Category: Books-Fiction

Don’t Talk to Strangers (Keye Street Series # 3) – Amanda Kyle Williams

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So I wasn’t really sure about Amanda Kyle Williams Keye Street series after book one TheStranger You Seek, But I liked the book enough to move onto book two in the series Stranger in the Room. In that book, as Keye and Atlanta Police Detective Aaron Rauser chased the Wishbone Killer, and I became a fan of Keye Street. Now after reading Don’t Talk to Strangers Keye Street has joined Alex Kava’s Maggie O’Dell, Carol O’Connell‘s Kathleen Mallory and Tess Gerritsen‘s Jane Rizzoli, among my favorite female protagonists!

In book three of the series, Keye Street leaves the streets of Atlanta and her new live-in boyfriend Rauser for the rural confines of Whisper, Georgia, Sheriff Ken Meltzer of Hitchiti County in which Whisper lays, calls Keye in as a consultant on the murder of two thirteen year-old girls brutally murdered years apart, with their bodies dumped at the same location! Both girls had been kidnapped and held captive for months before being killed. Once Keye arrives in Whisper she is viewed as an outsider not only by the residents of this tight-knit community but by the fellow members of the sheriff’s department Major Tina Brolin and Detective Raymond. Sheriff Meltzer though admires Keye for more than just profiling abilities!  As Keye developes her profile of the killer, as someone who stalks and plans and waits, the  killer ups his game and taunts Keye and the Sheriff by snatching a third girl!! Can Keye and Meltzer save the third victim from the grizzly death that they know awaits her?

Keye Street is a very intriguing character, a brilliant profilier with the FBI, whose career imploded when Keye lost her battle with the bottle. Now as a recovering alcoholic, she heads her own detective agency, Corporate Intelligence & Investigations (CI&I) with her stoner/hacker business partner Neil Donovan and their only employee Latischa the daughter of a bail bondsman whose skips Keye chases down! Keye also acts as a consultant for the Atlanta Police Department and Detective/Friend/Lover Aaron Rauser!

This storyline in Don’t Talk to Strangers, like those in the preceding books in the series is well-developed, fast-paced, and packs a punch at the end that leaves you saying…. “Please write faster Ms. Williams!!” The Atlanta Journal Constitution says that “Keye Street is one of the most addictive new series heroines” and  Tess Gerritsen writes…..

“Keye Street immediately puts herself in the TOP ECHELON of SUSPENSE HEROES. She is a brutally funny and powerful human-one of the most realistic protagonists in crime fiction that I’ve had the thrill to read”

I agree with both of those sentiments! So check out Keye Street in all three books in the series.

Bottomline: A strong 4 plus stars out of 5 for maybe the best book yet in this series. While all three books can be enjoyed separately, my recommendation is to start at beginning to get to know Keye Street, Aaron Rauser and the crew!

Book 3 for 2015 and Book 3  in the 2015 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge!!

Links for Further Explorations of the Works of Amanda Kyle Williams

Author Website
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Goodreads
Amazon

The Monkey’s Raincoat – Robert Crais (Elvis Cole #1) – A Great Series Starter

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The Monkey's Raincoat - Rboert Crais

Robert Crais began the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series in 1987 with the release of The Monkey’s Raincoat. Since then Crais has written fourteen more novels featuring the two members of  Elvis’ detective agency. I have read seven of the novels, starting with 1993’s release Free Fall (Book #4) and ending with Book #11 Chasing Darkness in 2008.

I missed No 6 Sunset Express released in 1996). also missed books 1,2 and 3! Don’t ask me why!.

At the beginning of this month I wrote two posts. The first post, Six Great Mystery Series and Their First Books lists six books that I have read that start a great mystery series.

The second post was Books to Read to Start Three Great Series. In the second post, one of the books was The Monkey’s Raincoat, which was sitting on my TBR bookshelves!

When I discovered the2015 TBR Pile Challenge at Carpe Librum Girl,  it became a no-brainer that I was going to read The Monkey’s Raincoat and I did so in a little over one day!!

