Elf of Union Square by Jan Carr
An ancient, crotchety elf named Hiram and his sidekick, a Norwegian rat named Knut, conspire to drive people away from Union Square Park, while fifth-grader Jack Crain and a reporter for the New York Times, Will Manley, investigate. It was an entertaining read as it is faciniating to see how quickly people follow the herd over small things. Plus this story made me laugh as I know someone named "Will Manley" who works for the city of Tempe.

Shadows in the Darkness by Elaine Cunningham
The first book in the Changeling series by Tor Books, introduces Gwen (GiGi) Gelman, a disgraced vice cop who learns that the Family she's been fighting might be the family she never knew she had. Kind of a cross between Anita Blake & Merry Gentry - written by Laurell K. Hamilton. A lot less sex and violence which is a nice change. I enjoy Hamilton's works but get turned off by the gore and violence with her various characters.

Books by Jeffery Deaver
Featuring detectives Lincoln Rhyme & Amelia Sachs
Bone Collector
Quadriplegic Lincoln Rhyme abandons his forced retirement and joins forces with rookie cop Amelia Sachs to track down a vicious serial killer. This was a very intense and totally had no idea of who dune it mystery. Very well crafted and I can't wait to read another one in this series. This title was made into a movie as well.

Coffin Dancer
Three witnesses to a murder could put a millionaire arms dealer behind bars for good. When one of them, the co-owner of Hudson Air, is blown up in a plane bombing with the Dancer's fingerprints all over it, the FBI takes the other witnesses into protective custody. Only Rhyme can decipher a crime scene, read the residue of a bombing, or identify a handful of dirt well enough to keep up with the killer. Helped by Amelia Sachs, his brilliant and able-bodied assistant, Rhyme traces the Dancer through Manhattan streets, airports, and subways. But in the end nothing is as it seems and it seems that the Coffin Dancer will win once again, or will he? An interesting against-all-odds love affair between Rhyme and Sachs develops and I can't wait to see if anything more happens or not.

Dexter is now a show on Showtime featuring Michael C. Hall from Six Feet Under.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Meet Dexter Morgan. He's a highly respected lab technician specializing in blood spatter for the Miami Dade Police Department. He's a handsome, though reluctant, ladies' man. He's polite, says all the right things, and rarely calls attention to himself. He's also a sociopathic serial killer whose "Dark Passenger" drives him to commit the occasional dismemberment. Mind you, Dexter's the good guy in this story.

Wow! is about all I can say. Very well written and definitely engaging story. The ending was a bit predicible but such an interesting premise. I listened to it on CD and it was very well done.

Dearly Devoted Dexter finally is here!

Dexter's just added his 40th victim, a homicidal pedophile, and is eagerly looking ahead to number 41 but Dexter's nemesis, Sergeant Doakes, is getting a little too close for comfort. So he decides to act normal and starts hanging out with his "girlfriend" Rita & her kids playing games and drinking lite beer. He is almost becoming normal.

His sister Deborah, now a detective for the Miami-Dade Police Department, is called in on a case that even give Dexter pause for thought. A man is found with "everything on [his] body cut off, absolutely everything"—a piece of work that makes Dexter's own tidy killings look like child's play. This madman, nicknamed Danco, spends weeks surgically removing his victims' ears, lips, nose, arms, legs, etc., while keeping them alive to watch their own mutilation. Despite a certain professional admiration for Danco's dexterity, Dexter decides to take on the case. Plus Deborah's boyfriend has been snatched as the latest victim. Danco is after those who turned on him during U.S.'s involvement in South America.

It's the contradictions in Dexter's character that make it all work—he's smart, he's funny, he cares for children, and yet he has no normal human responses or emotions.

Hopefully additional titles will follow.

Books by Meg Cabot
I got to see Meg Cabot speak at my library in January 18, 2005. She was very entertaining speaker. Some fans flew in from New Jersey just to meet her and hear her speak. Over 250 people showed up for the event.

Every Boy's Got One... ~
A day-by-day travel journal intended as a first anniversary present for Jane Harris's best friend, Holly, turns into Jane's rollicking private diary account of the madcap events leading up to Holly and Mark's Italian countryside elopement. We see their travels via Jane's diary, Cal's PDA journal and the hilarious e-mails (aka Blueberries) that whiz through cyberspace between the main characters, their respective family members and one diehard Wonder Cat fan. We get to know Castelfidardo, a small Italian town in the region of Le Marche, which happens to be the accordion-making capital of the world and is replete with unpredictable electricity, dubious public restrooms and bureaucratic snafus that nearly derail the wedding plans. The jaded, bitterly divorced Cal makes a worthy opponent to Jane, whose notions of marriage are much more romantic than his. Cabot's personal epilogue about her own elopement in the Italian countryside—marked by much of the mayhem her main characters encounter—adds spice to this frothy concoction of love, friendship and true romance.

Boy Meets Girl ~ one of her adult novels set in NYC. Kate works for the Human Resources division of New York Journal. She and her best friend have nick named her boss "T.O.D. - Tyrannical Office Despot" as she is gunning for the top and nothing will get in her way of a promotion and marrying a high end lawyer. So when she asks Kate to fire the most popular employee for being disrespectful of certain unpopular employees Kate does what she is told. Now the fired employee is suing the New York Journal and Kate for wrong termination. But then Kate meets the man of her dreams who is the lawyer representing NYJ.

But well with many ups and downs as is typical of Cabot's novels. It always amazes me that her books take place in NYC but it seems like a small town as there everyone seems to know one another. Lots of email and im'ing messages and cute phone conversations. Fun read.

Teen idol ~ High school junior Jenny Greenley is good at solving problems ... so good she's the school newspaper's anonymous advice columnist. Even if solving other people's problems doesn't make her own -- like not having a boyfriend -- go away, it's still fun. But when nineteen-year-old screen sensation Luke Striker comes to Jenny's small town to research a role life suddenly gets complicated. When he persuades Jenny to use her considerable talents to try to change things at school for the better, he creates havoc that even levelheaded Jenny isn't sure she can repair. Now she has to find her own voice and stand up for what she believes in, not just be the person who tries to fix things after they've broken. I enjoyed this book. It reminds me of an older Princess Diaries but I think the characters were much more enjoyable.

All American Girl ~ Samantha Madison is just your average disenfranchised sophomore gal living in D.C. when, in an idle moment sandwiched between cookie-buying and CD-perusing, she puts a stop to an attempt on the life of the president. Before she can say “MTV2” she’s appointed Teen Ambassador to the U.N. and has caught the eye of the very cute First Son. Suddenly she is an overnight sensation. She can survive all the attention from press but can she survive the attention from her classmates and family. What she discovers is that you have to pay attention to really see what is happening around you and there is always more than meets the eye.

