Review: Girl Missing by Tess Gerritsen

Book Info:

Girl Missing by Tess Gerritsen

Author Extras: Website, Facebook, Twitter

Source: Library, Audio

Rating: 2.5/5

Summary from the Publisher:

THE FIRST BODY IS A MYSTERY.

She's young. She's beautiful. And her corpse, laid out in the office of Boston medical examiner Kat Novak, betrays no secrets -- except for a matchbook clutched in one stiff hand, seven numbers scrawled inside.

THE NEXT BODY IS A WARNING.
When a second victim is discovered, Kat begins to fear that a serial killer is stalking the streets. The police are sceptical. The mayor won't listen. And Kat's chief suspect is one of the town's most prominent citizens.

THE FINAL BODY . . . MIGHT BE HERS.
With the death toll rising, Kat races to expose a deadly predator who is closer than she ever dreamt. And every move she makes could be her very last.

Review:

The very first thing you need to know about this book is that it is a re-issue.  It was originally released in 1994 as Peggy Sue Got Murdered.  I listened the audio version, and it included an introduction explaining that Gerritsen sees this novel as her first book that blended romance with crime writing.  The introduction also mentioned that the book was updated for the re-issue.  I'm not quite sure what that means, but maybe the addition of cell phones...

I've been reading Gerritsen's books for years, and this is the first one I've been a little disappointed with.  If I'd realized it was a re-issue, and romantic suspense before I started listening, I probably would have skipped it.  It wasn't terrible, but I really prefer Gerritsen's grittier Rizzoli and Isles series.

My biggest complaint with the book is that some of the character's actions were unbelievable, and this kept distracting me from the story.  For example, at one point Kat, the medical examiner, is talking to a person of interest in the case.  He starts asking some questions about another body in the morgue, and she pulls out the file and tells him all of the findings on that case. 

It's been a few months since I listened to this one, so I don't really have any specific comments on the narrator.  While I didn't find anything about her delivery particularly memorable, I also don't really have any complaints.  If you like romantic suspense, Girl Missing is decent, but if you prefer series books, or more mystery and less romance, try the Rizzoli and Isles series.  2.5 stars, ok+

Review: Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

Book Info:

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books (February 2, 2010) 

ISBN-13: 9780307394972

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Source: Library

Rating: 2.5/5

"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels.



I read Bohjalian's Midwives years ago, after Oprah's recommendation.  I really enjoyed the book and always meant to read another of his books, but just never did.  When I was searching for books to load on to my eReader for Claire's surgery this one jumped out at me.  Maybe I needed something a little faster paced, maybe nothing would have worked well for me then, but I could have easily set this one aside without finishing it.

Usually I really like books told from different perspectives, but I didn't like how this one was handled.  Each part of the book was told by a different character.  However, the events didn't really overlap.  So, instead of seeing the same events through four different perspectives, each character told a slightly different part of the story.  This felt disjointed to me and I didn't really ever feel like I got to know any of the characters well.

The other part of the story that didn't work for me was the foreshadowing.  I don't have a problem with an author building up to future events, but the way it was done here was very heavy handed.  There were lots of references like "if only I'd said something then, things could have been different."  I felt like the author thought we wouldn't get the references if they weren't explicitly pointed out.  The ending was predictable too, but by that point, I didn't really care either way.

Secrets of Eden felt like it was capitalizing on the formula of Midwives, and I hope his other books show a bit more diversity. 2.5 stars.

Review: Kisser by Stuart Woods

Book Info:

Kisser by Stuart Woods

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher: Putnam Adult (January 19, 2010)

ISBN-13: 9780399156113

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Source: My Shelves

Rating: 2.5/5

Stone Barrington is back in New York, and after a rather harrowing sojourn in Key West, he's looking to stay closer to home and work on some simple divorce and custody cases for Woodman & Weld. But when he crosses paths with a fetching Broadway actress-and sometime lip model- Stone gets a little more deeply involved with business than he'd expected. When his new lady love turns out to be a lady with a shady past, Stone and downtown cop Dino Bacchetti realize that her beauty may have an unusually high price. . . .