Remember when I said before don’t ask me why, I hadn’t read this book before, well, that was the question that I asked myself when I was done!!

The second question, which followed quickly was – why did you STOP reading this series?? T

he answer must lie in the saying “Too Many Books, Too Little Time” because it doesn’t lay in the quality of the books. I love both of the lead characters in the series and the storylines were always great. All I can say is, that I hope to get back into the later books of the series, soon!

But now back to The Monkey’s Raincoat released back in 1987. The book received the following accolades:

Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel (1988),
Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original (1988),
Shamus Award Nominee for Best Original PI Paperback (1988),
Edgar Award Nominee for Best Paperback Original (1988)

From the Back of the Book…..

Ellen Lang has lost something very valuable indeed -her husband and young son. The case seems simple enough, but PI Elvis Cole and his sociopath sidekick Joe Pike aren’t thrilled by the prospect of another straightforward domestic…

But all is not what it seems. Their search down these seamy side of Hollywood’s studio lots and sculpted lawns soon lands Elvis and Joe deep in the non-Disney world of drugs sex and murder. Things are looking up – and soon everybody, from the cops to starlets to crooks has declared war on the good guys. For Ellen, Hollywood isn’t Funtown any more. For Elvis it’s a good living. He hopes.

Bottomline:

The Monkey’s Raincoat is a solid 4 to 4.5 out of 5!! I loved the plot, along with both Elvis and Joe! Elvis’ humorous personality adds relief from the grim reality that Ellen Lang has to deal with, and Joe Pike protects them both!! Just don’t ask how?? 

Now Book #2 in the series is Stalking the Angel and is available for Kindle at $5.99 and Book #3Lullaby Town is on my TBR Pile. Do I read # 2 first and then #3 or just jump to #3??? Decisions. Decisions!!

2026 Post Update

Well the decision made was to read #3 Lullaby Town. However, I never read Stalking the Angel. In fact I didn’t read Crais’s 2015 release The Promise (Elvis Cole #16) until 2019. In 2019 I also read Taken (Elvis Cole #15 which was released in 2012.

Since 2019 four Elvis Cole novels have been released of which I have read only one A Dangerous Man (Elvis Cole #18). Overall, I have read 14 of the 20 Elvis Cole novels. The ones I missed were #2, #6, #14,#17,#19,#20. This year I hope to read at least 2 of them!

Author Website

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About Robert Crais

Robert Crais is the author of the bestselling Cole & Pike novels. A native of Louisiana, Crais moved to Hollywood in the late 70s where he began a successful career in television, writing scripts for such major series as Cagney & Lacey, Miami Vice and Hill…Read full bio

CARPE LIBRUM TBR PILE CHALLENGE 2015 ! I signed up!

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So I haven’t made any New Year’s Resolutions yet, because like many people I don’t think they work. You make the resolutions stick to them in January and by February you’re back to being your old self. What I want to do is to take my time look at where I want to go, how I want to improve myself and then make monthly type goals ala The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. One thing I do know that I want to do is improve this blog…one way to do that I think is to make it more personal. More about me and what I’m doing as far the books I’m reading and the music I have listened to. I’ve browsed around other book blogs to see what they do and I have gotten a few ideas. I want to continue following and reading several blogs to get additional ideas.

One of the  many challenges that I saw was at  Carpelibrumgirl.blogspot.com. It’s her 2015 TBR Pile Challenge. (To Be Read)Here’s how it works……

