Rules of Prey by John Sandford

I have only ever read one other book by this author and to say I was disenchanted by it would be an understatement. That first experience with Sandford caused me to approach this one with tempered enthusiasm but I was pleasantly surprised. There was, of course, the redundant, ever-present, rich, sex-hound, playboy main character but the mystery was fairly gripping which helped make up for the obnoxious character creations. There are some intimate moments with the psycho of the hour which were a little too much for my sensitive side sometimes but despite that, more than once I found myself standing in the middle of the room with my mouth hanging open listening to the story unravel. 


You will find an official plot line description at: 
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37301.Rules_of_Prey

The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

This book was a nice change from the norm. I enjoyed the bizarre and witty story line and I always love British authors.  What I loved most about this author was her uncanny ability to amuse in one breath and wrench your heart in the next. This book is about love in all of its forms and stages. The love of a widow, a parent, a long-married couple. The loneliness of a single, the thrill of a new relationship, the attachment to a family pet. Every type of scenario fostered by the heart makes an appearance and then the characters are brilliantly woven together using the readers laughter and tears to connect them with the thread of their common residence and veritable humanity.
You can find an official plot line description at:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8777432-the-tower-the-zoo-and-the-tortoise

Pursuit by Thomas Perry

I didn't really read this book, I would say I endured it. This one had the distinct feeling of a suspense/psychological thriller relayed in deadpan. Droning on and on and then the conclusion wraps everything up neat as pin in less than a chapter. I found myself wondering at what stage in his career the author was in when he produced this. There were moments when you could tell he thought he was on a roll in a descriptive sense. He carries on about the look of a person or a street and then the 'but I digress' is nearly audible. The moral of the story: when you create a good sentence or a great paragraph it must also be relevant, otherwise it's really not that wonderful after all.


You will find an official description of the plot line at:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2971066.Pursuit

The Last Assassin by Barry Eisler

This book was a good one for audio. Of course it's the middle of a series- which I seem to do a lot, but it didn't affect my enjoyment of it. I love a good international spy story and this one had all the elements: a brooding hero, beautiful women, cool spy gadgetry, and the unexpected voice of reason from a spy-friend. I wouldn't say this added anything to my overall intellectual worth but it certainly made folding laundry and mopping more interesting!


You can find a plot line description at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1131592.The_Last_Assassin

A Darkness More Than Night (Harry Bosch #7) by Michael Connelly

This is one of the better installments in the Harry Bosch series. I liked reading a story about Bosch from another character's point of view. It was an interesting vantage point. I didn't like Terry McCaleb in the position of main character as much as I like Harry though. Something about Terry's penchant toward entitlement irked me. 
One thing that struck me about this one is that I rarely find things I want to remember or quotes I want to reflect on in Connelly's novels but this one had two that stood out: (and these aren't verbatim) 
1. When they took out your heart they didn't take out what makes you tick. 
2. ....sitting there throwing silence at one another. 


There's food for thought- how many times have you used silence as an object to throw at an opponent?  Hmmmmm... 


You will find a description of the plot line of this book at: 
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76867.A_Darkness_More_Than_Night

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

Angry Housewives is one of my all-time favorites. It has made the short list of books I can recommend without thinking about it. If you ask me, "What should I read?" my follow-up will be, "If you haven't read The Help, The Hunger Games, or Angry Housewives, start there." You will love these women and wish fervently for a group like that on your street.

You can find a description of the plot line of this book at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16249.Angry_Housewives_Eating_Bon_Bons