FULL MEASURE by T. Jefferson Parker

November 30, 2014

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US Marine Patrick Norris has seen the worst that Afghanistan has to offer–excruciating heat, bitter cold, and death waiting behind every rock as comrades are blown to pieces by bombs and snipers. He returns home not knowing the worst is ahead of him.

The avocado ranch his family has owned for generations in Fallbrook, in the foothills of San Diego, has been destroyed by a massive wildfire and the parents he loves are facing ruin. Patrick’s older brother Ted is drawn into a circle of violent, criminal misfits.

Patrick puts his own plans to become a fishing guide on hold to save the family’s home and falls in love with Iris, a beautiful and unusual woman, when disaster strikes.  

A tale of two brothers and overcoming the odds. Maybe Parker’s best and I have to give a shout out to another outstanding Fallbrook mystery writer – Randy Hicks.

11/14 Jack Quick

Another review:

Patrick Norris was a marine serving in Afghanistan amid the killings, bombings chaos of war and the sight of friends killed and maimed. He is discharged, and returns home to a small town in California near the marine base of Camp Pendleton with a dream of opening his own sport fishing business, catering to a clientele that wants some guidance in fishing for game fish.

Much to his surprise and dismay, he discovers that the avocado tree ranch his family has owned and worked for years, located in the foothills of San Diego, has been destroyed by a wildfire. Consequently his parents are facing ruin in the aftermath of the blaze.

Patrick’s brother Ted is living with the family. He is a gentle, trusting person by nature but tormented by dark thoughts. With Patrick back, Ted falls in with a criminal element as a means of proving himself worthy of his brother’s and parent’s love. Patrick puts his own plans on hold in order to help his parents move through the crisis they face and also attempts to get Ted on a path to normalcy and a full life. He meets and falls in love with Iris in the course of his attempts to help both his parents and his brother.

Parker is known for his many crime novels but makes a major departure with Full Measure. He explores the emotions, thoughts and currents experienced by the characters in the book. When Ted makes some major personal blunders, Patrick goes to his aid with a love only a brother has for a sibling getting himself into major problems. This is not a typical Parker novel, delving into a world of emotions and feelings rather than describing a crime taking place. Well done, and hopefully leading to other books by the versatile Parker straying from the mysteries he is famous for.

10/14 Paul Lane

FULL MEASURE by T. Jefferson Parker. St. Martin’s Press (October 7, 2014). ISBN 978-1250052001. 288p.

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W IS FOR WASTED by Sue Grafton

November 29, 2014

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Kinsey Millhone Mysteries

When Kinsey Millhone receives a call asking for help in identifying a dead man found with her card in his possession, of course she unhesitatingly steps in to try and help. Kinsey has never met the man in question but offers to do some asking around to see what she can uncover. As she cracks the mystery of his identity, though, things become even more complicated than before.

Meanwhile, it’s been three months since the murder of fellow PI Pete Wolinsky. Kinsey doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to be dragged into the unsolved case whether she likes it or not.

Twenty-three titles in, Sue Grafton’s series is still one of my all-time favorites. Kinsey is whip smart and completely no nonsense, traits that really do come in handy in this latest.

Without giving too much away, I will say that W forces Kinsey to face more of her growing family issues as well as some past relationship issues. Kinsey’s family story is, of course, a long-running theme of the series. Orphaned at a young age and raised by a spinster aunt, Kinsey never met any of her extended family. And while she did begin discovering various connections in previous books, there are a lot of issues she’s still not faced with regards to her family history. We do finally get the long-awaited return of Dietz in this one, too.

With just three titles to go in the series, I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye. That said, I also can’t wait to see what Kinsey will be up against in X.

11/14 Becky LeJeune

W IS FOR WASTED by Sue Grafton. Berkley; Reprint edition (August 5, 2014). ISBN: 978-0425271575. 448p.

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A CERTAIN RETRIBUTION by Michael Lister

November 28, 2014

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Investigative reporter Merrick McKnight is back in this sequel to Thunder Beach, set in his hometown of Wewathitchka, called “Wewa” by the locals, in Northern Florida.

