A Review of "Until Proven Guilty" [54]

Until Proven Guilty by J.A.Jance
Harper, ISBN 978-00619519
December 29, 2009,  336 Pages

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"The little girl was a treasure who should have been cherished, not murdered. She was only five-too young to die-and Homicide Detective J.P. Beaumont of the Seattle Police Department isn′t going to rest until her killer pays dearly. But Beaumont′s own obsessions and demons could prove dangerous companions in a murky world of blind faith and religious fanaticism. And he is about to find out that he himself is the target of a twisted passion . . . and a love that can kill."

Awhile ago, I read the most recent book, the 20th, in the J.P.Beaumont and enjoyed it a good deal. So when I saw a really good deal on this book, the first in the series, 99 cents on Barnes an Noble for a Nookbook, I could not pass it up. Well, the results were mixed.

I liked the character of Beau in both books and we get, in this first book, to learn a good bit about his backstory. The problem is that this particular part of his backstory is quite bizarre. The first part, where the body of a young girl is found and police start their investigation, starting with the fundamentalist cult her mom is a part of, is good. We meet his new partner, Ron Peters, a guy that has his own trouble past, some other officers and the oh so sleazy newspaper man Maxwell Cole. Since Beau does not own a car, we also get an interesting walking tour of Seattle. I will admit that maybe one other reason I like this series is the northwest setting. Rainy day are always a plus in my book.

But then, at the girl's funeral, we meet the Woman in Red, Anne Corley in her red dress, with her red Porsche,  it is love at first sight and things take a huge turn for the improbable. You know what your mom said...if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Well, I guess Beau's mom never mentioned that to  him. Where there is smoke, there is fire..love is blind...so may cliches come to mind.

It is not a bad book, but honestly, if this was the first in the series that I read it may have been my last. Good characters...no doubt, one of the strengths of the series...a great setting, love that rain!...and a totally unbelievable plot. I will say that the ending wrapped everything up nicely and set up the future of the series nicely, but you have to hang on to get there.

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A Review of "A Hard Death" [53]

A Hard Death: A Novel by Jonathan Hayes
Harper, ISBN 978-0061691768
April 12, 2011, 432 pages

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When disgraced pathologist Dr. Edward Jenner loses his medical license in his home of NYC, he is happy to receive the invitation from his old mentor to fill in during his vacation. The pay in Port Fontaine, Florida might not be much, but it's something. That is until he called to the site of a body found out in the glades, a body that appears to have been tortured before his death..and it turn out to be that same mentor, Dr. Martin Roburn. Things get even worse when he is called to another murder, in fact four decomposing bodies, of Mexican migrant workers, tied up in the trees on an island deep in the swamp, and there are signs the murders may be connected.

Before you can jump in the airboat, we are in the middle of a fast paced thriller involving drug cartels, the very wealthy local country club set, child sex trade, and a sick and violent conspiracy that will go to the very heart of the community. It soon becomes apparent to Jenner that there may be very few people he can trust and it will be a race to see who will get taken down first, them or him.

Jenner is a classic flawed, troubled hero, yet smart and with a deep sense of justice. Perhaps to fully understand him you should read the author's first book, Precious Blood, that had Jenner in NYC pursuing a serial killer. I didn't, but I think we receive enough information in this book for that not to be an issue.
Jenner, like so many of these flawed fellows. has a bad habit of going after the wrong woman, in this case a local rich girl, Maggie Craine. Her scene with her father by the pool was truly creepy and will leave you considering taking a shower. Meanwhile there is that nice park ranger Deb, who our good doc seems to ignore again and again. Will these guys never learn? But Jenner is not above talking on some danger, even the female variety, for a good cause.
A fast paced, totally entertaining thriller, as hot and dangerous as the steamy Everglade setting.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Wordless Wednesday...Ancient Ruins at Ephesus

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The Library of Celsus

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Swoosh..the Goddess Nike

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...as always, for more Wordless Wednesday, check these out.

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A Review of "The Burning"[52]

The Burning by Jane Casey
Minotaur, ISBN 978-0312614171
336 pages, August 30, 2011

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A serial killer is loose, terrorizing the women of London. There have been have been four victims so far, the women beat to death and then set on fire. The police have few clues, are being pressure to make an arrest by the public and the press.
And now there is a fifth victim!
Or is there?

