Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason

Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason

This novel starts with one of the best opening sentences ever: There is very little peace for a man with a body buried in his backyard.  It is a sentence that establishes the tone of the whole story.  Dear reader, you will not find peace until the very end.

Jason Getty buried a man at the back edge of his property.  He has his reasons.  Ever since the day he put that man in the ground he hasn’t been able to face a shovel, his shed or any gardening whatsoever.  Concerned that the neighbors may start getting upset over the state of his landscaping he hires a crew to tend the front and side yard.  To trim the bushes, mow and plant flowers in the flowerbeds.  Imagine his concern when the foreman comes to his front door ashen and shaking.  A human skull was unearthed in the flowerbed on the side of his house.  Imagine his greater concern when the police come and unearth ANOTHER skeleton in the flowerbed on the other side of his house.  And neither one of these corpses is the one he put in the ground.  One he doesn’t want anyone to find.

At turns, twisty, scary and just plain gross (trust me, one of the grossest scenes ever is in this book) it’s a thrilling mystery.  The author writes from various points of view including a dog.  And the dog is a good and believable dog that amazingly adds to the narrative.  I’m waiting for the author’s next book.

The Dinner by Herman Koch

The Dinner by Herman Koch

I finished this book a week ago and I’m still reeling.  It’s an intense character study and twisted morality play happening in the time it takes to enjoy (and I use that term extremely loosely) an expensive dinner.

Two couples are getting together to discuss their sons and what they have done.  I am not ruining anything by telling you that the two men at the table are brothers, sometimes at odds with one another, and this incident is no exception.  As to what the boys, these cousins, have done?  I’m not telling.  You don’t find out until about a third of the way in.  And I still can’t believe what they did! 

This book brings up all sorts of questions about parenting.  As a parent what can you forgive?  Are there instances where you do not protect your children?  What would you do to protect your children?  How far does that bond between parent and child go?  A disturbing look at parenthood.

The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne

The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne

Jonny Valentine is a smart and talented kid.  He knows all about markets and stage presence and marketing his image.  He’s on tour right now and his obsessions include: dreaming about hitting puberty (and what it’ll do to his voice), finally meeting his father and his favorite video game.  Jonny is only eleven and he is the current pop sensation with the tween set. 

This is a dark look at the entertainment industry especially when it comes to very young stars.  Jonny’s manager, also his mother, is a caring mom, a sympathetic woman and a witch in high heels depending on when you meet her.  This complex relationship between boy and mom, and star and boss, is a complex one that the author attempts to address.  But how do you keep an eleven year old boy from being a kid?  Can you?  Should you?  Makes you think what young stars are facing off stage.

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman

Nora Hamilton awakens on a cold wintry morning in the small Northern Adirondack village of Wedeskyull and knows something is wrong.  Her husband is not in bed beside her and he did not wake her even though he knew she had an important meeting that morning.  She hears a noise in the attic and goes to investigate.  Her husband has hung himself.

Why did this well liked police officer kill himself?  How did Nora not know that her husband was so troubled?  How well did she know the man she married?  Why does it seem that no one wants her to find answers?

If you are a fan of mysteries, especially those set in small towns, you will find a lot to like here.  Make sure you cozy up with some hot chocolate because the author does a really good job conveying how bone chilling the weather in upstate New York can be.

Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner

Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner

The Denbe family vanishes without a trace.  Evidence shows that Justin, Libby and their daughter Ashlyn were forcibly abducted from their brownstone in a wealthy Boston neighborhood.  No one heard or saw anything.  Tessa Leoni, former state trooper, now corporate investigator, is hired by Denbe Construction to find the Denbe family.  Why was the family taken?  Is it a kidnapping?  If so, where is the ransom demand?

Once again Gardner does not disappoint.  A fast paced edge of your seat thrill ride.  Wonderful on audiobook.

Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey

Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey

Life is pretty good in the silo as long as everyone follows the rules.  Thousands of people live there, in harmony, underground, with a slight view at the top of the outside world.  However, there are things that may not be said.  Things that can not be wished.  Never ask to leave.  If you do, you may be sent outside.

I can’t say too much about this book except to say that it was gripping, well-written and mind boggling.  I couldn’t put it down.  The author reveals more and more about the silo, its creation and its mission, in very small doses, enough to keep you guessing and completely intrigued.

Originally self-published in five installments I am thrilled that I waited to read them all at once.  I would have been devastated to get to part three or four and had to have waited for more!  This is definitely an author to watch.

