Clawed by L. A. Kornetsky

 

This is another pet's are smart mystery.   Ms. Kornetsky has Georgie, the Sharpei, and Miss Penny, the cat as major characters.   This mystery brings Ginny into conflict with both the police and a mysterious murderer.

Once again I am appreciative of the relationship between Ginny and Teddy as well as the relationship between Georgie and Miss Penny.   There is amusing musing by Miss Penny in this story.  

The relationship growth between the two humans is glacially slow.   However it leads one to believe there will be more volumes to come which is welcome.  

The skill illustrated by the less than dynamic duo are further honed in this story and even appreciated in some law enforcement areas.

Complimentary skills makes for a good couple and it seems that may be the direction the two human protagonists are moving.   Miss Penny on the other hand, doubts that Georgie will ever be able to function without her help.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to sequels.

I am enjoying this series, see my review of Collared

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/L-A-Kornetsky/458067250891357           

Blog:

http://www.lauraannegilman.net/whats-in-print/l-a-kornetsky/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Outrage by Robert K. Tanenbaum

It is always a treat to “discover” a new author. Sad but true with 20 plus books to his credit, Tanenbaum is hardly new but he is new to me. Described as a legal thriller, this book had good cops and robbers mystery aspects with some refreshing social commentary.

Butch Karp and his wife, Marlene are reoccurring characters in Tanenbaum’s books. Note this book stands alone quite well and there is no need to have read any preceding to catch up to the story. I suspect if you enjoy it as much as I did you will track down more of his books but that is another story.

I liked the shoot’em up parts as well as the defense of the defenseless but I most enjoyed the family dynamics of the Karp clan. I think the twins demonstrated a much needed example of how hard it is to buck the system.

I highly recommend the book, I enjoyed it.

Body of work of Robert K. Tanenbaum

Web site: http://www.openroadmedia.com/authors/robert-k-tanenbaum.aspx

Murder On The Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young

When I read Buying Time I thought it was Ms. Young’s first book.  Apparently this story was her first. It is a tale of deceit and fear. On the down low refers to black men having sex with black men but not considering themselves as homosexual but as freaks. Hiding their behavior, these same men profess strong masculinity and infect their female sex partners with HIV. This tale of treachery and deceit leads to death and murder.
This is a topic that is bound to raise eyebrows. It is addressed frankly and with no holds barred. Ms. Young makes an appeal at the end of the book for more tolerance and understanding of the gay community and more help with those who are confused about their own sexual identity. The incidence of HIV in African-American and Latina women is appalling greater than the norm. Ms. Young suggests that a major mind set change is necessary for these women to accept responsibility for safer sex and to insist on testing for both themselves and their partners. The novel was interesting but is truly a side bar for the message.

There is a clear directive that vigilante behavior is counter productive and personal responsibility needs to be enhanced. I found the story and the message sobering. I thought a very volatile topic was handled tactfully while still expressing a very clear cautionary message.


I highly recommend the book.


Body of work of Pamela Samuels Young

Web Site:

Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young

Angela Evans is an assistant U. S. Attorney who loses an associate to suspected murder while on assignment. She sets out on a quest to find his killer and on that quest finds love, separation, danger and redemption.

Pamela Samuels Young is flat out brilliant. This is an excellent story and as a debut novel, it is outstanding. The characters are clearly portrayed and practically anyone will find a character they know. Waverly Sloan is well portrayed as a basically good person who gets in way over his head. The viatical industry is explained clearly. The reverse mortgage concept applied to life insurance is so new that many readers may be surprised at how wide spread it is. The mystery remained mysterious and the multiple story lines were tied together adroitly. I look forward to future books by Young.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Pamela Samuels Young

Web Site:

Cruel Intent by J. A. Jance

Ali Reynolds just wanted to get into her house and make Thanksgiving dinner. Little did she know that a serial killer would thrust his ugly way into her hopes for a pleasant holiday.

