Fiction Pick of the Week: Scared Stiff

Scared Stiff by Annelise Ryan 2010

This light cozy mystery is the second book of the Mattie Winston mystery series written by an ER nurse. Typically following the pattern of “cozies”, this crime fiction is set in an intimate small-town community where everyone knows everyone. The book has a cast of quirky characters, forensic details, and a very likable lead character in the wry Mattie.

Mattie a nurse-turned-coroner is back on the dating scene (she caught her surgeon husband cheating in the first book of the series) but is relieved to be rescued from a boring date when she is called to check out the latest murder in town. Shannon, a waitress cum part-time model is found dead on a front yard littered with fake bodies and blood, all part of a gory Halloween display gone bad. Shannon’s husband is the obvious suspect, but Mattie is determined to dig deeper to find the real killer.

Readers who enjoy Janet Evonovich’s sassy heroine Stephanie Plum will find a kindred soul in the wry and humourous Mattie Winston. An enjoyable no-pressure fun read, the next in the series is Working Stiff.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Bedtime Story

Bedtime Story by Robert Wiersema 2010

I was quickly drawn into the trying life of Christopher Knox, a one-time successful author, columnist, and father. Christopher is struggling with work obligations, and is separated from his wife Jacqui. He decides to give his son David a fantasy novel for his eleventh birthday. With David being a reluctant reader, Christopher makes a habit of reading part of the book to his son every night. David looks forward to their nighttime ritual and is quite enjoying the story. Then he begins to suffer from mysterious seizures and has to be hospitalized when he slips into a coma. Devastated, Christopher is determined to continue to read to David every night until he realizes that there is a connection between the novel and his son’s seizures. It would seem that David has become trapped in the story.

Christopher’s family must work together to uncover the secrets of the novel and defeat their enemies if they are to regain their life and survive the Bedtime Story. They must save David before the story ends.

Definitely a late night page turner for fantasy readers.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Time's Legacy

Time's Legacy by Barbara Erskine 2010

This prolific author is adept at using polarizing themes in her latest book: history and the supernatural, Christian and pagan legends, present day and Druidian suspense. Two simultaneous stories form the plot. Abi Rutherford is the new assistant priest in the English town of Cambridge. She quickly is in trouble with the minister who fears her visions of ghosts are the work of the devil. Her ghosts are actually a replay of a long ago happening when a healer from Galilee was a visitor among the Druids at Glastonbury. There is enough history to bring the Celtic tale alive, exploring the historical legends of pre-Arthurian Glastonbury, one of Britain’s most sacred places.

As Abi follows the story in broken psychic visions, her own safety is at issue. Her boss, Kieran Scott, becomes increasingly deranged in his effort to save her. Abi is an endearing character, intelligent and even with her theological training, open-minded.

The author is very skilled at keeping both stories at equal levels of suspense so the reader willingly leaves off one to join the other. This tactic actually heightens the suspense and once in mid-story, this book is hard to put down.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Venom

Venom: a Novel of Suspense by Joan Brady 

In this sequel to Bleedout, wealthy Helen Freyl  owns a small farm in Caton, Ala., where a unique strain of honeybees produces honey with unheard of healing properties. Helen, along with her imperious grandmother, become enmeshed in a struggle between two pharmaceutical giants vying for the patent to the bees' venom. Then the women discover that one of the companies is conducting deadly experiments on the unsuspecting inhabitants of a region in Belarus not far from the Chernobyl disaster. After several deaths, Helen realizes her life is in danger, and turns for help to her ex-con former lover. A medical thriller that should appeal to Robin Cook fans.

