example is one, as is the description of Kanika's experiences reading:

She considered what it meant to hold a book in her arms and run an index finger along the pages, letting her mind tumble with the words. How it took her away from Mididima, and how, when she closed the book and came back, she felt bigger and smarter.

The themes of this novel are powerful, and they raise questions that don't have right or wrong answers. Themes of this magnitude demand three-dimensional characters with strengths and flaws; characters who are forever and realistically altered by the events they experience. Hamilton doesn't disappoint on this front. The silent and most powerful character is Nature. Hamilton manages to brilliantly blend the setting into character in this novel. The beautiful Kenyan bush is also a remorseless killer and it plays as much a role in the community as any of the human characters do.

I can't imagine reading this book and not being more aware of how we view cultures that differ from our own. The Camel Bookmobile is a stunning multi-layered, multi-perspective novel about tolerance, about humanity, about change. I highly recommend it.

A Night of Unbridled Passion

Nice title, huh? Unlike Harlen Coben who has all the snappy titles and names and comes up with them himself, I'm blog-lifting...from the Washington Post. But, I'll get back to that in a minute. I know you want an update on my Internet fiasco from this week. Well, I'm typing this tonight from my own house - thank God. However, I did call today to get a new provider. Yesterday was my cut-off for CenturyTel. I stayed home all day to be available if a tech showed up. Nada. This morning, still nothing. So, I headed out to run my grocery store and pet store errands. Then I headed off to my parents' house to check my e-mail so it didn't get out of hand. While I was there, I called Time Warner (CenturyTel and Time Warner are the only high speed providers for the city of Lorain - that I could find). They are coming tomorrow to set up my new service. And when I got home, wouldn't you know it, I had service back from CenturyTel. Sorry folks, too little too late on this one.

Update done, let's get back to the fun stuff. The Washington Post has this blog post about a night of unbridled passion with a fictional character. If you could pick ANY fictional character in the world who would you want one night with? The Post asked a handful of authors who they would pick. I'm especially partial to Lisa Scottoline's response:

I would spend the night with the Three Musketeers from Dumas's classic novel. My motto is "One for all, all for me."

Too funny. So, I started thinking about what my response would be. Of course the two names that immediately jump in for consideration are Elvis Cole and John Ceepak. Are you getting tired of hearing me say their names? But I also have to throw in for consideration Mike Chapman from Linda Fairstein's Alex Cooper novels. And there's Spenser and Lincoln Perry. I can't leave off Mr. Darcy; I still feel light-headed when I read Pride and Prejudice! ;) And Jay Gatsby, but I'm probably thinking Jay Gatsby more because Robert Redford played him in the movie.

Ceepak, Spenser, Lincoln, Gatsby and Darcy are all attached, though, and regardless of what the "rules" are, I just can't imagine anything "unbridled" with someone attached. Then I'm left with Elvis and Mike Chapman. I adore both of these characters because they have a sense of humor I can appreciate. That's always the biggest factor for me. So, do I want to be "unbridled" in New York or L.A? Decisions, decisions.

Who would YOU choose? O.k. my author friends who I know are lurking out there - I want to hear from you, too. And of course, I have the female perspective. So, I want to hear from some of my male friends also...don't be shy, who would you pick? Let's get a good list going!

Still Fuming

Well, it is now Day 3 of the no-Internet connection drama. I spent over an hour on the phone with my provider last night, half of which was probably on hold. When I came home tonight and it still wasn't fixed, I called yet again. Four times since Tuesday - ridiculous. Anyway, supposedly someone came out today and worked on the line, BUT I still have no connection. They've assured me they will be out tomorrow again. Tomorrow is their last chance. If I don't have a connection by tomorrow I'm finding another provider. Unfortunately, there aren't many to choose from in my area. Not exactly sure why that is, but it is. In the meantime, my parents are graciously sharing their Internet with me. Thanks Mom and Dad!

I do have a couple links to share with you that I've found this week. I want to start by telling you that you can go here to win a Slanket. Have you heard of these things? All I can say is I NEED one; after all the snow I've had to endure this winter, I definitely need one. So, even if you're not interested, how about if you go enter - then if you win you can give it to ME! ;)

And I've been reading some excerpts from some new mysteries. Chester Campbell's new book, THE SUREST POISON, doesn't come out until April, but you can catch a glimpse of the first two chapters here. I especially like his character descriptions:

"A young cop with more experience at changing diapers than in confronting trauma on his beat,"

"The last time he had glanced in a mirror, the glower he saw made him think of a troll."

And there's a character who likes to jazz up cliches. That definitely tells ya something about a character, doesn't it?

I was also reading the beginning of POSED FOR MURDER. This is Meredith Cole's debut novel. Ken Isaacson tipped me off to Meredith, and I sure am glad he did. She won the St. Martin's/Malice Domestic Best Traditional First Mystery Award for POSED FOR MURDER. And she shares the beginning of her novel here. POSED FOR MURDER released this week. One of the things that I mentioned in my comment at the site was how much I liked the way Meredith weaves her physical character description into the story. She doesn't take a paragraph and describe every detail of what the character is wearing, instead she slips little details in at the most appropriate times. I love that. I know I often get frustrated when a writer pretty much stops the momentum of a story to describe the tie the guy's wearing. O.k., who cares?

