It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Jenn

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

Prime Suspect 3: Silent Victims by Lynda La Plante (review)
No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
The Next One to Fall by Hilary Davidson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Currently Reading

Death Masks:Dresden Files #05 by Jim Butcher (audio)
What Happened to Hannah by Mary Kay McComas
The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich

Books to Complete This Week

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting (from Argentina to Tanzania and Everywhere in Between) by Mei Ling Hopgood

What are you reading this week?

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Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 3 Comments

Review: Prime Suspect 3: Silent Victims by Lynda La Plante

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Reprint edition (January 17, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 006213441
  • Source: Publisher

Chief Detective Inspector Jane Tennison has finally moved up the ranks; she now leads the Vice Squad. On the first day of her new assignment, she’s presented with a case that may threaten all the work she’s done to build up her career.

A sixteen year old boy, burned beyond recognition, is found in the apartment of Vera Reynolds, a drag queen and night club icon. Tennison’s team leads an investigation into his death, a well-known public figure is their prime suspect.  As the case proceeds, Tennison is threatened by powerful figures to dial down her case. In order to peruse this case, Tennison’s career, her very life, is at stake.

This is the third book in the Prime Suspect series, following Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd. I had high hopes when I started this book; I didn’t necessarily have a great fondness for the first book, but my interest was gained after reading the second. Unfortunately, my excitement about this book was in vain. As I felt while reading Prime Suspect,  I felt no connection whatsoever to Tennison’s character.  While I sympathized with her struggles to break through the glass ceiling that hung over Scotland Yard, I honestly couldn’t find anything endearing about the main character in this book. Unfortunately, this interfered with my feelings about the book as a whole; I found it quite difficult to have any vested interest in the story, the case, the resolution. Perhaps my feelings would have been different had I started with this book rather than reading the two previous; at this point in time I believe my expectations were built up after the stunning conclusion to A Face in the Crowd.

That’s not to say that this book fails to have any value; the case Tennison and her team embark on is a chilling one that unveils a whole host of secrets buried, victims ignored. As with the previous two books the action is intense, the progression of the case is thrilling. Ultimately, I go back to the belief that my opinion of the previous books tainted my feelings about this one. With that, I would still recommend this book to readers looking for an action-packed read, particularly if you have a fondness dark, gritty crime novels.

Be sure to check out the tour page for other stops in this tour.

 

 

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Posted in Crime Fiction, Harper Collins Publishers, Review | 2 Comments

Review: A Good American by Alex George

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (February 7, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 039915759X
  • Source: Publisher

It’s 1904. Frederick, a junior clerk in a small bank, falls in love with Jette, the daughter a woman striving to use her daughter’s future husband as a means to elevate herself in society. Needless to say, Frederick doesn’t exactly live up to Jette’s mother’s expectations. She’s disgusted by Frederick’s “lack of breeding” and forbids Jette from seeing him again. Of course, this just draws Jette and Frederick even closer. Soon, Jette discovers she is pregnant. Frederick is elated, Jette is a bit more realistic, knowing that her mother will never accept this child as part of the family.  Without any other options, the young couple decide to journey to a land known for new possibilities, America.  They set forth on a ship, originally planning to go to New York. When the learn the ship they are about to board will instead take them to New Orleans Jetta replies “New York, New Orleans, what’s the difference. They are both New. That’s good enough.” Embarking on this ship, they are also embarking on a new life together.  

They ultimately end up in Beatrice, Missouri, not necessarily a planned stop. Beatrice is a small town, many of the people speak German, making Frederick and Jette feel at home. It’s not long before they get settled, attempting to keep some semblance of their native land, of their roots, in this new country. So begins the story of a century of the Meisenheimer family. Surrounded by extremely unique and rich characters, each generation of this family is forced to rediscover it’s own unique identity while at the same time appreciating and understanding those before them. It is a multi-generational story of German family, determined to live the dream set out by Frederick & Jette: finding home. The story is at times humorous, oftentimes it is achingly sad.

Two key things lie in the very core of this family: music and food.  The book opens up with the line “Always, there was music.” Never have more true words been spoken. Despite the trials and tribulations the family were dealt, there was always music. Music and food. Each generation supported itself by feeding the community around it, starting with Jette and Frederick and their traditional German food. Despite the gradual transition to more American food, the family devoted itself to this life. Their restaurant served several roles throughout the years: a gathering place for those families with men in the war, during Prohibition, it became a place for people to enjoy food and entertainment. Core to it was always one element: family.

