Books Read '08, '09, '10, '11 - An Index

Originally I had planned on providing a list of books both Connie and I have read, but she said she reads so many she does not even keep track any more. As a result I just started listing the ones I have read, although she has also read some of these as well since we are always making recommendations back and forth to each other. I have also included a list of the 2009 "Ravings" written by my step-sister Linda J. Clarke.

Below are the books I've read over the past couple of years, starting with the most recent. Click on a "Title" and you will be taken to a blog entry that will provide you with a review of the book and a synopsis of the story line. In addition to the books that read, I also listen to audible books on my Zune MP3 player.  You can check these out on the following page ... My Audible Book Reviews Many of the authors I read have written several novels as a continuing series. Click here (My Favorite Authors) to go to my author page to view an alphabetical list of authors and a chronological list of the books they have written. If you're looking for a great Internet site to find and review books, you have to check out www.zoomii.com. Another great site where youcan keep a virtual library of the books you want to read, are currently reading or have read and reviewed is http://www.shelfari.com/.

Books Read 2011
Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy [Audio]
Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson [Audio]

Books Read 2010

The War Within by Bob Woodward [Audio]
The F Word by Louie Anderson [Audio]
A Place for My Stuff by George Carlin [Audio]
Mortal Fear by Greg Iiles [Audio]
Daemon by Daniel Suarez [Audio]
Deliver Us From Evil by David Baldacci [Audio]

Pursuit of  Honor by Vince Flynn [Audio]

True Blue by David Baldacci [Audio]

Just A Guy by Bill Engvall [Audio]

Heat Wave - penned by Richard Castle [Audio]

Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin [Audio]

The Silent Hour by Michael Koryta [Audio]

Books Read 2009

The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

The Devils Punchbowl by Greg Iles

Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler

The Appeal by John Grisham

The Terrorist Watch byRonald Kessler

The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver

Divine Justice by David Baldacci

A Welcome Grave by Michael Koryta

Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger

Envy the Night by Michael Koryta

Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

Silence by Thomas PerryCleaner by Brett Battles

Capital Conspiracy by William Burnhardt

Assassin by Stephen Coonts

Ravings by Linda Clarke

Nightmares From The Edge of The Milky Way

Persons of the Year

The Great American

Dreaming of a Bear

Bottlenose Dolphins in the Savannah River

Books Read 2008

Extreme Measures by Vince Flynn

The Whole Truth by David Baldacci

The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver

Malice by Robert K. Tanenbaum

The War Within by Bob Woodward

Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver

Fury by Robert K. Tanenbaum

Hoax by Robert K. Tanenbaum

Storm Runners by T. Jefferson Parker

Resolved by Robert K. Tanenbaum

The Chase by Clive CusslerCuba by Stephen Coonts

Enemy Within by Robert K TanenbaumTrue Justice by Robert K. Tanenbaum

The Red Horseman by Stephen Coonts

A Grave Breach by James Macomber

Strike Force by Dale Brown

Liars and Theives by Stephen Coonts

The Collectors by David Baldacci

Zero Game by Brad Meltzer

Stone Cold by David Baldacci

Last Man Standing by David Baldacci

Wild Fire by Nelson Demille

Fourth Order by Stephen Frey

Hunting Season by Peter T. Deutermann

Master Post Date 11/16/2009; 1:01pm

Ravings–by Linda J. Clarke

“Ravings” are a series of essays written by my sister Linda J. Clarke. It was her hope that people who read them would gain a “tenderness and appreciation for the animals and plants who share this world with us.” For more on Linda and her book, “On A Planet Sailing West”, click here … Linda Clarke.

I have learned through a secretly released report that a small vehicle from another galaxy recently floated through our solar system and briefly hovered over our planet. The ship’s computers confirmed that of the billions and billions of worlds populated with living organisms, ours is an average planet and our sun an average star.

Apparently, this unusual visit was prompted by a plaintive sub-space lament the ship’s computers picked up, from both our oceans and dry land masses, which seemed to be a collective expression of sorrow. These sophisticated instruments had detected such sounds before as their starship wandered from one sector to another in deep space. Mysterious whisperings, interpreted as haunting appeals or pleas, usually indicated a large-scale planet-wide extinction in process and were always investigated by the ship’s crew who were a deeply compassionate race and often acted upon an instinct to help an immature species in its natural progression for entry into the cosmic community.