O.k., and last, Alafair Burke's ANGEL'S TIP is now available on audio. She's blogging about the audio and Lee Child's opinion of it here. Oh and make sure you check out her post about our new president's potty mouth while you're there - too funny! I love it!

With any luck, I'll be back tomorrow...on my own computer! In the meantime, happy reading!!

Welcome Guest Blogger Barbara Levenson

Today I am excited to welcome my very first guest blogger who happens to be releasing her very first novel this month. Judge Barbara Levenson was born in Ohio but has lived in Miami for the past 32 years - guess she was tired of these Ohio winters, too! Before she left, though, Barbara not only served as the first female president of the Columbus Board of Education, she earned the distinct honor of being named the first female "Man of the Year" by the Ohio Newspaper.

Since graduating from the University of Miami, Barbara has had a plethora of experience in the legal field working as a prosecutor, owning her own law practice and serving as a judge, where she still presides today.

And if all that wasn't enough accomplishment for one lifetime, Barbara is releasing her first novel this month which is aptly titled, Fatal February. Fatal February stars Mary Magruder Katz, an attorney starting her own law practice and netting Lillian Yarmouth as her very first client. What's special about Lillian? Well, she only happens to be the prime suspect in Miami's social murder of the year!

So, without further ado, here is Barbara Levenson to talk about why setting is an important element in her first novel, Fatal February.

One question that I am often asked centers around Miami and South Florida. Friends who live in the Midwest or New England know little about Miami except from unflattering news accounts of crime, election problems, immigration, or South Beach tourist sites. “Why do you continue to live there?” Or “How can you stand living among all the Spanish immigrants?”

Readers of FATAL FEBRUARY are amazed to discover that real people populate Miami and its surrounding areas. They go to work, to school, raise families, and do not spend every day at the beach. The difference between this ordinary life and life in, say, Des Moines, Iowa, is that we go about our business in brilliant sunshine, without coats, earmuffs, boots, and long underwear. We drive without snow and ice.

Part of the reason that my books are heavy on setting is that I wanted my readers to know more about Miami than what they read in newspapers or travel brochures. Life here has changed over the 33 years that I have resided here. We now have four professional sports teams, the Miami Dolphins, The Florida Panthers hockey, the Heat basketball, and the Florida Marlins baseball. We have a world class ballet company and a performing arts center that rivals the top European venues. We have restaurants and food markets that supply Asian, Italian, Korean, Vietnamese, Cuban, Kosher and more menus and ingredients. We have the University of Miami, Florida International University, Miami-Dade College, Barry University, and St. Thomas University. All of this and great weather.

When we have visitors, the first thing they ask to see is South Beach. We fool them. First we show them around south Dade County: Pinecrest Garden, Fairchild Tropical Garden, small bistro type restaurants, outdoor cafes, The Redlands where fresh strawberries and tomatoes abound all winter. Then we tell them to go to South Beach. Invariably, they return less than enthusiastic. “You live in a real place with real neighborhoods,” is almost everyone’s comment.

Many travelers to Miami from other parts of the United States are annoyed when they hear a great many Spanish speakers. It is true that some residents resented the waves of immigrants who settled in Miami after dictators took over countries in the Caribbean and South America. Some long time residents moved north to Broward and Palm Beach Counties only to find that patterns of mobility brought new immigrants to those areas, as well. “You can run, but you can’t hide,” the old adage goes. Those of us who have remained in Miami have found that diversity adds to life style, bringing new artists, musicians, and opportunities for expanded horizons. Looking at immigration patterns overall, each wave of new citizens in the U.S. has enriched all of us, and each ethnicity has melded into the whole within few generations.

Of course, no place is perfect. We have horrendous traffic problems during rush hours, as you will read in my book. We have hurricanes or the threat of hurricanes as you will read in a later book in the series. We have suffered from unethical politicians (crooks), but we’ve never had a governor who had to resign like New York, or be impeached like Illinois. My educated guess is that wherever one chooses to call home, the good usually outweighs the bad in the mind’s eye or else a person would eventually move.

My personal reading preference is to read books that make place a necessary component. I would prefer to read a work of fiction that delivers a picture of a location rather than reading a guide book when contemplating a trip. My hope, in writing FATAL FEBRUARY and other books in the Mary Magruder Katz series is that my readers will feel that they have visited Miami and South Florida whether they ever come here in person.

Finally, I picture readers of FATAL FEBRUARY who live in colder climes settling in for a good read in front of the fireplace. By the third chapter they will feel as if they’ve been transported on a tropical vacation. I’d enjoy knowing what readers think about settings in novels. You can let me know how you feel by contacting me through my website, barbaralevenson.com.