This mystery really moved. Jance put the pedal to the metal and never let up. Ali is a likeable heroine who cares about people around her. She is tolerant of others and their differences. Her butler, Leland, provides her with a steady hand when she lets her emotions run away. Her relationship with her Mother and Dad came off as authentic and familiar. I found her a very believable character. Peter Winters, the psychopathic serial killer was almost stereotypically evil. He had no redeeming characteristics. Jance populated the book with characters that are entertaining and believable. The tension in the story and the action will provide every adrenal junkie a great rush. I liked the book enough to go out and get the three Ali Reynold’s novels that preceded it.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of J. A. Jance

Review:

Web Site:

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay

A female cop still takes heat in our so called enlightened society. Gay shows how hot it can get in a future that has put Charlie Madigan on the front line with an alien partner and a refusal to admit who she truly is. Plenty of action in a good mystery with scifi and urban fantasy co-mingled.

If you read my reviews at all, you know I like butt kicking females. It has been suggested that my family contains some delicate flowers who have the propensity and audacity to compete and win against the “stronger” gender. Charlie Madigan is a butt kicker, par excellent. Gay grounded the character with self doubt, a deep loyalty to those around her and an abiding affection for her daughter. Threats to family lie in the arena of unimaginable retaliation and revenge; I feel the author captured that essence with a lot of realism. Kelly Gay did a marvelous job painting the scenes. You felt like you were looking over Hank’s shoulder as he backed up Charlie.

I highly recommend the book and can't wait for the 2nd book.

Body of work of Kelly Gay


Review:

Web Site:

A Guest Post by Michael Estepa, Author of “Purged by Darkness”.

Are the police making any progress with organized crime?

In my opinion, yes they are, but the law enforcement are a long way from completely ridding the world of organized crime. While it is well documented that the once powerful La Cosa Nostra is now on its last legs, there will always be other organized crime gangs to take over, if the law does succeed in wiping them out.

The quote “Your enemies become stronger on what you leave behind” is a perfect example of what I said previously (this quote was said during the movie of The Godfather II). During the time of prohibition in America, the Irish and Jewish mobs were the most dominant then the Italian mob took over. If the law succeeds, there’s always the motorcycle outlaw clubs, the Russian Mafiya, Asian organized crime gangs, Hispanic or African American gangs who are waiting in line - fighting to take over.



With tough new anti gang laws in place and local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies making an effort to work together, it seems gangsters are finding it difficult to make a living in the modern age. While it may be difficult, it is not impossible. The one thing I have learnt about gangsters is that they are incredibly resilient. In my book, Purged by Darkness the reader will see just how many enterprises both legal and illegal gangsters are involved in to earn a living. Gangsters will look at all the angles and make money out of areas you thought there was no money to be made. Just like the law, gangsters are constantly evolving. They have to if they want to survive.

You may think all is lost, but you couldn’t be farther from the truth. “The best cure is prevention” and by educating our youth of today we empower them with knowledge to make the conscious choice to stay clear of a life of crime. At the end of the day, it really comes down to that individual caught in this crossroad to make the right choice.

My thanks to Michael for taking the time to do a guest post for my blog.

9 Dragons by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch is once again on the ropes with his peers. Harry seldom plays well with others. There is a murder, Harry takes is personally. The results involve Harry and his family, the cities of LA and Hong Kong and a diverse cast of characters.

Connelly always does a nice job setting the stage. Bosch is a hero who is hard to like. Prickly doesn’t begin to describe him. Harry’s passionate love of his daughter is one of his few redeeming characteristics. I found my self reading as I walked, went down the stair, brushing my teeth, this book should be declared a health hazard. Calling it captivating and action packed hardly does it justice.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Michael Connelly

Review

Web Site

True Blue by David Baldacci

Baldacci introduces the Perry sisters in this new release. Beth Perry is the Chief of Police for Washington D. C. Mace Perry is an ex-con, ex-cop. The story revolves around Mace Perry striving to regain her badge and finding out who framed her. A government black operation intrudes on her search and threatens her life. The interplay between sisters adds interesting color.

