Jennie's Book Chat: "The First Stone"

Have you ever read Bentley Little? Now, there's a weird guy. His thrillers are all about completely impossible human behavior, the complete breakdown of the social contract. Judith Kelman is a little like Little, only not quite so outlandish.

And she's a better writer, to boot. I've never read any of her books before, but in "The First Stone" there are more than a few totally beautiful turns of phrase, like the "bright crackles" of suds on 3-year-old Tyler's body when he jumps out of the bath. This book, a bit like John Katzenbach's latest, sets up an unbelievable run of bad luck for this family... You have to decide whether they're worth believing in.

Jennie's Book Chat: Playing catch-up

Well, I've been reading, though I haven't been blogging! Emilyn's appendix adventure has kept me offline for a while and, in the interim, I've finished three books:

"Wild Fire" by Nelson DeMille
This is a mind-blowing book! DeMille writes with such a hard edge, but you can't help liking John Corey. Even if he is a bastard. Suitcase nukes, Adirondack lodges. What fun! Makes me want to go to Lake Placid.

"The 6th Target" by James Patterson and his co-author of the week
The latest in the Women's Murder Club series... It was kind of all over the map. There were at least three different cases going on at once. But it kind of worked, because the combination really drives Boxer to the edge.

"The Blue Zone" by former James Patterson co-author of the week Andrew Gross
Here was an interesting book. Imagine a Colombian gangster tricking his way into the Witness Protection Program just so he could find and kill another Colombian gangster... Weird. The whole thing, told from the point of view of the gangster's daughter, really could have benefitted from some more police procedural stuff.

Jennie's Book Chat: "The Missing"

If you like thrillers, you should read Chris Mooney. Stop what you're doing and go online to the library right now. Request "Deviant Ways." It'll blow your tiny mind!

Anyway, it appears that Chris Mooney (or his publisher) finally got the money-making idea, and now they've kicked off a series, with a recurring character... Sound familiar? Like everybody else?

So, meet Darby McCormick, Boston criminalist. So, it's "CSI: Boston." She became a cop because she was nearly murdered as a teenager. Two of her friends were killed. That's how "The Missing" starts, and it's a heck of a ride from there, with a nice twist ending. Can the next Darby McCormick adventure measure up?

Jennie's Book Chat: "Absolute Fear"

I've read one or two books by Lisa Jackson. She's another one (shrewd authors all) who write about the same characters over and over again.

This one is "Absolute Fear." I like the characters... Left over from "Shiver." Jackson centers everything around the fictional Our Lady of Virtues mental hospital in New Orleans. It's a pretty creepy setting, and many horrible things went on there, so I'm sure it's ripe for many books to come.

But "Shiver" was a really well-plotted book. "Absolute Fear," not so much. It's like someone told the woman she had 20 pages to wrap it up. She throws everything but the kitchen sink in there, including pegging the killings on a character that you've seen for a paragraph before. Cheat! Anyway, what this book really needed was an editor! Maybe there is a future for me after the death of newspapers...

Jennie's Book Chat: "Bad Blood"

I also keep reading these Alex Cooper books by Linda Fairstein. Linda Fairstein, I'm sure, was a great lawyer. She's not really a great writer.

But, I got the book for 2 bucks at work, and so I read it. The central characters, Alex, Mike and Mercer, are pretty good. Alex always finds herself in some sort of moral peril. Hard to buy for an assistant DA. But Fairstein tends to bog us down in legal detail. This book was not as bad in that regard as past ones. A lot of the time, she throws in these random cases just to illustrate some particular point of sex crimes law. Yippee. And Alex spent hardly any time on Martha's Vineyard in this book. Just Joan's wedding, where she made out with a French chef. Even this felt thrown in.

But the plot device of the DNA/bone marrow transplant was cool. Did you know that, if you have leukemia and get a marrow transplant, if it works right, you'll actually make only your donor's blood, on a DNA level. So, if you leave your blood at a crime scene, it's actually their blood. Keep that in mind next time you want to commit a crime...

