Thursday, August 30, 2012

PULSE: A Chess Team Adventure - Jeremy Robinson

I have been on my regular diet of cozies, UF and other paranormal, some suspense and wanted to change things up with a good thriller. And didn't I just with this one. Holey SCHMOKES!
Go along for the crazy wild ride with Jack 'King' Sigler and his special ops Chess Team as they try to intercept biogenetic engineers led by a ruthless amoral billionaire who is trying to find the path to immortality.
I figured I'd have to suspend belief, but when a well written story slams like this I can believe in mythic beasts.
Definitely going to read more adventures of the Chess Team!

PRETTY IN INK: A Tattoo Shop Mystery - Karen E. Olson

Someone is killing the drag queens in Vegas and these are friends of Brett Kavanaugh, tattoo artist supreme. She needs to find out who is doing this. I t leads her all over the city, meeting all kinds of different kinds of people.
I love the names of the names of the drag queens performing at Chez Tango: Britney Brassieres, Miss Tique, Shanda Leer....
This is a fun series for me to dive into. I want to go to Vegas and visit Brett's place, The Painted Lady, and have her design a tattoo for me. I'd love to meet her employees, and see Brett's Vegas with her.
So much fun!

DEAD ANYWAY - Chris Knopf

An exhausting book to read, but only because of how fast it moves and how much the main character, Arthur Cathcart, goes through. He and his wife are victims of an execution style killing, but Arthur survives. And decides to stay dead so he can wreak revenge.
He finds assistance throughout the wreaking, people he trusts. Arthur is intelligent and has a headstart in that he is a thorough researcher and fast learner. He takes on everything with cautious intense zeal to get to the endgame.
I felt like I was reading a high voltage MAN IN THE IRON MASK and it was an excellent ride. Exhausting, but excellent just like a good thriller should be.
Superb!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

RED DELICIOUS DEATH - Sheila Connolly

This one was the most delicate of cozies. There was a murder, but it wasn't mentioned as much nor did the main character, Meg Corey, spend as much time trying to figure out who the killer was as much as concentrate on her orchard and helping out the new restaurant trying to get established. I found that I enjoyed this kind of cozy and look forward to reading more in the series.
Living in a small town and what it takes to have an agricultural business and the behind the scenes of the startup of a restaurant, especially one that is using straight from the farm produce for its menu was eye opening and note taking worthy. Excellent research done by Sheila Connolly. Well done!

MIND OVER MONSTERS - Jennifer Harlow



Favorite phrases:
"Like most social outcasts who inherited the shy gene, books became my best friend....Most of my paycheck went to Barnes and Noble. I knew everyone there by name."

"The moment he knocks one into a tree or a tombstone, another seems to take its place in the line, like a zombie Pez dispenser."

"I really much prefer zombies without teeth. This is much better. Nice stroll through the body parts."

Favorite chapter title:
A Machete is a Girl's Best Friend
*************
The whole book is a joy to read! The above is just a sample of the dialogue throughout. In another writer's hands, this could have become annoying, but Jennifer Harlow writes soft snark wonderfully.
I could easily identify with Beatrice and her love of solitude and books. Her involvement with FREAKS is exactly how it would go 'in real life'...Beatrice is amazed to be asked to join and even more astounded to find out who (and what) she'll be working with.

I cannot wait to read the rest of the series as it comes out.