Today's Reviews

No Safe House by Linwood Barclay

Review: This is the sequel to No Time for Goodbye.  And I think it is a better, stronger book than No Time for Goodbye, perhaps because we are already familiar with the main characters and therefore more emotionally invested in this sequel.  This book takes place 6 years after No Time for Goodbye. Barclay does a great job of combining family drama and dynamics with things like murder, kidnapping, tax fraud, and gun smuggling - which makes for a layered and fast-paced thriller that draws you into its complex and
action-packed plot.  I'll definitely check out more work by this author.

Paw Enforcement by Diane Kelly

Review: First in the K9 series, a rookie cop is teamed up with a K-9 partner after tasering her human male chauvinist partner. Obviously, she has some anger management issues. Personally, I had some believability issues with this audiobook. Or maybe I just had issues with how it was read. Or maybe I was expecting a decent mystery and found out it was a half-hearted mystery with a confusing romance added in. 3 stars.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Review: It started off interesting, however, I found it to be too much to follow with the little footnotes at the ending, the characters (I had to keep going back to read the background and/or description) and remembering who had the Anti-Christ (this was a habit for a few chapters). I know it was supposed to have been a great cult-favorite (no pun intended) but I probably would have done better seeing the play.

Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier

Review: Good Christmas mystery.  Easy read.

Ladle to the Grave by Connie Archer

Review: An engaging amateur sleuth mystery set in Snowflake, Vermont.

Christmas Cookie Murder by Leslie Meier

Review: Just as one would suspect, the setting for this story is Christmas time and just as everyone is busy making Christmas cookies, a murder is discovered.  Great read.

Writer’s Digest Handbook of Short Story Writing

Review: Excellent source of criteria for writing a short story via articles by established writers and editors. Each article addresses an aspect of writing a short story. Many come with check lists the prospective writer can use to evaluate his or her short story.
Imminently readable and a wonderful source. (Now if I could just quit revising the story I'm writing [smile])

Island Girls by Nancy Thayer

Review: Not one of her best.  It was ok and pretty predictable.