Princess Diaries Series
1. Princess Diaries
2. Princess in the Spotlight
3. Princess in Love is the 3rd in the series. Mia has a boyfriend, Kenny, who she really doesn't like let alone kiss. Plus she is in love with her best friend's brother. It is counting down to her introduction to Genovia and she is overloaded with her grandmother's lessons, dress fittings, finals and how to break up with Kenny. As with the others in this series Mia's life is one big drama but oh, so fun to read. Teen anqst is always so enjoyable.
4. Princess in Waiting Mia's royal introduction to Genovia has mixed results: while her fashion sense is widely applauded, her position on the installation of public parking meters is met with resistance. But the politics of bureaucracy are nothing next to Mia's real troubles. Between canceled dates with her long-sought-after royal consort, a second semester of the dreaded Algebra, more princess lessons from Grandmare as a result of the Genovian parking-meter thing, and the inability to stop gnawing on her fingernails, isn't there anything Mia is good at besides inheriting an unwanted royal title? Always good to see how little Mia's sesteemteme has risen as she becomes fixated on thinking that Michael is going to dump her because she is so busy with her princess duties. More lists which are always fun, Buffy mentioned.
4.5 Project Princess ~ Mia & her friends volunteer to build houses for the less fortunate. It doesn't take Mia long to realize that helping others—while an unimpeachably noble pastime—is very hard work. Will her giving spirit prevail? Will the house collapse due to royally clumsy construction? And most importantly, will Michael stop working long enough to kiss her?
5. Princess in Pink ~ Now at the end of her Freshman year Mia tries to get her reluctant boyfriend to take her to the prom. She’s the newest staffer on the school paper, and her miraculous completion of freshman Algebra is just around the corner. Plus she’s about to get a new baby brother or sister. Could things possibly get any better? But as usual her friend Lilly has a mind of her own and stages a workers strike when a handsome bushboy is fired after pouring soup in Grandmare's lap. But with the usual finese things work out just fine for all.
6. Princess Present ~ Now, Princess Mia spends the holidays in Genovia with Grandmère. This year, she’s looking forward to the most perfect Christmas ever: her boyfriend, Michael, and her best friend, Lilly, are coming to Genovia, too. But even a princess’s plans can go awry. Lilly has a lot to learn about palace protocol, and with all the state holiday functions Mia must attend, there’s no time to linger under the mistletoe with Michael. Worst of all, Mia hasn’t been able to find him the perfect gift.
Perfect Princess ~ is kind of an off shoot part of the series. Mia and her Grandmere give advice on how to act and be a princess. Talks about various other princesses from around the world. Cute read for those who love the series.

Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Wittig Albert

After purchasing a farm in the Lake District of England, an animal lover attempts to befriend her fellow villagers, while her animal companions solve a baffling mystery, in a mystery tale inspired by the life of Beatrix Potter. In 1905, Beatrix bought a farm in England's beautiful Lake District. The books in this series (eight are planned) follow her adventures as she gradually moves away from her London life as a dutiful Victorian-age daughter, and into an independent life that offers new hopes, new love, and the possibility of self-determination. You will enjoy the authenticity of the historical setting and the details of Beatrix's life, smile at the antics of the animals, and warm to the strong feeling of place and community.

I so enjoy Albert's China Bayles novels so am looking forward to reading more of these novels but hope China will have more books as well.

Tale of Holly How : the cottage tales of Beatrix Potter

Fethering Mystery series by Simon Brett

I love Brett's Mrs. Pargeter's mysteries. So am glad to find another series of his to read.

Body on the Beach ~ Very little disturbs the ordered calm of Fethering, a pleasingly self-contained retirement settlement on England's less than sun-kissed southern coast. Which is precisely why Carole Seddon, who has outlived both her husband and her career at the Home Office, has chosen to reside there. Her peaceful life is turned upside down when she stumbles upon a corpse on the beach while walking her dog and joins forces with her bohemian neighbor, Jude, to find a killer.

Death on the Downs ~ While out exploring the South Downs of a wealthy town, a driving rain forces Carole to seek shelter in an abandoned barn, where she discovers a bag of human bones. The local police are informed, and rumors spread to the effect that the bones might have belonged to a missing young woman named Tamsin. Soon Carole and her somewhat mysterious and exotic friend Jude are busily involved in sussing out information on their own partly for adventure, and partly because Tamsin had once turned to Jude for help. But per usual nothing is as it seems and it becomes much more complicated as Carole discovers that childhood hurts still haunt several of these people. And it may mean the end for Carole.

Torso in the Town ~ A dinner party at a Fedborough mansion with some stuffy, not very close friends is not exactly Jude's cup of tea. But the practically mummified torso of a woman found in the cellar is much more up Jude's alley. So Jude and Carole decide to investigate on their own. Everyone in this town seems so friendly and willing to gossip but are they really what they seem? Everyone has their own secrets to keep.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

An autobiographical comic, intertwins the stories of his relationships with his younger brother, Phil (with whom he had to share blankets as a child), and with his first girlfriend, Raina (with whom he also shared a blanket). Raised by strict Catholic parents, Thompson struggles with his own faith, attracted to the message but repelled by the Church, and his black-and-white art makes use of Christian imagery.

This is one of the first graphic novels that I've ever read. It is over 500 pages which at first is rather daunting but since it is illustrated comic style it flows quickly. His is not a particularly happy life, full of many disappointments but it is interesting to see how his life evolves.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
Mixture of mystery, puzzles, possibilities, and art. Brainy 12-year-olds Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay attend the University of Chicago Laboratory School where their teacher's unorthodox methods make learning an adventure. When Vermeer's A Lady Writing disappears on its way to exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, the two overcome their adolescent awkwardness and let their friendship bloom, pooling their talents to rescue the masterpiece and expose the thief. Many elements play a role in unraveling the secrets surrounding the crime: Calder's set of pentominoes; his encoded correspondence with his friend Tommy about a missing boy named Frog; and Petra's intuitive communing with the woman in the painting, all augmented by the unusual ideas presented in a strange old book that Petra has found.

Great fun!

Jane Eyre by Charolotte Bronte
Classic Victorian novel of love and being true to one's heart. Told in her own voice, Jane Eyre, tells her own story. The first section of the novel gives her childhood history and then how she came to Thornfield Hall. Jane Eyre becomes a governess in Mr. Rochester's home of Thornfield and falls in love with him before she finds that he has a tragic secret. The second and third sections of the novel are dominated by male figures who symbolize opposing forms of love: Rochester, who stands for physical passion, and St. John, who stands for spiritual passion. At the end of the novel, Rochester, having passed through redemptive fires and having repented of his hubris, can embody the fully integrated masculine self, capable of both physical and spiritual passion.

I listened to this on CD while driving in the car to and from work. I have never really read the entire novel. I was very annoyed at the first half of the book and then became involved in her quandary with what to do with her life. While the ending is a bit melodramatic, it does making a satisfactory one.

Death series by J.D. Robb ~ J.D. Robb is a psedonym for Nora Roberts and writes futuristic romance/mysteries that feature Eve Dallas, a complicated lieutenant for the New York police department in 2054. Eve has no background as she was found when she was about 8 years old with no memory or records of who she was. In each book in the series we discover more about her and about her new husband Roarke. The stories are well-written and interesting as often we see the case from the point of view of the killers. I do find it odd that barely a year has gone by and we're already in book 18. When do they sleep?

23. Born In Death ~ Eve is busy planning her friends' Mavis's babyshower when she is drawn into a double homicide. When a friend of Mavis, who is also pregnant and due any day, goes missing Eve jumps in to find her as well.
22. Memory In Death ~ After a visit from her past, Lt. Eve Dallas walks a tightrope between her professional duties and her private demons.
21. Origin in Death ~ In late 2059, as scientists work to expand the limits of technology, Detective Eve Dallas tracks the cunning, cold-blooded killer of a father and son.
20. Survivor in Death ~ Lieutenant Eve Dallas struggles to solve the murder of a seemingly ordinary family, and protect one small, terrified survivor.
19. Visions in Death ~ Lieutenant Eve Dallas searches the darkest corners of Manhattan for an elusive killer with a passion for collecting souls.
18. Divided in Death ~ When one of his trusted employees, with whom he had been working on a secret government project, becomes the prime suspect in a double homicide, Irish billionaire Roarke enlists the assistance of Lieutenant Eve Dallas to uncover the truth.
17. Remember When
16. Imitation in Death ~ This time Eve confronts a serial killer who masquerades as Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy and other vicious criminals of the past. Aided by her faithful second-in-command, Peabody (who's nervously awaiting her detective's exam), and supported by her handsome husband Roarke, Eve scours both the country and the past for clues. As with each title we get more info about both Eve & Roarke's past as the murders they solve today help them heal the pain from the past.
15. Portrait in Death
14. Reunion in Death
13. Seduction in Death ~ Eve Dallas takes on a Casanova killer who stalks young women looking for love in a poetry chat room.
12. Betrayal in Death ~ When a maid from the Roarke Palace Hotel is brutally murdered, Detective Eve Dallas must find the killer before he strikes again.
11. Judgment in Death ~ When a cop killer cuts loose in a club called Purgatory, Detective Eve Dallas descends into an underground criminal hell.
10. Witness In Death ~ Eve Dallas is thrust into the spotlight when she becomes the key witness in the brutal murder of a famous actor.
9. Loyalty in Death ~ Eve Dallas returns to face her most ingenious foe - a "secret admirer" who taunts her with letters…and kills without mercy.
8. Conspiracy In Death ~ The pursuit of a serial killer leaves Dallas's job on the line. Now her hands are tied, between a struggle for justice - and a fight for her career.
7. Holiday In Death ~ In the future when computer technology brings lovers together, dating can be a deadly game.
6. Vengeance In Death ~ A madman brutally murders two men - both with ties to an ugly secret shared by Eve's new husband, Roarke.
5. Ceremony In Death ~ In the most dangerous case of her career, every step Eve takes brings her closer to a confrontation with humanity's most seductive form of evil.
4. Rapture In Death ~ An investigation of three apparent suicides draws Eve into the world of virtual reality - where the mind can become the weapon of its own destruction.
3. Immortal In Death ~ A top model is dead - and the suspect is none other than Eve's best friend.
2. Glory In Death ~ In Eve's latest case, two murder victims have one connection: Eve's lover, Roarke.
1. Naked In Death ~ Introducing New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas…

Tuesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson by Mitch Albom features Albom's relationship with his college mentor, Morrie Schwartz, with whom Albom has lost touch for 16 years. Upon seeing him on the "Nightline" program - talking to Ted Koppel about what it was like to die from Lou Gehrig's disease - Albom was both horrified and ashamed. He called his old teacher, flew to Boston for a reunion, and began a series of weekly visits, rekindling their loving teacher-student relationship while tackling a larger subject in their final "class": the meaning of life. I listened to this on CD in the car and I cried but in a happy way. I really put off reading this book for YEARS! as I just thought it sounded sappy. I am very glad that I gave it a try as I did enjoy it.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. This was such a fun read, plus the sequel comes out next month! Hurray!

Both of these books are by Simon's Pulse books for teens and have very similar cover styles. These make for very light reading and are kind of original.

How Not to Spend Your Senior Year by Cameron Dokey
Because Jo O'Connor's father is a witness in an ongoing murder investigation, they must leave town and make it appear that they died in a car accident, but Jo can't bear to leave without saying good-bye to her boyfriend, who now thinks she's a ghost.

Ripped at the Seams by Nancy Krulik
Arriving in New York City with dreams of becoming a successful designer, Sami quickly learns that the big city is a lot different than her small town in the Midwest when her ideas are stolen and she is blacklisted from getting another reputable job, yet not willing to quit, Sami regroups and comes up with a plan that gives her all the notoriety she could ever want.

Leon and the Spitting Image by Allen Kurzweil
As Leon Zeisel heads back to school as a fourth grader, he sees nothing but doom and gloom in his future due to the secret teachers’ reports he has recently read, the introduction of his new and uptight teacher, and the realization that Henry Lumpkin, the class bully, is back and ready for action. Leon's new teacher, Miss Hagmeyer, promises more scholastic agony than usual with the announcement of a mysterious yearlong sewing project. Leon, who is all thumbs, is in danger of repeating fourth grade until he creates a doll image of Miss Hagmeyer that exerts a strange power over the teacher herself. Realizing the potential for mayhem, Leon and his friends team up to solve the mystery and defeat the bully with the help of their magical doll. This was a very interesting yet odd book. But I loved all the eyeballs on the inside pages.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years. We hear both sides of the same story with very different conclusions. I really enjoyed this novel. Plus there is a cute chick on the front cover.

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy (The mother/daughter writing team of P.J. and Traci Lambrecht under the pseudonym of P.J. Tracy) Features Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth.

Tall, dark haired and complicated, riding boot-wearing Grace McBride is the fragile heart and soul of a group of oddball computer geeks with a collectively shady past. They are five friends on the run from violence who have banded together to form the successful Minneapolis software company, Monkeewrench. But when someone begins using the grisly scenarios from their new game, Serial Killer, as inspiration for real life murder, it quickly becomes obvious that the horrors of the past have finally caught up with them.

What I liked about this book is that even though I had my suspicions it was a lot more complicated and a bit shocking. I'm looking forward to reading more by this duo.

Live Bait is the 2nd title in this new series. I listened to it on tape. Elderly people are being murdered in Minneapolis, and detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth work to solve the case. On the surface it appears to be some kind of crazy serial killer who is going after old people. But as they delve into the details in the victims lives it becomes apparent that the people who were being killed have more in common than what meets the eye. We also have the original characters from the Monkeewrench crew in the story but in a much more background mode.

Another excellent suspenseful thriller by this new writing duo. I can't wait until the new one comes out.

Dead Run is the 3rd title in the series. And it does not disapoint.
Monkeewrench founders Grace MacBride and Annie Belinsky, along with Deputy Sharon Mueller, are driving from Minneapolis to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where they believe a new serial killer is just warming up. When their car breaks down deep in the northern woods, far from civilization and cell-phone towers, a walk through the forest leads them to the crossroads of Four Corners, where they find...absolutely nothing. Something terrible has happened in Four Corners, and the complete absence of life, together with severed phone lines in every building, makes it impossible to find help. Grace, her senses honed by a lifetime of justifiable paranoia, sees the sinister in every detail, and her instincts barely save the three women when they witness a horrifying double murder. Grace, Annie, and Sharon are suddenly running for their lives, while the rest of the Monkeewrench crew, along with Minneapolis cops Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, strike out on a blind search to find them.

This book was very hard to put down as I wanted to see if they could get out alive. Plus the women are the strong ones and able to bring the terrorist threat to it's head. Wow! Right to the end.

Snow Blind #4 in the series.
With the holidays over and the long cold winter looming, January can be a bleak month in Minneapolis. So what better way to bring a little cheer to the good people of the city than sponsoring an old-fashioned snowman-building contest? In a matter of hours, a local park is filled with the innocent laughter of children and their frosty creations. But things take an awful turn when the dead bodies of police officers are discovered inside two of the snowmen – sending the entire department and Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth on high alert.

The next day, Iris Rikker, the newly minted sheriff of rural Dundas County, comes across another body in another snowman. Fearing that Rikker’s inexperience will hamper the investigation, Magozzi and Rolseth head north, in a blizzard, to hunt for clues. As Grace MacBride and her crack computer jocks at Monkeewrench comb the Web for connections, a terrifying link emerges among the dead cops, Magozzi and Rolseth, and Monkeewrench – a link that must be broken before it’s too late.

Ok the Monkeewrench is a red hering! We see more about Magozzi & Rolseth plus the new female sheriff in Dundas County. What this book really comes down to is in regards to domestic violence who is responsible? The person doing the beatings? the police who won't help? the family, friends and neighbors who looks the other way?

What would you do if you could take action into your own hands and punish them all? Read Snow Blind and find out. This was a very interesting look at domestic violence and the consequences. I did not see how this book would end as they did a great job making this look one way and then taking it a 180 turn.

Eugenia Potter series by Virginia Rich (picked up by Nancy Pickard)
Cooking School Murders
In Harrington, Iowa, for her yearly hometown visit, dignified and down-to-earth Mrs. Potter becomes involved in the slashed-throat murder of a student in an advanced cooking class attended by Harrington's elite. We are introduced to Eugenia Potter and the other cast of characters. It is interesting as I read these many years ago and am enjoying it very much.

Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Tom Ripley is chosen by the wealthy Herbert Greenleaf to retrieve Greenleaf's son, Dickie, from his overlong sojourn in Italy. Dickie, it seems, is held captive both by the Mediterranean climate and the attractions of his female companion, but Mr. Greenleaf needs him back in New York to help with the family business. With an allowance and a new purpose, Tom leaves behind his dismal city apartment to begin his career as a return escort. But Tom, too, is captivated by Italy. He is also taken with the life and looks of Dickie Greenleaf. He insinuates himself into Dickie's world and soon finds that his passion for a lifestyle of wealth and sophistication transcends moral compunction. Tom will become Dickie Greenleaf--at all costs.