A Good American is a truly epic tale that, like good food or good wine, must be savored. The story of Frederick and Jette is told through the voice of their grandson, James.  Despite having been born in the United States, at times James is just as confused about his identity as his grandparents before him. He, like those before him, learned that family isn’t only based on blood, on heredity. Family is made up of those that surround you, envelope you, care for you.

When I began reading A Good American, I had no idea what I was in for.  I’d picked up on quite a bit of discussion about the book, but nothing too specific. I try to keep myself in the dark about highly popular books until I have had the chance to read them myself. Never could I have imagined how enamored I became with this book, the characters, everything Alex George, through the Meisenheimer family, portrayed to the reader. I laughed with the characters, cried and sobbed with them, celebrated their successes, learned from their failures. As each chapter ended, I refused to go on, but would go back and reread the passages again. I savored the story-like quality of the writing; oftentimes I felt as though I were sitting across the table from James, listening to him tell of his parents, his grandparents, and all those before him. It isn’t often that you come across a book like this anymore, one that you want to read over and over again, relishing each line. I do not exaggerate when I state that A Good American is a truly remarkable book. Highly, highly recommended.

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Posted in Amy Einhorn Books, Literary Fiction, Putnam, Review | 10 Comments

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week?

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Jenn

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being read, and the books to be finish this week. It is hosted by Sheila from One Person’s Journey Through a World of  Books so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

Defending Jacob by William Landay (review)
King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry (audio) (review)
Helpless by Daniel Palmer (review)
A Good American by Alex George

Currently Reading

Prime Suspect 3: Silent Victims by Lynda La Plante
Death Masks:Dresden Files #05 by Jim Butcher (audio)

Books to Complete This Week

No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
Pure by Julianna Baggott
The Next One to Fall by Hilary Davidson

What are you reading this week?

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Posted in It's Monday What Are you Reading This Week | 5 Comments

TSS: Books Spark Excellent Discussions

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Jenn

This week I had the pleasure of reading & reviewing two pretty outstanding books, Defending Jacob by William Landay and Helpless by Daniel Palmer. The storyline, the plot, the characters weren’t the only things that made these books outstanding. What I really found rewarding about these books in particular is the discussion they sparked, provoked, with my twelve-year-old son.

Both are fairly different books, but the similar string in both is the inability or difficulty in  protecting one’s child from the outside world. In Defending Jacob the parents protect the child they thought they knew after he is accused of murdering a classmate. In Helpless, a father must protect his daughter and an entire small town from the dangers of sexting. This book really hit home, not because this is an issue that I have to deal with my son, but because we often have to worry about the dangers of the physical world. Now we have to protect our children from the dangers of the cyber-world.

These two books in particular opened a week-long conversation with my son about bullying, how to react to bullying, safety in the cyber-world and much more. This discussion encouraged me to think of other books that generated this sort of conversation. Books spark discussion for various reasons. It can be the topic matter, the characters, the outcome, or the readers overall opinion of a book. When I find myself absolutely falling for a book, I feel the need to tell the world, to shout it from the rooftops. Oddly, I have the same urge when I read a book I do not like; I feel the need to warn other readers.

What are some books that sparked discussion with you? With whom did you discuss this/these book(s) and what about the book provoked this discussion?

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Posted in Bookish Chatter, The Sunday Salon | 7 Comments

Review: Helpless by Daniel Palmer

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Kensington (January 31, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 075824665X
  • Source: Author

Former Navy Seal Tom Hawkins doesn’t have the best of relationships with his teenage daughter, Jill. Frankly, he has no relationship with her, thanks to his ex-wife. When she dies, apparently an accident while jogging, Tom is forced to attempt to make amends with Jill. Jill has grown up listening to her mother’s lies about Tom and, traumatized by her mother’s death, isn’t in the mood to trust him right now.  They attempt to allow life to get back to normal, as normal as it can be at least.