Now You See Her by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Now You See Her by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Jeanine was having great fun in Key West on Spring Break when her life fell apart.  Catching her boyfriend making out with her best friend she leaves her hotel, steals her (soon to be ex-) boyfriend’s sports car, and takes off.  Still a little drunk after partying with her (former) friends, she manages to swerve to avoid hitting a dog, but instead hits and kills the dog’s owner.  That’s when the cop shows up.  Jeanine is thinking she’s off to jail for sure, but sparks fly between her and Peter, the cop who volunteers to make everything better.  That’s when things start really going wrong for Jeanine.

Sometimes I want a book I can listen to in a week.  Most audiobooks seem to be over fifteen hours long lately, so I reached for James Patterson since his books are typically short.  This one, coming in at six disks and 7.5 hours, was supposed to last me a week of driving.  It was so good that I kept bringing the disks inside to listen to and finished the book in three days.  If you like thrillers Patterson seems to be a great bet on audio. (This one in particular, the voice narration was wonderful and the sound effects were quite cool too.)

Out of the Dark by David Weber

Out of the Dark by David Weber

The Hegemony, a galactic entity overseeing all the technologically advanced member species, decided to visit earth a long time ago.  What they witnessed left them shocked and dismayed.  They didn’t see us humans at our best.  They happened to stumble across one of the bloodiest battles in our history – Agincourt.  Now, almost a thousand years later a member of the Hegemony, the Shongairi, return to Earth.  Instead of seeing how we’ve advanced, they decide in light of what was witnessed before that we don’t deserve another look see, instead they decide to take us over to become a client (read: slave) race.  Needless to say they have greatly underestimated the human race.

The story mostly deals with the human offensive in North America, especially North Carolina, and Romania.  The Shongairi, what Americans derisively call puppies, have never met with much resistance, nevermind human weaponry.  For those who love Tom Clancy and knowing all about weaponry types and bullet calibers as well as fans of human will triumphing over all.  Great on audio, the reader really keeps you engaged.  And I won’t say who ultimately comes to humankind’s rescue.  You’ll have to read it to find out.

The Fear Index by Robert Harris

The Fear Index by Robert Harris

Dr. Alex Hoffman once worked for CERN, creating an AI, but his project was ended.  Wanting to keep working on his project in some way he creates an AI which can predict movements in the financial markets.  His hedge fund, run by VIXAL his AI/algorithm, has made his clients, and himself and his employees, billions.  The fourth version of VIXAL has just gone online and it seems to be working better than ever, but something isn’t right.  It seems to be doing things out of the ordinary, could it be thinking on its own?

If you have any knowledge of how the stock market works you will really appreciate the research behind this novel and probably be more frightened of the plot than someone (like myself) with only cursory knowledge of hedge funds and the VIX.  (For those who don’t know, the VIX is also known as the Fear Index.)

Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa

Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa

I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of short stories, but there are short story collections on every best of 2013 list I've seen.  It seems like 2013 will be the year of the short story.   So I’m trying to learn to like the form, and I found a winner in this one.

Alone, each story is an interesting glimpse into a life; together, these stories weave an intricate web of connections between events and people that can’t be seen unless glimpsed from a distance.  As the title states, these are dark stories.  All of them leave you feeling a little unbalanced or uncomfortable.  (Especially the story about the woman commissioning a bag to hold her heart since she was born with her heart on the outside.)   Decidedly Japanese, lending an otherworldly feel of a different perspective and culture to the oddness going on, these stories are for those who want something different that can be enjoyed in one sitting.

Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher

There aren’t too many science fiction romances out there but Fisher has blended the two genres wonderfully. 

Elizabeth Cole is a psychologist traveling from Earth to another planet, Ardagh 1, to help colonists adapt to the Ghost Protocol.  Whenever a colonist arrives on Ardagh 1 a few hours later a “ghost” appears.  This is a flesh and blood entity that resembles someone the colonist had a bond with who has died.   Resemblance is not a strong enough term; the ghost basically is that person with their feelings, memories and mannerisms.  The Ghost Protocol was set up to protect the mental health of the colonists.  Colonists and ghosts are not allowed to communicate which is difficult since the ghosts need to always be within a certain distance of their colonist or suffer unbearable pain.  Elizabeth arrives on Ardagh 1 and is given an introductory tour by Murphy who, besides being her new supervisor, is also a man she met on a guided tour in Ireland many years before.  Upon entering the facility where they are to work together all sorts of alarms sound.  That’s when it’s discovered that Elizabeth is Murphy’s new ghost – she died in a tragic shuttle accident hours before.

The psychology of the forced non-interaction and the effects on both colonists and ghosts is an interesting study.  And the chemistry between Murphy and Elizabeth is spot on, with steamy scenes throughout the story.  A romance, psychological study and battle for planetary control – what else could you ask for?