Mystery Reviews

Conspiracies-F. Paul Wilson

Repairman Jack is back and this time he is hired by Lew Ehler to find his missing wife, Melanie. The search takes him into the midst of the world of conspiracies. The SESOUP are having their convention in NYC and that was the group that Melanie belonged. Jack meets lots of people who believe in all kinds of things, from the Kennedy assassination to UFO's taking over the world. Jack thinks they are all nuts, but as he investigates he finds out that may be there are something behind all these conspiracies. Now it is up to him to stop the end of the world. This is a very fine story, it is kind of like the X-Files with Jack being the disbeliever who is slowly forced to believe against his will. My one problem, and it is a small one, for someone that weird things happen to it takes him a little too long to accept what is going on around him. I give this 4.5 stars.

Messiah-Boris Starling

When you begin to read this book it becomes apparent that this is Boris Starling's first book. Detective Chief Inspector Red Metcalfe is working for Scotland Yard looking for a brutal serial killer. He is the Yard's best profiler, but in order to catch this killer he will have to get closer to the killer's mind than he has ever had to go. When he gets there will he be able to come back from the edge. The book begins fast enough but soon get bogged down in all the details and the middle drags on slowly. It does not pick up again until near the end and by then you know who the killer is and don't care. Mr. Starling makes the mistake that a lot of new writers do. make the book two big. Put in too much information that takes away from what would have been a very good novel.

Archangel-Robert Harris

Dr. Fluke Kelso is an English professor who is in Moscow for a symposium on the opening of the Soviet archives. There he meets a old soldier who tells him a story of Stalin's last days. In those last days some of Stalin's papers were stolen and now thanks to this old soldier, the papers are about to be found. If the secrets of those papers get out it could change political life in Russia. Dr. Kelso in his quest to find the secret contained in those papers, must contend with different parts of the Russian government. Both of whom are willing to kill Fluke to get the papers. This book is funny in parts and it is a well written book with a decent but forgettable story. Mr. Harris does a good job in relating Stalin's last days, mixing fact with fiction. The story never really grab and pull you in, so I can only give it three stars.

The Devil's Code-John Sandford

Kidd and LuEllen are back in this new novel. When Jack Morrison a friend of Kidd's is killed, he leaves his sister a note telling her to get in touch with Kidd. When Kidd investigates Jack's death, it leads him up against a powerful company and it owner. He also has to contend with the FBI and the NSA, both of whom are going intent on finding him and his colleagues and blaming them for something they did not do. With LuEllen's help he has to find out what AmMath and its owner is hiding while staying out of the clutches of the NSA. While this was a good story and a fast pace story, it was no up to the level of the prey books. The mystery in the novel was not gripping as we have come to expect from John Sandford. it is an above average book and I give it 4.0 stars.

Easy Prey-John Sandford

Our favorite police Detective is back. Lucas Davenport has another mystery on his hands. Two women have been found dead at a high class party. World famous model Alie's Maison was found dead on the bed while Sandy Lansing was found stuffed in the closet. As the novel goes on the list of suspects grows. While the plot is o.k. Lucas's reaction to meeting former loves in his live is far more interesting. This is not one of the best prey books, but it is a fast read and the plot twist is interesting if a little obvious. I think that this book is a worthy addition to the prey book as it continues the growth process of Lucas's character. I give this book 3.5 stars.

On Secret Service-John Jakes

John Jakes is back and now he leads you into the middle of the spy war that was happening during the Civil War. It mainly follows Lon Price who joins the war effort as a spy for the north. As the war drags on and spying becomes more dangerous, Lon is called on to do more and more for the war effort. To compound his problem the girl he loves may be working for the other side. Now Lon has a chance to stop the assassination of Lincoln. The author is best at putting you in the midst of the war and letting you know how things were back then. All of the major players on both sides appear in this book. It allows you to see into a major portion of American history that many people didn't know existed. This is a very good book and I give it four stars.

The Destroyer: The Last Monarch-Jim Mullaney

This is the 120th book in the series, but don't worry every book can be read by itself. I guess a little back ground is in order. Remo is an assassin who along with Chiun works for the United States government, for a secret organization call CURE. Now before you go "oh not another spy book" know that this one is different. You will recognize many of the characters in the book, the names are slightly changed. This series when it works makes fun of everything, politics, movies, television stars. In this book a former president has an accident and regains his mind and memories. He makes a call to Dr. Smith, the head of CURE, but before Smith can send Remo and Chiun he is kidnapped by terrorists. Now the chase is on, they have to find him before he is sold to a certain middle eastern terrorist with a grudge. If you have never read any of this series, then this is a good book to introduce yourself to it. The series seems to be back on track, I give this 4.0 stars.