Carpe Librum-2015 TBR Pile Challenge


THE RULES:
  1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015. The sign up link below will remain open until January 10, 2015 at 11:30am PST.
  2. Anyone can enter! You don’t have to be a blogger, just as long as you review the book you’ve read. You can review on your book on your blog, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Instagram etc.
  3. Any genre, length, or format of book counts as long as it is a book that’s been sitting on your self for some time. Short stories and novellas do count! The only stipulations that the book must have been released in 2014 or earlier. No 2015 ARCs or 2015 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed.
  4. On the 30th of every other month, she will post a wrap-up for the previous two months and will contain new linkys for you to add your own wrap-up posts.
  5. THERE WILL BE 2 GIVEAWAYS! – IN July and December. Giveaway details will be explained once the giveaway post goes up. She doesn’t want to overwhelm you with too many details now  🙂
  6. You don’t have to follow her to join the challenge, but you do have to follow her to be entered in the giveaways on Instagram/Twitter at @carpelibrumgirl and on her Blog through Google Friend Connect ( on the side bar) or Bloglovin Link ( also on the side bar)  either one or will do!.
The Book Levels:
 
* Put this in your Sign up post or (Social Media Desription signup)*
 
(how many books you’re planning to read for this challenge in 2015)
 
 

1-10 – A Friendly Acquaintance

11-20 – A Firm Grasp on My Pile

21-30 – Clearing it out

31-40 – I Got This!

41-50 – More Room on My Shelves!

50+ – I’m Married to my TBR Pile

 
So How Do I Join??
 
  1. Write a post about joining the 2015 TBR Pile Challenge on your blog. If you don’t have a blog, post about it on Facebook or tweet about it via Twitter or repost my IG Post on  your IG Page!.
  2. In your post, don’t forget to include: the button/banner, link back to My Sign Up Page, the level you’re aiming at and – if you want – a list of books you’re hoping to read for the challenge.
  3. Place the challenge button in your sidebar (please use the grab link at the Bottom of the post).
  4. Link up in the linky below using the link to your post/tweet.
  5. That’s it! You’re done! Welcome to the challenge, stay tuned for lots of fun! And most importantly, good luck with tackling your TBR Pile!
My TBR Pile Challenge Goal is 21-30 – Clearing it out – I have also joined the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge and set my goal at 45 books so I think maybe half should be from my TBR pile!! Wish me luck and join us!!

Oh and I have already read one book off of my TBR pile Strangled by Brian McGrory you can read the review here!!

Strangled – Brian McGrory (Book #4 – Jack Flynn)

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Brian McGroryStrangled from Brian McGrory is the fourth book featuring Boston Record reporter Jack Flynn. It is the first time that I’ve joined Mr. Flynn on one of his adventures, but I don’t believe it will be my last meeting with Jack! In this installment,  Jack, is caught in the middle of an investigation into a series  of brutal murders in Boston, that appear to be reminiscent of the work of the Boston Strangler.; Garish bows were left tied around the neck of the victims, while their bodies were left in ghoulish positions to greet investigators, when they entered the murder scenes.. Could it be, that Albert DeSalvo the convicted Boston Strangler wasn’t the Strangler after all, and that the real Strangler is still at large and at work?

In Strangled, Jack is thrust into the investigation, by the murderer  -“The Phanton Fiend” aka The Boston Strangler who keeps sending him information concerning the murders. Jack is between a rock and a hard place, does he publish the information in his possession possibly causing a panic throughout the city and incurring the wrath of the Mayor and the Chief of Police, The Chief of Police  was  the lead detective on the original investigation,who is now running for mayor.  and he may be put in a bad light if DeSalvo was not the Strangler. Alternatively does Jack sit on the story making the Strangler mad, and forcing him to step up his killing!!

McGrory has created in Strangled, a fine story based on the speculation that Albert DeSalvo convicted of rapes, but not the stranglings, was not the actual strangler, but had received knowledge of the crimes from the real strangler! I enjoyed this fairly quick read and liked the character of Jack Flynn. There was some good humor in Strangled as Jack often related both what he said and what he should have said! Another pleasant aspect of the book, was Jack love life. The story opens on Jack’s planned wedding day, with Jack contemplating calling his fiance to call off the wedding, only to be beaten to the punch by the bride to be! Later in the book, Jack has a chance meeting with the woman he let walk out of his life, can a spark still be there between them???

