Ladies of the Lake
Haywood Smith
St. Martin’s, Sep 2009, $24.99
ISBN 9780312316952
With the death of the family matriarch Cissy, her granddaughters (Dahlia, Rose, Violet and Iris) must follow her stipulation in her will to inherit. The late former dancer demands the four sisters move from their respective Atlanta homes to her lakefront estate in the Georgia Mountains for 90 days.
The siblings agree on cleaning up the hazardous to your health house so that in three months they place it on the market to sell. They fail to comprehend that their late grandma wanted one last connection to her beloved ones even if that is from the grave. Cissy hoped they would understand how she lived her life and how she wants them to do likewise.
From the Hazmat cleaning debate to the sibling squabbles to the legal legacy, LADIES OF THE LAKE is an amusing poignant sisters’ drama that reminds readers of the importance of making quality and quantity time for loved ones. The four sisters, their late grandma and a catalyst hunk come across as full blooded especially the siblings when they mix war and love with each other. Although a romance with the key male outsider never quite gels, Haywood Smith leaves the red hats safely stored for another day as she provides a jocular yet profound family drama.
Harriet Klausner
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Nine Dragons-Michael Connolly
Nine Dragons
Michael Connolly
Little Brown, Oct 13 2009, $27.99
ISBN: 9780316166317
Fortune Liquors has been robbed and a man is down. LAPD Detectives Harry Bosch and Ignacio Ferras take the call. When they arrive at the crime scene, they find John Li, owner of the liquor store, dead with three bullets in his chest. A video shows Li making a pay off to a triad bag man. The two cops gather enough information to arrest the man, but he never says a word; at the same Harry receives a call to back off or else.
Harry is sent a video of his daughter Madeline, who lives with her mother Eleanor Wish in Hong King. She is tied up and gagged. Harry assumes the Triad knows they arrested one of their baggers, but no longer has interest in the Los Angeles homicide. He flies to Hog Kong where he meets his ex-wife Eleanor and her lover Sun Yee. They go to the apartment seen in the video, but she is not there. Finding clues, Harry assisted by his former spouse and her significant other searches for his daughter before she becomes another homicide statistic.
Bosch is married to his job and never allows anyone to get too close to him because they could become victims; Maddy is the exception. Two diverse groups want Harry dead, but his quest keeps him going even as attempts to kill him fail. Although panicked for Maddy’s safety, Bosch remains cool, calm, and collected as he searches for his daughter. With Mickey Haller of the Lincoln Lawyer fame adding to the plot, Harry is the old pre cold case Bosch as he works a personally hot case.
Harriet Klausner
Michael Connolly
Little Brown, Oct 13 2009, $27.99
ISBN: 9780316166317
Fortune Liquors has been robbed and a man is down. LAPD Detectives Harry Bosch and Ignacio Ferras take the call. When they arrive at the crime scene, they find John Li, owner of the liquor store, dead with three bullets in his chest. A video shows Li making a pay off to a triad bag man. The two cops gather enough information to arrest the man, but he never says a word; at the same Harry receives a call to back off or else.
Harry is sent a video of his daughter Madeline, who lives with her mother Eleanor Wish in Hong King. She is tied up and gagged. Harry assumes the Triad knows they arrested one of their baggers, but no longer has interest in the Los Angeles homicide. He flies to Hog Kong where he meets his ex-wife Eleanor and her lover Sun Yee. They go to the apartment seen in the video, but she is not there. Finding clues, Harry assisted by his former spouse and her significant other searches for his daughter before she becomes another homicide statistic.
Bosch is married to his job and never allows anyone to get too close to him because they could become victims; Maddy is the exception. Two diverse groups want Harry dead, but his quest keeps him going even as attempts to kill him fail. Although panicked for Maddy’s safety, Bosch remains cool, calm, and collected as he searches for his daughter. With Mickey Haller of the Lincoln Lawyer fame adding to the plot, Harry is the old pre cold case Bosch as he works a personally hot case.
Harriet Klausner
Moon Rise-Marilee Brothers
Moon Rise
Marilee Brothers
Bell Bridge, Aug 2009, $14.95
ISBN: 9780982175699
In Peacock Flats, Washington at John J. Peacock HS, student Alfrieda "Allie" Emerson recently lost her telekinetic skills which include reading minds. Her loss of power has angered her at a time her boyfriend Junior went home to Mexico as she feels she lost something precious. The pressure from her dad who just recently came into her life and his group the Star Seekers add to her ire and helplessness; they insist she is the key to the prophecy by keeping the moonstone necklace safe from the Trimarks. Faye AKA Mom is no help as she finds one pathetic loser after another to go out with.
