Certain Prey by John Sandford

My second John Sandford read was another fast-paced adventure. Clara Rinker is a successful hit woman. Carmel Loan is a successful criminal defense lawyer. Carmel has fallen for a married man. Enter Clara, whom Carmel hires to dispense with the wife. One hit leads to another and another and another and another and another and another. (There may be more, but I lost count.) Will they ever clean up the mess they’ve made, or will Lucas Davenport stop them before dying himself . . . of boredom while serving on the Equality Commission?

I hate to say this, but Sandford makes murder sooo satisfying. I loved Clara, despised Carmel. My only problem was that Clara was so smart up to her involvement with Carmel. She got stupid and sloppy with Carmel. Still, the relationship that developed between the two women intrigued me. This Lucas Davenport story centers more on Clara and Carmel than Lucas. Fast-paced and fun. Three out of four bookworms.

Kell’s Creative Musings

I have a good friend who is absolutely the most talented person I know. Kelley has just started her own blog—Kell’s Creative Musings—which showcases her artwork and discusses inspiration, perspiration, and technique. Just when I think Kelley can’t surprise me anymore with her talent, she begins designing jewelry. I’m not even a jewelry person, but she’s hooked me. My daughter, who is a jewelry person, loves her work as much as I do.

Kelley is also a fabulous writer, as you’ll see from her blog. Learn more about her books and works-in-progress at Kell’s Creations.

Thomas Jefferson

Anyone know of a good book on Thomas Jefferson? I’m looking for something dealing with his beliefs and how they impacted his work on the constitution and his presidency. Something not too dry. There’s so much out there on him that I don’t know where to start.

Any direction would be welcomed!

Back to the Bedroom by Janet Evanovich

Before Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich wrote romances for the now defunct Loveswept line. None were as successful as the Plum series, but they’ve been recently reprinted by HarperTorch to take advantage of Evanovich’s fame and to give demanding Evanovich fans more Evanovich to read.

In Back to the Bedroom, divorcée Kate Finn and her new neighbor, David Dodd, meet when part of a helicopter falls through the roof of Kate’s house. Fortunately, David is an unemployed, nurturing, take charge kind of guy who not only puts Kate’s house back together, but her life as well. Back to the Bedroom is a fun read, showing flashes of the quirky characters and humor which Evanovich perfected in the Plum series--Finn’s new boarder, Elsie, and Plum’s grandma have a lot in common. The plot is simple, the conflict easily and quickly resolved as befits a short category romance, but the writing lifts it above the simple plot. Three out of four bookworms.

Shadow Prey by John Sandford

Thanks to my mother-in-law, I have discovered John Sandford’s Lucas Davenport series. My mother-in-law reads different types of books than I do, so reading her cast-offs is a great way for me to learn about authors I normally wouldn’t read. She introduced me to Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, which I love.

Shadow Prey is apparently the second Davenport book. Men across the United States are dying in what looks like ritual slayings. As Davenport soon learns, these killings are a statement. Two Mdewakanton Sioux, Aaron and Sam Crow, are protesting the treatment of Native Americans in the United States by ordering the killings of men known to prey on Native Americans. Their goal is to lure in bigger prey, a prominent politician with a penchant for underage girls. However, the Crows soon lose control of the protest when their son decides to help things along. Davenport loses control as well when the FBI becomes involved and really screws things up. In the end, law enforcement never truly understands what was going on, even after the killings stop. Fortunately, the reader gets both sides of the story. For this reason, I found myself rooting for the “villains” in this novel. I don’t know if I was supposed to root for them. Maybe this is a Sandford trademark. I suppose I’ll find out after reading more of his books. All in all, a fascinating read. Four out of four bookworms.