Jennie's Book Chat: "Step on a Crack"

OK, OK... I bought another James Patterson book. Another book with a co-author. Will I ever learn?

But I actually liked this one quite a bit. A little thin on details, setting, character... But, as usual, a fast car of a plot. What I do know of Mike Bennett and his brood, I like! The loss of Maeve was a little depressing, but I'm sure it sets up all that's to come. In dozens of other books that I swear I won't buy. Really.

Jennie's Book Chat: "Gone"

Another good beach read was the one I picked up at Just Books in Gulf Shores... "Gone," by Lisa Gardner. She writes about a whole law enforcement family... Dad is a former FBI profiler... His wife is a former deputy sheriff... his daughter is FBI... and her fiance is a Georgia state detective. This was the first I've read by Lisa Gardner, and I plan to go back and read the rest. So, look for more on Quincy and his crime-fighting bunch!

Jennie's Book Chat: "Innocent in Death"

I told you that Nora Roberts really cranks 'em out! This one was already out by the time I finished the last one, around Valentine's Day. But I saved it for the beach. Nothing like reading trashy thrillers at the beach!

This one was a little disturbing, though... An 11-year-old sociopath. A sick concept. It wouldn't be too fun to realize you'd given birth to a monster.

But the whole Eve-Roarke dynamic was fun... His old flame comes back -- the only one who dumped him. This gives Eve fits. But, as usual, all was right at the end. You wouldn't want anything else from your beach read!

Jennie's Book Chat: "Next"

Michael Crichton always paints us a disturbing picture of the future -- and challenges our blind faith in science. "Jurassic Park." "State of Fear." And now "Next."

"Next" is almost a satire, though. It's got some truly funny stuff. A transgenic orangutan who swears in French. A transgenic gray parrot who busts a cheating husband. A transgenic chimp who gets a haircut and is passed off for a funny-looking kid. Is it right around the corner? Crichton warns us again that anything scientists can do, they will do. And consequences be damned.

There's also the very serious issue of "tissue ownership." A man in the story has super cells that excrete a nifty, cancer-fighting chemical. After he beats a bad cancer, the hospital takes samples of these cells. A biotech firm buys them. And then they go to court and get a ruling that they own this man's cells! And the cells of all his descendants! And can take more any time they want! They even send a bounty hunter after this guy's grandson. It's nuts.

So, be very afraid of scientists, right? But it's sure nice to have all the byproducts of their crazy playing.

Jennie's Book Chat: "Cross"

I know I'm not the only one out there saying this: "Why am I still buying James Patterson books?"

The guy as much as admitted that he doesn't actually write them anymore. From The New York Times in 2005:

Mr. Patterson said he often worked with co-authors because he believed that he was more proficient at creating the storyline than at executing it. "I found that it is rare that you get a craftsman and an idea person in the same body," Mr. Patterson said. "With me, I struggle like crazy. I can do the craft at an acceptable level, but the ideas are what I like." He said the co-authors received a flat fee and, most often, credit on the book cover.

One of our editorial writers really slammed into Patterson, saying this "not-writing" was a brilliant scam. Brilliant, and lucrative. Millions of saps like me buy his books every year.

But, why? This is the kicker. I'm pretty sure that his books used to be awesome. Check me on this. I know some of you out there read "Along Came a Spider." Or "1st to Die." These were great books, weren't they? Didn't we love Lindsay Boxer? And Alex Cross? Wasn't he just it? And I totally got blown away by the audiobook of "Beach Road." That made for some white-knuckle drives home from work, I can tell you.

Now, every James Patterson thriller comes with a co-author. But not "Cross." Here, we figured, he'd do Alex his due, write the thing himself. Had to be good, right?

Not really. The guy is obviously mailing it in. I mean, the whole end of the book is so thrown together that it's ridiculous.

So I tell myself (as I did right after the stupid medieval book, "The Jester"): No more James Patterson books! (But guess what? The next one's already in the mail... Can you say, "Sap!")