I've been reading this series for years.  And like James Patterson, in my opinion, it has gone down hill in terms of quality.  On the other hand, it's a very fast read and I know the characters well.  When I'm in a reading slump, like now (due to lack of sleep and a short attention span), a quick book will help me get out of my slump.

Kisser is pretty much just like all of the Stone Barrington series lately.  Stone gets a case involving a beautiful woman, they end up in bed, he solves the case and something happens at the end of the story to lead you into the next book.  Overall, pretty unimpressive, but I didn't read it to be impressed.  I read it because I knew exactly what I was getting. 

If you've read the series before and are attached to the characters, grab a copy from the library.  If this is a new series to you, start at the beginning, as I remember them being much better.  2.5 stars

Review: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Book Info:

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Hardcover: 528 pages
Publisher: Doubleday Books (September 15, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780385504225

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Fiction

Source: Library

Rating: 2.5/5

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object -- artfully encoded with five symbols -- is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation... one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom. When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon -- a prominent Mason and philanthropist -- is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him.

It's been quite a while since I read The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, but I remember loving them. I think I spent a long weekend curled up with both book and I devoured them within just a few days. This time around I wasn't quite as impressed.

For the most part I found Brown's writing to be overdone. It seemed like he was mainly writing so that another movie could be made. I felt like he was trying so hard to be creative and secretive with the plot that it came across as cheesy quite a few times. Another thing that I found distracting was the excessive use of italics. All of the characters thoughts were in italics and I thought it was a bit much.

This was the first full length book I read on my Sony Reader though and I loved it. I loved the portability and really enjoyed the actual reading process. I love the physical feel of books and I was afraid I would like the Reader much, but that wasn't the case. I also loved the simplicity of getting the book from the library. It was really easy to download and transfer to my Reader. So, while The Lost Symbol wasn't a hit with me, my reader was. 2.5 stars

Review: The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis

Book Info:
The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books (February 1, 2007)
ISBN-13: 9780316014243
Genre: Contempory Fiction
Source: My Shelves
Rating: 2.5/5

In Varennes, a town near the Canadian border, three girls come across the body of a dead man on the local lake's beach. Two of them run to get help, but twelve-year-old Mees Kipp stays with the body and somehow, inexplicably, brings it back to life. Her mysterious gift is at the center of this haunting and transcendent novel.

The Thin Place is the story of these girls, their town, and the worldly and otherworldly forces that come into play there over one summer. From the ladies in the old-folks' home to trappers, lawyers, teachers, ministers, drug addicts-even the dogs and cats, beavers and bears Davis peoples this novel with astonishingly vivid beings. The extraordinary comes to visit an ordinary town.

One of the back of the book blurbs describes this book as "odd and engaging", and I would agree with the odd portion. Engaging...kind of.

I usually like different books and that was what drew me to this one in the first place. I was looking for something other than your typical plot. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like there was much plot in this book. It was kind of an odd collection of tales about the different people in town, mostly centered around a group of three friends. My other big complaint is that there seemed to be very little character development. I didn't really ever feel like I knew any of the people very well.

I never had any doubt that I would finish this book, but what kept me going was the feeling that something was going to happen soon. I was sure the book would all come together and the characters and odd asides in the book would all make sense. Instead, I was left with the feeling that I was missing something, that I just didn't get this book. 2.5 stars

The Bottom Line, #4

The Bottom Line is a feature to designed to give quick and dirty reviews of books I've read, but I either don't have the time or the inspiration to write full reviews on them.


Deeper by Megan Hart
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Spice (July 1, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780373605323
Genre: Erotica
Source: Borrowed from a friend
Rating: 3.5/5

I don't usually read erotica so I didn't know quite what to expect with this book. It was a little tamer than I thought it would be but the storyline was decent. I could see myself picking up another one of Hart's books if I just wanted something different to read. I also read this one on a Kindle which was a fun change.


Blue Heaven by C.J. Box
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 23, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0312614836
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: Library, Audio
Rating: 2.5/5

Blue Heaven started out promising, but kind of fizzled by the end. I expected a little more from the story, but it wasn't bad. There were a few times I found myself rolling my eyes at the dialogue and a I found a couple of the narrators voices terribly annoying.


Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: HarperFestival; (October 28, 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0061649691
Genre: Young Adult, Children's
Source: Library, Audio
Rating: 4/5

I'd heard great things about Gaiman, but hadn't had the chance to read him before. I really enjoyed this audio though. The story was a little predictable, but not to the point of being boring. What I enjoyed most though was Gaiman's narration. His voice was smooth and the inflections perfect. I'll listen to another one of his books for that fact alone.

Review: Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

Book Info:
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth

by Jenny McCarthy

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Press (December 12, 2005)
ISBN-13: 978-0738210070

Genre: Parenting, Non-Fiction

Source: My shelves

Rating: 2.5/5

Oh, the joys of pregnancy! There's the gassiness, constipation, queasiness, and exhaustion, the forgetfulness, crankiness, and the constant worry. Of course, no woman is spared the discomforts and humiliations of pregnancy, but most are too polite to complain or too embarrassed to talk about them. Not Jenny McCarthy!

After reading the massive Admission (review), I was in the mood for something short and sweet. And, since I am over halfway through my pregnancy I thought I'd better read a pregnancy book before I had the baby...Unfortunately, my feelings on Belly Laughs can be summed up in one word. Meh.

Was it terrible? No. Belly Laughs is a quick read (about an hour), but I was expecting something a little more. Something that someone hadn't mentioned before. Or more embarrassing stories. Or more humor. Just something.

Since I have at least McCarthy's second, if not third book, I'll probably read them. But if you don't have these already I'd recommend borrowing them from the library or a friend. 2.5 stars

Review: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

Book Info:
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (December 27, 2005)
ISBN-13: 9781863254786
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Rating: 2.5/5

Nothing ever goes right for Eloise. The day she wears her new suede boots, it rains. When the subway stops short, she's the one thrown into some stranger's lap. And she's had her share of misfortune in the way of love. So, after deciding that romantic heroes must be a thing of the past, Eloise is ready for a fresh start.

Setting off for England, Eloise is determined to finish her dissertation on two spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something historians have missed: the secret history of the Pink Carnation-the most elusive spy of all time. As she works to unmask this obscure spy, Eloise has more and more questions. Like, how did the Pink Carnation save England from Napoleon? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly escape her bad luck and find a living, breathing hero of her own?

I have a bad habit when it comes to series books. If I hear of a series that sounds interesting I will immediately start collecting all the books in the series that are already published. I know that I really should read a book or two and decide if I even like the series before I do this, but for some reason I can't help myself...The Secret History of the Pink Carnation is a great example of why I really need to do this, as this book just wasn't for me. Luckily, I think I only have the first three in the series.

I would consider The Secret History of the Pink Carnation more historical romance than historical fiction, and if I'd known this before reading the book I probably wouldn't have even picked it up. While there were a few historical details in the book, the story could have been set in pretty much any time period. The plot pretty much revolved around the attraction of the main characters with a little mystery thrown in to break things up.

I found Amy, the main character in the historical setting, annoying. She was determined to be a spy, but I found her to be scattered and almost dim-witted. She jumped to some of the most ridiculous conclusions. I think this must have been meant to be charming in a funny sort of way, but it didn't work for me.

Eloise, the main character in the modern setting, hardly showed up in the book at all. As she is supposed to be the link that ties all the books together I was surprised how little of her we see. I didn't find her part all that inspiring either. The brief glimpses we see of her are pretty standard chick lit.

I know there are lots of people who like this series, but it didn't work for me at all and I won't continue reading it. If you enjoy your historical books with more romance in them, this may be a series for you. 2.5 stars

The Bottom Line, #2

The Bottom Line is a feature to designed to give quick and dirty reviews of books I've read, but I either don't have the time or the inspiration to write full reviews on them.


Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Publisher: Tor Teen (March 15, 2002)
ISBN-13: 9780765342300
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 3.5/5

I would never have thought of Sleeping Beauty in regards to the Holocaust, but it nicely done. I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of this book. Rebecca travels to Poland to figure out if there is any truth to her Grandmother's story of living in a castle. The final third of the book has a different narrator and I thought this was a little choppy. For parents reading with kids, there is some mention of homosexuality. ETA: Until I was writing this post I never noticed the face behind the barbed wire. I guess I'm not very observant...


