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click on links for buying info The Quickie by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge Publishers: Little, Brown, ISBN: 0316117366 Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan, New Mystery Reader I think it’s high time that I stop reading James Patterson. He is causing a real headache. Yup, you heard me right- the reason for my headache is James Patterson. He writes such page turning, captivating books such that we are glued to the pages. The chapters are short and that with each chapter I began to say (lie) to myself -“one more chapter and then I shall stop.” The result is that THE QUICKIE kept me awake till about 2:30 in the morning and I had to get up for work at morning 6:30 am. And with hardly four hours sleep, I got a severe, burning headache. And YOU Mr. James Patterson are responsible for this. And so I have a request, from here on out don’t write anymore spine-chilling, suspense works. Make the books as dull as possible. I don’t want to lose anymore sleep. This time round the author successfully blends two age old mystery plot formulae- ‘the scorned woman in seek of revenge’ (Hell hath less fury than a woman scorned) and the plot of ‘being in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ But in the hands of Patterson and Ledwidge, the plot line gets a dose of freshness, a unique treatment and narrative style such that we are glued to the pages. Lauren Stillwill has the perfect life, but things suddenly change when she spots her husband in some ‘compromising circumstances’, and from that day on, Stillwill is on the warpath to seek revenge. But her idea to level the score turns deadly when she witnesses a horrible and evil crime, an event that leads her to realize something new, more than the gore, dread, and horrific-ness associated with murder- there is also an element of fun. What follows is Patterson at his best, and mark my words- this is a thriller which every Patterson fan has been waiting for since…..well last months’ 6th TARGET.
The Death List by Paul Johnston Publisher: Mira ISBN-10: 0778324818 Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader When crime writer Matt Wells begins receiving emails from an adoring fan during a dry spell in his career, it seems to be just what he needs to boost his sagging ego and so he's more than willing to begin a friendly correspondence with the fan. It doesn't take long, however, for the emails to turn dark and ominous, and when bodies begin to turn up, their manner of death strikingly similar to the victims in Matt's books, Matt is shocked to find himself suddenly engaged in a deadly game with a madman. And as the killer begins to strike closer and closer to home, Matt will find himself willing to do anything to protect his loved ones, even as he becomes the prime suspect in a string of death's that might just end with his own. Even though we've all most likely have seen this storyline before, it remains a premise that still has some juice in it. But while Johnston attacks it with gusto, the question of import is if there's enough originality in his version to carry this familiar plot to a successful completion. Struggling writers, or anyone in the field of book publishing, will certainly get a kick out of his somewhat sardonic look at this dog-eat-dog world, and readers will no doubt enjoy the insights of what goes on behind the curtains, but still, is this enough? Maybe so, but it will take a bit of imagination for some readers to accept some of the scenes as realistic, and, unfortunately, more than a bit of patience to feel any kind of compassion for this self-pitying character who tends to wallow in his discontent. But if you can get past that, there's a decent amount of thrills and chills here to make it worthwhile.
Restitution by Lee Vance Publisher: Knopf ISBN-10: 030726632X Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader At first blush, it might seem that Wall Street wizard Peter Tyler has it made with his ever increasing wealth, powerful career, and beautiful wife, but after having spent the last several years achieving stunning success in the financial world, he's paid the price with a marriage that is slowly crumbling. And so when his wife is suddenly and brutally murdered, it's the evidence of his crumbling marriage and a one night stand that make him the primary suspect. Dismissed from his job, shunned by his peers, and with the threat of arrest hanging over his head, Peter has no choice but to find out who really killed his wife. And the closer he gets to the truth, the closer he comes to unraveling an act of revenge that reaches so far into the past and is so encompassing and deadly that he will begin to doubt everything and everyone he once believed in. It would seem much too easy in a novel such as this to sacrifice character development for the excitement of a well-devised plot but, fortunately, Vance avoids that pitfall and creates a main character that, while at first may not always be easy to like, slowly grows into someone you might like to get to know better. Remarkably, Vance's debut thriller reads as if written by one who has been doing this for awhile; his sense of timing, his flawed but redeemable characters, his convincing detail of the financial world, and his ability to create exceedingly high levels of tension all combine flawlessly in a tale that easily place him as a writer to watch. This debut come highly recommended and we look forward to the next.