A planet must have oceans, oxygen and billions of years of life in its geological and evolutionary history before sensor arrays detect the unmistakable grieving sound. Their data indicated that earth is a water world, the oceans covering over 71 percent of the planet’s surface, and that life here has flourished for several billion years, developing

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“True Blue” by David Baldacci

Over the past year I started downloading and listening to books on my Microsoft ZUNE MP3 player. I found this to be quite enjoyable when laying around the pool, on long driving trips, laying out on our deck and before going to bed for the evening.


REVIEW:Although this novel has elements of both a mystery and a thriller, it is not overly complicated and therefore a very quick read. I purchased it as an audio book, which I think made it seem more interesting as there was music and sound effects at various "high points" in the storyline. Typical of Baldacci, this was another entertaining novel with fun characters, good sleuthing, and a relatively kick ass story. However, I felt that too much time was spent reminding the reader of the sister relationship and Mace's obsession to return to the ranks the police department. On the bright side, the Perry sisters were able to carry most of the story and I'm sure if the book does well there will be more of them in a new series. I give it [3.5-Stars].

SYNOPSIS: A mysterious high-profile homicide in the nation's capital collides with the dark side of national security. Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything—her badge, her career, her freedom—and spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and is focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform. But even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows: a vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send her back behind bars. Then Roy Kingman enters her life. Roy Kingman is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington. Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm and together, they go behind Beth’s back to help solve the mystery. Their investigation into the lawyer's death reveals surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation's capital. Mace and Roy soon discern they are in a very dangerous situation, as the criminal matter seems to reach all the way up to the Director of National Intelligence, and what began as a fairly routine homicide investigation takes a terrifying and unexpected turn into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.

Click here to purchase the audible book ... www.audible.com

Click here to purchase the hard cover on Amazon ...True Blue

"Deliver Us From Evil" by David Baldacci

SYNOPSIS:Evan Waller is a monster. He has built a fortune from his willingness to buy and sell anything and anyone. In search of new opportunities, Waller has just begun a new business venture: selling nucs to terrorists that could lead to millions of deaths all over the globe. On Waller’s trail is Shaw, the mysterious operative from Baldacci's previous book, The Whole Truth, who must prevent Waller from closing his latest deal. Shaw’s one chance to bring him down will come in the most unlikely of places: a serene, bucolic village in Provence, France. But Waller’s depravity and ruthlessness go deeper than Shaw knows. And now, there is someone else pursuing Waller in Provence, Reggie Campion, an agent for a secret vigilante group headquartered in a musty old English estate with an agenda of her own. Reggie is a 28-year-old operative in a group of justice seekers whose objective is to locate and eliminate “monsters” — still-at-large war criminals responsible for torture and massive deaths. She has just accomplished this with a former Nazi official, and now is after Waller to avenge the thousands of deaths he ordered as KGB official Fedir Kuchin. Both hunting the same man, unaware of each other’s mission, Shaw and Reggie get caught in a deadly duel of nerve and wits.

REVIEW: Again, this is another book that I listened to as an audio book on my Zune player. The audio version is more than 14 hours long and, except for all the interruptions at the pool, I thought it went rather quickly. I felt that this novel built up suspense from the very beginning. The plots and characters made it an explosive thriller right down to the end. Some say it isn't as good as his previous book, "The Whole Truth" where he introduced Shaw, however, not having read that, I thought it was good. I especially liked the reader and the way it was presented as an audio book; often with some background music during some of the more suspenseful scenes. [4-Stars]

To purchase the audible version click here ... www.audible.com

Click here to purchase the hard copy on Amazon ...Deliver Us from Evil

“Pursuit of Honor” by Vince Flynn

REVIEW: Just another fantastic Vince Flynn book! The 10th book in the Mitch Rapp series, Rapp is focused on finding the terrorists that planned and executed the attacks from the last book. At the same time, has to deal with a few lose strings on the home front as well; politicians that think his tactics are too violent. Everything he writes seems too true to form and reminds me of just how bad some of our elected representative really are. Flynn reminds me a bit of Tom Clancy minus all the military details, and before he started “farming” out his name to other writers. Flynn's writes relatively short chapters, which is a very effective style of writing. It makes you very hesitant to put the book down; you always want to read just one more chapter. This was even easier to do because it was an audio book. As usual I thought it was excellent and really enjoyed. I give it [5-Stars].


