Mysteries Galore.com

Reviewed by Cy Hilterman

In my opinion, Ron Goodreau has turned out the best first novel I have ever read. He has mixed so many intriguing stories and characters into this book but there is no doubt where you are while reading. Some authors don’t know when to stop introducing changing facets but Ron has worked it perfectly.

Bernard Harris was walking his dog in his quiet upscale California neighborhood when he heard a scream from a nearby house. As he got closer he heard shots fired followed by a noise like someone or something tumbling down the stairs. Then a loud noise came from the front door that sounded as though someone was trying to open the door but was having trouble in so doing. The door opened, out ran a man with a gun in his hand showing much surprise that someone was in the walkway blocking his escape. Harris carried an old police weapon called a sap, which was a hard object used in other times to persuade a victim to talk, but in this case Harris used it on the escaping mans head several times until he went down. The police came and arrested the man, Raheem Khan, not knowing what the fight or shooting was all about, only that there were victims in the house.

Detective Dale Cox was an old rugged cop that ran things by the seat-of-his-pants style. He arrived at the scene, got all the information he could from the first arrival cops, and from Mr. Harris. He was in charge and left no doubt regarding that fact. He spied a car in front of the house containing two men who he found out from the other cops were FBI, but they didn’t go into the house. The house was very mysterious with little or no furnishings, clothing, or any lived in look. What was this Khan fellow doing in the house, what were the dead men’s reasons for being there, and why the FBI guys outside? Before leaving the site, Cox went to the FBI agents car and discussed their part of this case. All they wanted at this time was for Cox and his bosses to cooperate with them in the case regardless of how it came out. Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Allen Hott

An intriguing spy novel that is as up to the minute as it could possibly be.

Muslim terrorists very cleverly manage to steal two nuclear missile type weapons from deep in the Russian’s arsenal. The manner in which it is pulled off is one of Berenson’s tricks in writing. Perhaps the method may seem a little implausible but if you really think about it, there is really little doubt that it couldn’t be done.

At about the same time as the above, John Wells and Jennifer Exley (his fiancée), two of the CIA’s top spies, are involved in a shootout with several foreign agents. This wild adventure takes place when the two are heading into work in Washington D.C. Only some quick thinking and fast acting by Wells keeps them from being killed although Jennifer suffers a very bad wound. In the shootout Wells kills all of the assailants and isn’t able to get any information about who paid for the attack. Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Julie Moderson

This novel by Laura Lippman is about relationships and how people see things from different perspectives. What one believes and what really happens may be two very different things.

The main character in the novel is Cassandra Fallows and she thinks that she has come up with an idea for her next best seller. She went to school with Calliope Jenkens who was hovering around Cassandra and her group of friends. She was an acquaintance, not a friend and it takes Cassandra awhile to figure that out. Calliope Jenkens went to jail for seven years for refusing to speak about what happened to her infant son. Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Vickie Dailey

The Color of Darkness is the 18th Alan Banks outing. The story starts out with a suicide that quickly turns into a murder/suicide, or does it? DI Annie Cabbot is called to the scene of an apparent suicide. When DI Cabbot goes to interview Mark Hardcastle’s co-workers, he is found to have a partner Laurence Silbert. Annie goes to question him, and finds him beaten to death in his posh home. Due to the second victims apparent wealth and prestige, DCI Alan Banks is called back from his vacation to handle the delicate situation. Turns out Silbert was also an operative for M16 which leads Banks to think that the crime could be government related. After this discovery, Banks’ superior nicely orders him to take the rest of his holiday. Of course, Banks uses his time to continuing investigating the crime on his own. Derek Wyman, Mark Hardcastle’s co-worker, is found to have a motive in professional jealously. Through PI Thomasina Savage, Banks finds out that Wyman hired her to follow Silbert. Incriminating photos are given to Harcastle by Wyman supposedly driving him to murder Silbert and then kill himself.
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Reviewed by Nancy Eaton

It is always a wonderful opportunity to review a book written by the team of Jefferson Bass because I know there will be a great read waiting for me. Their books have everything I could want in a book – suspense, a plot that just doesn’t quit and memorable characters.

In The Bone Thief, Dr. Bill Brockton has been called in to work on a case – one that would seem to be routine. The main purpose is to exhume the body and obtain DNA for a paternity test.

Dr. Brockton brings along Miranda, his graduate assistant . One of her duties is to run the Anthropology Department’s osteology laboratory (the bone lab). She also helps coordinate the body donation program.

