Book Reviews | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

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.

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.

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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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.

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Legal, Mystery | Permalink
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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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COSMOSIS by Rainer Rey

November 20, 2014

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Jace Kelton and Madison Marro meet while investigating the deaths of their respective fathers. Their parents were on a search for an unlimited supply of alternative fuels to replace the now dwindling supply of fossil fuels.

The search touches on mysteries of ancient peoples; the pyramids of Egypt, Easter Island, and the Bermuda Triangle. They are pursued by a force of Chinese warriors who have heard about the possibility of an alternative fuel and want it for their country.

Maddy and Jace in their search stumble upon a mysterious Interstellar force that probably placed the alternative energy source long ago and left it for humankind when they have reached a certain evolutionary stage. They also find a love between them that helps them to overcome the obstacles in their path to getting the source.

A fast moving novel, well done with a more than interesting thesis to keep the reader constantly involved in the action. A followup book is a possibility with further action in bringing the alternative power source to market.

11/14 Paul Lane

COSMOSIS by Rainer Rey. Turner (November 11, 2014). ISBN: 978-1620459928. 348p.

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ANGELINA’S BACHELORS by Brian O’Reilly

November 20, 2014

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A Novel of Food

Narrated by Xe Sands

This is a sweet, old fashioned tale – so old fashioned, I’m really not sure when it is supposed to take place. Could be the 1950’s-60s, but sometimes feels more modern and then with a jolt, no cell phones, back to another era. I guess the author, the Executive Producer of Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible, was going for timeless, and perhaps it was achieved.

I listened to the audio book, so had a different experience from the printed version. For one thing, there are no recipes in the audio, just a note at the end to check out the website for recipes. Some of the print reviews made note of the fact that recipes were interspersed throughout the chapters, in the midst of story, which some felt were jarring, but the audio book avoided that issue.

So this novel of food is exactly that – if you don’t want to read lavish descriptions of meals on a regular basis, then this is not the book for you. I love that stuff, so it worked for me.

Angelina is a young woman whose husband dies suddenly in her kitchen. The young widow quickly loses her job and when a neighbor comes knocking on her door, offering to pay her to cook him breakfast and dinner six days a week, she decides that food may be her salvation, in more ways than one. Soon other men come knocking, and almost immediately Angelina’s dining room table is full of bachelors looking for a good meal.

The men quickly become a family of sorts, with Angelina the glue that binds them together. When she finds out she’s pregnant some months after her husband’s passing, the bachelors all rally around and support her.

If it hasn’t slapped you in the face yet, the message here is that when one door closes, another opens and Angelina steps through into a good life, despite her tragedy. And despite her tragedy, this is a light hearted read, interspersed with humor and love. It is a lovely read, and a memorable one.

11/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ANGELINA’S BACHELORS by Brian O’Reilly. Tantor Audio (December 30, 2011). ASIN: B006RCYUFQ. Listening Length: 7 hours and 22 minutes.

Paperback: Gallery Books; Reprint edition (August 9, 2011). ISBN 978-1451620566. 384p.

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