Maranatha - C. Wood

Summary:  The Holy Spear of Destiny has been removed from its display in the Vienna Hofburg Museum, and strangely vandalised.

When she is called upon by the Hofburg authorities to test the authenticity of the spear, metallurgist Vanessa Descartes quickly realises she is involved in a horrific murder case.  The severed head of a museum security guard has been left upon a silver plate, and grotesque and baffling mutilations carried out upon the body.

She is joined in the investigation by eccentric Oxford scholar Dr. Emmanuel Khalamanga, who is convinced of a connection to ancient Holy Grail legends and Professor Tomas de Carranza, a best-selling author of radical Biblical histories.

This diverse trio find themselves in a race against time with the Vienna police department to solve the growing mystery.  But as they interpret the symbols left at the scene, and discover more pieces of the puzzle, a greater and even more terrifying reality reveals itself; the existence of an invisible 'holy war' that has been fought since the Middle Ages, and is about to end in blood and death on the streets of Vienna.

And should the wrong side claim victory with the power of the holy relics, an unthinkable holocaust will be unleashed, driven by dark mysticism and insane genetic science...  (Summary from book - Image from amazon.com - Book given free for review )

My Review:  Maranatha begins with a murder, a rape, another murder, and then a gruesome ritualistic slaying. I knew that there was some violence in this book, but I wasn’t prepared to be smacked with high velocity spatter within the first few pages. After the initial slaughter, things die down a bit (ha!) while the main characters try to piece together a frighteningly complex puzzle and prevent further casualties. This was the part of the book that I felt most lost. To be honest, much of the deeper theorizing went soaring over my head. Way over. As in, spaceships had a better view.  This continued on for a while, but once the characters understood what they were facing, I became more interested in the story and was delighted by some of the twists and turns in the plot.

It is impossible to read Maranatha without comparing it to The Da Vinci Code – a comparison that is sure to delight (or infuriate) the author of this book. Both begin with brutal ritualistic killings laden with symbolism that send the main characters on a frantic quest for answers. They both have deeply religious themes and equal amounts of what might be considered blasphemous and radical historical and religious theories. While Maranatha had a similar feel to The Da Vinci Code, the latter was easier to understand and did a better job relating to the average reader. I think this book would fare better with someone who had a basic knowledge or passing interest in religious mythology, radical Christain beliefs, gnostic mysticism, alchemy, and esoteric Christianity.

Maranatha has some delicious surprises and raises some interesting ideas about the duality of faith (with its destructive and sustaining powers), but ultimately it just wasn’t my bag. I didn’t like the illustrations, had a hard time understanding many of the references, and I never felt pulled to read it when I was doing other things.

For those who want a teensy spoiler: While the book never flat-out explains how the title, Maranatha, relates to the story, a quick Wikipedia search hints at certain aspects of the plot.

My Rating: 2.75 Stars

For the sensitive reader: As with The Da Vinci Code, there is the possibility that some might find this book extremely offensive. I consider myself a conservative Christian, but I also recognize fiction when I see it and usually let a lot of things slide. There is violence (murder/rape), the occasional profanity, a great deal of radical religious theorizing, and a particularly disturbing drug-induced fantasy involving Christ.

Sum it up: A mystery/thriller for someone with a basic knowledge of (or desire to learn about) gnostic mysticism, esoteric Christianity, alchemy, and other radical theories.

Wiretap - Valerie Biamonte

Summary:  Amanda Stephens creates business plans to help companies in trouble--but she's the one in trouble now.

Her firm gathers information through interviews and on-site surveillance then suggest new directions for management.  But her newest client--Moyer Metals--has a different problem: one of their employees was just murdered on their property.

Homicide Detective Lou Mason shows up at Amanda's firm with a warrant for her surveillance footage.  He also asks for a date.

Amanda and business partner Julio continue their work for Moyer.  Reviewing surveillance audio, Amanda overhears a second worker die a terrible death.  She calls Lou and their date becomes an investigation.

Police arrest a Moyer employee whose brother is a high-powered defense attorney--and Amanda's old flame.  He's determined to win his brother's case, and Amanda's heart.

But when Julio goes missing, and the killer hunts Amanda--Can she come up with a plan to save herself?  (Summary from the back of the book and image from author.  This book was given free for review.)