The Empty Chair-Jeffery Deaver

Lincoln Rhyme is back and he is down in North Carolina for an experimental operation that may improve his condition a little. While he is down there the local sheriff come to him with a request for help in finding a boy that has kidnapped a girl and killed a man. But when he finds him, his friend and confidant Sachs helps his escape and Lincoln must now hunt her down. Sachs does not believe the boy killed anyone, but can she get Lincoln to prove it before she ends up in jail or is she just wrong. Jeffery Deaver has written a very good book and mystery. While I think that this was not as good as The Bone Collector, it is a very good book in its own right and a very good and fast read. Fans of Jeffery Deaver will like this book and the continuing growth of Lincoln and Sachs as a couple. I recommend this book and give it 4.5 stars.

Abduction-Robin Cook

Perry Bergman is the head of Benthic Marine. He has come the his ship, the Benhic Explorer which is drilling into a seamount in the Atlantic. The drilling is having problems that he will try to fix. When he is asked if he wants to visit the site at the bottom of the ocean he goes. At the bottom, he and the two members of the mini sub along with two divers are Abducted by an ancient civilization that has been sharing the Earth with us for all of our history. This is a well written book from an author that is best known for writing medical mysteries. This is not a medical mystery, it is more of a science fiction mystery. The mystery is who are the abductors and why were the people abducted. The problem I had with this book is that after the first two or three chapters, you pretty much know how the story is going to go. So you are basically reading it to see if you are correct. The reason for the abduction was weak and the ending fell a little flat. I also had a problem with some of the characters which were one dimensional. The story was well written over all and is a fast read. I give it 3.0 stars.

Hit List-Lawrence Block

One of the most unusual hero or villain, depending on your point of view, is back. John Keller, the hit man from the novel Hit Man has returned in this latest Lawrence Block novel. Killer is living his life going on jobs and returning to his hobby of stamp collecting. But a series of close calls clue him into the fact that someone may be hunting and killing hit men and he is next on their list. Now he must try and hunt the hunter before he is tagged. Keller is an odd hit man, having never met a hit man I really would not know, but he seems odd to me and that makes him interesting. Some parts of it is a little slow, but over all it is a very good book. I give it 4.0 stars.

The Destroyer: A Pound of Prevention-Jim Mullaney

This is one of the latest in a seemingly endless series. In this one Remo and Chiun have to stop a global cartel from forming and complete a ancient obligation to the nation of Luzuland. This is the best author to write this series since the original authors. The humor is back and the sense of the characters are almost back to what they were. The characters are a bit more serious than they were under the original authors. This one was as good as the last one I read. I give it 4.0 stars.

The Blue Nowhere-Jeffery Deaver

This novel takes place on the west coast. Someone is using the internet and people's home computers to kill. The California state police is stumped and goes to get the only person they know that could match wits with the internet killer. The only problem is he is in jail. Jeffery Deaver has done his homework and has produced characters that are as good as those in his Lincoln Rhyme novels. The character of Wyatt Gillette, the computer wiz that the police turn to for help, is one that I hope we will see again. All mystery fans and Deaver fans will enjoy this book. I give it 4.75 stars.

Anonymous Rex-Eric Garcia

Vincent Rubio is a detective working out of L.A. who is depressed and an addict. He has bill collectors about to take everything he owns and he is about to be thrown out of his apartment, when he is given one last chance. He is handed a case investigating a fire, a simple case that will have major implications for his species as well as humans. You see Vincent is a velociraptor, a dinosaur. Dinosaurs have been living in hiding among humans for a very long time. Things about this case could lead to exposing the dinosaurs to the human population. More important to Vincent is that his partner's death is some how tied up to this case. Eric Garcia has created a story that pulls you in to the hidden world of the dinosaurs. He has created some very believable characters. There are almost no weak points in this book, which is amazing since this is his first book. I recommend this book. and I give it four and a half stars.