Very interesting. I thought I had read it many years ago but now I'm not sure I did.

Jennifer Government by Max Barry
In a corporate-governed future world where people take the last names of the companies they work for, merchandising officer Hack Nike tries to get out of a contract that requires him to shoot teenagers, a situation that results in his unwitting involvement with an agent who is out to get Hack's employer. I really enjoyed this book. What a hoot!

Lost and Found by Jane Sigaloff
When successful London Lawyer Samantha Washington leaves her diary, which contains a dark secret that could destroy her career, in a New York hotel room, TV producer Ben Fisher walks into her life and seems to know a lot about her, leading Sam to believe that he is now the owner of her diary. Lots of mis-interpretations lead to a funny modern romance.

Ringan Laine series by Deborah Grabien
Weaver and the Factory Maid Coming into ownership of a restored eighteenth-century cottage, British folk musician Ringan Laine discovers that the property is haunted and is assisted by long-time girlfriend Penny in researching the identities of his otherworldly tenants. I liked the premise but it wasn't a prefered read. I will try another one to see if it improves.

Big Bad Wolf Tells All by Donna Kauffman Tanzy Harrington tells all in her online singles column. When her Aunt Millicent orchestrates an up-close-and-personal encounter with Riley Parrish, she rebuffs any niggling inner attraction to the all-too-obviously Clark Kent in ill-fitting clothing. And yet. It's the "and yet" that makes for the delicious two-step Tanzy and Riley dance around each other while he tries to protect her from a predatory online stalker-fan, and she tries to remember why the swingin' single life is her modus operandi.

Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler features five women and one enigmatic man who meet on a monthly basis to discuss the novels of Jane Austen, one at a time. As they debate Marianne's marriage to Brandon and whether or not Charlotte Lucas is gay, they reveal nothing so much as their own "private Austen(s)". Sylvia whose husband, Daniel, has left her after 32 years and three children. Jocelyn, her best friend, never married and now focuses on breeding dogs. Prudie is a French teacher in her late twenties, in possession of a worthy husband yet disoriented by persistent fantasies about sex with other men. Sixty-something Bernadette has decided that she's finally over the hill and can act a little dotty, just let herself go. The beautiful, risk-taking Allegra -- Sylvia and Daniel's lesbian daughter -- has quit speaking to her lover. And Grigg, a middle-aged science fiction fan and computer whiz, is strangely unattached. But then maybe he's gay?

This book was interesting in how much the author gave us glimpses into the various characters personal lives. It was just long enough. I felt very happy after reading it.

Justice Hall by Laurie R. King features Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. Two old friends reappear, in decidedly different guise: the two “Bedouin” guides from O Jerusalem are in England, caught in a mesh of honor and justice and the death of a young nephew. Quickly Russell & Holmes discover that nothing is quite as it seems and together they will solve this very secret mystery.

Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer - set as historical fiction in turn of the century San Francisco. At his birth, Max's father declares him a "nisse," a creature of Danish myth, as his baby son has the external physical appearance of an old, dying creature. Max grows older like any child, but his physical age appears to go backward--on the outside a very old man, but inside still a fearful child. The story is told in three acts. First, young Max falls in love with a neighborhood girl, Alice, who ages as normally as any of us. Max, of course, does not; as a young man, he has an older man's body. But his curse is also his blessing: as he gets older, his body grows younger, so each successive time he finds his Alice, she does not recognize him. She takes him for a stranger, and Max is given another chance at love. This is a very interesting if you can call it love story. It reminded me of the Timetraveler's Wife which I read a few months ago.

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan is a Newbery honor book for 2003.

Jake Semple is a scary kid. Word has it that he burned down his old school and then was kicked out of every other school in his home state. Only weeks into September, the middle school in Traybridge, North Carolina, has thrown him out, too. Now there's only one place left that will take him -- a home school run by the most outrageous, forgetful, chaotic, quarrelsome family you'll ever meet. Each and every Applewhite is an artist through and through -- except E.D., the smart, scruffy girl with a deep longing for order and predictability. E.D. and Jake, so nearly the same age, are quickly paired in the family's first experiment in "cooperative education." The two clash immediately, of course. The only thing they have in common is the determination to survive the family's eccentricities. This is such a fun read, I really got to like all the various characters. This story is from both E.D. & Jake's point of view and it flows well. Tolan is such a great author and really stands the test of time.

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver Codi Noline, her self-confidence flagging after failures in med school and in a relationship, returns home to Grace, Ariz., where she renews a romance, comes to understand her father and worries about her sister, Hallie, who is helping farmers in Nicaragua. This is portrayed in a series of flashbacks for both Codi & her father who is declining from Alzheimers. It is so well written. I read it so long ago when I lived in Tucson so it was fun to read it again.

After dark by Jayne Castle (aka author Jayne Ann Krentz)
A race of aliens once lived on the future Earth colony called Harmony, leaving behind them the ruins of a vast, beautiful, and mysterious culture that is still protected by the psychic illusion traps and eerie ghosts that they created. Lydia Smith is an archaeologist who can resonate and dissolve the illusions, and those talents, combined with her lack of finances and questionable professional reputation, make her the obvious hire for Emmett London, who is trying to track down a lost antique and the nephew who stole it. Lydia's first consulting job quickly turns dangerous, however, as corpses, ghosts, and illusion traps start popping up--not to mention the rather unprofessional electricity between her and her first client. I like her futuristic romances, very fun to read.

After Glow
It's the second time in a month that Lydia Smith has found a dead body. The first time pararchaelogist and museum curator Lydia became tangled up in a murder investigation it brought her together with her current paramour, ghost hunter Emmett London. So naturally Lydia thinks of Emmett when she stumbles across the body of her former professor, Lawrence Maltby. While the police believe Maltby's death was caused by his drug addiction, Lydia doesn't buy it. So with Emmett's help, she pursues her own investigation even as she tries to figure out exactly what kind of a relationship she and Emmett have.

It is a good follow-up to the previous books and it's fun to be back in the futuristic world of Harmony.

Smoke in Mirrors by Jayne Ann Krentz a well known romance suspence author. I have read many of her books. This title features Leonora Hutton who is investigating her half-sister's, Meredith's supposidly accidental death. When she gets a delayed email from the grave she knows that Meredith was murdered. She meets Thomas Walker who is also looking into another related death of his sister-in-law Bethany. His brother Deke Walker doesn't believe his wife's supposed suicide. Were these women murdered and if so why and by whom? Lots of romance, more deaths and finally an ending that is not easy to foresee. I prefer her science fiction romances but this was fun.

Angel Factory by Terence Blacker
Twelve-year-old Thomas Wisdom's seemingly perfect life with his peaceful British family begins to fall apart after he learns that he was adopted and that his parents and sister are really angels sent to Earth to prevent humanity from destroying itself. Their plan is to recruit adopted children and persuade them to cooperate with the Project by using brainwashing, threats, and even violence. When he discovers that even the President of the United States is an angel, Thomas doesn't know whom to trust. Then he is forced to make a decision–whether or not to go along with the Project. He discovers that nothing is like it seems and has to decide who to trust. A very engaging YA novel.

Earlene Fowler Bennie Harper Mysteries
1. Fool's Puzzle
2. Irish Chain
3. Kansas Troubles
4. Goose in the Pond
5. Dove in the Window
6. Mariner's Compass
7. Seven Sisters
8. Arkansas Traveler
9. Steps to the Altar
10. Sunshine and Shadow
11. Broken Dishes

Keepsakes Crimes by Laura Childs
Carmela's life is having its ups and downs. Her scrapbooking shop is doing well, but she's been separated from her husband for six months. She's trying to put that behind her and enjoy Mardi Gras.

While attending a parade with her friend Ava, she is shocked to see the body of a friend lowered from a float, dead. She's even more surprised to learn that Shamus, her husband, is the chief suspect. She doesn't believe he could really be the killer, so she sets out to see what she can learn.