About the author: From Goodreads:

McGrory is the editor of The Boston Globe. A 23-year veteran of the Globe, he was previously a Metro columnist and associate editor. Born and raised in Boston and the region, he has also worked as the Globe’s Metro editor, White House reporter, national reporter, general assignment reporter, and suburban reporter. More at Goodreads

Author Page at Amazon

Bottom line  Rating 3.75 out of 5.  Strangled  had enjoyable characters, was an interesting and enjoyable read, but for me there was nothing really extra special about the book.. (Book 1 of 2015 – from my to be read pile!)

Mystery Series Update: Books to Read to Start Three Great Series

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As I looked down the list of Nook books that were on sale yesterday at Barnes & Noble I saw three books that are on my to be read (TBR) shelves, so here are those mystery series first books!! Maybe I’ll get to them this year!!

The Monkey's Raincoat

1. The Monkey’s Raincoat – Elvis Cole and Joe Pike – Robert Crais – I have read many of the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike books and the stand alone Joe Pike books. Holmes had Watson, Bolitar has Win, Joe Pickett has Nate Romanowski and ELvis Cole has Joe Pike, his right-hand man who can always get that questionable job done! I really don’t know why I haven’t read this book yet. Actually, I haven’t read the last couple of Crais’ books. Maybe reading this book would be a great way to get back into this great mystery series!

Storm Front

2. Storm Front – Th Dresden Files – Jim Butcher – Sometimes I have a hard time getting into a fantasy series, I think I have picked this book up several times read a little and then put it down. I don’t really know why! I really enjoyed the TV show, so I know the books have to be better!! I see that there are only 8 books in the series, maybe this is the year of Harry……Dresden

 

 —

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson – I have had the other two books in this series on my TBR shelf FOREVER and never found a copy of the first book, and never really looked for it in the library, probably one of those I’ll stay away because everyone has read th books!! This action has probably cost me three good reads!! So maybe it’s time!!!

Maybe what I’ll do is try to read one of the above three books each of the first three months of the year!  That may be a great way to start the year!!

 

 

Sanctus Book 1 of the Sancti Trilogy – Simon Toyne

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SanctusInside the Citadel in the ancient city of Ruin resides a select group of monks charged with protecting the Sacrament, along with thousands of ancient texts discovered over the millennium.  The nature of the Sacrament is known only to a select few of those monks – the Sancti. But when Brother Samuel is initiated into the Sancti, and discovers what the Sacrament is, he decides can not live with that knowledge or continue to belong to the Sancti. He makes a harrowing and torturous climb to the top of the Citadel, where he stands for hours in a pose symbolic of the Tau, the symbol of the Sancti, before plunging to his death. So begins Sanctus, first book of the Ruin trilogy from British author Simon Toyne. The questions left unanswered are: Why did he do it? What did he see that lead him to take his own life?

I picked up Sanctus in Dollar General for $3.00 because it looked like the type of book that I enjoy, one that combines history with action and while the historic aspects of the story are somewhat fictional the action and the characters more than make up for it. The key character in the book is newspaper reporter Liv Adamson, who is the identical twin of Brother Samuel. Actually, they were the first conjoined twins to be different sexes. The story revolves around Liv’s attempt to discover the why of Samuel’s death. Liv hadn’t seen her brother in eight years and assumed was dead!  Of course, the Sancti want no one to know the secret of the Sacrament, and will do anything to stop Liv’s search, while others including members of an ancient rival religious sect of the Sancti want to help!

Sanctus is rather lengthy 578 pages, but the writing is crisp, and the characters and action kept me turning the pages quickly, particularly through the second half of the book, once I knew all the players!

