Stolen Promise-Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Stolen Promise

Lisa Marie Wilkinson

Medallion, Mar 2010, $7.95

ISBN 9781605420691

In 1806 England, Jade flees from the Lowara gypsy camp as she rejects a forced commonly bartered marriage to abusive Dimitri.  She does not get very far away when she meets half-breed American gypsy Evan Dark.  He rejects her pleas to either take her to safety or ignore her; instead Evan takes her back to the Lowara encampment.

However, her family forces the two to marry Roma style as he should not have been with her without a chaperon.  Evan proclaims their nuptials as bogus.  He returns to the States planning to marry his American fiancée Gloriana Clayton, but brings Jade and her battered (by Dimitri) sister Liberina with him as indentured servants.  On his South Carolina plantation Rosefield, Gloriana realizes Evan is falling in love with Jade so she plans to insure he goes through with his marriage to her; doing whatever it takes to get rid of the gypsy.

This is an intriguing historical due to the refreshing concept of a Roma romance crossing the ocean to South Carolina where Evan is local aristocracy in spite of his grandfather’s blood.  The story line is driven by the romantic triangle, but that is no contest as Jade is a moral individual trying to do right by her sister while Glory is an avaricious unethical person willing to do anything to further her position in society their respective.  Although having Glory with no redeeming quality is a detractor, Lisa Marie Wilkinson provides readers with an entertaining early nineteenth century romance.

Harriet Klausner

Knock Me For A Loop-Heidi Betts

Knock Me For A Loop

Heidi Betts

St. Martin’s, Feb 2010, $7.99

ISBN: 9780312946739

Talk show host Grace Fisher goes to the hotel to visit her fiancé hockey star Zack Hoolihan only to find him with a naked woman.  Outraged, Grace penalizes him with a life suspension when she publicly ends their relationship.

Already mentally down after losing Grace and playing poorly, Zack injures his knee and his placed on the injured reserve list.  He feels like a loser knowing his beloved distrusts and loathes him though he never cheated on her and his professional hockey career is over.  However he has renewed hope when his Grace visits him.

The third magic yarn romance (see Loves Me, Loves Me Knot and Tangled Up In Love) continues the misadventures in love between Zack and Grace.  Ironically readers know Zack is innocent as we know he has no idea how she got into his room while on the road but mentally (and physically) hurt by his beloved’s distrust of him.  Grace’s outrage of his betrayal of her could fuel a major city for years.  This tale is well written and entertaining though why Zack tries to win back his love instead of moving on as she cross checked him with a high stick and refused to listen to him.  Still fans will appreciate this fine contemporary sports romance wondering whether Grace can believe Zack is faithful to her.

Harriet Klausner

The Bride Collector-Ted Dekker

The Bride Collector

Ted Dekker

Center Street, Apr 2010, $24.99

ISBN 9781599951966

In Denver, Quinton Guild believes young beautiful women need to be the Brides of Christ.  To insure they accept their destiny to be with God, he murders them.  However, he glues his chosen ones to a wall and slowly drains them of their blood.

FBI Agent Brad Raines is assigned the investigation into ending the killing spree of this Brides of Christ psychopath.  He is getting nowhere in his efforts to find the serial killer until he decides to discuss the case with unique consultants.  Brad visits the Center for Wellbeing and Intelligence, an institution filled with gifted but insane people such as schizophrenic Paradise who can see the final moments of life of a dead person.  Now The Bride Collector wants to marry forensic psychologist Nikki Holden to Christ.

This is an exciting serial killer thriller that is fast-paced when the psychopath is front and center especially performing the macabre marriage rituals and when Brad meets the institutionalized insane.  The story line slows down when Brad introspectively overly philosophizes whether it is better to love or not to love as loved ones die; yet ironically his discourse on who is mentally healthy vs insane is brilliant; albeit also slowing down the pace.  Still Ted Dekker provides his audience with a terrific thought provoking whodunit as readers will wonder who is locked away and why.

Harriet Klausner

Nowhere To Run-C.J. Box

Nowhere To Run

C.J.  Box

Putnam, Apr. 2010, $25.95

ISBN 9780399156458

Wyoming Game Warden Joe Picket investigates a hunting complaint in a remote section where a female runner vanished years ago.  Entering the woods, Joe feels a creeping sensation up and down his spine that someone is stalking him.