The Plague by Joanne Dahme
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Running Press Kids (May 4, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780762433445
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 2.5/5

I was really excited to read a YA historical fiction as it seemed a bit different. I didn't find the story quite as smooth as I would have liked though. It seemed like there were characters randomly popping up and I found it a little hard to follow at times. There is a little bit of black magic in the book, which might appeal to some.


The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver
Paperback: 624 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star (April 28, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9781416549987
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/5

The Lincoln Rhyme books are one of my favorite mystery series. Deaver never fails to amaze me with the twists he includes, but they never seem contrived or too convenient. I have to admit, I can't even tell you want this book was about anymore (I read it in Feb), but if you haven't read this series, and you enjoy mysteries, definitely check it out. The Bone Collector, the first in the series, was also made into a movie starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, and it's worth watching.



**If any of you graphics wizards would be so kind as to help me out with a button for this feature I would be forever grateful!

Review: A Final Arc of Sky by Jennifer Culkin

Book Info:
A Final Arc of Sky: A Memoir of Critical Care by Jennifer Culkin

Hardcover: 248 pages
Publisher: Beacon Press (April 1, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780807072851

Genre: Non-Fiction

Rating: 2.5/5

Buckling herself into the rear of an Agusta A109A, Jennifer Culkin prepares for the moment of lift. The deafening thrum of the helicopter announces the unknown perils and potential havoc that await.

A critical care and emergency flight nurse, Culkin treats patients who are most often in mortal danger. Aboard the Agusta, she is entrusted with the life of a seventeen-year-old pulled from the wreckage of a head-on collision as his father calls out a wrenching plea from below; she cares for a middle-aged man who is bleeding to death internally, remembering the four daughters who have kissed him goodbye, possibly for the last time. It is the arduous and acute struggle to keep her patients alive en route to the hospital that is Jennifer Culkin's most profound duty.

I've always loved medical dramas. ER and House are a couple of my favorites. What I like best about these shows is the suspense of them. Can the doctors and nurses figure out what's wrong and save the patients? I love the glimpses into the medical world and the look at the individual cases. That is what I was hoping to get from A Final Arc of Sky, and unfortunately, it wasn't quite what I was looking for.

I think my biggest problem with the book was that you never really got to know any of the patients. As a flight nurse Culkin didn't spend much time with any of them. You got a little info about what the case was going to be as she got ready for the flight, a little bit about the treatment during the flight, and then the patients were handed off. It kind of left an incomplete picture.

The middle section of the book deals with Culkins parent's medical problems. I have to admit, I didn't feel enough of a connection with Culkin to find this section of the book very interesting. I actually set the book aside for a number of weeks before picking it back up and finishing.

The book ended a little stronger with stories of pilots and nurses lost in crashes of the medical helicopters. Culkin told stories about those lost, and while I liked this section, it seemed a little choppy coming off of her parent's medical problems. A Final Arc of Sky wasn't quite what I hoped for, but it might be more interesting to those in the medical field. 2.5 stars

Review: Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward

Book Info:
Forgive Me by Amanda Eyre Ward

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 29, 2008)
ISBN-13: 9780345494474

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Rating: 2.5

Nadine Morgan travels the world as a journalist, covering important events, following dangerous leads, and running from anything that might tie her down. Since an assignment in Cape Town ended in tragedy and regret, Nadine has not returned to South Africa, or opened her heart–until she hears the story of Jason Irving.

Jason, an American student, was beaten to death by angry local youths at the height of the apartheid era. Years later, his mother is told that Jason’s killers have applied for amnesty. Jason’s parents pack their bags and fly from Nantucket to Cape Town. Filled with rage, Jason’s mother resolves to fight the murderers’ pleas for forgiveness.

I'd heard good things about Ward's book Sleep Toward Heaven, so I was expecting good things from Forgive Me too. I thought the premise of the book was good, but the execution fell flat for me.

The first part of the book was fascinating. I love to travel and love books set in foreign countries. I thought the descriptions of Cape Town and the unrest were very interesting. The story line also flashes back to the past, to the last time Nadine was in Cape Town, and why she never returned. This part of the story worked well for me.

