This mystery follows the female private detective Kinsey Millhone. I enjoyed reading a mystery with a female main character (even though I figured out who the killer was pretty early on). Kinsey is a straight talking, no frills character. When trying to get information from one detective he said, “I thought you would be more of a flirt.” I liked that Kinsey did not use the fact that she was a female to get what she wants.
Kinsey is hired by Nikki Fife after she is released from prison. Nikki was incarcerated for the murder of her husband. Her adulterating husband, Lawrence, was poisoned when some of his medication was tainted with oleander. The trial portrayed Nikki as a scorned wife and proved she had motive. Now free, she was determined to clear her name.
Kinsey begins to visit the assortment of women who were involved with Lawrence at some point in time. She soon realizes that Lawrence is a cruel man that a number of women would want to kill. Someone planted a letter to make it seem like Lawrence was involved in a girl who handled his law firm’s accounts. In the end this girl was killed just a matter of days after Lawrence because she knew too much.
Kinsey met with Lawrence’s partner at the law firm, Charlie Scorsoni to learn more about the case. Kinsey and Scorsoni soon became romantically involved. Kinsey breaks the cardinal rule and this is when I became suspicious. Lawrence was killed by his ex-wife, who was extremely angry when he left her for the younger Nikki. But Scorsoni saw Lawrence’s death as an opportunity to get rid of his accountant lover who knew too much. He poisons her in the same way Lawrence was killed. Scorsoni also killed the ex-wife by hitting her with a car while she was on her morning run in an effort to keep her from talking. Kinsey tries to see if there was any damage to Scorsoni’s car and finds herself in a dangerous position. Kinsey begins running along the edge of the beach and trying to get away from the murderer. She eventually hides in a trash can but he discovered her hiding place. Scorsoni tries to attack Kinsey with a knife but she shoots him before he has the chance.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wadmalaw by: Bart Bare 2011 Southern Ghosts and Haunted Places
So the thing that I loved about this book is that the characters spoke a lot like me! I am a sucker for drawn out vowels and sweet tea (spiked tea at that)! I loved the descriptions of the South and the traditions represented. One example of this is when Bambi and Liv were visiting with Mrs. Sweet. Liv had to step back and realize there was a certain protocol to be followed. I LOVED the character of Mrs. Sweet. Every family should be so lucky as to have a matriarch to teach and love the younger generations. The way she told stories reminded me of my own grandmother.
I found the slave/owner angle interesting as well. I have often wondered about these large plantations found in the South. I was curious about if there were indeed ghosts or strange incidents resulting from years of oppression being inflicted upon the slaves who worked there. I am not normally a big fan of flashbacks but I felt finding out a little at a time was a good thing in this case. Mrs. Sweet is slowly filling in the blanks (this is a good thing because the whole story is way too unbelievable to get at one time). I liked learning about the history of the house. It was nice to see Alexander Maxton die after all the hurt he caused to his family and the slaves he owned. I would like to have seen a little more suffering but that is just me!
Now there were some things that I had a hard time believing as well. First of all...how many people do you know are going to walk around their own home carrying guns and living like prisoners? I found it very unrealistic that Liv and Autis would be sitting ducks waiting for the panther to strike again or the ghosts in the pub to strike. It seemed like they waited for months after coming up with a plan to take action. If I were them I would have acted immediately if not sooner or leave the place all together! I feel like the last 50 pages or so just drug on. I get it...you have a lot of ghosts around your house and they are mad. What are you going to do about it? To me it would have been more powerful if they focused on one ghost. It was unbelievable that they were fighting a flock of ghosts.
Another issue I had was the character of Autis. I felt like the author tried too hard to make Autis perfect. He fought for his country and was protector of his wife and friends. The men in the community admired him for cutting the head off the panther and the women all wanted to sleep with him. It was inappropriate for Bambi to sexually harass him throughout the book and proposition his wife for one night with him. If a woman constantly talked about how much she wanted my husband, our friendship would be short lived! Autis had to forgive Liv for having an affair with a ghost (how is that even possible and why did she keep going into the basement if here husband were all he was made out to be).
Another issue I had was the fact that why did Camille and Mongo have to be brother and sister. This really took away from the undying love aspect for me. Nothing is romantic about incest. I also thought trying to make the connection between Liv and Mrs. Sweet was a bit messy.
