The Dragon King's Palace by Laura Joh Rowland

From Publishers Weekly: In Rowland's eighth engrossing 17th-century Japanese mystery (after 2002's The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria), Sano Ichiro, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People, is roused in the middle of the night when the shogun's mother and Sano's wife, Reiko, are kidnapped en route to Mount Fuji and their escort slaughtered. The crisis is exacerbated by the identities of the two other abductees: the wife of Sano's primary rival, the chamberlain Yanagisawa, the real power behind the shogun; and the pregnant wife of Sano's chief assistant. Sano's considerable deductive, strategic and diplomatic skills are repeatedly tested as he juggles the caprices of his ruler, who struggles with his figurehead status, Yanagisawa's ambitions for succession and the interests of the court's other power players. The organizer of the crimes, who calls himself the Dragon King after a traditional folk tale, makes an unusual ransom demand that only adds to the mystery of his identity and motivation. While her husband races to put the pieces of the puzzle together before the shogun's recklessness imperils the hostages, Reiko, bright and self-reliant, schemes to free herself and her companions. Rowland's masterful evocation of the period enables the reader to identify with the universal human emotions and drives that propel her characters while absorbing numerous telling details of a different culture and era.

My Thoughts: I found this to be another exciting and fast paced Sano Ichiro mystery novel! If you're looking for a good historical mystery novel that will keep you at the edge of your seat, you need not look any further than this book. I enjoyed the sence of history and place.

Pieces of My Heart: A life by Robert J. Wagner

From the publisher: In this moving memoir, Robert J. Wagner opens his heart to share the romances, the drama, and the humor of an incredible life.

My thoughts: I have always been a Robert Wagner fan. I've seen his movies and LOVED Hart to Hart. I didn't know anything about his personal life and was surprised to find out that he had had an affair with Barbara Stanwyck . He recounts his life, marriages, affairs, friendships, hardships and career with grace and honor. I truly enjoyed this. If you are a movie buff or just a Robert Wagner fan you can't go wrong here.

Pest Control by Bill Fitzhugh

The story synopsis: Bob Dillon is a down-on-his-luck exterminator from Queens who just wants to make a killing with his radical new environmentally-friendly pest elimination technique, involving his hybrid assassin bugs (a very real group of insects). But when Bob decides to advertise, his flyer falls into the hands of a European murder-for-hire broker who mistakes Bob for a professional assassin. Before he knows it, Bob's "competition" targets him for extermination, sending him running for his life from a motley collection of the world's deadliest and most outrageously eccentric contract killers.

My Thoughts: This book was amusing and had a few laugh out loud moments. I greatly enjoyed it and plan to get some more books by this author.

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

From Book Jacket: "Douglas Preston fulfilled a lifelong dream when he moveed his family to a villa in Florence. Upon meeting celebrated journalist Mario Spezi, Preston was stunned to learn that the olive grove next to his home had been the scene of a horrific double-murder committed by one of the most infamous figures in Italian history. A serial killer who ritually murdered fourteen young lovers, he was never caught. He is known as the Monster of Florence." "Fascinated by the tale, Preston began to work with Spezi on the case. Here is the true story of their search to uncover and confront the man they believe is the Monster. In an ironic twist of fate that echoes the dark traditions of the city's bloody history, Preston and Spezi themselves become targets of a bizarre police investigation.

My thoughts: I don't read a lot of true crime but I like Douglas Preston's fiction so thought I'd give it a try. When reading thrillers, they don't bother me because they are, after all, fiction. However this true life account of a serial killer did bother me. It was well written and facinating at the same time. The way the investigations were handled would seem nothing short of comedic if they hadn't hurt so many innocent people while ignoring or burying real evidance. I found this overall to be a very interesting read.

4

Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews

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Cute, fun, quick read. I really like this series. The first one I read was the funniest by far: Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon. What a hoot. Do yourself a favor and check out this series.

In this story Meg ends up looking after a toddler when the mother, Meg's friend Karen, asks her to watch him "for just a little while." Hours turn into days and, of course Meg begins to investigate, trying to find Karen. She finds a body, not Karen's. In typical Meg fashion she pursues her investigation, with help or hindrance from her husband, father, grandfather, and various other family members.

4

Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank by Celia Rivenbark

This book of essays written with humor and sarcasm is a hoot! I laughed all the way through. Not only does she discuss kids and wonder why parents insist like dressing 6 year olds like skanks, she writes about celebrities, Huzzzbands and Southern-Style Silliness.

"Celia Rivenbark is an award-winning newspaper columnist and freelance journalist whose work has been compared to a cross between Erma Bombeck and Hunter S. Thompson." This quote was taken from Celia's home page. You should go there, scroll to the botton and click on Celia on Skank. Watch the video then go get this book!

5

Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish

This story follows five women who are instructed by their common friend, Annie Freeman, to take her ashes to places she has detailed in the plans to scatter. They all know of each other but don't really know one another. As they travel they grieve for Annie, learn her deepest secrets and celebrate her life. They also learn about themselves and become fast friends.