My Review:  Wiretap was a fun and fast read  The characters were well developed, the plot was fast-paced and engaging, and the ending had a nice twist.   I'm sure my father would have known who the killer was after watching so many Miss. Maple episodes, but I could not.  I can honestly say I wasn't sure who the murderer was until it was right upon me.

I do enjoy a book that can surprise me and make me go back to see if I was catching the clues correctly or missing them.  Biamonte does a nice job of surprising the reader, abruptly and in a good way.  The twist in the plot did have me flipping backwards to re-evaluate my guess.  I also enjoyed the author's use of a variety of characters and personality types and the equal acceptance of all types of people regardless of race. 

While the overall writing would have benefitted from a bit closer inspection (by an editor), the story was not affected by it.  Besides the few missing words or typos -- which really weren't many -- my only other gripe was that the story had a lot of interweaving lives and coincidences.  It works great for the story, but in a city so close to Chicago it was a little far-fetched.  I wouldn't call Wiretap classic literature, but I will say it's a book I'd recommend to friends.


Rating: 3.5 stars 

For the sensitive reader:  Occasional swearing and one F-bomb. 
Sum it up: A fast paced, engaging murder mystery.

Secret Sisters - Tristi Pinkston

Summary:  Ida Mae Babbitt, president of the Omni 2nd Ward Relief Society, didn't mean to become a spy.  But when visiting teaching stats are low, and she learns that one family under her care is in financial trouble, she'll do whatever it takes to make sure they have what they need.  If that includes planting surveillance cameras in their home and watching them from a parked car in the woods...well, isn't that what any caring Relief Society president would do?

With the help of her counselors, Arlette and Tansy, Ida Mae soon learns there's more to the situation than meets the eye.

But it's all in a day's work for the Relief Society.  (Summary from back of the book, book given free for review and image from http://cranberryfries.blogspot.com/2010/04/secret-sisters-review.html)

My Review:  I'm always wary of literature written for and aimed at the LDS population.  The audience is so narrow and the topic so specific that unless you're LDS you probably won't enjoy the book and often it can lack real depth. 

While this book falls into the "LDS" category, there was much that I enjoyed and it contained more depth than others in the genre.  This is probably the first LDS lit I've read that had so much wit.  Ida Mae is a great character and such a spunky old gal that I almost felt like I was listening to my own inner dialog while reading.  She's constantly seeing the puns in life, saying and connecting them to situations, but without the dorky "did you get that?" line you typically see.  She enjoyed her own humor and the way it was written the reader can too.  She also kept her judgmental side in check, which was refreshing.

The story line was quite intriguing.  I was truly curious to see how the sneaking around would come back to bite them and it did.  Nice.  So often you see people get off the hook for doing something wrong even if it's for the right reasons.  And in real life, that's not always the case.  The story was going really well and I enjoyed the ending, though it was a tad cliched and the frying-pan scene was a bit of a let down.  It wasn't very realistic, at least for me.  

Overall, I honestly enjoyed the book and was glad to have a chance to get to know Ida Mae and her quirky Relief Society presidency.  (It painted a very realistic picture of what a Relief Society President does for her ward on a daily basis.)

My Rating: 4 stars

Sum it up: A quirky read for a female LDS audience.

A Heartbeat Away - Michael Palmer

Summary:  On the night of the State of the Union address, President Allaire expects to give the speech of his career.  But no one anticipates the terrifying turn of events that forces him to quarantine everyone in the Capitol building.  A terrorist group calling itself "Genesis" has unleashed WRX3883, a deadly, highly contagious virus, into the building.  No one fully knows the deadly effect of the germ except for the team responsible for its development--a team headed by Allaire, himself.  The only one who might be able to help is virologist Griffin Rhodes, currently in solitary confinement in a maximum security federal prison for alleged terrorist acts, including the attempted theft of WRX3883 from the lab where he worked.  Rhodes has no idea why he has been arrested, but when Allaire offers to free him in exchange for his help combating the virus, he reluctantly agrees to do what he can to support the government that has imprisoned him without apparent cause.

