Book ~ "Passion, Betrayal And Killer Highlights" (2006) Kyra Davis

From Goodreads ~ Sophie Katz has just offered a man $12,000 for his services ... is she desperate or just meshugeneh?

Considering the kind of disasters that usually befall the half-black, half-Jewish mystery writer, probably both. Because the last time Sophie saw sexy P.I. Anatoly Darinsky, he practically danced a jig when she waved goodbye ... a normal reaction for a man who'd nearly bought the farm trying to protect her from her own foolishness. What are the chances he'd agree to take incriminating pictures of her sister's philandering husband? Or that he'd let her tag along ... you know… for research?

But when her brother-in-law turns up dead and her sister becomes the prime suspect, Sophie's priority is finding the real killer. With or without Anatoly's help. Her brother-in-law's secret life yields plenty of suspects but the San Francisco police aren't taking any of them seriously. So Sophie does what comes naturally to her: she stirs up trouble (to lure the killer out, of course).

But if her crazy plan works, will Anatoly be there to protect her this  time?

Sophie Katz is a mystery writer who lives with Mr. Katz, her cat with lot of personality. Leah is her sister and Bob, Leah's husband, told her he was leaving her for a younger woman. Leah enjoys her role as a wife and a mother and is determined to fight for him. When Leah arrives home later that day, she finds Bob murdered and their house trashed a bit. 

Leah immediately turns to Sophie ... Sophie, in turn, hires PI Anatoly to investigate and find out who murdered Bob since Leah is the number one suspect. Sophie and Anatoly have a history ... because of her, he'd gotten shot and arrested (in the first book) ... but he takes the job. As Sophie and Anatoly start digging, they discover that Bob not only had one girlfriend on the side but a few more. Did one of them get jealous enough to kill him?

This is the second in the Sophie Katz Murder Mystery Series (there are seven books in the series and I read the first one earlier this week). It is written in first person perspective in Sophie's voice. It was published in 2006 so is a bit dated with references to floppy disks and an address book that you actually write names, address and phone numbers (and cross them out when they move!). As a head's up, there is a lot of swearing and adult activity.

I liked it enough to move on to the next book in the series. 

Book ~ "Rascal" (2006) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Lizzie and Charles Peterson love dogs, especially puppies. So it is perfect that the Petersons are a foster family for young dogs. They will adopt a pet of their own one day but now they are happy to help puppies find just the right home. 

The Petersons' newest foster puppy is Rascal. He is a Jack Russell terrier and his name fits him well. He may be small but he can cause big trouble. Lizzie and Charles are in for a challenge. Will they be able to find someone who will care for this pesky little puppy?

Charles and his older sister, Lizzie, are in elementary school. They have been bugging their parents to get a dog but their mom is a cat person and has said no. She agrees to let them foster dogs so they can see what it's like having the responsibility of having a dog. 

Their mother's co-worker arrives one day with Rascal, a Jack Russell terrier puppy. She has three young children and Rascal is way too hyper for their family. She knows the Petersons foster dogs and is hoping they will be able to find a home for him. Realizing Rascal needs more training than they can provide, Lizzie and Charles take Rascal to puppy training classes. Adding to Lizzie's stress is her friend trying to entice her to go horseback riding but she's afraid of horses.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There is a learning experience and a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Rascal's point of view. It is the fourth in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Snowball" (2006) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson are very good with puppies. They want one of their own but their mom isn't ready for them to have one full time. For now, they help take care of puppies that need to find a new home. They are a foster family for young dogs.

The Peterson kids hear about Snowball. Someone left the fluffy puppy all alone at a gas station in a tattered, old box. Snowball is sick and hungry. He needs a family of his own. Can Charles and Lizzy find one that is just right?

Charles is in grade two and Lizzie is in grade four. They have been bugging their parents to get a dog but their mom is a cat person and has said no. She agrees to let them foster dogs so they can see what it's like having the responsibility of having a dog. Their father gets a call that a Westie puppy was left at a gas station and needs a home. Charles and Lizzie are allowed to foster the dog, who they name Snowball, but they discover that Westies need a lot of attention and supervision and happily they find the perfect home for him.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There are lessons included in the story like teaching a dog commands and tricks and there is a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Snowball's point of view. It is the second in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series, and works as a stand alone.