Many thanks to Barbara for stopping by and giving us a little insight into the WARM, SUNNY setting of Fatal February. I know I, for one, could use a WARM, SUNNY setting to escape to! If you could also use a Miami escape, Barbara is giving away a signed copy of Fatal February to one lucky tour visitor. Go to Barbara’s book tour page, http://barbara-levenson.omnimystery.com, and enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 2954, for your chance to win. Entries from this blog site will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow (that's February 20, 2009). No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on Barbara’s book tour page next week.”

Fatal February from Oceanview Publishing is available now.

Oh, What a Night!

Yesterday I met Meredith Cole over at the Barnes and Noble Book Clubs site where she was talking about her debut novel released yesterday - Posed for Murder. It sounds awesome and I've added it to my TBR pile. I was pretty psyched after that. That is until I headed home and the whole day seemed to go downhill!

I stopped to pick up some cheeseburgers for dinner. I ordered cheeseburgers with no ketchup. I got cheeseburgers with no cheese. Now I ask you - WHY would someone order cheeseburgers with no cheese? And pay for a cheeseburger when they could order a hamburger, get the same thing and pay less? Needless to say, I won't be returning to THAT place anytime soon. Absurd! This is precisely why the folks are supposed to repeat your order back to you. Although, how ketchup and cheese could possible sound alike is also beyond me.

But, that event would not be enough to ruin my evening. However, when I got home and started to work online, I got in about 10 minutes before my DSL connection went down. Oh thrill, oh joy! So, I call the CenturyTel folks and they have a recording saying DSL customers may be experiencing some connectivity issues, you need to repower the system and you should return to service. Repowered - nope! No service still. So, I call them, wait through their recorded message, then wait on hold for about 5 minutes only to have them hang up on me. So, by this time, my patience is wearing thin. I call back, wait through the recording and 7 or 8 minutes on hold before I finally talk to the tech support - "yes, you've done everything you can do on your end; so I need to send a technician out." O.k., then he wants to know if they need to get inside the house when is a good time frame? Uhm, I work - a job - you know that pays for this DSL connection? I get home around 5. Well, they need a time frame, "how is 4 - 5"? Whatever. I'm just hoping I get my connection back tonight.

In the meantime, I'm having high hopes for this day. Think positive! Tomorrow I'll be hosting a guest blogger, so make sure you check back...hopefully YOU have YOUR DSL connection! :)

Happy Reading!

Come Again?

Once again I was perusing where my visitors are coming from and what kind of searches they are doing to get to my site. Still getting folks looking for how to hem leather pants. I had no idea there was such a demand. And I never fail to be absolutely tickled at all the people who are coming directly to my site. Thanks for being returning visitors, ya'll!

However, there was a search that caused me to have a slight pain in my chest, some shortness of breath. The person searching google entered this:

jonathan keller is better than Robert Crais

I mean absolutely no disrespect to Jonathan Kellerman (I assume that's who this person was looking for; I do read his Alex Delaware series - love Milo), but aside from that copy and paste job above, you aren't going to see that statement on this blog. I would never say such a thing! NEVER, not in a million years. The search pulled up my review on CHASING DARKNESS. It pulls up things like that because Robert Crais is mentioned in the review and Jonathan Kellerman is over in my sidebar.

So, if the person who googled that phrase returns, please understand that Robert Crais is as close to God as we get on this blog. No one is "better" than RC.

'Nuff said!

A Couple Fun Topics

I found this blog post through Trish over at Hey Lady! Whatch Readin'? And of course since I've started attending book signings I had to read it and find out which of the five I am (note: not everyone has to be one of the five this author mentions). I, too, think I'm the "gusher." Here's the thing about me, though. I LOVE to go. I get so incredibly excited, and then I get there and am terrified - it's that shy factor coming into play. I always try to snag a seat in the front row while the author talks but then I end up at the back of the line when it comes to the signing part because I'm just nervous. And I don't want to say something stupid and have everyone hear it. Inevitably, I'll say something stupid. I'm notorious for that! :) However, when I went to see Alafair Burke, she made me feel comfortable the minute I walked through the door of the store. She's just an easy-going gal like that. I purposely tried to wiggle to the back of the line, though, because I had toted along all of my books for her to sign and I didn't want to be the "lingerer" blocking everyone else's path, hogging her time, and pissing everyone else off.

Anyway, I'll have to continue to be a "gusher" because I just can't help it, but you all know that because I can't help gushing on my blog!