I always find Baldacci hard to put down. This book is no exception; it makes it difficult to get to bed because you figure just one more page which of course turns into one or more chapters. The relationship between the sisters and between Mace and Roy provide a level of tension that fuels the plot. Baldacci spends some time depicting Mace’s character as this is obviously the start of a new series of book. The book has an intricate plot with apparent parallels to current events. It is a page turner.

I recommend the book and am dismayed that a sequel isn’t immediately available. I enjoyed it.

Body of work of David Baldacci

Review: http://printedpage.us/2009/09/07/true-blue-by-david-baldacci/


Web Site: http://www.davidbaldacci.com/web/

Double Cross by James Patterson

Alex Cross is a frequent character in Patterson’s world. Cross is a psychologist cop or cop psychologist, he can’t decide on which role to play. Alex does a lot of introspection. Patterson, on the other hand,just likes to cut to the chase. Action, action and more action characterize the book. Psychopaths in abundance and the fear that someone he loves will be caught in the cross fire, (I know, puns should be avoided at all costs.) drives Alex Cross to distraction. There is something compelling about the book, in spite of the violence. I recommend it.

Body of work of James Patterson

Review of the book: http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_doubleCross.html

Site: http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_doubleCross.html

Born In Death by J. D. Robb

Mysteries are good, I always enjoy a good mystery. I have read J.D. Robb once before and discovered that Norah Roberts and J. D. Robb share the same body. Hmm, who knew? There is a tiny touch of scifi in the book. The setting is sometime in the near future since the glitzy, tech stuff is not overwhelming. The mystery surrounds murder, adoption, kidnapping and general mayhem. The protagonist and many of the characters are women who appear to be the butt kicking variety. The interaction between the protagonist and her hubby has a couple of steamy pages for those of you who enjoy a tiny little bit of titillation. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the last book of hers that I had read. I recommend it.


Body of work of J. D. Robb

Review: http://thebestreviews.com/review35778

Web site: http://www.noraroberts.com/jdrobb/

Deal Breaker By Harlan Coben

Coben reminds me of Parker a bit in this novel. His protagonist is physically adept as Spencer and as self depreciatingly ego centric. Myron Bolitar is an ongoing Coben character. This novel introduces him, his associates and his style. Bolitar is an ex-athlete, sports agent, lawyer, former law enforcement agent and investigator. His side kick is a preppy, butt kicking main line elitist. The combination works, the story was a tad confusing but compelling. A very good mystery and I recommend it.

Body of work of Harlan Coben

Web Site: http://www.harlancoben.com/static/novels/nsc.htm

Review: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Deal-Breaker/Harlan-Coben/e/9780440220442

Charisma by Steven Barnes

Sometimes a book is truly scary due to it’s plausibility rather than it’s intent to be frightening. Barnes did an excellent job in portraying a situation that could arise. He set up characters that were believable and portrayed them with wide emotional brushes. You really dislike the bad guys but are somewhat confused by your emotions for the “good” guys. Kids are involved and if even fictional harm to kids is hard for you, this may not be your cup of tea. I have a tendency to get emotionally overwrought if kids are threatened so you may want to have a calming glass of wine at your side as you read. I found the book an excellent read and frankly quite different from the rest of Barnes’ stuff I have read.

Body of work of Steven Barnes

Web Site:  https://stevenbarneslife.wordpress.com/

Fire in the Blood by P.N. Elrod

This is the 5th in a series of depression era detective stories. I mentioned in the last Elrod review that when I ran across a detective series set shortly after prohibition with a hard nose by soft hearted P.I. as the main character I tried it out. Jack Fleming the main character is a vampire. In this book he confronts areas of his condition and personality that cause him great emotional stress. The story lines are simplistic and even the style seems dated but that doesn’t seem to detract from the enjoyment. If you plan on reading it on a plane, take another book along unless it is a very short flight. It is a very quick read.


Body of work of P.N. Elrod
Site of P.N. Elrod: http://www.vampwriter.com/