Don’t Look Twice by Andrew Gross

Don’t Look Twice by Andrew Gross is the second book in the series featuring Detective Lieutenant Ty Hauck who works for the Greenwich, CT police department. Publisher: William Morrow, March 2009

In this dramatic new novel following the bestselling The Dark Tide, a drive-by shooting rocks the posh suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut, and an innocent bystander is left dead.

Detective Ty Hauck plunges into what seems like a vicious case of retribution and follows the trail to a sinister gambling scheme at an upstate casino. Until Annie Fletcher, a young restaurateur in the midst of rebuilding her life, witnesses something she shouldn’t have—and immediately runs to him with what she knows. Suddenly, Hauck is pulled into a rising storm far greater than it first appeared—a storm wide enough to encompass corruption inside Greenwich’s circle of wealthy and powerful citizens. And punishing enough to consume Hauck’s own family, and tear brothers apart forever . . . if it doesn’t kill them first.

Don’t Look Twice is a gripping story of profiteering on an international scale and an emotionally resonant domestic thriller from one of the hottest new talents in suspense fiction.

This book was a ride that I didn’t want to come off.  Many thrilling twists and trns and the hope and despair was felt throughout this book and I couldn’t put it down.  My rating: 4 stars

The Cat, The Quilt And The Corpse by Leann Sweeney

The Cat, The Quilt And The Corpse by Leann Sweeney is the first book in the new “Cats in Trouble” mystery series. Publisher: Nal Obsidian, May 2009

Recently widowed Jillian Hart is rebuilding a life for herself and her three beloved cats-Chablis, Syrah and Merlot-as a quilter in a small South Carolina town. The quilts she makes are for cats as smart, special, and sweet as her own, and business is thriving.

But when she returns from an overnight quilting show, she discovers Chablis sneezing-and since Chablis is allergic to humans, that can only mean one thing: Someone has broken into her house. When she realizes her Abyssinian Syrah is missing, Jillian suspects catnapping.

Spurred by Chablis’ and Merlot’s mournful meowing, she investigates-and discovers more missing cats and a murder. Now she’s got to save more than one cat in trouble-not to mention herself.

This story is a great addition to the cozy mystery genre.  Since I’m a quilter and love cats (can’t have one due to allergies), this was a fun read and you got to learn about the town that Jillian lives in and watch her start to live her life again.  My rating: 4 stars

Love Mercy by Earlene Fowler

Love Mercy by Earlene Fowler is the first book in a sweet new series about “Love Mercy Johnson” set on California’s central coast in the town of Morro Bay. Publisher: Berkley, March 2009

Love Mercy Johnson has seen her fair share of heartbreak.  A year after her husband’s death, she still finds herself listening for his comforting laugh.  But her life is satisfying in Morro Bay, California, where she takes photographs for a regional magazine and helps her in-laws work the Johnson family’s cattle ranch. With the help of her good friends, Love is trying to move on.

Long estranged from her grandchildren, Love has given up hope of ever seeing them again.  Then her dreams of reconciliation come true when her eighteen-year-old granddaughter, Loretta Lynn “Rett” Johnson, unexpectedly shows up.  Suddenly, Love’s predicable life is completely disrupted.

Fresh from an embarrassing romantic entanglement, Rett, an aspiring songwriter, has hitchhiked across the country, lugging a prickly attitude, a broken heart and a stolen banjo.  Now grandmother and granddaughter must struggle to coexist while each confronts old resentments and hurts.  When a family crisis forges an unexpected connection between the two grieving women, they must discover whether they can change not only their  own lives but the lives of their loved ones for the better.

Very enjoyable and I loved how the human spirit shined through.  My rating: 4 stars

Night and Day by Robert B. Parker

Night and Day by Robert B. Parker is the 8th book in the “Jesse Stone” mystery series. Publisher: Putnam, February 2009

Dear Chief Stone:
I know you have been looking for me . . . I won’t turn myself in. I probably should, but my obsession won’t let me. What I know is that my life is becoming more unbearable every time. I need to see. I need to know their secret.     The Night Hawk

Police Chief Jesse Stone has received his share of unusual calls, but none can top the one from the local junior high school.  When reports of lewd conduct by the school’s principal, Betsy Ingersoll, filter into the station, Jesse is faced with a particularly delicate situation.  Ingersoll claims she was protecting the propriety of her students when she inspected each girl’s undergarments in the locker room.  Jesse, of course, would like nothing more than to see the prim, peculiar Ingersoll punished.  But Betsy Ingersoll is married to the managing partner of the biggest law firm in the state, and Jay Ingersoll wants the matter buried.  And he is used to getting what he wants.

At the same time, the women of Paradise are being threatened by a tormented voyeur, dubbed “The Night Hawk,” who’s been scouring suburban neighborhoods as evening falls.  Initially, he’s content to simply peer through windows, but as pressure builds, he becomes more reckless, entering homes, forcing his victims to strip at gunpoint, then photographing them at their most vulnerable.  And according to the notes he’s sending, he’s not satisfied to stop there. It’s up to Jesse to catch the Night Hawk, before it’s too late.