Book ~ "Goldie" (2006) Ellen Miles

From Goodreads ~ Charles and Lizzie Peterson love puppies. They want a puppy of their own more than just about anything. They know dogs are a lot of work. But their mom still doesn't think their family is ready for a puppy.

Then Goldie arrives. She is a sweet golden retriever who needs a home. Goldie is very young. She doesn't know how to be a good puppy yet. Will Charles and Lizzie be able to help her?

Charles is in grade two and Lizzie is in grade four. Their father is a fireman and he is called out in the middle of the night because of a fire. When he gets home the next morning, he has a golden retriever puppy named Goldie. Charles and Lizzy have been bugging their parents to get a dog but their mom is a cat person and has said no. She agrees to let them foster Goldie so they can see what it's like having the responsibility of having a dog. This makes them excited but sad that they'll have to find a home for her.

Though this book is a quick read and directed at elementary-aged children, I found it entertaining. There are lessons included in the story like socializing and housetraining a dog and there is a puppy tip at the end. It is written in third person perspective and first person from Goldie's point of view. It is the first in the Puppy Place series, which currently has 64 books in the series.

Book ~ "Blue Christmas" (2006) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ It's the week before Christmas and antiques dealer Weezie Foley is in a frenzy to do up her shop for the Savannah historical district window decorating contest - which she intends to win. She throws herself into putting up a Graceland/Blue Christmas motif, with lots of tinsel, an aluminum tree, and all kinds of tacky retro stuff. The project takes up so much time that Weezie is ready to shoot herself with her glue gun by the time she's done, but the results are stunning. She's sure she's one-upped the owners of the trendy shop around the corner. But suddenly, things go missing from Weezie's display, and there seems to be a mysterious midnight visitor to her shop.

Still, Weezie has high hopes for the holiday - maybe in the form of an engagement ring from her chef boyfriend. But Daniel, always moody at the holidays, seems more distant than usual.

Throw in Weezie's decidedly odd family, a 1950s Christmas tree pin, and even a little help from the King himself, and maybe there will be a pocketful of miracles for Weezie this Christmas eve. 

Weezie is an antiques pickers.  She has been dating Daniel, a chef, for a while.  Weezie love love loves Christmas and Daniel does not but he doesn't want to talk about why.  There is a contest to decorate store fronts and Weezie is determines to win and picks the theme of a blue Christmas for hers.

In the meantime, funny things are happening to Weezie.  When her dog, Jethro, get loose, someone returns him.  Food is stolen from her fridge in her kitchen.  Someone is leaving her gifts in her truck.  A woman is seen sleeping in her store display.

This is the fifth book I've read by this author (it is the third in the Weezie and BeBe Mystery Series ... I read the first couple in the last week) and I liked it ... it was a light read.  It works well as a stand alone and you don't have to read the first ones to know what's going on (the focus is more on Weezie in this one).  I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective in Weezie's voice.  There are recipes included at the end of the book.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I look forward to reading authors by this author.

Book ~ "Savannah Breeze" (2006) Mary Kay Andrews

From Goodreads ~ Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk loses all her worldly possessions thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an “investment counselor” who turns out to be a con man. All that’s left is a ramshackle 1950s motor court on Tybee Island - an eccentric beach town that calls itself a drinking village with a fishing problem.

Breeze Inn is a place where the very classy BeBe wouldn’t normally be caught dead but, with no alternative, she moves into the manager’s unit, vowing to make magic out of mud. The work is grueling, especially dealing with the cantankerous caretaker, a fishing captain named Harry who’s trying to earn enough dough to get his boat out of hock. With the help of Harry and BeBe’s junking friend, Weezie, she soon has the motel spiffed up and attracting paying guests.

Then there’s a sighting of Reddy in Fort Lauderdale, and BeBe decides to go after him. She puts together a posse, and with the irrepressible Granddaddy Loudermilk snoring in the backseat of the Buick, heads south. The plan is to carry out a sting that may be just a little bit outside the law but that, with any luck at all, will retrieve BeBe’s fortune and put the dastardly Reddy in jail where he belongs. And maybe Harry, who’s looking more hunky every day, will finally get his boat back.