Jennie's Book Chat: "Brother Odd"

Wow! Those who know me know I love Dean Koontz. And man, the guy just keeps getting better. Somewhere along the line, he went from writing quick, cleanly plotted books that read like action movies, to sweet, deeply spiritual character studies about people you love at first sight. Odd Thomas is one such character.

Odd has been in two previous books: "Odd Thomas" and "Forever Odd." He can see dead people. They can't talk to him, though. And he can see malevolent spirits, which herald coming carnage. But the best thing about Odd and his friends is their slick, lightning-quick dialogue. "Brother Odd" features some unbelievable exchanges between Odd and his fellow spiritual quester Rodian Romanovich. You won't believe the conversations these two have! It's major fun.

So, you should definitely read this book. But first read "Odd Thomas" and "Forever Odd." You'll understand all about Odd... and Stormy... and oh, yeah, Elvis.

Jennie's Book Chat: "Born in Death"

These futuristic thrillers by Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, are just like candy. They're not necessarily good for you, but you can't stop devouring them. And right around Valentine's Day, you can't possibly resist one.

That's how it was for me, and "Born in Death." It's been out since the fall, but I had other reading commitments... And I had to put it off. But with February howling outside, and the season of love in the air, I had to reach for Eve and Roarke. (And see if Mavis would FINALLY have that baby!)

If you like good buddy stories. If you like the future. If you like cops. If you like hot marital lovin', you've got to read the "In Death" books. And if you want to read one, be sure you start WAY back with "Naked in Death." If you don't start with Roarke keeping Eve's button in his pocket, you're missing out.

And Nora Roberts writes like one a week. I think this was No. 24. Twenty-four!!! And the good part about waiting so long to read it is... the next one comes out next week! Hooray!

Jennie's Book Chat: "Hannibal Rising"

Well, Laurie and I are finished with "Hannibal Rising," now a major motion picture playing at theaters near you.

A little background... It's a prequel to all the Thomas Harris novels featuring Hannibal Lecter... "Silence of the Lambs" being the most famous; "Hannibal" being the most grotesque. (In that book, Hannibal and Clarisse dine on a guy's brains while he's sitting at the table, alive. Yeah. Ick.)

This book takes us back to Hannibal's childhood, in Lithuania or Latvia or someplace, ground zero for Nazis vs. Russians in World War II. It's an interesting sketch of the total lawlessness of war. People with no morals change sides at will, depending on who's winning. It's these people that Hannibal goes after... because they ate his baby sister to survive the winter.

Laurie says: Living when and where we do we forget how really awful war is for the innocent bystander. And how really low people can sink when they are backed up against a wall. I love the whole mind palace thing, they should teach stuff like that in school. So kids can remember all the things they need to.

Speaking of Mischa, Hannibal's baby sister, there's an enduring image in this book and from the last book, "Hannibal" -- He's always talking about the baby's star-shaped hand, reaching out to him. Here, we find out she was reaching as they were carrying her away for cooking... But strangely, I read "Hannibal" when I had a toddler -- 7 years ago, with Emilyn -- and "Hannibal Rising" when I had a toddler -- this time, Allen. And both times, that image of their star-shaped hands really resonates with me. It's part of what a baby is... Reaching out, trying to absorb all they can about the world. And they rely on you to filter everything for them. I can imagine going crackpot if someone hurt my toddler... Would I become a cannibal? That's less certain.

Laurie says: I was kinda disappointed. I
was expecting something a little less slow in the
middle.....a little more organized in his execution of
his plans, of course I know he was just beginning. I
think the most frightening thing in the movie had
nothing to do with Hannibal, it was the thing that
created him....all that f%$#@d up stuff that happened
during the war. That was what gave me the willies.
Man's inhumanity to man, that sort of thing.
So far he hasn't killed anyone I object to.

So, yeah, this was OK... He killed a bunch of Nazi sympathizers that you hated anyway. It wasn't nearly as disturbing as "Hannibal." That book messes with your mind, big time. So, beware.

