Red Blooded Murder-Laura Caldwell

Red Blooded Murder

Laura Caldwell

Mira, Jul 2009, $7.99

ISBN: 9780778326588

Six months ago the embezzlement scandal left thirtyish entertainment attorney Isabel McNeil unemployed and no longer engaged to Sam Hollings.  That is until Trial TV hires her and she is seeing younger hunk Theo Jameson.  In other words, Izzy is moving on past that dizzy spell.

That is until her friend Jane Augustine, who got her the Trial TV job, is murdered.  Izzy finds her corpse and as happened with the missing $30 million, Chicago police considers her the prime suspect especially since she replaced Jane on a TV show.  Izzy has learned the hard way not to trust anyone particularly pigheaded police so she investigates who would want Jane dead; unprepared to learn what she does about her late friend.

The return of Izzy (See RED HOT LIES) as a prime suspect again will elate Laura Caldwell fans as the lawyer who learned the hard way not to trust cops sets out to prove her innocence by uncovering the identity of the killer.  The amateur sleuth investigation into the whodunit is well written.  However, what makes the tale enjoyable is Izzy’s first person dialogue that turns RED BLOOD MURDER into an amusing anti-noir.

Harriet Klausner

Bad Things Happen-Harry Dolan

Bad Things Happen

Harry Dolan

Amy Einhorn Books (Putnam), Jul 23 2009, $24.95

ISBN: 9780399155635

David Loogan lives and hides in Ann Arbor in hope of moving past a violent history that he knows he will never forget.  He begins to write a short story for Gray Streets literary crime-fiction journal.  Though he never finishes the project, the magazine publisher Tom Kristoll likes what he has seen.  He offers David a position as an editor, which he accepts.  David, Tom, and his wife Laura become friends.

Tom obtains David’s help in dumping a corpse though the former does not believe the latter’s explanation.  Soon afterward Tom falls to his death from his office window.  AAPD Homicide Detective Elizabeth Waishkey suspects David killed Tom especially when evidence surfaces that he slept with Laura.  As other people associated with Gray Streets die, single mom Elizabeth focuses even more intensely on David, who conducts his own inquiry to uncover the killer before he is on trial.

The fun in this terrific twisting serial killer investigative tale is the writers who are intelligent and witty until they become the star of someone else’s plot.  The story line is fast-paced and the amateur sleuth prime suspect and the obstinate cop chasing him makes for an intriguing duel.  Mindful of the movies’ Theater of Blood and Murder by Death, but less hammy, fans will enjoy Harry Dolan’s fine thriller that as Vincent Price said (in Theatre of Blood) is “much ado about murder”.

Harriet Klausner

Countdown-Greg Cox

Countdown

Greg Cox

Ace, Jul 7 2009, $15.00

ISBN: 9780441017188

The New Gods live on two different worlds: the paradise New Genesis and the hell hole Apokolips that makes Dante’s description seem mild.  The ruler of Apokolips is Darkseid, who intends to destroy the multiverse that consists of fifty-two universes; in the end he plans to rule over a new multiverse.  There are opposition forces trying to prevent his cataclysmic scheme from happening, but he is currently maneuvering former super humans as expendable chess pawns furthering his chances of success.

Jimmy Olsen suddenly develops super powers that activates when his life is in danger.  The Monitor Solomon kidnaps Donna “Wonder Girl” Troy and former Robin, Jason Todd, a bitter young man,. They need to find  Ray “Atom” Palmer who vanished due to grief after his wife became mentally insane  and became a killer. The Atom holds the key to the  survival of all fifty-two multiverses.

This follow-up to INFINITE CRISIS and 52 continues the story of the War between the New Gods with the COUNTDOWN to the end of the multiverse as “we” know it.  There are several subplots besides those above including one involving Mary Marvel coming out of a coma and Catwoman coming out of enforced retirement (as did Todd and Troy).   Fun and exciting especially for DC fans of the older Crisis on Infinite Earth saga and the Jack Kirby’s New Gods pantheon will enjoy the latest novelization of the end of the multiverse; newcomers will be as confused as the original baby boomers were back in the post Silver Age.

Harriet Klausner

No Fear-Allie Harrison

No Fear

Allie Harrison

ImaJinn, May 2009, $14.00

ISBN: 9781933417486

Medusa’s Island is a tourist attraction with pristine beaches making it look like a paradise.  However, five years ago this seemingly Eden was hell. A vampire was killing females, turning them into his kind; the only human to escape was Emma gray who does not remember that Chief of Police James Winchester saved her life.  James actually came to this island because as a vampire slayer and vampire he sensed evil, but he failed to kill the master vampire.