SYNOPSIS:The action begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp and his trusted team member, Mike Nash. Now that the initial shock of the catastrophe is over, key Washington officials are up in arms over whether to make friends or foes of the agents who stepped between the enemy's bullets and countless American lives regardless of the legal consequences. Not for the first time, Rapp finds himself in the frustrating position of having to illustrate the realities of national security to politicians whose view from the sidelines is inevitably obstructed. Meanwhile, three of the al Qaeda terrorists are still at large, and Rapp has been unofficially ordered to find them by any means necessary. No one knows the personal, physical, and emotional sacrifices required of the job better than Rapp. When he sees Nash cracking under the pressure of the mission and the memories of the horrors he witnessed during the terrorist attack, he makes a call he hopes will save his friend, assuage the naysayers on Capitol Hill, and get him one step closer to the enemy before it's too late.

Click here to purchase ... Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn

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Ravings – by Linda J. Clarke

“Ravings” are a series of essays written by my sister Linda J. Clarke. It was her hope that people who read them would gain a “tenderness and appreciation for the animals and plants who share this world with us.” For more on Linda and her book, “On A Planet Sailing West”, click here … Linda Clarke.
In December, friends took Joanie and me to visit the Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. It is Florida’s highest point of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico at 324 feet. The tower rises 205 more feet in the air and houses a carillon of sixty bronze bells and when the carillonneur is out of town, a digital recording plays his concerts twice a day. After wandering around the gardens, I found myself sitting under a live oak tree listening to these bells playing Christmas carols.

There were few tourists, but near me a young squirrel was eating his lunch. This must have been his first Christmas season because he only weighed about half a pound. He was carrying on an excited conversation with himself in a bright pool of sunlight, a pile of acorns at his feet. His powerful little shoulder muscles were hunched over and his jaws worked furiously.

I couldn’t help noticing that every now and again he cocked his small head to one side and grimaced at some of the higher pitched tones pealing from the echoing bells. As I watched his delicate expressive ears wavering disdainfully to “What Child is This”, I had to tentatively reassess these gardens created solely to inspire and impress the visitor.
It is always surprising when others do not comprehend the greatness of our species even when the proof is right under their nose. But this was the animal’s backyard. Generations of gray squirrels had lived here before him,
...

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“Game Change” by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

Over the past year I started downloading and listening to books on my Microsoft ZUNE MP3 player. I found this to be quite enjoyable when laying around the pool, on long driving trips, laying out on our deck and before going to bed for the evening.

SYNOPSIS: This book is a spicy smorgasbord of observations, revelations and allegations about Obama, Biden, the Clintons, McCain and Palin.  The authors mix savvy political analysis with detailed reconstructions of scenes and conversations they did not witness firsthand relying heavily on “deep background” interviews, along with e-mail messages, memorandums and other forms of documentation to create a novelistic narrative that often reflects the views of the authors’ most cooperative or voluble sources. Though the book focuses on the personal sides of the candidates, not policy concerns, and though some of what will be its most controversial passages could fall into the realm of gossip and reflect the views of chatty spin-conscious aides, the volume does leave the reader with a vivid, visceral sense of the reality of presidential campaigns. REVIEW: Even though, as an audio book, it was more than 15 hours long, it was a very fast read. Whether or not everything is 100 percent true, even though the book is not “footnoted”, I believe there was enough research performed to certainly make everything to be very believable. I challenge any knowledgeable person to read the book in the context of what they have already heard, read and learned through the general media and make up their own mind. It validated the majority of concepts that I had already formed in my mind about these people. I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend the unabridged audio version. I give it [5-Stars]

