Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

"When a dog is finished living his lifetimes as a dog, his next incarnation will be as a man." Enzo, a shepherd-poodle-terrier mix, is ready. Raised from puppyhood with his best friend Denny Swift, a mechanic who's training to race cars, together they watch countless hours of race footage. As he gets older he spends his daytime hours watching TV while Denny is at work. So Enzo knows about the world beyond the Swift home near Seattle. I love all the descriptions of how he relates life to various movies and actors.

The book begins and comes full circle with Enzo old and facing death. The rest of the book is his time to remember. Denny loves Enzo like a son. Denny eventually falls in love with Eve, who becomes his wife and then comes along Zoe, their daughter. Enzo isn't happy about sharing Denny but he becomes dedicated to Eve & Zoe. Then Enzo smells something bad happening in Eve and you know that it can't end well. But I couldn't have anticipated the suffering Denny & Enzo would face together. Bad things do really happen to good people in real life and in this novel, and then worse things, and soon I had to remind myself that this is just a story!

Thankfully there is a happy ending and Enzo's greatest dream comes true. But you'll have to read it to see what it is. But if you don't cry buckets of tears at the end then I don't know what to tell you!

I read this for my book club that I belong to with some other librarian friends. I had heard about this book but it would probably not been one I would have read as I knew it would have a sad ending. So I listened to it on CD during my commute and really did enjoy it, had to sit in the parking lot with tears running down my face at one point. Who wouldn't want to have a dog like Enzo? I know that I have a cat, Tigger, who is right up there.

Watchmen by Alan Moore

This was originally published by DC Comics as a monthly installment. So it does have that serial feel to it as each chapter offers a specific focus on one of the characters, yet advances the overall narrative. Additionally, each chapter is followed by a "non-comic" section that develops more of the backstories.

Set in an alternative American in which Nixon is still president in 1988.

It begins with the Comedian being pushed from his apartment to the street below. With the police having no leads, costumed vigilante Rorschach decides to probe further. Rorschach discovers a plot to kill off and/or discredit costumed adventurers, and sets out to warn four of his retired comrades. Then it seems that someone is killing off or discrediting the former Crimebusters. The remaining members end up coming together to discover the who and the why behind it all, and the payoff to the mystery is most satisfactory. On the surface this seems a basic concept but there is a depth of both the characters and their respective subplots: Dr. Manhattan dealing with his responsibility to humanity given his god-like powers; Nite Owl having trouble leaving his secret identity behind; Rorschach being examined by a psychiatrist after he is put in jail.

The subplots offer many layers to this complicated graphic novel. One is parallel thread of pictures superimposed throughout many chapters of Watchmen from a darkly-violent pirate comic being read by a young man sitting on the ground near the news stand where he borrowed it, drawing the ongoing anger of the stand's owner who nonetheless enjoys the company. This interwoven thread at times mirrors action in real time as the Watchmen find themselves the target of a campaign to kill or force them into hiding.

It is interesting to read how each main costumed hero got his/her start and where they finish up. We learn that while the costume or mask may protect their physical identity it does not change who they really are. I am not the biggest fan of graphic novels as I find them hard to follow with dialog overlapping but with all the good reviews about the movie I thought it was important to see what it was all about first and then see the movie. I was surprised by the serious yet subtle undertones. We see race, sexual orientation and just life in general from this point of view. Now I'm ready for the movie.

Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn

Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” One day the letter Z falls from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop and the island's Council takes this as a sign from Nollop himself to no longer us it. At first it seems like no big deal as how often do you use the letter Z but one by one more letters fall. And the Council encroaching totalitarianism's is bringing a more terrifing future to light. You have 3 strikes before you are forced to leave the Island, and take over your property if no family member is left. Ella is one of the few not to say or write the forbidden letters as one after another from the islander is forced to leave the island or face death. She stands alone as she struggles to find a shorter pangram before the deadline given by the Council.