Somehow recovered from losing his wife and son, he runs into Reggie Summers, a beautiful young woman that McKnight had a crush on in high school, but now seems to be lacking in self-esteem. She’s a single mom and thinks herself somehow inadequate and beneath the notice of the reporter whom she admires.

The police department in this small town is corrupt, and McKnight is there investigating when a cop is killed, apparently with his own gun.

This is a gristly tale of cop killers and small town corruption, but also a romance between McKnight and Summers, and to complicate things even further, author Michael Lister makes an appearance as himself; a mystery writer much admired in this small town. This book is advertised as a twentieth anniversary celebration of Lister as a novelist, so there are several nods to twenty years of history here. The setting is atypical for Florida novels and is interesting in of itself, and lots of dialogue helps move the story along.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

11/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A CERTAIN RETRIBUTION by Michael Lister. Pulpwood Press (November 28, 2014). ISBN 978-1888146462. 232p.

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RAISE THE STAKES by Lucy Smith

November 26, 2014

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It  is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

That’s what former rivals, Lauren Hart and Pierce Maverick, thought as they mixed business with pleasure exploring their fantasies in The Sunday Arrangement. Their fun and games, however, now threaten to explode their world, hurting not only them personally but also the businesses they represent can be taken down with them.

Pierce’s assistant April, who mistakenly believes Pierce is enamored of her, has uncovered photographic evidence of their sexual dalliances and is threatening to expose them both to the world unless Pierce abandons Lauren and marries her.

Soon Lauren finds herself in the position she has always wanted – CEO of her family owned business – but with three immediate challenges – preventing two blackmail attempts and thwarting a hostile takeover. Can she handle the challenges? Will the price include the relationship with Pierce?

Batten down the hatches, bring out the good scotch and get ready for a truly bumpy ride as Lauren navigates the hallways of power. As importantly will the experience make Lauren a better, more adult person.  Another face paced read “adult” read.

eBook only

11/14 Jack Quick

RAISE THE STAKES by Lucy Smith. LucySmith.com (October 28, 2014). ASIN: B00P00ARCQ

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BETRAYED by Lisa Scottoline

November 25, 2014

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A Rosato & Associates Novel

After taking a few years off to write standalones, Scottoline relaunched her popular Rosato & Associates series in 2013 with Accused, and continues here with Betrayed.

Judy Carrier’s best friend, Mary DiNunzio, has been made partner and is planning her wedding, and Judy is feeling a bit out of sorts about it all. Her live-in boyfriend Frank is driving her crazy, leaving her to wonder about a future with him.

When her Aunt Barb is diagnosed with breast cancer, Judy has to deal with that and her deteriorating relationship with her mother. Aunt Barb’s closest friend is a Mexican illegal immigrant who dies of an apparent heart attack, but Judy finds her death suspicious, especially after finding a large stash of money squirreled away in her aunt’s house.

Meanwhile at work, boss Bennie has dropped a huge caseload of damages claims on Judy, and she finds a rather surprising solution to her dilemma.

Scottoline writes terrific legal fiction with warm, smart characters and lots of humor and heart, adding additional depth to her stories. Her legion of fans will be happy with Betrayed, and should find her new readers as well.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

11/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BETRAYED by Lisa Scottoline. St. Martin’s Press (November 25, 2014). ISBN 978-1250027702. 352p.

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Guest Blogger: Alan Wyler

November 24, 2014

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Sin City’s Deadliest Game

Young “Dark Net” Hacker the Unlikely Key to 9/11-Style Terror Plot 

“Deadly Odds is original, and a first rate thriller.”

–Philip Margolin, NY Times bestselling author of Woman with a Gun

“Allen Wyler knows of what he speaks, and writes, and the result is a thriller that equals and updates the best of Robin Cook and Michael Crichton.”

—Jon Land, bestselling author of Strong at the Break

“A wild Journey… you won’t be able to put it down.”

—D.P. Lyle, award-winning author of, Hot Lights, Cold Steel. 