Somewhere in the middle of the book I started to lose interest. There was a plot in the book (which I won't give away) that didn't work for me at all. When the book was over I was left confused and disappointed. It felt like Ward was trying to hard to make a point. From reading some other reviews, there seems to be "clues" in the reading guide (which I didn't read), that may add some insight, but I don't want to have to re-read a book just to get the author's point.

The best word to sum up this book is disappointing. There were enough things in the book that I liked that I will still read Sleep Toward Heaven, but Forgive Me is not one I would recommend. 2.5 stars

Order Forgive Me

Review: Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handler

Book Info:
Invisible Sisters by Jessica Handler

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: PublicAffairs (April 13, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9781586486488

Genre: Memoir

Rating: 2.5/5

When Jessica Handler was eight years old, her younger sister Susie was diagnosed with leukemia. To any family, the diagnosis would have been upending, but to the Handlers, whose youngest daughter Sarah had been born with a rare congenital blood disorder, it was an unimaginable verdict. By the time Jessica Handler turned nine, she had begun to introduce herself as the "well sibling" and her family had begun to come apart.

Invisible Sisters is Handler's powerfully told story of coming of age - as the daughter of progressive Jewish parents who move south to participate in the social-justice movement of the 1960s; as a healthy sister living in the shadow of her siblings' illness; and as a young woman struggling to step out of the shadow of her sisters deaths, to find and redefine herself anew. With keen-eyed sensitivity, Handler's brave account explores family love and loss, and what it takes not just to survive, but to keep living.

The illnesses that struck the Handler children were terrible and I can't imagine losing two children so young, but the heartbreak and grief this caused didn't come through in this memoir.

The first part of the book tells of Jessica's memories growing up. As she kept a journal, these memories had a credibility some childhood reminisces don't. However, Jessica's telling of her childhood felt detached and almost cold. Her sister's illness didn't seem to affect her much. I got the feeling she could be the child of any busy parents who didn't have the time for her.

This memoir is not told in a linear fashion, and this random sequencing of events is not my favorite way to have a story told. I find it hard to get to know people or characters when where they are in life keeps changing.

The later part of the book is told through an adult Jessica's eyes, and I found this part to be stronger. She finally discusses the emotional impact of once being one of three sisters, and now being all alone. However, the emotion in this part of the book doesn't make up for the lack of connection in the beginning of the book. I didn't feel like I really got to know anyone in the Handler family, Jessica included. 2.5 stars

Also reviewed by Missys Book Nook, Book Addiction

Review: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

Holidays On Ice collects six of David Sedaris' most profound Christmas stories into one slender volume perfect for use as a last-minute coaster or ice scraper. This drinking man's companion can be enjoyed by the warmth of a raging fire, the glow of a brilliantly decorated tree, or even the backseat of a van or police car. It should be read with your eyes, felt with your heart, and heard only when spoken to. It should, in short, behave much like a book. And, oh, what a book it is!

I read Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim a while ago and thought it was just so-so, but I figured this holiday collection would be fun to read this time of year. I have seen many positive reviews of this book, but I was disappointed.

The first story about Sedaris' time as a mall Santa Claus, made me chuckle in spots but I didn't find much humor in the rest of the stories. I found myself skimming until I reached the story about the ultra competitive neighbors. It wasn't ha ha funny, but did make me kind of laugh and roll my eyes.

The version I read was the original instead of the recently re-released one with extra stories. Maybe some of the new stories were better, but I think that Sedaris just isn't for me.

Santa Fe Dead by Stuart Woods

When last we encountered Ed Eagle, he had been the target of a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by his wife, Barbara, the ultimate black widow. But when Barbara escapes from police custody, Ed knows that not only will his life be in danger but also the life of his new girlfriend, and, of course, of any rich man unlucky enough to be lured into Barbara's web. To add to his troubles, Ed has taken on a new client, Don Wells, who may or may not have murdered his own wife and son.

From the posh resorts of southern California to the New Mexico desert and the seedy hotels of Tijuana, Ed Eagle will follow every lead--and hope that he doesn't wind up Santa Fe Dead.