Fiction Pick of the Week: The Little Stranger

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

This novel, part gothic tale and part historical suspense, kept me up til all hours. The Little Stranger is an old-fashioned ghost story, complete with spooky house, eccentric inhabitants and a narrator who may not be as mild-mannered as he seems. Doctor Faraday, a lonely bachelor, first visited Hundred’s Hall in 1919 as a child when his mother worked for the aristocratic Ayres family. Now, 30 years later he is called back to treat a servant. His once solitary life becomes entangled with the family: Mrs. Ayres the elegant owner; her 24-year-old son Roderick, an RAF airman wounded during the war; and daughter Caroline, considered a plain spinster by locals, but for whom Dr. Faraday develops a special attachment. And the mansion, Hundred’s Hall, is to my mind the most important character in the story. Author Sarah Waters ever so slowly builds the suspense as she skillfully weaves tension and dread into each and every paragraph. A book not to be missed.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Room

The Evergreen nominees were announced last week, so we thought we'd include a review of one of the selections...

Room by Emma Donoghue 2010

A five-year-old boy narrates this story and you are never outside his psyche as he tries to make sense of his surroundings. It is, at the centre, a love story between mother and son, imprisoned in a small room, the only world Jack has ever known. The horror that brought his mother there and held them both for years, seeps out through a child's innocent quest for knowledge.

It takes getting used to Jack's narration, but the author needs this tool to make this kidnapping story a true original. What impressed me most was that the young mother's character is so well developed; her entire psyche exposed through the scope of Jack's perception.

This is a one sitting read that is absolutely captivating (no pun intended!). The escape plan and its execution is pure suspense and terror. Jack and his mother have a lasting effect- you may not take your world for granted so quickly again.

Find the other nominees at this link:
Evergreen Nominees

Fiction Pick of the Week: Oxygen

Oxygen by Carol Cassella 2008

Carol Cassella’s first novel “Oxygen “is a mix of medical thriller and relationship novel.

Dr. Marie Heaton, an anesthesiologist, experiences a profound professional and personal crisis when an intellectually disabled girl dies in her care during a routine surgery.The autopsy reveals that the girl had an undiagnosed heart problem that may have led to her death. The girl’s mother launches a lawsuit against the hospital and medical team who operated on her daughter. An audit of the drugs administered during surgeries that Dr. Heaton worked on points out many discrepancies in drugs recorded and administered. The head of the Anesthesiology Department is convinced that Marie is a drug addict. Marie is aware of who the true addict is but is afraid no one will believe her. She is forced to take a leave of absence until the lawsuit is resolved. During this time Marie decides to visit her dad and sister in Houston. Her father, a retired history professor, is losing his sight and is struggling with day to day living. During this difficult period Marie has been helped by her boyfriend, Joe, who is also a doctor at the hospital.
What I liked the most about this novel is the mix of suspense and the realistic characters who are portrayed. You want to keep reading to see what will happen to this very likeable doctor.

Fiction Pick of the Week:When will there be good news?

When will there be Good News? by Kate Atkinson

This is a fantastic read – complex plot, interesting characters and a lot of insight into the human mind and relationships. Thirty years after a small child escapes the crime that destroys her family, the man convicted of the crime is released from prison. Soon after, a young doctor and her baby seem to have gone missing – or perhaps not. When the 16-year-old nanny insists that all is not right, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe and former detective Jackson Brodie have to put their own demons aside to put together the pieces. This will be a popular read with those who love mysteries and suspense.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Secrets of Eden

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian 2010

Bohjalian’s latest book could be easily classified as a murder mystery. A husband and wife are found dead—murder/suicide-- in a small Vermont town. In the quaint, rustic town, the locals begin to learn why Alice was murdered, but why on that day? What caused George to strangle her on the day of her baptism? Did he commit suicide? Some of the main characters: Reverend Stephen Drew; Ginny, the devoted friend; the visiting author, Heather Laurent, who writes about angels; the Deputy State’s Attorney, Catherine Benincasa and the townspeople explore many stories while guarding many secrets. The crime scene, however, is not the real focus, but the means to explore the subject of spousal abuse, childhood victims, and family secrets. What is the difference between grief and mourning? Why is it that a sudden family tragedy leaves no time “to build that seawall…having no time even for sandbags.” This is a masterful tale of intrigue, and just when you think you know these characters, they say: “Believe no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect”.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Old City Hall