The other topic I thought I'd mention today is a question that was posed on the DorothyL list serve. Carol Shmurak asked "if you were falsely accused of a crime, what fictional PI would you want to hire to clear you?" I'm pretty sure the initial question said "PI," but some of the responses that came back were not necessarily PIs, which I think is alright, so I'm going to just say sleuth, o.k? There were a lot of nods for Spenser. I saw a couple votes for Jack Reacher. There was mention of Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace. And I have to admit that I wrinkled my nose at the several calls for Kinsey Milhone. I know I'm in the minority, but I read A is for Alibi and stopped there. ANY-way....who would I pick? This was a very hard decision for me once I took the PI factor out. If it was just among PIs the decision would be without a doubt Elvis. But, if I just say sleuth, I think I have to go with Ceepak. What was the deciding factor you ask? Proximity. Ceepak is in New Jersey; Elvis, he's across the country. But I'd trust my life in either of their hands. But, you also know me. I LOVE Ceepak's ethics and his morality. Now, I just hope I'm not ever wrongly accused of anything. Knowing me, I could manage to stumble into something stupid and need to call them!

Who YOU gonna call?

Jamaica Blue - Don Bruns

Jamaica Blue is the first book by Don Bruns in the Mick Sever series. Mick is a journalist who writes about the music industry. When Bobby Vane calls him to come down to Jamaica to do a story on the "next big thing" in music, Mick finds himself investigating a series of murders in addition to Derrick Lyman, Bobby Vane's "next big thing." At first the murders all occurring after Derrick's concerts in Jamaica is racked up to coincidence. But when Derrick and his band come to America and another murder occurs, no one is calling it coincidence anymore.

This book has such a realistic look into the music industry that it literally made me cringe. I would never want to have any connection to it. More than once I found myself saying, "ewww!" Bruns brings that realism from his own experiences in the "biz."

Mick's the protagonist, and there are times that you really want to like him because there seems to be something good buried in all the layers. But then the annoying womanizing side shows itself. As his ex-wife constantly reminds him, he's never grown up. As a female listening to this book, I empathized with his ex-wife, Ginny. Ginny is a great female character: smart, strong and of course very good looking. A womanizing man in the music business could never be married to anyone who wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, right? This book is an interesting one in that I'm sure it's a completely different book for each reader based on their gender and age. Remember, a lot of one's connection with a book involves what you bring to the book from your own experiences.

I listened to Jamaica Blue on audio book. It was read by Don Bruns and he did an o.k. job. However, he doesn't have much in the way of distinctive voices for characters. And at times it was hard to tell who was saying what since every sentence doesn't end in "he said"/"she said"/etc, the way the Spenser novels do. And there were several Jamaican characters; he didn't include any kind of dialect for them. Occasionally there was a little, but it wasn't consistent at all. This is just a personal irritation, but Bruns pronounces the word "a" as a long a most of the time. It's very rare for the word "a" to sound correct pronounced that way, and I couldn't force myself not to pay attention to it. I'm quirky; I'll admit it! Reading back over this it sounds pretty bad, but I will tell you that I have started the second book in the series on audio book, so it can't be all that bad or I wouldn't be willing to listen to a second one!

Overall, this was an enjoyable novel with a distinctive voice. It's the first crime fiction book I've read that was centered around the music industry, so that unique factor is a definite plus.

A Real Basket Case - Beth Groundwater

A Real Basket Case is Beth Groundwater's debut novel. In this Agatha-nominated cozy mystery, Claire Hanover fights to prove her husband Roger is innocent of murdering Claire's fitness instructor, Enrique.

Roger has been spending far more hours with his job than with his wife, so when Claire's friend Ellen buys her a massage with Enrique, she reluctantly agrees. However, when Enrique is shot in the midst of this massage and Ellen looks up to see Roger standing in the doorway with the murder weapon in his hand, the evidence against him is damning. Claire is convinced that someone set Roger up and she's going to prove who that person is and win Roger's trust back.

A Real Basket Case is a light, quick, enjoyable read. But don't try to read it too quickly or you'll miss the creative subtleties woven throughout the plot.

Groundwater has a firm grasp on how to use the English language to create effect. At the onset of the novel, Claire is talking on the phone and watching a group of rock climbers. When one of the climbers falls,

"...he swung back and forth until he could scrabble a handhold. He pulled himself to the rock, found footholds, and clung to the cliff like a squashed spider, his chest heaving."

Not only does this passage contain the vivid imagery of the squashed spider and the sharp contrast of that spider to the heaving chest, but it also works with the rest of the rock-climbing event to build up an analogy with Claire, her friends, and the events that will make up the plot of this novel. So we see some foreshadowing happening as well. Just one example of how Groundwater's concise style can pack a powerful punch.

The humor in this book is also very subtle. Numerous times I was reading along, caught up in the plot when I had to halt because I realized, "hey! That was funny." Claire's character plays right into this effect. Her good intentions in preposterous situations just result in humorous outcomes. Her interactions with Leon, the ethical drug kingpin, are prime examples of this. The paradox of his "ethics" and her naivete makes the absurd seem completely natural.

The only qualm I had with Claire was her inability - or unwillingness? - to stand up to her husband. She stands up the cops, to drug pushers, to her friends. But she just let her husband blame her for his entire predicament and she accepted the blame. I was really cheering for her to give him "what for" just once. But, building self-confidence comes in small steps. She built her confidence to fight for her family in this step. I'll be looking forward to see what steps she makes as the "Basket Mysteries" continue.

