Pain Killers
Jerry Stahl
Morrow, Mar 2009, $24.99
ISBN 9780060506650
Septuagenarian Harry Zell breaks into the home of former cop turned private investigator Manny Rupert. After knocking out the sleuth and reviving him, Harry hires Manny to investigate the claim of a nonagenarian San Quentin inmate who insists he is Nazi war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele. Though he would prefer to decline the case, Manny needs the $10,000 fee to meet his debts including two ex wives demanding their checks.
To get inside the prison, Manny pretends to be a drug counselor; a job he figures he knows personally having been a user. He meets Mengele who provides seemingly personal accounts of scientific experiments on humans at Auschwitz and San Quentin while also hinting at advising pharmaceutical companies on his scientific method applied at Abu Ghraib and other American prisons around the world. As Manny struggles with determining whether the old man is senile with one hell of a dark imagination or the “Angel of Death”, he observes one of his former wives Tina frolicking with a prisoner. Thinking how charming his luck seems to run, she claims she is at the prison working for Manny. Harry wonders what is his client’s true agenda.
This intriguing premise takes a deep shot at the market corrects itself philosophy as Jerry Stahl ties big government especially the prison industry to big business as warehousing and experimenting on people in which the bottom line is everything. Social, political and economic issues are raised throughout that will have the audience ponder the reason behind the Bush administration belief that everything is top secret . The plot cleverly skews ethical restraints starting with the Mengele “scientific method” applied in modern times apparently by a consortium of CIA, DOD and big pharmaceutical firms. However, at times the psychology sessions with the ex-addict prisoners drag the tale from its basic theme of hyperbole satirizing the “Big Bush” vision of the world, fans who enjoy something different will appreciate Mr. Stah’s skewing.
Harriet Klausner
Friday, January 23, 2009
Nutcase-Charlotte Hughes
Nutcase
Charlotte Hughes
Jove, Feb 24 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780515145939
Psychologist Kate Holly is having a miserable week starting with the fact that her firefighting ex-husband Jay walked out on their first marriage counseling session. Although they still love one another deeply, she fears his occupation because her father was a firefighter who died in the line of duty; he is afraid of her job as some of her patients tend towards violence as proven by her need to find a new office after a nitro incident in her former shrink pad.
Her landlord is evicting her and she struggles to find a new location. Her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Thad Glazer asks her to join his practice, which a desperate Kate reluctantly accepts. Meanwhile she is worried sick about Jay who is dealing with a serial arsonist that can only mean more injuries from entering burning buildings. She councils a con man dating her secretary; works with a disassociative identity disorder person, and a teen accused of beating a collaborate press. Kate hopes Jay won’t get hurt chasing down the arsonist while fearing he is involved with Mandy; he hopes she won’t get hurt by one of her patients while fearing she is back with Thad.
Charlotte Hughes writes a very jocular and charming romantic suspense thriller filled with eccentric characters starting with the lead duo; supported by series regulars like her mom and secretary, Thad and Mandy and unconventional newcomers especially her patients. However with all these odd players, the zany story line is owned by Kate. She is tough as a shrew but vulnerable like a child; yet she is also strong but somewhat unconfident especially when it comes to dealing with the regulars in her life. Though the plot is thin, fans will enjoy this amusing zany tale starring an interesting individual.
Harriet Klausner
Charlotte Hughes
Jove, Feb 24 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780515145939
Psychologist Kate Holly is having a miserable week starting with the fact that her firefighting ex-husband Jay walked out on their first marriage counseling session. Although they still love one another deeply, she fears his occupation because her father was a firefighter who died in the line of duty; he is afraid of her job as some of her patients tend towards violence as proven by her need to find a new office after a nitro incident in her former shrink pad.
Her landlord is evicting her and she struggles to find a new location. Her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Thad Glazer asks her to join his practice, which a desperate Kate reluctantly accepts. Meanwhile she is worried sick about Jay who is dealing with a serial arsonist that can only mean more injuries from entering burning buildings. She councils a con man dating her secretary; works with a disassociative identity disorder person, and a teen accused of beating a collaborate press. Kate hopes Jay won’t get hurt chasing down the arsonist while fearing he is involved with Mandy; he hopes she won’t get hurt by one of her patients while fearing she is back with Thad.
Charlotte Hughes writes a very jocular and charming romantic suspense thriller filled with eccentric characters starting with the lead duo; supported by series regulars like her mom and secretary, Thad and Mandy and unconventional newcomers especially her patients. However with all these odd players, the zany story line is owned by Kate. She is tough as a shrew but vulnerable like a child; yet she is also strong but somewhat unconfident especially when it comes to dealing with the regulars in her life. Though the plot is thin, fans will enjoy this amusing zany tale starring an interesting individual.
