The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

From the flap: Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin Henry VI fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Her mother mocks her plans, revealing that Margaret will always be burdened with the reputation of her father, one of the most famously incompetent English commanders in France. But worst of all for Margaret is when she discovers that her mother is sending her to a loveless marriage in remote Wales. Married to a man twice her age, quickly widowed, and a mother at only fourteen, Margaret is determined to turn her lonely life into a triumph. She sets her heart on putting her son on the throne of England regardless of the cost to herself, to England, and even to the little boy. Disregarding rival heirs and the overwhelming power of the York dynasty, she names him Henry, like the king; sends him into exile; and pledges him in marriage to her enemy Elizabeth of York’s daughter. As the political tides constantly move and shift, Margaret charts her own way through another loveless marriage, treacherous alliances, and secret plots. She feigns loyalty to the usurper Richard III and even carries his wife’s train at her coronation. Widowed a second time, Margaret marries the ruthless, deceitful Thomas, Lord Stanley, and her fate stands on the knife edge of his will. Gambling her life that he will support her, she then masterminds one of the greatest rebellions of the time—all the while knowing that her son has grown to manhood, recruited an army, and now waits for his opportunity to win the greatest prize. In a novel of conspiracy, passion, and cold hearted ambition, number one bestselling author Philippa Gregory has brought to life the story of a proud and determined woman who believes that she alone is destined, by her piety and lineage, to shape the course of history.

First line: The light of the open sky is brilliant after the darkness of the inner rooms.

My thoughts: I read The White Queen so I just had to read The Red Queen. I have to admit here that I am not a student of this time period so I don't know much about these people. I have to say that Gregory brought this bit of history to life for me, I am an official fan. I found Lady Margaret Beaufort as fascinating as she was self absorbed and unlikeable. It was interesting following her through decades of scheming and lying as she worked and plotted to get her son on the throne. I had to laugh a couple of times as she ranted against people counting out their sins but was unable to see these very same things could be said of her. My favorite character was Henry Stafford, Margaret's sardonic, careful, and wise second husband. The book was a little confusing for me. If you like historical fiction and/or Philippa Gregory's work, I think you'll like this one.

Rating: B+

Quote:"Yes, because you think God wants your son to be King of England. I don't think your God has ever advised you otherwise. You hear only what you want. He only ever commands your preferences. He always tells you to strive for power and wealth. Are you quite sure it is not your own voice that you hear, speaking through the earthquake, wind and fire?"

Links: Philippa Gregory Lady Margaret Beaufort

The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

From the jacket: Peccavi.....The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: “I HAVE SINNED”. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell – Maura’s professional nemesis and member of a secret society called “The Mephisto Club

On tony Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbology, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan and his demons actually exist among us.

With the grisly appearance of a corpse on the Mephisto Club’s doorstep, it’s clear that someone – or something – is indeed prowling the city. The members begin to fear the very subject of their study. Have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness?
Deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil – where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced… one whose work is only just beginning. Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 12, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345476999
ISBN-13: 978-0345476999

My thoughts: Thanks Bookfriends! Tess Gerritsen did indeed provide a great read. I chose this book randomly after a couple of Bookfriends told me they liked this author. I didn't know that this was part of a series, the Isles/Rizzoli series, I just thought the blurb sounded good and checked it out of the library. This was a real page turner. It was dark and a little disturbing. I'm sure the author spent many hours researching devil worship, Satan, and other kinds of evil written about in ancient texts. The demonic/paranormal slant sort of surprised me as I thought these were strictly medical/police thrillers. Isles seems to be going in a different direction than Rizzoli now. The end of the book left it wide open for a new series. Going to go to Amazon and check on it now.

mystery, murder,

Darkness Under the Sun by Dean Koontz

About the book: The chilling account of a pivotal encounter between innocence and ultimate malice, Darkness Under the Sun is the perfect read for Halloween–or for any haunted night–and reveals a secret, fateful turning point in the career of Alton Turner Blackwood, the killer at the dark heart of What the Night Knows, the forthcoming novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz. There once was a killer who knew the night, its secrets and rhythms. How to hide within its shadows. When to hunt. He roamed from town to town, city to city, choosing his prey for their beauty and innocence. His cruelties were infinite, his humanity long since forfeit. But still…he had not yet discovered how to make his special mark among monsters, how to come fully alive as Death.
This is the story of how he learned those things, and of what we might do to insure that he does not visit us.

First line: A week before his eleventh birthday, when Howie Dugley climbed to the roof of the former Boswell's Emporium to watch the normal people doing all kinds of ordinary things along Maple Street, he saw the monster for the first time.

My thoughts: This was a quick read and a good one. I liked Howie, the child and adult, a lot. Koontz has always been able to do that for me, create likable characters with good hearts that I want to root for. I felt bad for Howie and the decision he had to make at his young age. This is not just a horror story it is a psychological thriller. This novella, only found in eBook form, stands alone well but I am glad that there is more in the novel What the Night Knows. (I have to get it off my wish list and into the house, soon.) The tension built well and kept me turning pages. The creepiness of the story held on all the way to the end. If you have never read Dean Koontz, this is a great way to sample his work.

Rating:

Quote: "There's always a parade, Howie. When it's something you can't ever join but only watch, then it's a parade"

Links:
Dean Koontz

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Description: Introducing a major literary talent, The White Tiger offers a story of coruscating wit, blistering suspense, and questionable morality, told by the most volatile, captivating, and utterly inimitable narrator that this millennium has yet seen.

Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life -- having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Born in the dark heart of India, Balram gets a break when he is hired as a driver for his village's wealthiest man, two house Pomeranians (Puddles and Cuddles), and the rich man's (very unlucky) son. From behind the wheel of their Honda City car, Balram's new world is a revelation. While his peers flip through the pages of Murder Weekly ("Love -- Rape -- Revenge!"), barter for girls, drink liquor (Thunderbolt), and perpetuate the Great Rooster Coop of Indian society, Balram watches his employers bribe foreign ministers for tax breaks, barter for girls, drink liquor (single-malt whiskey), and play their own role in the Rooster Coop. Balram learns how to siphon gas, deal with corrupt mechanics, and refill and resell Johnnie Walker Black Label bottles (all but one). He also finds a way out of the Coop that no one else inside it can perceive.

Balram's eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create virtue, and money doesn't solve every problem -- but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations.

First line:
Mr. Premier,
Sir,
Neither you nor I speak English, but there are some things that can be said only in English.

My Thoughts: I found this book, the 2008 Man Booker Prize Winner, to be fascinating. It is one of those books that I will think about and remember. In this deep and multilayered book we follow Balram from his youth in "The Darkness" to his life as a successful entrepreneur. Along the way he tells us about India, it's politics, its citizens both poor and rich, and it's religions. I could not put it down.

Rating: A

Eternity In Death by J.D. Robb

Product Description: When club-hopping bad girl Tiara Kent is found dead in her plush Manhattan apartment, the killing has all the earmarks of a vampire attack. The ever-practical Lieutenant Eve Dallas has to deal with superstitious cops carrying garlic and stakes, as well as the ever-hysterical press. None of the wealthy young victim’s friends seem to know much about the Dark Prince she has been secretly seeing. The chase to stop him before he kills again will lead Eve and her team into areas of the city that not even the most intrepid cop wants to visit, and into the very heart of darkness.

My Thoughts: I finished listening to this today and really enjoyed it. It is the first of the In Death series I've read. I will be visiting the library and intend to begin this series at the beginning. The reviews of the other books in this series call them futuristic. There was a touch, pocket links instead of cell phones, New Los Angeles, but not much else. I liked the way the story flowed and the way the characters interacted. This was short so I didn't get to know them very well so I'm looking forward to that. The end was good and left me wondering..... You will wonder too.

I checked this out of the library in the form of a Playaway device. I had to provide the battery and earphones but it was a cool little thing. Have you ever heard of this? I hadn't until this book.

Challenges:

100+ Reading Challenge

Support Your Local Library Challenge

Audiobook challenge

thriller, police, vampire, futuristic, urban fantasy (a little)

The Bride Wroe Black Leather by Simon R. Green

About the book: In the secret heart of London, under the cover of endless darkness, the Nightside caters to anyone with any unusual itch that needs to be scratched. But enter at your own risk. The party animals who live here may be as inhuman as their appetites...


My name is John Taylor. The Nightside is my home. I didn't plan it that way. In fact, I once tried to get away. But I came back. And now it seems I'm settling down, with a full-time job (in addition to my work as a very private eye) as Walker-the new Voice of the Authorities in the Nightside-and a wedding in the offing.

I'm marrying the love of my life, Suzie Shooter, the Nightside's most fearsome bounty-hunter. But nothing comes easy here. Not life. Not death. And for certain, not happily-ever-after. Before I can say "I do," I have one more case to solve as a private eye-and my first assignment as Walker.

Both jobs would be a lot easier to accomplish if I weren't on the run, from friends and enemies alike. And if my bride-to-be weren't out to collect the bounty on my head...

First line: I went walking up and down the packed streets of the Nightside, making my way through all the desperate conversations and dodgy deals, through all the damned and the disgraced, all the lost souls searching for something they could buy, then call love; and everywhere I went, people nodded quickly and politely to me, and out of respect.

My thoughts: This is book  number 12 in the Nightside series and apparently the last. I have always enjoyed this quirky, unique series and hate to see it end. As endings go, this one was great. The series was wrapped up nicely with Shotgun Suzie and  and John Taylor getting married, but only after John solves his final case as a PI. It had everything I've come to expect from a Nightside novel: strange beings and places, good vs evil, friends, enemies, friends who could be enemies, over the top action, weird sarcastic banter, and....I could go on but I won't.  This has never been a serious series, but it is lots of fun to read with it's outrageous situations, locations and characters. Here is an example of an ongoing situation: John never gets in a cab, never calls for a cab because .....it might eat him. Yep, that is common in the Nightside. This one had all that in spades. The stories are always a bit on the dark side, which works since the sun never shines in the Nightside. I'll miss this series. I may have to go back and reread them.

Quote:

1. "Half my taste buds are still crying their eyes out, and the other half are threatening to sue for post-traumatic stress disorder.""
2. “After all, you’re only an immortal until someone manages to kill you. After that, you were just long-lived.”
3.  "...Anyway, Dagon told me he'd Seen something really dangerous coming to the Nightside."   I waited. But that was all he had to say. "Well" I said, "Nothing to scary about that. It's pretty much business as usual, in the Nightside."

Challenges:
100+

The Heart of Darkness By Josep Conrad

library book

This short book was as dark as it's title implies. It follows Marlow up the Congo River as he goes to hold down his job with the company as an ivory transporter. He also has another job, unknown to others. That is to bring the violent Kurtz back. Before I read it I read about it on the net and was aware of the problems the story covered. I would suggest you research it a little before you read it.

I was surprised to learn that this book was the basis for the movie "Apocalypse Now." 3