On the surface, when the body of Rebecca Haworth, terribly burned. her scull crushed, is found, everyone assumes it is the work of the killer the papers have dubbed "The Burning Man". But DC Maeve Kerrigan is not totally convinced. There are a few inconsistencies from the other killings and she is afraid that they might have a copycat on their hands. A young woman in a mostly male police unit, her instincts are mostly dismissed by her colleagues, but her boss gives her the chance to investigate the fifth killing independently and see whether it is the work of their serial killer or not.
The story is told in alternating chapters told from the point of view of Maeve and Louise North, a barrister and Rebecca's best friend since college in Oxford. It is these two characters especially who are, to my mind the real strength of the story. 

Maeve is a great character and I can only hope that we will see more of her in the future. She is smart and funny, adept at handling the often sexist remarks of her fellow cops and used to being underestimate...well, until she solves the crime. This is very much a psychological mystery where the interest is learning about the characters and gradually learning their stories, including that of the victim Rebecca. On the surface, she seemed the perfect golden girl, successful, beautiful and popular, but let's say looks can be deceiving.And that deception may be the key to her death.

I had a small issue or two with the book. I like a mystery that plays fair, that is, gives you the information that would be required to figure it out and that was not totally true in this case. Some facts that the police had access to are not shared with us until near the last part of the book. Also, I think the story lagged a bit in the center, but a quite satisfying ending made me forget all about that.  This is the kind of book where you sort of miss the characters when the last page is turned, even one who turned out to have so many evil layers that you have no business feeling for them..but I did.
A good, solid, well written police procedural that I can certainly recommend

This book will be published August 30th.

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My thanks to Library Thing Early Reviewers and the publisher for an Advanced Review Copy of this book.

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Musing Monday..."Big As Trees...Brains Like Peas"

Another Monday, another question from the desk of MizB at Should Be Reading...

This week’s musing asks…

Do you like looking at other people’s bookshelves?

Oh, if only I could!
But to tell you the truth, I can't say I really know many people with bookcases of lovely books to peruse.
Or if they do, maybe they are not letting me into their houses! Gosh, I never considered that...

Seriously, we readers must remember we are in a minority book-wise. I won't quote those terrible statistics again. They are too depressing. But know that most people to not read books, yet alone own enough to fill a bookcase. Our worry about what to do with all our books, the decision whether to part with some or squeeze another bookcase into our house somewhere or live with the random piles doting the landscape is not an issue most people face.
Sad but true.

I think a bookcase can tell you a lot about a person. First, of course, that they own enough books to fill it up, already a wonderful thing! Another reader, one of the rare breed! But also you can see what sorts of books they love, especially what books they care enough about to keep. And then, how do they organize them? By subject, alphabetically, by color..or not at all. I think it is telling and interesting. And so much fun!

Now, one person who I know who reads as much as me, my sister-in-law, has no book cases full of books. It never really occurred to be before, but how can this be? I loan her a fair number of books and when she is done with them, they will sit in a box waiting for me to take them back. She seems to be the odd book lover that has no desire to actually keep any of the books she reads, something I can not relate to. And of course, she was the first person I know to get an e-reader, an Evil Kindle.I guess she can hand you her Kindle so you can look at what she owns,but really, is that in any way a similar experience?

OK, I have backed away, a bit, from my dismissive hatred of e-readers but that raises another issue. When all the books are digital, where will those lovely bookcases be found? Sure, you can make cyber book shelves, like the ones on Library Thing and Goodreads, but come on, it is not the same. No old book smell, no beautiful spines all lined up perfectly. You can't pick one up, feel the weigh of it, open it to read a page or two, getting lost, for just a moment, in another world...awww...wonderful.

Yeah, I know. I am a dinosaur.
A dinosaur who needs to build some more bookshelves.
And I am fine with that.

Weekend Cooking...A Toast!

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I am not much of a drinker, especially for someone who grew up spending a lot of time in a bar. My family owned a bar in Newark NJ, which was a bit of an adventure. From the time that I was six, until my mom sold the place when I was in my early 20s, I probably spent part of every day there.
Well, except for those summer in Atlantic City that I know I have talked about!