Soon their attempts at normalcy are put on hold; the town’s police sergeant insinuates that Tom is a suspect in his ex-wife’s death. As if things can’t get worse, an anonymous Tumblr posts accuses Tom of having sex with one of the girls on the soccer team he coaches. Jill is also on this team and these accusations essentially put a halt on any attempts  of progress in the relationship with her father.  Tom willingly gives up his work computer to the police, simply wanting to rid his name of any accusations of guilt. When he’s arrested, not only for the accused relationship with his player but also several other pretty heinous crimes, Tom realizes all of these false accusations, these attempts to imprison him, to ruin his life, are all due to his actions over a decade ago.  A secret he’s kept hidden for so many years, the reason his wife left him. Someone is willing to ruin his life to protect this truth he’s buried for all this time.

Without a doubt, Helpless is one of the most terrifying books I have read in some time. In this book, Palmer unveils a world of sexting and cyber crimes that is all too realistic, of how easy it is for an individual to infiltrate your computer system,  to ruin your life. It’s all too incredibly chilling. The storyline is truly unique and incredibly realistic, adding to the terror and chills that flooded my body as I read this book. This is yet another book that has fueled quite a lengthy conversation with my pre-teen son about what is appropriate to share online.

Additionally, the identity of the “culprit” truly keeps you guessing up until the last several pages.  Several times, I thought I had it all figured out and each time I was completely floored when my guess was disproved.  Another key to the success of this book are the father and daughter characters of Tom and Jill. You become invested in their lives, want the to survive and have a healthy parent-child relationship again.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a dynamic thriller with genuine characters, Helpless is the book for you. If you haven’t read Palmer’s previous book, Delirious, I encourage you to do that as well. Highly recommended.

 

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Posted in Kensington, Review, Thriller | 5 Comments

Frightful Friday: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.

The featured book this week is Defending Jacob by William Landay

  • Hardcover:432 pages
  • Publisher:Delacorte Press (January 31, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0385344228
  • Source: Publisher (BEA)

Every parent likes to believe they know their child: what kind of person they are, what they are/are not capable of. What happens when it turns out that you didn’t know your child quite as well as you believed?

Andy Barber is a well-respected Assistant District Attorney in the small Massachusetts down where he, his son Jacob, and his wife Laurie reside. They are your typical suburban family, content with their lives.

One morning things change.  A boy who attends the same middle school as Jacob is found murdered, stabbed to death on a path in the woods that leads to the school. Since it has the potential to be a high-profile case, Andy accepts the case. He joins the police in interviewing the students about the deceased. One individual suggests he check out what is being said about the crime on Facebook. When he does, he sees that Jacob’s best friend implicates Jacob in the crime, reporting to have seen him with a knife. He takes this news at face value: it appears to be just a bunch of kids posting their opinions on social media. Nothing to be worried about. Yet, he’s completely shocked by what happens next: Jacob is arrested for the murder. For obvious reasons, Andy is put on paid leave, removed from the case completely.

As the case builds and evidence is introduced, the Barber family begins to become unraveled. Andy and Laurie want to stand behind their son, want to believe he’s innocent of the crime. When Andy reveals a secret about his own family it all begins to crumble away. Andy & Laurie, normally an extremely close couple, begin to become strangers to one another. They, Laurie in particular, looks back at Jacob’s childhood. Were there any indicators that he may predisposed to this sort of anger?

In a whirlwind court case, Andy and Laurie stay by their son’s side, posing a united front, at least in appearances. In the back of their minds, they can’t help put wonder: How well do I know my child? Just how far will I go to protect him?

Defending Jacob is without a doubt one of the most suspenseful, emotionally-tolling books I have read in some time. As the mother of a middle-schooler myself, I couldn’t help but wonder what I would do in the Barber’s place? Just like the Barber’s, I believe I know my child. Yet this book inspired me to learn more about my own child, the emotions he’s feeling, the relationships he has at school. It generated quite a lengthy, but healthy and important discussion with my son, one that will continue.  Assuming life is grand, everything is perfect isn’t the way to live life, as the Barber’s unfortunately learn.

What was truly memorable about this book was the way Landay was able to pace, to portray, the unraveling of the Barber family. Laurie was always the one people turned to when they had a problem, she always had a perfect demeanor and could withstand anything. The true impact of the trail is unveiled through Laurie and the physical and emotional toll it takes on her. Throughout the book, Andy comments on this:

“She had lost so much weight that her hipbones protruded, and when we were together she spoke less and less. In spite of it all, I never softened in my determination to save Jacob first and heal Laurie later.”

