Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Ok, I admit it. I’m a huge Sookie fan. The books, the show on HBO-everything. It is a wee bit embarrassing as I don’t usually hop on the pop culture band wagon but there you go.

Sookie is still struggling with the blood bond with the vampire Eric and the discovery that she is part fey. Excited to learn that she has a great-grandfather in the world, she soon realizes that all is not well in the fairy world and once again Sookie finds herself fighting for her life and for those around her.

There are a few twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting in this book! I enjoy the quick pace, light mystery and the southern humor. Sookie is flawed and is always berating herself for her low moral character-this makes her very relateable to readers. There is a real sense of doom with this book almost from the get-go. The Fellowship of the Sun is growing in its hatred speech and old friends have fallen hard for their message.

Dead and Gone is #9 in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris.  I think it is important to note that the series needs to be read in order to be able to keep up with what is happening.  There are also several short stories that Charlaine Harris says should be read in specific order with the books. If you read a title and you don’t remember reading about what they are talking about-most likely it is in a short story. 2009, 312 pages.

Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

What to say that is new? Nothing really and that makes me sad. I held onto my library copy past my due-date so I could enjoy reading this on the beach. I was so looking forward to it that perhaps I oversold it. Yes, the characters are the same. Yes, Stephanie is still lusting after both Ranger and Morelli. Yes, grandma Mazur IS my grandma. But, it didn’t make me laugh-out-loud like Evanovich’s books have in the past. I mean really, how many cars can you blow up before it just becomes silly?  2009, 308 pages.

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich

Where to start? The situation is quickly recognizable to Evanovich readers. Stephanie is still torn between two lovers, but in this installment, one of them is on the run and accused of kidnapping his own daughter. What? Ranger has a daughter? Stephanie and Morelli work together and around each other to find the real kidnapper and to clear Ranger’s good (??) name. Humor is the name of the game and we continue to laugh out loud at Grandma and Lula. What I cannot figure out is how the hamster is still alive? 2006, 310 pages.

Predator by Patricia Cornwell

Dr. Kay Scarpetta, now freelancing with the National Forensic Academy in Florida, takes charge of a case that stretches from steamy Florida to snowboundBoston, one as unnerving as any she has ever faced. The teasing psychological clues lead Scarpetta and her team-Pete Marino, Benton Wesley, and Lucy Farinelli-to suspect that they are hunting someone with a cunning and malevolent mind whose secrets have kept them in the shadows, until now.

Short chapters make for a quick pace and easy to read novel. Small attention spans are not a problem. Cornwell remains graphic in forensic detail but has lost the gory edge that fascinated readers in the very beginning. While set in Florida the novel could take place anywhere. 2005, 416 pages.

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Precious Ramotswe takes the money she received after her father’s death to open the only detective agency run by a woman in Botswana. Cracking case by case, we grow to learn about Mma Ramotswe, her father and their history along with Botswana’s.

A cozy feeling mystery, no real violence and not any murders. The author provides little puzzles to figure out along the way. The infectious prose does not shy away from commentary on the United States, United Kingdom, and Botswana versus other African Countries. #1 in Precious Ramotswe series. 2002, 235 pages.

Education of Mrs. Bemis by John Sedgwick

When Dr. Alice Matthews finds Madeline Bemis, a Boston Brahmin, curled up on a department store bed-she knows that she needs help and has her checked into Montrose. An unusual patient-doctor relationship ensues and we get to learn the life of Mrs. Bemis as the friendship between the two women grows.

For those interested in how the events of our lives shape who we are and what happens to us emotionally. The storyline shifts back and forth between now and the 1940’s. 2002, 390 pages.

Everywhere That Mary Went by Lisa Scottoline

Mary DiNunzio is a Philadelphia lawyer up for partner. She is stalked with phone calls, letters and being followed. Brent Polk, coworker and friend, ends up dead and Mary realizes it was meant for her.

A gritty legal thriller with a lot of tension and quick pace. Goodness prevails on many levels. Nominated for Edgar Award in 1994. 1993, 359 pages.

Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers

Lord Peter & Harriet Vane are on their honeymoon. Arriving at the estate, they settle in even though the owner is nowhere to be found. When he turns up dead the honeymoon turns into a murder investigation. Lots of twists and turns ensue.

A cozy British murder mystery where the murders are unusual. This is a procedural novel with a moderate plot. Often termed as a “thinking man’s mystery.” #11 in Lord Peter Wimsey series. 1937, 403 pages.

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt

A serial killer who cuts off his victim’s hands has been terrorizing the dog-loving lawyer’s northern New Jersey turf. When the cops charge one of the murders to newspaperman Daniel Cummings, who’s been receiving messages from the killer taunting the police, Andy and his legal team step up to the defense.

Quickly paced book that never lets down-you have barely digested one thought when something else happens. Lots of dialogue, brief interior thoughts. As with a series, the characters are developed over a series of books. Exterior and action oriented. Humorous, laid back reactions to terrible events. New Jersey is important in the overall feel, but could be set anywhere with a significant amount of population, pollution, corruption and the mob. #3 in Andy Carpenter mystery series. 2004, 261 pages.

2nd Chance by James Patterson

Lindsay Boxer has now been promoted to Lieutenant and is trying to get back into the swing of things when a new serial murderer shakes things up. What looks to be a racially related killing spree ends up being more personal. The killer is out for revenge against his own-cops. Same great group.

A fast paced thriller with strong female characters. Unexpected twists abound. #2 in the women’s murder club. 2002, 390 pages.