BeBe is a successful businesswoman, owning an upscale restaurant and some rental properties in Savannah.  She's busy enough as it is but then her grandmother gets sick and lands in the hospital, leaving Bebe's grandfather alone to take care of himself.  Bebe is stressed out and being pulled in so many directions when she meets Reddy.  He takes a lot of pressure off her by taking on some of her responsibilities.

Then Bebe discovers Reddy has stolen everything (apparently legally) from her ... she loses her house (and all it's contents including her clothes, jewelry, etc.), her rental properties, her bank account and even her grandparents' investments.  All she has left is a rundown motel outside the city, which she hadn't even bought.  With nowhere else to go, she moves into the motel.  There she meets Harry, the manager of the motel, who seems just as raggedy and worn out as the motel.  To earn a living until she figures things out, she renovates the motel as cheaply and creatively (thanks to her best friend, Weezie, an antiques picker) as possible with the eventual goal of selling it to a condo developer who wants it for the land.

Bebe is determined to find Reddy and make him pay for what he's done to her.  She wants revenge and her money and stuff back.

This is the fourth book I've read by this author (it is the second in the Weezie and BeBe Mystery Series ... I read the first one last week) and I liked it.  It works well as a stand alone and you don't have to read the first one to know what's going on (the focus is more on Bebe in this one than Weezie).  I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective in Bebe and Weezie's voice.  There are recipes included at the end of the book.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I found the characters likable ... Bebe's grandparents, especially her grandfather, are a hoot.  I found it hard believe, though, that a businesswoman as successful as Bebe would allow herself to be cleaned out as she had.  Yes, she was under enormous pressure but I doubt anyone would have been as trusting as she was with Reddy, a fella she had just randomly met.  But I let it go and went with the story.

I look forward to reading the next one in this series.

Book ~ "Beading Basics" (2006) Carole Rodgers

From Goodreads ~ Discover the basics of beading and beyond!

If you've been tempted by the beauty of beaded jewelry and home decorating pieces, but second guessed your abilities to learn the skills needed to create such tantalizing works, fear no more! 

"Beading Basics" reveals all that's necessary for creating everything from a simple single-strand necklace to a more intricate netting stitch woven wind bottle covers.

I recently found a couple cheap beaded anklets I'd bought about 20 years ago.  I'd forgotten all about them so started wearing them again.  But the clasps are broken and the strings are stretched so I wanted to repair them and figured I could do it.  I decided to put them them on an elastic string to remove the need for the clasps.  When I took one apart, I discovered the flowers are done in a daisy chain, rather than being a whole bead.  So that started my quest to learn how to do a daisy chain.  And that's what brought me to this book.

Daisy chain - Source

Plus I think I'd like to work with beads ... nothing fancy or flashy, just fun stuff.  Last week, I'd picked up a package of letters and a spool of elastic string and made this bracelet:

The chapters in this book are:

1. Getting started - beads and supplies/tools
2. Tips and techniques
3. Design principles and colour theory
4. Projects - there are 40 projects including bracelets, earrings, necklaces, wine rings, lampshades, etc. along with pictures

For the most part, I found the instructions in this book fairly easy and there are lots of how-to illustrations.  I think they will make more sense once I actually try them.  Some of the projects were too fancy/flashy for me but I got some ideas on some fun things I'd like to try.

The good news, though, is that I now know how to do a daisy chain!  Mission accomplished!

Book ~ "Sudden Death" (2006) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ First at the crime scene, Andy Carpenter wishes he never saw the folded torso with the large red stain on its back. The victim is Troy Preston, wide receiver for the New York Jets, and the suspect is Kenny Schilling, the New York Giants’ star running back who is clamoring for Andy’s services. The upcoming high-profile murder case will be the benchwarming Andy’s chance to get back into the legal game. It will also prove a handy distraction from the awful possibility that Laurie Collins - the private investigator and living creature Andy adores most next to Tara, his cherished golden retriever - is about to leave Paterson forever. 