Needlecraft Mysteries by Monica Ferris
1. Crewel World
2. Framed In Lace
3. A Stitch in Time
4. Unraveled Sleeve
5. A Murderous Yarn
6. Hanging by a Thread
Betsy is still new enough to Excelsior, Minnesota, to not know a scandal when she causes one. So, when she hires Foster Johns to fix her roof, the resulting uproar has her needled. The whole town has pinned a five-year-old unsolved double murder on him. Betsy believes Johns when he says he isn't guilty. But she'll have to use every stitch of her sleuthing skills to tie up all the loose ends that will prove his innocence once and for all. This included both knitting and stitchery. Very fun and the mystery was pretty good as well. I started with this one so will go back and see what the early ones were about.
7. Cutwork

Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr features a librarian romantic figure who falls in love with a conductor. Take from her point of view we see her meet, fall in love and change her mind. Very fun especially since each chapter starts out with some books and the dewey classification number for the topic.

Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
I have never read this series but always recommended it to girls. So I'm looking forward to reading this series. Very quick and easy to read during the lunch hour. I am really enjoing it.

1. Agony of Alice is the first in a series of books featuring 6th grader Alice McKinley. Her mother died when she was 5 and her father has tried to raise her the best he can but since there are no females in her life it is hard to figure all this growing stuff up out. Her 19 year old brother lives at home and she sees him struggle with various girl friends who give her a taste of female touch. The book starts as they move to a new city for her father to be the manager of a music store. Alice is loved by her family but needs a female to help guide her through adolescence. We experience her embarassing moments, opening a dressing room and see a boy in his underpants! (Patrick) and to her struggle to become a teenager. She takes her first trip by train to visit it her Aunt who she gets confused with memories of her mother. She gets her first kiss and her first bra and her period. A lot happens in this thin book.

2. Alice in Rapture, Sort Of is the summer Alice's "first boyfriend" before she starts Junior High. She is "going with" Patrick, who she met last year in the dressing room incident. She gets her first babysitting job and hangs out with her best friends, Pamela & Elizabeth and their boyfriends. But she discovers that she may not be ready to have a boyfriend and misses having Patrick as her friend. She learns how to deal with her girl friends when she and her dad take Pamela & Elizabeth to the beach for a week. Pamela becomes a wild woman and Elizabeth more uptight. How different can her friends be? Patrick takes her to her first grown-up dinner at a country club, she learns to how stand up for herself and to be true to oneself.

3. Reluctanlty Alice starts 7th grade where she and her friends are at the bottom of the pecking order in Jr. high. We see her struggle with finding her own identity and still be liked by others. When an 8th grade bully picks on Alice, she has to decide how to deal with it. We learn more about her brother and father as they try to help Alice without knowing too much themselves. We see her grow as she realizes that other people have bigger problems than her.

4. All But Alice Since she started 7th grade people have told her to find a group, a place to belong, be like everyone else, do what others do, and best of all, be part of the "in" group. It is with this in mind that Alice joins the All-Stars Fan Club and the earring club and becomes one of the Famous Eight. It helps, even when it's a bit boring. Yet Sisterhood, even Famous Eighthood, does not take care of all of her problems or answer all of her questions about life and love. Can she be Sisters with all three girls who want to be her brother Lester's girlfriends? How does she treat the fact that her father is dating her teacher, Miss Summers? How do you accept a box of valentine candy from a boy? In fact, how do boys fit into Universal Sisterhood -- or is there a Universal Humanhood? How far do you go when being part of the crowd means doing something you don't want to do?

5. Alice in April Still in 7th grade, Alice is about to turn 13, an official woman. But how will she be able to cope with all the responsiblities of womanhood, plus is her family? In school she needs a different kind of name, one given by a table full of boys in the cafeteria depending on their figures, girls are being given state names -- some states have mountains and others do not. Will flat, flat Delaware or Louisiana be her fate? Alice lives in fear that it might be, though even worse is the fear that she might not get a name at all. The month ends with a dinner party for her father's birthday (part of being Woman of the House) that has more downs than ups -- and with a totally unexpected event that makes Alice and everyone she knows grow up a little and wonder a little deeper about life and the future. April is a hard month, but reading about Alice in April is to find that most tragedies (though not all) pass and tears can turn to laughter and delight.

6. Alice In-Between Alice is finishing her 7th grade year and as she turns 13 she realizes that she is in-between, not really a child and not a teen-ager either. As her older brother, Lester, takes her out on the town, some almost grown-up things happen to her, but there are unexpected dangers attached. And a marvelous trip to Chicago with her best friends, Pamela and Elizabeth, proves that "in-between" may not be such a bad place to be after all, when Pamela, acting too old for her age, attracts some unwanted attention, and Elizabeth promptly goes into shock. And when Patrick comes back into Alice's life again, she realizes she doesn't have to rush things.

7. Alice the Brave - it is the summer before Alice and her friends are starting 8th grade. They everyone in Alice's gang goes to Mark Stedmeister's swimming pool almost every day. Alice sits at the shallow end. She plays badminton. She makes excuses, and keeps her problem secret. She is afraid to swim. Her brother helps her over this hump and she learns that it isn't so bad having someone to help you out once in awhile.

Everyone seems to be changing except Alice. Her friend Elizabeth brings a risque book to a sleepover but ends up confessing to her priest and her parents. But she is much more open to having a boyfriend than ever before. Pamela decides she wants to play the field. Her dad and Miss Summers seem serious but will they get married? She can't help but worry about it. I especially enjoyed Alice receiving a chain letter that she can't forget about while no one else even pays attention to it. Always a good way to spend a few hours with Alice.

8. Alice in Lace In this newest stage of Alice's journey to adulthood, the appealing heroine begins eighth grade with a million questions and few answers. Her health teacher, Mr. Everett, has assigned the members of the class various real-life scenarios to investigate and come to terms with. Some of Alice's friends are facing teenage pregnancy, shoplifting, totaling a car, and arranging a funeral. Alice and her friend Patrick are to plan their wedding, honeymoon, find an apartment, and buy furniture on a very limited budget. I somehow didn't read this one, so noticed some changes and wondered how Lester's girlfriend was suddenly working at the music store. Now it all makes sense.

9. Outrageously Alice Now that Alice is setting into eighth grade, the class she used to envy, Alice discovers it isn't as exciting as she thought. She's tired of being the same old Alice, and longs to be a bit outrageous. She tries to reinvent herself by dressing outrageously - a showgirl for Halloween but then is gropped by someone (later discovered to be Patrick) in the broom closet at school, then dies her hair green and wears it in spikes along with green eyeliner and eye shadow. When she is invited to be a bridesmaid for Crystal (Lester's former girlfriend) she gets to hang out with an older crowd but that doesn't fit right either. Her friends Elizabeth and Pamela are having problems of their own. Pamela's parents are divorcing and Elizabeth has a new baby brother. But together they find that their friendship is what makes them feel special.

10. Achingly Alice In eighth grade now, Alice grapples with lies, loss, loyalty, and sexual awakening, even as she worries about what to wear to the school Valentine's Day dance. She is still obsessed with getting her widowed father to marry her gorgeous ex-teacher. Like her readers, Alice wants to talk to someone about her body and her sexuality. Does everyone masturbate? What is it like to have a pelvic exam? (Deliberately outrageous, she tells her father and brother at the dinner table about the three things that the doctor says can cause wetness "down there.") Is it all right to feel "wet and tingly" when her boyfriend Patrick kisses her?

11. Alice On The Outside Alice likes her life, even though she realizes that change is on the way. She and her friends may develop separate interests and ideas, and sometimes she may find herself on the outside rather than inside her close circle, but the future looks good. Alice thinks she's ready for it. She's ready to know about sex and marriage so asks her cousin Carol and finds that it is a lot more complicated than she thought. She is also faced with a school project in which the students are governed by rules aimed at forcing them to recognize the evils of prejudice and arbitrary privilege. At the same time, Alice befriends a classmate; when she finds out the girl is a lesbian, she handles the situation with maturity and tolerance. But she finds that whether someone is a friend or more than a friend it matters how you treat everyone.