Meanwhile, every single person in line for presidential succession is trapped inside the Capitol--every person except one: the Director of Homeland Security, who is safely at home in Minnesota, having been selected as the "Designated Survivor" for this event.  With enemies both named and unnamed closing in, and the security of the nation  at stake, Griff must unravel the mysteries of WRX3883 without violating his pledge as a scientist to use no animal testing in his experiments...and time is running out.  (Summary from book - Image from http://www.michaelpalmerbooks.com/ - Book given free for review)

My Review:  Michael Palmer’s latest novel, A Heartbeat Away, explodes out of the gate with a vicious attack by a covert terrorist organization known only as Genesis. In the months that follow their initial assault, they strike a variety of civilian targets without mercy before mounting an attack on the heart of U.S. political power. When they release a potentially lethal virus during the President’s State of the Union address, chaos erupts, and as people begin to panic, the President is forced to take extreme measures. The story spans the next ten days as a president, a condemned traitor, and countless others, fight to save the nation from a full-scale meltdown and a deadly air-born contagion that could destroy the world.

I don’t read a lot of medical thrillers, so what impresses me might not satisfy a seasoned fan of the genre, but I enjoyed this book. A Heartbeat Away was relevant, tense, and moved quickly with only a few lulls in the action. It also had an ending that was cheesy, but ultimately, satisfying. I finished the latter half in one sitting, thanks to a delayed flight in SLC, and it was the most fun I’ve ever had stuck in an airport. Palmer’s bio-terror scenario was far too realistic for my comfort, but the possibility that something similar could actually occur in our own nation was part of what made this story fascinating.

The only complaints about this book are a few over-the-top moments, some widely spaced profanity, and the frequent reference to the ethics of animal testing which, while admirable, felt a little out of place and unnecessary for the story. While Palmer took his characters to stereotypical extremes (e.g. the noble president, the crusading virologist, the tenacious reporter, the corrupt politician, and the evil terrorist organization), it all fit perfectly into the cinematic nature of the story. I can see this book making it to the big screen and doing quite well (if appropriately cast w/ Alex O’Loughlin as the extremely attractive, yet intelligent virologist). I know I’d go see it.

My Rating: 4 Stars

For the sensitive reader: Some infrequent swearing and slightly more frequent violence and death.

Sum it up: An nerve-wracking leap into the what-if’s of biological contagions and terrorism.

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink

Summary:  An ancient prophecy divides two sisters--one good...one evil...who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthrope have just become orphans.  They have also become enemies.  As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, they find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.  They just know they can't trust each other.  (Summary from back of the book and image from theslowestbookworm.blogspot.com)


My Review: I really wanted to like this book--the cover is quite eye catching, and it came to me highly recommended.  Alas, it was slow paced, so dark and sinister that it repulsed me, and ended unresolved.  I know there's a second book, but I truly don't want to read it.  I'd like to get the cliff notes to satiate my curiosity, but I don't want to waste another week of reading time to figure out how it all plays out. 

Much of this book is spent trying to figure out what is wrong with Lia and Alice. And once you do understand what is going on; you spend the rest of the book trying to figure out how to stop this craziness.

The writing was more sophisticated than typical YA books, which was nice.  And the atmosphere in the book reminds me a bit of Jane Eyre.  Where it didn't measure up was the contrasting feelings of overall goodness.  Maybe I'm jumping the gun on this judgment, for I'm fairly certain the next book will (hopefully) address some of these issues by answering how Lia will try and make everything right again.  Will I pick up the sequel?  I'm not sure.  Not for a while at least.


Rating:  2.75 Stars

Sum it up: Disturbing and dark, slow paced and sullen, this book evokes a sinister feel that you can't shake.

Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Summary:   A sacred oath.
A fallen angle.
A forbidden love.

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan.  She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her.  Not until Patch comes along.  With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust.  Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends.  She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide.  And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen--and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life. (Summary from jacket cover and image from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/)

My Review: If I were to compare this book to something you'd eat, it would be the perfect midnight snack.  I read it that quickly and enjoyed every bite, which surprised me because I typically can't sink my teeth into suspense or scary of any nature.  Hush, Hush might have changed my mind.  I can't profess that it's all that literary, or that the overall message is a perfectly clean one for young adult readers, but it sucks you in and takes you for a wild ride.

Nora is so easy to relate to, which makes her predicament shockingly believable--and it shouldn't be.  Despite the warning flags that went off in my mind, you couldn't quite guess which warning flag was the right one.  All the way until the end of the book you're wondering who is the really bad guy, or if they all are and Nora's trapped in an inescapable trap.  I even began wondering if her best friend Vee was in on Nora's demise.

I think what also makes this book fun is how it vicariously allows the reader to indulge in going for the bad guy, something I'd never do in real life because who knows what kind of trouble it could bring.  The book is probably the safest way to enjoy that little experience without getting too close.  My only concern would be for young adult females who, I worry, would think that the bad boys in real life could be as benign as the ending of this book makes him out to be.

