Stranger in Thunder Basin by John D Nesbitt

Ed Dawes has a vivid memory of the last time he saw Pa-Pa alive, at age five. Sixteen years later, he is on the hunt for the stranger responsible for the murder of Jake Bishop. Determined to do his own detective work and mete out justice, he won't rest until he gets his questions answered. A fine story.

The Promise of an Angel by Ruth Reid

Judith Fischer waits for Levi Plank to court her. But he is such a flirt with other girls and when he and her sister Martha are caught after spending the night in the hayloft she thinks she might have made a mistake. This novel deals with the forgiveness of others, the belief in angels, and faith in God. An ok read.

Chasing the Light by Iris Johansen

Eve Duncan is persuaded to look for a missing child stolen nine years ago leading her to Russia and perhaps bringing her closer to the discovery of her own missing child, Bonnie. An ok read.

The Protector by Shelley Shepard Gray

Lone child Ella sells the family farm at auction when both her parents passed away and she could no longer maintain it's upkeep. Satisfied to settle in town and work at the library, she finds that someone she considered a friend is jealous of her and spreads rumors about her threatening her job and ultimately her life. Longtime friend and neighbor, Loyal comes to the rescue. Gray writes an inspiring and uplifting story of life in the Amish community.

Trouble Man by Ed Gorman

Ex gunfighter Ray Coyle heads to Coopersville to collect the body of his dead son, killed in a gunfight. Not wanting to rock the boat in the little town, the sheriff advises Ray to head back home on the next train. What ensues is the story of a bitter man, Harry Winston, recently released from prison also coming back to Coopersville to collect his share of robbery money and get revenge. The triangle is completed when spoiled, mean, vicious Bob Trevor finds his past catching up with him. Gorman writes a compelling and entertaining tale of life in the early west. A good read.

Outlaw's Bride by Lori Copeland

Johnny McAllister misses the hangman's noose when a lenient judge sends him to Barren Creek, to a rehabilitation program in Judge McMann's home. Wanting to be a model prisoner so he can serve his sentence and seek revenge on the man who murdered his parents and siblings, he fails to reckon with the judge's housekeeper Ragan. Copeland pens a colorful, humorous western about forgiveness that the reader will surely enjoy as I did. Another great read.

Too Far by Rich Shapero

Six-year-old Robbie wants to explore the woods in back of his house. His mother is afraid to let him out of her sight and his father wants him to be allowed to be a boy. Robbie has quite an imagination and a playmate who could get him into trouble. Interesting concept, but I didn't care for this story. Maybe another time.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

CeeCee Honeycutt has borne the burden of her psychotic mother alone, her father taking a salesman's job so he didn't have to be responsible for his wife. Her only confidant the elderly next door neighbor. When her mother is hit by an ice cream truck, CeeCee is abandoned by her father. Not realizing that her mother's Aunt Tootie is her saviour in disguise, she is whisked to Savannah, Georgia where she meets an amazing array of women. CeeCee has stuffed her grief to the point that she is numb, but these women share their own stories of survival helping her to be able to breathe again and enjoy life. A heart-warming, humorous, uplifting story. A great read.

comfort food by Kate Jacobs

Heading for her fiftieth birthday, cooking show host Augusta "Gus" Simpson, finds she is going to have to plan her own party. Not only that, younger and better looking cooks are breaking into the televised cooking show business and she finds herself threatened to losing her show unless she comes up with something more original. Plot has possibilities, but this reader was pretty bored with the plot and the characters. Sorry.

Death Ground by Ed Gorman

Bounty hunter Leo Guild is tired. On the hunt for mountain man Kriker, he wants to make sure the law has the right man. Arriving in Sheriff Decker's town, Guild is not impressed with the deputies and suspects they might know more than they are telling. When a man and a boy are killed, Guild is determined to find justice. Heading to a settlement in the freezing winter mountains, Guild tracks Kriker. Gorman writes so convincingly the reader feels the chill of the winter wind, the bite of the icy snow. A good story.

A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez

Sunny, The Coffee Shop owner, Halajan, owner of the building the coffee shop is in, and young Yazmina, from a remote village, husbandless, pregnant, and abandoned on the city street form a bond of feminine love and loyalty. This is a time of fearfulness, contradictory values and unlikely friendships. Rodriguez writes a story that rings true, giving life and believability to her characters. So many truths are unveiled here, giving the reader a glimpse of what life in Afghanistan is surely like. A great read.

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

Joy, daughter of May Chin, raised by her aunt Pearl Chin, is 17 and sure she knows what she is doing when she runs away from her safe home in California to travel to China. Seeking her birth father and determined to to help with China's reconstruction, she is oblivious to the dangers in the Communist regime. Giving up her passport upon entering Shanghai, Joy has romanticized life in the country with the peasants, and for a while things are going pretty well. Pearl, concerned for Joy, travels to Shanghai, and tries to persuade her to come home. Needless to say, things just get worse. Lee has done a great job of researching the history of this period in China and the story she weaves keeps the reader spell-bound and anxious for Joy. A very good read.

Dead Zero by Stephen Hunter

Bob Lee Swagger is called upon by his government yet again. They say they fear there is a renegade sniper out to kill a very important person, at this time unknown, and want Bob Lee to scope out the possibilities for his anticipated attack; ultimately to capture or kill the sniper. Bob Lee says "ok" and begins his research. The more he finds out, the more he is inclined to sympathize with sniper Ray Cruz. Determined to get to the root of the problem, Swagger finds himself switching back and forth, understanding both sides, trying to sort out the truth. Hunter throws in a big surprise for Swagger fans. Read this exciting episode, you will go "oh my gosh, too." Great.

