Nathan's Run by John Gilstrap is a sit on the edge of your seat thriller/murder mystery. 12 year old Nathan has been incarsurated for almost 10 months when he fatally stabs a prison guard and escapes. A the surface it looks like a run of the mill pyschopath teen but once you dig down things just don't seem right. How did he get a knife and what was he doing alone with the guard in an isolated part of the detention center. We see the story from several points of views, Nathan's, the cop on the case and as a third person. It isn't a long story but is packed with uncertainty as you wonder if anyone will listen to Nathan's side? I got kind of frustrated with this edge of your seat drama but I did enjoy listening to it on tape.

Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk by David Ambrose Charlie monk is the ultimate superhero. He has no fear. He has no conscience. And he has no memory of his past. Meanwhile Dr Susan Flemyng. a biologist specialising in brain diseases, has found a way to transplant artificial memories into the minds of her patients. But her discovery has already found its way into the wrong hands and it seems that Charlie is in fact some kind of bionic military guinea pig. As you read from both their points of views I found it hard to determine what was real and what wasn't. Ambrose is quite the storyteller and with a twist at the end you just don't know what to believe. I will defintely read more by this author. He is fabulous.

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz - Fourteen-year-old Alex continues his work as a spy for the British MI6, investigating an exclusive school for boys in the French Als. Sixteen boys in a remote boarding school are suddenly all acting well-behaved and studious, but something's not right. Full of heart-pounding adventure, this sequel to "Stormbreaker" is a thrill ride and mystery all in one. It is like James Bond for teens. Lots of adventure and excitement. I listened to this on tape and will go back and read the first in the series.

Elizabeth Chase & Tom McGowan series by Martha C. Lawrence
I love this series. It is so well written and developed. Plus since I lived in San Diego when these books were written it's like a visit home.

Book 1 - Murder in Scorpio introduces Psychic P.I. Elizabeth Chase when Escondio police sergeant Tom McGowan asks to investigate what looks like a car accident involving an old friend, Janice Freeman. He has been seeing ghosts at other accidents and his gut is telling him that Janice was murdered even though it looks like a tragic case of a drunk driver hitting her car. But who would want to murder a friendly woman who was studying to become a lawyer. As Elizabeth tries to piece together the clues she becomes more and more attracted to Tom but can she trust her gut instincts and not get herself killed. Lots of spooky elements and I enjoy the supernatural aspects of this series. Plus it is set in the San Diego area.

Book 2 - Cold Heart of Capricorn - An increasingly violent rapist has been terrorizing San Diego, but the lack of physical evidence at the scenes gives the police very little to go on. Dubious but desperate as the rapist edges toward committing murder, the cops turn to Elizabeth for paranormal help. Her first step is to hypnotize the victims, hoping to unearth clues buried in their subconscious memories. Success seems imminent, but when her interpretations have devastating results, Elizabeth steps back from the case--only to find herself getting closer and closer to the deadly conclusion.

Book 3 - Aquarius Descending - Elizabeth Chase is hired to find a woman who's disappeared into a secretive New Age cult. Some members seem to have psychic abilities but it is hard to tell who is real and who is good at pretending. This was more difficult as some characters are killed in this pageturner.

Book 4 - Pisces Rising. Elizabeth Chase's lover has been killed in a showdown between cult leaders and the FBI, and she no longer trusts her own extrasensory gifts. But when an old friend asks for help in solving the murder and scalping of a casino owner at Mystic Mesa on the Temecu Indian reservation in the California desert, Elizabeth is persuaded to get involved. She soon finds herself drawn to a charismatic--and strangely familiar--Native American shaman whose strange gifts awaken and energize her own. Another gripping addition to excellently written series.

Book 5 - Ashes to Aries - Chase is called in on the case of a San Diego telecommunications mogul's missing four-year-old son. When a wildfire breaks out in the secluded community where the boy's family lives, Elizabeth finds that man, not nature, is responsible and tries to determine if the kidnapper and arsonist are the same person. This is the first book I have read by Martha Lawrence but will defintely read the rest. Very fast paced and you felt the flames during the fire scenes.

An Embarrassment of Corpses by Alan Beechey - When children's book author Oliver Swithin, reluctant creator of the notorious "Finsbury the Ferret," finds an old friend's body floating in a Trafalgar Square fountain, he can't convince the police to treat the death as a murder. But when more corpses turn up daily it seems that there is a serial killer about using astrology to find his victims. But is it as basic as it seems? Only Oliver'S uncle, Detective Superintendent Tim Mallard sees the true pattern.

An excellent mystery. Unfortunately the copy I read was misbound with the pages out of order so I was constantly having to see what page I was on. Luckily it was only the last quarter of the book. I really enjoyed the characters and the mystery as it had me stumped. I will defintely read more of this series.

Bk 2: Murdering Ministers brings back our favorite children's author Oliver Swithin, his uncle Mallard and his now girlfriend Detective Sergeant Effie Strongitharm now at Christmas time. Oliver is interviewing a childhood friend who is now a minister for local church. Effie tries to find a runaway teenager and winds up as an eyewitness to Murder in the Church. Is there a connection? And will finding it reveal who stuck strychnine in the sacraments? Hysterical to the end and again not obvious who dun it! I can't wait to read another in the fun series.

Beechey's website is fun to read to learn more about his books and characters.