Don't Know Jack

Don’t Know Jack by Diane Capri

The Search for Reacher #1

Hunting Jack Reacher is a dangerous business, as FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are about to find out. Otto and Gaspar are by-the-book hunters who know when it's necessary to break the rules, but they Don't Know Jack. Reacher is a stone cold killer. Is he their friend or their enemy? Only the secrets hidden in Margrave, Georgia will tell them.

--Don’t Know Jack
by Diane Capri
Copyright © 2012 by Diane Capri, LLC
Published by August Books

My Review

FBI Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar each receive separate phone calls at four o’clock in the morning, telling to get on the first flight to Atlanta.  They’ve been pre-cleared through security and the planes will be held for them.  Time is of the essence, so move.  They do, studying the files e-mailed to them along the way, giving them all known information on their target individual plus two associated parties to be interviewed.  Their job, as part of the FBI’s Specialized Personnel Task Force, is to obtain background information on those individuals with specialized skills that the FBI is interested in.  Their new assignment?

U.S. Army Major Jack none Reacher, retired.

You read that right.  Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.

As a Jack Reacher spinoff, the overall idea has merit.  A couple of FBI agents assigned to trace the whereabouts of a man who lives his life 99.2% off the grid.  Given the number of novels Lee Child has written on Reacher, there’s plenty of fodder for a spinoff series. 

The execution of the idea, however, fails.  Diane Capri does not know Jack as well as some of us Reacher Creatures.  Her writing also leaves a lot to be desired.  Some of the dialogue between characters seems unrealistic and the choppy writing style made it difficult to read.  Otto and Gaspar get involved in a situation that has nothing to do with Reacher and yet they stick around, offering their help in the hopes that the people they need to talk to will slow down long enough to answer their questions.  Come on, they’re the FBI!  As the writer herself says, it’s a federal crime to lie to an FBI agent…surely with that kind of power behind them they have the ability to make someone stop for ten minutes and answer some questions.  Those delays in momentum really irritated me.  Not to mention the trope of Otto catching a glimpse of a man she thinks might be Reacher on the very last page of the book.  Too convenient, if you ask me, and something I was expecting to see before I even got half-way through the story.

I did like some of the internal dialogue that Kim Otto went through as she’s taking the lead in an investigation for the first time (at least, I think it’s her first time as lead investigator).  She’s unsure of herself, but confidently pushes forward, hoping she’s doing the right thing.  While having a character who is very confident in themselves and in their abilities makes for a good read, having a no-so-confident character learn about themselves and grow over the course of the story is also good reading.  I can same the same for Carlos Gaspar.  I truly do like him. 

So, in summary, what we have is a not very well written story involving characters that Reacher fans know well, but the story has nothing to do with Reacher.  It’s not a very good investment of time or money. 

I give this story TWO STARS.

Santa Fe Edge

Santa Fe Edge by Stuart Woods

Ed Eagle—the six foot seven, take-no-prisoners Santa Fe attorney—is no stranger to murder, corruption, or organized crime—both north and south of the border. His home in Santa Fe, a picturesque desert town where the wealthy enjoy the good life, seems like a welcome retreat from the grit and crime of the big cities.

But looks can be deceiving.

A puzzling murder in a golfer’s hacienda brings in a new client for Ed, but while his time is spent unraveling a complex web of sex, money, and false identity, a much more dangerous threat lurks. A ruthless and implacable enemy who has proved more than a match for him in the past has returned to Santa Fe, and this time she wants nothing less than all-out retribution.

--Santa Fe Edge
by Stuart Woods
Copyright © 2010 by Stuart Woods

My Review

Hmmm…that’s the book I would like to have read.

A more appropriate synopsis of Santa Fe Edge would read: Barbara Eagle, Ed’s ex wife, escapes from her Mexican jail and finds her way back to Santa Fe. She still has murder on her mind with Ed as her target. But when her hired hit-man fails his task, she figures she’ll finally have to take matters into her own hands and do the deed herself. A call from her lawyer, however, changes her plans. Will she finally give up her vendetta against Ed now that she’s inherited a fortune?


Okay, on with the review of the actual story…

Ed Eagle takes on a new client, a golfer whose wife is found dead in their bed. He was out of town, playing in a tournament, so it seems pretty cut-and-dried. And it is. The golfer’s story continues, but without Ed’s involvement. Oh, and the new secretary he hires—and beds—is out to steal his money.