At school are two new students, twins Beck and Nicole Bradford. Allie is attracted to the hunk, but also has other worries like the school counselor who wants her removed from her mom. Meanwhile the siblings hide a secret from Allie and others at the school as they are not what they seem. However, they are the key to keeping Allie safe with her retaining the necklace as the Trimarks are using all sorts of tricks to get at her.
The second Unbidden Magic urban teen fantasy (see MOONSTONE) is a terific exciting tale with Junior in Mexico and Allie’s new BF being a half demon. This leads Allie to protect the necklace but also elude her dad and his group of goody types, her mom and her loser dates, the counselor fro hell, as well as the bad dudes, which make male high school hormonal butt pinching seem irrelevantly inane. MOON RISE contains a fabulous fast-paced story line, but is owned by the heroine whose perspective on her out of control life simply fun to follow as danger lurks around every corner of the school, home, and town.
Harriet Klausner
Marilee Brothers
Bell Bridge, Aug 2009, $14.95
ISBN: 9780982175699
In Peacock Flats, Washington at John J. Peacock HS, student Alfrieda "Allie" Emerson recently lost her telekinetic skills which include reading minds. Her loss of power has angered her at a time her boyfriend Junior went home to Mexico as she feels she lost something precious. The pressure from her dad who just recently came into her life and his group the Star Seekers add to her ire and helplessness; they insist she is the key to the prophecy by keeping the moonstone necklace safe from the Trimarks. Faye AKA Mom is no help as she finds one pathetic loser after another to go out with.
At school are two new students, twins Beck and Nicole Bradford. Allie is attracted to the hunk, but also has other worries like the school counselor who wants her removed from her mom. Meanwhile the siblings hide a secret from Allie and others at the school as they are not what they seem. However, they are the key to keeping Allie safe with her retaining the necklace as the Trimarks are using all sorts of tricks to get at her.
The second Unbidden Magic urban teen fantasy (see MOONSTONE) is a terific exciting tale with Junior in Mexico and Allie’s new BF being a half demon. This leads Allie to protect the necklace but also elude her dad and his group of goody types, her mom and her loser dates, the counselor fro hell, as well as the bad dudes, which make male high school hormonal butt pinching seem irrelevantly inane. MOON RISE contains a fabulous fast-paced story line, but is owned by the heroine whose perspective on her out of control life simply fun to follow as danger lurks around every corner of the school, home, and town.
Harriet Klausner
Bite Marks: A Vampire Testament-Terence Taylor
Bite Marks: A Vampire Testament
Terence Taylor
St. Martin’s, Oct 2009, $14.99
ISBN: 9780312385255
In 1986 in wintry New York City, Adam Caine the vampire murders his seventeen years old human lover Nina and the John she solicited on Times Square. The raging vampire then brings his teen hooker back from the dead as an undead like him. Adam forces Nina to drink the blood of her five month old child before he rapes and kills her again. However, before Nina dies permanently, she resurrects her baby, Christopher.
Christopher escapes from Adam, but is captured by drug addicts, who threaten to expose the vampires to the public. Believing their species needs to remain in the closet, influential vampire Perenelle de Marivelle and her former lover the ancient vampire Rahman search for Christopher and Adam. Meanwhile Nina's brother Jim Miller seeks his nephew in Hell’s Kitchen.
The Vampire testament starts off with a gritty gruesome look at Manhattan through the eyes of a rabid raging undead but also never quite reaches that frantic frenzied opening scene. The story line is action-packed when the plot remains in 1986 and quite bloody as a vampire thriller should be. Although flashbacks feel more like padded distracterions, fans will enjoy Terrence Taylor’s bite of the red Big Apple.
Harriet Klausner
Terence Taylor
St. Martin’s, Oct 2009, $14.99
ISBN: 9780312385255
In 1986 in wintry New York City, Adam Caine the vampire murders his seventeen years old human lover Nina and the John she solicited on Times Square. The raging vampire then brings his teen hooker back from the dead as an undead like him. Adam forces Nina to drink the blood of her five month old child before he rapes and kills her again. However, before Nina dies permanently, she resurrects her baby, Christopher.
