THE VAULT - An Inspector Wexford Novel

by Ruth Rendell - to be released late September 2011

When four bodies are discovered  in an underground chamber below a London house, local detectives are unable to solve the case.  The police elicit the aid of retired Chief Inspector Wexford to help solve the mystery.

Reginald Wexford and his wife Dora are splitting their time between a guest house on their daughtter's property in Hampstead and their own home in Kingsmarkham.  Still adjusting to retirement, Wexford is more than happy to assist the local police.

Despite trying not to step on  Det. Superintendent Tom Ede's toes, Wexford finds himself more and more intrigued by this new case.  No one seems to know when the door from the inside of the home to the basement was covered over, but it's a major link to the timeline for when the bodies became entombed.  It adds to the puzzle when it's determined that one of the bodies has been underground in the vault for a much shorter time.

Wexford and his wife are also dealing with a major family drama and his daughter and grandchildren have taken over their home in Kingsmarkham.

While Rendell has a huge fan base, I found THE VAULT to be quite slow and plodding and lacking excitement.

ISBN978-1-4516-2408-3
288 Pages
To be released later in September 2011
Hardcover and eBook

PRIMACY

by J. E. Fishman

Liane Vinson is an animal researcher working at Pentalon, a secret animal research facility on Long Island.  Her workday includes driving through a crowd of animal rights protesters outside the facility.

Although the researchers are not supposed to become attached to their charges, Liane has a particular fondness for two young bonobo apes; a brother and sister.  She discovers that these two apes can actually speak, something unheard of in the world of animal research.

Keeping the apes' talent secret, Liane is determined to protect the two, and she enlists the aid of her friend, veterinarian Mickey Ferrone.   As bodies of her coworkers being to pile up, Liane and Mickey are on a worldwide race to find the origin of the two bonobos and a way to save them from extinction.

PRIMACY is a pleasant read, but too similar to others written by the likes of Michael Creighton or Robin Cook.

NOTE:  I received an ARC of this book, but Barnes and Noble is only featuring it as a Nookbook, so I'm not sure if a paper copy is available.

ISBN 978-0-9833809-0
390 Pages
Pub. Date: August 2011

THE GOOD FATHER

by Noah Hawley - to be released March 2012

Dr. Paul Allen is the chief rheumatologist at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.  He spends his working days investigating patients' symptoms to discover their underlying illnesses.  

When his son Daniel is accused of killing a rising political star slated to be the next president of the United States, Allen is unable to believe that Daniel is guilty, and employs the same investigative skills to try to prove Daniel's innocence despite overwhelming evidence.

Told mostly through the viewpoint of the father, we follow Paul's determined path to love and support his son, the product of his first marriage.  His continued inability to accept even the possibility of Daniel's guilt puts incredible strain on his second family, even as his career is disintegrating.


THE GOOD FATHER is interspersed with flashbacks to real-life famous or infamous assassinations from the '60s to present day, as well as Daniel's journey leading up to the shooting.  Coupled with the love and guilt carried by the father, Hawley has written an emotional story that's not easily forgotten.


ISBN 978-0-385-53553-3
320 pages
Pub. Date:  March 2012
Hardcover and eBook

SUMMER UPDATE

Hi, everyone, hope you're all good and if you're on the east coast, hope Irene didn't cause you any harm. 

This has been a hell of a summer!  This is my second summer blogging and reviewing books and, just like last summer, August seems to be my blog vacation.  I've been staying at my summer home in Connecticut and we had a lot of guests including my friend Sue from Delaware.  Our sons and their significant others came for visits, and we spent time with our Stonington friends, too, creating new memories.

On August 19th, my husband and I were one of four families who hosted a progressive cocktail party for approximately seventy five people.  George planned on arriving in CT on the 17th to help with the preparations, but work prevailed and he was still stuck in Friday traffic on Route 95 mid-way through the evening.  Luckily I was able to work the phones and quickly had magical elves to help put everything in perfect order for the event.  (Thank you Pete, Beanie, Dana and Lyndsay!)  The house was sparkling, the garden was "fluffed", there was plenty of wine and food and everyone seemed to enjoy the evening.  It was a lot of fun but by the time the last guest left, I was more than ready to kick off my shoes and flop!