Barbara Eagle returns and continues her machinations. She’s pretty busy throughout this story but only has one encounter with Ed, and that’s through a hit-man she hires. The rest of the time she’s bouncing from house to house and bed to bed. The truth about her now-deceased husband’s will comes out and she’s set to inherit a fortune, one that may just make her give up her murdering ways.

Cupie Dalton and Vittorio, investigator friends of Ed’s, are on Barbara’s trail, trying to keep Ed safe and alive.

Teddy Fay—a refugee from another Stuart Woods series—and his girlfriend Lauren Cade set up housekeeping in Santa Fe, all while successfully dodging one of Lance Cabot’s agents.

And…that’s about it. Nothing much else really happens in this novel. It felt more like a placeholder, something to read while you’re waiting for the next book in the series to come out.

Simple and concise like all Stuart Woods novels, this one left me scratching my head. Not because I couldn’t figure the story out…I was wondering exactly why someone wasted paper printing it and wondering why I spent my money on it.

I give this story TWO STARS.

Don't Look Back

Don’t Look Back
by Karin Fossum

In an idyllic Norwegian village, neighbors know neighbors and children play happily in the streets. But then the naked body of a teenage girl is found. Annie was strong, intelligent, and loved by everyone. What went wrong? Called to investigate, Inspector Sejer uncovers layer upon later of distrust and lies beneath the town’s seemingly perfect façade.

--Don’t Look Back
by Karin Fossum
Copyright © 2002 Karin Fossum, translated by Felicity David

My Review

I’ve begun developing an affinity for Scandinavian authors--Jussi Adler-Olsen and Stieg Larsson so far are the only two on the list, but there should soon be more. Karin Fossum, however, may not join that list. A quarter of the way through this book, I found I really didn’t care much for the main character, Inspector Sejer, or for the murdered girl who was the subject of the mystery. Rather than forcing myself to read the rest of the story, I just skimmed the remainder to find out “whodunit” so I could put it aside.

I do have a couple more books in the Inspector Sejer series that I purchased at the Green Valley Book Fair and I may try reading another one later on this year, but it will be a while before I do that. I have a lot of other books that I want to read and Inspector Sejer will have to wait.

I give this story TWO STARS.

Dark Peril

Dark Peril by Christine Feehan

Carpathian Dominic Dragonseeker has taken a desperate gamble by ingesting deadly vampire parasites that will help him infiltrate cruel enemies who seek to destroy his peaceful race. He never counted on finding his lifemate under these dire circumstances, but to his shock, his dreams of a jaguar shape-shifter turn into reality when he meets warrior Solange Sangria. Solange is bent on destroying her evil father and his cohorts, who murder women and conduct hideous scientific experiments. Dominic and Solange must learn to fight side by side and trust each other to protect the innocent and heal their old wounds.

--Dark Peril
by Christine Feehan
Copyright © 2010 by Christine Feehan
Published by Berkeley Hardcover
Reprinted October 2011 in paperback by Jove Books

My Review

I’ve long enjoyed Christine Feehan’s books, but I have to say, the sexual depravity by some of the characters in a couple of her most recent books have left me with a bad taste in my mouth. This one contains similar elements by supporting characters (not the main protagonists) and I can’t help wondering if this is becoming a staple in her books. Yes, there are plenty of depraved people out there, but that doesn’t mean all of us readers enjoy reading the details of their demented thoughts.

This is probably the lowest review I've ever given a Christine Feehan book, but I could barely bring myself to finish this story. One of the things I've always loved about her characters is their passionate nature that's constantly at war with their savage nature. But this time, it was just over the top. Long paragraphs of narration about how everything in their world has changed now that they found their life mate and the same information is repeated again and again and again ad nauseum. I started listening to the audio version of the book and had to stop and finish it by reading the novel. It was much easier to skip over the unbearable parts that way.

To quickly summarize, Solange is the last pureblood of the royal Jaguar line. Her father, Broderick, has been on a campaign to kill any female with Jaguar blood that cannot shift. He thought years ago he had killed Solange, but she's still alive. Joined with Dominic, her life mate, they fight to destroy Broderick's operation. At the same time, they work to destroy the vampires that Broderick has allied himself with in his quest.