Several of the reviews of Sanctus, I read at Goodreads.com were negative because the readers felt that Toyne did not develop the  city or the people of Ruin realistically enough. The reviewers felt the setting could be any city or police force in the US or the world. Again, I thought the action and characters more than made up for any lack of geographic  “sense of place”. I did feel that the descriptions and feel for the Citadel, the mountain fortress of the Sancti, was well done. I had a feel for the dark library that housed thousands of historic documents and the spectral images of the monks that worked within the library

Bottom Line: I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will  move on quickly to the second book in the trilogy – The Key. I think that if you enjoy the books of Dan Brown and Chris Kuzneski you’ll enjoy Sanctus.

Links

Website
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Goodreads

Book 34 for 2014 – Here’s the Trailer for Sanctus

Harry Dolan’s Very Bad Men (David Loogan Series #2)

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Very Bad Men

Harry Dolan’s Very Bad Men is the second book in the David Loogan series,  Dolan’s follow-up to Bad Things Happen about which Stephen King  said….. “Great F****ing Book Man, I was totally hooked”  I am in total agreement with the great Mr. King’s assessment of Bad Things Happen and I feel the same way about  Very Bad Men!!

In Harry Dolan’s Very Bad Men, David Loogan and Elizabeth Waishkey have settled down to a simple life  after the tumultuous events in Bad Things Happen, until one day when David, as editor of Gray Streets magazine receives a manuscript that begins “ I killed Henry Kormoran”.  Not  long after David receives the manuscript, Detective Waishkey is assigned to a new murder case – Henry Kormoran,  and once again it appears that David and Elizabeth are on the trail of a psychotic killer. This time the killer is targeting members of a gang that attempted to rob the Great Lakes Bank seventeen years prior! During the attempted robbery Terry Dawtrey shot Sheriff Harlan Spencer, leaving Spencer paralyzed.  Now, Spencer’s daughter Callie is running for the Senate and the current killings are dredging up old memories about the robbery that may upset Callie’s campaign, especially with investigative  reporter Lucy Navarro on the case for the tabloid The National Current!  The question becomes who and why is somebody targeting these men after such a long time.??? Is it Callie and her campaign, was she involved in the robbery?  Or is it someone else??

Harry Dolan

Thoughts About Very Bad Men

Harry Dolan once again delivers a top-notch, intricately plotted mystery. While the setting is the present  day, the writing  creates a feel similar to one that one gets when reading Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler. Does anyone else see Humphrey Bogart playing David Loogan!

The characters are vivid and the twists and turns of the plot keep the reader guessing and, at least for me, quickly turning the pages!!

Grade  A+

Bottomiine:

A series that, while it is still in its infancy, is getting better with each book, and I can’t wait to move on  to the next installment The Last Dead Girl..

Links

Author Website
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Facebook
Goodreads
Buy Harry’s Work  Online

Book 33 for 2014

1990 – I discovered William G. Tapply’s Brady Coyne and Elizabeth was born! A great year!

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Dead WinterI started to keep track of the books that I read  in 1988. I kept record of themin   A Book Lover’s Journal  and wrote short blurbs about the books. Here is a list of the 54 books that I read in 1990. That’s the most books read of any year, since I’ve   kept records! Reviewing the list, I see that it was the year I discovered William G Tapply’s Brady Coyne. After reading  Dead Winter, the eighth book in the series, which was released in 1989, I quickly went back and read the prior seven books! Tapply wrote 20 more Brady Coyne novels of which I’ve read 16.  Books #21 Shadow of Death and #25 One-Way Ticket are on my to be read bookshelves! Maybe it’s time to rediscover this great series! In 1990 the second most read  series was the Mongo Mystery series from George C Chesbro. I read four books from this series. From Goodreads….

Dr. Robert Frederickson, or “Mongo” to his friends. He’s a former circus tumbler, black belt in karate, doctor of Criminology, and professor at a New York City university. And he’s quite an unusual fellow as well, not only because he’s a private investigator but also because he’s a dwarf…

The stories and the characters in this are terrific! Chesbro wrote 13 Mongo books of which I’ve read 12.  The first seven books are probably my favorites. Here’s a link to a great synopsis of the work of George C Chesbro. Check it out and Chesbro’s work at Dangerousdwarf.com you won’t be disappointed!! Of course 1990’s reads also included some books by  other favorites like James Lee Burke, Loren Estleman, Bill Pronzini, Tony Hillerman  and Stuart Kaminsky. Here’s the complete list!