Maybe that is part of why I am not a drinker.
All I know is one drink and I am acting silly.
Two and I am falling asleep.

But this week I had a drink or two and did not cook a thing, so I though I might share my most recent beverage of choice this week.
"Drambuie (pronounced /dræmˈbjuːi/ or /dræmˈbuːi/) is a honey- and herb-flavoured golden liqueur made from aged malt whisky, heather honey and a secret blend of herbs and spices. The flavour suggests saffron, honey, anise, nutmeg and herbs."

It is very much like Irish Mist, another liqueur you have probably never heard of. Again, herbs and spices, honey and, in this case, Irish whiskey rather than Scotch whiskey like Drambuie. Both are rather strong, about 80 proof and a little sweet. I am sure those herbs and spices are in there, but don't get the idea that it has a herby taste, because it does not. Now, to my taste, Drambuie is a bit smoother and a little sweeter than Irish Mist, which is why I like it.

You can drink it straight up, in a sniffer, as I did. Or you can have it on ice as I suspect Bandit would prefer. And it makes a fine ingredient for a number of mixed drinks, one of which I will share. It is made with Ginger Beer, which is not to be confused with Ginger Ale. It is an alcohol free soft drink, but with a spicy, pronounced ginger taste. If you like ginger, you will like ginger beer and with Drambuie, it make a pleasant, refreshing drink.

"A combination of Drambuie and ginger beer, each a fantastic compliment to the other; simplicity that satisfies."

The Jamaican Nail

2 oz Drambuie
6 oz Ginger Beer

Instructions:
- fill highball or tall glass with cracked ice
- pour in the Drambuie
- pour in the Ginger Beer
- stir gently (do not shake)
- add a wedge of lime for garnish

Ok, I made the one pictures in a short glass and cut the ingredients in half, but it is 9 a.m. in the morning! :-)

Now, the toast!

To my Aunt Grace, who died last Sunday.
Her death, as sad as it is, was not a surprise. She had been sick for quite awhile, on dialysis for a couple of years, on hospice care for the last few months. And I am thankful that she able to stay in her home and died peacefully in her sleep, sitting in her recliner chair. She had talked that last Friday with my brother about the possibility of stopping her dialysis, that she was so tired, and I am glad she did not have to make that decision.

But she knew the end was near I think.
She had already planned her funeral.
That same Friday, just two days before the end, she sat at her computer desk and wrote out her obituary. Then she wrote a list of people she wanted called to tell of her death. And when I went over on Monday to pick something to her to be dressed in at her funeral, there was a new, fitted navy jacket hanging on her closet door, as if waiting for me.
She was my mother's sister, the last of the six siblings, 85 years old.
She was born in Atlantic City, moving to Florida when she married and lived there about half her life, returning back north after her husband died. They had no children but is survived by a good number of loving nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and a great-great nephew.

So, I raise my glass to you Aunt Grace!

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

May the Angels lead her into Paradise. 

May the Martyrs receive her at her coming 
and take her to Jerusalem, the Holy City. 

May the Choirs of the Angels receive her, 
and may she, with the once poor Lazarus, 
have rest everlasting. Amen.  

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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Wordless Wednesday...Mary's House in Ephesus

We are sailing back to Turkey, to the City of Ephesus, famous for two things, the ancient ruins and the house in which Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her last years om earth. 

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...as always, for more Wordless Wednesday, check these out.

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A Review of "Spycatcher" [51]

Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn
William Morrow, ISBN 978-0062037671
August 9, 2011, 432 pages

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It comes to the attention of MI5 and the CIA that the new Evil Empire, Iran, is planning a massive attack on either England or the USA. The Iranian agent in charge must be found and the plot stopped, or thousands will die. To find him, the two governments turn to Will Cochrane, code name Spartan. He is the only person who has ever successfully completed a super secret training mission to earn this title and, along with a small number of US special forces men, heads off to cities throughout Europe and the US chasing, down the monster who would set off this terrible act and, he hopes, set off a world war.