12. The Grooming of Alice The first day of the summer vacation between eighth and ninth grades, Alice, Pamela, and Elizabeth decide they have to get in shape. "However you look when you start ninth grade, that's how people will think of you for the next four years," says Pamela. And they all begin jogging three miles every morning. But when Elizabeth becomes obsessed with her weight it becomes more of a problem. They discover more about themselves as a woman when Elizabeth's mom makes them take a "Just for Girls Course", and instead of being embarassing it's a learning experience. Alice is also doing her first volunteer job at the local hospital where she finds her 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Plotkin, is hospitilized and then dies Alice has her first real brush with loss. Even though her mother died when she was young she doesn't remember any of it. The summer seems ruined when Alice makes a poor decision by hiding her friend Pamela in the house after she runs away. Alice gets grounded and Pamela moves to Colorado to be with her mother. Alice's father goes to visit Miss Summers in England and end up getting engaged. The whole family is growing up. But with all the ups and downs of the summer it all ends on a positive note. They can't wait until 9th grade.

13. Alice Alone - Alice's first year in high school gets off to a difficult start when she and her boyfriend Patrick break up. There's a new girl in town, and she's got her eye on Alice's longtime steady, Patrick. What's worse, Patrick seems to enjoy the attention. Alice and Patrick have been a couple so long, Alice can't imagine life without him. How can Alice forge a post-Patrick life for herself when she doesn't even know who she is on her own? She makes her first Thanksgiving meal and invites 3 women from the Community Connections for Female Offenders for dinner. The dinner is a commical event. Also we see more development with her friendships with Elizabeth and Pamela. Elizabeth confesses that she was sexually molested by a friend of her parent's when she was 7-8 years old. Together they support Elizabeth as she finally tells her parents what happens. More drama developes when Alice discovers that Miss Summer's former fiance is going to England to visit her over Christmas. But all ends well because of communication between them all.

14. Simply Alice is the 2nd half of Alice's 9th grade year. She has found new interests and new friends. She just doesn't have time for everyone and everything she wants to do. After she is hazed by the boys on the set of the new play and decides to expose the problem in the school paper Alice finds she has a real passion for writing but as she gets more confident in herself her old friends are shutting her out. And if Alice ever needed friends, she needs them now. She's got a secret e-mail admirer she's not sure how to handle. Her brother, Lester, is plunging headlong into a risky romance with a professor. And her new friend, Faith, seems unable to break free of an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. It's not simple being simply Alice.

15. Patiently Alice Alice, Elizabeth and Pamela are off the work as Jr. Counselors for 3 weeks at a coed camp for disadvantaged children. Her father and his longtime love, Sylvia Summers, are finally preparing to walk down the aisle, and her brother, Lester, is planning to move out. But then Sylvia's sister becomes deathly ill and has to postpone the wedding. Maybe for good? to help care for her.

I laughed out loud when Elizabeth buys condoms for their friend Pamela, "just in case,". And it ends up that Elizabeth might need to use it as she goes further than either Alice or Pamela can imagine. As with the other Alice books we're left wanting more as Alice's former boyfriend Patrick seems interested again. Can one girl handle all this change?

16. Including Alice
Alice is now a sophomore, and finally, after four long years, her dad is marrying Sylvia Summers. When the wedding day arrives, Alice is excited but quickly begins to feel left out. Changes come to the household; first her older brother, Lester, moves out and then her father and Sylvia begin making plans to remodel without talking to Alice. She is further exasperated when the embroidered sheets she toiled over for a wedding gift do not fit the new bed Sylvia and her dad have purchased. Over time, with patience from both sides, Alice realizes that though her dad has a new life, she is very much a welcomed part of it. She realistically deals with the challenges and angst that teenagers face in their daily lives including fitting in, peer relationships, getting braces, and blended families.

17. Alice on Her Way
The biggest event (except maybe for her dad's wedding) in Alice's life is about to happen. She's been waiting for it forever, ever since Lester turned sixteen, but now it's finally her turn ... to get a driver's license. Alice can't stop thinking about all the freedom she'll have once she can finally drive. It's like being a grown-up. Almost. What with learning to drive, trying to keep chunks of food out of her braces so that she can kiss her new boyfriend, and planning a school trip to New York City, there's not much room for anything else. So when her father signs her up for a class on sexuality at their church without her permission, Alice is outraged. Who wants to learn about sex at a church? But what Alice learns this year surprises her as she begins to realize that there's a lot more to being an adult than taking a trip without your parents, getting a driver's license, or having a boyfriend.

18. Alice in the know
Alice fills the summer before her junior year of high school with a job at the mall, hanging out with her friends, and wishing she had a bigger family. It's the summer before junior year, and Alice is looking forward to three months of excitement, passion, and drama. But what does she find? A summer working in a local department store, trying to stop shoplifters, and more "real life" problems than she could have ever imagined: A good friend becomes seriously ill, Lester has more romance problems than even Alice knows what to do with, and the gang from Mark Stedmeister's pool is starting to grow up a bit faster than Alice is comfortable with. Fortunately for Alice her family and friends are with her through it all, and by the end of the summer, Alice finds she knows a whole lot more than she had in June.

Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James by Deborah Crombie

Share in Death First in the series and introduces Kincaid and James. When New Scotland Yard detective Duncan Kincaid finally takes a well-deserved vacation at a Yorkshire time-share resort, he becomes involved in the murder of an employee there. He enlists the aid of his London partner, Sergeant Gemma James, and the two gather enough material to weed through the resident/suspect young politician, spinster sister, adulterous lovers, etc. Very well written and I didn't know who done it until the very last and I finally realized at the end that I've read it years before. Still read fresh and kept me guessing.

All Shall be Well
Jasmine Dent, a 50-year-old spinster born in India who is dying in London of lung cancer. She is discovered dead by Duncan and though her death resembles suicide it leaves her friend and neighbor from the flat above, him uneasy. The postmortem he orders reveals an overdose of morphine, prompting him and his sergeant, hot-tempered, copper-haired Gemma James, on a thorough investigation. Suspects include 30-ish, disheveled Meg Bellamy, a timid friend with whom Jasmine had considered suicide, and the downstairs neighbor known as the Major, a veteran of the Muslim-Hindu clashes in Calcutta in 1946 and an avid gardener with whom Jasmine had often sat "like two old dogs in the sun." Others include Meg's stunningly handsome, bullying beau Roger, who urged that she help Jasmine end her life; Felicity Howarth, Jasmine's faithful home-care nurse who slaves to keep her brain-damaged son in an institution; and Jasmine's weak-willed brother Theo, owner of a village junk shop who has failed at every venture he's tried. Helped by Jasmine's journal and a visit to a mental hospital, the clues finally click into place to reveal the culprit. Meg makes a decision that promises hope for two people, while Gemma and Duncan, both unlucky in love, move closer to each other.

I did not supsect the ending. As with other Crombie novels she is able to give subtle clues of the innocent and the guilty. Plus she is able to weave this with Kincaid's relationship with his
Sergeant Gemma James.

Leave the Grave Green
Twenty years after their son, Matthew, drowned in an accident near their home, noted opera conductor Sir Gerald Asherton and his wife, Dame Caroline Stowe, who retired from the opera stage after Matty's death, have an eerily similar tragedy to face: The body of their daughter Julia's estranged husband, Connor Swann, of whom they've remained inexplicably fond, has tumbled from the Hambledon Lock. But Connor's death, as Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James soon realize, was anything but accidental, and someone among the circle of mourners must be feigning grief- -unless his killer was his widow. We see the development between Kincaid & Emma develop as well. A very intense read. I listened to this on tape and it was so engrosing.