I feel like in theory this story was a good idea but the author went overboard on the details. If you are writing a ghost story focus on one ghost. If Bambi is going to have dark past just let one horrific thing happen to her (how many times can she be taken advantage of sexually?). How many times do we have to kill this panther? Why does Autis have to be so perfect? The author could have focused his efforts a little more because I found myself just wishing the book was over in the end.
I found the slave/owner angle interesting as well. I have often wondered about these large plantations found in the South. I was curious about if there were indeed ghosts or strange incidents resulting from years of oppression being inflicted upon the slaves who worked there. I am not normally a big fan of flashbacks but I felt finding out a little at a time was a good thing in this case. Mrs. Sweet is slowly filling in the blanks (this is a good thing because the whole story is way too unbelievable to get at one time). I liked learning about the history of the house. It was nice to see Alexander Maxton die after all the hurt he caused to his family and the slaves he owned. I would like to have seen a little more suffering but that is just me!
Now there were some things that I had a hard time believing as well. First of all...how many people do you know are going to walk around their own home carrying guns and living like prisoners? I found it very unrealistic that Liv and Autis would be sitting ducks waiting for the panther to strike again or the ghosts in the pub to strike. It seemed like they waited for months after coming up with a plan to take action. If I were them I would have acted immediately if not sooner or leave the place all together! I feel like the last 50 pages or so just drug on. I get it...you have a lot of ghosts around your house and they are mad. What are you going to do about it? To me it would have been more powerful if they focused on one ghost. It was unbelievable that they were fighting a flock of ghosts.
Another issue I had was the character of Autis. I felt like the author tried too hard to make Autis perfect. He fought for his country and was protector of his wife and friends. The men in the community admired him for cutting the head off the panther and the women all wanted to sleep with him. It was inappropriate for Bambi to sexually harass him throughout the book and proposition his wife for one night with him. If a woman constantly talked about how much she wanted my husband, our friendship would be short lived! Autis had to forgive Liv for having an affair with a ghost (how is that even possible and why did she keep going into the basement if here husband were all he was made out to be).
Another issue I had was the fact that why did Camille and Mongo have to be brother and sister. This really took away from the undying love aspect for me. Nothing is romantic about incest. I also thought trying to make the connection between Liv and Mrs. Sweet was a bit messy.
I feel like in theory this story was a good idea but the author went overboard on the details. If you are writing a ghost story focus on one ghost. If Bambi is going to have dark past just let one horrific thing happen to her (how many times can she be taken advantage of sexually?). How many times do we have to kill this panther? Why does Autis have to be so perfect? The author could have focused his efforts a little more because I found myself just wishing the book was over in the end.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by: Helen Grant 2010 Technothrillers, Haunted Places, Ghost Stories, the Supernatural and Miscellany
Flipping back and forth to the dictionary was very distracting for me as a reader. I understand the purpose of having the German words to help get a feel for the culture, but I found it difficult to follow.
How many ghosts, witches and fire burning men can really be found in one small German town? I felt so bad for Pia after the death of her grandmother (can we say scarred for life after watching my grandmother melt). Children can be mean and this point was proved by the way Pia's peers treated her after the death of her grandmother. I can't imagine being know as the girl whose grandmother spontaneously combusted. One good thing did result from Pia being ignored by her former friends; she became friends with StinkStefan. Stefan had his issues as a character but he stood by Pia when no one else would even speak to her.
Frau Kressel played an interesting role in the book as well. She was used by the author to fill the reader in on information (or rather lead us away from who the real killer is). She reminds me of people who start pointing fingers at others without having any proof (the leader of the lynch mob). We all know people who love nothing more than to gossip!
I cannot imagine how the people in the town felt at the disappearance of several young girls. Much like Pia's mother, I would have been upset. I would be afraid to let my children out of my sight. In the end this was too much stress for Pia's family and her parents split up.
The brothers Herr Duster and Herr Schiller added an interesting twist. Throughout the story Pia and Stefan visited Herr Schiller. They looked up to him and he told them all about the town's history. Herr Duster on the other hand was believed to be the one responsible for the disappearance of the young girls (thanks to Frau Kessel spreading her lies). It must have been devastating in the end for the kids to find out the man they looked up was really the killer (in the case of Pia, he tried to kill her as well).
In the end Pia said that she doesn't think about her time in Germany much and I find that unlikely! I am much more of a realistic reader so I had to really let my imagination roam on this novel. In the end things had come full circle with the Herr Duster wanted to be called Hans.
