"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." (James Bryce)

Saturday, December 25, 2010

CAST INTO DOUBT (Patricia MacDonald)

If you are looking for a terrific thriller, place a hold on this one right now!  Patricia MacDonald never disappoints, providing nail-biting psychological suspense that makes this one a real page-turner.  Shelby Sloan is a 42-year-old grandmother and career woman who surprises her happily married daughter, Chloe, and son-in-law, Rob, with a relaxing Caribbean cruise and an offer to babysit for Jeremy, her 4 year old grandson, at their home while they are gone.  When a distraught Rob calls to inform Shelby that Chloe has disappeared from the cruise ship, Shelby flies to St. Thomas and invests her life savings in continuing the search for her daughter.  When all hope is lost for her daughter's survival, Shelby begins investigating her daughter's disappearance on her own with the help of her company's security chief, meeting many roadblocks along the way as she gathers information about Chloe's last hours on the cruise.  I won't say any more because I don't want to ruin the story.  Read it!  You'll love it!

Monday, December 20, 2010

MINI SHOPAHOLIC (Sophie Kinsella)

Those of you who have been following the adventures of Becky Bloomwood Brandon will enjoy "Mini Shopaholic."  Hard as it may be to believe (haha!), Becky's 2-year-old daughter Minnie is out of control and apparently following in her mother's footsteps where retail is concerned. 

Becky and Luke are living with Becky's parents after several real estate deals fall through, leaving them perpetually homeless.  Luke, who has, as usual, been working too hard, is still mourning the death of his beloved stepmother and is estranged from Elinor, his emotionally cold birth mother. Becky decides that a surprise party would be a great way to cheer Luke up, so she secretly enlists the help of his secretary, Bonnie, to help her with the guest list.  She also decides that in the spirit of economy (she has maxed out all of her credit cards and promised Luke that she will not buy any new clothes until she has worn the ones she already owns 3 times) she will barter for services and purchase decorations for the party at a discount shop.  Luke, perplexed by Becky's strange behavior (how hard it is to keep such a major secret!) and worried about Minnie's tantrums, hires the trendy Nanny Sue to evaluate their parenting skills and Minnie's attitudes, convincing Becky that her child is about to be torn from her arms and sent to a baby boot camp in Arizona.

Kinsella has once again created a enjoyable glimpse into the chaotic and slightly off-kilter world of Becky Bloomwood.  This is a wonderful light read, perfect for a lazy weekend when you just want to relax, put your feet up, and give your mind a little rest.  Keeping up with Becky's activities might not be so relaxing, though!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

OPEN SEASON (Archer Mayor)

No wonder the Joe Gunther series is so successful!  This is Mayor's first foray into mystery writing and if you live in New England like I do you will thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere that this author creates.  Read the whole series if you enjoy a slightly gritty police procedural with a tremendous sense of place.  The wonderful details pay tribute to Mayor's own background as a Vermont police officer and forensic investigator.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

THE TEA HOUSE ON MULBERRY STREET (Sharon Owens)

Penny Stanley and her husband, Daniel, run Muldoon's Tea House in Belfast.  While she longs for beauty and a family, he saves every penny and refuses to redecorate or consider having a child.  An assortment of characters, including a young woman obsessed with Nicholas Cage, a magazine editor searching for her lost sweetheart, and a lonely married bookshop owner whose wife is preoccupied with money and status, frequent the shop despite its dreary, outdated decor and somber atmnosphere.  This book didn't "wow" me, but I always enjoy the concept of disparate characters coming together on common ground to work through life's problems.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

DEATH AT THE ALMA MATER (G.M. Malliet)

There is something so appealing about a lovely British college, castle, or village as the setting for murder!  G.M. Malliet writes in the tradition of Agatha Christie and this 3rd in the Arthur St. Just series is just as good as the first two.  Here, wealthy alumni are invited for a weekend reunion at financially troubled St. Michael's College in Cambridge in hopes of raising some much needed cash.  Any mystery fan knows that gathering a diverse group of  people with  past connections for the weekend will not end in anything good.  Here the murder victim is the beautiful Lexy Laurent, ex-wife of Sir James Bassett and renowned for her beauty and fashion sense.  When she is strangled in the college's boathouse, suspects abound, including her ex-husband, his stepson, his current wife, and almost everyone else at the reunion.  This mystery is great fun with clever and unexpected twist that helps to solve the murder.  Recommended!