Emma remains fearful of the dark, never goes out at night and refuses to allow any male into her home.  James has diligently watched over her for the past five years because she is his soul mate even though she keeps him at a distance.  He finally breaks through the barriers she constructed around her heart, but conceals the fact he is a vampire as he is unsure how to break the news to her so he decides to let her become more comfortable with him and hopefully fall in love with him.  However, before he can complete his plan, the evil returns with both him and Emma sensing the malevolent presence who has come for Emma.

Allie Harrison has written a sensually interesting vampire romance in which the supernatural species consists of evil and good members.  James is a perfect hero willing to kill his own kind to save humans; his patience with Emma will have fans adoring him.  He has killed hundreds of malevolent vampires while his protecting mortals makes him feel somewhat human again.  Readers will enjoy this terrific thriller anticipating how Emma will react to her protector when she learns the truth that he is the same species as the predator coming for her.

Harriet Klausner

The Year That Follows-Scott Lasser

The Year That Follows

Scott Lasser

Knopf, Jun 9 2009, $23.95

ISBN: 9780307271198

Fortyish bond trader Kyle died in one of the Towers of 9/11.  Just before he died, Kyle informed his single mom sister Cat that he believed he is the father of an infant and that the mother also worked in the WTC.  The siblings planned to meet shortly to honor their late mom; the next day Kyle was dead.  Cat searches for her nephew, but makes no progress.

A year later, Cat’s dad Sam, a widower veteran dying from a congestive heart disease, invites her to come to the Big Apple from Detroit to be together while they memorialize Kyle in a Jewish ritual in spite of neither having any faith anymore.  She agrees as a chance to reconcile with her dad as both grieved 9/11 differently.  She leaves for New York with hopes of finding her nephew and in some ways her dad.

THE YEAR THAT FOLLOWS is an excellent look at how people react after a tragedy occurs to loved ones.  Cat and Sam are fully developed protagonists who have found separate ways to cope with what happened to Kyle, who we meet through the memories of his sister and father.  Readers who relish a poignant look at survival coping will appreciate Scott Lasser’s terrific tale as religious beliefs collapse when the walls came tumbling down yet religious ritual enables grieving family members to come together at a time when surviving loved ones need each other for emotional support.

Harriet Klausner

The Sweetgum Ladies Knit For Love-Beth Pattillo

The Sweetgum Ladies Knit For Love

Beth Pattillo

WaterBrook, Jun 2 2009, $13.99

ISBN: 9781400073955

The ladies of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society are reading and discussing some of the great fictional romances.  This leads them to debate what love is at least to each of them.

At the Sweetgum Christian Church over the year that they review love stories, each of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society members face some personal crisis that has them reconsider the definition of true love.  Eugenie is a newlywed, but her relationship with her new spouse has weakened.  Hannah has begun to date but is unsure of herself when it comes to male relationships.  Finally Camille rejects a man she is attracted to out of fear she will never escape Sweetgum.  What the women have to help them through their confusion are friends to read and knit with.

The return of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society is an entertaining tale that focuses on the issues the women face especially relationship with men.  They turn to their BFFs as well as romance novel leads for guidance.  That is the fun in this entry as the women ask each other for support and advice while each confronts their own version of to commit or not to commit that is the question.  Although the story line slows down at times adding depth to the ladies and their maybe beaus, fans will enjoy knitting and reading with the Sweetgum crowd.

Harriet Klausner

Love Finds You In Liberty, Indiana-Melanie Dobson

Love Finds You In Liberty, Indiana

Melanie Dobson

Summerside, Jun 30 2009, $12.99

ISBN: 9781934770740

In 1850 Liberty, Indiana Anna Brent and her father are conductors on the Underground Railroad helping runaway slaves escape to freedom.  She and her dad know they are breaking the law, but their Quaker beliefs insist on assisting those suppressed.

Newspaper editor Daniel Stanton opposes slavery and says so all the time in his paper with strong opinions.  At the same he overtly and she covertly work to end slavery, someone apparently has uncovered Anna’s secret work.  Her only hope to stay out of jail or perhaps even something much worse rests with Daniel whom she trusts with her heart and soul with her secret and her life.