Stephanie Plum Rides Again

Can’t wait for the paperback release of Lean Mean Thirteen? Can’t wait until it hits the used book store? Can’t wait until your name pops up on the waiting list at your local library? Yesterday, I picked up the hardback at Target for $20.00 ($19.56) AND received a $5.00 Target gift card with my purchase, effectively bringing the price down to $15.00 ($14.56). Amazon.com has Lean Mean Thirteen for $16.77, a good deal if you buy enough ($25.00 in qualified purchases) to qualify for free shipping, but if you have to pay for shipping . . . . I also picked up the paperback of Twelve Sharp for $5.99, a two dollar discount. I’m sure that longtime Plum fans have already read the hardback of Twelve Sharp. But if you’ve just recently discovered this tenacious bond enforcement agent, this is a good deal on a new book.

I haven't read either, yet. I'm trying to save them for vacation. I love summer!!!

Hot Dish by Connie Brockway

Connie Brockway's first contemporary romance has a promising start. Jennifer Hallesby desperately wants to win the title of Buttercup Queen so she can get out of small town Fawn Creek, Minnesota and back to her home state of North Carolina to go to college. Unfortunately, a technicality brought to light by one of her high school rivals gets her disqualified. Still she must have her likeness sculpted in butter by Steve Jaax, an up and coming artist currently hiding from the law. The law catches up with Steve just as he hides the key to his best work (hidden in a mausoleum to escape the clutches of his soon-to-be ex-wife) in the butter sculpture of Jennifer. Steve goes to prison, gets out, and becomes a famous artist. Jennifer becomes even more determined to get out of Fawn Creek. Twenty years later, all of her dreams are coming true. She is set to become the next Martha Stewert when she is forced to return to Fawn Creek’s sesquicentennial celebration where she once again runs into Steve Jaax. Steve wants to retrieve the key from the butterhead which he thought had been destroyed 20 years ago. Jennifer just wants to get in and out of Fawn Creek with all of her secrets in tact. The story becomes a Keystone Cops plot of people trying to take possession of the butterhead anyway they can.

As with all Connie Brockway novels, I was immediately drawn into the story. However, with all of the back story, my interest waned as I read. Other than her writing style, I love the sensuous romance in Brockway’s novels. I found that sensuousness missing in this novel. I didn’t feel any connection or sexual tension with Jennifer and Steve. Their romance seemed incidental to the story. I also had some problems with the plot. At the end of the story, Jennifer is playing Texas Hold ‘Em in a poker tournament. We are aware that there are five kings in play, yet we don’t know who is cheating—Jennifer or her opponent. I assumed it was her opponent, but I don’t know for sure. Jennifer knows there are five kings in play, but we don’t get any indication from her that this is even an anomaly. Of course, everyone lives happily ever after, but I really didn’t care. I finished the book, but will stick with Connie Brockway’s historical romances from here on out. I hope she keeps writing them. I hate it when my favorite historical romance writers abandon historical romance for contemporary mainstream! Two out of four bookworms.

The Taming of the Duke by Eloisa James

Yes, I’ve been reading a lot of romance lately. I’ve been in the mood. The Taming of the Duke is another Essex sister romance, one I’ve been wanting to read so I could find out what happened to the Essex sisters' guardian, the Duke of Holbrook.

Imogen, Lady Maitland, has decided that she has mourned the death of her husband long enough. She is determined to have a very brief, very discreet affaire. She finds the perfect man in her guardian’s illegitimate brother, Gabe Spenser. Gabe has other ideas. So does Imogen’s guardian who has secretly carried a torch for Imogen since he first met her just weeks before she eloped with Draven Maitland. A comedy of disguised identities ensues. I like Eloisa James’s sensuous writing style and quick dialogue. Although I enjoyed this book, I had some problems with it. I found it difficult to believe that Imogen, the heroine, couldn’t tell the difference between Rafe (the Duke) and his brother, Gabe, when they decide to switch places. After several passionate encounters with the Duke posing as Gabe, she still doesn’t get hot and bothered by the Duke when he is himself. Wouldn’t she still feel the sexual attraction? The writing, as always, is excellent and James includes a secondary romance, two for the price of one. Three out of four bookworms.