How many ghosts, witches and fire burning men can really be found in one small German town? I felt so bad for Pia after the death of her grandmother (can we say scarred for life after watching my grandmother melt). Children can be mean and this point was proved by the way Pia's peers treated her after the death of her grandmother. I can't imagine being know as the girl whose grandmother spontaneously combusted. One good thing did result from Pia being ignored by her former friends; she became friends with StinkStefan. Stefan had his issues as a character but he stood by Pia when no one else would even speak to her.
Frau Kressel played an interesting role in the book as well. She was used by the author to fill the reader in on information (or rather lead us away from who the real killer is). She reminds me of people who start pointing fingers at others without having any proof (the leader of the lynch mob). We all know people who love nothing more than to gossip!
I cannot imagine how the people in the town felt at the disappearance of several young girls. Much like Pia's mother, I would have been upset. I would be afraid to let my children out of my sight. In the end this was too much stress for Pia's family and her parents split up.
The brothers Herr Duster and Herr Schiller added an interesting twist. Throughout the story Pia and Stefan visited Herr Schiller. They looked up to him and he told them all about the town's history. Herr Duster on the other hand was believed to be the one responsible for the disappearance of the young girls (thanks to Frau Kessel spreading her lies). It must have been devastating in the end for the kids to find out the man they looked up was really the killer (in the case of Pia, he tried to kill her as well).
In the end Pia said that she doesn't think about her time in Germany much and I find that unlikely! I am much more of a realistic reader so I had to really let my imagination roam on this novel. In the end things had come full circle with the Herr Duster wanted to be called Hans.
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Other Side of Dark by: Sarah Smith 2010 Technothrillers, Haunted Places, Ghost Stories, the Supernatural and Miscellany
I found this book especially creepy! I think one reason this book bothered my are the ghosts in the book. Since I was a child I have been very afraid of ghosts and I had to keep reminding myself that this was just fiction. Poor Katie has the "gift" of seeing ghosts. I could not imagine leaving my apartment every day and seeing my father hanging out (literally) outside my apartment. Katie was a seemingly normal girl before the death of her mother; before she lost it. Katie is not sure at first if she is really seeing ghosts or if they are hallucinations.
Katie finds someone who understands her and wants to help. Law is a intelligent young man who once had a crush on Katie. The two start a friendship that will help them both. Law encourages Katie to express what she sees through her drawings. Law is forbidden by his parents to see Katie after her drawings turn dark. One part of the book that was eerie was when Katie visited Law's house she could see his grandmother his father's office.
I have to be honest....Law's parents drove me crazy. His mother was hell bent on saving the old historical home despite it's jaded past and his father was obsessed with reparations. Law's father in particular angered me. He refused to call his son by his birth name and forced his son to give a speech based on what he thought was correct not what Law believed. I thought his dad was a hypocrite because he wanted equality for African Americans yet he refused to let his son be who he was or date who he wanted. If I had to read about reparations one more time I would have put this book down!
Katie befriends George after meeting him while walking near Pinebank. George is the handicapped grandson of Thomas Handasyd Perkins (the builder of Pinebank). It is believed that George holds the key to the treasure buried someone in the ruins of Pinebank. In the end Katie escapes death and discovers that Pinebank contains an station from the underground railroad and saves Pinebank.
All in all the book had some good aspects but some parts seemed to drag on. I felt some parts were redundant. I did feel like teens could relate to the part about Katie and Law fighting to be who they were and date who they wanted. My biggest issue with the book was that Katie wanted to see her mother more than anything yet that was the one person she could not see. I spent the whole book wishing she could just see her!
Katie finds someone who understands her and wants to help. Law is a intelligent young man who once had a crush on Katie. The two start a friendship that will help them both. Law encourages Katie to express what she sees through her drawings. Law is forbidden by his parents to see Katie after her drawings turn dark. One part of the book that was eerie was when Katie visited Law's house she could see his grandmother his father's office.
I have to be honest....Law's parents drove me crazy. His mother was hell bent on saving the old historical home despite it's jaded past and his father was obsessed with reparations. Law's father in particular angered me. He refused to call his son by his birth name and forced his son to give a speech based on what he thought was correct not what Law believed. I thought his dad was a hypocrite because he wanted equality for African Americans yet he refused to let his son be who he was or date who he wanted. If I had to read about reparations one more time I would have put this book down!
Katie befriends George after meeting him while walking near Pinebank. George is the handicapped grandson of Thomas Handasyd Perkins (the builder of Pinebank). It is believed that George holds the key to the treasure buried someone in the ruins of Pinebank. In the end Katie escapes death and discovers that Pinebank contains an station from the underground railroad and saves Pinebank.
All in all the book had some good aspects but some parts seemed to drag on. I felt some parts were redundant. I did feel like teens could relate to the part about Katie and Law fighting to be who they were and date who they wanted. My biggest issue with the book was that Katie wanted to see her mother more than anything yet that was the one person she could not see. I spent the whole book wishing she could just see her!
School Days by: Robert Parker 2005 Police Detectives, Private Detectives, Police Procedurals, and the New Detective Novel
This book follows a private detective named Spenser. A concerned Grandmother enters his office with a scrapbook about her grandson's alleged crime. Lily Ellsworth is convinced of her grandson's innocence despite his l
confession and the rest of the world being ready to lock him up and throw away the key. Jared Clark is accused of entering the school with his peer (Dell Grant) and opening fire on staff and students. Seven people were killed in the attack. Jared disappears after the shootings and is later ratted out by Dell for his involvement in the shooting.
The thing I really liked about this novel is the way Spenser approached the investigation. He never went into the situation thinking Jared was innocent but rather he wanted to know the why. He is stonewalled from the time he begins the investigation. This rich, rural community simply wants to sweep this incident under the rug so that everyone can "move on." Spenser is forced to visit local student hangouts to gather information from students after he is banned from the school where the shootings occurred.
As he investigates he realizes how the local police botched the situation and more people died as a result. The police did not have the experience to handle the situation and rather than rushing in to stop the situation they waited for the state police to arrive. The local police chief threatens Spenser if he continues his investigation and at one point he even pulled his gun and tried to shoot the private detective.
Spenser discovered a local bodybuilder named Animal used his brother (a gang member) to get guns for the two teenage students and even teaches them how to shoot. Spenser gets into several altercations with Animal and eventually he kills him. Animal uses the body of his dead girlfriend to lure Spenser into a local park and opens fire on the private eye. Spenser kills Animal in self-defense.
Spenser tries visiting Jared Clark in jail to see if he can understand why he committed this crime. After some digging Spenser discovers that Jared was having an affair with his school psychiatrist. The president of the private school discovers incriminating photographs in Jared's locker and begins blackmailing the psychiatrist. He forces her to sleep with him and end her relationship with Jared. She declares her love for Jared despite the age difference.
In the end we discover that Jared went into the school to kill the president but he was not there. The other student is the one who opened fire. It could not be proven that Jared actually shot anyone. He will go to jail for his involvement but the reader is left feeling sorry for Jared.
confession and the rest of the world being ready to lock him up and throw away the key. Jared Clark is accused of entering the school with his peer (Dell Grant) and opening fire on staff and students. Seven people were killed in the attack. Jared disappears after the shootings and is later ratted out by Dell for his involvement in the shooting.
The thing I really liked about this novel is the way Spenser approached the investigation. He never went into the situation thinking Jared was innocent but rather he wanted to know the why. He is stonewalled from the time he begins the investigation. This rich, rural community simply wants to sweep this incident under the rug so that everyone can "move on." Spenser is forced to visit local student hangouts to gather information from students after he is banned from the school where the shootings occurred.
As he investigates he realizes how the local police botched the situation and more people died as a result. The police did not have the experience to handle the situation and rather than rushing in to stop the situation they waited for the state police to arrive. The local police chief threatens Spenser if he continues his investigation and at one point he even pulled his gun and tried to shoot the private detective.
Spenser discovered a local bodybuilder named Animal used his brother (a gang member) to get guns for the two teenage students and even teaches them how to shoot. Spenser gets into several altercations with Animal and eventually he kills him. Animal uses the body of his dead girlfriend to lure Spenser into a local park and opens fire on the private eye. Spenser kills Animal in self-defense.
Spenser tries visiting Jared Clark in jail to see if he can understand why he committed this crime. After some digging Spenser discovers that Jared was having an affair with his school psychiatrist. The president of the private school discovers incriminating photographs in Jared's locker and begins blackmailing the psychiatrist. He forces her to sleep with him and end her relationship with Jared. She declares her love for Jared despite the age difference.
In the end we discover that Jared went into the school to kill the president but he was not there. The other student is the one who opened fire. It could not be proven that Jared actually shot anyone. He will go to jail for his involvement but the reader is left feeling sorry for Jared.
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