 Digging into the case, Andy stumbles onto some of the seamier undercurrents rushing beneath the large-guy camaraderie, big-buck cushiness and bone-mashing fun that is pro football. And he discovers that Preston’s death is similar to a series of other mysterious murders - all seemingly unrelated yet connected by a horrible secret from many years ago. Despite the crushing evidence, Andy begins to believe in his client’s innocence. 

 But when danger finds someone close to him, the unperturbed defender knows he’s attracted the attention of a powerful enemy - one who will do anything to take Andy permanently off the field…

A football player is found murdered and the suspect, Kenny, is asking for Andy.  Andy gathers his team together to start defending Kenny.  Was Troy killed because of a drug deal gone bad?  Or did it have something to do with a secret pact that Kenny, Troy and others made when they were in high school?

In the meantime, Hollywood wants to make a movie of Willie's story (he spent seven years in prison and was on death's row for a murder he didn't commit until Andy won his freedom in a retrial).  Adam, a writer, is assigned to shadow Andy to get the background story.  Andy's investigator and girlfriend, Laurie, went home for a high school reunion.  She came back homesick and with a job offer and is considering moving home.  Andy doesn't want her to go and it's breaking his heart.

This is the fourth book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style as it was funny, sarcastic and amusing.  It was written in first person perspective in Andy's voice.  It is the fourth in the Andy Carpenter series (and the fourth I've read) and it works as a stand alone (so you don't need to have read the first one to know what is going on).

I like Andy.  He's smart and shifty and recognizes his weaknesses.  He loves his dog, Tara, and thinks she's the most wonderful dog in the whole wide world.   In addition to Laurie, Andy's team is made up of Kevin, his associate who also owns/runs a laundramat, and Marcus, an investigator with persuasive reasoning skills.  He calls in favours from his friends, Vince, the editor of the local newspaper, and Pete, a local police officer.

Book ~ "The 6th Target" (2006) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ When a horrifying attack leaves one of the four members of the Women's Murder Club struggling for her life, the others fight to keep a madman behind bars before anyone else is hurt. 

And Lindsay Boxer and her new partner in the San Francisco police department run flat-out to stop a series of kidnappings that has electrified the city: children are being plucked off the streets together with their nannies - but the kidnappers aren't demanding ransom. Amid uncertainty and rising panic, Lindsay juggles the possibility of a new love with an unsolvable investigation, and the knowledge that one member of the club could be on the brink of death. 

And just when everything appears momentarily under control, the case takes a terrifying turn, putting an entire city in lethal danger. Lindsay must make a choice she never dreamed she'd face - with no certainty that either outcome has more than a prayer of success. 

Lindsay, Claire, Cindy and Yuki form the Women's Murder Club.  There was a lot going on in this book!  Fred was on a ferry and listened the voice in his head that told him to kill ... so he opened fire, killing some.  One of the people shot was Claire.  Lindsay is one of the officers assigned to this case along with her new partner, Rich.  Fred is captured and goes to trial with Yuki, another in the club, as the prosecutor.  I found this storyline a bit farfetched.

Cindy has moved and there are scary things happening in her building ... animals and people are getting killed.  This is another of Lindsay's cases.

Lindsay's third case is that of a kidnapped little girl.  As Lindsay investigates, she discovers that this isn't their first time a child has been kidnapped and disappeared so she has to figure out what the pattern is.

This is the sixth in the Women's Murder Club series (and the seventh one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I didn't like Lindsay much in this book.  She is tired of her long distance relationship with Joe, who is a deputy director for Homeland Security.  Even though she breaks up with him, she's surprised when he doesn't call.  Yet when he does show that he's trying to change his life to be with her, she's not very nice to him or appreciative of what he is trying to do so they can be together.

I thought this book was okay and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "The 5th Horseman" (2006) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ It is a wild race against time as Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer and the newest member of the Women's Murder Club, attorney Yuki Castellano, lead an investigation into a string of mysterious patient deaths - and reveal a hospital administration determined to shield its reputation at all costs. 

