Mystery

by Shannon Hale (Goodreads Author)

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Andrea said: "I got my hands on a copy of this from the library already! So fun. I think I might have enjoyed this one even better than the first. I haven't read a decent "who-dunnit" for a while. Still a quick easy read with a clean romantic plot, b...more"

5 hours, 40 min ago · see review

02/23

Gin gave

to:

by William Landay (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: gin-s-mysteries

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Gin said: "I thoroughly enjoyed William Landay's Defending Jacob. I recommend it to anyone who loves Mysteries and Court Room dramas. I'm off to find two more William Landay books, The Strangler and Mission Flats."

20 minutes ago · see review

02/22

Michelle gave

to:

by Shannon Hale (Goodreads Author)

My rating:

Michelle said: "Ugghh. I looooved Princess Academy, the Bayern series, etc. and consider Shannon one of my favorite authors. I was luke-warm about Austenland, but thought maybe she stepped it up a little with this return to England (and I'm a sucker for Austen) N...more"

6 hours, 48 min ago · see review

02/22

Dolinm Dolin gave

to:

by William Landay (Goodreads Author)

recommended for: all

read in January, 2012

My rating:

Dolinm Dolin said: "For someone who never though mysteries were her thing I have been reading a lot lately. This book grabbed me on page one and I didn't let go until I finished the next night. I thought it engrossing, taking a different turn every few pages and it neve...more"

11 hours, 56 min ago · see review

02/22

Kelly Herta gave

to:

by Elizabeth George

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Kelly Herta said: "This book was long, and so are most of her other books. I enjoyed reading about the relationships of Sgt. Havers and her neighbors and always enjoy Linley. I am glad that the next book won't have Linley and the Guv together anymore. Not a book I w...more"

15 hours, 19 min ago · see review

02/22

meeners gave

to:

All I Did Was Shoot My Man

by Shannon Hale (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: austen-related, guilty-pleasure

read in February, 2012

My rating:

meeners said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

19 hours, 37 min ago · see review

02/21

Marissa Morrison gave

to:

by Walter Mosley

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Marissa Morrison said: "Either I didn't drink enough coffee today, or the plot of this book is hard to follow. Eight years ago there was a big heist, and some dozen characters were either involved in the heist or played a role in its cover-up. Some of those characters are n...more"

Feb 21, 2012 07:36pm · see review

02/21

Mal Warwick gave

to:

Taken (Elvis Cole, #13, Joe Pike, #4)

by Elizabeth George

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Mal Warwick said: "Another Unpredictable Inspector Lynley Novel

I’ve enjoyed most of Elizabeth George’s 16 previous novels about the life and career of Thomas Lynley, an hereditary earl from Cornwall who has risen to the post of Detective Inspector in Scotland...moreAnother Unpredictable Inspector Lynley Novel

I’ve enjoyed most of Elizabeth George’s 16 previous novels about the life and career of Thomas Lynley, an hereditary earl from Cornwall who has risen to the post of Detective Inspector in Scotland Yard. Like all of George’s characters, Lynley is a finely drawn and three-dimensional — likeable, without being the sort of person you’d expect to pal around with. Her settings, usually picturesque corners of rural England, are engaging in their own right. George clearly does her homework — she’s American, after all — so that her books are popular in the UK, not just the U.S.

Maybe what I most enjoy about Elizabeth George’s writing is the utter unpredictability of her stories. She consciously avoids working in the old Agatha Christie mode of murder tales. For example, consider this passage from Believing the Lie:

“For an utterly mad moment Lynley thought the woman was actually confessing to murdering her husband’s nephew. The setting, after all, was perfect for it, in the best tradition of more than one hundred years of tea-in-the-vicarage and murder-in-the-library paperback novels sold in railway stations. He couldn’t imagine why she might be confessing, but he’d also never been able to understand why the characters in those novels sat quietyly in the drawing room or the sitting room or the library while a detective laid out all the clues leading to the guilt of one of them. No one ever demanded a solicitor in the midst of the detective’s maundering. He’d never been able to sort that one out.”

So, if you pick up a copy of Believing the Lie, prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of a story, resplendent with more than its share of surprises. When Inspector Lynley is despatched to Cumbria to look into the murder of the nephew of a rich and powerful man, you might expect a straightforward tale of crime and punishment. What you’ll get instead is a complex tale of intrigue, adultery, family secrets, betrayal, and a host of other themes involving a wealthy manufacturing family, a tabloid reporter, a stunning Argentine woman, Lynley’s friends Deborah and Simon, and, of course, Lynley’s interior dialogue about his murdered wife. You’ll also witness the untimely deaths of two people. But don’t expect anything to go the way you think it will.

(From www.malwarwickonbooks.com)(less)"

Feb 21, 2012 04:39pm · see review

02/21

Dot gave

to:

by Robert Crais

My rating:

Dot said: "Elvis Cole, world's greatest detective, is hired to find ATF bigwig's niece who's been mistakenly gathered up in the desert with illegals. He and Joe Pike jump thru hoops with Koren mob, Mexican cartel and just plain bad guys but rescue her and boyfr...more"

Feb 21, 2012 04:06pm · see review

02/21

Heidi gave

to:

by Shannon Hale (Goodreads Author)

My rating:

Heidi said: "Took about half way through to get into it, but loved it after that. I did find one teensy error in the book. I love it when I find an error that the editor did not. This one was a change of eye color. Perhaps the character had colored contacts. ...more"

Feb 21, 2012 03:32pm · see review

02/21

Rose gave

to:

Night School

by C.J. Daugherty (Goodreads Author)

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Rose said: "I love C.J.'s husband for daring her to write this. Even though I was still a bit confused at the end about what was happening, I still wholeheartly loved it!

