Murder In The Hamptons-Danita Carter

Murder In The Hamptons

Danita Carter

Strebor (pocket), Jun 8 2010, $15.00

ISBN: 9781593092528

Detective Theodora Pratt knows the Hamptons have not seen a killing in quite awhile, but loathes all the spectators ruining the murder scene.  The yacht near the floating corpse is owned by old money Liza Lord who explains to Pratt she provided a venue for newcomer Donovan Smart to throw his White and Platinum party introducing himself and his sister Reece and their friend Chyna to the neighbors of exclusive Coco Beach.  Most of the snobs detest the nouveau riche rapper TuSmArt from the hood invading their turf; he just wanted them to know he and his sister are housetrained

Although the party was successful until the floater was found, most of the stuck-up locals are elated that the undesirables will be forced to leave in police custody.  However, stereotyping the rapper is a mistake as Donovan is Einstein brilliant; he also unlike the notorious rappers prefers less dating because he wants a woman with the 3 Bs (beauty, body and brains).  As Pratt hones in on the outsiders as suspects as well as flirty restaurant owner Troy, she also begins to revise her theory when the autopsy revealed in the body excessive Oxycontin, a prescription drug.

Murder in the Hamptons is a terrific police procedural that takes a deep look at whether money can buy class and social status; as Danita Carter makes a strong case that social status does not define class.  Fast-paced with a nice twist, fans will relish Theo’s homicide investigation into a rapper who just wanted to take his sister and their BFF out of Brooklyn.

Harriet Klausner

Candlesticks-Sharon Ervin

Candlesticks

Sharon Ervin

Five Star, Jun 16 2010, $25.95

ISBN: 9781594148767

In San Diego, American Wire Service chief Duke Mallory allows his enthusiastic intern Jancy Dewhurst to cover the South Beach burglaries; the fourth break-in when the family was not home.  Police Detective Thad Bias tells her he is frustrated as his Captain O’Brien devastates crime scenes with his desire for TV appearances.  Jancy soon realizes the oddity of the serial robberies is besides valuables, the thief takes candlesticks.

After writing a couple of articles that are published with her by-line, Jancy receives several threatening phone calls.  Her fiancé Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Jim Willis takes time off to be with Jancy to insure she is safe.  Jim and Jancy marry as planned and go on their honeymoon when she reads in the Denver paper that robberies similar to those in San Diego with the candlesticks stolen have occurred.  Soon their lives are threatened by a dangerous culprit obsessed with candlesticks and more.

The third Jancy journalist investigation (see The Ribbon Murders and Murder Aboard the Choctaw Gambler) is a superb sleuthing thriller that also moves forward the relationship between the heroine and her Fed who marry and honeymoon during this storyline.  Fast-paced throughout, fans will relish this enjoyable thriller with a terrific twist although the thief once identified comes across too deranged even while that moved the plot from California to Colorado.  Still fans will enjoy Jancy’s jaunt into marriage and her latest whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

Bride of the Living Dead-Lynne Murray

Bride of the Living Dead

Lynne Murray

Pearlsong Press, Jun 2010, $18.95

www.pearlsong.com

ISBN: 978159719026

San Francisco Indie Film Edge critic Daria MacClellan sort of attends her perfect sister Sky’s perfect wedding.  Sky’s perfect plan excludes her overweight sibling as only size 5 is acceptable at her nuptials to Richard the perfect husband.

At the Camera Obscura Digitalis film festival showing of Top Soil Despair, Daria and Oscar Winslow meet when both find the inane flick amusing.  They begin seeing each other, fall in love and plan to marry though her ex boyfriend, his ex girlfriend and his mom who would prefer a serial killer for a daughter-in-law. His teenage sisters on the other hand root for her.  However, the worst intrusion comes from Sky, whose perfect happily perfect ever after has fallen apart.  She becomes her sister’s wedding planner from hell.

This is an entertaining jocular romance of a big woman with doubts that she can keep a hunk like Oscar until he admits he went to the movie in which they met when he saw her outside and followed her in to the theater.  Character driven, Daria learns a lesson about the perfect perception caused by envy would have pleased tutor Pangloss of Candide with a nod to Joe. E. Brown as Osgood’s final comment in Some Like It Hot. Living life large to some people is natural and they feel good in their own skin which is why Lynne Murray provides such an  interesting tale of a picture perfect wedding.

Harriet Klausner

Galveston-Nic Pizzolatto

Galveston

Nic Pizzolatto

Scribner, Jun 15 2010, $25.00

ISBN: 9781439166642

In 1987 forty year old tough guy mob enforcer Roy “Big Country” Cady had always believed nothing could harm him.  He grew up in Texas only to watch his father fall to his death and his mother commit suicide.  He took a job with his late dad’s boss as a local enforcer and moved on to New Orleans.  Now he learns differently as he finds out he has lung cancer.