Harriet Klausner
Sundays at Tiffany's-James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Sundays at Tiffany's
James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Grand Central, Jan 2009, $13.99
ISBN: 9780446199445
Born to affluence and fame, Jane Margaux grew up lonely with one exception. While her famous producer mother Broadway creates musicals and her father preferred spending quality time with his second wife in Nantucket, her only friend and companion is Michael, who provided her solace even if he was only imaginary. However, when she turned eight, Michael informs her he will no longer be with her though he will always be her best friend.
Over two decades later, Jane remains lonely even with a boyfriend and neurotic though she works for her mother. No one would believe she is Vivienne’s daughter as she is treated scornfully and horrifically. As Jane produces her first play based on her childhood with Michael, he returns bringing light into Jane’s dark life. They fall in love as each find their groove with one another; but Michael fears he will not be allowed to stay with his beloved as adults are not supposed to remember imaginary friends while she has never forgotten him especially since he left her once before.
This contemporary romantic fantasy is an enchanting tale in which Jane breaks the rules of imaginary friends by somehow always remembering her Michael. The story line effortlessly switches from preadolescence in which he is a sort of guardian big brother to her to and adult love story. Although the standard operating procedures of what an imaginary friend does and does not do and the laws of physics that govern the relationship between a child and their buddy are lacking so that the audience cannot fully appreciate the heroine’s breaking the barrier, fans will enjoy it happened to Jane.
Harriet Klausner
James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Grand Central, Jan 2009, $13.99
ISBN: 9780446199445
Born to affluence and fame, Jane Margaux grew up lonely with one exception. While her famous producer mother Broadway creates musicals and her father preferred spending quality time with his second wife in Nantucket, her only friend and companion is Michael, who provided her solace even if he was only imaginary. However, when she turned eight, Michael informs her he will no longer be with her though he will always be her best friend.
Over two decades later, Jane remains lonely even with a boyfriend and neurotic though she works for her mother. No one would believe she is Vivienne’s daughter as she is treated scornfully and horrifically. As Jane produces her first play based on her childhood with Michael, he returns bringing light into Jane’s dark life. They fall in love as each find their groove with one another; but Michael fears he will not be allowed to stay with his beloved as adults are not supposed to remember imaginary friends while she has never forgotten him especially since he left her once before.
This contemporary romantic fantasy is an enchanting tale in which Jane breaks the rules of imaginary friends by somehow always remembering her Michael. The story line effortlessly switches from preadolescence in which he is a sort of guardian big brother to her to and adult love story. Although the standard operating procedures of what an imaginary friend does and does not do and the laws of physics that govern the relationship between a child and their buddy are lacking so that the audience cannot fully appreciate the heroine’s breaking the barrier, fans will enjoy it happened to Jane.
Harriet Klausner
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Little Giant of Aberdeen County-Tiffany Baker
Little Giant of Aberdeen County
Tiffany Baker
Grand Central, Jan 2009, $24.99
ISBN: 9780446194204
The wagering was enormous as almost every townsfolk of Aberdeen bet on the size of the boy Lily Plaice was carrying because of how much the child stretched her stomach; this kid was going to be huge. Everyone feels remorse when Lily dies giving birth to a giantess, but more are upset because no one won the pool as the newborn outweighed the highest estimate. Her widower father blames Truly for killing his wife; to some degree her older sister pixyish Serena Jane does too. Finally their father dies as he lost the will to live. Truly and Serena Jane go their separate ways with the latter becoming a popular affluent beauty while the former a dirt poor ostracized farmer.
Bob Bob Morgan decides Serena Jane will be his wife and achieves his goal as expected of the latest runt of Dr. Robert Morgan’s. Truly loathes her brother-in-law who has always been one of her harshest abusers. However, after years of marriage Serena Jane decides enough with a loveless relationship; she flees town leaving behind Bob-Bob and their eight years old son Bobby. Bob-Bob blames Truly for driving away his wife. However, when she discovers she has healing talent after finding some herbal cures written by a nineteenth century witch-wife of the first Dr. Robert inside a Morgan quit, Truly begins to assert herself.
This is a unique superbly written character study of a truly scrumptious giantess and how those in a 360 circle around her treat her with scorn with two exceptions, outcasts like her. The story line is driven by Truly who takes her size as a matter of fact on the surface but inside the ridicule hurts her. Readers will appreciate this fine saga of a woman who is physically different.
Harriet Klausner
Tiffany Baker
Grand Central, Jan 2009, $24.99
ISBN: 9780446194204
The wagering was enormous as almost every townsfolk of Aberdeen bet on the size of the boy Lily Plaice was carrying because of how much the child stretched her stomach; this kid was going to be huge. Everyone feels remorse when Lily dies giving birth to a giantess, but more are upset because no one won the pool as the newborn outweighed the highest estimate. Her widower father blames Truly for killing his wife; to some degree her older sister pixyish Serena Jane does too. Finally their father dies as he lost the will to live. Truly and Serena Jane go their separate ways with the latter becoming a popular affluent beauty while the former a dirt poor ostracized farmer.