Musing for a Wednesday

All the street lamps just went out, but I still have power - we're experiencing a bit of a rain storm here. So, while I still have power (knock on wood), I'll share a few odds and ends I found around the web today. First, I was THRILLED to see this. Love that book cover! Love that book!

And, while this is an article from Britain, MAN does it ring true for the U.S. Reading is a fundamental human right? Who knew? Before I stopped teaching, I taught a reading class - at the high school level. I wasn't trained as a literacy teacher, but I still was assigned a reading class. In this class I did a number of different things with the kids, but we READ. Every day we read. I would spend time reading aloud and the students and I would have time to read something of our own choosing, nothing forced. What fun I had modeling my love of reading. Let's start a movement!

And if you aren't "bested" out, here's the collection of 2008 favorites as compiled for the DorothyL list serve subscribers.

Enjoy the rest of your week and happy reading!

Me and "G"

So, my Facebook Scramble buddy, Trish over at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin?, participated in this rather unique meme involving the alphabet. She read it on another blog and she had to request to receive a letter from the alphabet. When she received her letter, she had to identify 10 things she loved that started with that letter. Then folks could comment on HER blog and she'd send THEM a letter each. Since it was so unique, I decided I'd play, too. If I'd ended up with "C" or "H" I'd have been set in 10 seconds flat. But, I ended up with "G."

It took a little thinking. One of the first words that popped into my mind was "gigolo" (don't ask - I think it's because I was reading about one in a book at the time), but I have no interest in a gigolo; I'd much prefer a "gallant" white night, thank you. And I thought about locations: Greece, Georgia, Galveston, Greenland - haven't been to any of them, definitely NOT EVER going to Greenland. So, when I started thinking about BOOKS, my list was ignited because of course....

1. Chris Grabenstein! I love the man who gave me John Ceepak and Danny Boyle.

2. Grapes. I enjoy a lot of fruit but grapes are among my favs. I prefer red over green, but regardless, they must be seedless.

3. Going Green. I wouldn't label myself a tree-hugger, but I do try to be as environmentally conscious as I can. Reuse, renew, recycle!

4. Grass. I'm sure that sounds absurd to a lot of people, but my yard has a lot of dirt patches from the dogs and from having my basement excavated. Well, in N.E. Ohio when the snow melts or we have rain (or both), my yard turns into a massive mud pit for the dogs to run around in. Lord, how I wish there was more grass!

5. Gardening. I've never been a huge outdoorsy freak, but I do love my flower beds and fiddling around in them. I'm still trying to master the vegetable garden, though.

6. Goodreads.com. I love goodreads.com for several reasons. First is my daily e-mails telling me what my friends have updated in their accounts. I don't have to go rooting around to find out what they are reading or recommending. Love that! I love having my "to-read" shelf. I may never lose another book title again. I probably won't ever get to them all, but by golly, I'll know what their titles are!

7. Burton Guster. Since I had the cable turned off six months ago, I haven't had my tv on at all. I have yet to rewire the DVD player to the tv; it's all even unplugged so as not to drain electricity (see #3). BUT, I do watch Psych each weekend on my computer. They air the new episodes on Friday then make them available on the USA website on Saturday. That is the only tv show I've been watching this season, and Gus and Shawn are a stitch. It's a silly show, but it makes me laugh; my laugh therapy!

8. Giraffes. I just think these are amazingly gorgeous creatures. They are a must-see for me at the zoo. I have several rubber stamps of giraffes and some of my absolute favorite cards I made with those stamps. I have heard that they are rather mean animals, but they never did anything to me, so...

9. On Golden Pond. To this day, this is still one of my favorite movies. I love when Henry Fonda yells, "Someone's at the door." And Katherine Hepburn (who's knocking) yells back, "It's me, ya ole poop!" Just classic!

10. I started out with a name and I'll finish with a name. I'm a huge fan of the Gentleman Cowboy, Mr. George Strait. His voice just makes my heart flutter! And if my beloved Grandpa were still alive, we'd enjoy his music together!

So there you have it; my love of "G." If you think you'd like to do this, too, leave me a comment and I'll pick a letter from the hat for you - I promise the hat will have EVERY letter of the alphabet and not just Q, X and Z.

Happy Reading! :)

ADAM - Ted Dekker

Daniel Clark is an FBI psychologist on the trail of Eve, a serial killer who has killed 15 woman by poisoning them with a disease very like meningitis. When Daniel catches Eve in the act of his sixteenth killing, Eve shoots Daniel and kills him; kills him for about 20 minutes anyway. Daniel is resuscitated by his new partner, pathologist Lori Ames. After being resuscitated, Daniel doesn't remember what Eve looked like, and when Daniel's ex-wife Heather becomes Eve's next potential victim, Daniel decides he must die again to unlock the memory of Eve's appearance and save Heather.