For those who may think I'm no longer a fan, you're wrong. I do still enjoy her novels and I'm looking forward to the next Sea Haven novel. I'm eager to learn more about the Prakenskii men...I just hope it's not as repetitive as the Carpathians have become.

I give this story TWO STARS.

Fairhaven

Fairhaven by Ken Coffman

A serial killer runs around Skagit County in Washington State. Former police officer Jake Mosby is retired...and wants to lead a quiet, simple life. But, he's stuck with an ornery teen-ager and a new girlfriend and he needs to man up for one last mission.

--Fairhaven
by Ken Coffman
Copyright ©October 4, 2011 by Ken Coffman
Published by Stairway Press

My Review

Jake Mosby, ex-police officer, is 66 years old and done with life. But life isn’t done with him. Through the deaths of his father and step-mother, he inherits a used book store and a car and through his daughter, guardianship of his grandson. Not at all what he’s looking for, but he adjusts and figures he’ll keep his life going for a while longer.

Then Eleanor Bradley, a lady from the Peaceful Meadows Nursing Home, comes to him with a problem. She believes an employee at the home, Charlie Fairhaven, is killing residents. Can Jake put a stop to Charlie?

Jake agrees to look into the situation and in the process, discovers something disturbing about his own father’s death. Now Jake won’t stop digging until Charlie Fairhaven is stopped, one way or the other.

This story has two great characters, Jake Mosby and Charlie Fairhaven. Jake is a love-him-or-hate-him type of character and at times I loved him and at times I hated him. For a sweet old curmudgeon, he can be a real bastard when he wants to be. But he’s good at what he does and gets the job done, even if he doesn’t want to be doing it.

Charlie Fairhaven…now there’s an interesting character. His killing roots run deep, and at first they’re pretty textbook, but then they escalate quickly and even he knows that there’s only one way to stop him.

As for the story itself, the plot is a good one, but the telling of the story falls short. Some of the situations seem perfectly plausible while others are implausible…there’s a sub-plot about an internal investigation that has nothing to do with the main plot, so why is it in the story at all? And when Charlie’s life starts to go out of control, it goes in a direction that makes no sense at all. It almost seems like it goes in “this” direction for the sole purpose of introducing us to “these” people who help bring about the end of the drama and there was no other way to bring about that end except through “these” people who we wouldn’t have met if Charlie hadn’t gone in “this” direction. If that didn’t make sense to you, then neither would that particular twist in the story.

In summary, Fairhaven feels like the third or fourth draft of a novel and needs just one more rewrite and a new title to get everything just right. It’s almost a very good story.

I give this story TWO STARS.

I received an Advance Uncorrected Proof from NetGalley. This story is due to be released October 4, 2011 by Stairway Press and can be purchased through their website.

Obsessed

Obsessed by Ted Dekker

A deadly tale of ultimate obsession

Stephen Friedman is making a good living in good times. He’s just an ordinary guy.

Or so he thinks.

But one day an extraordinary piece of information tells him differently. It’s a clue from the grave of a Holocaust survivor. A clue that makes him heir to an incredible fortune…a clue that only he and one other man can possibly understand.

That man is Roth Braun, a serial killer who has been waiting for Stephen for thirty years. Roth was stopped once before. This time, nothing will get in his way.

--Obsessed by Ted Dekker, Copyright ©2005 by Ted Dekker, published by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

My Review

(Although this story was published in 2005, its story line bounces back and forth between 1973 and 1944-1945.)

Rachel Spritzer, a Holocaust survivor, stole a piece of history from her camp’s commandant. She emigrated to the United States, settling in the city of Los Angeles while she searched for the son she birthed and was forced to give up while in the camp. Little did she know that her son, whom she’d named David, lived in the exact same city.

Stephen Friedman had always known he was adopted from a Russian orphanage shortly after the end of World War II. He and his adopted family moved to the United States when he was still very young and Stephen fully embraced his new American home and lifestyle. He’s thirty now, a real estate investor with no clue that his life was about to be turned upside down because of Rachel Spritzer’s death.

Discovering that Rachel may have been his mother sends Stephen on a voyage of discovery about his past, a past he had no idea about, and a quest for his future, where he becomes obsessed about finding a biblical treasure, and the woman destined to be his other half.

