Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber

On the anniversary of his beloved wife's death, Dr. Michael Everett receives a letter Hannah had written him. In it, she reminds him of her love and makes one final request. An impossible request. "I want you to marry again." She tells him he shouldn't spend the years he has left grieving. And to that end, she's chosen three women she asks him to consider-a chef who owns Blossom Street's French Cafe, a compassionate oncology nurse, and an artistic eccentric who rescues strays (animal and human).
Well worth the read Debbie Macomber keeps you guessing right to the very end!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

"The Talented Mr. Ripley" by Patricia Highsmith


How does Tom manage to get away with everyting? Is it because he is smart and quick-thinking or does he have a certain amount of luck?


For an interview with Patricia Highsmith, check out:




For a review of the newly released biography about Patricia Highsmith entitled "The Talented Miss Highsmith: the Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith" by Joan Schenkar, check out:




For an audio interview with Patricia Highsmith and Don Swaim, check out:


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

"On the Street Where You Live" by Mary Higgins Clark



Is the author equally invested in both character and plot? Or did the author put more effort into developing the story than in creating compelling and believable characters? Were the motivations of the characters believable, or did their actions feel like a means to further the plot?






For further information about the author, check out:

http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Mary-Higgins-Clark/6230/

Monday, March 15, 2010

Killer Weekend By Ridley Pearson

The first in a new series for Pearson, "Killer Weekend" pits rural Sheriff Walt Fleming against threats political and corporeal, as madness erupts in Sun Valley, Idaho, when a local attorney announces her candidacy for president.
Publisher CommentsThe #1 "New York Times" bestseller returns with a completely new setting-the magnificent natural beauty of Sun Valley, Idaho-and a heart-stopping story in which a local sheriff struggles to protect a controversial politician from the elegant plan of a hired assassin. Eight years ago, in Sun Valley-snowcapped playground for the wealthy and ambitious-all that stood between U.S. Attorney General Elizabeth Shaler and a knife-wielding killer was local patrolman Walt Fleming. Now Liz Shaler returns to Sun Valley as the keynote speaker of billionaire Patrick Cutter's world-famous media and communications conference, a convergence of the richest, most powerful business tycoons. The controversial attorney general is expected to announce her candidacy for president. It's a media coup for Cutter-but a security nightmare for Walt Fleming, now the county sheriff. As the Cutter conference gets under way, authorities learn of a confirmed threat on Shaler's life, and various competing interests-the Secret Service, the FBI, Cutter's own security forces -begin jockeying for jurisdiction. Amid the conference's opulent extravagances, Walt is suddenly shaken by an apparent murder, his nephew's arrest, and a haunting legacy from his family's past. The clock ticks down toward Shaler's keynote address as we track the chilling precision of her assassin's preparations.

Killer View By Ridley Pearson

Killer View By Pearson, Ridley
Sun Valley sheriff Walt Fleming returns in a stunning new thriller from the #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Killer Weekend." A terrific villain, an appealing protagonist, and breakneck pacing. . . . Ridley Pearson writes thrillers, the kind that try to yank you to the edge of your seat and keep you there.--"Boston Sunday Globe."
Publisher CommentsWhen a skier goes missing at Sun Valley's Galena Summit, Sheriff Walt Fleming quickly assembles his crack search-and-rescue team and heads out into the snowy night. Despite the treacherous conditions, Walt and his group, including deputy Tommy Brandon and Walt's best friend, Mark Aker, set off on skis, accompanied by highly trained search dogs. Within minutes, something goes horribly wrong: a shot rings out, and one of their team is dead. By morning, Mark Aker has disappeared.
Torn between professional responsibility and the desperate urge to find his friend, Walt is further challenged by an unexplained illness at a local water-bottling plant that sends workers to the hospital and sets off biohazard warnings. Following threads of questionable evidence through the glitter of Sun Valley leads Walt to an unlikely and darker source, and reveals a crime played out on a much larger scale than he originally envisioned. Waist-deep in snow and knee-deep in lies, the life of his friend in the balance, Walt begins to suspect that the whole operation is controlled by people of great wealth and power, which leaves him where he started: out in the cold. From adrenaline-charged start to explosive finish, Killer View is heart-stopping suspense at its very best.

The Shack by William P. Young


The Shack By Young, William P.
Mackenzie Allen Phillips's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in this midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change his life forever.