Eleventh Grave In Moonlight

Eleventh Grave InMoonlight by Darynda Jones, 310 pages

“A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, errant wives, missing people, philandering business owners, and, oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. Now, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, will Charley be able to defeat the ultimate evil and find a way to have her happily ever after after all?” This series is always fun and this book is no exception.  There is sex and violence. Sometimes the sex is great and the violence can get gory. The best part of these books, in my opinion, however, is the humor.  Charley is hilarious, even when, sometimes especially when, everything is going wrong.  Anyone who likes humorous adventure books that include some sex and gore will want to read the whole series.

Baby Monkey, Private Eye

Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin, 191 pages

Baby Monkey solves several crimes as a private eye, including the missing pizza and the stolen spaceship, at least he can as soon as he gets his pants on.  Can Baby Monkey solve the case of the lost baby?  This is a cute book that is probably most appropriate for early elementary and early readers.

The Prince Of Venice Beach

The Prince Of Venice Beach by Blake Nelson, 233 pages

Cali, a teen runaway, knows a lot about what’s happening in Venice Beach.  When a private investigator approaches him, asking for help finding another runaway, Cali accepts.  He finds the kid, who has had some rough experiences and is ready to go home. Cali thinks that he might like to get into that line of work eventually. More private investigators start asking for help finding people and Cali is eager but starts to find that finding people might be more complicated than he thinks.  People’s stories may not always be true and there may be good reasons for people not wanting to be found.  Looking for Reese, another teen runaway, may be one of those complicated stories.  Who is telling the truth; Reese, her father, the PI looking for her?  Cali just isn’t sure, and he isn’t sure how to proceed.  This story seemed a little simplistic in some ways, but I still found it a satisfying read.  I think that teens who like realistic fiction would enjoy it.

Private Paris

Private Paris by James Patterson & Mark Sullivan, 411 pages

"Someone is targeting the most powerful people in Paris--only Jack Morgan can make it stop.  When Jack Morgan stops by Private's Paris office, he envisions a quick hello during an otherwise relaxing trip. But Jack is quickly pressed into duty after getting a call from his client Sherman Wilkerson, asking Jack to track down his young granddaughter, who is on the run from a brutal drug dealer. Before Jack can locate her, several members of France's cultural elite are found dead-murdered in stunning, symbolic fashion. The only link between the crimes is a mysterious graffiti tag. As religious and ethnic tensions simmer in the City of Lights, only Jack and his Private team can connect the dots before the smoldering powder keg explodes."  This is typical Patterson although the longer chapter length and slightly more depth gives away that these aren't completely Patterson.  I like them a little better for it.  Some of Patterson's fans may prefer his classic style and appreciate the fact that his books are such quick reads.  These are still fairly quick but not as much because they have a little more meat to them.  Some fans will like that the book takes a little longer so they have something to read while waiting for the next book.

The Games

TheGames by James Patterson, 366 pages

"Rio has spent years preparing to host the world during the Olympic games--but they didn't prepare for this ...  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil--home to beautiful white-sand beaches, gorgeous women, stunning natural beauty, and the world's largest Carnival celebration--knows how to throw a party. So it's a natural choice to host the biggest spectacles in sports--the World Cup and the Olympics. To ensure that the games go off without a hitch, the organizers turn to Jack Morgan, the unflappable head of the renowned international security and consulting firm Private. But when events are this exclusive, someone's bound to get left off the guest list.  Two years after the action nearly spilled from the field to the stands during soccer's championship match, Jack is back in Rio for the Olympics. But before the cauldron is even lit, the only thing more intense than the competition is the security risks. When prominent clients he's supposed to be protecting disappear, and bodies mysteriously start to litter the streets, Jack is drawn deep into the heart of a ruthless underworld populated by disaffected residents trying to crash the world's biggest party. As the opening ceremonies near, with the world watching in horror, Jack must sprint to the finish line to defuse a threat that could decimate Rio and turn the games from a joyous celebration into a deadly spectacle."  This was typical Patterson, a relatively fast read, mostly predictable plot, entertaining.  I have to say that there was at least one unexpected twist, which made the story a little more interesting, but also harder to read.  Overall, a solid effort that Patterson fans will enjoy.

X

X by Sue Grafton, 403 pages

“Perhaps her darkest and most chilling novel, it features a remorseless serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes. Once again breaking the rules and establishing new paths, Grafton wastes little time identifying this sociopath. The test is whether Kinsey can prove her case against him before she becomes his next victim.”  I loved this book.  I’m not sure that I’ve disliked any of Grafton’s books so far, but this one was excellent.  Mystery livers and fans of this series won’t be able to put this book down.  I’m really going to be sad when she finishes this series.

Career of Evil

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
497 Pages

"When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible--and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them... Career of Evil is the third in the highly acclaimed series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A fiendishly clever mystery with unexpected twists around every corner, it is also a gripping story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives."

The series continues to develop the characters of Robin and Cormoran as well as tell a mystery story that is engaging.  I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.  

Governor's Wife

The Governor's Wife by Michael Harvey
237 Pages

"When Illinois Gov. Raymond Perry is sentenced to prison for fraud and racketeering, he enters an elevator in Chicago's Dirksen Building and disappears. Soon afterward, PI and ex-cop Michael Kelly gets an anonymous email offering him $200,000 to find Perry, no questions asked. Naturally, he begins with Mrs. Perry, an enigma who fears that her husband is dead. Further probing, with help from a cop friend, leads to a mysterious construction conglomerate where Kelly is violently warned off. It appears that a shadowy political cabal is behind a decades-long skimming of road construction funds with the governor so much involved that $60 million has gone missing with him. The ruthless pols are eliminating anyone involved while they pressure Kelly to find the money."