Jennie's Book Chat: "A Necessary Evil"

Finally! I'm all done with the Alex Kava books. It took me a while! This one was not my favorite. It was OK, but I miss Tully. And the whole thing with Gwen seemed weird. Of all of the Kava books, I really liked "A Perfect Evil" and "The Soul Catcher."

My sister, Laurie, and I are endeavoring to read books together now, sort of our own little book club. She boiled it down this way:

"How about we pick a book and read it together and then I can talk to someone intelligent about it. AND you won't make me read stuff that will move/touch/enlighten me."

As usual, I couldn't have said it better myself!

So, anyway, if you like trashy suspense novels, you can join us. I think we're reading "Hannibal Rising" next. I'll post back as soon as I'm sure.

Jennie's Book Chat: "At the Stroke of Madness"

This one by Alex Kava was a pretty good tale of a killer who digs out physical imperfections from his victims and keeps them in a variety of nice jars in his house. What wasn't explored very thoroughly was the killer himself, who was poisoned by his mother gradually over several years to keep him sickly -- Munchausen-by-proxy.

A good character, though, was Luc Racine, father of fiery Detective Julia Racine... He's a nice retired letter carrier suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer's disease... Kava captures the very frightening, poignant aspects of slowly losing one's mind... It's sad, and very real.

It's on to the last Maggie O'Dell novel! Hope it's a good one!

Jennie's Book Chat: "The Soul Catcher"

I think I liked this one the best so far! No. 3 in Alex Kava's Maggie O'Dell series is all about a crazy-mad cult preacher and an obsessed photographer. Maggie's drunk mother takes center stage, and we begin to learn something, anything about partner R.J. Tully! (Again, very little Nick Morelli! What's up with that?)

The St. Louis County Library will be happy to know that I just have two more to go... And then I start my Christmas stack!

Jennie's Book Chat: "Split Second"

The second in the Maggie O'Dell series by Alex Kava was a pretty good one, with Maggie tracking down her nemesis, the serial killer Albert Stucky. She's driven pretty much to the edge because he chooses his victims based on who she comes in contact with: The lady who helps her buy a bottle of wine at the liquor store; the waitress who takes her order at the hotel bar; a woman she says "hi" to in her new neighborhood... That type of thing.

She's falling apart throughout the book, which I have to admit is kind of getting old. She's constantly falling apart. Not in a hysterical way, but in a sick, sad, neurotic way that would make me scared if she were real and armed and walking around with FBI creds. Hunky Nick makes another appearance, but this time he's a DA in Boston. Again, he's in for a chapter and gone again, and I've heard of other Kava fans complaining about this... Maggie has a deeper relationship with her dog!

Anyway, it's on to the third Maggie book, "The Soul Catcher." (The library is getting tired of my auto renewals, I think...)

Thanks to my loving family, I've got a big backlog of books to get through! Happy reading in the new year!

Jennie's Book Chat: "One False Move"

As Emilyn started to read real books, I thought: Wouldn't it be great if I had written down in a notebook the title of every book as I had read it, and the dates I started and finished it?

For me and the rest of you serial readers out there, can you imagine how many notebooks we'd have filled by now? And how such an accomplishment would feel, if you were able to look back on it and have such a concrete record of what you'd read?

Well, we can't do that now, can we? And I read pretty much only trashy suspense novels, anyway. BUT, I'd still love to keep track, so I'm starting today -- digitally. It'll be a way for me to remember what I've read, by who, and recommend books to anybody out there who gives a darn... You can use the comments section to do the same for me!

I just finished "One False Move," by Alex Kava. Pretty mediocre tale of a bank robbery gone awry. Lots of divergent characters converging; it reminds you of a 1970s disaster movie. But Kava is a good writer, and I'm tearing my way through her series with Maggie O'Dell, FBI profiler. Which leads me to recommend "A Perfect Evil," the first Maggie O'Dell novel. Good book, and creepy. With a hunky sheriff and a nasty priest!

Stay tuned for my next review, the second Maggie O'Dell book, "Split Second." So far, I like it!

And check out this new feature, below... You'll be able to click on "Jennie's Book Chat" and read them all. Someday. When there are lots more to read.