Bob Bob Morgan decides Serena Jane will be his wife and achieves his goal as expected of the latest runt of Dr. Robert Morgan’s. Truly loathes her brother-in-law who has always been one of her harshest abusers. However, after years of marriage Serena Jane decides enough with a loveless relationship; she flees town leaving behind Bob-Bob and their eight years old son Bobby. Bob-Bob blames Truly for driving away his wife. However, when she discovers she has healing talent after finding some herbal cures written by a nineteenth century witch-wife of the first Dr. Robert inside a Morgan quit, Truly begins to assert herself.
This is a unique superbly written character study of a truly scrumptious giantess and how those in a 360 circle around her treat her with scorn with two exceptions, outcasts like her. The story line is driven by Truly who takes her size as a matter of fact on the surface but inside the ridicule hurts her. Readers will appreciate this fine saga of a woman who is physically different.
Harriet Klausner
Cast the First Stone-Rebbie Macintyre
Cast the First Stone
Rebbie Macintyre
Five Star, Mar 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594147463
In 1932 in Ludlodi, Colorado, fifteen years old Katherine Woodson explains to Coyote County Sheriff George Mallis that her bootlegging father Merle vanished after arguing with his business partner Parn Shannon. They have not found the corpse but the sheriff locks him up after accusing him of killing the missing father. It is obvious to the deputies and Parn’s sister that the sheriff has a deep grudge against Parn; George blames him and Merle for the deaths of his wife and child.
Deputy Roy Eastman persuades Parn’s widowed sister Trini Bates to use her dowsing skill to locate Merle. She succeeds finding his body at the bottom of a canyon. However, George not only remains steadfast in his belief Parn killed his partner; he finds a bloody knife in a woodpile by his prisoner’s cabin. As an angry but despondent Trini ignores her need to grieve her husband’s death eight months ago. She investigates Merle’s background convinced George killed him to gain control over east Colorado bootlegging, but evidence mounts against Parn, which impacts negatively on Trini’s dowsing skills. Still she fosters Katherine and her twelve year old brother Jake who has the mind of a five year old, and is taken aback to find Roy desires her even while someone else wants her dead.
Timely with the impact of the Depression on a person’s values vs. employment as Roy learns, CAST THE FIRST STONE is an engaging historical amateur sleuth tale. The cast is powerful running very deep as each provides a taste of life in the Rockies in 1932. The whodunit and related suspense are well written, but also enhance the sense of time and place for instance waiting for the traveling circuit judge to come to town as speedy trial is theory only; thus in many ways Rebbie Macintyre’s entertaining tale is more a historical than a mystery.
Harriet Klausner
Rebbie Macintyre
Five Star, Mar 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594147463
In 1932 in Ludlodi, Colorado, fifteen years old Katherine Woodson explains to Coyote County Sheriff George Mallis that her bootlegging father Merle vanished after arguing with his business partner Parn Shannon. They have not found the corpse but the sheriff locks him up after accusing him of killing the missing father. It is obvious to the deputies and Parn’s sister that the sheriff has a deep grudge against Parn; George blames him and Merle for the deaths of his wife and child.
Deputy Roy Eastman persuades Parn’s widowed sister Trini Bates to use her dowsing skill to locate Merle. She succeeds finding his body at the bottom of a canyon. However, George not only remains steadfast in his belief Parn killed his partner; he finds a bloody knife in a woodpile by his prisoner’s cabin. As an angry but despondent Trini ignores her need to grieve her husband’s death eight months ago. She investigates Merle’s background convinced George killed him to gain control over east Colorado bootlegging, but evidence mounts against Parn, which impacts negatively on Trini’s dowsing skills. Still she fosters Katherine and her twelve year old brother Jake who has the mind of a five year old, and is taken aback to find Roy desires her even while someone else wants her dead.
Timely with the impact of the Depression on a person’s values vs. employment as Roy learns, CAST THE FIRST STONE is an engaging historical amateur sleuth tale. The cast is powerful running very deep as each provides a taste of life in the Rockies in 1932. The whodunit and related suspense are well written, but also enhance the sense of time and place for instance waiting for the traveling circuit judge to come to town as speedy trial is theory only; thus in many ways Rebbie Macintyre’s entertaining tale is more a historical than a mystery.
Harriet Klausner
Dakota-Martha Grimes
Dakota
Martha Grimes
NAL, Feb 2009, $15.00
ISBN: 9780451225894
Andi Oliver still suffers from amnesia (see BITING THE MOON) as she aimlessly wanders North Dakota. Following her rescuing of a donkey, Andi decides she needs a respite from her quest to find out her real name. So she settles in Kingdom.