Innocence by David Hosp Publisher: Warner Books ISBN 978 0 446 58014 4 Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader “Ripped from today’s headlines!” is a favourite promotional bleat of film producers. In the case of “Innocence”, the claim is close to truth; the book can be read as a dramatized version of several recent front-page stories. A policewoman is brutally killed in Boston, and a Salvadoran man is arrested and accused of her murder despite his solid alibi. Fifteen years later he’s still in jail when young lawyer Mark Dobson convinces former colleague Scott Finn to reopen the case. With the aid of policeman Tom Kozlowski, Finn investigates. Despite his initial misgivings about getting involved, Finn soon begins to realise that the young lawyer’s claim that Vincente Salazar was framed has some substance. Before the investigation gets very far, Dobson is murdered. Finn realises there’s a lot more involved in the Salazar case than a couple of lazy cops looking for a quick conviction: there’s an organized crime connection that has more tentacles than an octopus. Finn and Kozlowski soon find out that the case could be injurious to their health, and the only way out of danger is to go further into danger in search of the answers. There’s a subplot to the book which should satisfy anyone who’s ever felt outraged by seeing someone get rich through shady practices; the reader will wonder if the Slocum divorce case has any real roots in the author’s experiences as a trial lawyer. “Innocence” is a disquieting book. As much as you tell yourself it’s a work of fiction, you can feel a bedrock of fact under it. Author Hosp works with the New England Innocence project, and at the end of the book there’s a chapter about some real-life cases of wrongful convictions. Reading these leaves you with mixed feelings: you are appalled that such miscarriages happened; you wonder how many more innocent people are in jail; and you are grateful that people like Hosp are out there working for Justice for no better reason than that it is the right thing to do. But, most of all, you might just wonder how many of those men executed in Texas, or anywhere else, might have been innocent.
Dead Connection by Alafair Burke Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN-10: 0805077855 Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader For Interview With Alafair Burke When a young woman is found murdered in a NY alley, renegade homicide detective Flann McIlroy is the only one who connects her death to that of another young woman precisely a year previous - both sharing many familiar traits- the most important being that both had ties to an online dating service. And so pulling a few strings he brings in Ellie Hatcher to help investigate, a young detective who shares some of the physical traits of the women killed and one who just might make the perfect bait to lure the killer out of hiding. To Ellie this case involving a potential serial killer hits close to home, her own father having killed himself after being unable to track one down years before in a suicide that Ellie has always believed was really a murder. And so as the murder count rises, Ellie is driven even further to find the answers, even if it means putting herself in the line of fire from a threat that might be closer than knows. In her latest, Burke takes a break from her legal series to offer up a tale of electrifying suspense that features such a compelling and laudable new heroine that dedicated fans of old might feel a bit guilty about when demanding an encore. Ellie, just a little more jaded and a little rougher around the edges than Burke's other wonderfully drawn heroine Samantha Kincaid, adds some bite and urgency to this highly readable plot, both of which combine seamlessly to propel the reader forward at a rapid fire pace. After completing this wonderfully thrilling new tale, readers will no doubt want more of the same, and so will be delighted to hear that it is indeed in the works.
The Ever-Running Man by Marcia Muller Publisher: Warner Books ISBN 978 0 446 58242 1 Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader Unlike my other favourite tough girl, Kinsey Millhone, who lives forever in mid-80’s Santa Theresa, Sharon McCone moves through time and space and is a different person now to what she was in earlier books. Happily married and settled—sort of—with Hy Ripinski, Sharon takes on a new job with the security firm Hy works for. This turns out to be a less than brilliant idea. The running man of the title is an elusive bomber, and only a few days into the job, Sharon narrowly avoids being blown up herself. This make the job personal: nothing would shake Sharon off the running man’s trail now. When somebody’s bombing your offices, it’s likely that somebody has a grudge against your company. Sharon begins to investigate the partners in Renshaw and Kessell International and turns up some dark deeds in their collective pasts. Worse, her husband seems to have been involved. The Hy Ripinski Sharon finds in Renshaw and Kessell’s previous shady dealings is hard to reconcile with the man she married. Sharon soon realises that this is one case she must get to the bottom of; otherwise her marriage might be the next victim of the even-running man. There’s already been one romantic bust-up due to this investigation; Sharon doesn’t want to get involved in another. There’s plenty of tension in this story as well as some interesting revelations about Hy which go towards explaining how he became the man he now is. A keeper for McCone fans. |
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New Mystery Reader Magazine editor@newmysteryreader.com
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