Unfortunately, about fifteen minutes after the cocktail party ended, I received a phone call that my brother had passed away.  Although we hadn't been close in recent years, Bob was my hero and champion when we were growing up and he'll always have a special place in my heart.  Four days later, we had an earthquake that could be felt along the entire east coast, and I couldn't help but feel it was from the stamping feet and cheering to welcome Bob into Heaven. 

Just three days later we started preparing for Hurricane Irene.  We boarded up the windows, checked our flashlights and stocked up on water and food, all ready for Irene.  Who knew that we'd have more damage in New Jersey than in Southeastern Connecticut!  But we're still without power and don't know when it will be back on.  Our cell phones wouldn't work at all until today, and here I sit in a hotel in Mystic at 11:30 pm, totally grateful that our family and friends survived the storm without too much difficulty and and are all safe.  I have to admit that I'm really grateful that we could take nice hot showers, too!

I have a stack of books that I've finished reading and hopefully the power will come on soon so I can get back to my computer.  I think I've had enough of this vacation and I'm definitely ready to get back to work reviewing! 

FLASH AND BONES - Temperance Brennan Series No. 14

by Kathy Reichs - to be released August 23, 2011

Charlotte, North Carolina is hosting a major NASCAR event.  When a body is found lodged in a drum of asphalt at the dump adjacent to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dr. Temperance Brennan is part of the team.

While working on the case, Tempe is visited by Wayne Gamble, a pit crew member, whose sister disappeared with her boyfriend years earlier.  Gamble is worried that the victim could be his sister Cindi or her boyfriend Cale Lovette.  At the time of the couple's disappearance, Lovette was involved with the Patriot Posse, a right wing extremist group.

To complicate matters further, lab reports indicate that the unidentified man in the barrel died of ricin poisoning, a deadly toxin, and an employee of the CDC has gone missing.  Suddenly, the FBI is all over the case and has whisked away the body, as well as all the autopsy samples and reports.   But  this won't stop Tempe, who is working individually with both Charlotte Detective Erskine "Skinny" Slidell and Cotton Galimore, a disgraced former police officer who is now head of security for the Speedway.  She's determined to solve both the disappearance of the young couple, as well as determine who was found in the barrel, and how or if the two cases are connected.

Reichs' has created quite a mix for Tempe in this latest novel.  She's been recruited by her ex-husband and his finance to help solve their pre-wedding spats.  Currently without a love interest, Tempe finds herself attracted to one of the new people in her life.  She's finally letting her hair down a little and spouting expletives, which makes her character more likable and human.

FLASH AND BONES is a nice new offering from Kathy Reichs that not only provides the reader with a good mystery, but also covers the history of NASCAR.

ISBN 978-1-4397-0241-1
Pub. Date:  August 23, 2011
288 Pages
Hardcover and eBook

CHILDREN AND FIRE

by Ursula Hegi

Thekla Janson is a young school teacher in Burgdorf, Germany during the early days of Hitler's rise to power.  A caring and gifted teacher, she has a sweet disposition and finds something lovable in even the most annoying of her ten-year-old students.  They, in turn, love her dearly.

Janson has taken over the class from Ilse Abramowitz, a Jew.  Janson revered her old teacher and thinks about her often, but doesn't visit, fearful of repercussions.  She has no real affinity for the wave of patriotism permeating her country, yet encourages her students to become members of the "Hiltler Jugend" or Hitler Youth for the camaraderie and friendship.  Thekla is aware of the dramatic changes in Germany, but adopts a "go along to get along" attitude and is able to hide her head in the sand and continue with life as she wants it to be, both for herself and her students.

But there's so much more to this latest book from Hegi.  Janson is just a symbol of how fear and propaganda, fomented by Hitler, eroded the moral fabric of Germany, one person or one child at a time.  It's only when Janson discovers a secret in her own family that she begins to open her eyes and see the horrors for herself.