Before he can cope, Roy’s boss mobster Stan Ptitko assigns him a simple task; however Big Country senses something is not right and cautiously assumes he is being set up for a hit.  His hunch proves right and so does his vigilance.  Roy took out the hitmen the old fashion way by killing them while rescuing teenage whore Raquel “Rocky” Arceneaux.  He takes her with him as he leaves New Orleans for his hometown Galveston.  On the way Rocky convinces Roy to pick up her three years old sister Tiffany in remote Orange.  He takes the two girls to Galveston where he puts them up in a motel while he becomes a one man crime wave who plans to finish by extorting money from his former fuming employer.

This is a terrific redemption tale as Roy the hard boiled killer tries to become the savior of two young females.  The story line is filled with vivid gory action but character driven by mostly Roy, but to a lesser degree Rocky who the hitman hopes to save so that he has some solace before he dies.  Although the segue involving two decades into the future take away from a powerful end of life effort to do the right thing one time in one’s life, fans will relish the visit to Galveston.

Harriet Klausner

Transformers: Cybertron-Alex Irvine

Transformers: Cybertron

Alex Irvine

Del Rey, Jun 22 2010, $27.00

ISBN: 9780345519856

The planet Cybertron is populated by sentient mechanical beings; a place so stagnant that they know what they will be doing every moment of the day.  Once put in a job, the bot gets the position for life.  In the gladiator in the underground a champion arises who calls for freedom from the tyranny of the caste system that destroys freedom of choice and encourages the bots to work under a rigid schedule.

Data collector Orion Pax hears Megatronus (later named Megratron) call for the end of the castes and a return to the glory days of Cybertron when freedom and the arts flourished.  Megatronus incites a rebellion that splits the rebels between those supporting Orion Pax while some feet that Megatronus’s methods will work.  The two meet and form an alliance to visit the High Council in strength to state their opinions.  When Orion Pax is named Optimus Prime and is given power tat comes with the title Megatron feels betrayed and declares war on those who support his former ally and the autobots who want their freedom.  The war leads to a nasty stalemate as each side destroys the land; Megaton now a tyrant longer no longer about the Cybertronians and he is the one Bot who could destroy all life on Cybertron.

Watching a gladiator rise to power by pretending to be a spokesman for freedom and a data collector turn into a planetary leader turns this Transformer tale into a good vs. evil war to control Cybertron.  Optimus Prime is a born leader who proves the caste system fails as that society prevents talent fro rising above their birth spectrum.  The characters are developed with feelings and thoughts that make sentient machines seem genuine.  Fans of the saga will enjoy the Autobots vs. the Deceptions in “the official history of the war for Cybertron” for the right to choose as Alex Irvine captures the essence of the mechanical species, before they became movie stars.

Harriet Klausner

Imager’s Intrigue-L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

Imager’s Intrigue

L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

Tor, Jul 20 2010, $27.99

ISBN: 9780765325624

Rhennthyl has come a long way since his time as an apprentice portrait artist when a fire unveiled his talent as an Imager.  In L’Excelsis, Solidar he has become Captain, Third District of the Civil Patrol; Rhenn is also ranked as a Maitre D’Structure of Collegium Imago of Solidar; he has been married for five years to Sellora though they never sleep the night together due to his Imager nightmares that could burn down a room; and finally the pair has a delightful daughter Diestrya.

While war looms again between Ferrum and Jariola, an arsonist torched the grain warehouse of a Freeholder; the latest to be burned down almost all owned by Freeholders while High Holders seem suspiciously immune.  Finally an explosion near Place D’Opera in the Second District left several dead including Factor Broussard D’Factorious and his family; who was the target of terrorists Workers for Justice.  Commander Artois says be vigil.  Rhenn is soon caught in the crosshairs as his work as an apprentice painter (see Imager) and as a liaison to the law (see Imager’s Challenge) makes him a target from a powerful adversary.  This enemy knows Rhenn’s skills from their previous confrontations and needs to insure the Imaging Captain is neutralized to prevent his interference with a diabolical plot; killing him and his family is the only way to eliminate him.

The third Imager Portfolio is an exhilarating thriller that reads like a Victorian French fantasy, which stands alone, but is enhanced, by reading the previous two entries especially when the past comes home to roost.  The story line is fast-paced while the locales are vivid; as expected from a former artist turned Imager.  Readers will relish the latest entry as L.E. Modesitt, Jr. entertainingly ties the news together in a strong tale in which the hero knows he has come a long way, but learns how fast you can go in reverse.

Harriet Klausner

No Less Than Victory: A Novel of World War II-Jeff Shaara

No Less Than Victory: A Novel of World War II

Jeff Shaara

Ballantine, Jun 1 2010, $16.00

ISBN: 9780345497932

With the great success of the Normandy invasion, Allied Commanders all the way up to Five Star General Eisenhower feels strongly that the European theatre of Operation would soon be over.  The German army battered is in full retreat.

Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt knows the war is over unless they can somehow turn around the blitzkrieg allies who are racing across France into Germany from the west and the Russians from the east.  He decides to draw the last line in the icy mountainous Ardennes where he plans to isolate the Americans and from there seize Antwerp.  If this Hail Mary desperation fails, the Field Marshal knows it is a short matter of time before Berlin goes Russian as the Eastern front is collapsing also.

This is a terrific action-packed WWII fictional account of the end of the European part of the war starting with the last German counteroffensive at the Battle of the Bulge; for the earlier parts of the war see The Steel Wave and The Rising Tide.  Ironically real life persona like Ike never comes across as breathing especially in his case since the audience never learns how he felt knowing he sent so many to die at D Day and more to follow in the Ardennes even with a just cause.  Military fiction readers will enjoy the fall of the Third Reich, but this tale is limited mostly to the western front as if the Russians were not coming.

Harriet Klausner

Boadicea’s Legacy-Traci E. Hall

Boadicea’s Legacy

Traci E. Hall

Medallion, May 2010, $7.99

ISBN: 9781605420783

 

In 1200 Ela Montehue the sorceress knows her paranormal healing skill comes from having Warrior Queen Boadicea of the Iceni as her ancestor.  However, Ela also knows that Boadicea placed a stipulation on her even before she was born.  To continue to be a healer, Ela must marry for love; if she settles for anything else she will lose her ability that is a deep part of her soul.

 

Her family wants Ela to marry affluent but odious Lord Thomas de Havel.  If she agrees her beloved family will gain wealth and power as de Havel has King John’s support; however the cost is her power as she loathes the vicious Thomas.  Ela cannot go through with the wedding to the abusive de Havel so she says no.  No one rejects Thomas so he kidnaps Ela and attacks her father and the people in his holdings.  Knight Osbert Edyvean searches for the legendary Boadicea spear, but instead liberates Ela from her captivity.  He wants to dump her on her family soonest so he can continue his quest and even more so to ignore his attraction to the feisty healer he is falling in love with.

 

Although somewhat similar in tone to Beauty’s Curse especially with a legendary quest, the latest Montehue historical romantic fantasy (see Love’s Magic) is an exciting fast-paced tale from start to finish.  Fans will enjoy the triangle as the two males act and react differently when it comes to Ela; both in their way want her.  Fans of the Boadicea descendents saga will relish Traci E. Hall’s engaging entry as a three way confrontation seems inevitable.

 

Harriet Klausner

;’[

Anna’s Return-Marta Perry

Anna’s Return

Marta Perry

Berkley, Jun 2010, $14.00

ISBN: 9780425234266

Three years ago Anna Beiler left her Amish home in Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania to live with the English.   However, when she comes home she doesn’t return alone.  Instead she is accompanied by an under one year old baby, Gracie who she claims as her daughter.

The Plain People are stunned that unmarried Anna had a child out of wedlock and some want to shun her.  She conceals from everyone even her loved ones that the baby is not hers; she took the infant after her friend Janni, the child’s mother died, to keep the little girl safe from her abusive father Pete.  Anna prays that hiding amongst the Plain folks will keep the baby safe., but fears what she might bring upon her family as she moves in with her brother Joseph and his wife Myra and is welcomed by her father, her sister Leah (see Leah’s Choice) and her brother-in-law and his family.  Anna also finds herself attracted Joseph’s machine shop partner, Samuel Fisher, who seemed like slow learner to her as a child but now she appreciates that he is not simple but a reflective thinker.  As she feels welcomed and her baby accepted, Anna looks back at her reckless behavior praying that her community will forgive her.

The third Pleasant Valley Amish romance (see Rachel’s Garden) is an interesting look at a young woman who left but has come back apparently tainted.  Although Samuel and the lead female protagonist’s family and community play major roles and Gracie’s father a minor but key part, the title is accurate as this is clearly Anna’s Return.  She holds the well written entertaining story line together as Marta Perry provides a charming second chance at life romance with a bit of late suspense.

Harriet Klausner

Stork Raving Mad-Donna Andrews

Stork Raving Mad

Donna Andrews

Minotaur, Jul 6 2010, $24.99

ISBN: 9780312621193

In the last few weeks of her pregnancy, Caerphilly College Meg Langslow is struggling with finding adequate housing for recently displaced students (due to a heating plant problem).  This includes one of her husband associate professor Michael Waterston’s grad students Ramon Soto.  In fact their home is housing several students including Ramon

Besides a housing issue, Ramon is upset after the English Department’s nasty Dr. Jean Wright accompanied by admin services Dr. Enrique Blanco arrive to inform him his dissertation proposal a play is rejected.  They explain his topic the performance of an obscure anti-Franco play is not acceptable as it contains offensive material.  Soon afterward, someone kills Jean in the Langslow library.  Meg investigates as only she can.

Although carrying twins and about to give birth in two weeks, Meg waddles her way through an amusing investigation.  The key to this jocular jaunt is the heroine as she works on two difficult issues: how many people can you fit into a room and who killed the odious Wright.  Readers will enjoy the best pregnancy whodunit since Fargo.

Harriet Klausner