However, she is hardly in her temporary digs when she runs into a dispute with local bullies. She obtains a job at Klavan’s pig farm where the owner and workers mistreat the animals; Andi plans to change that practice starting with the nearby slaughterhouse for the inhumane cruel treatment of animals. However, as she stirs up the townsfolk dividing them between for or against her, a psychopath wants to kill her and someone else plans to torture her into revealing secrets she no longer knows.
Although the amnesia theme does not move at all and a late spin seems implausible, DAKOTA is an exciting suspense thriller especially when the focus is on the mistreatment of animals under the guise of feeding humans. The story line is fast-paced as Andi takes a respite from her quest only to find a social issue of cruelty that drives her to take action. Fans will enjoy her DAKOTA caper.
Harriet Klausner
Martha Grimes
NAL, Feb 2009, $15.00
ISBN: 9780451225894
Andi Oliver still suffers from amnesia (see BITING THE MOON) as she aimlessly wanders North Dakota. Following her rescuing of a donkey, Andi decides she needs a respite from her quest to find out her real name. So she settles in Kingdom.
However, she is hardly in her temporary digs when she runs into a dispute with local bullies. She obtains a job at Klavan’s pig farm where the owner and workers mistreat the animals; Andi plans to change that practice starting with the nearby slaughterhouse for the inhumane cruel treatment of animals. However, as she stirs up the townsfolk dividing them between for or against her, a psychopath wants to kill her and someone else plans to torture her into revealing secrets she no longer knows.
Although the amnesia theme does not move at all and a late spin seems implausible, DAKOTA is an exciting suspense thriller especially when the focus is on the mistreatment of animals under the guise of feeding humans. The story line is fast-paced as Andi takes a respite from her quest only to find a social issue of cruelty that drives her to take action. Fans will enjoy her DAKOTA caper.
Harriet Klausner
Out at Night-Susan Arnout Smith
Out at Night
Susan Arnout Smith
Minotaur, Mar 2009, $25.95
ISBN 9780312368340
In Palm Springs, California, at an international agricultural symposium, protesters peacefully march against genetically modified crops. That is no violence until someone shoots an arrow into the chest of Professor Thaddeus Bartholomew. The assailant quickly follows up, while people watch in horror, by pouring gasoline on the professor and igniting it with a match; but before his death Thaddeus sends a text message: "FIND GRACE DESCANSO."
The FBI suspects the violent group Radical Damage killed the professor to cast a dark shadow on the conference and most likely to plan an even more ferocious assault during the closing ceremony. Grace a San Diego police crime lab technician is yanked back from her vacation with her daughter by her FBI Agent Uncle Pete. As the niece works with her uncle investigating the homicide and potential follow-up terrorism, another murder occurs and while the moment of truth draws closer, there remains too many suspects including Grace’s pregnant cousin to prevent an expected tragedy.
OUT AT NIGHT, the second Descanso police procedural (see THE TIMER GAME) is an exciting thriller from the moment an expecting to die Bartholomew sends his text message and never slows down until the final confrontation with agricultural terrorists. The gripping story line hooks the audience, but never quite explains why the professor picked Descanso and waits until the latter half of the tale to provide the actual terrorist threat and the rationale. Still fans will enjoy this enjoyable family affair.
Harriet Klausner
Susan Arnout Smith
Minotaur, Mar 2009, $25.95
ISBN 9780312368340
In Palm Springs, California, at an international agricultural symposium, protesters peacefully march against genetically modified crops. That is no violence until someone shoots an arrow into the chest of Professor Thaddeus Bartholomew. The assailant quickly follows up, while people watch in horror, by pouring gasoline on the professor and igniting it with a match; but before his death Thaddeus sends a text message: "FIND GRACE DESCANSO."
The FBI suspects the violent group Radical Damage killed the professor to cast a dark shadow on the conference and most likely to plan an even more ferocious assault during the closing ceremony. Grace a San Diego police crime lab technician is yanked back from her vacation with her daughter by her FBI Agent Uncle Pete. As the niece works with her uncle investigating the homicide and potential follow-up terrorism, another murder occurs and while the moment of truth draws closer, there remains too many suspects including Grace’s pregnant cousin to prevent an expected tragedy.
OUT AT NIGHT, the second Descanso police procedural (see THE TIMER GAME) is an exciting thriller from the moment an expecting to die Bartholomew sends his text message and never slows down until the final confrontation with agricultural terrorists. The gripping story line hooks the audience, but never quite explains why the professor picked Descanso and waits until the latter half of the tale to provide the actual terrorist threat and the rationale. Still fans will enjoy this enjoyable family affair.
Harriet Klausner
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