OK, I did not like this book for so many reasons.
They fooled me. I read the description that said that because this was written by an actual former MI5 agent, that this book would portray a realistic view of spy work. Well, in that the whole middle of the book was boring and repetitious, that may be true. Get on a plane...fly to another city...chase a bunch of bad guys, kill bad guys...off to another city..
Oh, but that brings up another issue. In everyone of these incidents, Will seems to get injured. There are the three bullets to his stomach that opens the book, then the gunshot to his shoulder in another fights and the knife sized shards of glass in his legs. I could go on. But not to worry! Those three shots. One day in a secret medical facility and Will is good enough to get on a plane and start his new mission. True, he did feel a bit sick..after three bullets to his stomach! That bullet to the shoulder, which at first renders his arm useless...a soldier takes it out, after it bounces off his bone...and he is right as rain. Shards of glass in your legs. No problem, never mentioned again. It seems he has extraordinary healing powers...OK...

Except for a handful of lead characters, everyone is about as deep as a one line description, as thin as cardboard. The dialogue is wooden and unrealistic. Will's talks with his CIA handler are so unrealistic, so flowery, that they belong in a bad romance moves..and I mean bad. I can see the guy reading this, because I assume the target audience for a spy thriller like this is largely men, throwing the book across the room at this point.
Sadly, I could go on. Bad plot, bad dialogue, unrealistic or cardboard characters.
At best, if I had to describe this book in one word, it would be amateurish . 

I finished the book, sort of. Big skimming, because I was a bit curious how it would end. I should not have bothered.
Usually, I would not have reviewed the book because of that.
Then why am I this time?
Well, I see this book getting a lot of publicity, a lot of ad space. I have seem written, in a few places, that the publisher sees this as the first in a series starring Will Cochrane. If so, you might foresee that I will not be reading those. But you, my dear reader may see it out there, with the push it is getting and may be tempted to buy it with your hard earned money. I must suggest that you do not.
Ignore the blurb on the cover from Lee Child, an author I respect and enjoy, that calls this "one of the year's best thriller debuts". And ignore the author's interview on Amazon by Jeffrey Deaver.
Really guys..really..did you read the same book? I really have to wonder. I must say, I am not trusting your opinion anymore.
Note to self. Ignore blurbs.

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This copy was provided by the publisher for review.

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Musing Monday...Sitting By The Dock of The Bay..

This week’s musing asks…from Miz B at Should Be Reading

If you were (are) going on vacation, what books would you take with you?

I have said this before, to the disbelief of many readers, that I don't really read when I am on vacation.

Yes, I usually take a book or two with me, but it is not unusual to return having never opened them. What would I take? Most likely what I happened to be reading at the moment, so long as it was not too dull or too big. A tidy trade paperback or two would be nice.
Then I will place them in my suitcase, quite likely never to be touched again.

Why is this?
Why is it that I don't go to work without a book or two in my bag and yet can be gone for a week or two with nothing to read?
Well, part of it may be the sort of vacation that I usually take.
I don't want to sit on the beach, catching the rays, for hours on end. I have very fair skin and burn very easily. I am not sitting in an Adirondack chair on a porch or by the side of a lake. No, as lazy as I am...and I am quite a lazy person...when I am on vacation I want to be going places, seeing things, doing stuff!

A road trip is an idea vacation in my mind. Up early in the morning, going places, seeing the sights all day, until late into the evening, when at best I may read at a few brochures that I picked up before I fall into a sound sleep.

Have I ever mentioned that I love to see visit Giant Things?
One of my favorites is the world's largest basket, at the Longaberger headquarters in Newark, Ohio. Actually they have two there. A real giant basket and a giant basket shaped building. I drove hours out of my way to get there and it was totally worth it!
But there are so many still out there. The World's Largest Paint Can, in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and the World's Largest Rocking Chair, Belton, South Carolina...and somewhere a Giant Ball of Twine.
And let us not forget my local favorite, a Giant Elephant.
So many Giant things, so little time.

Now, if you are observant, you may say, 'But hey! You went on a cruise recently. Certainly you brought several books on a two week cruise?"
Well, yes and no. I meant too. I took along my Nook, but due to some technical difficulties (read 'I am an idiot.') my Nook was unreadable. But there was a library, quite a nice library, on the quite nice ship. So I checked out some books and placed them on my bedside table.
But there was not a great deal of free time. Almost every day we were at a new port, many with very early disembarkation times. And even when on the ship, there were lectures and cooking demonstrations and meal venues to plan and the pools and..BINGO!
So yes, I took out a couple of books out and over the period of two weeks I read.. One Book.

