Monday, August 31, 2009

DOG ON IT By Spencer Quinn

This book is the story of a private investigator named Bernie and his K-9 partner named Chet. This book is cleverly narrated through the eyes of Chet, the dog.
The story opens with a woman named Cynthia Chambliss showing up at Bernie’s door trying to hire him to find her missing daughter, Madison. He reluctantly agrees (since she’s only been missing a few hours) and they go to Cynthia’s to check out Madison’s room. There they meet a very irritating parrot (at least to Chet) named Cap’n Crunch. While they are still there Madison returns home, case solved right? No, a few days later she comes up missing again, this time for real.
When Bernie is in the mall chasing down leads (no dogs allowed) Chet is stabbed and injured by a man in a blue car who also slashes their tires. Oh no a trip to the vet! Through twists and turns Bernie finds out that Madison was also seen being followed by a man in a blue car, before she went missing.
The next night they are camping in the back yard with Bernie’s son Charlie, who’s visiting (were divorced says Chet) and Chet jumps the fence and spots the man who stabbed him watching the house. Chet attacks him, is tasered then forced into the trunk and kidnapped. He smells Madison in the trunk; she’s been there before him!
Chet is caged and abused by some very bad Russian guys, but manages to escape only to be captured and taken to a shelter. Right as he is about to be euthanized, Suzie a reporter friend of Bernie’s shows up and saves him.
After Chet is returned to Bernie he begins to notice Chet acting strangely every time he says Madison. Can Chet communicate with Bernie in time to save Madison?
I loved this book because it’s filled with all the funny little antics that dogs do. All dog owners have found themselves talking to their beloved friends. And most of us believe whole heartedly that they understand more than we know. This book proves it. Any dog lover will really enjoy this book. It’s a pretty good mystery as well! I can’t wait to read more Chet and Bernie mysteries. I loved seeing the world through Chet’s eyes.
I give it an 8/10 for the dog’s perspective.
Get This Book Here!!
Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Chet and Bernie Mysteries)
Other Books By Spencer Quinn
Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery

Friday, August 28, 2009

WHERE THE DEAD LAY By David Levien

This novel follows in the steps of Levien's bestseller "City Of The Sun" with more of Detective Frank Behr. Frank is "a six foot plenty ,two-fortyish ,ex cop turned private detective." He is also devoted to the practice of martial arts, which makes him one tough guy.
This story opens with Frank on his way to meet his friend and Jui-Jitsu instructor Aurelio Santos. When he arrives at the gym, he finds the place covered with cops. His friend Aurelio has been the victim of a brutal shooting. With no suspects and nowhere to look, Frank vows to avenge Aurelio's death.
As he is trying to come up with leads to his friends murder, The Caro Group, an exclusive investigation firm, approaches him to, very quietly find two of their missing detectives. Caro Group doesn't want to give him any information to help him know where to look, as they consider it all confidential, so he turns them down.Then he is encouraged by his old boss, police captain Pomeroy, to take the case with the possibility of reinstatement to the force.
Frank learns from Pomeroy that the missing private detectives were investigating pea-shake houses, low rent transient gambling houses around the city. He soon learns the pea-shake houses are being busted down by a ruthless crime family, trying to shut them all down and take over. Getting nowhere on his friends murder, He begins to follow their trail and makes some gruesome discoveries along the way.
Meanwhile Franks girlfriend Susan has just told him she is pregnant, and true to his lone wolf nature, he shuts her out.
This book is gritty and dark and shows a crime family in the Schlegels that is truly horrifying. They give the Sopranoes a run for their money with their ruthlessness.
with all the twists and turns, you begin to wonder if anyone will survive. Will Frank be swallowed up by the darkness he's trying to fight?
This novel shows the reader a dark side of life most of us pray never to encounter. Levien takes the effort to lay out graphic and detailed fight scenes. I'm sure fight enthusiast will love it!
I give it a 7\10

Get this Book Here! 
Where the Dead Lay
More Books by David Levien
City of the Sun
Swagbelly: A Novel for Today's Gentleman


Literature Blogs

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

THE MAZE by Catherine Coulter

This book is the second book of The F.B.I. series by Catherine Coulter. from way back in 1997
However I find this series to be a good read, and the author continues to add volumes which is a good thing if you are an avid reader.
The central character is Lacey Sherlock, who is a new graduate special agent for the F.B.I.
Lacey begins her career for the wrong reason (revenge) but manages to keep the fact hidden. (or maybe just overlooked since this is the F.B.I. we're talking about.
Lacey's sister Belinda was killed 7 years earlier by the" String Killer", a serial killer who puts his victims through a maze, lead by a ball of string, before killing them.
Lacey is obsessed by her sisters murder and has nightmares in which the killer has her trapped in one of his mazes.
Fate then puts her in the right place when Dillon Savich picks her for the newly formed Criminal Apprehension Unit. When the killer strikes again Lacey betrays Dillon's trust and goes off on a one woman manhunt that gets her nowhere. Instead of dropping her from the team Dillon begins to help his wayward agent and in the process teach her a little about trust.
This novel has the vindictive ex girlfriend Hannah, who's always trying to cause trouble.
And there is Douglas, the brother in law , who seems to care for Lacey just a little too much.
Lacey and Dillon plan a daring trap to catch the killer but, when the killer is apprehended and brags about all his victims ,he fails to name Lacey's sister. Is this just more games for him or did he kill Belinda? before they can figure it out, he escapes police custody. Lacey's life is in danger once again. Dillon realizes things don't add up and he must untangle a web of lies that might bring the whole family down and destroy the woman he loves. They discover together Lacey's nightmares are more than just dreams and in the process find true love.
Parts of this book are expected and sweet, but this is part of the joy in reading them. I enjoyed it very much!

