Always Say Goodbye by Stuart M Kaminsky

Lew Fonesca has to go back to Chicago to try to find his wife's killer, or was she murdered? After four years of working as a process server, finding out he has a gift for helping people and a determined therapist, Lew needs to "get a life." Guilt and depression are factors tormenting Lew, and being with family again brings pain to the front. Nevertheless, a murderer is determined to keep some secrets hidden. I like this series with Lew Fonesca and the characters that revolve around him. They seem like real people to me. I had to have the library borrow this book from another library, but it is worth the effort. Sandy P

Quicksand by Iris Johansen

Eve Duncan, forensic sculptor, is taunted by a madman who claims he is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of her little girl, Bonnie, several years ago. She has been searching for Bonnie's remains to put her to rest, and will do anything to find them. Former Navy SEAL Joe Quinn, an Atlanta police detective, will do whatever it takes to bring Eve peace.

A good story plot, way too much angst, some good human interest angles, and the insertion of paranormal events is interesting. A so-so read. Sandy P

Survival of the Fittest by Jonathan Kellerman

Psychologist Alex Delaware and police detective Milo Sturgis are hunting for a killer or killers who appear to choose the young and handicapped as their target. One of the victims is the daughter of a diplomat who denies the possibility of a political motive. There are no signs of a struggle and no evidence of sexual assault and Alex and Milo wonder why.

Working with Daniel Sharavi, an Israeli police inspector, Alex and Milo soon find themselves tangled in a dark and evil case. For me, some of the detail is disturbing, but I feel that Kellerman is making his point and his plot seems very real. It is hard to say I liked this, but I did, although it didn't make me feel very good. Sandy P

The Dead Don't Lie by Stuart M Kaminsky

Kaminsky writes a series about a Jewish policeman by the name of Abraham Lieberman. He and his wife are active in the synagogue and are raising their two grandchildren. Life isn't easy for Abraham. He suffers from insomnia. He is diabetic and has high cholesterol. His partner Bill Hanrahan is a recovering alcoholic. In the city they have alliances of a sort with, some might say disreputable, unsavory characters. In this book, Lieberman and Hanrahan are faced with the slaying of four Turkish Americans. I really like this author. I had to ask the library to get the book from another library. It was worth it. Sandy P

Rage by Jonathan Kellerman

Psychologist Alex Delaware and LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis revisit an eight-year-old murder of a two-year-old by a couple of teenagers when slow-witted Rand contacts Alex and wants to talk to him. The meeting never takes place as Rand is murdered. As Delaware and Sturgis retrace their steps through a grisly murder case that devastated a community, they discover madness, suicide, and even uglier truths waiting to be unearthed. I think I had read this one before, but wasn't sure until I got to the place that made it all come back. A really good read. Sandy P

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lilian Jackson Braun

Published in 1967, Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese KoKo, out think the local constable in solving a robbery and a murder here and there. If you are a fan, this series continues to entertain no matter how long ago they were written. I had read most of the later books, but liked this one as well or maybe better. A good read. Sandy P

Sunset Express by Robert Crais

Private Investigator Elvis Cole and partner Joe Pike are hired by accused murderer Theodore Martin's attorney Jonathan Green, to prove that Martin was "set up" by police detective Rossi. Elvis is distracted by his personal love life, but he eventually smells a rat in the woodpile and begins to question the direction Green is taking. I like this kind of mystery and Crais does not disappoint. The library had to get it on loan from another, but is worth requesting. Sandy P

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Tia and Mike Baye spy on their 16-year-old son, Adam, when he becomes distant and uncommunicative after a friend of his commits suicide. This is a story of what happens in a world of TV's, iPods, Blackberrys, GPS and emails, and how technology is used to "spy" on people or manipulate them. I didn't feel a bit good about this book. Made me feel paranoid about the harmful potential of all the things our kids, and adults, have access to and what it says about our trust in one another. Don't read this if you are looking for a happy ending. Sandy P

Killer Smile by Lisa Scottoline

Lawyer Mary DiNunzio is immersed in a case everyone calls the History Channel, a pro bono representation of Amadeo Brandolini estate. Brandolini was arrested by the FBI as part of a mass internment of Italian-Americans sent to a camp in Montana, where he evenutally committed suicide. Mary vows to vindicate Amadeo even though it won't be easy. She has very few clues yet someone doesn't want her to find the truth. I had read this before, but still a very good read. Scottoline writes from personal experience and gives the reader a view of World War II that a lot of people don't realize. I like this one. Sandy P

Hour Game by David Baldacci

Ex-Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are hired to defend an innocent man in a burglary involving an aristocratic, dysfunctional family. Then a murdered woman is found in the woods. Someone is copying the killing styles of infamous murderers leaving all kinds of clues to confuse and direct the investigators. Never have I read a book with so many murders and murderers involved. Almost confusing. An interesting story though. Sandy P

Beverly Hills Dead by Stuart Woods

Rick Barron, head of production of Centurion Studios, takes the reader back to the 1940s when an individuals association with Communism was becoming a witch hunt. Murder, political intrigue and the shallowness of Hollywood lives are all visited. I didn't care much for this book. Sandy P