A number of years ago I read STONES FROM THE RIVER by the same author.  That book, like this one, stayed with me.  Hegi has a quiet, intelligent and understated writing style, yet still manages to vividly convey the chilling reality of her characters' lives and the insidious erosion of family, freedom and humanity in the landscape of Nazi Germany.  CHILDREN AND FIRE is another unforgettable book from Ursula Hegi, not to be missed.

ISBN 978-1-451-60829-8
Pub. Date:  May 2011
288 pages
Hardcover and eBook

THE REDBREAST - Harry Hole Novel No. 1

by Jo Nesbo
Translated by Don Bartlett

Inspector Harry Hole has somehow embarrassed the department.  As punishment, he's assigned to surveillance of neo-nazi activity in Oslo.

Expecting this to be a dull and annoying assignment, Harry is soon knee deep in murders; someone is targeting disgraced old solders and using an old, rare gun to do it.  Travelling back decades, THE REDBREAST reflects on the Norwegian government's collaboration with the Nazis during WWII, a dark period for Norway.

I came to this series more than a little late and read the Harry Hole novels completely out of order.  That said, THE REDBREAST was still wonderfully written, and is a compelling mystery from Jo Nesbo.  I do recommend that you start with this one if you're going to venture into this series, to better appreciate the interaction of the characters.

Pub. Date - 2000 and 2006
ISBN 978-0-06-113400-5
512 pages
Available in paperback

HOT WATER

by Erin Brockovich with CJ Lyons - to be released October 2011

AJ Palladino and her partner, lawyer Elizabeth Hardy, run a consumer advocacy business in AJ's hometown of Scotia, WV.  Despite AJ's misgivings, they've just been hired by Owen Grandel to put a positive spin on his company in Colleton Landing, South Carolina.  His high tech nuclear facility has the ability to create much needed medical isotopes in a safe environment, but the company has been plagued with unexplained accidents, and has run into serious problems with various factions protesting the facility.

Single mother AJ has more than just work to deal with.  Her nine year old son David is a genius who is struggling with cerebral palsy.  Her mother is agoraphobic and a hoarder.  AJ's elderly Gram is diabetic as well as being blind, and requires a full time caregiver.

While AJ struggles with the job requirements and the threat of a nuclear disaster in South Carolina, her devious ex-father-in-law has hired a hit man to eliminate any obstacles in the way of him getting permanent custody of David. Luckily AJ has Ty Stillwater in her corner, a sheriff's officer who is in love with her.

All of the story lines collide in this fast paced and explosive novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat! HOT WATER is well written and very entertaining.

ISBN 978-1-59315-684-8
Pub. Date: October 2011
288 pages
Hardcover and eBook

PRECIOUS OBJECTS: A Story of Diamonds, Family, and a Way of Life

by Alicia Oltuski - just released

Precious Objects is an inside look at the diamond industry. Ms. Oltuski's family has long been involved in the diamond trade, both in NYC and Europe.

From the mines in South Africa to Nazi Germany to the streets of New York, the author takes the reader on a decades-long and fascinating journey.

Focused mainly on the 47th Street diamond district, the author details transactions ranging from original handshake deals right up to the age of the internet and its impact on the diamond trade.  We learn of the birth of the Rapaport Diamond Report and are introduced to a fascinating cast of characters, as well as the dangers of their chosen occupation.

Nonfiction, Precious Objects reads like a novel and is a delight to read.  Ms. Oltuski deftly weaves her rich family history into the fabric of the diamond trade.

 ISBN 978-141-654512-5           
Pub. Date: July 2011
368 pages
Hardcover and eBook

LAZY SUMMER DAYS

I apologize to my faithful followers for not creating more reviews and posts this month.

When I'm at our summer home, time just seems to get away from me.  I have visits with friends and family who come to stay with me and long lunches with local friends, and before I realize it, I haven't blogged in two weeks.

With sunsets like these as seen through the door of my small office, it's hard not to just enjoy the surroundings and spend more time outdoors.

I have been reading a lot and I'm finally back to my computer, so hopefully you'll enjoy some good reviews in the coming days.  Don't be surprised to see more than one review on the same day until I plow through the backlog of books that I've read; I'm really not reading at the speed of light like Harriet Klausner.

I hope your summer is going well and that you, too, are enjoying time with family and friends, good books and lazy afternoons.