As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. It is truly amazing as we read Ella and other's from the island try to communicate without one letter than another until they must resort to using the remaining letters to phonetically sound out the words. We get a rather one sided view as the entire novel is set in stories from character to another. At first it seems so innocent but by the end you feel the pending doom awaiting those left on the island.

I read this several years ago and this book has stayed with me as an example free speech and how quickly government can take over one's life. Plus who doesn't remember with fondness letters written by hand you got in the mail or found in your lunch box from your mom? I just re-read this for my bookclub at work and am interested to see how people responded to it.

Last Place by Laura Lippman


Book 7 in the Tess Monaghan, Baltimore PI series


Tess has a past that haunts her. Her ex-boyfriend was killed years prior (read the 1st book - Baltimore Blues) and she continues to suffer from occasional nightmares, reliving his death. Plus she has issues with anger management, which are portrayed in the opening chapter as she deals with a potential child molester. After beating him unconscious and covering him with depilatory cream, then leaving him in a public place so he'll be too ashamed to do it again. She is arrested and sentenced to court ordered anger management counseling. We see her progress through her weekly sessions as she tries to move on with her life.

Tess's wealthy friend, Whitney, offers her a private investigator assignment which involves reviewing old, unsolved domestic abuse murder cases in order to help bring about lobbying for funding and training for small town cops handling domestic abuse situations. Whitney is part of a group of several non profit foundations that have joined together and are in search of ways to reduce the number of domestic-violence homicides in their state. Though Tess's old archenemy, Luisa O'Neal, is somewhat involved in the group, Tess accepts the assignment with the understanding that Luisa is not an active member of the board.

There is a list of five unsolved cases for Tess to investigate. She was not hired to search for the killer but rather to check into the specifics of the police investigations on each file. Initially, the cases do not seem connected but then Tess begins to question whether or not they are in some way. She always begins to wonder if Luisa O'Neal had more involvement in this project than Tess was told about, or anyone was told, for that matter. Soon Tess is questioning everything and everyone looking for the link.

I really enjoy this series and it is a treat read to this one as it was really different because so little of it took place in Baltimore but rather the small towns around it. After chasing down several of the cases Tess can't figure out why she was brought into investigating these cold cases as there are no simliarities until she meets retired cop, Carl Dewitt, and together they come to the chilling realization that there is a serial killer on their hands. To throw some more excitement into the mix are the alternative chapters from the killer's point of view and we discover way before Tess, that Tess is his latest target.

Where the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman


Introduces Dr. Alex Delaware


Dr. Alex Delaware is an adolescent psychologist is in a funk. During the first 1/3 of the book we learn his background - by 24 he has his PhD in child Psychology and has been practicing ever since. In the last few months a child molester is arrested and Alex spends his time helping the children and their families deal with the trauma. Just as everyone seems to be getting better he discovers the body of the molester dead in his office. After weeks of apathy Alex knows he's in trouble, but there is really no one to turn to. He can barely function when cop Milo shows up to question him about the suicide. From his own military experiences Milo recognizes Alex's symptoms and does what he can to help. Talking to Milo about the case sparks Alex's interest and he starts finding his way back into an active life.


Then Milo calls for him for help. He has a grisly double murder to solve and a possible witness is a seven year old girl. Milo wants Alex to question her hoping he can get information without further traumatizing the child. Trying to help the child leads Alex to suspect many more children like her are at risk as he investigates the bazarre past of several well respected men who are linked to the crime.

I have have heard a lot over the years about Kellerman's series featuring Alex Delaware but have never read one before. Since I had to wait over 4 hours for my car to be fixed I had a lot of time to quickly read this book. It had many interesting elements but I found it almost exhausting to get through. I found myself saying "What?!?" when the crazy twist came about 3/4 way through the book as all these people were suddenly tied together and made it a convenient way to end the book. But I did enjoy the interactions between Alex & Milo which I would have enjoyed more of. So I'm thinking down the road to try a more recent one in the series.