The Moscow Vector series created by Robert Ludlum written yb Patrick Larkin

Lt Col Jon Smith, an Army research doctor specializing in infectious diseases and secretly an agent attached to Covert-One, is contacted by Russian colleague, Dr Valentin Petrenko. Petrenko, concerned about government secrecy regarding 4 deaths and possibly others, wants the outside world to know what is happening. Petrenko is murdered and Smith, narrowly missing getting killed, is assigned to investigate the situation. At the same time, government officials around the world are dying from a mysterious infection and Russian President Viktor Dudarev is increasing military forces. A good read if somewhat technical. I enjoyed it. Sandy P

Judge & Jury by James Patterson & Andrew Gross

Fans of James Patterson will like this one. Published in 2006, I'm just now getting around to reading this thriller. Heroine Andie DeGrasse, a juror in a trial for a Mafia don known as the Electrician, and FBI agent Nick Pellisante are thrown together in a story of murder and mayhem with a little romance thrown in. A pretty good read. Sandy P

Darkfall by Dean Koontz

This book was previously written as "The Pit" under Dean Koontz's pen name Owen West. Jack Dawson, police detective, and his two children are caught up in a supernatural crime spree when Baba Lavelle, a voodoo priest from Haiti, takes his revenge out on the mob. I liked it. If the library doesn't have this on hand, someone can get it for you from another library. Sandy P

Firetrap by Earl Emerson

Firetrap is about Captain Trey Brown, a black man in a Seattle fire department where the color of his skin keeps him largely on the outside looking in. As a child, Trey was adopted by a wealthy white family. Because of somthing that happens one summer, Trey is exiled from the family. After a fire at the Z Club, Trey and Jamie Estevez, a beautiful, ambitious reporter are assigned to a task force to investigate the fire. This forces Trey to be in contact with his former family, a brother who is now mayor of Seattle. Suddenly, two mysteries--one of passion and family, the other of fire and murder--are unraveling around Trey. I enjoyed this book. It took a little getting used to. It's written in first person, but from different people. You have to read at the beginning of each chapter who that person is. Once you get used to doing that, it's interesting to read what each character says about what's going on around them. I would recommend this book. I have read some of his other books and enjoyed them. PatM

As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer

This is a rags to riches story about Charlie Trumper and his progress from the slums of London to Chelsea Terrace, where he establishes The Biggest Barrow in the World. The story is presented from the different perspectives of the main characters involved, their motives, ideas, and feelings coloring and providing the interaction between them. A good story, would make a good discussion group topic. Sandy P

The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais

Crais brings together his signature characters, private investigator Elvis Cole and his partner, Joe Pike in an emotional search for the murderer of the man who, according to a policewoman on the scene, in his last breath, claimed Elvis was his son. LAPD detective Carol Starkey helps with Elvis' investigation, unearthing dark and dangerous secrets. Robert Crais writes a tense thriller/mystery that is hard to put down. I really liked it. Sandy P

The Afghan by Frederick Forsythe

Advertised as a chilling story of modern terrorism, I found this book incredibly boring. I'm sure all the technical and factual information is absolutely correct, but it is not my cup of tea. Maybe the next one will be better. Sandy P

High Profile by Robert B Parker

Jesse Stone, small town chief of police, is at the center of a highly public murder case. Walton Weeks is discovered hanging from a tree. Then another body is found less than a week later. The public (read news reporters) is clamoring for results. Talk about stress at work! Then Jesse's ex-wife, Jenn, arrives at his apartment claiming she is being stalked and needs him to keep her safe. Jesse's understanding (?) lady friend and private eye, Sunny Randall agrees to help him keep Jenn safe and to find out who the stalker is. Jesse and his friend and co-worker Suit keep things on the light side and this is entirely an enjoyable read. I liked it. Sandy P

The Saddlemaker's Wife by Earlene Fowler

Ruby McGavin has lost her husband, Cole, of six months. After his death, she finds that there was a lot about him that she didn't know and didn't understand. Her own family history haunting her, she is shocked to learn that the family he told her had been killed in an auto accident is very much alive and that she was part owner of a ranch near Cardinal, California. Off she goes, wanting to settle things and get on with her life, but finds instead that there are some surprising family secrets that make her wonder if she ever really knew Cole. Determined to find some answers, Ruby finds that she might have a new family after all. A really pleasant read. Makes me want to know the rest of the story. Sandy P

Bleeding Kansas by Sara Paretsky

This book is not Paretsky's usual fare. The main characters, Jim Grellier's family and their neighbors, deal with fanatical religious zealots, lesbianism, substance abuse, prejudice, mental illness, and life on the farm. Susan Grellier, Jim's wife, lives in the families past through diaries she has come across in the attic. In my opinion, I think she is bi-polar though it is never mentioned. Mix in the frustrated husband, the rebellious son, Chip, and over-achiever Lara, and you get "duck soup." I didn't care for this new style of Paretsky. Sandy P

Turning Angel by Greg Iles

Penn Cage of Natchez, Mississippi, former lawyer now a writer, is hired by his close friend Dr Drew Elliott when Dr Elliott's teenage lover is found murdered near the Mississippi River. A senior at St. Stephen's Prep, Kate Townsend appeared to have the world on a string. But like her school and her town, Kate had a secret life - one about which Dr Elliott knew little. Enter Shad Johnson, a black district attorney whose dream it is to send a rich white man to prison. A work of fiction filled with sex, violence, and racism, Turning Angel keeps the reader enthralled with suspense to the very end. A very good mystery thriller. Sandy P