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JANUARY - FEBRUARY REVIEWS RECORD
OF WRONGS
The author knows how to get inside the psyche of his characters to make them as realistic as possible. The characters, all united by Gwen’s murder, struggle in moving forward with their lives still carrying this lead weight on their backs. They are all in need of some closure for what actually happened ten years ago. They take risks in trying to learn what the truth was, even if it hurts them, until reaching the end of the novel. It could either lead to a new beginning or an emotional breakdown for one of these characters. Shamus Award winner Andy Straka is a heavily under-rated author unknown to many readers. If he keeps producing books like RECORD OF WRONGS he will be on top sooner rather than later. He is that good. STRANGERS
IN DEATH
J. D. Robb’s (Nora Roberts’) Eve Dallas series is one of the most popular out there and STRANGERS IN DEATH is a stand-out inside of the collection. It is a great start for readers new to the series and for those who just want to have some fun reading. It is worth every enjoyable moment.
DESERT
CUT
This book could have been a mighty
exposé about a controversial subject but it flounders inside of the
storytelling. As to the story and the investigation, there is too much happening and very little going on. There is too much that the author wants to say but it doesn’t lend itself well to making a good story. The controversial subject the author is trying to talk about is of interest to readers but it is handled rather poorly. The shock value is low. Betty Webb may have written some good books; unfortunately, this is not one of them. NOVEMBER - DECEMBER REVIEWS A
ROSE FROM THE DEAD Abby
Knight is a former law student who became a young businesswoman and budding
florist. She is participating at the Midwestern Funeral Directors
Association’s regional convention to give publicity to Bloomers, her flower
shop. Abby soon realizes that the convention is anything but dull.
These undertakers revel in their warped sense of humor with their casket
races, their Dracula contest, and a build-your-own-casket segment being filmed
for a home improvement show. To bring some authenticity to the convention there
is a dead body, unfortunately that was not on the program. The dead
body belongs to Sybil Blount, a make-up artist and wig peddler who, aside from
being a pain in the butt during the convention, is a master manipulator. Many
people disliked her, Abby included, but this time someone decided to do
something about it. Abby is
unapologetic as she does her own investigation of Sybil’s murder, mainly
because a friend of hers is implicated. Abby is inquisitive, resourceful, smart
as a whip, and dumb as a post almost all at the same time. She does something
brilliant and before you know it she does something stupid that could put her in
jeopardy on numerous occasions. Collins’
book is a light read, but most importantly a fun read. A ROSE FROM THE DEAD is the seventh book in a series, but the way
this story goes it does not matter. It is easy to see who her friends and
colleagues are, who her nemesis is and, of course, her sexy Italian-American
boyfriend who also happens to be a private investigator. This book has a little
bit of everything and plenty of entertainment. If you are looking for a break
from heavy reading, this book will suffice. It provides the fun where fun is
needed. CURSE
OF AL CAPONE’S GOLD The
1920s was the decade of Prohibition. Alcohol
was very hard to find but that didn’t deter criminals from making a profit.
They would smuggle whiskey from In CURSE
OF AL CAPONE’S GOLD, Larson and his friends manage to hijack a convoy and
lay claim to the loot. Only they got a little bit more than they bargained for.
In one of the cars there were five sacks of gold coins and the men are unaware
that they were going to Al Capone. Nobody wants to tell Capone that they lost
his gold and they will do whatever it takes to get it back before he finds out.
The book is filled with a lot of action and gun fighting but that is all it
provides. The characters have no real depth and Larson’s turnaround is unconvincing.
The epilogue adds salt to the wound as it provides a highly unlikely scenario. The story
could have taken place anytime, anywhere. It reads almost like a Western, but it
technically is not. It would have worked as one, perhaps even a pulp novel. The
problem is that Thompson does not set the story’s time and place in a
convincing matter. The character of Al Capone is more of a tool than anything
else — a McGuffin. Any fictional bad guy would have worked as well. Some
readers might be satisfied with the book’s action and violence, but some might
be left feeling a little bit empty. CURSE
OF AL CAPONE’S GOLD was a valiant effort. Angel L. Soto is an editor at an academic
publishing house and has recently
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