I can't help but want my friends to read this book, whether it has any significant literary value or not.  I'd just want to see how they enjoyed the crazy trip.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Sum it up: Thrilling, often heart-pounding, suspenseful -- a fantastic and indulgent YA read.

Also reviewed by Mindy.

The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin

Summary:  A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will.  And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger--and a possible murderer--to inherit his vast fortune, one thing's for sure: Sam Westing may be dead...but that won't stop him from playing one last game!  (Summary from back of the book and image from  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/)

My Review:  What a fast paced book!  I've had The Westing Game on my to-read pile for far too long.  I still don't know why I hadn't read it before.  Raskin is the opposite of wordy--every chapter, every description gave the reader just enough to stay engaged with new information, but just vague enough to cause a little confusion and keep the reader wanting more.  I felt like I needed the little paper slip you get when playing Clue to keep everything straight.  The whole time I was reading I kept getting the feeling I'd read this before.  Because I didn't intuit the ending, I believe this feeling came from the similarities it had to playing the game Clue as a child.  There were so many twists and turns, connections, and associations that by the end I felt a deep respect for Raskin and her story telling abilities, as well as the mystery element she wove so perfectly.  I'm not surprised in the least this was Newberry Award winner.  It's a fantastic Young Adult book, one should pick up for yourself if you haven't already.

WARNING: SPOILER!

If you look up the book online you'll find two inconsistencies: 1) Somehow, Grace Windkoppel is Sam Westing's niece despite the book clearly stating more than once that Westing was an only child of immigrant parents--I had noticed this, but figured Sam Westing had lied somewhere along the way in order to stay as anonymous as possible. 2) That the quick-diagnosing Dr. Deere did not diagnose a fairly clear case of Münchausen syndrome--this I did not catch.  Besides that, the book flows smoothly.

My Rating:  4.5 Stars


Sum it up: A great introduction to mystery books for young adults.

Moonlight Mile - Dennis Lehane

Summary:  Amanda McCready was four years old when she vanished form a Boston neighborhood twelve years ago.  Desperate please for help from the child's aunt led investigators Kenzie and Gennaro to take on the case.  The pair risk everything to find the young girl--only to orchestrate her return to a neglectful mother and a broken home.

Now Amanda is sixteen--and gone again.  A stellar student, brilliant but aloof, she seemed destined to escape her upbringing.  Yet Amanda's aunt is once more knocking on Patrick Kenzie's door, fearing the worst for the little girl who has blossomed into a striking, clever young woman--a woman who hasn't been seen in weeks. 

Haunted by their consciences, Kenzie and Gennaro revisit the case that troubled them the most.  Their search leads them into a world of identity thieves, methamphetamine dealers, a mentally unstable crime boss and his equally demented wife, a priceless, thousand-year-old cross, and a happily homicidal Russian gangster.  It's a world in which motives and allegiances constantly shift and mistakes are fatal.

In their desperate fight to confront the past and find Amanda McCready, Kenzie and Gennaro will be forced to question if it's possible to do the wrong thing and still be right or to do the right thing and still be wrong.  As they face an evil that goes beyond broken families and broken dreams, they discover that the sins of yesterday don't always stay buried and the crimes of today could end their lives.  (Summary from book - Image from harpercollins.com - Book given free for review)

My Review:  Moonlight Mile graced the Indiebound Next List for November 2010, which ordinarily holds a lot of sway with me and was the reason I freaked when it popped up unexpectedly in my mailbox.

According to Amazon.com, Moonlight Mile is a direct sequel to Prayers for Rain (1999), but is closely linked to the story in Gone Baby Gone (1998). I am going to have to take their word for it, because I haven’t read either. While the main characters and several secondary ones from the previous books reappear in Moonlight Mile, I don’t think it’s entirely necessary to read the previous books to understand this one. However, I did feel like I was missing the immediate connection with the characters that someone would have had who had read them chronologically. I didn’t I know much more about the characters at the end of the story than I did at the beginning. Sure, Kenzie has a dry sense of humor, and Gennaro smokes when she’s nervous, but other than that, I can’t come up with much and felt there was more character development in the last several pages than in the entire book.