I liked the idea of this book, the non-traditional traveling funeral, and found the authors use of words to paint pictures wonderful. However, the book was flat for me after about half way. I found myself skimming and skipping pages.
2

Blood Trail by C.J. Box

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Here is the newest, the 8th, Joe Pickett novel! It is the third one I've read. I like the character Joe Pickett. He is and honest, moral, family man. He makes mistakes but sticks to what he thinks is right regardless. It usually gets him in trouble, and that's where he is at the end of this book, in a heap of big trouble.

Joe Pickett is now working directly for the Governor . He is called to go to a murder scene where an elk hunter has been murdered and strung up like an elk after the hunt. While working with his ex boss, Randy Pope Joe discovers that there have been more murders related to this one, all murdered hunters. Enter anti-hunting radical Klamath Moore. While following up on K. Moore Joe persuades the Governor to release his friend, and expert tracker, Nate Romanowski to help track down the killer. It was a good mystery, however I kind of had an idea of who did it early on.

This book is fairly violent in nature, involves hunting and murder. Not pretty.

It is a good mystery/thriller.

4

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)

This is a Victorian comic novel that I found to be quite funny in places. The author started out to write a travelogue with some funny asides. His editor through out most of the travel tips and kept the funny stories. The main story of the three men traveling the Thames in a camping skiff is often interrupted with more funny stories that were brought to mind on the trip.

For example in one part of the book he really downed steam launches and went out of his way cause them trouble. Later in the book when a friend of his with a steam launch is towing them he riles against the people in regular boats getting in the steam launch's way. Much of the humor uses exaggeration, such as the fight against the unopenable tin of pineapple chunks.

This is a classic that I have intended to read for a couple of years and have finally gotten around to because of the 888 challenge!

3

Fearless Fourteen By Janet Evanovich

What can I say, I love these Stephanie Plum novels! They always make me laugh out loud. I pick them up and toss them in the buggy (shopping cart) without reading the synopsis. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

See here for an excerpt from Fearless fourteen.

5

Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

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I enjoyed this companion piece to Gone With the Wind.

I have loved Rhett for years and enjoyed McCaig's fleshing out of the young Rhett. I liked the ending of this novel, but thought that the Scarlett character was a bit out of character. If you are a GWTW fan you will like this story and the new characters created, especially Rosemary, Rhett's sister.

4

Spider Mountain by P.T. Deutermann

This story takes place soon after the events in The Cat Dancers. Cam Richter is no longer with the Sheriff's Office and had opened his own private investigation business.

Cam agrees to do a favor for Mary Ellen Goode, a park ranger he worked with in the previous book. She wanted him to investigate the assault of one of her probationers. The locals have pushed the investigation onto the back burner. As he works the case he finds it is tied to the dangerous Creigh family who run a drug and smuggling ring as well as keeping the law at bay. Soon he is intangled in something much worse than the manufacture and selling of meth.

This was another page turner by Deuterman that was hard to put down.

4

The Cat Dancers by P.T. Deutermann

I've read two other P.T. Deutermann novels and liked them and was glad to find that I was not disappointed in the two I read this week. This is part of a series that features Lt. Cam Richter, a Lt. in the Manceford County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina.

The book open with a man dangling down a cliff fact trying to get a close up picture of a mountain lion in her den, at great personal risk. It then goes to a robbery of a mini mart in which two bad guys kill the owner as well as a soccer mom and her child. At the trial these two are let go on a technicality. Soon a video is sent showing the execution of one of the killers. It is followed by a video of the second one being executed. Cam is soon headed into the back country of the Great Smoky Mountains on the trail of both a group of vigilante killers and the elusive Eastern mountain lion.

This was a terrific thriller, very had to put down.

4

Child of a Dead God by Barb & JC Hendee

The adventures of Magiere, Leesil, Chap, and Wynn are continued in this the 6th book of the Noble Dead. They have freed Leesil's mother from imprisonment in the Elven Territories and continue to finish Magiere's quest for the mysterious Orb. Her half brother, Welstile, who has groomed her all her life for this quest is desperate to get his hands on the Orb for it is supposed to cut the blood lust of his vampire nature. The leader of the Elves, Most Aged Father, wants it and sends assassins to follow Magiere and get it from her. Following her dreams of a frozen castle, Magiere and her companions at last reach their goal, followed by the two other groups. You wonder why they don't stumble over each other on the trail.

This book is full of action with an ending that begs for another book. I have enjoyed this series but tire of the unending bickering among the characters.

3

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

I like this character, Odd Thomas. He is quiet and unassuming with a big heart. He is a hero but much different from most we read about. He has the ability to see the dead, lost and confused souls who need to “move on.” He is called upon to help them out, finding the person who hurt or killed them, or just ease their transition to the next life. He doesn't particularly enjoy this gift, preferring instead the quiet life of a fry cook, in his home of Pico Mundo until it is time to be reunited with his true love, Stormy Llewellyn, who was killed in the first book. He travels with his ghost dog Boo. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3 Odd Thomas books so couldn't wait to read this one.