I am have been a Stuart Woods fan for quite a while and read all four of his series, but this is my least favorite by far. Ed Eagle has spent the first two books in the series trying to avoid being killed by his wife. I hope that the next book in the series takes a different direction. I don't see the series lasting very long if the same plot keeps being rewritten over and over. The sideline mystery in this book with Ed's client was decent, but nothing amazing.

I also am not particularly fond of Ed's character. He seems to be a Stone Barrington knock off, without the charm. Overall, this series has been a bit of a let down and I hope the next book is better. 2.5 stars

Absolute Fear by Lisa Jackson

In the turbo-charged follow-up to Shiver (2006), photographer Abby Chastain, who played a major role in Shiver, finds she may have a half-sister in Eve Renner, the adopted daughter of Dr. Terrence Renner, former head psychiatrist at Our Lady of Virtues Mental Hospital, a shuttered asylum near (pre-Katrina) New Orleans. When "the Reviver," a tattoo-loving psychopath intent on revenge, almost kills Eve, the amnesia-plagued Eve fears Cole Dennis, her lawyer boyfriend, might be the monster, since she saw him at the scene of her assault (and a friend's murder), though Cole is released for lack of evidence. The body count mounts through many unexpected twists and turns as a grim Det. Reuben Montoya, Abby's fiancé, and his partner, Rick Bentz, try to puzzle out the killer's cryptic clues before he strikes again.

I read Shiver last year, and liked it, but thought it could have used some thinning out. For a what should have been a quick, fun read it took me over a week to finish. It seemed like there were a lot of details that could have been omitted. Absolute Fear could have used the same thinning out. It seemed to take an awful long time for the action to get moving and then it would kind of fizzle out for a bit. I also found that Absolute Fear would bring in some story elements to try to keep the action moving, but then they seemed to just drift off without ever really being developed. Sorry for not being a little more complete in my thoughts here, but I hate spoilers...

My biggest gripe about this book, though, was the ending. I understand authors want to keep their series characters coming back, but when something is introduced in the epilogue, and it's only purpose is to set up another book, it just kind of turns me off. If the characters don't have enough happening to warrant another book, just let them go! 2.5 stars

The Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell

Fresh from her bruising battle with a psychopath in Florida, Scarpetta decides it's time for a change of pace-not only personally and professionally, but geographically. Moving to the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina, she opens a unique private forensic pathology practice, one in which she and her colleagues-including Pete Marino and her niece, Lucy-offer expert crime-scene investigation and autopsies to communities that lack local access to competent death investigation and modern technology.

It seems like an ideal situation, until the new battles start-with local politicians, with entrenched interests, with someone whose covert attempts at sabotage are clearly meant to run her out of town. And that's even before the murders and other violent deaths begin.

A young man from a well-known family jumps off a water tower. A woman is found ritualistically murdered in her multi-million-dollar beach home. The body of an abused young boy is discovered dumped in a desolate marsh. Meanwhile, in distant New England, problems with a prominent patient at a Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital begin to hint at interconnections that are as hard to imagine as they are horrible.

This used to be one of my favorite series, but it has been lacking for quite a while now. I found the writing to be choppy, disjointed, and repetitive in this book. Also, I don't find any of the characters, except Lucy, even remotely likeable anymore. I keep reading the series, hoping it will get back to its level of greatness, but I think it may be time to give up on it. If I didn't have so much time and energy invested in these characters I would have given up 3 or 4 books ago. If you are new to the series, stick with the early books. They are hard to beat. 2.5 stars

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan

It is July 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student at University College of London, who unexpectedly wooed and won her heart. Newly married that morning, both virgins, Edward and Florence arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their worries about the wedding night to come. Edward, eager for rapture, frets over Florence's response to his advances and nurses a private fear of failure, while Florence's anxieties run deeper: she is overcome by sheer disgust at the idea of physical contact, but dreads disappointing her husband when they finally lie down together in the honeymoon suite.

This is the first book I have read by Ian McEwan, and overall I wasn't that impressed. I found the book to be fairly slow reading for its small size. It was an interesting premise, and I liked the characters fairly well, but the back story seemed tedious to me. I know it was needed to flesh out the characters, but I enjoyed them much more when they were trying to work out their difficulties on their wedding night. 2.5 stars