Astor + Blue Editions is proud to present Deadly Odds (ISBN: 978-1-941286-02-9; Fiction, Thriller, Suspense & Crime, Technological Fiction; Espionage; September, 2014), a new breakout suspense thriller with a “techno edge” by bestselling author Allen Wyler. What happens when a shy and awkward young computer hacker has a run-in with terrorists?   

Twenty-three year old Arnold Gold is a local computer genius in his native Seattle, described as a “part-time hacker and full-time virgin” by his friends. When the awkward young shut-in decides to take matters in his own hands, and venture to Vegas “to get lucky,” little does he know that his hacking skill will make him  a bull’s-eye target for terrorists and the FBI.

A major terrorist group wants Arnold’s “Dark Net Hacking” system to help hatch their latest plot, and they’ll stop at nothing to claim it—even killing Arnold’s friends. Now, with murderous terrorists, the FBI, and the local cops on his tail, Arnold finds himself trapped in a high-stakes game with the odds of survival slim to none. It will take every last bit of his genius intellect and legendary hacking skill to stay one step ahead of the deadly game, and foil the plot that will turn Sin City into the scene of the deadliest terror attacks since 9/11.

Written in Allen Wyler’s break neck style and attention to expert detail, Deadly Odds is as terrifyingly plausible as it is darkly humorous and enjoyable. The riveting story of a young man who lives life through his computer and discovers its dark side is sure to win him legions of new fans. Filled with suspenseful twists and enough technological detail to keep both techno-thriller and classic suspense fans on the edge of their seats, Deadly Odds is the ultimate thrill ride for the emerging tech-savvy generation.

Q&A with Alan Wyler

Q:  How did you come up with the idea of the story?

A:  The first novel I ever wrote was based on this story’s kernel: a geek who develops a strategy to successfully gamble draws unwanted attention to himself. But that novel turned out to be disaster and was rejected by every agent I queried. However, the idea of being able to beat the odds remained intriguing yet elusive. Then one day I read about Nate Silver and his uncannily ability to accurately predict various phenomenon based on statistics. After all, this was what the 2011 Brad Pitt movie Moneyball was based on. Once I read about Silver, I knew the plot was much more believable.

Q: What influenced you to create a computer hacker protagonist than the usual medical professional?

A: There are several reasons. First, I don’t like being pigeonholed into the subgenre of “medical thriller.” In addition, it’s unbelievable to believe that a healthcare professional would have the computer expertise—or time—to pull off something like Arnold Gold does. More importantly, in doing my research for this story, I became fascinated with the Darknet and Internet security. I really wanted a way to weave this interesting information into a compelling story. So… a likeable computer hacker seemed to be a much more interesting character to develop than another neurosurgeon. I love Arnold Gold’s character and a really glad I settled on him.

Q:  Why Vegas? Have you always wanted to write a book with Sin City as the setting?

A:  When first developing the story I didn’t have any city in mind other than I knew Arnold lived in Seattle. (I love the city as a backdrop to stories.) I also knew Arnold wanted to get laid but was so uneasy about seeing an “escort” for this purpose, that it made sense for him to go someplace far from home where he’d be unlikely to run into anyone he knew. Given the reputation of Sin City, it just felt right to send him there.

Q:  Do you plan on writing more thriller books outside of the medical thriller genre?

A:  You bet. I like exploring topics dealing with computers and the Internet. I’m especially intrigued with hacking and the Darknet. My next book, Cutter’s Trial, however, is not a thriller and lands me right back in the medical arena because it explores the issue of physician assisted suicide. Having been involved in a couple start-up companies, I’m also toying with using that subject as a basis for a book, but I have nothing in development along these lines at the present time. We’ll see what happens.

Q:  Would you ever consider a sequel to this book?

A:  Glad you asked the question. Both Arnold Gold and Palmer Davidson are such wonderfully rich characters that Robert Astle (my agent) and I agree they are well-suited for a sequel. At the moment I’m busy writing Deadly Odds 2.0.

Q:  Do you think this book could be a movie? Who could you picture playing Arnold?

A:  Of all my prior thrillers, I think this one has the most cinematic potential. I’m lousy at casting, so if it were ever made into a movie (my wildest dream), I’d leave that choice to the producers.