Alternating with Daniel and Eve's story is a 9-part magazine story of the life of Alex Price. It doesn't take long to figure out that Eve and Alex Price are one in the same, and as Alex's history unfolds many of Eve's secrets are revealed to the reader. But the climax of ADAM occurs when those secrets are revealed to Daniel

Without offering too much of a spoiler, I have to disclose up front that this novel is a paranormal thriller. And the reason I'm offering that tidbit is because I'm not a big fan of the paranormal subgenre. A friend recommend the book and I wasn't aware of that element of the novel, and my friend wasn't aware that I wasn't a fan. That being said (in as many words as I could possibly say it in)...

The book started out great for me. Daniel is your typical loner law-enforcement-type. His marriage ended because he consistently put his job first. And no one can do the job as well as Daniel can (rich sarcasm here). At the onset of the novel, Daniel's partner is dead from a questionable car accident and he is trying to get permission to "go dark" in an attempt to catch Eve. Meanwhile, the reader is learning about the abduction of Alex and Jessica Price through the magazine articles.

But the problems for me as the reader start when Daniel is shot and killed, then revived after 20 plus minutes. (I can handle that element; that's fine.) Daniel not only gets up and walks out of the hospital, but he talks his forensic pathologist partner, Lori, into killing him two more times - THAT WEEK! So, now I'm thinking that Daniel really needs to hook up with Jack Reacher because they would make an indestructible team.

O.k., so if you're a paranormal fan and you can swallow the three near-death experiences in one week, I think you will really enjoy this book. The writing style is strong; with the exception of Lori, I think the characterization is decent. The Adam and Eve parallel was quite creative and rather deep. It was just the over-the-top plot events that left me less than enthused with Dekker's novel. I also think it was the over-the-topness that lead me to figure out the "big shocker" twist at the end of the novel long before the end arrived.

They're Back?

So by now you may have heard that some crime fighting favorites are returning soon. Despite his previous insistence otherwise, Dennis Lehane has revealed that he is writing a new Patrick Kenzie novel. And at the end of March Harlan Coben is releasing his new novel that brings back Myron Bolitar.

I know many people have loved these series (and I count myself among those folks) and they have clamored for their returns; however, I can't help but wonder if there will be some negative fall out. Here's why I wonder this: both Lehane and Coben are different writers now. They are both extremely wonderful writers and I'm sure that whatever they produce will be good, but will it be what people are expecting?

With someone like Robert Crais or Michael Connelly who have written the same character very consistently over the years, you've watched the character change and evolve with the writer. Elvis in CHASING DARKNESS is not the same Elvis from THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT. If you read those two books back to back, you definitely see that difference. But if you read the series, you see MONKEY'S Elvis become DARKNESS Elvis. And that is part of the beauty of those kinds of characters.

Dennis Lehane, himself, has admitted that he's a different writer now. Anyone who's read one of his early Patrick Kenzie novels and something like MYSTIC RIVER, SHUTTER ISLAND, or THE GIVEN DAY can see that. And when I listen to people who "really want" a new Patrick Kenzie novel, I wonder if they'll actually want the Patrick Kenzie that comes from today's Dennis Lehane or are they actually clamoring for the past?

Reading in Public

One of my favorite things to do during the week is reading Shelf Awareness. I had no knowledge of this wonderful e-letter until I started working at NACS, and now it's part of my daily routine. I think it is once a week that Robert Gray has a column in the Shelf Awareness. Last week he was talking about how great it was to be able to read a book on his iPhone (I think, it was his iPhone) while standing in line at the grocery store. He mentioned that it wasn't conspicuous and he didn't feel pretentious; most people probably just thought he was reading a text message.

He received quite a few responses to that article, so he continued the topic in today's edition. Responders felt that more people needed to be reading in public (then it wouldn't be conspicuous), and they wanted to know why one had to feel pretentious just for reading. I totally agree.

I carry a book, and actual print book, with me almost everywhere. I certainly always have one with me in the car. If I arrive somewhere early, I bust out the book and put the time to good use. I never go to a doctor/dentist/etc appointment without a book. Most days at work, during my lunch hour, I read. And I guess I never stopped to think about whether people thought it was pretentious, and I never really felt conspicuous, but here's why:

I'm extremely shy, and I'm absolutely TERRIBLE at small talk. So, what does a book allow me to do? Hide. I don't strike up conversations with strangers; heck, I don't even make eye contact with them. Granted, I really am reading the book and if I didn't have the book, I'd be staring at my shoes instead - so, it's definitely a good use of time. But, it's also a defense mechanism. I'm alright with that, and I'm going to continue to read in public whenever the mood strikes me!

How about you? Do you read in public?

Love My Libraries

Today I stopped at two libraries on my way home...two! And I thought, I'm overdue for a blog on my love of the library. As it so happens...at least according to my library's web site...it's Library Lovers' month. I never knew there was such a thing!