I also believe that the above summary is insanely overstated. Sure, those things happened, but it wasn’t as remarkable the book jacket claims. I was interested in the story, but I didn’t have a problem putting this book down when necessary.

While Moonlight Mile sits on several surprises, and Kenzie delivers some hysterical one-liners, he and the rest of the characters, had mouths that could put a sailor to shame. Ordinarily swearing doesn’t bother me in a book unless it becomes excessive. It was irritating by the end of the first chapter and excessive not far beyond that.

I believe this book is designed to attract those readers who loved the previous books and want to revisit the characters (a la Bree Tanner for the Twihards).  Since I've never read a Lehane book before, let alone one with these characters, I'm not sure how this novel will sit with fans.  I don’t know how large a part Gennaro played in the last book, but I suspect fans of her character will be disappointed with her diminished role in this book, and with Moonlight Mile in general.

My Rating: 2.5 Stars. For the sensitive reader: If I could simply ignore the ubiquitous amount of swearing in this book, then I would probably say it was 3 star book (maybe), but I can’t. There was a lot. There were also several descriptions of cold-blooded murder and an accidental (but gory) death.

Sum it up: Not the best first impression. I still love Indiebound, but the next book I read off their list better be a-mazing.

The Daughters of Freya - Michael Betcherman & David Diamond

Summary:  Journalist Samantha Dempsey never imagined her life would turn out like this. Her 19 year-old son has fallen in love with an older woman. Her mother is a basket case, still haunted by the death of Samantha’s brother in a car accident years ago. Her once-promising career as a journalist has ground to a halt. And the cracks in her marriage are wide and getting wider.

In the midst of all this turmoil, Samantha gets an email from a desperate friend whose 21 year-old daughter has joined The Daughters of Freya, a California cult that believes sex is the solution to the world’s problems. He wants Samantha to write a story that will expose the cult as a fraud.

Samantha pitches the story to Jane Sperry, the editor of a San Francisco magazine and an old college friend. Sperry sends Samantha to Marin County to write a piece on the cult but she soon finds out that there is more to the cult than meets the eye.

She discovers that the cult’s ‘spiritual guide’ has a secret and insidious agenda, and wealthy and powerful partners who will stop at nothing to prevent her from revealing the truth.

As Samantha risks her life in an attempt to penetrate the inner workings of the cult, she must deal with a personal life that is threatening to fall apart and a past she thought she had left far behind.

The Daughters of Freya is not a book; it's a 'real-time' email mystery delivered straight to your inbox...Opening your email will never be the same again!  (Summary and image from emailmystery.com - email experience given free for review)

My Review:  Technically, The Daughters of Freya is not a book and it’s not an audio tape. It is a mystery comprised of 115 emails sent straight to your inbox over a period of three weeks.  They appear as emails between fictional characters in which you have been BCC’d. Intrigued? I was too, and decided to review this "email experience" even though it is a bit of a reach from what we normally review.

At first, I was simply curious about the alleged sex cult and what Samantha would uncover, but when her investigations led to a sordid secret and a murder, the story became more intense. By the end of the first week, I was checking my email obsessively, and it was maddening to have to wait for new email to find out what would happen next. Before long, I was kicking myself for asking to experience this email mystery like the rest of humanity instead of all at once (as I was offered).

The authors arranged the emails in each installment so that you read things in the proper order to minimize confusion. I would have loved if the each email could have come separately “real time”, but I think it would have been more confusing if they had. Instead each email installment is timed to achieve maximum suspense and, although they are more detailed than you would find in an actual email, it’s little enough to be forgivable and helps convey the story.

I appreciate Betcherman and Diamond's ingenuity in using emails, but it did create problems that were difficult to resolve within the confines of their chosen medium. One minor conflict arose when they chose to insert links into certain emails to add dimension to the story. Usually these links led to sites that were “in house” and part of the world the authors created. However, a few times, these links led to outside sources without any indication that you were “clicking out” of the story. Until I figured out how to tell the difference, I wasn’t exactly sure how far down the B&D rabbit hole I was supposed to go. I would suggest that in those special cases, they provide a disclaimer or indicator of some kind before taking the reader off site.

While the ending of this story felt a bit lackluster for me, I feel this had more to do with the chosen method of delivery than with the actual story itself. When the characters got into a situation where they no longer had access to the Internet (via computer or phone), the only other way to gain vital information was to read an online newspaper article about what happened during the interim sent from one secondary character to another. I’m sure in a standard book or movie the final scene would have been very intense, but this was where I felt telling a story through a series of emails actually hurt the narrative. It lacked emotional depth and I missed having a traditional conclusion and epilogue.