Old City Hall Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg 2009

Toronto lawyer and former magazine editor, Rotenberg, has written an engaging police procedural/courtroom drama set in Toronto. As he always does, Gurdial Singh arrives at the 12th floor suite of radio personality, Kevin Brace at 5:30 in the morning to deliver the Globe & Mail. Unlike other mornings, the door is not open with Mr. Brace ready to receive his newspaper and exchange a few words with Mr. Singh. His routine disrupted, Mr. Singh waits tentatively in the doorway until Mr. Brace appears with blood on his hands and announces “I killed her”. After this, Brace refuses to utter a word to anyone, including his defense lawyer and his family, setting in motion the complex investigation and trial for first degree murder.

Toronto and its multicultural residents provide a rich and complex background for this first mystery. There is even added hockey interest as the Maple Leafs make an unlikely run for the Stanley Cup. Given starred reviews in Booklist and Library Journal and shortlisted for the 2010 Evergreen award, Rotenberg is off to an auspicious beginning. I, for one, hope this is the beginning of a new Canadian mystery series. Old City Hall would be enjoyed by fans of Grisham, Turow, Wilhelms, or Farstein.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Long Lost

Long Lost by Harlan Coben 2010

Myron Bolitar is back! After a long hiatus while Coben was busy writing other things, anxious readers will be glad to see Myron Bolitar again. This is Coben’s
9th thriller featuring the former basketball phenom and current agent for professional athletes.

Myron gets a phone call from Paris. Terese, his long lost love (and former CNN anchor woman) is in trouble and has reached out to Myron for help. The game is on. Far from Myron’s usual New York and New Jersey haunts, Myron delves deep into the arcane world of international intrigue.

This one is a MUST.

Fiction Pick of the Week: Fear the Worst

Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay 2009


I couldn’t put this book down. If you like suspense thrillers then you have to read Linwood Barclay’s new book Fear the Worst.

Suddenly one day Tim Blake’s daughter Sydney disappears on her way to work. When Tim goes to the motel where she works to track her down, no one there has ever heard of her! As he continues his search he discovers that Milford is not the town he thought it was. He also starts to believe that his daughter is not who he thought she was either. This book is full of great characters and twists and turns that will keep you guessing right to the end.

Fiction Pick of the Week: The Anatomy of Deception

Anatomy of Deception by Lawrence Goldstone 2007
This novel is an intriguing tale of historical suspense seamlessly weaving fact and fiction. It is a first work of fiction by Goldstone but he uses his extensive knowledge in the medical field to create a period medical suspense novel. The setting is 1889 Philadelphia featuring real-life characters William Osler, William Stewart Halstead, and Thomas Eakins. During a routine autopsy, young Doctor Ephraim Carroll, witnesses Williams Osler’s dismay when an open cooler reveals the cadaver of a young woman. The autopsy is quickly cancelled and the class is dismissed. After a series of events, Dr. Carroll becomes very suspicious and begins an investigation of his own. Secrets abound in the medical community of the nineteenth century. This is a novel for readers who enjoy Anne Perry or historical page turners.

Saturday's Pick!

Irish writer Tana French has written an intriguing first novel In the Woods that pulls you into the story in the short prologue and doesn't let go until the end. It is a police procedural and psychological suspense story that centres around the unsolved disappearance of two children twenty years ago and the current brutal murder of a young girl in the same woods. Unknown to anyone except his partner is the fact that the detective investigating this latest crime was involved in the earlier disappearance. When Rob Ryan was twelve, he and his two best friends were playing. Only he was found, "his fingernails digging into the trunk so deeply that they had broken off in the bark", traumatized and remembering nothing.
All the characters are well developed, the plot complex with some surprises and the atmosphere is compelling, especially in the scenes that Ryan has memory flashes. The narrative description might annoy readers who want to solve this quickly but I thought it added to the depth and quality of this beautifully written story.

Thursday's Pick!