But Stephen is not the only one on the hunt for the biblical treasure. Roth Braun is the son of the commandant from whom Rachel stole the treasure and he will do anything…anything…to reclaim the lost piece of his father’s spoils of war.

While intriguing, this story does not contain the frenetic intensity that I’ve come to associate with a Ted Dekker story. Too much of the story is spent on Stephen’s preoccupation with gaining access into Rachel Spritzer’s apartment building to search for the clues to the treasure and not enough on Stephen finding out about his heritage. Forgive me, I’m the daughter of a genealogist and I would find the hunt for the past to be more interesting than spending nearly half of a 382 page book trying to gain access to a building. The vignettes into the past, describing Rachel’s life in the concentration camp were well done and added depth to the story, and I found myself enjoying those more than the “present day” scenes.

If you have an interest in the Holocaust and biblical treasures, you might enjoy this story.

I give this story TWO STARS.

Crimson City

Crimson City by Liz Maverick

Once, this was the City of Angels. The angels are no longer in charge. From the extravagant vampire world above to the gritty defiance of the werewolves below, the specter of darkness lives around every corner, the hope of paradise in every heart. The city knows a tentative peace, but to live in Los Angeles is to balance on the edge of a knife. One woman knows better than most. She’s about to be tested, to taste true thirst. Fleur Dumont is about to meet the one man who may understand her: a tormented protector who’s lost all he loved. Theirs is one tale of many. This is Crimson City, where desire meets danger and more than just the stars come out at night.

--Crimson City by Liz Maverick, Copyright ©2005 by Elizabeth A. Edelstein, published by Dorchester Publishing

My Review

Welcome to Crimson City, where the vampires and werewolves are not just the stuff of film and books. They’re real, and they share the city with the handful of humans brave enough to share the city with them. There’s a definite caste system, with the vampires occupying the upper strata of the city, the humans on the street level, and the werewolves living in the underground. Though the three species don’t get along, there is a tentative peace that exists over the city.

Fleur Dumont is a member of the ruling family of the vampires. She should be ruling, period, but that job was taken over by two of her half brothers, Christian and Ryan because she was not ready to rule. Because she had made a mistake, one that destroyed any respect she had among the Council members. She ready to redeem herself, but is unsure of how to approach her brothers for that opportunity. When her brothers are killed before her very eyes by a mech—a human converted to a machine—she seizes the opportunity and takes over. But is she really ready?

It takes a brave human to not only live in Crimson City, but to interact with both species. Dain Reston is just such an individual. A member of “Battlefield” Operations, it’s his job to ensure the tentative peace between the species stays. But when he and his partner, Cyd, come across the mech—something that shouldn’t exist—they know something bad is going down.

Now Dain must ally himself with the vampires, and with Fleur specifically, if he is to figure out who sent the mech after the Dumonts and what exactly that person hoped to accomplish. At the same time, he has to deal with his wild, barely-in-control partner, an overeager tabloid reporter, a boss who seems more intent on hampering than helping his mission, and his own growing attraction for Fleur Dumont.

Crimson City is the first in a series of novels. The first five were written by different authors, but numbers six and seven were written by Liz Maverick.

Being the first in a series, there’s a lot of background to present, causing the story to suffer from “too-much-information-itis.” The information is necessary to understand the world of Crimson City, but it just felt like too much of an info-dump for me. I could almost draw lines around sections and label them: here’s background on the city, now background on a character, here’s an action scene, now more information, a bit of dialogue—oops, interrupted by more information—and the rest of the dialogue and finally the end of the scene. Plus, each character had a lot of internal dialogue going. A lot. A lot a lot.

Having never ready anything else by Liz Maverick, I can’t say if this is her usual style or just the style she adopted for this series, but it makes me reluctant to read anything else by her. I will read the other novels that I have in this series (A Taste of Crimson by Marjorie M. Liu is next), but I don’t know right now if I’ll read Liz Maverick’s other entries in this series.

I give this story TWO STARS.