While The Daughters of Freya did have a few issues, it definitely added more than a little zing to my inbox and I enjoyed the mystery.  At only $3.99, it would make an entertaining, creative, and  inexpensive mini-gift this Christmas. I've already given away THREE of them, so I should have some feedback in about 3 weeks.  Click here to visit the The Daughters of Freya website, here to preview the story, or here to give this unique email mystery as a gift. 

My Rating: 3.75 Stars     For the sensitive reader: A few instances of profanity and some detached discussion of sex within the context of the cult.

Sum it up: An unique way to add a little mystery to your day.

The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff

This review comes to us from the lovely Jeannette Katzir, author of Broken Birds, The Story of My Momila, a memoir about the enduring effects of war.  As she writes about  her parent's harrowing experiences during the Holocaust to her own personal battles, she exposes the maladies of heart and mind, that those broken by war inevitably and unintentionally pass down to the generations that follow.  Read our review here.  Thanks, Jeannette, for your review!

You can also read another review from one of our LDS (Mormon) guest reviewers.
__________________________

Summary:  Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain.

Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense.

It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife.

Soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death.

And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith.  (Summary and Image from http://www.ebershoff.com/ )

My Review:  The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff, is a book about multiple marriages, a faction of Mormonism and murder. I have to admit that the idea of one man with many wives has always caused me reason to wonder WHY? Sure, it's great for the man, but what about the women?

The 19th Wife escorts you into this world. The murder is a vehicle that takes you through the book. The murder, which is being pinned on the 19th Wife, and the reintroduction of a THROWN AWAY son is a very quiet, back story. The main plot, the thrust of the story, and the reason I could not put it down, is because of the Mormonism.

The book explains the creation and evolution of Mormonism. It explained the premise behind one man/many women. I understand that mainstream Mormons do not practice this marriage arrangement, but as a fan of the television show; Big Love, I found the book fascinating.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Sum it up: I would say it is an intriguing book, well written and very interesting, and the story behind the murder is great also.

The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

Summary: Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing expose' on social injustice, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a masterful, endlessly satisfying novel.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, two people are brutally murdered and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, conviced of Salander's innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.
Summary from book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: After reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I was anxious to discover what Larsson had in store for his readers in this next trilogy installation. This book is every bit as suspenseful and intriguing as the first. The story is well-paced, interesting throughout with the last hundred pages impossible to tear away from.

Quite fitting, this novel addresses the one mystery that was left open ended in the first book. It deals primarily with the secrets of the lead female character, Lizabeth Salander, also known as the girl who played with fire. There was more depth brought to all the characters in this book, allowing the reader to develop more intimate relationships. New characters, some evil and some good, are also introduced.

While I enjoyed this book immensely, I do have one complaint. The author addresses his characters by their last name the majority of the time and these are Swedish names, many with the same beginning sounds, that I am unfamiliar with. Thus I had a difficult time keeping the secondary faces straight. Just when I thought I had it figured out a first name would pop up leaving me guessing all over again. Really this is a mild complaint considering the brilliance of this novel overall and by the end, when it really mattered, I had it all figured out.

This book closed a bit more open ended than I would have preferred but the main mystery came full circle and was brilliant. Stieg Larsson was one of those writers with creative energy to spare. Both books contain intricately woven plots packed full of drama and betrayal, power abuse and deceit. I am excited to pick up the final book in this trilogy, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, and can only imagine where we will be lead to next.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars, not a book for sensitive readers- sex, violence, language

To Sum it up: A well-written sequel full of mystery and intrigue with compelling characters who will worm their way into you head every waking moment and occasionally into your dreams.

Misconception - Avner Hershlag

Summary: When Dr. Anya Krim, the First Lady's fertility specialist, delivers a grossly deformed baby of undetermined sex, she tries to figure out how the child was conceived. But, before she is able to determine the baby's origin, she diagnoses a pregnancy in Megan, a Senator's daughter, who has been in a coma for two years. The question of who has impregnated Megan leads to a shocking suspicion based upon the FBI's DNA fingerprinting results. At the same time, the First Lady's last-ditch attempt to have a child runs amok when the safety of her embryos is threatened. Anya not only has to secure the embryos she created. She must now prove that no one has altered them genetically. (summary from book cover, book given free for review)

My Review: I, like the author of this book, am a fertility expert...give or take the medical degree, or any medical schooling whatsoever. Nevertheless, as the mother of two children conceived via IVF, I was the obvious choice for reviewing this book. And yes, I did neglect those sweet little tow-heads whilst I frantically read to find out the ending of the story. Sadly, it wasn't worth it. The concept behind the book is compelling, but the writing is mediocre, the plot a bit too action packed to be believable, and the details behind the fertility and cloning verging on salacious. So, as you can see in my rating I subtracted one star for each of those flaws.