The worse part it that is probably the most I have ever read on a vacation!

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Weekend Cooking... Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Lemon Garlic Sauce

I love shrimp.
I like them steamed in some Old Bay, I like them fried, I like them in a Creole sauce. I like them 'nekked', just boiled and served with more cocktail sauce with extra horseradish.
But it is summer and we are trying to take the heat outside, so how about the grill?
But there are a few issues with shrimp on the barbie. Shrimp cook very quickly, so how do we get a little charcoal taste on the little sucker in that brief time with overcooking them? Well, my friends at America's Test Kitchen, Cooks Illustrated, have a few ideas that this recipe includes, a recipe that I have been making for years.

First, you put the shrimp on skewers and push them closely together. That lets you leave them on the girl for a little longer without overcooking them. You also rub them with a little oil and put a tiny sprinkle of sugar on one side to promote some caramelization..which add a nice taste. Do not worry, you will not taste the sugar at all, it is such a tiny bit.
And then, finally, you take them off the grill when they are barely cooked and finish them in the garlic, butter, lemon sauce, leaving them moist and tasty.

Charcoal Grilled Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds of extra large shrimp, peeled and   deveined

1/4 tsp. sugar

salt and pepper
1 tsp. oil

1 recipe Spicy Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Three 14 inch metal skewers

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp onto skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails so that they are closely pushed together. Brush each side with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side of the shrimp with sugar.

Light large charcoal chimney with about 6 qts. of charcoal and allow to burn until fully ignited and covered with a thin layer of ash. Empty into grill, placing all the coals on one side and leaving the other side empty. Place the disposable pan with the sauce over the hot side and cook as directed, then move to cooler side.

Place skewers with shrimp on hot side, sugared side down, and be sure the shrimp are closely pushed together. Cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip, cooking other side 1-2 minutes.

Using an oven mitt, pick up each skewer and using tongs, slide the shrimp off the skewer and into the pan containing the sauce. Toss and cook until fully cooked, about 30 seconds.

Remove from grill, add parsley,toss and serve.

Spicy Lemon-Garlic Sauce

(enough for 1 ½ lbs. shrimp)

4 Tbs. unsalted butter

4 Tbs. juice from two lemons

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes.

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. salt

disposable aluminum pan

1/3 cup chopped parsley

Put butter, juice, red pepper and garlic in the pan and place on the hot side of the grill, cooking until butter is melted and bubbly. Move to cooler side. When shrimp are grilled, place in the hot sauce and continue to cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from grill, add parsley, toss, remove from sauce and serve.

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This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

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A Review of "The Keeper of Lost Causes" [50]

The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Dutton Adult, ISBN 978-0525952480
400 pages, August 23, 2011

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I know what you are all looking for. Another new series to start!
Well, I have one for you and the good news is that it starts with a very good book. The even better news, for you TBR challenged, with piles of unread books, is that while this is the first in a multi-book series, this is the only one of Jussi Adler-Olsen's 4 books in the series that so far has been translated into English. So you have a bit of a breather.

As the book opens, we find a young woman being held captive in a locked room, in total darkness. At first, we have no idea who she is, where she is or how long she has been there. Soon, it will start to make sense. A very creepy, scary, sick sense.

We meet Carl Morck, a police detective with a very bad attitude. It seems that he was one of three detectives investigating a homicide who were attacked in an ambush. One was killed, the second left a quadriplegic and Carl, wounded, was left with terrible survivor guilt. He feel that somehow he should have been able to save his comrades and he is troubled that the case has yet to have been solved. He was never the most friendly or popular fellow, but now his terrible attitude is starting to cause some real problems with his fellow detectives. So his bosses come up with a unique solution. He will be promoted, put in charge of a new Department Q..a department that will consist of only himself and will be charged with investigating cold cases. In reality, his bosses will be content if he just sits in his windowless basement office, with a pile of forgotten files on his desk and do nothing..while they use the large large sum of money the government has given them for this department for other uses.

And so it might have gone if they had not decided to assign him a rather mysterious young Muslim man named Hafez el-Assad. OK, it was not their idea. Rather Carl finds out about the money and 'blackmails' his bosses into giving him an assistant.  Hafez's job is to clean up, set up equipment, make coffee and run errands, but it is soon apparent that he has other interests and other talents. When he starts to organize the files, it seems he can not help himself from reading them as well. Hafez may have a few secret talents in his own past too, one of which is finally forcing Carl into taking a look into one specific case.

Five years ago a talented and beautiful young woman politician disappeared. Did she fall off the ferry she was traveling on, did she kill herself or did someone, for some unknown reason abduct her? As Assad turns up interesting fact after interesting fact, Carl can not help but take an interest and be true to the excellent investigator he is, looking into the cold case.
Most people assume she is dead. Except as we know, from the descriptions of a woman being held captive, it seems that she may not be.

While I had a slight issue with a seemingly rather clunky translation, overall I though this was a very good book. The story is so goo that once you gat into it, any other small isuues will be forgotten. And yes, while I have no need for anymore series to read, I must say that I hope we will see some of Adler-Olsen's other books translated soon.
Carl is my favorite sort of detective, trouble and flawed but at heart a good man and a great investigator, with a dark sense of humor. And our victim, as we relive her experiences in a series of flashbacks is smart and clever and resourceful, trying her best to figure out her mysterious situation and save herself. She may go down, but it will not be without a fight. But maybe my favorite character is the mysterious Assad, a man who , no doubt, has an interesting past of his own to be discovered.

This is a very good book and I will anxiously be awaiting for future books in the series to make their way into the English market.
This book will be available August 23rd.

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My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review. 

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A Review of "The Silent Girl" [49]

The Silent Girl: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel by Tess Gerritsen
Ballantine Books, ISBN 978-0345515506
July 5, 2011, 336 pages

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"A perfect crime, thought Jane. Except for the fact there was a witness. A silent girl, huddled under the cellar steps."

The Boston tourists on the Chinatown Ghost Tour at first think it is just a very realistic fake hand, meant to scare them.
When they realize it is quite real, they are rightfully very scared indeed.

Boston police arrive in the person of Detective Jane Rizzoli and discover that the cleanly cut off hand in the alley goes along with the body on the rooftop. It is the body of a woman, totally dressed in black, missing one very cleanly cut off hand and a terrible wound to her neck, which almost totally removing her head in one clean cut. Soon police can not help but wonder if this crime is somehow connected to a horrific multi- murder/suicide that took place in this same building, in the ground floor restaurant, 19 years ago. Such thing are not easily forgotten in Chinatown and many believe the building is cursed.

One woman intimately related to that first crime is still living in Chinatown, a rather mysterious martial artist with a few secrets of her own. First, her daughter went missing, then her husband was killed in that restaurant crime and it seems that she may be the next victim of the evil that is still lurking from those many years ago.
When medical examiner Maura Isles discovers two strands of silver hair on the body, not human..or any animal they can identify ...some wonder if the fable of the heroic Money King, protecting the innocent, may not be a myth after all.

I am a great fan of Ms. Gerritsen and have read and enjoyed every one of her books, going all the way back to her first non-romance. I believe it was Harvest, in 1996.
While this is a very good book, and yes, I enjoyed it a good deal and would certainly recommend it to fans and new Gerritsen readers alike, I did have one fairly major issue with this latest in the Rizzoli/ Isles series. The problem is the interaction, or rather lack of interaction, between Rizzoli and Isles. Please, not that terrible interaction in the TNT series..No, I am not a fan of the TV show...but the interaction that was at the heart of the earlier books. The last book, Ice Cold, was all about Maura with a little dash of Jane, and this one is all Jane with a couple of scenes where Maura appears. OK, I see the new set up and I do not like it. The two of then, playing off each other, with all their differences and similarities, was part of why I like this series and with out it, they are less. In fact, what interaction they had in this book was quite hostile, for a reason I will let the reader discover, but which really seemed out of character for Jane in particular. I also dislike that it was left unresolved.

But, that being said, this is a very good book. I liked the setting, with a touch of myth and mystery, a background which Gerritsen says was a very special one for her.