And while the hospital wages an explosive court battle that grips the entire nation, the Women's Murder Club hunts for a merciless killer among its esteemed medical staff. 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.

Lindsay is a police lieutenant in San Francisco.  Young dead well-dressed girls start being found in fancy cars around the city.  Her department is strapped for resources and everyone is working extra hard to find the killer(s).

Yuki was Lindsay's lawyer and has become a friend and the latest member of the Women's Murder Club.  Her mother, Keiko, has a stroke and is taken to the hospital.  Despite being told that she was getting better, Keiko suddenly dies.  Yuki discovers that the hospital where her mother had been taken is being taken to court because there have been many mysterious deaths of patients in the last three years.  Lindsay stumbles onto the case because she discovers that the dead patients were found with buttons on their eyes.

This is the fifth in the Women's Murder Club series (and the sixth one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  This book was less about the Women's Murder Club, though ... the focuses were on Lindsay and Yuki. Cindy and Claire popped up occasionally.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I found the two storylines interesting but it felt like I was reading two different books because there was no connection.  I found it odd that 32 people had mysteriously died in three years and were found with buttons on their eyes yet the head of the hospital didn't think it was bizarre enough to tell the police.  Another thing I found strange is one of the characters gets on a plane with a gash in their head and their face bruised and bloodied.  Wouldn't Security at an airport stop and report them or take them to a hospital?

The whodunnits are exposed throughout the book (the last reveal comes very quickly at the end).  I would have liked more explanation as to why the killers did what they did.

I liked this book and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "Dirty Sweet: A Mystery" (2006) John McFetridge

From Goodreads ~ In the middle of the afternoon on a busy downtown Toronto street a man is shot in the head behind the wheel of his SUV. The killer drives away before the light changes. It could be road rage or it could be a random act of violence. 

It could be but it isn’t. What it is, is opportunity.  For everyone involved. 

The witness, Roxanne Keyes, a real estate agent trying desperately to lease out space in unwanted office space, recognizes the killer - a man who had once looked to rent with her. She figures with this kind of leverage he’ll be a lot more interested now. Except he’s Boris Suliemanov, a Russian mobster in the strip club business, who’s now busy taking out competitors and expanding into drugs and grand theft auto. 

Then there’s Vince Fournier, a cool guy with a mysterious past who might be able to help Roxanne deal with Boris if he gets what he wants. He rents space in her building for his internet porn company but he’s looking for a little more from her. And finally, the homicide squad cops can see their own opportunities in the brazen daytime murder.

Roxanne is having a coffee at Starbucks when she witnesses a murder right front of her.  Roxanne recognizes the driver of the getaway car but when the police question her, she doesn't tell them.  Instead she figures she will use it to her advantage ... Boris, the driver, had been interested in renting office space from her recently and maybe this will convince him to do it.

In the meantime, Roxanne starts dating one of her tenants, Vince, who owns an online porn company.  Together they approach Boris with a proposition which hopefully he can't refuse.

I loved that this book was set in Toronto and didn't try to hide it.  The murder took place at the Starbucks on King Street W.  Roxanne sat on the patio of the Wheat Sheaf drinking a Keith's beer (great patio and great wings).  Stolen cars were loaded onto tankers off Cherry Street, just past the former Docks entertainment centre.  Boris owned a strip club out by Pearson Airport.  Roxanne and Boris have drinks at the Drake, which is in my 'hood.  I've been to the Lion on the Beach pub (now the Stone Lion).

This is the first book I've read by this author, who lives in Toronto.  I really wanted to like it as I enjoy mysteries/suspense and I did for a while.  But I found that the writing could have been tighter and that it dragged with too many mindless conversations.  I didn't like any of the characters so didn't care what happened to them.  By the end of the book, I was bored and just wanted to finish it.  As a head's up, the language is for mature readers and there are adult situations.

I won't be rushing to read more by this author ... just not my style, I guess.

Book ~ "Toronto Sketches 9: The Way We Were" (2006) Mike Filey

From Goodreads ~ Mike Filey's column "The Way We Were" first appeared in the Toronto Sunday Sun not long after the first edition of the paper hit the newsstands and front porches on September 16, 1973. Since that day more than three decades ago, Mike's column has enjoyed an uninterrupted stretch as one of the paper's most popular features. 