“The Silent Hour” by Michael Koryta

REVIEW: Though I felt that this book certainly seemed to be intricate, I felt that it was in no way a “lightning paced thriller” as it is described in the book’s jacket.  I found it to be a rather slow moving mystery novel that was more of a psychological character study of its primary character, private detective “Lincoln Perry”.  This is Koryta's fourth book in the Lincoln Perry series.  Having read and enjoyed the last one, I was a disappointed with this one. In this novel Perry’s character seems to be at a major crossroads in his career as a private detective. Guilt and fear have become increasing burdens and Perry spends much of this book in contemplation regarding the human costs of his actions. For some reason I felt I was missing something.  Maybe it was because I had not read the first two books of this series.  I suggest starting with the first novel, “Tonight I Said Goodbye” and continue with the series before reading this book. Though I started out reading this in hard cover, I ended up listening to the last half as an audio book. The audio version was very well done and made it much easier to finish. However, in the end I felt that it was rather contrite and only give it [2.5 Stars]. Click here to see the audible books I have listened to Audible Reviews

SYNOPSIS: The home was called Whisper Ridge, a multimillion-dollar piece of architectural majesty that once housed the beginnings of a unique program for paroled murderers. It was the passion of Alexandra Sanabria, the daughter of a deceased Mafia don, but the program never got off the ground. Uninhabited for twelve years, the home now remains as a strange monument to dangerous secrets. Private investigator Lincoln Perry's first involvement with the house and its legacy comes when Parker Harrison—a convicted killer and former tenant of Whisper Ridge—asks him to find Alexandra, who disappeared with her husband after the failure of the program. Disconcerted and embarrassed by his own immediate mistrust of Harrison, Perry decides to take the request at face value until he discovers that the bones of the Alexandra's husband were discovered at the exact same time Harrison began his quest to locate her. Now the investigation is active again and decade-old threats are circling, confronting Perry with a sordid family mystery that will challenge both his abilities as a detective and his commitment to that calling.

Ravings - by Linda J. Clarke

“Ravings” are a series of essays written by my sister Linda J. Clarke. It was her hope that people who read them would gain a “tenderness and appreciation for the animals and plants who share this world with us.” For more on Linda and her book, “On A Planet Sailing West”, click here … Linda Clarke.

I used to spend summers in Maine with my family all those long years ago when nobody hated our country and banks were small and neighborly. Yet, I never saw her, a juvenile clambering between rocks along the bottom of the coves and inlets in the cold waters off the coast. Strutting on her curved tail, claws extended, her antennae waving ominously upon the currents, she must have presented herself as imposing and heroic and I am sorry I missed her.
Out of 10,000 eggs no larger than the head of a pin and glued to the inside of her mother’s tail like tiny black berries, this great American female was one of only ten to survive into adulthood. She was set adrift in the sea, a little late in the hatchling season, by a flick of her mother’s tail. Looking like a miniscule shrimp bobbing up and down almost invisible under the white-capped waves, she slid along, skimming the surface with the breeze. [Read more …]

“The Scarecrow” by Michael Connelly

REVIEW: I was captivated with this book right from the beginning and it only got better. Michael has the ability to create vivid characters that seem to struggle with their own personal battles.  Connelly depicts the decline of a newsroom with honesty and compassion, and the fact that the Scarecrow is a hacker running a digital data farm is sadly symbolic, given that digital media is killing the print press. Very up-to-date with what is happening in today’s world. Connie and I both gave it [4-Stars]

SYNOPSIS:  Jack McEvoy is at the end of the line as a crime reporter. Forced to take a buy-out from the Los Angeles Times as the newspaper grapples with dwindling revenues, he's got only a few days left on the job. His last assignment? Training his replacement, a low-cost reporter just out of journalism school. But Jack has other plans for his exit. He is going to go out with a bang — a final story that will win the newspaper journalism's highest honor — a Pulitzer prize.

Jack focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer from the projects who has confessed to police that he brutally raped and strangled one of his crack clients. Jack convinces Alonzo's mother to cooperate with his investigation into the possibility of her son's innocence. But she has fallen for the oldest reporter's trick in the book. Jack's real intention is to use his access to report and write a story that explains how societal dysfunction and neglect created a 16-year-old killer.

But as Jack delves into the story he soon realizes that Alonzo's so-called confession is bogus, and Jack is soon off and running on the biggest story he's had since The Poet crossed his path years before. He reunites with FBI Agent Rachel Walling to go after a killer who has worked completely below police and FBI radar — and with perfect knowledge of any move against him.

What Jack doesn't know is that his investigation has inadvertently set off a digital tripwire. The killer knows Jack is coming — and he's ready.