Mourne Not the Dead

Dreaming of the Bones
Kincaid is asked by his ex-wife in Cambridge to help her prove that a talented poet did not commit suicide, but was murdered. They discover startling news that leads them into an engrossing history of poetry and scandal, found secrets and lost innocence. I'm not sure if I have read any of the books in this series but I will defintely start reading more from this author. I listened to this on CD and enjoyed it the reader.

Kissed a sad goodbye
Duncan Kincaid is trying to spend time with 11-year-old Kit, the grieving son of his recently deceased ex-wife while he determines how to tell the boy that he is his father. The intricacies of this case, however, draw him away from that endeavor and put him and Sergeant James in the company of a complex cast of characters. The murder victim turns out to be Annabelle Hammond, the daughter of rich and powerful William Hammond, the sister of Jo Lowell (whose marriage Annabelle broke up after having an affair with Jo's husband), and the lover of two other men. Hence, there is no shortage of suspects. The clues to the intriguing mystery present themselves as the layers of the story are revealed, much like peeling an onion. Scenes of East London's Isle of Dogs are vividly described. Readers learn about the forced evacuation of children from London during World War II as well as the privations and devastation suffered by England, and especially London, during the war.

And justice there is none

In a dark house

Alpine mysteries by Mary Daheim features Emma Lord, small-town newspaper owner & editor in Alpine, Washington.

1. Alpine Advocate
2. Alpine Betrayal
3. Alpine Christmas
4. Alpine Decoy
5. Alpine Escape
6. Alpine Fury
7. Alpine Gamble
8. Alpine Hero
9. Alpine Icon
10. Alpine Journey
11. Alpine Kindred
12. Alpine Legacy
13. Alpine Menace
The Seattle strangling murder of Alpine native Carol Stokes is generating headlines, but the accused killer is Emma's long-lost cousin Ronnie, who swears he was out drinking when his girlfriend was strangled. But he can't prove it, and neighbors claim they heard the couple fighting moments before the murder. Now Emma and supersnoop Vida, the Advocate's house-and-home editor, must find another suspect. So they spend their Easter weekend up in Seattle looking into Carol's life as well as Ronnie's. As usual they find distant relations to Vida but will it be enough to help discover the truth.
14. Alpine Nemesis
15. Alpine Obituary - Still distraught over the death of her lover, Emma mopes through the first half of the novel and even considers turning down a request by Marsha, the local judge, to look into a threatening letter she has received. But when Emma learns that Marsha and Jack Froland, an elderly resident who may have been murdered, are distantly related, she decides to find out if the two incidents are connected. For some reason the the book is divided between the present and Alpine of the 1916-17 time period. Every chapter switches between the two. It isn't really that clear of why we need to know about the early families even by the end of the book. But it's good to see Emma's character develop.

Agatha Raisin series by M. C. Beaton which is a psedonym for Marion Chesney. I love to re-read this series and savor these books as a treat to read every few weeks. I keep wanting more. Agatha Raisin is always a delightful read as you never can tell what kind of mischief she will get herself into. I'm not sure why the last few titles no longer have her name in the title.

18. Kissing Christmas Goodbye

17. Love, Lies and Liquor

16. Perfect Paragon
On the advice of the vicar's wife, Agatha takes on Phil Witherspoon, 76, as a photographer. And she hires her secretary's nephew Harry Beam, a bright lad on his gap year from university, to find the missing pets her detective agency has mostly dealt with lately. Although Agatha hates divorce cases and thinks Robert Smedley an obnoxious bully, the £1,000 plus expenses he offers to find his errant wife overcome her scruples. Meanwhile, she and Phil go to work on the case of a missing teenager whose body they soon find. When Smedley is poisoned in his factory office, Agatha discovers that he'd been having an affair with Joyce, his secretary. Wait, there's more: The missing teenager had been making porn tapes for her secret fiancé, who worked for Smedley and was also carrying on with Joyce. The cases, which seem so remote from one another, naturally end up intertwined. In the end, Harry proves his worth, Phil shows a flair for detection, former employee Patrick Mulligan returns to the fold and, despite a distinct lack of warmth from the police, they manage to sort it all out. In typical Agatha fashion she solves it all but only with the help of her friends.

15. Deadly Dance
Finally an Agatha Raisin novel that does not have her name in the title. Agatha always thought of herself as a detective but can she make it her business? After getting mugged on vacation, in what she will always think of as the Paris Incident, she decides to find out. Her clients are ladies with missing cats and a man whose son has run off with his car. Agatha even worries that she might be outclassed by her sixty-seven-year-old secretary, Emma Comfrey. But then wealthy divorcée Catherine Laggat-Brown walks in with their first "real" case. Mrs. Laggat-Brown's daughter has received a death threat, and when Agatha thwarts an attack on the girl at a dinner dance, she recognizes an opportunity to show what Raisin Investigations can do. Even better, the case gives her a chance to reunite with her long-absent friend, Sir Charles Fraith. As they scour the Cotswolds in search of leads, Charles' insights prove invaluable and his charms irresistible, leading poor Emma to fall madly in love with him.As ever, Agatha bumbles her way through the case, trying her friends' patience and flirting shamelessly with the chief suspect. Will she put her tiny agency on the map, or has even the outrageous Agatha finally bitten off more than she can chew? Truely wonderful as always.

14. Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
Just back from an extended stay in London, Agatha Raisin finds herself greeted by torrential rains and an old, familiar feeling of boredom. When her handsome new neighbor, Paul Chatterton, shows up on her doorstep, she tries her best to ignore his obvious charms, but his sparkling black eyes and the promise of adventure soon lure her into another investigation. Paul has heard rumors about Agatha's reputation as the Cotswold village sleuth and wastes no time offering their services to the crotchety owner of a haunted house. Whispers, footsteps, and a cold white mist are plaguing Mrs. Witherspoon, but the police have failed to come up with any leads, supernatural or otherwise. The neighbors think it's all a desperate ploy for attention, but Paul and Agatha are sure something more devious is going on. Someone's playing tricks on Mrs. Witherspoon, and when she turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Agatha finds herself caught up in another baffling murder mystery.

13. Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate
Some familiar faces return such as John Armitage & Mrs. Bloxby wife of the local reverend. The story starts with Agatha returning from a trip to London to discover there is a new curate, Tristan Delom. who is literally and figuratively taking over the Rev. Bloxby's parish. Tristan is beautiful & charming and seems interested in Agatha but is it for her money or true love. Before she can find out he is murdered but is the Rev. Bloxby the murderer or is something more sinister afoot. It seems like each book in this series has a murder or more but this is definitely more of a puzzler with a twist at the end. But from the ending there is definitely more Agatha Raisin to come...

12. Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came
Agatha's latest adventures begin when her husband runs off to join a monastery in France. Agatha seeks solace in an island vacation. During her getaway, she notices a newlywed couple; within days, the groom drowns the bride. On her return home, during a dramatic flash flood, Agatha sees another dead bride, wearing a white gown and clutching a bridal bouquet, sweeping past on the river. Agatha swings into action, pestering the locals and enlisting the aid of her new neighbor, a mystery writer. But will she find romance with her new neighbor or just be one of the boys? I listened to this on tape and really enjoyed it. I will defintely listen to more on tape.

11. Agatha Raisin and the Love From Hell
10. Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam
9. Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Eversham
8. Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden

7. Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death
Agatha has agreed to come out of retirement to manage the publicity for the launch of water bottled from a village spring--much to the chagrin of some of her neighbors. Worried that the commodification of at least part of the village's charm might wreak havoc on their peaceful existence, some of the community try to stop it once and for all. Still, killing off a member of the village council and leaving the corpse in the spring itself seems a little extreme, especially as it makes Agatha's paying job a bit more difficult. Believing that a dead body might destroy the chances for a successful campaign to market her product, Agatha begins an investigation into who might have wanted the victim dead. She careens around the Cotswolds asking impertinent questions regarding the personal lives of her neighbors, all the while wondering why so many of them are unpleasant to her. She manages to muddle her own romantic affairs to such an extent that she finds herself in bed with her young and handsome employer--to the dismay of her former fiancée.

6. Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist
The marriage of expublic relations whiz Agatha Raisin to cold, enigmatic James Lacey, who lives next door to her retirement cottage in the Cotswold village of Carsely, has fallen through . James has taken off for Cyprus, the planned site of their aborted honeymoon, and Agatha, incomprehensibly, takes off after him. Soon after her arrival, on a day cruise in the harbor at Kyrenia, she meets an oddly mixed group of tourists--aristocratic Olivia Debenham, her broker husband George, and their older friend Harry Tembleton-- spending much of their time in the company of low-class, tarty Rose Wilcox, her hard-drinking husband Trevor, and their elderly friend Angus King. Agatha has tracked down James and, on a platonic basis, is sharing his rented house. They've joined the oddball group at a disco one night when Rose is stabbed to death and Agatha and James are detained and questioned by Detective Inspector Lyall Pamir. A second murder in the group arouses all of Agatha's detecting fervor. But will she be the next victim before she can solve the big case? Of course she will and we love her for all her faults.

5. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage
Agatha is about to marry her handsome next-door neighbor, James. But the wedding ceremony is halted mid-vow by the arrival of Jimmy Raisin, the husband Agatha fervently hoped was dead and has neglected to mention to James Lacey, the fastidious, upstanding citizen currently waiting to tie the knot. Even less convenient than a living husband who interrupts your wedding is one who, shortly thereafter, turns up dead in a ditch in the immediate neighborhood. Naturally, Agatha and James top the suspect list. But the dead Jimmy was a down-and-out alcoholic who had been known to practice a bit of blackmail. Agatha and James track down some of his victims, who have a distressing tendency to die shortly after being questioned by the two. With bodies stacking up and James refusing to marry Agatha (even though she has already sold her cottage), the atmosphere becomes nicely tense. I think this one of my favorites as we really get to see what makes Agatha tick.

4. Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley
Shortly after Agatha's return, Jessica Tartinck, the confrontational leader of a walking group, is murdered in nearby Dembley. When Sir Charles Fraith becomes the chief suspect (he and Jessica had argued about the walkers' right-of-way through his fields), Agatha is asked by a village friend to investigate. Ever eager, Agatha and her cohort James move to Dembley and, posing as man and wife, infiltrate Jessica's walking group. Wending their way through circuitous misadventure, however, the pair solve the murder and forge a deeper relationship than they'd enjoyed before. We are introduced to Sir Charles and it gives us the background on how her neighbor, James, finally pops the question. But who is really in love with whom?

3. Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet
Is there a romance is budding with the attractive new village vet, Dr. Paul Bladen? But before Agatha can find out, Bladen accidentally kills himself while attending to Lord Pendlebury's horse, and Agatha must turn to her distinguished neighbor, the retired military man James Lacey, for comfort. Together, the odd couple begin to investigate Dr. Bladen's death . . . and the curious lack of sorrow shown by his divorced wife. But will they succeed in unmasking a killer before suffering an "accident" of their own?

2. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardner
Never say die. That's the philosophy Agatha Raisin clings to when she comes home to cozy Carsely and finds a new woman ensconced in the affections of her attractive bachelor neighbor, James Lacey. The beautiful newcomer, Mary Fortune, is superior in every way, especially when it comes to gardening. and Agatha, that rose with many thorns, hasn't a green thumb to her name. With garden Open Day approaching, she longs for a nice juicy murder to remind James of her genius for investigation. And sure enough, a series of destructive assaults on the finest gardens is followed by an appalling murder. Agatha seizes the moment and immediately starts yanking up village secrets by their roots and digging up all the dirt on the victim. Problem is, Agatha has an awkward secret of her own...

1. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death
Feisty Agatha Raisin, until recently a public-relations executive in London, has retired to peaceful Cotswold. Eager to make friends in her new English village home, Agatha buys a quiche and enters it in the village quiche-making competition, only to be accused of poisoning the judge with the dish. We're introduced to series regulars detective Bill Wong, former employee Roy Silver, the vicar's wife Mrs. Bloxby. We are also introduced to handsome retired colonel James Lacey, who moves next door to Agatha towards the end of this story.

Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging: confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison. Presents the humorous journal of a year in the life of a fourteen-year-old Georgia who tries to reduce the size of her nose, stop her mad cat from terrorizing the neighborhood animals, and win the love of handsome hunk Robbie. This is a U.K. teen series so lots of odd sounding slang, see the title? But there is a glossary at the back that has been written by Georgia so it's worth a read plus a good reference when you aren't sure what they are talking about.

This is quite an entertaining read plus since I listeded to it on tape got to hear the British accents. There are 3 others in the series now that I'll probably get to one day but can only take so much at one time.

I really enjoy reading books by Charlaine Harris. She somehow manages to take ordinary situations and find the terrifying focus underneath - and she is not for the faint of heart. These may look like cozies but are not! She has written several series of which I've read most of and am starting to re-read once again.

See more about her books at this site - http://www.murderexpress.net/charlaineharris/index.htm

Aurora "Roe" Teagarden - a small town librarian, who seems to be followed by murder and mayhem

1. Real Murders
2. A Bone to Pick
3. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
4. Julius House
5. Dead Over Heels
6. Fool and His Honey
7. Last Scene Alive
Roe is is reunited with the circumstances in her first murder when a movie comes to town to create a movie version of a book that was written about the grizzly murders. With this comes her former flame, Robin Crusoe, and her stepson Branson. It's been several years since I read the original books but it all came back quickly reading this latest installment.
8. Poppy Done to Death

The Shakespeare/Lily Bard Series - Lily is a profession house cleaner and survivor of a horrible kidnapping and rape while in her early 20's.

1. Shakespeare's Landlord
2. Shakespeare's Champion
3. Shakespeare's Christmas
4. Shakespeare's Trollop
5. Shakespeare's Counselor

Sookie Stackhouse Series - Sookie is a small town waitress with a disability - she can read minds. And then along comes Bill who is a blank slate. Quickly she finds out that she isn't alone in the disability department and finds herself attracting all kinds of supernatural creatues. Vampires, werewolves and spooks, oh my!

1. Dead Until Dark
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead

Quaker Silence by Irene Allen - Debut detective Elizabeth Elliott, 66-year-old Clerk of Meeting for a Boston church, embodies a number of Quaker qualities that aid her in discovering the killer of a wealthy but troubled Friend. Reluctantly pressured into clearing the name of a homeless man accused of the crime, Elliott persists in questioning suspects until she solves the case. An interesting approach to a murder mystery, plus learned about the Quaker religion. I'm looking forward to reading others by this author.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer - Twelve-year-old, Artemis Fowl, tries to buy back his mother's sanity while trying to discover if his father is still a live. This evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.

Artemis Fowl: the Arctic Incident In his second adventure, the youngest, brightest, and most dangerous criminal mastermind is at boarding school when he receives an urgent e-mail from Russia. It's from a man Artemis never thought he'd see again: his father, who has been kidnapped by the Russian mafia and pleads for Artemis's help. Brings back familiar characters from the first book.

Artemis Fowl: the Eternity Code Discovering a way to build a super-computer using stolen fairy technology, young criminal mastermind Artemis sets out to blackmail a Chicago businessman but runs into a trap that leaves Butler mortally injured.

Nine Lives to Murder by Marian Babson - A backstage fall causes a preeminent English actor and a cat to miraculously switch bodies, and while the cat lies in the hospital in the actor's body, the actor in the cat's body tries to learn who pushed him. An entertaining read and I will read more by this author.

Bellwether by Connie Willis Statistician Sandra Foster and chaos theorist Bennett O'Reilly are brought together by a misdelivered package and urged into their own chaotic world of million-dollar grants, unlucky coincidences, setbacks, and eventually the ultimate answer. This is one of Willis' earlier books and not so much science fiction as the how scientists discover the answers in the most surprising places and ways. I love her books so much and it was interesting to read this much shorter book of hers as her newer books are very long but so good.