In 1992, a number of his columns were reprinted in "Toronto Sketches: The Way We Were" by Dundurn Press. Since then another seven volumes of Toronto Sketches have been published, each of which has attained great success both with Toronto book buyers and with former Torontonians wishing to relive an earlier, gentler time in the city's past.

Mike Filey had a column in the Toronto Sun for about 30 years and I read it for many years (I like learning about the history of Toronto) ... this book is a compilation of some of his columns.

In this book, we learn about the plans to connect the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to the city (tunnels, bridge, landfill and even a cable car), Summerhill train station (now a liquor store), subways and streetcars, fires, Maple Leaf Gardens (now a grocery store), gas stations and more.

He also talked about the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, in our 'hood, which has changed since the book was written.

Throughout the years there have been numerous name changes - the Toronto Lunatic Asylum, the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, "999 Queen Street" and the Queen Street Mental Health Centre. The site was a Provincial Psychiatric Hospital operated by the Government of Ontario until 1998 when the Provincial Psychiatric Hospitals began to be transformed into public hospitals. In the last few years, there has been a redevelopment of the site, an integrated and mixed-use urban village.

John Howard's "Provincial Lunatic Asylum" in the 19th century

Late 1950s

June 2012

June 2012

June 2012

Even though the book was published in 2006, it was still an interesting book because it dealt with many historical events in Toronto. If you live in Toronto or are from Toronto, you should check it out.

Book ~ "Faces on Places: A Grotesque Tour of Toronto" (2006) Terry Murray

From Indigo.ca ~ Faces on Places takes us into the fascinating world of mythical and historical persons and icons that have been watching over Toronto and its inhabitants for centuries.

If you look up with author Terry Murray, you'll see beyond glass and steel and stone to spy Gargoyles, Griffins, Dragons, Angels, Portraits of Important Personages (and Caricatures of those same folk). Murray has photographed over sixty Toronto buildings, interviewed architects, stone carvers, and building occupants, and scoured archives for original architectural plans, to discover who these creatures are, and why they exist.

Faces on Places is organized by type of sculpture, and contains street addresses and maps for suggested walking tours. It is an elegant and reliable guide to the city's most silent and intriguing citizens.

Gord and I had done the Faces on Places Walking Tour — Gargoyles and Other Architectural Ornaments during Doors Open last month. We really enjoyed it. We are both into history and it gave us a chance to practice taking pictures.

Our guide was Terry Murray, author of this book.

This book is organized by chapters focusing on gargoyles, griffins, dragons, angels, etc. There is history of the sculptures, architects and buildings and stories to go along with them.

There is a map in the back along with a legend so you can go and see these crazy creatures for yourself. And with the book in hand, that's exactly what I'd like to do!

Book ~ "Kidnapped" (2006) Jan Burke

From Amazon ~ Sociopathic killer Cleo Smith has just murdered a graphic artist, Richard Fletcher, who was a member of a large, bizarre California family, but Smith's motive for the killing remains obscure. Five years later, Fletcher's adopted son was wrongfully convicted of the crime and is in prison, and Burke's resourceful and compassionate reporter heroine, Irene Kelly, has written a story about missing children that has prompted a host of inquiries from desperate relatives who have lost their own children. When more bodies turn up and further clues point to involvement of Fletcher family members, Kelly, aided by her police detective husband, Frank Harriman, puts her life on the line to exonerate the innocent prisoner and uncover the disturbing secrets at the heart of the Fletcher clan.

This is the tenth book in the series of eleven (as of 2011) ... I'm rereading the series.

As with most in this series, I find that there are way too many characters and I have a hard time keeping them straight. This one was especially tricky because there were so many in the Fletcher family. A family tree would have been helpful.

Ethan from the last book is still staying with Irene and Frank recovering ... he had such a inconsequential role that I wondered why he was even in it.

There were a few twists that I found a bit hard to believe but they had to happen to tie everything in, I guess.

I usually find kids in books annoying but the ones in this one weren't.