“The Devil’s Punchbowl” by Greg Iles

REVIEW: In reading up on this author, I learned that this is the third book he has written involving the character of Penn Cage, however it can be read as a stand alone book.  If you want to start at the beginning of the character, he was introduced in the book, “The Quiet Game.” Even though this is a very long book, it moves along like wildfire.  Connie and I both agreed that is was one of the best books we have ever read.  The Devil's Punchbowl reveals a world of depravity, sex, violence, and the corruption of a Southern town. There never seemed to be a minute when something exciting wasn’t happening.  Filled with suspense and non-stop action in a race against time, it just moves from one twist to another in an extremely believable, well written story. We both gave this book [5-Stars].

SYNOPSIS: With The Devil's Punchbowl, Greg Iles brings back Penn Cage, a former prosecutor who is now mayor of his hometown, Natchez, Mississippi. To reinvigorate its struggling economy, Natchez has embraced river boat gambling. Most of the casinos cooperate well with the town, but Penn hears rumors of dog fighting and underage prostitution involving one of the casinos. When one of his childhood friends is murdered, Penn sets about to bring to justice the men responsible for the murder. However, along the way he learns there are very few people he can trust and in doing so it puts him, as well as family and friends, in harm's way.

"Atlantis Found" - by Clive Cussler

REVIEW: The dust jacket reads, "Over the course of fourteen books, Clive Cussler's hero, Dirk Pitt, has battled warlords and criminals, raised the Titanic, survived erupting volcanoes and nuclear detonation, but never has he engaged in an adventure as dramatic, in a location as exotic, as in Atlantis Found." Not having read any of the previous 13 books in this series it would be hard for me to compare, however this sound right as I thought this book was very good. Thinking back, I also remember another book that Connie and I both read that we liked very much, titled, "The Chase". Atlantis Found is filled with lots of suspense, a very intricate plot, and astonishing set pieces, this is a great adventure novel and would make a great movie. We both gave it [5-Stars]

SYNOPSIS: September 1858: An Antarctic whaler stumbles on an aged wreck, its grisly frozen crew guarding crates of odd antiquities - and a skull carved from black obsidian. Jump to March 2001: A team of anthropologists gazes in awe at a wall of strange inscriptions, moments before a blast seals them deep within an old Colorado gold mine. Next, jump to April 2001: A research ship manned by Dirk Pitt and members of NUMA is set upon and nearly sunk by an impossibility - a vessel that should have died fifty-six years before. Pitt knows that somehow all these incidents are connected, and his investigations soon land him deep in an ancient mystery with very modern consequences, up against a diabolical enemy unlike any he has ever known, and racing to save not only his own life - but the future of the world itself. The trap is set. The clock is ticking, And only one man stands between the earth and Armageddon.

Ravings – by Linda J. Clarke

“Ravings” are a series of essays written by my sister Linda J. Clarke. It was her hope that people who read them would gain a “tenderness and appreciation for the animals and plants who share this world with us.” For more on Linda and her book, “On A Planet Sailing West”, click here … Linda Clarke.

“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”
Aldo Leopold

DREAMING OF A BEAR

One of my small achievements is that I have been able to avoid bears all my life, except in Alberta Canada, when Joanie drove me down a fire trail and into a deserted section of Jasper National Park right up to a young black bear eating red berries on a bush. I will never forget how his great soft paws crunched down on the pine needles as he moved around the bush, how his black-rubber nose wrinkled and sniffed each berry before he pulled it off with his short claws.

I could reach out and touch him. It was early morning on a languid summer day, smoky and hazy from distant campfires. Clouds of insects swarmed around his head. When he glanced up he seemed to cast a spell all around us. The scolding sparrows flew away. [Read more … ]

Ravings - by Linda J. Clarke

“Ravings” are a series of essays written by my sister Linda J. Clarke. It was her hope that people who read them would gain a “tenderness and appreciation for the animals and plants who share this world with us.” For more on Linda and her book, “On A Planet Sailing West”, click here … Linda Clarke. Below is the complete text of her latest raving, “Eagles on Honeymoon Island”.