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

First in the series featuring Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James of Scotland Yard

Kincaid is taking advantage of a vacation at a timeshare in Yorkshire which his cousin has offered him. He is looking forward to the time away from Scotland Yard and it is his first experience at a time-share along with several other guests. But he quickly finds his holiday anything but relaxing, as when he arrives at the elegant estate, he overhears a heated argument between the snobbish caretaker and her sarcastic assistant manager. Later that evening, the assistant is electrocuted in the Jacuzzi. Since Kindcaid is the first on the scene he assumes an active role in the investigation, to the consternation of Yorkshire police. When two more deaths occur it is a race for Kincaid to discover who the murderer is and to figure out how these murders are connected and why the murders are happening.

We are introduced to Sgt. Gemma James, a pragmatic single mother, who works with Kindcaid as he calls upon her to dig for additional clues in London about the other guests. You can sense the chemistry between them even though both are trying to be professional.

I find this series fascinating as the author is from Texas yet gives such an authentic British feel to the series. I have read various books and have kept meaning to re-read this one so I listened to it on CD and really enjoyed it. It's nice to read a British murder mystery that doesn't take place in a country town or in London so it feels very original. Plus we see how a police officer has to deal with death in his own backyard and with people he knows while still trying to keep a professional attitude to getting the job done.

Case of the Missing Library Books by Iam Samson


Mobile Library Mysteries


Israel Armstrong is one of those people who doesn't stand out. He's a bit chubby, nervous, clumsy, headache prone, and very much an underachiever. After only a phone interview he is hired to be a librarian in small, rural Northern Irish town of Tumdrum and boy does he stand out. Maybe it's because he is obviously a city boy from London or that he is half Jewish and half Irish (from his long deseased Father's side) or a vegetarian. After a series of missing connections and miscommunications, he finally arrives to his new town to find no one to pick him up and his housing is really a farm's chicken coup on a working farm. The news just keeps getting worse, as he discovers that the library is closed and his position retitled "Outreach Support Officer" and driver of the decrepit mobile library. But the books he's supposed to fill it with have disappeared. Worse yet, his new boss will accept his resignation only if he finds the missing books first. Between Israel's inept sleuthing and the general unhelpfulness of the locals, it looks as if he'll be in Tumdrum a long, long time.

But as he combs the countryside for overdue library books he begins to connect with the locals and finds some literary souls to talk about books with. Many of the locals have unmet dreams so he begins to connect with them as he wonders trying to find the missing library books. The ending was a bit confusing but satisfactory as Israel finds himself more attached to these people in a strange town. Obviously it is a series as I've seen at least a sequel on Amazon. Not sure at this point if I'll read it but maybe in a year or so as I felt a bit depressed after I finished it.

Running Hot by Jayne Ann Krentz

Book 5 in the Arcane Society series

Ex-cop Luther Malone, lifelong member of the secretive paranormal organization known as the Arcane Society, is waiting to meet Grace Renquist. Hired as an aura-reading consultant in the quest for a murder suspect, she’s got zero field experience. She’s from tiny Eclipse Bay, Oregon. She’s a librarian, for heaven’s sake.As for Grace, she’s not expecting much either from Malone, who walks with a cane and isn’t so good with a gun. Nice résumé for a bodyguard .

But even before they reach their hotel in Maui—where they’ll be posing as honeymooners—Grace and Luther feel the electric charge between them. Problem is, they need to remain vigilant day and night, because it soon becomes clear there’s more going on here. Rogue sensitives—operatives for the underground group Nightshade—are pouring into the luxury resort like there’s a convention. Grace recognizes those dark spikes in their auras. She saw the same pattern in someone else in another life—a life she hasn’t revealed to Luther or anyone else. And she understands how dangerous these people can be . . . especially with those para-hunters at their sides.

While the pair’s employers at Jones & Jones scramble to get them backup, Luther and Grace have to think on their feet. The criminals in their midst aren’t just high-level sensitives: They’ve enhanced their talents with a potent—and unpredictable— drug. And as Grace knows all too well, if you don’t control your powers, your powers will control you.

I enjoy all of Krentz's books and liked how this one incuded some interesting secondary characters that I can see her developing more later.