Buy this Book here!
The Maze (FBI Series)

Other Books By Catherine Coulter.
KnockOut: An FBI Thriller (FBI Thrillers)
TailSpin (FBI Series)
Riptide (FBI Series)








Literature Blogs

THE PENNY by Joyce Meyer & Deborah Bedford

This novel is the debut of T.V. evangelist Joyce Meyer into the realm of fiction literature. Joyce Meyer is however no stranger to writing, as she has written a multitude of best selling, christian self help books. Her coauthor Deborah Bedford is an award winning well known christian fiction author.
This book is loosely based on Joyce Meyer's life as a young girl. Set in 1955, St. Louis where the central character is a young girl named Jenny Blake.
At the opening of the story Jenny stops to pick up a penny embedded in the street. This sets off a chain of events that foils a robbery attempt of Mrs. Shaw's jewelry store. Thus begins a friendship (and employment) with Mrs. Shaw, who is misunderstood and avoided by most of the town. In this friendship they are both pushed to confront the secrets of their lives.
Jenny Blake has an abusive father and a scared mother who turns a blind eye. Her older sister Jean Idolizes Grace Kelly and wants nothing so bad as to have her fairy tale life.
But Jenny also has a "forbidden" best friend named Aurela Crockett who's skin is the wrong color to please Jenny's prejudice father. Aurela's family is close knit,close to God and altogether
delightful, with a trumpet playing father named Eddie Crockett and a large extended family.
This causes Jenny to be that much more aware of the lack in her own life.
things get really bad when her older sister Jean tries to escape home by running away to secretarial school. Jenny makes matters worse by pushing away her best friend in a time of great need.
This book speaks plainly about a time when people from different neighborhoods mixing was like "mixing water and oil" and most people turned a blind eye to what went on in other peoples families. It also shows how Jenny is transformed into realizing small decisions can make a difference.
This is a delightful child, I just wanted to take her home and protect her.

Get this Book Here!
The Penny: A Novel




Literature Blogs

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Cove by Catherine Coulter

I recently discovered on the bookshelf, another good series for those of you who are like me and like to spend time getting to know the writing style and characters as an author grows in his or her abilities.
The F.B.I. Thriller series by Catherine Coulter is one such opportunity. This series began many years ago (1996) with a book titled "The Cove". This book begins with Sally St.John Brainerd fleeing for her life, having escaped a mental institution. When she begins to receive phone calls from her dead father you begin to wonder if the institution might not be the best place for her.
In to her life steps James Quinlan F.B.I. , pretending to be a private detective in search of two long missing travelers.His real target is Sally. But you can tell from the moment he meets her, his fate is sealed.All he wants to do is protect her,but from what?
She hears strange screams in the night that no one else hears. Then the following day they stumble upon the body of a woman washed up on the rocks of the cove.
Soon its clear to James that every one of the sweet elderly people in the postcard like town, is covering up something.
This story then becomes a two for one mystery as they solve who's after Sally? and why are people disappearing in front of the "Worlds Greatest Ice Cream Shop"?
I thought the characters were charming and a little scary in this book. I didn't know who the ringleaders were till the very end. (Okay, maybe I just didn't want to admit it to myself!)
Buy this book here.The Cove (FBI Series)


Literature Blogs

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire Q & A

This debut novel by a writer named Vikas Swarup is the inspiration for the blockbuster movie Slum dog millionaire
This book starts with the main character Ram Mohammad Thomas finding himself in jail being accused of cheating on India’s quiz show ‘Who Will Win a Billion”
And take the reader on a journey through the complex life of an orphan who through his need to survive, gains a well rounded education through the school of life.

This book is full of twists and turns and it will make you laugh and cry. I was hooked from the moment I read how Ram Mohammad Thomas got his unusual name until the very end.
It gives a glance at the life few of us ever think about but probably need to.
I say read it you wont regret it! (Then see the Movie)

Get This Book Here!!
Slumdog Millionaire: A Novel




Literature Blogs

John Grisham has done it again with “The Associate”

This gripping thriller takes the reader through the dark underbelly of corporate mega law firms. The central character Kyle Mcavoy is the editor of the school paper for Yale Law. He has hopes of making a difference by doing legal-aide work for migrant workers before immersing himself into the corporate jungle of Scully & Pershing.

His perfect world soon comes crashing down around him when a man named Bennie begins to blackmail him. He is forced to become a spy and learns what it means to fear for his very life and the lives of those around him. He doesn’t know who to trust and begins to form his own plan to out smart Bennie. Will he survive or become the scape goat for Bennies boss, (whoever that is) read it and see!

Get This Book Here!!
The Associate

Other good reads by John Grisham.
The Rainmaker
Ford County: Stories
The Rainmaker
The Innocent Man









Literature Blogs

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz my favorite series


Some of my favorite books I've read this year have been the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. Odd Thomas


The character Odd is a unusual young man who sees the ghost's of people who need his help to solve their murders. From the moment I read how Odd got his name because of a error on his birth certificate his mother never corrected, I knew these books were the more humorous side of Dean Koontz writing.

These books are also filled with humor with the ghost's of some famous people like Elvis and
Frank Sinatra Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels). I looked forward to reading each book and found them hard to put down till the very end. If you are already a fan of Mr. Koontz books you will find these are not as dark as many of his tales. I hope Mr. Koontz will continue to write about Odd in the future. I say try them out for an enjoyable escape from the everyday! Checkout more of the series below well worth the price!
More books in the Odd Thomas series.
Forever Odd (Odd Thomas Novels)
In Odd We Trust
Odd Hours


Humor Blogs