…we were here together in a place we did not know, nor one another
Kenneth Patchen

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER

Pods of bottlenose dolphins swimming up and down the murky Savannah River next to Georgia’s third largest city are barely noticed. Although decades of research suggest they are intelligent, creative, emotional beings, comparable souls to our own, they are submerged underwater most of the time, free from the complexities of being dehydrated bi-peds. Dolphins have brains as large and complex as humans. They have had these brains 30 million years longer than we have had ours. They have not only mastered their watery domain, they have, though top predators of the sea, become masters at surviving without aggression. Their best friends outside the pod have always been [read more …]

“The Appeal” by John Grisham

REVIEW: I guess everything I’ve seen in the world has truly tainted me and, as a result, nothing in this book surprised me. Though he does a good job of showing how elections are manipulated, I didn’t find it particularly new or refreshing. Then again, the average apathetic voting citizen might be shocked. Overall, I felt it was better than some of his more recent books, though still not on par with his earliest novels. We both liked it but I only give it a rating of [3-Stars]

SYNOPSIS: In a crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town’s water supply, causing the worst “cancer cluster” in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it. Who are the nine? How will they vote? Can one be replaced before the case is ultimately decided? The chemical company is owned by a Wall Street predator named Carl Trudeau, and Mr. Trudeau is convinced the Court is not friendly enough. With judicial elections looming, he decides to try to purchase himself a seat on the Court. The cost is a few million dollars, a drop in the bucket for a billionaire like Mr. Trudeau. Through an intricate web of conspiracy and deceit, his political operatives recruit a young, unsuspecting candidate. They finance him, manipulate him, market him, and mold him into a potential Supreme Court justice. Their Supreme Court justice

Master Post Date 06/02/2009

“The Terrorist Watch” by Ronald Kessler

REVIEW: Though I don’t normally read non-fiction, I found that I really enjoyed this book. I felt that Kessler, a well known New York Times bestselling author who has won numerous journalism awards, did an outstanding job of providing both pre-9/11 and post-9/11 assessments of the FBI and CIA. Some of the most frightening things pointed out in this book are the dangers associated with the positions of the ACLU, and the skewed and biased reporting of the major newspapers. I recommend this as required reading for everyone give give it a rating of [5-Stars]

SYNOPSIS: Based on exclusive interviews with FBI Director Robert Mueller, CIA Director Michael Hayden, White House Counterterrorism Chief Fran Townsend , and dozens of key intelligence operatives at all levels the author explains in detail what these agencies, and the NCTC have accomplished post-9/11 in the pursuit of terrorists both in this country and worldwide. In addition he provides a stunning account of how Saddam Hussein was debriefed after his capture, how leaks to the press have not only caused the death’s of agents, but have caused foreign countries to stop cooperating with us, and how the news media has misled the public as to the tireless efforts of these organizations.

“The Bodies Left Behind” by Jeffery Deaver

REVIEW: This is a great cat-and-mouse chase that is filled with all kinds of twists and turns where nothing is as it seems. It will keep you riveted from beginning to end and the final chapters provide some stunning revelations. I was completely surprised. We both read this book and enjoyed it thoroughly. All we can say is Jeffery Deaver never disappoints us. We give this one a rating of [5-Stars]

SYNOPSIS: When a night-time call to 911 from a secluded Wisconsin vacation house is cut short, off duty deputy Brynn McKenzie leaves her husband and son at the dinner table and drives up to Lake Mondac to investigate. Was it a misdial or an aborted crime report? Brynn stumbles onto a scene of true horror and narrowly escapes from two professional criminals. She and a terrified visitor to the weekend house, Michelle, flee into the woods in a race for their lives. As different as night and day, and stripped of modern-day resources, Brynn, a tough deputy with a difficult past, and Michelle, a pampered city girl, must overcome their natural reluctance to trust each other and learn to use their wits and courage to survive the relentless pursuit. The deputy's disappearance spurs both her troubled son and her new husband into action, while the incident sets in motion Brynn's loyal fellow deputies and elements from Milwaukee's underside. These various forces race along inexorably toward the novel's gritty and stunning conclusion.

“Divine Justice” by David Baldacci

REVIEW: In this book, the latest in Baldacci's Oliver Stone and the Camel Club series, the reader is cleverly provided the full background about Stone, a distinguished soldier named John Carr from the Viet Nam era who later joined the CIA and eventually became a member of Triple Six Division, a highly classified covert group of U.S. assassins, tying together bits and pieces of information from each of the previous books in the series. A great plot with interesting characters mixed with CIA wrongdoings, drug smuggling, corrupt government officials, and unexplained murders, makes for enjoyable reading. From beginning to end you are led through a twisting and absorbing thriller that provides a surprising and fitting finish. Throughout the book you are provided with opportunities to ponder questions pertaining to loyalty, honesty, and revenge. It’s hard not to give any of his books in this series less than a [4-1/2 Star] rating.