The setting of escaped slaves and Indiana Quakers as Conductors on the Underground Railroad make for a fantastic historical thriller with the romance well written but intended to support the heroic efforts of those risking their lives especially the lead couple.  Anna and Daniel are a wonderful pairing as each faces danger with courage.  Fans who relish a profound vivid look back at a period of brave people willing to die for basic human rights will enjoy LOVE FINDS YOU IN LIBERTY, INDIANA.

Harriet Klausner

The Scandals of an Innocent-Nicola Cornick

The Scandals of an Innocent

Nicola Cornick

Harlequin HQN, Jul 1 2009, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373773893

When her employee died, he left his housemaid Alice Lister with his fortune.  One year ago, Miles Vickery courted Alice, but dumped her for a more affluent heiress; he left her heart broken and distrustful.  However, his latest moneyed aristocrat leaves Miles for someone else.

Miles has become the Marquess of Drum, inheriting a mountain of debt that he cannot pay off.  He is back in Fortunes Folly for the Crown, but he wonders if Alice will give a second chance as he remains attracted to her and her money.  However, he is taken aback when he learns the stipulation of her inheritance.  For three months her betrothed must never lie, which she assumes is impossible as a rogue lives on not telling the truth.  As he struggles with honesty and desire, she sees what he could be if he only let himself move past what haunts him.

This second chance at love historical romance hooks the audience from the moment brazen Miles decides to go after Alice a second time and never looks back as the rakish gold-digger finds his charm does not immunize him from love.  The story line is driven by the relationship between the rogue and the former housekeeper as she still loves her scoundrel and he falls in love with his innocent.  Fans will enjoy the return to Fortune’s Folly with the latest Brides of Fortune tale (see CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS).

Harriet Klausner

Bending the Rules-Susan Andersen

Bending the Rules

Susan Andersen

Harlequin HQN, Jul 2009, $7.99

ISBN 9780373773930

In Seattle, three teenage graffiti artists are caught by the cops vandalizing storefronts.  Artist Poppy Calloway suggests that besides cleaning up the spray paint mess they made, they receive community service to paint a neighborhood mural.  Police detective Jason de Sanges is outraged with her soft response to the crime; he wants them punished as a deterrent from them committing future acts of vandalism.

Jase is further upset when his superiors think Poppy’s idea is terrific.  Making matters even more poisonous to the cop is he is named to supervise the teen artists.  Finally the topper to his anger is his attraction to Poppy upsets him further.  That is until a series of accidents that he believes were intentional makes him feel the need to keep his pain in the butt woman safe even if she is a flying liberal.

The incredibly deep cast including tertiary characters makes for a strong upbeat good contemporary romantic suspense.  The story line is fast-paced from the moment the lead pair butt heads and never slows down as free spirit Polly teaches by the book Jason CUTTING LOOSE (Poppy’s friend Jane’s story) is okay in moderation unlike the men in his family who spent time in jail while he grew up in foster care.  Though similar in tone to CUTTING LOOSE even with the suspense subplot, fans will enjoy the education of Jason.

Harriet Klausner

Straight From the Hip-Susan Mallory

Straight From the Hip

Susan Mallory

Harlequin HQN, Jul 1 2009, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373773831

The oil platform explosion left Izzy Titan with only 30% sight and mentally shattered; she had been the daredevil of the three Titan sisters and now she lives in shadowy fear.  Making her even more frightened is the fact that she believes her half-brother Garth deliberately caused the incident and he will return to finish the job.  Still she has to decide on a risky surgery that could restore her sight or leave her permanently blind.

Izzy’s concerned sisters Skye and Lexi hire survivor training specialist Nick Hollister to abduct their sibling; he takes her to his ranch.  Irate by his cavalier attitude, Izzy lets Nick know what she thinks of him although she quietly tells herself she is attracted to the hunk.  Nick feels the same way about Izzy especially as he watches her working with his horses; however regretfully he has ties to Garth.

The third Titan romantic suspense thriller (see Skye in LIP SERVICE and Lexi in UNDER HER SKIN) stars the traumatized Izzy and a man who admires her courage.  Their relationship is heat and biting as they are attracted to one another, but she amusingly rips his skin for being part of her sisters’ plot.  When he insists he loves her; she calmly claims he is a victim of Stockholm Syndrome.  With Garth still causing trouble, fans will relish this fine entry as Nick must explain himself to the siblings and the woman he loves; none will listen to him.

Harriet Klausner