And later during the trial:

 ”She never stopped defending Jacob, never stopped analyzing the chessboard, calculating every move and countermove. She never stopped protecting him, even in the end.

This last line plays a very poignant role in this storyline, sort of a foreshadowing of what is to come.

Bottom line: Defending Jacob is a tremendous read: memorable, thought-provoking, intense. I stayed up until the wee hours of the night to finish this one; I couldn’t bear to step away once I got involved in this story. This is a book that will resonate within you, change your perceptions of life and love, forever. Without a doubt, this book will be added to my favorites of 2012 list. Highly, highly recommended.

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Posted in Crime Fiction, Delacorte Press, Frightful Friday, Mystery/Suspense, Random House, Review | 9 Comments

Audio Book Review: King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Jenn

  • Listening Length:16 hours and 7 minutes
  • Version:Unabridged
  • Publisher:Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  • Release Date: April 7, 2011
  • Source: Personal copy

After his last mission left Department of Military Science agent Joe Ledger emotionally broken, he decides to “unofficially” retire from his duties. However, when a terrorist attack destroys the Royal London Hospital, killing thousands of innocent people, Ledger leaps back into action. The attack on the Royal London is just the first move in a series of attacks at the hands of The Seven Kings, a terrorist group made up of seven of the most dangerous people of all time. The terror they unleash isn’t by their own hands, but those of innocent people, threatened to the point of submission by a man referred to as the Spaniard.

The Kings have seemingly unlimited resources, turning to bioweapons in an attempt to unleash the modern version of the biblical Ten Plagues of Egypt. Worse is the implication that the Kings are everywhere, even among the members of the DMS. Ledger, Church, and the other DMS agents are put on edge until they can found out who the traitor/double agent is and put an end to the acts of the Seven Kings before it is too late.

The King of Plagues is the third book in the Maberry’s Joe Ledger series, after PATIENT ZERO and THE DRAGON FACTORY. By this time, the characters, including Joe Ledgers, are well established, their history as a team is established. As with THE DRAGON FACTORY, we now see a deeper, more emotional and sympathetic side of Ledger. Still vulnerable after the death of his love interest, Ledger is reluctant to leap immediately back into the folds of the DMS. In a sense, he craves to be normal but also realizes that he lives in a world in which this is not possible. The addition of Ghost, his dog/DMS agent, adds a new element to Ledger’s character.

As with all of Maberry’s other books, the storyline is genuinely unique and engrossing. Had this not been an audio book (which I only listen to during my commute to and from work) I would have finished this book in one evening. It is that suspenseful, demanding all of my listening time. In addition to the new evil characters unveiled, I was both surprised and a bit excited to see two of the DMS’ most notorious arch nemesis making a return appearance.

A note on the audio production: As I’ve stated over and over again, Ray Porter, to me, is the very essence of Joe Ledger. He captures his hard exterior, his soft interior, perfectly.

Bottom line: As with any of Maberry’s books, I can’t recommend The King of Plagues and the entire Ledger series enough. A bad-ass government agent with a witty sense of humor, in touch with his emotional side? How can you resist. Highly recommended.

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Posted in Audiobook, Horror, Paranormal Fiction, Review | 4 Comments

A Month in Review: January

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Jenn

I realized it’s been far too long (since October!) since I have published a month in review post. Admittedly, I do these posts for myself than anyone else. I like to reflect on all the books I’ve read that month. Additionally, keeping track of my favorites of the month aid me in creating my “best of” list at the end of the year. Of course, sharing my favorites with you all is a reward in and of itself!

Books Reviewed

Total books reviewed: 14

Books read, not reviewed yet:
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Alienation by Jon S. Lewis

Pick of the month: Impossible to choose just two this month, so it is a tie between American Dervish and The Baker’s Daughter.

Special Events


I’ve begun preparation for my cozy mystery themed event. Stay tuned for more details!

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Posted in Month in Review | 2 Comments

Prime Suspect/A Face in the Crowd by Lynda La Plante

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Jenn

To celebrate the re-release of the Prime Suspect series, I’m pleased to present you with reviews of the first two books in this series.