All in all, it was a good story ... it wasn't until about halfway through the book, though, that once I could remember who was who that I got into it more.

Book ~ "Cooking Up Murder" (2006) - Miranda Bliss

From Amazon ~ Annie and Eve are lifelong best friends who have absolutely nothing in common - except a lack of skill in the kitchen. So when they sign up for a cooking class at the local gourmet shop, they figure the only things at risk are a few innocent fruits and vegetables. But on the first night, Annie and Eve see their fellow student Beyla arguing with a man - a man who later turns up dead in the parking lot. Now the friends feel bound to uncover whatever secrets she's hiding, before someone else's goose - perhaps one of their own - gets cooked.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.

The premise is kind of silly. Annie works as a teller in a bank and Eve works in a department store. They come across this predicament and decide to solve the mystery.

But I enjoyed the writing style ... it's casual and funny. Definitely light reading if that's what you are looking for.

It's the first in a series and I look forward to reading the others.

Book ~ "Journeys into the Unknown: Mysterious Canadian Encounters with the Paranormal" (2006) Richard Palmisano

From Amazon ~ This fascinating and bloodcurdling book takes the reader through a collection of amazing ghost stories and paranormal investigations across Ontario that have never before been reported. The circumstances behind fifteen unusual cases of hauntings and ghostly manifestations are explored together with the detailed sagas of full-scale investigations into six further spooky inexplicables occurring in or near Toronto.

The book concludes with a look into a complete investigation of a haunting, including a guide that explains the techniques used to conduct a paranormal investigation. The final section that explains the theories behind what a ghost is, how they manifest, and where they hide - challenging the classic theories of life-after-death research. So turn on all the lights, keep your back to the wall, and be prepared to take a journey into the reality of the unexplained.

Interesting stories of hauntings in Toronto and Ontario.

The first chapter has stories of hauntings that had been reported. I enjoyed the second chapter more because not only were they stories of hauntings but they were investigated.

It would have been nice if the author had been able to research the background of the properties to report who the spirits were rather than just having a medium say it who they were.

Do you believe in spirits?

Book ~ "The Camel Club" (2006) David Baldacci

From Amazon ~ The Camel Club, a four-man group of Washington, D.C., misfits (their leader has taken the ironic pseudonym "Oliver Stone") gathers every week to discuss political conspiracies they believe exist and what actions they might take. One night, while meeting on Roosevelt Island in the middle of the Potomac River, club members witness the murder of Secret Service employee Patrick Johnson, thus thrusting the wacky crew into the middle of a bigger conspiracy than they could ever have imagined. There are scores of characters and subplots to keep track of while the story veers back and forth between venues and villains, forcing readers to remain alert yet patient while awaiting the high-concept payoff. When it finally appears, it's a doozy: kidnappers who harm no one and are reasonable people with a legitimate gripe bring the U.S. to the verge of nuking Damascus. Baldacci maintains interest during the long buildup by supplying fascinating historical facts, amusing characters, high-tech spy lore and the backstories of his super agents, both good and evil.

This is the first in the Camel Club series. I read the third book, Stone Cold, in November and enjoyed it.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. The story was interesting, though convoluted and too detailed.

There are a lot of characters to keep track off. Most disappear way before the end.

One thing that annoyed me was what seemed like hundreds of acronyms of American government agencies that were used ... I couldn't keep them straight so gave up trying to.

Also, there was a lot of useless detailed information. For example, Reuben and Oliver are driving by the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial and Reuben spent a paragraph or two explaining how it had been originally misnamed. It played no part in the story so who cares? And I didn't need two pages detailing how a missile worked. You are going to fire a missile and it would kill six million people ... that's all I needed to know. Cut out this kind of padding and the book could have been shortened by about 100 pages.

