Books, books and more books

I love to read. Especially mysteries. I belong to a Yahoo mystery group and at the end of each month members list the books they have read that month. Since I had changed my blog title to Stitching and Other Comments this post comes under the heading of Other. :) I thought there might be others out here in blogland who like to read and might enjoy seeing what I manage to finish each month. So here are my reads for January 2009.

1. FADE AWAY by Harlan Coben A
A Myron Bolitar Novel. Coben is a fairly new to me author. Since reading Hold Tight last year I am on the lookout for his backlist. This is one of the earlier Myron Bolitar books. Myron is an ex basketball player turned sports agent who dabbles in detective work in his free time. Along with an entertaining cast of characters I found this story entertaining with enough suspense to keep me turning the pages.

2. THE CAT WHO HAD 60 WHISKERS by Lilian Jackson Braun C-
Catching up with Qwill, the cats and Moose County, 400 miles north of everywhere.

3. ONCE WERE COPS by Ken Bruen A++
What can I say except I LOVED it. O’Shea, a member of the Guards in Ireland, is sent to New York City as part of an exchange program. For O’Shea, a true psychopath, it’s dream come true. No one can write a nightmare like this quite like Ken Bruen.

4. SANTA CLAWED by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. B
A visit with old friends. Mrs. Murphy, Tucker and Pewter help Harry figure out who is trying to ruin Christmas for the folks of Crozet, VI. A fun read, light and cozy. The perfect change of pace after a Bruen book. J

5. THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT by Steve Berry A+
I love Berry’s thrillers. A mix of science, history, archeology and technology. As well as some interesting characters. This one takes us to Washington, DC, across Europe to Antarctica. A fascinating story of secret nuclear submarines and exploratory missions, Charlemagne and his legacies and an ancient civilization. I highly recommend Berry’s tales to anyone who enjoys archaeological thrillers.

6. CLUBBED TO DEATH by Elaine Viets B+
The latest Dead-End Job Mystery. Helen has been trying to hide from her ex-husband and has worked a number of different jobs. All of which pay off the books and leave no trail of her employment. She is now working at a ritzy Country Club and things get really interesting when her ex turns up. And then is reported missing.

7. BONES OF BETRAYAL by Jefferson Bass B+
A Body Farm Novel. The latest by the team of Dr. Bill Bass, the founder of the original body farm at the University of Tennessee, and Jon Jefferson. The story revolves around the small town of Oakridge, TN. Also known as Atomic City, the home of one of the key sites for the Manhattan Project during WW II. A murder today of one of the older scientists and a murder from the 1940s are tied together. I really enjoyed the forensics and the stories this series. This one was a little slower than the previous entries. The story and history were interesting but occasionally got in the way of the story.

8. DEATH IN THE FAMILY TREE by Linda Berry C
A small Southern town, a family reunion and murder. This was my first by the author and it was the title that appealed. As a genealogist any mystery that includes genealogy and a family tree usually does capture my interest. I was a little disappointed in this one. The characters just didn’t come alive for me. And the story was a little too predictable.

I hope you find something you might enjoy too.

Until next time............
Love and stitches
Kathy