  • Paperback:288 pages
  • Publisher:Harper Paperbacks (January 17, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 006213437X
  • Source: Publisher

New female Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison is struggling to gain the acceptance of the chauvinistic Scotland Yard detective squad. She’s put in her time, unfortunately this isn’t recognized by the men she leads nor those higher up.  Tennison is forced to work in an extremely hostile work environment. Still, she’s quite desperate to succeed in this incredibly political squad, desperate enough to put her work in front of everything else, including her personal life.

When the body of a prostitute is discovered, Tennison’s battle must be put on hold. The body appears to be that of Della Mornay but it doesn’t take the squad long before they realize the body has been wrongly identified, mainly due to the true brutality of the killing. This woman is merely the first in a spree of killings by a truly sick individual. It becomes a race against the clock: will Tennison and her squad be able to put an end to the killings before another woman is brutally murdered?

I’m ashamed to admit it, but when I accepted these books for review, I wasn’t aware that the Prime Suspect novels were made into television shows, let alone a shortly-lived one here in the states. Perhaps seeing this version of Jane Tennison would have provided me with a better outlook on her character.

I can completely sympathize with Tennison and her struggle to burst through the glass ceiling hanging over the Scotland Yard detective squad. But frankly, I despised her character. Yes, she was strong, unfaltering, dedicated…but perhaps it was too much. The portrayal of her dedication to rising above those her were trying to hold her down made her seem like a completely selfish and uncaring bitch. Working in a man’s industry, I can get how hard it is to rise above but I think Tennison’s character went a bit too far, not caring who she hurt on her struggle to climb the ladder to the top.

Additionally, I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story. It just didn’t flow well for me, I couldn’t get immersed in the story and my feelings about the main character hindered the experience even more. I found having to reread pages, not because I’d skimmed but because it didn’t seem to connect. At some point, however, I finally got immersed in the story, able to put my feelings about the main character aside. The procedural part of the investigation was pretty spot on. Although the reader is pretty sure they know the identify of the perp, the investigation is compelling enough, the individual’s pure evil chilling enough, that this is all overlooked.

Despite my feelings about Tennison’s character, I think Prime Suspect is the first in a series I can find myself enjoying, looking forward to the subsequent books in this series. Recommended.

  • Paperback:256 pages
  • Publisher:Harper Paperbacks (January 17, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0062134396
  • Source: Publisher

When the body of a young black female is found in one of London’s poorest districts, Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison knows she has her work cut out for her. Not only is she still caught in the drama of the lack of respect provided to her by the detective squad, but the city is already in a pretty brutal racial battle.

They believe the body to be that of a young woman missing for several years. Even the girl’s mother is convinced the body is that of her daughter, claiming that items found with the body are her daughter’s. Further forensic testing disproves this, meaning yet another innocent young woman has been killed. Tennison and her squad have to trace the history of the property on which the body has been found.

It isn’t until a cast of the victim’s face is made that Tennison is able to get any headway (no pun intended) into the investigation. They uncover series of particularly brutal unreported assaults and with that a truly sick individual, set on ruining Tennison’s reputation. The detective squad is hit with endless accusations of brutality, not surprising considering the racism that runs pervasively through the squad. Can Tennison rise above these personal attacks and finally bring to justice a man who had been brutalizing young girls for years.

Given my apprehension over the previous book in this series, I can’t deny I was skeptical about how I would feel about A Face in the Crowd.  It didn’t take me long to get over these feelings for I became almost instantly wrapped up in Tennison’s most recent case. Aiding in my new perspective was the “toned down” Tennison, not nearly as blood-thirsty in her attempts to rise to the top as she was before.

Additionally, I found myself caring about her character a bit more, actually rooting for her when she stood up for herself against those in power. This new and improved Tennison is a woman not to be messed with, a woman not only dedicated to her job but those citizens whom they protect.

Given the nature of the crimes, the depictions of the acts are quite brutal. I found myself getting queasy at some of the descriptions, if that gives you an indication of the severity. This book isn’t one that I would recommend to just anyone for this reason. That said, I’ve become quite invested in Tennison’s character and find myself hoping that she finally gets the recognition she deserves. Recommended…with caution.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this series of books. Please check out the tour page for the other stops in this tour.

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Posted in Harper Books, Mystery/Suspense, Review | 6 Comments