About the Author

Allen Wyler is a renowned neurosurgeon who earned an international reputation for pioneering surgical techniques to record brain activity.  He has served on the faculties of both the University of Washington and the University of Tennessee, and in 1992 was recruited by the prestigious Swedish Medical Center to develop a neuroscience institute.

In 2002, he left active practice to become Medical Director for a startup med-tech company (that went public in 2006) and he now chairs the Institutional Review Board of a major medical center in the Pacific Northwest.

Leveraging a love for thrillers since the early 70’s, Wyler devoted himself to fiction writing in earnest, eventually serving as Vice President of the International Thriller Writers organization for several years. After publishing his first two medical thrillers Deadly Errors (2005) and Dead Head (2007), he officially retired from medicine to devote himself to writing full time.

He and his wife, Lily, divide their time between Seattle and the San Juan Islands.

www.allenwyler.com

 

Amazon:  http://goo.gl/jtr0IQ

B&N: http://bit.ly/1sZrIy1

Apple:  http://bit.ly/1xU0YiA

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1vo7n6Y

 

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ROBOT UPRISING ed. by Daniel H. Wilson & John Joseph Adams

November 24, 2014

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When your computer loses your email, do you ever stop to wonder if it did it on purpose? What about when your car starts making that funny noise, then stops as soon as you get a mechanic to look it over – do you wonder if maybe it’s plotting to drive you crazy? If you’ve ever felt like technology is out to get you, you might actually be right.

Fortunately for those of us who are worried about the machines taking over, Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams have brought together some of the best and brightest in genre fiction to give life to our worst fears. Robot Uprisings is a fan-freaking-tastic collection featuring everything from rogue nanobots to too smart, violent toys. Whatever your particular worries about AI or out of control technological advancements, there’s probably a story that covers it.

Each different author offers something unique and wonderful to the collection and the majority of the stories are original to Robot Uprisings. Some of my own favorites include the incredibly creepy “Lullaby” by Anna North, where a family inherits a house with a dark past; Seanan McGuire’s “We Are All Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War,” which pits parents against their kids’ toys; and Alastair Reynolds’s “Sleepover,” a somewhat different view on the war against the machines.

“Complex God” by Scott Sigler
“Cycles” by Charles Yu
“Lullaby” by Anna North
“Eighty Miles an Hour All the Way to Paradise” by Genevieve Valentine
“Executable” by Hugh Howey
“The Omnibot Incident” by Ernest Cline
“Epoch” by Cory Doctorow
“Human Intelligence” by Jeff Abbott
“The Golden Hour” by Julianna Baggott
“Sleepover” by Alastair Reynolds
“Seasoning” by Alan Dean Foster
“Nanonauts! In Battle With Tiny Death Subs!” By Ian McDonald
“Of Dying Heroes and Deathless Deeds” by Robin Wasserman
“The Robot and the Baby” by John McCarthy
“We Are All Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War” by Seanan McGuire
“Spider the Artist” by Nnedi Okrafor
“Small Things” by Daniel H. Wilson

11/14 Becky LeJeune

ROBOT UPRISING ed. by Daniel H. Wilson & John Joseph Adams. Vintage; First Edition edition (April 8, 2014). ISBN: 978-0345803634. 496p.

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THE JOB by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

November 23, 2014

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Fox and O’Hare Series, Book 3

If you weren’t sure that Evanovich could go darker, this book should resolve that issue. This is the darkest book so far in the series, but it speaks more to the level of suspense than actual violence or gore.

Kate O’Hare is an F.B.I. agent who is working off the books, so to speak, with Nick Fox, international con artist and thief. She caught the “Fox” and he escaped jail by agreeing to use his con artistry to help her bring down bigger and badder criminals. Case in point, drug pin Menendez, who had his face altered via plastic surgery, then killed the surgeon & the surgical team, so no one alive knows what he looks like or where he is.

Fox figures out a way to smoke him out, which involves conning him with a treasure map. Fox and O’Hare get their team together to convincingly portray an underwater find that is just the bait to trap this dangerous man and his killer security agent/girlfriend.