Double Take

Double Take by Catherine Coulter

Are you ready to dive into the world of psychic mediums? We begin with Julia Ransom, widow of the renowned psychic medium August Ransom. For six months the San Francisco police tried to find enough evidence to arrest her, but failed. Then on a clear evening on Pier 39, a stranger knocks her unconscious and heaves her over the railing into the bay. If it weren’t for Special Agent Cheney Stone, Julia would have drowned. Cheney quickly realizes that the attempt on Julia’s life has to be connected with the murder of her husband, and reopens the investigation with the SFPD.

Meanwhile, In Maestro, Virginia, Sheriff Dixon Noble—last seen in Point Blank--learns about a woman named Charlotte Pallack who bears an extraordinary resemblance to his vanished wife, Christine, gone now for more than three years. Dix knows to his soul that Christie is long dead, but he has no choice—he flies out to San Francisco to see this woman.

Dix’s and Cheney’s paths cross, brought together by Savich and Sherlock. They all begin to unlock the mystery of Charlotte Pallack’s identity as well as the forces behind Julia Ransom’s attempted murder and the vicious murder of her husband. The most fascinating aspect of the case is the extraordinary cast of psychics they meet as they push deep into the intriguing, complex world of visions, mind benders, and communications with the dead.

--Double Take by Catherine Coulter, Copyright ©2007 by Catherine Coulter, published by Jove Books

My Review

Life isn’t easy for Julia Ransom.

First her husband, psychic medium August Ransom, is killed. The cops focused on her as the potential killer and never bothered to check any other possible leads. Finally, six months later, the police and the media have backed away, giving her some peace.

Then someone tries to kill her.

Fortunately, Special Agent Cheney Stone witnessed the attack and saved her life. He quickly intuits that the attack on her has something to do with the murder of her husband and gets himself involved in the investigation.

Across the country, in the small town of Maestro, Virginia, Sheriff Dixon Noble learns of a woman in San Francisco (not Julia) who bears an uncanny resemblance to his missing wife. Though afraid of what he might find, he has no choice but to go to San Francisco and see this woman. When he meets Charlotte Pallack, he’s taken aback at how much she looks like his Christie, but he also knows that she is not Christie. So why, when they meet the next day, is Charlotte wearing the bracelet he gave Christie for their anniversary?

Dix and Cheney are brought together by Special Agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock as their seemingly separate cases in fact run together. Who killed August Ransom? Who’s trying to kill his widow, Julia Ransom? Who is Charlotte Pallack? Does she have a connection to Christie Noble? What role do August’s contemporaries, mediums Wallace Tammerlane, Blevin Wagner, Soldan Meissen and Katheryn Golden play in this increasingly tangled story? And can they figure it all out before the hired killer gets to Julia?

I’m hard pressed to put my finger on exactly what it was that kept bothering me while I read this book. I had a problem with some of the dialogue—in some areas, the dialogue was, well, it felt wrong. Some of her characters say things that I just can’t imagine people saying in real life. Here’s an example:

At the beginning of the story, Julia is at Pier 39 in San Francisco when the killer attacks. He hits her in the jaw but before he can do anything else, Cheney interrupts them, so the killer tosses her over the pier and takes off. Cheney jumps in and rescues her. His friend, Manny, comes out of the restaurant to look for him.

Another man’s voice came out of the darkness. “Hey, Cheney, can’t I leave you alone for a single minute? Where’s June? I thought she only came out for a cigarette. I thought you came out to fetch her. What’s going on here? Who is this?”

A minute later:

She heard a woman’s voice. “Cheney? Manny? What’s going on here? I finished my cigarette, but neither of you were at the table when I went back inside. Linda said Manny had come to look for you, Cheney. Come on back inside, they just brought our dinner. Hey, what’s this?”

If you were coming out of a restaurant to look for your friend and found them soaking wet, trying to help another person breathe, would you really say all that before saying “Hey, what’s going on here?” Sure, you might start saying all that, but you’d likely shut up the moment you realized something wasn’t right. Nope, these two had a whole paragraph of stuff to say before they clued the reader in to the fact that they could see something was going on.

This is only the first example of what I’d call meaningless dialog that I came across, but it certainly wasn’t the last.

The story involves several different story lines that slowly—very slowly—start to come together before the mad dash at the end. Each line was interesting, but I think there were just too many of them and they were too separate for too long. I was afraid of putting the book down for more than a day for fear I’d forget what was going on and lose track of the story. This, to me, does not make for good reading.

I give this story TWO STARS.