Christopher escapes from Adam, but is captured by drug addicts, who threaten to expose the vampires to the public. Believing their species needs to remain in the closet, influential vampire Perenelle de Marivelle and her former lover the ancient vampire Rahman search for Christopher and Adam. Meanwhile Nina's brother Jim Miller seeks his nephew in Hell’s Kitchen.
The Vampire testament starts off with a gritty gruesome look at Manhattan through the eyes of a rabid raging undead but also never quite reaches that frantic frenzied opening scene. The story line is action-packed when the plot remains in 1986 and quite bloody as a vampire thriller should be. Although flashbacks feel more like padded distracterions, fans will enjoy Terrence Taylor’s bite of the red Big Apple.
Harriet Klausner
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Viking Heat-Sandra Hill
Viking Heat
Sandra Hill
Berkley, Sep 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425230671
PH.D candidate, psychologist Joy Nelson knows it is the fault of her three older brothers as the tall female has been competing with them since she was twelve years old. She blames the “Three Muska-dopes” (Matt, Jerry and Tom) for her being in mud up to her eyeballs which is not easy to occur with her being just under six feet. Instead of going to Yale she is doing training in order to join the Navy SEALS as Matt was killed by Al-Qaeda while flying for the Air Force and the athletic amazon feels compelled to act.
She though her siblings were the king of testosterone, but she will soon learn they are not even royalty when it comes to male hormonal rages. Instead of SEALS training, somehow Joy finds herself back in 955 on the Norselands at a slave auction in which she is the product for sale. The Igorsson siblings Erland and Arniss buy her as a birthday present for their brother Brandr. Not used to a woman who can almost look him in the eyes, Brandr feels like a berserker when it comes to his new thrall who for Thor’s sake is driving him crazy with her insane notions of finding his Valkyrie side; for Odin’s sake he is a Viking warrior. However, as she brings a new “Hoo-yah” tradition to the Viking lore, they fall in love though she claims a woman belongs on top.
This is an entertaining entry in the Viking-SEAL time travel romance as the heroine brings joy to the world of Brandr the berserker in heat. The story line is lighthearted fun as Joy brings back modern day psychology theory to the tenth century Vikings. Although the plot is somewhat repetitious of previous entries, Penn State masters graduate Joy refreshes the tale with her beside manners as Sandra Hill provides an amusing entry to her delightful series.
Harriet Klausner
Sandra Hill
Berkley, Sep 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425230671
PH.D candidate, psychologist Joy Nelson knows it is the fault of her three older brothers as the tall female has been competing with them since she was twelve years old. She blames the “Three Muska-dopes” (Matt, Jerry and Tom) for her being in mud up to her eyeballs which is not easy to occur with her being just under six feet. Instead of going to Yale she is doing training in order to join the Navy SEALS as Matt was killed by Al-Qaeda while flying for the Air Force and the athletic amazon feels compelled to act.
She though her siblings were the king of testosterone, but she will soon learn they are not even royalty when it comes to male hormonal rages. Instead of SEALS training, somehow Joy finds herself back in 955 on the Norselands at a slave auction in which she is the product for sale. The Igorsson siblings Erland and Arniss buy her as a birthday present for their brother Brandr. Not used to a woman who can almost look him in the eyes, Brandr feels like a berserker when it comes to his new thrall who for Thor’s sake is driving him crazy with her insane notions of finding his Valkyrie side; for Odin’s sake he is a Viking warrior. However, as she brings a new “Hoo-yah” tradition to the Viking lore, they fall in love though she claims a woman belongs on top.
This is an entertaining entry in the Viking-SEAL time travel romance as the heroine brings joy to the world of Brandr the berserker in heat. The story line is lighthearted fun as Joy brings back modern day psychology theory to the tenth century Vikings. Although the plot is somewhat repetitious of previous entries, Penn State masters graduate Joy refreshes the tale with her beside manners as Sandra Hill provides an amusing entry to her delightful series.
Harriet Klausner
Choices- Pamela Nowak
Choices
Pamela Nowak
Five Star, Sep 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594148101
In 1876 Miriam Longstreet was attending boarding school back east when her parents notified her to come to their current home at Fort Randall in the Dakota Territory. She is stunned with what she finds with her family. Her martinet mom is addicted to laudanum and her father is totally occupied with his duty. Neither takes care of their six year old other daughter Franny
Miriam’s mom demands she marry Lieutenant Robert Wood while she just wants some time to adjust and to care for her neglected sibling. Private Jake Deakins assumes Miriam is the commanding officer’s new governess and treats her as an equal rather than the daughter of the C.O. They become friends and soon fall in love, but Wood abetted by Miriam’s mom intrudes starting with sending Jake on a suicide mission.