Casual Rex-Eric Garcia

Vincent Rubio is back. This time he and his partner, Ernie are investigating the disappearances of some dinosaurs that were involved a a back to nature dinosaur cult called The Progressives. The events in this novel takes place just before those in the first novel, Anonymous Rex. The action take place in California and Hawaii. I don't think that this one was as good as the first novel. The intensity of the characters just is not there as it was in the first. So what you get is a good detective novel not a out standing one. Again Vincent is involved in a case that has implications for not only dinosaurs but humans as well. I give this novel 4 stars.

Six Figures-Fred G. Leebron

This story is about Warner Lutz, his wife Megan and his two kids. Warner has reach a point in his life when he does not like the way things are going. He is frustrated, feeling tied down and pressured and he is angry at where he is in life. When his wife is attacked, everyone including his family and the police think he did it. In this novel, the author leads you into both the mind of Warner and his wife, leaving you wondering if Warner is the type of man that would take his frustrations out on his wife. This is more of a psychological thriller than it is a mystery. The author does a good job of bringing the characters to life. My one nitpick, and it is a small one is the ending. I thought it ended a bit soon, but overall I give this 4.5 stars.

Chosen Prey-John Sandford

A new prey novel is here and this time Lucas Davenport takes a case to have some thing to do. The case soon turns into the hunt for a serial killer. This time the killer is not too interesting. What's more interesting is Lucas's developing relationship with Weather and the potential changes going on in his life. The hunt for the killer did not have the same intensity as with his other novels. This one while a good read just is not up to the same standard as his last few novels. I give this 3.75 stars.

Tell No One-Harlan Coben

Eight years ago Dr. David Beck's wife was killed and he has spent everyday since missing her. Now after all this time he gets an email that indicates that she is alive. Now he is searching for her while trying to stay alive from some unknown persons determined to stop him. This is a good novel that holds your attention all the way to the end. I thought the end was wrapped up a bit too neatly and the main character was a bit too lucky, but over all it is a very good novel and I give it 4.20 stars.

Hosts-F. Paul Wilson

This is the latest Repairman Jack novel and it is a very good one. This time Jack is forced to protect himself and others on the train when a man goes crazy and begins killing people. Now a reporter is hot on his trail. Then his sister Kate, who he has not seen in fifteen years gets in contact with him for help in locating her girlfriend. She is stunned to find out that Repairman Jack is none other than her little brother. This leads Jack into a fight with a virus that is bent on taking over humans, if that is not enough he also has to find a way to get that reporter off his trail. These Repairman Jack novels reads a little like a cross between X-Files and a detective novel. While I don't think it is quite a good a his last ones, it is a fast and easy read and I give it 4.30 stars.

Violets are Blue-James Patterson

Alex Cross is back in this novel and this time he is hunting some killers who have left dead bodies across the nation. While this is going on the killer who may be his greatest foe begins to torment him. Now this novel is not bad, but it just is not gripping. Plus the climax does not have the punch it should have because by that time you pretty much know who the mastermind is. One other thing the ending seemed a bit rushed. I give this novel 3.70 stars.

Mahogany Row-Wayne J. Keeley

When Mark McCoy got to his office, his day began going down hill. Mark is an attorney whose boss was just found dead in his office. He is now the police number one suspect. This is a very fast pace novel, that follows Mark as he tries to prove his innocence. But as more of the story unfolds you soon realize that Mark isn't what he seems, neither for that matter is the people at the law firm he works for. This is a very good book with a mystery within a mystery. The characters are for the most part believable and interesting. Plus the story holds your attention all the way to the end. My one problem with this novel was that some of the situations Mark gets out of too easily. But over all this is a very good mystery and I give it 4.8 stars.

The Stone Monkey-Jeffery Deaver

Lincoln Rhyme is back, as is Amelia Sachs and this time they have a new challenge. They have to find the man who killed a ship load of immigrants before he can find and kill the survivors. I had a few problem with this novel, while it was well written, it did not have the same passion as most of Jeffery Deaver's novels. I thought the character of the ghost, the main villain, was not up to par with villains of his other books. Also the first half of the novel was a little predictable. But on the good side a little more depth was added to the relationship between Lincoln and Amelia. Plus the second half of the novel holds a few plot twists that make up for the first half. not as good as his last two novels but still a enjoyable read. I gove this novel 3.75 stars.

The Surgeon-Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen has written another winner. This is a novel of evil, revenge, hopelessness and courage. It is also about a serial killer. Tess has done a remarkable job in bringing this villain to life. The characters in this book are strong and well rounded. The story is gripping and will keep you engrossed until the last page. Catherine Cordell thought she had left her past behind when she moved to Boston, well she was wrong. If I have one bone to pick with this novel it's that it went by to quickly. I give this novel 4.85 stars.