"No novel I've ever written has been quite as personal as this one. The story was inspired by my mother's tales of growing up in China, tales of ghosts and mysterious martial arts masters and yes, the heroic Monkey King. So thank you, Mom, for introducing me to the wondrous world of Chinese fables."

Of course Jane..and yes, to a lesser degree Maura..are back along with favorites like Detective Frost, but we also meet a few other interesting characters like Iris Fang, Bella Li, and Johnny Tam. Can I wish that perhaps we will see Officer Tam again? I must say I missed seeing more of Jane's husband and daughter but well, I really like them and hope we will see more of them next time.

As always with Ms. Gerritsen, the book is excellently written. I actually had the chance to say to her once (I met her through a mutual friend) that she is honestly one of the few writers I have every read that actually gets better with each book and it is still true. Not to say that the early books were not good. If you are a fan and have not read them, I totally recommend that you go back and do so.
I must also say, I loved the ending in this book. Or should I say endings, because just when I thought it was all tied up, the author threw in another twist or two..something readers here may know that I love.

A strong recommendation.

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Wordless Wednesday...Mythological Delos

Greek mythology made it the birthplace of twin gods Apollo and Artemis. ...one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece. The excavations in the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean.

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The Lions of the Naxians

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Temple of Isis

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...as always, for more Wordless Wednesday, check these out.

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Happy Birthday Bandit

Yes, today is wee Bandit's 3rd Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Bandit!

Yesterday his mom made him some Birthday Cupcakes...blue because he is a boy, and we all sang "Happy Birthday".

He had a little help blowing out the candle because I think he was distracted by the smell of the icing.

I understand he is going to PetSmart to pick out a new toy for his gift!

Musing Monday...Like Ol' Blue Eyes Said..

Let's check out this weeks Musing Monday question, as always from MizB at Should Be Reading ... 

This week’s musing is about reading…blogs!

As a book blogger, does reading others’ blogs spark ideas for what to write on your own?

What does this question have to do with Old Blues Eyes, the Chairman of the Board, a good New Jersey boy, Frank Sinatra? Well like him, I think ever blogger has to be able to say "I did it my way".
OK, anyone else out there old enough to remember Frank, yet alone that song of his?
Maestro, cue the orchestra!

"For what is a man? What has he got?

If not himself - Then he has naught.

To say the things he truly feels

And not the words of one who kneels.

The record shows I took the blows

And did it my way.

Yes, it was my way"

OK, a bit dramatic, but you get the idea.

While I read a lot of other blogs, I can't say that I use them to find ideas for my own.
I am not sure that if I read something on another blog, something I had my own opinions on, that I would necessarily write about it. 
Of course, part of that is that lately I have sort of gotten out of the habit of writing many posts about bookish ideas or happening or even things in popular culture..well, except for my posts here on Musing Monday!
I did more so when my blog was younger and perhaps that was a good thing, something that I need to reconsider going back to. Actually, I always found those post very easy to write because I have a lot of opinions about just everything. But when I did, I rarely got the idea from a post on one of the blogs I read. They may have come from things I read online, but to take them from one of my regular reads would have been a bit like 'borrowing' too close to home.

I guess I have always seen my blog as being more about me than other people. On my, does that sound a bit self centered? Well, yes, maybe, because it is.
Yes, I want others to look my blog and enjoy it and hopefully add a bit of themselves in a comment. But my ultimate concern is creating something that I am happy with. I write about books that interest me, I post pictures on Wordless Wednesday that I love, and I write about things that capture my fancy. And then put it out there and hope that some other people find it interesting too.

That is the wonderful thing about blogs.
I read mostly bookish blogs...and yet every one..every one that I like and keep reading, is so different. Each has their own look, their own structure, their own slant. They review all different sorts of books, sometimes books I too love and am reading but often books that I would not normally pick up. If the blogger can convince me, by sharing their enthusiasm for it, that this is a book I need to checkout...well, I think that is fantastic! Even with a meme like Wordless Wednesday, that I take part in along with several hundreds of other bloggers, it is amazing how unique each entry is. Each is great and interesting in their own way, hopefully reflecting their author's taste and interests. Sure, some take part in some sort of Bookish Blog community events and that can, no doubt, be fun.
But I think the best way to create a real community is for each blogger to bring their own unique Voice to the mix.

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