Why was the writing mediocre? I've passed the book on (used book swap) so I can't quote it exactly but the author actually used the phrase "he had no problem raising a flag for her" in reference to the love interest being attracted to the main character. Seriously. Gag me. There were other cliche phrases, poor descriptions, and generally unpolished prose.

My Rating: 2 stars

Sum it up: This page turner could have used a few more revisions.

When You Reach Me - Rebecca Stead

Summary:  By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood.  They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know who to avoid.  Like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel.  Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like  no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life.  The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen.  And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own.

I ask only two favors.  First, you must write me a letter.

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know.  Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death.  Until the final note makes her think she's too late. 

This remarkable novel takes place in the real world but holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart.  When You Reach Me is an original, and a brilliant and profound delight.  (Summary from book jacket and image from http://shelflove.files.wordpress.com)

My Review:  I picked up this book because it was selected for book club.  I've noticed it many times before and just hadn't gotten around to it.  I'm glad I did.  I feel the summary does a good job giving you the basics, so I'll let that stand. 

About half way through the story I had figured out who was leaving the notes, and although I already had it figured out, it was still fun to see how all the details tied together.  There are so many hints and clues as the story progresses, that by the end you're having aha! moment after aha! moment.  Which was fun.  There were some messages, albeit mostly underlying, that hinted of liberal agenda.  If that's your thing it shouldn't bother you at all.  If not, I still think everyone can appreciate the humanity this story brings out and the reminder to be aware of how we treat others.  I loved how it kept making connections to the protagonist's favorite book A Wrinkle In Time and how it had made such a lasting impact on her.  There are so many little details that I could mention, but I believe that would take away from the fun of reading such a short, fast-paced book.

Rating: 5 Stars...for a Young Adult Book.


Sum it up:  If you liked A Wrinkle In Time, this is another great YA puzzle book.

Adam - Ted Dekker

This review comes to us from Larissa over at Pearls and Pumps where you will find adorable photographs and the most gorgeous jewelry.  She is a stay at home mom of a busy 20 month old and an even busier 8 month old chocolate lab and enjoys photography and reading whenever she has the chance--which, she says, isn't near often enough! She loves going out to dinner and to the movies with her husband and would do that every night, if she had an unlimited budget.  (Me too, Larissa!)  We're so excited she decided to guest post for us!

Summary:  Sixteen young women are dead, each injected with a mysterious illness on the night of a new moon and left in various underground basements or caverns. The murderer leaves no clues, except for one scrawled-in-red trademark, "Eve."

Special Agent Daniel Clark has devoted his life to tracking and finding serial killers and Eve is proving an especially difficult case. Difficult, that is, until Clark and his colleagues find Eve's latest victim still alive. In a race to save the girl's life and potentially discover the killer's identity, Daniel finds himself in danger. A run-in with Eve leaves Daniel clinically dead for twenty minutes, only to survive but remembers nothing of the incident.

As Daniel attempts to recall the details before his attack, the killer strikes again, this time much closer home to all he holds dear. Daniel takes his obsession to a dangerous new level. Soon enough he finds himself in a world where blurred lines between life and death leave him fighting for his very life.  (Summary from back cover - Image from teddekker.com)

My Review: I really love the Ted Dekker books I've read, so I had high hopes for this book. And like all the other Dekker books, I was sucked in immediately. Daniel Clark is a seasoned FBI agent on the case of a serial killer called, "Eve." Eve has killed sixteen women by exposing them to a deadly disease each new moon. Daniel is obsessed with the case with has caused a divorce between himself and his wife. As Clark and his new partner get closer and learn more about Eve, things aren't what they seem.

I was extremely happy with the beginning of this book. And it wasn't until I was about 2/3 of the way through that I started doubting how much I was going to enjoy the ending. Things started getting just a little too weird for me.