Book ~ "Calamity Jayne" (2006) Kathleen Bacus

From Amazon ~ Everything Tressa Jayne Turner does quickly morphs into disaster. Having been fired from almost every job in Knoxville, Iowa, she is finally holding down two dead-end positions, but she still manages to get into trouble when she accidentally takes someone else's car from a dark store parking lot and discovers that the trunk holds a stash of money and the corpse of a sleazy local attorney. By the time the law shows up, body and cash are gone. With Tressa's reputation, no one believes her story, not even her love-hate interest, a ranger named Rick. But Rick's crafty grandfather knows something's up, and he eagerly signs on as Tressa's sleuthing buddy. Eventually, Tressa's tale gains credibility as the killer decides to come after her, too. Dumb blond jokes aimed at Tressa are peppered throughout the book, but in the end, the "dumb blond" gets the last laugh. Fans of Janet Evanovich will be glad to see that you don't always have to go to the burgh for mirthful murder and mayhem.

I like mysteries with entertaining comical writing so I had high hopes for this book.

The above description implies that it will appeal to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum fans. I like that series ... this is a Stephanie Plum wannabe.

I really wanted to like this book. The author tried hard to be funny and sarcastic ... but I found at times that she tried too hard. She did a lot (a lot!!) of comparing. Here are some examples so you know what I mean ...

• It would be all over town quicker than the flu after Christmas vacation.
• The police were moving slower than the line at the drive-up bank on a sweltering Friday afternoon at quitting time
• The police had rejected my theory faster than Darva Conger rejected her who-wants-to-marry-a-millionaire.

These are some examples just over a couple pages. It happened all the time and I found this writing style annoying.

I liked Tressa but thought she got away with a lot in her desire to solve this mystery. The interactions between her and "Ranger Rick", her potential love interest, were really juvenile (they are in their 20s). I liked Gramma and Grandpa Joe, though.

Despite all this, I kept reading.

Then I got to the ending, which I didn't buy ... I kinda went "huh ... are you serious?" So after all that, I was let down by the ending.

I won't be rushing out to read any more in this series.

Book ~ "Water for Elephants" (2006) Sara Gruen

From SaraGruen.com ~ As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.

It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

I had started reading this book a couple years ago. I couldn't get into it and gave up after a couple chapters.

I recently picked it up again and enjoyed it. I guess I was in a different frame of mind than before. I found the story moved along at a quick pace and it kept my interest. I cared about the characters.

I found the history of the circus interesting. I'm so glad I wasn't around in those days and had to endure what they did.

My only problem with this book was the amount of abuse of animals, especially with Rosie the elephant. I know it was a key to the story but it was hard to read.

The movie version with Robert Pattison, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz (I bet he'll be fabulous as August) is coming out in a couple weeks. I'm not sure whether I'll go see it because of the animal abuse.

Book ~ "Last Stop Sunnyside" (2006) Pat Capponi

From HarperCollins ~ This is Pat Capponi’s world. No tourist on the mean streets of Toronto’s once prosperous Parkdale neighbourhood, Capponi—a psychiatric survivor who has chronicled her experiences in several bestselling non-fiction titles—has lived there. Now, in this compelling debut novel, Capponi turns her authentic voice and imagination to a gripping murder mystery.

Dana Leoni is Capponi’s heroine, a traumatized woman who has retreated from life to a rough rooming house. Surrounded by the marginalized and the mad, she is devastated when one of her housemates turns up dead. When, despite the disappearance of another neighbourhood woman, the police reach a dead end, Dana and her rag-tag posse of housemates—inspired by the novels of Janet Evanovich—decide to go detective and take matters into their own hands. The result is a terrific mystery read, peopled with authentic characters and evocative in its gritty portrayal of a world few of us know. Infused with compassion and wit, Last Stop Sunnyside marks the beginning of a bound-for-bestseller series.

I met Capponi once, back in the late 1990s. I volunteered at the Gerstein Centre for a couple years and there was a four week training period. Capponi was one of the guest speakers during the training. She was an excellent honest speaker and that prompted me to read her memoirs, Upstairs in the Crazy House and Dispatches from the Poverty Line, at that time.

This was her first fiction book (there's sequel that follows). It takes place in my 'hood and it was interesting to read some history of the area.

The characters are very true to life with some of the residents in the 'hood. They live in the rooming house and have nothing but each other. When one disappears and turns up dead, they band together to find out what happened when the police deem it to be a suicide.

Despite the topic and characters, it's not a heavy read and I'd recommend it.