SYNOPSIS: The story starts out with Stone on the run as he just killed on the same day, two of the most prominent men in the United States, Carter Gray, Chief of Intelligence and Roger Simpson, a senator from Alabama. After the assassinations, Stone is on a train headed New Orleans hoping to find a construction job. While on the train, Stone comes to the aid of a young passenger, Danny Riker, who had been attacked by a couple of goons. They quickly become friends and Riker invites Stone to return with him to his hometown of Divine, Virginia. Little did he know that this decision would lead to some very ominous consequences. Though Divine seems to be a sleepy mining town, there is a history of murder, an accidental hunting death, an apparent suicide, narcotic smuggling, and people getting blown up. Joe Knox, assigned by master spy Macklin Hayes, is tasked with tracking down Stone, who was considered the most wanted man in the USA. We soon discover that Hayes is not exactly a nice fellow and has personal motives for catching Stone. However, Stone, aware of Hayes' seedy history which could embarrass the CIA and U.S. government, also had a few scores to settle with Hayes from his days as a Vietnam hero. As is predictable, his loyal friends, the Camel Club, dangerously involve themselves in trying to make sure that he keeps out of harm’s way, particularly from the arms of Knox and Hayes.

Ravings – by Linda J. Clarke

“Ravings” are a series of essays written by my sister Linda J. Clarke. It was her hope that people who read them would gain a “tenderness and appreciation for the animals and plants who share this world with us.” For more on Linda and her book, “On A Planet Sailing West”, click here … Linda Clarke. Below is the complete text of her latest raving, “Eagles on Honeymoon Island”.

EAGLES ON HONEYMOON ISLAND

Two American bald eagles have squatted in an abandoned osprey nest on Honeymoon Island to bring up their brand new eaglet. A few weeks old, his wooly gray head sticks out over the untidy rim of sticks and twigs and shredded palm fronds that have been transformed into a rough cradle. The wind whistles and sighs through the tall canopy of pine forest around him and he seems to be enjoying his first high-level cirrus clouds, wispy strands stretching across a periwinkle blue sky. A light chop on the Gulf of Mexico lifts a spray into the air and the featherless eaglet, about the size of a hen, cranes his wobbly neck to catch an ecstatic whiff as the ocean breeze blows across his nursery.

The parents are appropriately patient, reserved, fierce and protective which no doubt accounts for their rather humorless and pensive disposition. They have, after all, taken turns sitting on one egg for thirty-five tedious days, gingerly turning it over and over with their razor-sharp yellow talons and [read more … ]

“A Welcome Grave” by Michael Koryta

REVIEW:  This is the third in a series of mysteries featuring private investigator Lincoln Perry. Though quite different than the last book of his that we read, he has created a whodunit that is much more than a well-written and suspenseful mystery. It is a fictional snapshot depicting how law enforcement and legal machines can be manipulated to favor the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and the innocent. This is an exciting novel with carefully rendered characters, that will remain with you long after the ending.  We give it [4-1/2 Stars].

SYNOPSIS:  Once a rising star on the Cleveland police force, Perry ended his career when he left one of the city's prominent attorneys, Alex Jefferson, bleeding in the parking lot of his country club—retribution for his affair with Perry's fiancée. Now Jefferson is dead, the victim of a brutal murder, and his widow has called upon Perry for a favor he knows he shouldn't accept but can't turn down: to find Jefferson's estranged son, partial beneficiary of the dead man's fortune. The case is simple enough, a routine "locate," and there's plenty of money for the work. The encounter should be simple, too, a brief exchange of information and maybe an empty condolence before Perry gets back into his truck and returns home. Instead, he's loaded into a police car and taken to a rural jail while Jefferson's son is zipped into a body bag. Perry soon learns that Jefferson's millions are the target of a thirst for revenge that hasn't been satisfied by blood. As a pair of deadly assailants push deep into the investigator's life, they bring with them police from two states who are determined to see Perry in jail.