These days, more and more people are discovering a love for their local libraries. I remember when I fell in love with MY library. It was when I was in elementary school during the summers! My library had this wonderful program for summer reading. They still have a wonderful summer reading program, and even one for adults. They may have had one for adults when I was younger, but I wouldn't have know. I was too consumed with my own program. I discovered some wonderful books through that program. And what could be better than being REWARDED for doing something I loved?

Much has changed since I was in elementary school. You don't look up books in a card catalog anymore. I used the card catalog until they took the darned thing out of the building! I resisted the computers, mostly because I didn't understand them when they first were installed - I don't think I could run a DOS program to this day come to think of it. I understood the card catalog, though. Now I can access those computers and find everything I'm looking for. I even request and renew my materials online from home. Who'd a thunk?

Another change is the fact that the Elyria system has gone from one building (when I was in elementary school) to FIVE (today)! The most recent was built as a partnership program with the community college. How great is that? Two public entities working together to bring such a great resource for everyone!

I also remember in high school when they were first starting to loan videos. VHS videos! Today, of course, they're loaning DVDs and they loan them for free! It wasn't always free. You use to be able to borrow books on cassette tape; I think there are some you can still borrow on tape, but most are now available on CD AND you can even get MP3 recordings and ebooks. So many changes. The library has grown and evolved, just as every living entity does.

Lesa, one of my most favorite librarians and bloggers, over at Lesa's Book Critiques has been asking folks about their library loot. And I mentioned that I stopped at two libraries on the way home. So, I can share with you that I picked up an audio book on CD, a regular print book, and a music CD. So much loot - and you can't beat the price!

Alright, so it's Library Lovers' month. On my library's website, they say that you can show your love for your library by:

1. visiting often
2. checking out the bookmobile
3. try something new the next time you're in (not much I haven't tried, but I'll check)
4. ask a librarian to recommend another author like one you know you enjoy now
5. use their computers
6. access their website
7. attend an event

You can also contribute to and promote your libraries in various ways. I do all these things quite regularly, but the one thing I make an extra special effort to do? Smile and thank my librarians whenever I'm in. Without them, there would be no libraries. That's a horrible thought to me, but our book club is about to read THE CAMEL BOOKMOBILE, so I'll look forward to being reminded how very, very lucky I am to have such a great library system.

Now it's your turn! How do YOU love YOUR library?

ON THE ROPES - Tom Schreck

Duffy Dombrowski is an Irish-Polish-American part-time boxer, full-time social worker. At least for the time being he's a full-time social worker. His boss, the "Michelin Woman," has her heart set on firing Duffy, and she's just waiting for him to give her the excuse to do so.

When Kelley, Duffy's cop buddy, calls him to help with an arrest of one of Duffy's clients, the fun begins. Walanda is a schizophrenic, drug abuser and as she is being hauled off by Kelley, she's pleading with Duffy to do two things. First, save her stepdaughter who's been kidnapped by the "Webster" and second, take care of her Muslim basset hound, Allah-King. Duffy agrees to both requests and they both lead him into a mess of trouble, especially after Walanda is murdered in jail.

In the most basic terms I can use, ON THE ROPES is plain and simply FUN...FUN, FUN, FUN! What else would you expect with a cast of characters that includes a Muslim basset hound, an old Jewish man who has "enough money to air condition hell," and the Fearsome Foursome who reminded me of a cross between a male version of the Golden Girls and the crew who hung out at the bar on Cheers? The characters that inhabit this book are colorful and unique, emphasizing what I believe was a major theme in Schreck's book - everyone is special and has a purpose, regardless of society's prejudices.

For some reason, in this book I became acutely aware of the power of a stereotypical character. Schreck has stereotypes in this book, especially his ex-girlfriends, but he balances those stereotypes with more dimensional characters. The reader can't help but remember that stereotypes exist for a reason. I don't think a stereotype would work as a protagonist, and Duffy is anything but a stereotype. Schreck does an outstanding job of making stereotypes work effectively in this novel.

Schreck's protagonist, Duffy Dombroski, is constantly managing to step into trouble, despite his good intentions. There were a few times that I, as a female, was taken aback by his testosterone-laden comments, but I also realized that those comments were probably spot on for boxing, locker-room talk. And Schreck should know, since he is a professional boxing judge. What was striking about Duffy, besides his wonderful wit, was his sincerity and devotion. I have to admit that I also appreciated his love of Elvis.

And of course there's Al, the Muslim basset hound. Al provides comic relief at all the right times, as any dog owner will appreciate. Al chews up Duffy's remote control and unless he manually changes the channel, the TV is stuck eternally on the Lifetime channel. Oh the irony! It's wonderful.

The characters really drive the plot in this book. It's a great plot, but if the reader is unable to engage with the characters, I don't think the plot is quite as strong. The plot is also very heavy, so the characters and their humor help the reader manage that weight and see hope. All in all, Schreck did an outstanding job of balancing the seriousness of his content with the lightness of the humor as well as the dynamics of the characters. The entire book works like a well-oiled machine.