One thing I really appreciate about Dekker's books, is that because he is a Christian author, there isn't any language, sex or much descriptive gore. That wasn't completely the case with this book. There was a brief moment of what I would call "strong language" and there was a lot of crude name calling. There wasn't any sex and the gore wasn't terrible, but the book was dark and there were times that I was pretty scared (Hey! It was the middle of the night, okay?! Or 9 o'clock at least!).

Bottom-line: I wouldn't suggest this to a sensitive reader, but for the most part it was a pretty good read.

My Rating: 3.75 Stars (I took a point off for the strange ending, and I just couldn't give it a 4 because of the language from a Christian author!)

Sum it up: An intriguing and thrilling book with a strange ending. I don't think I'll read this twice, but I did enjoy it (mostly) while it lasted.

The Good Son - Michael Gruber

Summary: Sonia Laghari, a Pakistani-American writer and psychologist, sets up a conference on peace in Kashmir, the most terrorist-infested place on earth, only to have her and her small group of pacifists abducted and held captive by terrorists, who may or may not be manufacturing nuclear weapons. All but doomed to a public beheading, Sonia uses her familiarity with Islamic doctrine as well as her knowledge of Jungian psychology in an attempt to enlighten her deeply conflicted captors. (Summary from Amazon.com, Book given free for review)

My Review: If it weren't for the beginning and the end, this book would be one of my very top recommendations. I nearly put the book down after the first chapter - we enter into the bedroom with Theo, presumably "the good son", and his longtime casual sex partner and thus commences a crude description of the goings on. Not too graphic but unnecessarily descriptive. This scene was the only one I recall throughout the book but I signed on for a political thriller, not a tawdry fiction. Upon reflection I can see that this was used to show Theo as a flawed character but oh, there are so many better ways to do this.

As I read on I began frantically dog-ear-ing pages (Mindy gasps in horror) for future discussion, which is one of my personal signs of a compelling read. My dog-ears include discussions about religion (culture) vs. spirituality (faith), a lot of explanation regarding the abuse of women by extreme Muslims, a distancing of the core of Islam from fanaticism, the separation between tribal tradition and Islam (see culture vs. faith), the influence of place on our sense of self, how the oppression of women leads to women being oppressors, and plenty of insight* into Muslim culture along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

*Of course the author is a Caucasian professor in America so this begs the question of how accurate is his portrayal of the Afghan/Pakistan (specifically Pashtun) world? My book club often debates if a story is more accurate if told my someone inside or outside a culture. If being "inside" lends authenticity or if being "outside" removes bias. Then follows the question, because I am reading this story from "outside" does the fact that I think it seems realistic have any bearing whatsoever? Oh, so many interesting questions.

And then there is the ending. Eh. It is well done in that it answers the big questions but then leaves you with a few that keep you thinking once you've put the book down. It also makes you question some character assumptions you made throughout the book. But the surprise twist, which one begins to suspect, just wraps everything up too nicely. I just couldn't believe that x, y AND z all happened at the same time and the same place.

My Rating: 4 stars - The meat of the novel is so thought-provoking that, despite the tawdry opening and unbelievable ending, it still merits a recommendation.

In one sentence: Skip the opening, suspend belief at the ending and discuss what is in between.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Summary: Stieg Larsson's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pieced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.
summary from book, cover photo from barnesandnoble.com

My Review: I had attempted to read this book on two other occasions over the past year. I would stumble over the first 50 pages completely lost and finally give up. The opening just required more thought than I was willing to devote to the book. This reading was no different except that it was a book club read so I felt an obligation to finish it. I'm sure glad I did.

Once I made it past those first couple chapters I was able to dive in, neglecting to come up for air. This book is that addicting. I soon formed a relationship with the characters and was devoted to solving the mystery, a task easier said than done. Actually this book isn't comprised of just one mystery but three. Two come full circle and the next I'm sure will be addressed in the follow-up, The Girl Who Played with Fire.

This novel is what every great mystery should be. It's a race between good and evil with evil in the lead throughout much of the book. Good continues to make progress, occasionally slipping backward and only surpassing in the final moments. When good triumphs and evil's identity is surprisingly revealed the reader finally catches a breath and may even cheer.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Sensitive readers: Violence, language and sexual situations

To sum it up: A great mystery that will have you longing for more. You might as well just buy the trilogy because you are going to want to read the next as soon as the cover is closed on this one.