Courageous Miriam has CHOICES, but chooses to insure her sister is safe and her heart too although CHANCES are her mom and her mother’s ally will prevail. The gripping character driven plot hooks the audience from the moment Miriam gives up Denver for Fort Randall and never loosens that hold as misunderstandings and distrust are tools fostered by Wood and Harriet. Fans will appreciate Pamela Nowak’s engaging look at Reconstruction Era in the Dakotas.
Harriet Klausner
Pamela Nowak
Five Star, Sep 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594148101
In 1876 Miriam Longstreet was attending boarding school back east when her parents notified her to come to their current home at Fort Randall in the Dakota Territory. She is stunned with what she finds with her family. Her martinet mom is addicted to laudanum and her father is totally occupied with his duty. Neither takes care of their six year old other daughter Franny
Miriam’s mom demands she marry Lieutenant Robert Wood while she just wants some time to adjust and to care for her neglected sibling. Private Jake Deakins assumes Miriam is the commanding officer’s new governess and treats her as an equal rather than the daughter of the C.O. They become friends and soon fall in love, but Wood abetted by Miriam’s mom intrudes starting with sending Jake on a suicide mission.
Courageous Miriam has CHOICES, but chooses to insure her sister is safe and her heart too although CHANCES are her mom and her mother’s ally will prevail. The gripping character driven plot hooks the audience from the moment Miriam gives up Denver for Fort Randall and never loosens that hold as misunderstandings and distrust are tools fostered by Wood and Harriet. Fans will appreciate Pamela Nowak’s engaging look at Reconstruction Era in the Dakotas.
Harriet Klausner
Betrayed-Amy Clipston
Betrayed
Amy Clipston
Five Star, Sep 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594147937
In Mooresville, North Carolina, Lacey Fowler is distraught when her beloved father Greg and his wonderful second wife Veronica die in a car crash on their way home from Daytona. The family attorney informs Lacey that her father named her and driver Reese Mitchell as co-owners of his Southern Racing. Lacey is outraged as she is ready to leave college to run the company alone and making matters worse she loves Reese who is too busy womanizing to notice she is an adult.
However, as she digs into the company’s records, she finds the bottom line does not add up as if someone has extorted money. She knows few people would have access of this sort with the prime person being Reese’s dad Carl who is like a dad to her. As she investigates her father’s death after seeing photos of the scene, the evidence of embezzlement increasingly point to Carl. With Reese helping her, they begin to unravel the truth even as he falls in love with a woman he always thought of as his younger sister.
Although the plot has been used before, Amy Clipston superbly executes the story line of an amateur sleuth investigating embezzlement and murders that implicate the father of the heroine’s beloved. The story line is fast-paced keeping up with the racing car theme as Lacey and Reese fall in love but distrust lingers due to the evidence pointing at Carl. With a couple of nice spins, fans will want to ride with Ms. Clipston as she takes readers around the track.
Harriet Klausner
Amy Clipston
Five Star, Sep 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594147937
In Mooresville, North Carolina, Lacey Fowler is distraught when her beloved father Greg and his wonderful second wife Veronica die in a car crash on their way home from Daytona. The family attorney informs Lacey that her father named her and driver Reese Mitchell as co-owners of his Southern Racing. Lacey is outraged as she is ready to leave college to run the company alone and making matters worse she loves Reese who is too busy womanizing to notice she is an adult.
However, as she digs into the company’s records, she finds the bottom line does not add up as if someone has extorted money. She knows few people would have access of this sort with the prime person being Reese’s dad Carl who is like a dad to her. As she investigates her father’s death after seeing photos of the scene, the evidence of embezzlement increasingly point to Carl. With Reese helping her, they begin to unravel the truth even as he falls in love with a woman he always thought of as his younger sister.
Although the plot has been used before, Amy Clipston superbly executes the story line of an amateur sleuth investigating embezzlement and murders that implicate the father of the heroine’s beloved. The story line is fast-paced keeping up with the racing car theme as Lacey and Reese fall in love but distrust lingers due to the evidence pointing at Carl. With a couple of nice spins, fans will want to ride with Ms. Clipston as she takes readers around the track.
Harriet Klausner
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