Characters

Allie

Even though I thought she was going t...more"

Feb 21, 2012 12:00pm · see review

02/21

Lesley gave

to:

The Rope: An Anna Pigeon Novel

by William Landay (Goodreads Author)

read in January, 2012

My rating:

Lesley said: "I won a copy of this book in a publisher's contest and decide to read it even though mysteries are not my normal cup of tea. However, I really enjoyed this psychological courtroom mystery and read it in just a few days. Why was the former Asst. Distr...more"

Feb 21, 2012 10:56am · see review

02/21

Jane gave

to:

by Nevada Barr

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Jane said: "Seldom do I wish for pictures in a novel. With The Rope, I was frantic for illustrations of the rock climbing situations Anna gets herself in to in this tension filled novel. Not a rock climber myself, I sorta envy people who are crazy enough to at...more"

Feb 21, 2012 09:25am · see review

02/21

Tony gave

to:

Taken (Elvis Cole, #13, Joe Pike, #4)

by Robert Crais

bookshelves: thrillers

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Tony said: "TAKEN. (2012). Robert Crais. ***.
In this latest thriller from Mr. Crais, he uses his usual cut-and-paste style of assembly, along with a hopscotch through time technique to move the plot forward. I can’t complain, though, it all seems to w...more"

Feb 21, 2012 08:50am · see review

02/21

Britta gave

to:

New Girl

by Paige Harbison (Goodreads Author)

My rating:

Britta said: " I found out after reading New Girl that this novel is a retelling of Rebecca, but I have not read the original, so I am in no position to tell how accurately they matched up. My review is solely bases on New Girl (how it should be).

What st...more I found out after reading New Girl that this novel is a retelling of Rebecca, but I have not read the original, so I am in no position to tell how accurately they matched up. My review is solely bases on New Girl (how it should be).

What struck me about this novel was not necessarily the characters or the plot, but the overall feel of the story. It reminded me of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma in the way that every page coats you with a layer of mystery and that feeling that something is just not quite right...

There were a few things that did not fit to me - not that I didn't like them, just that they didn't really make sense. First off, the main character is sent to boarding school because her parents had been secretly applying since she first asked them years ago (because she was infatuated with Harry Potter) and they think they are doing something extremely nice for their daughter when she is finally accepted. Okay, that's nice. But - she doesn't want to go to boarding school anymore. Why she doesn't tell her parents and not go makes no sense to me. Also, at the school, there is an old boat house where the kids have parties. I get how they tricked the guard into letting them go down there before the MC gets there... but after a student goes missing there, wouldn't it make sense to have more security and/or padlock the place?

I tried to ignore my rational thoughts (this is fiction, I attempted to convince myself) because I really did enjoy the novel. I can't pin point exactly why, but I really wanted to get to the end and see how it all played out! The narration goes between the main character and the missing girl (before she goes missing up unto the point) and that was really unique how it was set up that way. Also, not saying anything, but I really enjoy what the author does with the main character's name (you'll see what I mean if you read it).

Beware though, there is a lot of drugs, sex, violence (rape/self-harm) woven into the plot. It is not extraneous, but if that is going to bother you, I thought I'd give you a heads up. But really, don't let that stop you. The novel is intriguing, suspenseful, mysterious and creepy - a powerful combination.(less)"

Feb 21, 2012 04:48am · see review

02/20

Vicki Summerfeldt gave

to:

by Elizabeth George

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Vicki Summerfeldt said: "Believing the Lie is one in a long series of books (17th or 18th) written about a police officer, Lynley. I would suggest a familiarity with the previous novels to fully appreciate the characters involved. It is apparent that I love the series consi...more"

Feb 20, 2012 11:16pm · see review

02/20

Barb Moore gave

to:

by Elizabeth George

bookshelves: adult, british, emotions, mystery

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Barb Moore said: "slow start, good middle--didn't like the ending, but them's the breaks--the author gets to decide who lives and who dies, not the reader. like all george's mysteries, very fraught--major trauma and minor tragedies for all. though this is not really a...more"

Feb 20, 2012 07:29pm · see review

02/20

Martin Patrick gave

to:

Private Games

by James Patterson (Goodreads Author)

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Martin Patrick said: "I read James Patterson to remind myself that I can do this too, and I hope a tad bit better. Patterson books are always a fun read, and this was one per usual, though the final boss battle scene ended in such a comical way that I literally laughed o...more"

Feb 20, 2012 05:09pm · see review

02/21

Izzy gave

to:

Night School

by C.J. Daugherty (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: wanted-to-like, dirty-love-triangle, thought-it-would-be-better, thought-it-could-be-better, wait-what, inconsistent-protagonist, huh, avg

read in February, 2012

My rating:

Izzy said: "Awh man. I really wanted to be able to give this book more. Instead I shall tell you why I didn't (and why I gave it what I did of course). I'm feeling mean enough to rate this a 2.5.

Right, so the blurb and the first chapter of the book ...more"

Feb 21, 2012 12:43pm · see review

02/20

Dariosk gave

to: