THE GOOD COP Carter Ross Series No. 4

by Brad Parks

Carter Ross is a reporter for the Newark Eagle-Examiner.  He's been handed an assignment to investigate and write about the death of a Newark policeman.  Just as he's beginning, the death is ruled a suicide and Ross is pulled from the story.

That should have stopped him, but of course it didn't.  The more he learns about Detective Sergeant Darius Kipps, the more convinced Ross is that Kipps didn't commit suicide.  In fact, he had everything to live for.  Blocked at every turn by the police in his quest, Carter is determined to find out what really happened.

Along with his reporting duties, Ross is constantly side-stepping his boss Tina's quest to have him impregnate her.  She's decided that he's the perfect candidate to fulfill her dream of having a child before her biological clock runs down.  But while Ross is seriously interested in Tina, he's not willing to settle for just being a stud service.

Brad Parks has injected a tongue-in-cheek humor in his characters and THE GOOD COP is a hilarious pleasure to read.   It doesn't hurt that the setting is many of the New Jersey towns any New Jerseyan is familiar with!

I enjoyed THE GOOD COP so much that I've since gone back and read all the rest of the Carter Ross  series.  I'd suggest you start with an earlier one, but they're all fun to read as Ross tears up the turf in the Garden State!

ISBN 9781250005526
Pub. Date:  March 5, 2013
336 pages
Hardcover and eBook

LOVE ANTHONY

by Lisa Genova

Olivia Donatelli has just lost her autistic son, Anthony and Beth Ellis's marriage has fallen apart.  Unkown to each other, they both retreat to Nantucket to try to make sense of their lives and their futures; one without the son she loved deeply and the other without the husband who destroyed their marriage.

As each woman deals with her own grief and sense of loss, their paths cross only fleetingly before Beth begins writing a story in the voice of an autistic boy.  Since Olivia has worked as as editor, Beth asks her to review her book and Olivia is shocked at the content.  She's convinced that her beloved Anthony is speaking through Beth.

And that's why this book lost me.  As background, let me say that I loved Ms. Genova's previous books, STILL ALICE and LEFT NEGLECTED.  I read and reviewed both of these books, giving them high recommendations.  The author's background in neuroscience lent great credibility to both novels which is why the mystical touch in love anthony was unexpected and jarring.

Needless to say, I was really looking forward to settling down with love anthony. Not in keeping with anything Lisa Genova had previously written, Beth's full book unfolds within the story of the women's lives, in a disjointed and disruptive way.  I found myself skipping over the novel within the novel in order to even finish reading Ms. Genova's newest.  This was a very disappointing purchase, but if you haven't read the author's previous works, you should.  Each was terrific!

ISBN 978-1-4391-6468-6
Pub. Date:  September 2012
309 Pages
Hardcover and eBook

YOU'RE MY DAWG, DOG

by Donald Friedman
Illustrations by J.C. Suares

YOU'RE MY DAWG, DOG is a charming collection of dog terms used in everyday language.

Mr. Friedman has infused humor and his own embellishments while providing the etymology of "dog words", referencing such luminaries as Groucho Marx, Jean Shepherd, Truman, Pat Boone, Mike Tyson, Sarah Palin and Rihanna, just to name a few.  After reading this small tome, you'll be ready for the category of dog terms on Jeopardy!

Abundantly illustrated by J.C. Suares, YOU'RE MY DAWG, DOG is witty, informative and rude at turns........a must for the dog lovers or word lovers on your gift list.

Kudos to Mr. Friedman for reminding us of the richness and wit of the English language.  Doggone it, too bad our dogs can't read!

ISBN 978-1-59962-123-4
Pub. Date: February 2013
96 pages
Hardcover