The violence is hinted at rather graphically, but that just ups the suspense making this a real page turner. But no worries, there is still quite a bit of humor and of course, the sexual tension between Fox and O’Hare adds another layer of fun to this read. Another excellent addition to the series, which has become one of my favorites.

11/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE JOB by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg.Bantam (November 18, 2014). ISBN 978-0345543127. 304p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE ANDY COHEN DIARIES by Andy Cohen

November 22, 2014

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A Deep Look at a Shallow Year

Narrated by Andy Cohen

In case you missed my review of Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture, I  love Andy Cohen. I am a Bravo junkie and never miss an episode of Top Chef (in all its incantations,) the The Real Housewives of New Jersey (and occasionally other Housewives) and Watch What Happens Live, hosted by Andy Cohen.

I knew after reading his first book and then listening to it that I had to listen to the new one – Andy reads it himself, which really does add a whole new dimension. I love his little asides to us listeners, especially the part of the book where he discusses how he spent the afternoon recording the audiobook and how much he hated doing it, which he called “meta meta” for us listeners.

Andy was completely enthralled with The Andy Warhol Diaries, and this book is an homage to that one. He mentions another possible title, “Namedropping,” which certainly would have been appropriate as well. Andy kept a journal for 2013, and kept track of everyone he ran into, dined with (and where), topics discussed, guests on his show, shows where he was the guest, parties attended,  events that he emceed, and so forth. The names flow like water, from the aforementioned New Jersey Housewives, his oldest and dearest friends (see Most Talkative) and of course, the real celebrities: Oprah, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Lady GaGa, Beyoncé, as well as the celebrities he calls friends: Anderson Cooper, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos, and Sarah Jessica Parker (affectionately called “SJP” or even “SJ” throughout the book) and her hubby Matthew Broderick, the late great Joan Rivers and tons more.

Cohen obsesses with his weight, his workouts, his friends, and gossip, and his self deprecating sense of humor is always at the forefront. But the star of the book, besides Andy himself, is his dog Wacha, who as of 11/21/14 has over 200 pictures and 93,000 followers on Instagram, and Wacha is often the subject of his daily journal. Andy discusses how and why he came to adopt a dog, the vet he sees at the “Barbara Walters Animal Hospital” and the famous people who love Wacha and do Instagram photo shoots with him, like John Mayer. Wacha has become the love of his life and the antidote to loneliness. Andy dates a lot, mostly younger men, and claims he wants a husband (and his mother reminds him to find a husband) but no one promising is on the horizon yet.

One of the things I like best about listening to the book (besides the fact it entertained me on my long flights from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles and back again) was that I could share it. My husband listened to whatever part I was up to while driving around L.A., and my daughter listened to some while driving around Boca, and everyone laughed and enjoyed the bits they heard. Very few books work that way.

The best memoirs are entertaining, informative and ring true, and once again Cohen meets all those criteria plus he is laugh out loud funny.  If you are the least bit obsessed with pop culture, celebrities and/or television, you do not want to miss this book.

11/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE ANDY COHEN DIARIES by Andy Cohen. Henry Holt and Co.; First Edition edition (November 11, 2014). ISBN 978-1627792288. 352p.

Audible Audio Edition: Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (November 11, 2014). ISBN: 978-1427259318. Listening Length: 13 hours and 30 minutes.

 

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DEADLINE by John Sandford

November 21, 2014

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It starts with a middle of the night call to Virgil Flowers from his friend and fishing buddy Johnson Johnson. Johnson’s father liked outboard motors so he named his kids Johnson, Mercury and Evinrude. Johnson’s calling about someone stealing dogs.

Virgil agrees to come take a look and soon finds himself involved in a murder, a major meth lab operation and a school board gone rogue stealing millions of taxpayer dollars. Soon the murder count has doubled, the meth lab has been shut down, some of the dogs have been rescued and Virgil is zeroing in on the school board.

As usual, a great outing from John Sandford.

 

 

11/14 Jack Quick

DEADLINE by John Sandford. Putnam Adult; First Edition first Printing edition (October 7, 2014). ISBN 978-0399162374. 400p.

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