But hey, that’s just my opinion. I’m not saying I hated Double Take, I’m just saying I had a hard time reading this particular book.

When I start to read a series by an author, I usually like to start with the very first book in the series so I can get a handle on the main protagonists. That way, as I continue to read the series, I’ll know their histories and I’ll better understand some of the ensuing story’s nuances. I haven’t done that with the Savich and Sherlock series. Double Take is number 11 in the series, and the only other one I read is number 12, Tail Spin. So I’ll take the blame if there’s something I’m not “getting” by reading the series out of order.

Catherine Coulter has a huge following of loyal readers who love her Savich and Sherlock stories. Right now, I’m just not one of them. I have a few more of her books and I will read them so hopefully I’ll have better things to say about the next one.

Dark Gold

Dark Gold by Christine Feehan

Alexandria Houton will sacrifice anything--even her life --to protect her orphaned little brother. But when both encounter an unspeakable evil in the swirling San Francisco mists, Alex can only cry to heaven for their deliverance . . . And out of the darkness swoops Aidan Savage, a golden being more powerful, more mysterious, than any other creature of the night. The ageless Carpathian male snatches them from a hideous fate. But is Aidan Alex's salvation . . . or her sin? If she surrenders to Aidan's savage, unearthly seduction, and gives him the color, the light, the family he craves, will Alex truly save her brother? Or sacrifice more than her life?

--Dark Gold by Christine Feehan, Copyright © 2007


My Summary

My least favorite of the Carpathian series, if this had been my first Christine Feehan read, I might not have read any of the others in her series. Good thing it wasn't my first because several others that came after this one I consider my favorite stories of all time.

I was put off by Alexandria's constant whining and Aiden's constant assertion that he knew best and that she should just be quiet and do as he says. Granted, she didn't ask to be made Carpathian and he didn't ask to have an independent woman as a lifemate, but for Pete's sake, people, bend a little, will ya?

As in all stories, there's a happy ending, so that's nice, and we never hear from them again until the Christmas Reunion--also nice. Their relationship has stabilized by that point so they don't get on my nerves (much).

I had planned on listening to Dark Magic next, but I still remember the main points of the storyline, so I'm going to skip it.

Please, please, hold back your applause, you're scaring the cats.

I give this story TWO STARS.

The Vampire Kitty-Cat Chronicles

The Vampire Kitty-Cat Chronicles by Ray Rhamey

The Vampire Kitty-cat Chronicles turns vampire mythology on its head when Patch, a calico tomcat, is turned into breakfast--and a vampire kitty-cat--by a starving vampire. Narrated by Patch in a deliciously snarky cat take on the world, Patch struggles to find a new life, as it were. In the process, he's almost skewered with a stake by a mob with blazing torches, tried for murder, nearly crunched by a seven-foot undead guy, just about shotgunned into undead pieces, comes inches from having his tail cut off and seconds from being fried by the sun, and kidnapped twice. Oh, yeah, and turned into a (shudder) politician. On the other paw, he does hook up with that sweet Siamese, and it looks like he's on the way to winning that election . . .

--The Vampire Kitty-Cat Chronicles by Ray Rhamey, Copyright © December 7, 2009 by Flogging the Quill LLC


My Review:

It is rare that I will start a book and not finish it.

This, unfortunately, was one of those books.

The Vampire Kitty-Cat Chronicles is an excellently written satire of the standard vampire novel, told from the unique perspective of a male calico named Patch. Patch and his human, another recently-turned vampire named Meg decide to run for city council in an effort to bring about equal representation for vampires under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Coming out as vampires in a city that’s not prepared to accept bloodsuckers in their midst leads Patch and Meg down a wild roller-coaster ride straight to the poll booth.

However, I feel some of the farcical elements of the story negatively impact the narration. For example, the ad agency named “Dewey, Fakem and Howe,” the Reverend “Pat Bobson” and “Daddy Greenbanks” are funny names, but they don’t fit the satirical structure of the story. Running across those names was like hitting a speed bump on the highway. If I was an agent or editor looking to take this story on, I would insist those items be changed before publishing.

There is some slapstick-style humor, which usually doesn’t amuse me, and several characters go from heroic to villainous or vice versa, giving a chaotic feel to the story. The pacing was very fast, with very few pauses to give the reader time to catch their breath before we’re off and running again through another crisis situation that Patch or Meg has gotten into. By page 100 I was exhausted and fed up. I skipped through the rest of the story to see how things turned out, then gratefully closed the book.