As I was moving closer to the end of the novel I became very frustrated with interruptions in my reading. I simply wanted to keep reading. This is a book that you'll find hard to put down until you've reached the final page. And when you do put it down, I would be willing to bet you'll put it down with, at minimum, a sly grin on your face.

Just an outstanding debut!

January Round-up

O.k., in January I managed to finish eight books (five of the authors were new to me), which is pretty good considering I was also reading a manuscript for a friend. I thought I was slow at just READING a book, but when I'm making comments as well - OH LORD! I felt so bad because it took me so long to return the manuscript, but alas I was consoled when he told me the comments were helpful. That's all I need to hear, and I'm happy as a lark. I simply want to be helpful. Anyway, back to the January roundup.

It feels kind of funny to do this post because you can see all eight books over under my 2009 reads. There's only January at this point, but here goes:

I started out with Linda Fairstein's Lethal Legacy this year. What a joy to be back with Alex, Mike and Mercer. Mike Chapman is one of my favorite supporting characters in crime fiction. He's funny, has a macho exterior and a soft cushy interior! This book was especially fun because I learned about the New York Public library, and I can't imagine a better crime setting for a bibliophile. And by the way, it will be released this Tuesday.

Next I read A Dangerous Affair. That was a historical crime fiction novel that I received through Harper's early reader program. It was fun to transport back to Victorian England for that caper.

Time and Again was my book club's read for January. Not especially impressed with that one, but overall, I'm not a fantasy fan, so it was really at a disadvantage to begin with. If you're in to the time travel-type books, you may enjoy this one.

The Redbreast was another Harper publication and it is the first book to go on the list for contention in my top reads of 2009. Nesbø does an amazing job creating a complex plot and breaking the loner, alcoholic stereotype.

Finally I read Barry Eisler's Fault Line. Not especially impressed with this one. I just couldn't make a connection with the characters, and I'm a character reader.

My audio books for January included Blood Trail and Free Fire by C.J. Box. I enjoyed them, especially their settings, and I'll read other books in the series. But there also wasn't anything that really distinguished either of these two books as outstanding for me.

And I also listened to Last Car to Elysian Fields in January. Amazing. It's just that simple. Mark Hammer was a phenomenal reader and James Lee Burke is a phenomenal writer. The combination is perfect. As I've said before, I would consider Burke to be one of the greatest living American writers, and I have yet to find a reader who more perfectly embodied the essence of a novel than Hammer embodied the Dave Robicheaux series. The person who made that connection happen is a sheer genius.

I didn't link any of my titles to their reviews because I'm lazy tonight. I just finished a review that will be posted tomorrow - make sure you check back - and I figured since I have them linked over in the sidebar, you can link from there if you want to see the review. Plus, I'm really antsy to get back to a book my friend loaned me to read; it's called ADAM by Ted Dekker. So, I'll toddle off to my reading and leave you to yours.

Happy Reading - hope your February discoveries are wonderful!

Smiling Ear to Ear

The reason I blog is because I love reading and I love sharing and discussing what I read with other people. When I find a book that just amazes me - leaves me speechless and in awe, I want to tell everyone about it so they can have the chance to enjoy it as much as I did. I want people to know about great books, or at least books that I found to be great! ;) It's only fair that I pay forward the gift other people have paid me. So, when something like THIS happens, I'm over the moon and incredibly honored. Today I am tickled pink because my heartfelt words are praising this fabulous book somewhere beyond my blog.

I hope you'll swing by there and read Chapter 1. Happy Reading!

Free Fire - C.J. Box

Free Fire is the seventh book in C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series. In this installment, Joe is working on his father-in-law's ranch when the Governor of Wyoming offers him a job back with the game wardens. Only this time he won't have an assigned district to cover, he'll be going to Yellowstone National Park to investigate a multiple homicide case that was committed in the "Zone of Death." A lawyer figured out that a small strip of land overlapped jurisdictions, the free fire zone, and therefore no one was able to prosecute him and he escaped Scot free on four murders. Joe heads out to find out what actually happened in Yellowstone and all hell begins to...erupt.

As with Blood Trail, I listened to this book on audio and it was also read by David Chandler. Chandler does a decent job and I enjoy listening to his reading for male roles, but the female voices are a little jarring.

Free Fire was an enjoyable book; I appreciate Box's choice of setting in this novel. I learned quite a bit about Yellowstone National Park. And a non-urban setting is always a nice change. A few of the murders in this book were rather unique as well; gruesome, but unique.

The characters in this series don't really overwhelm me. I'm not sure exactly why that is. Nate is a decent character, but maybe a part of me thinks the rebel sidekick has been done enough and I would like to see something more unique - like Box's settings. There are many times that Joe strikes me as indifferent more than anything. And that may very well be attributed to the audio reader. I will have to read one of the books myself and see if that changes my outlook on his character.

I will read more books in this series. I'm interested to read the beginning; I very much dislike this reading out of order, but I haven't been able to get the early books on audio. I haven't listened to one that has completely wow'ed me, but I do enjoy the series enough to read some more of it.