Harvey's books are similar to Michael Connelly and early Robert Parker.  I highly recommend any in his series.  The only fault I have with the book is that it is too short.

Eighth Grave After Dark

Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones, 293 pages

Since Ed W reviewed this in April I’m not going to waste any time with plot.  I really liked this book and didn’t even mind that it ended with a cliffhanger.  Although, I have to say I’m glad that I read the print version with the bonus chapter because it did alleviate a little bit of the anxiety over the cliffhanger.  Overall, I think this book holds up well compared to the others in the series and that people will enjoy it.

Memory Man

Memory Man by David Baldacci
405 Pages


 "Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice. The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect--he can never forget anything. The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare--his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered. His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can. But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice."

I have long enjoyed Baldacci and look forward to further books with this new flawed protagonist Amos Decker.   A fast paced, procedural this book will be popular with fans of Patterson, Coben, Grisham and Connelly.

Deceived

Deceived by Irene Hannon, 408 pages

This is the third book in the Private Justice series.  These books are related in the sense that they are the same characters but they definitely do not need to be read in order.  Three years ago Kate Marshall lost her husband and son in a boating accident, but her son’s body was never recovered.  Now she is living in St. Louis and is convinced that she saw her son at a shopping mall.  Knowing that it’s almost certainly not true but desperate to get to the truth, she hires Connor Sullivan to track down the boy and find out if he is her son or not.  This is more of a suspense and romance than a mystery.  We get to see all sides of this story and are well aware that the boy is Kate’s son but he man that has him will go to any lengths to keep him.  We also get to watch the budding romance between Kate and Connor.  Hannon is a good writer and this is a good story, as are all of the books in this series.  Readers that enjoy this genre will enjoy these books.

Private Vegas

Private Vegas by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro, 361 pages

One of the books in the series about an investigation group called Private, this book focuses on several different cases.  One case involves two men from the country of Samir who have been sexually assaulting women.  Unfortunately that can’t be proven yet and even if it could be proven the two men have diplomatic immunity.  Another case involves rich older men who are married to younger women but seem to be dying a little too conveniently.  The last case involves one of Private’s employee’s, Del Rio, who has been accused of attempted murder.  Jack, the head of Private, knows he’s innocent but the evidence and circumstances look bad.  Meanwhile, Jack’s brother, Tommy, is back again and harassing Jack to sell Private to him.  Could Tommy be the one who firebombed Jack’s car?  The book is fast paced and filled with action.  It’s a very quick read and except for ending to quickly will probably make a lot Patterson’s fans happy.

Trapped

Trapped by Irene Hannon, 393 pages

This is the second Private Justice novel.  These books do not have to be read in any sort of order.  Although this books refers to some things that happened in the first book, it’s not at all necessary to have read it to follow this story.  Laura Griffith has hired a detective to help find her runaway 16 year old sister, Darcy.  The detective at the agency who catches her case is James “Dev” Devlin.  These books are not mysteries.  We see what is happening on Laura and Dev’s side of the search but we also get to see what is happening from Darcy’s perspective.  It is more of a thriller since there is the worry that Darcy won’t be found before she is in serious trouble and it is also a romance as things heat up between Dev and Laura.  Hannon is a good writer and this series has been pretty enjoyable so far.  I’m looking forward to the third book as well.

The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter

The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan
373 Pages

"Elizabeth Barnabus lives a double life - as herself and as her brother, the private detective. She is trying to solve the mystery of a disappearing aristocrat and a hoard of arcane machines. In her way stand the rogues, freaks and self-proclaimed alchemists of a travelling circus. But when she comes up against an agent of the all-powerful Patent Office, her life and the course of history will begin to change. And not necessarily for the better..."

In this version of England the Patent office controls inventions in order to protect society from the potential upheaval of life changing inventions.  Barnabus, once part of a travelling show, must use her talents to find a missing aristocrat.  The plot moves quickly and Elizabeth is a strong female character. 

Grand Cru Heist

Grand Cru Heist by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noel Balen   149 pages

 Book 2 in the Winemaker Detective Series

The Winemaker Detective Series has been adapted for television and is a HUGE hit in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The premise for the books (and the show) follows master winemaker Benjamin Cooker and his assistant Virgile Lanssien as they solve mysteries in vineyards throughout France.

In this episode, Cooper gets mugged and his car stolen one night in Paris. He is quite shaken about the incident and retreats to the region around Tours (France) to recover. There he meets a man who is driving a classic Morgan with a voluptuous woman on his arm and seems to know almost as much as Cooper about wines.

 Then the woman turns up in shallow grave, the bartender is found hanging nearby, and the man with the Morgan has disappeared. On top of all that, someone has been breaking into nearby wineries and stealing only the Grand Cru Classe bottles.

There’s not much to this novel.  It lacks tension. However, the authors do know their wineries and their wines. Cooper and Lanssien are more interested in  who’s stealing the wines thatn they are about the two deaths.

 I give this novel 2 out of 5 stars.

Silkworm

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
455 Pages

Robert Galbraith is the pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, famous for the Harry Potter Series.  In this second entry of this mystery series, private investigator Cormoran Strike is back with his faithful sidekick Robin in a missing persons case.  When author Owen Quine goes missing, his wife comes to Cormoran and asks him to find the man.  Cormoran quickly finds himself immersed in the world of publishing, where personalities clash and there is no lack of suspects.

I had really liked the first novel "Cuckoo's Calling" in this series and was looking forward to this new book.  However, Galbraith could have used some editing.  There were a lot of extraneous details and plot lines that added very little to the book and I would have preferred further development of the main characters Robin and Cormoran and their relationship.