Based on the accolades listed at the beginning of the book, The Vampire Kitty-Cat Chronicles has its share of loyal fans, so if you’re interested in giving this story a try, go for it. Personally, I’m glad I received an electronic Advance Reader Copy from the author because I would hate to have wasted my money.


I give this story TWO STARS.

Black Hills

Black Hills by Nora Roberts

A summer at his grandparents' South Dakota ranch is not eleven-year-old Cooper Sullivan's idea of a good time. But things are a bit more bearable now that he's discovered the neighbor girl, Lil Chance, and her homemade batting cage. Each year, with Coop's annual summer visit, their friendship deepens from innocent games to stolen kisses, but there is one shared experience that will forever haunt them: the terrifying discovery of a hiker's body.

As the seasons change and the years roll by, Lil remains steadfast to her aspiration of becoming a wildlife biologist and protecting her family land, while Coop struggles with his father's demand that he attend law school and join the family firm. Twelve years after they last walked together hand in hand, fate has brought them back to the Black Hills when the people and things they hold dear need them most..

--Black Hills by Nora Roberts, Published 2009 by Putnam Books. Audio book produced by Brilliance Audio.


My Synopsis:

In 1989, Cooper Sullivan is sent to spend the summer with his grandparents in South Dakota while his parents go on a “second honeymoon,” a term Coop knows really means “last ditch effort to save the marriage before we file for divorce.” He’s determined not to like it, but then he meets Lil Chance, the daughter of neighboring ranchers. Over dinner, Coop discovers he and Lil share a love for baseball and the foundation for a future romance is laid.

Fast forward 9-10 years and Coop and Lil are all grow up, and ready to start building that romance that has time to form over their many summers together. Their romance is cut short when they discover the murdered body of a young woman.

Coop returns to New York, drops out of college, and enrolls in the police academy. Lil enters college and begins her studies. Though Coop comes back to the Black Hills from time to time, they never seem to connect as Lil alternately avoids him or is away on study trips.

Fast forward again and Lil Chance is now Doctor Lillian Chance, owner and operator of Chance Wildlife Rescue and Cooper has left New York to run his grandparent’s horse farm. Their break up years earlier had not been amicable and Lil is determined to show Coop that she’s moved on with her life and can do just fine without him, thank you very much. But Coop is also determined to show Lil that they have a future together. If only dead bodies didn’t keep popping up to ruin the mood.

My Review:

Often romance novels are referred to as “formula,” meaning there’s a formula or recipe to follow when writing one. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Stir vigorously, pour into a greased and floured pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. The steps to the formula can take other views (girl meets boy, girl falls in love, angry parents tear them apart, boy and girl resolve family feud and get back together—you get the picture), but at its core, it’s the same basic story.

When this book was released last year, I was not interested in buying it. Normally, I’m eager to snatch up Nora Roberts’ latest releases and read them as soon as possible. This one, for some reason, I decided to pass on even though I own a copy of nearly every novel she’s written (including the old Silhouettes!). When I read the novel description on the flyleaf, I just knew I wasn’t going to get a whole lot of enjoyment out of it. Turns out, I was right.

I normally stay away from abridged audio novels because I like to listen to the entire story, not someone-else’s chopped up version. This story was much easier to tolerate, I think, because it was abridged. I didn’t have to sit through long scene descriptions or filler paragraphs that lend little to the story.

If you’ve never read Nora Roberts or have only read a couple of her stand-alone novels (those that are not part of a trilogy or series), then you may well enjoy this story. If you’ve read a lot of her books and are unsure of reading this one, skip it. It is a quintessential Nora novel, with nothing new or revolutionary to make it an interesting read.

I give this story TWO STARS.

Now, lest you think I hate Nora Roberts, I don’t. I love her series novels and when the third book in the Bridal Quartet, Savor the Moment, comes out, I’ll be snatching up a copy of that book faster than you can blink and it will move to the very head of my book-reading queue. And I love a lot of her stand-alones as well. Three Fates and Remember When are in the top twenty-five list of my all-time favorite novels. Black Hills just didn’t do for me what these others did.