Title Author
The Cold Smell of Sacred Stone (A Mongo Mystery, #6) George C. Chesbro
Dark Side (Loren Swift Mystery) Doug Hornig
The Cat’s Meow Robert Wright Campbell
Saturday Night Dead R.D. Rosen
Murder on the Hudson Don Flynn
Perfect End William Marshall
Extenuating Circumstances Jonathan Valin
Nibbled to Death by Ducks Robert Wright Campbell
The Man Who Met the Train (Carl Wilcox, #7) Harold Adams
An Affair of Sorcerers (A Mongo Mystery, #3) George C. Chesbro
Peeper Loren D. Estleman
Dead Winter William G. Tapply
The Language of Cannibals (A Mongo Mystery, #8) George C. Chesbro
The Man Who Walked Like a Bear (Porfiry Rostnikov, #6) Stuart M. Kaminsky
Follow the Sharks (Brady Coyne, #3) William G. Tapply
You Bet Your Life (Toby Peters, #3) Stuart M. Kaminsky
Out of Nowhere William Marshall
Coyote Waits (Navajo Mysteries, #10) Tony Hillerman
The Marine Corpse (Brady Coyne, #4) William G. Tapply
Death at Charity’s Point (Brady Coyne, #1) William G. Tapply
Gone to Earth Rick Boyer
Quicksilver (Nameless Detective, #11) Bill Pronzini
A Void in Hearts (Brady Coyne, #7) William G. Tapply
Deadfall (Nameless Detective, #15) Bill Pronzini
Murder Among Friends Frank McConnell
The Vulgar Boatman (Brady Coyne, #6) William G. Tapply
The Frog King Frank McConnell
Wall of Glass (Joshua Croft, #1) Walter Satterthwait
A Ticket to the Boneyard (Matthew Scudder, #8) Lawrence Block
Blood Lake Frank McConnell
Icy Clutches (Gideon Oliver, #6) Aaron Elkins
Dead Meat (Brady Coyne, #5) William G. Tapply
Jackpot (Nameless Detective, #17) Bill Pronzini
At Ease with the Dead (Joshua Croft, #2) Walter Satterthwait
Sweet Women Lie (Amos Walker Mystery #10) Loren D. Estleman
The Neon Rain (Dave Robicheaux, #1) James Lee Burke
Shadow of a Broken Man (A Mongo Mystery, #1) George C. Chesbro
Client Privilege William G. Tapply
Black Cherry Blues (Dave Robicheaux, #3) James Lee Burke

Amanda Kyle Williams – Stranger in the Room (Keye Street Series #2)

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Stranger iin the roomOk so I did not really enjoy the first half of Amanda Kyle Williams The Stranger that You Seek, but the second half of the book was really good, and propelled me on to the second book in the Keye Street series Stranger in the Room. For me, there was no weak first half in this book, it grabbed me from the start and did not let go until the last page! Miki Ashton, Keye Street’s cousin returns home after a night on the town, puts the key in the front door of her house, before she can open the door, she hears footsteps in the supposedly empty house!! When she makes her way to the window in the front of the house, and peers in, she sees a slightly overweight man standing in the shadows, as he stands there he forms a gunwith his fingers and he pretends to shoot Miki!!  So begins this great twisting mystery!! Who was this stranger in the room?? Why was he there?? Is he the source of the mysterious calls, and noises that plague Miki??

Meanwhile. Keye’s boyfriend Detective Aaron Rauser is investigating the murder of a young baseball player on the cusp of good things! Soon the mystery man and the boy are entwined in an ever-growing murder investigation and Keye is once again drawn into the hunt for a murderer. Can she and Rauser put the pieces of the puzzle together before more lives are lost?  Soon Miki  and Keye become the focus of  the murderer’s wrath!! Why??

