Phantom Prey (Lucas Davenport Mysteries)88 reviews John Sandford Putnam Adult, 2008 The Weirdest Davenport Novel Yet + Excellent condition + Better than the last, Lucas a stud John Sandford does a better job of hooking me on his stories than anyone else writing today. I have read all the books written under the Sandford name and thought they all provided excellent entertainment except for the one clunker, "Dead Watch." The Lucas Davenport novel, "Phantom Prey," is ...             The Dogs of Riga28 reviews Henning Mankell Vintage, 2004 Wallander Works His Magic in Eastern Europe + Recent Baltic history through Swedish eyes + Latvia in Wallender-Land In most mystery novels, the social order is disturbed when a horrific crime is committed. The hero/detective uses his superior skills to solve the mystery, catch the criminal and thus restore the social order. One variation on this pattern is when the mystery writer takes the hero/detective out of ...             The Quickie275 reviews James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge Grand Central Publishing, 2008 James Patterson at his Best/The Quickie + Good Read + Great read James Patterson has done it again.. Can this man write ANYTHING bad? I think not. The Quickie is a very fast read as well as it should be, because when you start a Patterson novel, you do not want to put it down. Bare bones is what I call it and the plot could have been ripped from today's ...             The Overlook (Harry Bosch)184 reviews Michael Connelly Little, Brown and Company, 2007 A great addition to the "Harry Bosch" series! + Again, Michael Connelly at his best... in stretching for home base... I became a fan of the "Harry Bosch" novels by Michael Connelly late in life. I think it was the movie, Blood Work, starring Clint Eastwood and based on one of Connelly's other books, that caused me to buy The Narrows when it came out in paperback. I read that and found myself immediately hooked ...             In the Lake of the Woods188 reviews Tim O'Brien Mariner Books, 2006 A Psychological Study of the Layers that make up a Man + interesting... another hit from O'Brien + In the Mind of PTSD + Required reading             Secret Dead Men7 reviews Duane Swierczynski PointBlank, 2006 Soul Man + Wonderfully Imaginative + Swierczynski is a master of the imagination + A Weird and Infinitely Compelling Read + Check into the "Brain Hotel"             The Venetian Betrayal: A Novel (Cotton Malone)50 reviews Steve Berry Ballantine Books, 2007 Once again Berry is excellent + Not Berry's Best but Still Good + A Pleasant Read + One of History's Greatest Mysteries + Another Great Historical Adventure             Dragon Bones: A Red Princess Mystery (Red Princess Mysteries)18 reviews Lisa See Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2004 mystery at the three gorges + Great Details + Another great story + Dragon Bones by Lisa See + Another great contemporary mystery by Lisa See             Stalin's Ghost: An Arkady Renko Novel93 reviews Martin Cruz Smith Pocket, 2008 Remarkably good at details of Russian life + Arkady Is Back! + Arkady Fan + Modern Russia v. Arkady             Stranger in Paradise (Jesse Stone Novels)52 reviews Robert B. Parker Putnam Adult, 2008 Maybe the best of the Stone series... Perhaps I was just in the right mood, but I devoured this one in two sittings, and the break I took in order to go to sleep was done regretfully. For a change, the actual suspense/mystery/thriller plot was better than the personal relationships depicted. Thus, it qualified for me as a ...             Firewall25 reviews Henning Mankell Vintage, 2003 Firewall and other Mankell mysteries + Good for a leisurely read + Sweden? + The last book in the Wallander series is again excellent             Swan Peak: A Dave Robicheaux Novel39 reviews James Lee Burke Simon & Schuster, 2008 Extraordinary novel + Return to Big Sky + Another fine yarn...complex good guys, bad guys of all stripes! + Chapter 17 in the Life of Dave Robicheaux + As improbable as ever, but.....             The Whole Truth88 reviews David Baldacci Grand Central Publishing, 2008 Pulse-pounding thriller with great characters, plot, etc. + Very timely + Good Fast Read The Whole Truth is my second Baldacci book, the first being The Collectors. Although the two are stylistically similar, if I did not know beforehand, I would have never suspected they were written by the same author -- The Whole Truth is much, MUCH better. The Collectors was good "fluff." Well ...             Running Scared22 reviews Ken Douglas Bootleg Press, 2008 There is Nothing Like a Little Dose of Revenge + Two Brave Women are Running Scared + Two Women in Trouble and Running Scared + Running scared to stay alive... + on the edge             Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta, No. 15)614 reviews Patricia Cornwell Putnam Adult, 2007 SADLY DISAPPOINTED I JUST FINISHED "BOOK OF THE DEAD" AND WAS SADLY DISAPPOINTED. I ALMOST FEEL LIKE I NEED TO RE-READ IT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE TWISTS AND TURNS AND CHARACTERS IN THIS MIS-ADVENTURE. I AM FAIRLY NEW TO READING PATRICIA CORNWELL BOOKS AND HAVE NOT READ ALL OF THEM BUT I AM GOING TO GO BACK TO THE ...             The Crime Writer17 reviews Gregg Hurwitz Penguin (Non-Classics), 2008 Highly Recommended + A welcome surprise + From J. Kaye's Book Blog What a great read! Although it took me a few chapters to get into the story (it's told in alternating real-time and past-tense chapters), this was one thriller that grabs on and never lets go. I've read other Gregg Hurwitz titles, but THE CRIME WRITER is the first one that had me reading late ...             Death's Little Helpers15 reviews Peter Spiegelman Vintage, 2006 Glad I Read TIME Magazine + Mystery suspense at its best + Excellent mystery I recently picked up a copy TIME Magazine and read the article on 5 mystery books/authors that you shouldn't miss. Usually I'm skeptical of professional reviews, but I'm happy to say that this one was spot on as far as Death's Little Helpers, by Peter Spiegelman, is concerned. The story and ...             Winter Study (Anna Pigeon Mysteries)38 reviews Nevada Barr G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2008 Following Anna I started following Anna Pigeon in Track of the Cat, a book I checked out of the library because it had the word "track" in it back when I was just learning to track. Since then I have read every book I could find by Nevada Barr, even those without the famous Anna Pigeon in them because when it is ...             The Black Path1 review Asa Larsson Delta, 2008 exhilarating Swedish police procedural legal thriller In Kiruna, Sweden, the corpse of the woman found on the frozen lake did not require an autopsy to see she was tortured. Police Inspectors Anna-Maria Mella and Sven-Erik Stainacke lead the investigation into identifying who the Jane Doe is and why she was so brutally battered. Anna-Maria ...             Vienna Blood: A Novel (Mortalis)8 reviews Frank Tallis Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008 "His motives are twisted and obscure." + Historical mystery, travelogue, social and political commentary ... what a smorgasbord! + Vienna Blood + Still some good writers... + superb sequel