However, paranoia can prove genuine when someone ambushes Joe. He barely escapes from the woods.  Joe reports that survivalists and a female attacked him.  His account leads to a media frenzy as a runner’s parents pray their daughter is alive as this is the first time they can hope and a horde of rent a soldiers arrive to free the woman from the survivalists.

Nowhere to Run is an exhilarating Picket thriller that grips the audience once Joe knows he has a stalker tracking him and never slows down until the final climatic denouement.  This thriller is fast-paced throughout with terrific twists that hook fans even deeper into the story line.  Like Joe, fans will wonder when is government too intrusive yet when must the government intrude on the lives of competent individuals making rational but outside the box choices that places no one else in harm.

Harriet Klausner

The Barbary Pirates-William Dietrich

The Barbary Pirates

William Dietrich

Harper, Apr 2010, $25.99

ISBN 9780061567964

 

In 1802 American diplomat Ethan Gage, accompanied by his brilliant insane scientist companions, British rock hound (geologist) William Smith, French zoologist George Cuvier, and American crackpot inventor Robert Fulton, is back in Paris.  Napoleon orders the foursome to investigate whether Archimedes’ renowned mirror exists or is a fantasy as rumors of the death ray gizmo abound.

 

The quartet begin the quest from Toulon crossing the Mediterranean towards Tripoli, but quickly run into adversarial conditions caused by the brutal Egyptian Rite cabal still planning to dominate the globe with plans to use the fabled death ray on the opposition.  Gage is across the Mediterranean where he is joined by Lady Aurora Somerset and Astiza the Egyptian while the Barbary Pirates see his expedition as plunder while Gage and company sail in Fulton’s impractical sub to Tripoli with plans to continue to Malta and beyond.

 

The latest Gage swashbuckling pulp fiction is a great over the top of the Tibesti Massif as the hero and three lunatic savants join him on his latest escapades.  The story line is fast-paced throughout as Gage never has a chance for a breather.  Fans who relish Indiana Jones in Napoleon Era Mediterranean will relish the Barbary pirates adventures as Gage has left America again (see The Dakota Cipher) to cause havoc in Europe and Africa.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Executor-Jesse Kellerman

The Executor

Jesse Kellerman

Putnam, Apr 2010, $25.95

ISBN 9780399156472

Harvard University kicks out thirty year old graduate student Joseph Geist for slacking; the philosophy major was doing none of his class work.  Reeling from that blow though he knows he is at fault, Joseph takes a second shot to the gut when his girlfriend ends their longtime relationship.

Needing gainful employment that does not require work, he answers a personal ad in the Harvard Crimson.  Elderly Austrian expatriate Alma Spielmann seeks a meaningful conversationalist to discuss and argue issues.  He answers the call and is hired.  They become more than just employer-employee as the pair becomes friends.  She invites him to move into her Cambridge house for free room and board; he accepts her offer.  However, Alma’s nasty nephew Eric resents the non-family freeloader though ironically he depends on his aunt’s generosity for his finance and he occasionalyl visits her to see if the old hag’s health is failing.

This is a superb psychological suspense thriller that grips the audience once the triangle is set as fans of Jesse Kellerman anticipate something bad is going to happen but wonder to whom.  The three key players come across as real with Joseph caring for his employer and Alma for her employee with angry Eric stirring the mix.  Jesse Kellerman is at the author’s best with this strong character driven thriller that will readers wondering throughout who if any will be left standing.

Harriet Klausner

Freaksville-Kitty Keswick

Freaksville

Kitty Keswick

Leap Books, Dec 2009, $16.99

www.leapbks.com

ISBN: 9781616030018

In Stony Creek, California, Maxwell females can see the future, which is hard on sixteen years old Kasey.  She wears gloves to avoid touching anything or anyone as that triggers her skill; worse her mom sees everything.

Kasey has a vision starring mysterious English foreign exchange student Josh Johnstone.  Her sight leads her to co-starring with Josh in Romeo and Juliet and a kiss.  However, someone wants to harm either him or both of them starting with a stage light falling and there being locked in the basement.  When they see a ghost, each knows who the malevolence is who is after them, but neither knows how to send the mean spirit to its final resting place even though she has the gift of sight via touch and he is a werewolf.

This is an enjoyable teen romantic urban fantasy starring a Romeo and Juliet couple harassed by genetics and paranormal incidents.  Although blogging provides an interesting modern feel to the plot, this is also a big detractor as Miss Manners wisely says: “Don’t go public with your so-called private life.”  Still young adults will enjoy Freaksville as the cast is solid even the ghost and Kasey’s BFF could support her own tale.

Harriet Klausner

Silver Borne-Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne

Patricia Briggs

Ace, Mar 30 2010, $24.95

ISBN: 9780441018192

Even though the human population knows that vampires, werewolves, and fae exist, it does not preclude mortals from fearing the paranormal.  Mechanic Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter who can turn into a coyote, but is mated with her beloved alpha werewolf Adam.  His pack feels a coyote is beneath them on the food chain and using their mind control powers try to persuade Mercy that she is not good enough for their leader.

While an outraged Adam is trying to ferret out who is destroying his pack and messing with his Mercy’s mind, she has two other problems to contend with.  Her friend Samuel the werewolf struggles with his human side so his beast keeps him alive while Mercy triess to give him a reason to live.  A fairy wants her to return a powerful tome that a fae lent her; she kidnaps her friend Gabriel to insure Mercy cooperates, but the bookstore is shuttered permanently and Mercy knows the queen will try a double cross.

The fifth Mercy Thompson urban fantasy is filled with action, romance and fae intrigue; perhaps the deadliest kind on the planet.  Filled with various subplots that tie deftly together, the continuing adventures of Mercy and Adam make for another entertaining entry in a strong saga.  However, it is Patricia Briggs’ world-building skills on a par with early Laurell K. Hamilton that make Silver Borne a winner as readers will believe in shapeshifters, fae and vampires, oh my.

Harriet Klausner

Five-Star Fleecing-Maura Stone

Five-Star Fleecing

Maura Stone

A WinS Publication, Dec 2009, $25.00

www.maurastone.com

ISBN: 9781449932299

In 1995 after losing her legal position at a firm doing questionable practices, Linda Lane obtains a job as assistant resident manager at the Manhattan luxurious Supreme Superior Hotel.  Her boss Herr Ganiff explains the rules of working at a five-star hotel and assigns her to work up a plan on how to keep their high rollers happy while also bringing in some middle income.

However, Linda observes all sorts of questionable practices at the hotel owned in absentia by a Japanese trio.  In fact, she sees theft, poor handling of guests and a management team that takes care of itself exclusively.  As she tries to ignore what she observes, Linda thinks of her father who told her to never back down from an ethics scenario as she did as a lawyer.

This is a superb scathing satire of the hospitality business at a time when Wall St. is in the news with Too Big To Fail bonuses to many of those who failed.  The cast is eccentric and over the top of the Empire State Building with me-me attitudes that stun idealistic newcomer Linda Lane who cannot understand the philosophy that the guest must not get in the way of bonuses.  Maura Stone provides a well written tale of avarice, American style of capitalism.

Harriet Klausner

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand-Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

Helen Simonson

Random House, $25.00, Mar 2 2010

ISBN: 9781400068937

In Edgecombe St. Mary, sexagenarian English Widower Major Ernest Pettigrew grieves the death of his younger brother, Bertie.  As a memento of growing up together, Ernest wants Bertie’s antique Churchill shotgun, which is part of a set in which he owns the other piece.  However, his sibling’s wife Marjorie refuses to give it to him.  Meanwhile Ernest’s son Roger salivates over selling the Churchill collection.

Ernest is attracted to Pakistani shopkeeper Widow Jasmina Ali who he buys his tea from and enjoys discussing literature especially Kipling with her.  He wants to court the single mom though Roger interferes as does the village socialites; each has their own reason while her nephew Abdul Wahid demands she give him the shop as women should not be storekeepers by themselves.  However the major plans to ask the shopkeeper to accompany him to the dance at the club unaware of the volatile theme.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is a great contemporary English village romance with a very modern day theme of two subcultures clashing when a person from each group falls in love with someone from the other side, a Romeo and Juliet taboo.  The story line is character driven by the strong lead couple who has feelings that is unacceptable by their families and friends.  Jocular and poignant, Helen Simonson writes a relevant tale of forbidden love even for middle aged military veterans who risks his place in the village by taking a last stand for what he wants.

Harriet Klausner