I imagine that one of the reasons that I liked this book more than its predecessor, is that now I know the players. All the characters from Book 1 are back including of course Keye and Rauser, along with Keye’s adoptive parents, her work partner, stoner computer geek Neil, Tyrone the bail bondsman who Keye does work for, as well as, Larry Quinn the attorney who supplies Keye’s PI firm work. In this installment Quinn asks Keye to  investigate into the actions of a North Georgia Crematorium. This subplot was better than the investigation of a missing cow in the last book!

But I think that’s only half of the reason I enjoyed the book more.  The other half is the story itself. In this book, I thought that Keyes profiling of the perp was more in-depth, and it really brought to life the how and why of the killer’s actions, but profiling alone does not capture a criminal, so the work of Rauser and hs team played a big role in the discovery of the identity of the killer.

Bottomline: This book was a real page turner for me. A good police procedural that coupled Keye’s keen profiling skills with Rauser’s dogged police work, kinda like Bones and Booth without the bones or the FBI!  Along the way there was also Keye’s addiction battle, juxtaposed against Miki’s love for both alcohol and drugs, and Keye’s mom’s  attempt to be the next “Paula Dean” which made the book enjoyable on more than one level! So I am now a fan and I am ready to move on to Don’t Tak to Strangers book 3  in the series!! Now watch when I checked out both Book 1 and 2 book 3 was on the shelf what do you want to bet that tomorrow, when I take back this book, book 3 will be gone!!

Grade: A solid  A – so check it out!!

Links

Amanda Kyle Wiliiams.com

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Amazon

((Book 32 of 2014)

Where Monsters Dwell – (Odd Singsaker Book #1) – Jorgen Brekke – Hop on the Brekke Bandwagon!!

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Where Monsters DwellWhen I first picked up Where Monsters Dwell by Jorgen Brekke, I knew nothing about the book, but when I read what Steve Berry wrote about the book….

“History pulses with life and excitement in this chilling and foreboding read. Jorgen Brekke delivers what thriller readers crave, or at least what this reader craves – action, history, secrets, conspiracies, and international settings. Couldn’t ask for anything more.”

 

and Library Journal wrote’….

“Engrossing… grissly murders investigated by likable detectives. This mystery is perfectly grim without being bleak.”

 

About Where Monsters Dwell

I thought that this would be a book, right up my alley, and I was right, very right! I loved this book. The main action takes in Trondheim, Norway where the mutilated body of the former head librarian at the Gunnerus Libraryis found in the locked vault .The vault houses  the rarest books in the library’s collection.  While across the Atlantic the director of the Edgar Allen Poe museum is also found murdered. His body has been mutilated in a similar manner!  The two likable detectives, who are assigned to the respective cases, are Norwegian Odd Singsaker and Richmond’s Felicia Stone. Both of the characters have flaws. Singsaker’s flaws come from a brain tumor that has recently been removed. The tumor cost  him his family.  Stone’s flaws come from a rape that occurred in her senior year of high school, which sent her life in a downward spiral.

As the detectives investigate the murders, it seems, that both murders revolve around the Book of Johannes, a handwritten book bound in human skin that appears to be the journal of a sixteenth-century Norwegian serial killer!!   As the investigations progress readers are  introduced not only a variety of current suspects, but also the Norwegian monk and a variety of 16th century characters, not only in Norway, but also in Italy.  The investigations twist and turn and the American Stone joins Singsaker for the ultimate unraveling of the murder mystery.

Another blurb on the back of the book, from Kirkus Review says that the book is superb and is almost impossible to put down!!  Another statement that I totally agree with!! The pages flew by and the pace of the book never slowed down!!

Bottomline: A fine, fine read that left me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Evidently, Mr Brekke already has book two in the works!!!

Grade: A+  A must read for any fan of Scandinavian mysteries. For me Brekke has joined the ranks of fellow countrymen Jo Nesbo and Karim Fossum!

(Book 31 for 2014)