Everything seems to be going according to plan until the coffin is opened. To everyone’s dismay, the body has missing limbs. How could this have happened? Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Patricia Reid

Jack Gannon is tough, stubborn and has the ability to see the facts that others miss. Jack is a reporter for The World Press Alliance and works out of the Manhattan office. Melody Lane of WPA hired Jack after he had broken a story that was high profile. Jack hasn’t had a good story since moving to New York and his colleagues at WPA whisper behind his back that his story was just a lucky break and he has no business in the big leagues.

When a bomb explodes in a Rio De Janeiro Café and two journalists working for WPA are killed Melody sends Jack to Brazil. The staff at WPA in Brazil resent Jack’s presence and would just as soon he return to New York. In spite of his less than warm welcome, Jack uncovers a clue that leads the investigation in an entirely different direction and sends Jack scurrying from one country to another to uncover the real story.

Meanwhile back in Big Cloud, Wyoming a young mother grieves for her husband who is killed in an automobile accident. The mother is told that her child died in the same accident but she knows in her heart that her child is alive. Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Cheryl Masciarelli

How does one pink stuffed dog called Fred, and owned by four-year old Sadie Walsh, entwine three (3) families that are relatively unknown to each other? What is it about Sadie’s favorite toy that leads to multiple murders, both young and older?

Byron Gregson, investigative reporter, is being chased through the streets of New York. Byron knows what they want and it is a USB. This USB contains information that is so damaging his life may be at stake. He knows what he has uncovered could ruin the life of a privileged political hopeful Garvey Quinn, who is on the campaign trail and considered to be the favorite, running for the highest office in New York, to become the next Governor.

On a very hot day in August, Lauren Walsh has taken Sadie into New York for the day, while her older two children are away at summer camp. Lauren wonders why she has made this trip. Sadie is not being cooperative and a bit cranky. Lauren would rather be home, hidden from everyone because she knows that she is the topic of those who gossip.

Sadie drops her stuffed animal, Fred just a few seconds before Byron is running by. He thinks he may have found a solution to his dilemma and picks up this toy. He hopes that his idea will give him a little more time to write this huge story that is stored on that USB and possibly even protect him from major injury. He runs into Grand Central Station and hides where no one can see him. He rips a small seam in the stuffed animal and inserts the USB drive. He then turns the toy over to Lost and Found where he figures he can retrieve it at a later time.

What is on that USB that connect these three families? Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Jud Hanson

Paddy Meehan, reporter for a local paper in Scotland, gets a shocking phone call: her longtime friend and former romantic interest has been found murdered. To her surprise, he has left her his house and a manuscript for a book that he was working on with a fellow reporter. The manuscript sheds new light on previous incidents of unrest between Catholics and Protestants and suggests that the Catholics may have a traitor among them. When Terry’s co-author is also killed, Paddy knows she’s hit a nerve with someone. The police are of no help and warn her in a not-so-subtle fashion to let the story go but she is like a dog with a bone. Can Paddy safely navigate the maze of secrets and find out the truth or will she fall victim to the unknown killers? Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Cy Hilterman

I have read all of Andrew Gross’s books and I find it hard to say which is the best. I realize writers are supposed to give us better writing as time goes on but Andrew Gross has consistently given us great books since his first book. “Reckless” features Ty Hauck as he changes his vocation to a financial firm having decided he wanted to try something other than police work. Reckless is also very much up-to-date regarding the world financial situation with many banks and large financial institutions having loads of troubles causing some to close their doors and others to absorb huge losses. Were these loses caused strictly by the economy or were they “helped” by some rigging of stocks and other assets?

When several break-ins occurred with murders in each one, some became suspicious that the break-ins were not really that but were deliberately acted out to get rid of the financial people in those houses. The police were accepting the killings as normal high-class neighborhood robberies with things gone bad causing the killings. One of those killed had been a very close friend of Ty Hauck’s several years ago and he started questioning the killings as he wondered why was this woman killed? Read the rest of this entry »

Reviewed by Nancy Eaton

It all starts with a botched home invasion. Two men break into a home and make a demand to produce a man who does not exist in this house. In all the confusion, one person in the house is shot and an elderly man is kidnapped with the two men demanding a high ransom. What has gone wrong? Did they have the wrong house?

Detective Alex Morrow is called to investigate and what a case this is for anyone who might want to rise in the ranks. Detective Morrow has some issues to deal with also. One is her half brother who is involved in just the opposite of law and order and is working in the criminal underworld of Glasgow. Read the rest of this entry »