Think Of A Number by John Verdon

Dave Gurney is retired, or so he thinks. A highly decorated homicide investigator discovers retirement may be as fraught with danger as his former employment as he engages in a battle of wits with a serial killer.

Dave Gurney’s struggle with his past and his concerns about his relationship both to his wife and his father, paint him as a very real, pathos driven character. Madeleine his wife vacillates between too good to be true and Dave’s harshest critic. This is a thought provoking mystery that provides the reader with clues throughout. As the reader you are in a competition with Dave to see who figures out who the villain is first. I thought it started slow but keep with it as it certainly doesn’t remain slow.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of John Verdon

Web Site: none found

The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund

A emotionally drained, despair ridden NY Homicide detective teams up with a small time newspaper reporter to combat a pair of insidious serial killers.

I don’t care one whit about the criticism leveled at Patterson and his formula written books. I enjoyed this book. It was an astoundingly quick read and held my attention. The characters were understandable and the protagonists were likeable. Jacob’s tenacity was to be expected from a grieving father. Dessie was a delightful combination of newly formed goody two shoes and a genetically predisposed small time hoodlum.

The story was beyond fast paced. It was impossible to put down. The killers were despicable and their fate was kept unpredictable.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of James Patterson
Body of work of Liza Marklund

Web Site: http://www.jamespatterson.com/

The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker Review March 23rd

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

Woman Into Wolf by Alysse Aallyn

This is a tale of insidious growth from a loving, malleable and dominated wife to a more resilient, strong and implacable woman. It is characterized as a true crime story. Sadly if it is true, there are more tortured souls out there seeking release than we can imagine.

I found it difficult to like anyone in this book. All the characters were dysfunctional in so many ways. Persey as the main characters was entirely too accepting of a domineering spouse. Roy as the spouse was psychopathically disabled. Be glad that you can’t identify with any of these amoral creatures. Aallyn does a good job in painting the faces of evil. I found the story somewhat disjointed but considering the topics of serial killing, spousal abuse, homicide and violence the disjointed aspect seemed to fit. I did like the author’s success in keeping the end results a true mystery.

Psychologists should have a ball with this book. Part of my master program involved abnormal psych and the visiting of inmates and if I hadn’t had that exposure to psychopaths I would find the book hard to believe. Be prepared to be disgusted with the characters and be willing to delve into the cesspool of their aberrant behavior. The book made me uneasy, to accept these types of people is very uncomfortable. It truly is a psychological thriller and worth reading if you like that genre.

Body of work of Alysse Aallyn

Review: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.books.reviews/browse_thread/thread/705543e1e1619692/8f1e09d12e993e90?lnk=raot&pli=1


Web Site: none found

No Second Chance By Harlan Coben

This book is not for faint of heart and if you have issues with children in danger you may not want to read it. I enjoy a good mystery but the tension in this one was almost too much. I actually put it down a couple of times because I was too worried about what I would read next. It has cops, doctors, FBI agents, private detectives, psychopaths, criminals, creeps, friends, lovers and kids, a little something for everyone. If you decide to read this you may want to block out some time because I think you may want to read it cover to cover in as short a time as possible while savoring every nerve stretching moment. Great book even if it made my skin crawl on occasion.

Body of work of Harlan Coben

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

Review: http://www.allreaders.com/Topics/info_16701.asp