Compulsion is the exciting new entry in the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman. Dr. Alex Delaware and LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis are in fine form investigating several murders that appear to be linked. What connects the murders of a drunk woman asking for help on a deserted highwary, a retired schoolteacher stabbed and two women brutally attacked from a small-town beauty shop. Oddly enough, the link seems to be black luxury cars but what is the motive? Delaware and Sturgis are on the case and slowly make their way through evidence and psychological profiling to determine who is responsible for these bizarre killings. Kellerman produces a fast paced story with lots of twists and turns as well as a couple of sub plots to round the novel out. For fans of suspense novels.

Monday's Pick!

A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer.

Imagine being sentenced to 22 years in Her Majesty's prison for a crime you did not commit? This is what has happened to Danny Cartwright, an honest working class London Eastender. On the eve of his engagement celebration in a London pub, his best friend was viciously murdered and Danny has been framed. His lawyer believes in his innocence, but has the very difficult task of trying to bring the true criminals, all upper crust Oxford/Cambridge types to task. Author Lord Archer knows the inside workings of Britain's prison and justice systems very well - the reader will easily get caught up in this tale of miscarriage of justice, revenge and redemption. A highly recommended read - Jeffrey Archer fans will find this the best novel he has written in years!

Also available on Book on CD!

Wednesday's Pick!

Michael Kelly, who narrates the story, is a Chicago ex-cop turned private investigator in The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey. At page 1 you feel the style and character are reminiscent of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe character. Kelly is contacted by his former partner to look into an 8 year old rape case but soon after his ex-partner is found dead on Navy Pier. The woman from the old case contacts Kelly and becomes his latest client. It seems that someone wanted that case buried years ago and isn't very happy that Kelly is snooping around. We are introduced to a DNA expert, former cops, a TV anchorwoman, a DA, cops on the Chicago force and a serial killer as Kelly works his way to solving the case. This is a faced paced suspense novel written by the creator and executive producer of the television show Cold Case Files that should be a hit with many readers. I hope this is the beginning of a new series.

My First Pick of the Week!

Linwood Barclay begins his new standalone thriller, No Time for Goodbye , with 14 year old Cynthia Bigge waking up and discovering that all her family members have gone missing. Why would they just vanish like that and leave her behind? After the opening sequence, the story fast forwards 25 years and Cynthia is still obsessing about the disappearance of her family. She is married and has a child but the past haunts every aspect of her life. Clues begin to surface after she appears on a local TV show that re-enacted the disappearance of her family. The pace quickens as Cynthia and her husband delve into the case. Are her family members alive or is someone trying to taunt Cynthia or even worse - kill her? Linwood Barclay has written a very suspenseful novel with his trademark humour. A sure-fire winner!

Starting this week I will be posting 2 reviews per week! Check back later in the week for the next book!

My Pick of the Week!

Contract killer, John Rain, is back in The Last Assassin by Barry Eisler. Rain discovers that he has a child after a brief affair with Midori, the daughter of a man Rain killed. He wants to get out of the "business" but his enemies are using Midori and his son as leverage to get to Rain. Rain teams up with a sniper and a Mossad agent to deal with the Yakuza and Triads. The non stop action is mainly set in Japan but Rain does go to New York City and Barcelona. This is Rain's fifth action packed outing and one not to be missed. For fans of crime novels with well drawn characters, realistic fight scenes, and exotic locales.

My Pick of the Week!

In this book, that could be considered a Da Vinci Code read-alike, Nicholas Marten, the ex-LAPD detective from the author's previous novel, The Exile (2004), pursues an international conspiracy in this action-filled page-turner. When an old love of Marten's dies of a mysterious infection shortly after her congressman husband and son perish in a plane accident, her dying words set Marten on the trail of a South African bioterrorist. The former cop soon finds himself allied with the U.S. president, Henry Harris, in trying to foil a team of terrorists bent on creating a new world order. Harris flees his Secret Service protection after rejecting the plan of virtually his whole cabinet to assassinate the leaders of France and Germany and replace them with people willing to launch biological warfare on most of the Middle East. While somewhat short on plausibility, there was lots of action and excitement in The Machiavelli Covenant by Alan Folsom!

Let me know if you enjoyed reading this book!