Through his "physic magnetism" he finds himself drawn to a small town in California, having dreams of a destructive red tide and of a young woman. He finds the young woman, Annamarie, and while talking to her on the beach they are attacked. Thus begins the long night in which Odd must protect Annamarie, escape the bad guys and save the world from the destruction in his dreams. The action is fast paced and doesn't let up until the end of the book. Even though Odd saves the world, the stage is set for more adventures. His two new friends will show up in the next book I believe.

I didn't think this one was as good as the first three, but is was fast paced and fun.

3

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

I found this book to be heart warming and sweet. I saw the movie before I read it and thought the book better, of course. I've only read one other of Letts' books, The Honk and Holler Opening Soon. I enjoyed that one and it's off beat characters as well.

Novalee Nation and her boyfriend, Willie Jack Pickens, are on their way to Bakersfield, California when he abandons her in an Oklahoma Wal-Mart and takes off on his own. She is seventeen, pregnant and finds herself living at the Wal-Mart for two months. While there she meets several people who will befriend her and help her change her life.

4

Holy Moly by Ben Rehder

See here for a review in the Dallas Morning News.

The books in this series always tickle me. Rehder has a wonderful sense of humor and satire. I was sad to read that this may be it for Game Warden John Marlin.

In this book Rehder tackles a tele-evangelist and the obscene amount of money involved with his "church." When a dinosaur skull is found on the preacher's newest property and the backhoe operator who finds it ends up dead the sheriff calls in John Marlin to help. I laughed out loud as I read through the twists and turns and characters of this story. There is a hired thug who huffs Pam and chants about it as he's driving, "pam, pam, pam, pam...." The tele-evangelist and his wayward wife make you wonder about all these big church organizations, or maybe just make you shake your head. Two of my favorite characters, rednecks and poachers both, are Red and Billy Don. I see Billy Don actually maturing, I think. If no more books in this series are coming out I'll really miss seeing how he turns out. Set in the Texas Hill Country, this book gives you a glimpse of small town Texas life and the multitude of characters that live there.

5

Plague Ship by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul

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Cussler presents another great action/adventure book in this, the fifth book in the Oregon Files series. The Oregon is a dilapidated looking wreck of a ship on the outside while on the inside it is brimming with the newest up to the minute equipment and weapons. The Captain, one-legged Juan Cabrillo and his crew of former military and spy personnel, use it as a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it. These are the good guys though, so relax and enjoy the tale.

After finishing a mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf, the crew of the Oregon comes across a cruise ship adrift in the sea with everyone dead except one. While investigating the ship, explosions rock the ship and they barely escape with their lives. Cabrillo and his crew find themselves tangled in a mystery with far reaching consequences.

Some of the coincidences are just a little too neat, the last second rescues predictable but I found it a great summer read! If you like action/adventure this has it all.

4 (540 pages)

Open Season by C.J. Box

C.J. Box won the Anthony Award for Best First Mystery Novel with this book.

Open Season is the first of the Joe Pickett series but the second of the series I've read. I liked them both. Originally I gave this series a try because I liked Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series so much, each being set in a different National Park. the first Joe Pickett book I read was Free Fire which was set in Yellowstone.

In Open Season Joe finds himself game warden in the Twelve Sleep area of Wyoming. When a poacher whom he tangled with the year before turns up dead on his wood pile with a cooler that had had some kind of live animals in it, Joe has a mystery. A mystery that threatens him, his job, and his family.

The poacher was obviously coming to see him. Riding horesback to the poacher's camp Joe finds the poacher's partners dead in their tent and two of Joe's closest friends acting strange.

In this book Box visits the controversial Endangered Species Act which this story is wrapped around.

I loved his descriptions of the area. I liked the character of Joe. He is a good guy that tries to do everything by the book but he is not perfect. He is a family man that loves his wife and kids. I did not like the description of the treatment of the endangered animals. It was harsh and I suppose realistic. I will be reading more of this series.

This is a book about a game warden, so be aware that it talks about hunting and other related subjects.
4

Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio

In 1950's Kentucky Icy Sparks turns ten years old. At this time she feels the first of her "urges." They build until they have to come out then she runs to the root cellar. There she croaks, twists her body, pops her eyes and screams. She has no idea what is happening to her. The episodes escalate until she is cursing, croaking, eye popping and screaming at school. In an effort to help her she is sent to a mental hospital. Icy's journey through this difficult disorder is at times funny and sad. She does not find out what is causing these symptoms until she is 18 years old. Tourette Syndrome is not mentioned until the Epilogue.

I don't usually cry at movies or while reading books but a couple of places in this book brought tears to my eyes.

3 1/2