Mind Catcher-John Darnton

When Tyler Jessup got into an accident that damages his brain, two doctors come up with an experimental procedure that may save his life. This novel reads more like a crime novel, but it is a crime novel in which you soon know all the answers. The only mystery that remained to be explored, the trip that the mind took outside of the body was not delved into with any depth. All of which tends to leave you a little flat after the big build up. The novel ended a bit abrupt and is not up to the level of his last two novels. Overall while this novel was a little above average, it was a disappointment from this author. I give it 3.95 stars.

The Haunted Air-F. Paul Wilson

The repairman is back on another case. Repairman Jack has been hired to protect some psychics when the case takes a twist. The house they live in is haunted by the ghost of a little girl. Now it is up to Jack to find out what happened to the little girl and what the connection is to Gia before anything happens to her. With serial killers, ghosts and other supernatural forces involved. This novel flies towards a climax that keeps you reading to the very end. In Repairman Jack, F. Paul Wilson has created a hero that is unique. This novel is as good as any F. Paul Wilson has written. I give this novel 4.75 stars.

Four Blind Mice-James Patterson

In his latest novel, James Patterson has returned with Alex Cross. Alex takes on a case that his partner John Sampson brings to him. A long time friend of John's is on death row for a triple murder that he did not commit. As Alex gets deeper into this case he finds out that this is may not be the first military person to have been framed for murder. While this is not a bad mystery, the story just does not grip you. The novel works better when it is dealing with the relationship of Alex, his family and Jamilla than it does with the catching of the villains. I give this novel 3.85 stars.

The Apprentice-Tess Gerritsen

There is a new serial killer in town and Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks that this one is patterning his techniques on The Surgeon. As the killing continues and the FBI shows a sudden interest in the case, the Surgeon escapes from prison. This is a fast pace novel that keeps you reading till the last word. The battle of wits between the police and the killers is riveting and when you throw in the FBI and their hidden agenda, you have the makings of a excellent novel. My one nitpick was making Gabriel Dean a love interest seemed a bit too pat. But aver all this is an excellent novel and I give it 4.85 stars.

Sims-F. Paul Wilson

F. Paul Wilson takes some time away from his Repairman Jack novels to pen a novel about a world in which genetic engineering is common place. The big players in this world is SimGen, they own the patent on Sims, genetically engineered chimps that do all the work that humans do not want to do. When a lawyer Patrick Sullivan goes to court to unionize the chimps, the full weight of SimGen is turned against him. SimGen is hiding a few secrets, secrets they will kill to protect. Now while this was a good story and hung together quite well, I had a few minor nitpicks with the main character. I just did not buy the fact that he would go through all that trouble and risk, having said that the story itself overcame most of my objections and turned out to be enjoyable. I give it 4.4 stars.

The Vanished Man-Jeffery Deaver

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are back and this time they are hunting a killer that seems to be able to vanish after he has made a kill. Now I found this novel to be the weakest of his recent novels. The story did not really pull me in the way his last few has. Also I did not see the killer a much of a challenge to Lincoln and Amelia. Of more interest to me was the relationship between Lincoln and Amelia. The twist at the end made up for what I thought was not one of Jeffery Deaver's best efforts but not enough for me to give this more than 4.0 stars.

Gateways- F. Paul Wilson

This is a new repairman Jack novel. Jack goes to Florida after he finds out that his father has been in a accident. After he gets there and does a little investigating, he finds out that someone is trying to kill his father. Now Jack has to do what he does best and find the person or persons before they can succeed. Once again F. Paul Wilson mixes in just enough of the strange to give the novel that familiar Repairman Jack feel. Making the novel even more interesting is the relationship between Jack and his father. With characters that sit just on this side of the supernatural plus the appearance of Jack's main foe, this novel is a good addition to the Repairman Jack novels. I give this novel 4.40 stars.

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

When Robert Langdon got a call from the Paris police, he becomes caught up in a murder. He did not know that soon he would be is a race to uncover several secrets before he is nailed for a murder he did not commit. This is a novel with great characters, a very good plot and a couple of very good mysteries. The author's ability to take several well known facts and places combine them with a few lesser known facts and come up with a great story is amazing. This novel takes you on a trip from the Louvre in Paris to London. The amount of research that Dan Brown did for this novel must have been immense, but it was worth it. I give this novel 4.85 stars.