Quinn by Iris Johansen

Johansen gives the reader the background on Joe Quinn we have been waiting for. Filling in the blanks, then taking Eve and Joe deeper into the mystery of the missing Bonnie, searching for answers, they ponder Bonnie's last message, "the end is near...." Sure to surprise. A good read.

Born to Die by Lisa Jackson

Dr. Kacey Lambert seems to have a lot of look-alikes around town and in the news. When several of them begin to "die" from accidents, Kacey starts wondering what is going on, putting the puzzle pieces together until she finds her life in danger. Not satisfied with the progress the police are making, she uncovers a sinister plot that she reports to Detective Selena Alvarez and Selena's partner, Regan Pescoli who of course want her to stop doing her own detective work. Can Kacey's mother shed any light on the situation? Are these women somehow related or is it just a coincidence? Lisa Jackson has contrived an exciting thriller keeping the reader turning the pages to the very end.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

Lavinia is a traumatized little Irish girl, arriving at Tall Oaks plantation after the death of her parents. Belle, household slave, takes on the role of mothering Lavinia, indentured servant. Grissom develops her characters early and their growth through the written word keeps the reader enthralled. "Seeing" the South in the late 1700's through the eyes of these narrators provides a glimpse of the compassion and cruelty of servants and slave owners. A great read.

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo

Chief Kate Burkholder heads the police force in Painter's Mill in the heart of Ohio's Amish farm country. She is rudely awakened after an hour and a half's sleep by dispatcher, Mona, reporting a multiple murder at the Amos Plank farm. Dragging herself out of bed, she arrives at the grisly scene. Two adults, five children brutally murdered.

Having no clues to work with, she asks her friend FBI agent John Tomasetti to assist. The case proves to be difficult for both, awakening old memories from their past. Castillo writes an enthralling thriller, involving the reader on every page. A great read.

Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein

Prosecutor Alexandra Cooper is on the scene of a late night fire on the steps of a church. When a headless corpse is discovered in the midst of the burning blanket, the crowd gathers nearer, curious. Partnered with Detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer, the three work together to investigate this gruesome death. The similarity to another earlier case leads them to believe the crimes are related. When yet another young woman is found with her throat cut, and similar injuries, the entire force is concentrating on finding the murderer. Fairstein writes an exciting, thrilling mystery that gives the reader a bit of religious historical background of the New York City area. I really enjoyed the story.

Senseless by Mary Burton

There is a deranged killer out there, stabbing and branding the victims. Eva Rayburn is trying to start over, working three jobs, and wanting to save enough to go to school. Feeling she has paid for her alleged crime, she keeps a low profile. When two of the victims appear to be connected to her from her past, she is more frightened than ever. She doesn't trust the cops or the news media. Her sister hasn't talked to her in 10 years. Who is the murderer? Can she trust Alexandria City homicide detective Deacon Garrison? Not too bad for a gory murder-mystery.

Rider on the Buckskin by Peter Dawson

Frank Rivers has been pardoned from prison and now he is looking for a lame carpenter who is supposed to have committed the crime Frank served the time for. Returning to the community where the crime was committed, Frank meets hostility from the local sheriff who thinks Frank is still guilty. Lute Pleasants, local rancher and thug, is determined to get control of the valley by fencing in and forcing other ranchers out. When Frank decides to help young ranchers Fred and sister Kate, the manure hits the fan. Read this exciting tale of the west. Sure to keep you entertained.

The Amish Midwife by Mindy Starns Clark & Leslie Gould

Nurse-midwife Lexie Jaeger knew she was adopted but when her dying father directs her to a carved box with a letter written in German and two locks of hair, she begins to question her past, wondering who her biological parents were. Her search leads her from Oregon to an Amish community in Pennsylvania where people who might know some answers have closed lips. Frustrated with the secrets around her Lexie is determined to unveil the mystery of her past, threatening to cause untold pain and anguish to members of one family. An interesting tale of suspicion, learning to trust God's plan for our lives, and forgiveness.

Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Moist von Lipwig is to be hanged for various and sundry crimes. Astonished to find he has been saved from death, he has Lord Vetinari to thank for his "safety" and a job as the new postmaster of Ankh-Morpork. To this reader, Postal is a confusing, myriad mish-mash of stuff. Not a read for me.

Clouds Without Rain by P. L. Gaus

When Sheriff Bruce Robertson is severely burned while assisting at an automobile/buggy/eight- teen wheeler accident, Professor Michael Branden is called upon to assist with the investigation. Learning that one of the victim's was an Amish land-owner, Branden discovers that J R Weaver was not closely associated with the Amish community and in fact had become a lover of money, buying farmland, and encouraging practices amongst the people that tempted them away from the simple life. There was also a slightly dishonest bank employee who encouraged Weaver's financial practices. Business owners and "lease-to-own" young Amish farmers were going to lose their property due to the sale of Weaver's holdings providing quite a few person's of interest. Branden is brilliant as usual. A good mystery.

Broken English by P. L. Gaus

Jesse Sands is captured and jailed for the murder of Janet Hawkins. Her father, David Hawkins, is seeking the simple life of the Amish community. When Sheriff Bruce Robertson seeks Hawkins after yet another murder in the community, Hawkins drops out of sight causing Robertson to focus on only him as the murderer. Professor Michael Branden and Pastor Caleb Troyer, friends of the sheriff, are convinced Hawkins is not seeking vengeance and that there has to be another explanation. Gaus writes a convincing and exciting tale of intrigue in a quiet community, sure to entertain.