This was a good read with some humorous aspects featured in this mystery while Jesse is trying to solve two cases.  I liked how all the characters from his other books were mentioned in this story.  My rating: 3.5 stars

Still Life by Joy Fielding

Still Life by Joy Fielding. Publisher: Atria, March 2009

Beautiful, happily married, and the owner of a successful interior design business, Casey Marshall couldn’t be more content with her life, until a car slams into her at almost fifty miles an hour, breaking nearly every bone in her body and plunging her into a coma. Lying in her hospital bed, Casey realizes that although she is unable to see or communicate, she can hear everything. She quickly discovers that her friends aren’t necessarily the people she thought them to be — and that her accident might not have been an accident at all. As she struggles to break free from her living death, she begins to wonder if what lies ahead could be even worse.

I could not put this book down.  I like the concept that was played in this story.  My rating: 4 stars

The 8th Confession by James Patterson

The 8th Confession by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is the 8th book in “The Women’s Murder Club” suspense series. Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, April 2009

As San Francisco’s most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching–waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city’s most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment, and it’s the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home.

As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed–a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks, but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim’s history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought.

As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women’s Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women’s Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built? The exhilarating new chapter in the Women’s Murder Club series, The 8th Confession serves up a double dose of speed-charged twists and shocking revelations as only James Patterson can. And remember, this is the only Murder Club episode of the year.

 I couldn’t put this book down.  I had to find out what was going to happen next.  Following the two cases, I also liked seeing a glimpse of the four ladies’ personal life.  Excellent book in the WMC series.  My rating: 4 stars

Wicked Prey by John Sandford

Wicked Prey by John Sandford is the 19th book in the “Prey” thriller series. Publisher: Putnam, May 2009

For twenty years, John Sandford’s novels have been beloved for their “ingenious plots, vivid characters, crisp dialogue and endless surprises” (The Washington Post), and nowhere are those more in evidence than in the sudden twists and shocks of Wicked Prey.

The Republicans are coming to St. Paul for their convention. Throwing a big party is supposed to be fun, but crashing the party are a few hard cases the police would rather stayed away. Chief among them is a crew of professional stickup men who’ve spotted several lucrative opportunities, ranging from political moneymen with briefcases full of cash to that armored-car warehouse with the weakness in its security system. All that’s headache enough for Lucas Davenport—but what’s about to hit him is even worse.

A while back, a stray bullet put a pimp and petty thief named Randy Whitcomb in a wheelchair, and, ever since, the man has been nursing his grudge into a full head of psychotic steam. He blames Davenport for the bullet, but it’s no fun just shooting him. That wouldn’t be painful enough. Not when Davenport has a pretty fourteen-year-old adopted daughter that Whitcomb can target instead. . . .

And then there’s the young man with the .50 caliber sniper rifle and the right- wing-crazy background, roaming through a city filled with the most powerful politicians on earth. . . . Rich with his brilliant trademark suspense and some of the best characters in suspense fiction, Wicked Prey is further proof that “Sandford is one of the most consistently entertaining crime writers working today”

 This is the best one yet.  I couldn’t put this book down and I liked how there was two stories woven in sync.  My rating: 4 stars

5 Bodies To Die For by Stephanie Bond

5 Bodies To Die For by Stephanie Bond is the 5th book in the “Body Movers” mystery series.  Publisher: Mira (Harlequin), May 2009

And the body count keeps rising…
The Charmed Killer is on the loose in Atlanta and Carlotta Wren is caught up in the terror-especially when her body-moving side business brings her dangerously close to the action.

And then…

She’s force to take refuge in her former fiance’s house—much to the chagrin of other interested parties…

Her brother Wesley begins to behave as if he has his own death wish…

And someone close to her is implicated in the mass murders.

Meanwhile, Carlotta can’t shake the feeling that danger is dogging her seemingly cursed family-and that the serial killer’s exploits are starting to get personal.

 This was a great one-day read.  Looking forward to book #6.  My rating: 4 stars

Last Gasp by Carla Cassidy

Last Gasp by Carla Cassidy. Publisher: Signet, April 2009

She lives in the present – with a son she adores and the perfect job – and dreams of the future.  But single mom Allison Clemmins never lets herself relive the day, years ago, when she found her mother and siblings murdered.  Ever since, she’s hated the man convicted for the crimes; her own father.  But another man may now have a different side to the story…

Reeling from the possibility of her father’s innocence, Allison lets attorney Seth Walker unearth long-dead secrets from people who could have spoken up years ago.  In return, Seth offers her the one thing missing from her life; the ability to trust a man.  But as fate finds the pair in each other’s arms, a psychotic killer makes himself known – and now everything Allison holds dear hangs in the balance.

I could not put this book down.  What a thrilling ride.  My rating: 4 stars

Cool in Tucson by Elizabeth Gunn

Cool in Tucson by Elizabeth Gunn is the first book in the new “Sarah Burke” mystery series. Publisher: Severn House Publishers, September 2008

Tucson police detective Sarah Burke, smart and ambitious, worries that Sergeant Delaney, her superior on the homicide squad, seems to have a grudge against her. Still smarting from a painful divorce, she puts personal concerns aside to concentrate on a body found in a parking lot. The case takes a bizarre turn when Sarah’s young niece, Denny, neglected by her substance-abusing mother and struggling to stay in school, disappears. The search is complicated by interference from the drug ring that the suspected murderer’s been working for, and Sarah’s growing romantic interest in a troubled colleague rebuilding his life after injury.

I liked it so much that I couldn’t stop reading it from the first word to the last sentence.   My rating: 4 stars

*new-to-me author