2009 # 77

Patrick O'Brian - H.M.S. Surprise - Finished - 6/4/2009

607 Pages LP - More tales of the sea with Aubrey and Maturin which finds then sailing around the horn and on to India and beyond to deliver a diplomat and staff to meet with a local potentate. Aubrey is commanding the Surprise and meets heavy weather around the horn and holds off a French fleet that is aiming to take on a convoy of East Indiamen in the Indian ocean.

ISBN - 0-7862-1934-3, Fiction, Pages - 379, Print Size - L, Rating - 4.25

2009 # 76

Lisa Scottoline - Moment of Truth - Finished - 6/2/2009

LP 608 Pages - Mary DiNunzio is the principal in this tale of the Philadelphia all woman Law Firm. She is working late at the office one night when she fields a call from another lawyer who in custody and needs representation. When reaching the jail Mary finds her client has confessed to killing his wife earlier in the evening but has now decided he wants a lawyer. In talking to him Mary doesn't believe he did it although he insists that he did. One of the detectives is also expressing some doubts, but everyone else is celebrating a slam dunk conviction from the DA on down. What transpires next shifts attention from the lawyer to his daughter to her boy friend and back to the father before finally coming to the end with some surprise mea culpas.

ISBN - 0-7394-0963-1, Suspense, Pages - 355, Print Size - L, Rating - 4.5

2009 # 75

Patrick O'Brian - Post Captain - Finished - 5/31/2009

This was a busy one. Aubrey is ashore with out a ship, he and Dr. Maturin are on the outs at time over the Ladies Sophia and Diana, Aubrey's prize agent runs off with the money Jack was due and now the bailiffs are after him, he is given a poorly constructed experimental ship by an enemy in the admiralty office and sent on a poorly conceived mission but manages to pull it off despite a raw and under staffed crew of impressed landsmen. This an more keeps the action flowing as cannons boom and smoke billows in action at sea and Jack ducks the bailiffs ashore.

ISBN - 0-393-30706-9, Fiction, Pages - 496, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.5

2009 # 74

Kathy Reichs - Deadly Decisions - Finished - 5/28/2009

Just a short review today. Tempe is back in Canada to help with a rash of killings from a "war" between motorcycle gangs. And in this one her Detective friend Ryan has been charged with drug possession and sale and Tempe is having a hard time believing it. Plenty of action as she deals with current and past bodies that all end up connected.

ISBN - 0-684-85971-5, Suspense, Pages - 332, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.25

2009 # 73

Jack Higgins - Touch the Devil - Finished - 5/26/2009

PB This is an early Liam Delvin before he becomes part of Fergusun's full time operatives. Lilam is tasked to get an Irish fighter out of a French island prison in the Mediterranean. They are also after another IRA type who is now taking assassination jobs from anyone but especially the KBG. The action jumps between France and England as each side track the other.

ISBN - 0-451-12468-5, Suspense, Pages - 351, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.25

2009 # 72

Patrick O'Brian - Treason's Harbour - Finished - 5/25/2009

Wherein Aubrey and Maturin set sail to the south shore of the Mediterranean, cross the desert by Camel and horse to again sail in search of a galley laden with Dinars. Maturin discovers a French agent and feeds him false information. Plus several more voyages and battles. Good tales of the British Navy under sail.

ISBN - 0-393-03709-6, Fiction, Pages - 334, Print Size - R, Rating - 2

2009 # 71

Lee Child - Gone Tomorrow - Finished - 5/22/2009

Reacher is in NY City for this one, riding on the subway late at night he is in a car with few other riders and to pass the time he runs through a mental check list for identifying suicide bombers. When he gets to the last rider, a young woman he stops and looks more closely, she fits all the characteristics on the check list. Eventually he confronts her carefully with little response at first, and then a surprise and disastrous conclusion. And beyond that I canÕt really say more with out spoiling things. In a broad picture he ends up against the NYPD, FBI, Home Land Security and un identified federal agents as well as a group from the middle eastern Ò-stansÓ led by a beautiful but deadly woman. Another good Reacher suspenseful tale with Reacher being true to form.

ISBN - 978-0-385-34057-1, Suspense, Pages - 421, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.5

2009 # 70

Andrew Gross - Don't Look Twice - Finished - 5/21/2009

577 LP Lt. Ty Hauck of the Greenwich Police dept. is in a connivence store with his daughter when a SUV pulls up outside the door, a window goes down and a muzzle pokes out. 80 some rounds later, one man is dead, Ty has a graze on the neck and his daughter is ok but in shock. Thus begins a tale of hired gangs, more killings, ties to a big Indian casino and eventually politics at high level and TY is in the middle trying to get to the bottom of it all. Does he succeed? You will have to read Don't Look Twice to find out..

ISBN - 978-1-60751-676-7, Suspense, Pages - 384, Print Size - L, Rating - 4.6

2009 # 69

Dale Brown - Rogue Forces - Finished - 5/20/2009

Retired General McLanahan and his fellows at Scion Aviation International, get caught up in a conflict between Turkey and Iraq. Turkish military units encroach in to Iraq in an attempt to eradicate Kurdish separatists fighters and Scion is hired by Iraq to help turn them back. Plenty of nonstop military action as Scion employs its advanced weapons systems. Good story if you like this type, but not for everyone.

ISBN - 978-0-06-156087-3, Military/Thriller, Pages - 321, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.55

2009 # 68

Alexander McCall Smith - Tea Time for the Traditionally Built - Finished - 5/16/2009

Wherein Mma Ramotswe takes a job to find out why a Football(soccer) team is doing badly, and she thwarts Violet Sephotho scheme to steal Mr. Phuti Radiphuti away from Grace Makatusi. She also gets a new blue van, although she would rather have the little white one back. A fun break from heavier fare.

ISBN - 978-1-59722-942-5, Mystery, Pages - 328, Print Size - L, Rating - 4.25