WALKING ON WATER by Gemma O'Connor

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The Irish coastal village of Passage South has spectacular views and easy access to fishing, sailing, and other marine delights, but it isn't easy for an outsider to gain acceptance with the locals. After surviving the coronary that ended his marriage and his fast-track career as a detective inspector in Dublin, Francis Xavier Recaldo was looking for a fresh start and a quiet life -- and he accepted a demotion to police sergeant in a quite village to get them. But recently his life in Passage South has developed unexpected complications: One foggy morning, a wealthy American who lives in the village is found dead by the water's edge, murdered in the garden of her home. Gathering evidence is difficult, and the investigation is soon complicated by scandals old and new, contradictory statements, unexpected revelations and big-city cops assigned to handle a case that's considered too big for the locals. Recaldo is determined to solve the case, though he's haunted by the belief that the married woman he's come to love may know more about the murder than is good for either of them. Cold-blooded murder, complex connections, and chilling images keep the suspense building to the very end in this riveting thriller.

RATING:

I'm always apprehensive when blurbs for a book suggest the author is of the caliber of a Minette Walters or Ruth Rendell and in this case, the comparison pales considerably. Slow, tedious with stilted dialogue, I found it anything but "riveting" and difficult to complete.

A DANCE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE by Lawrence Block

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

There is no accolade or major mystery award that has not already been bestowed upon Lawrence Block. His acclaimed crime novels are asintelligent, provocative, and emotionally complex as they are nerve-tighteningly intense. And perhaps the most respected of his myriad works are the Matthew Scudder books — masterworks of suspenseful invention featuring a remarkable protagonist rich in conscience and character, with all the flaws that his humanity entails. This is the detective novel as high art. A Dance At The Slaughterhouse
In Matt Scudder's mind, money, power, and position elevate nobody above morality and the law. Now the ex-cop and unlicensed p.i. has been hired to prove that socialite Richard Thurman orchestrated the brutal murder of his beautiful, pregnant wife. During Scudder's hard drinking years, he left a piece of his soul on every seedy corner of the Big Apple. But this case is more depraved and more potentially devastating than anything he experienced while floundering in the urban depths. Because this investigation is leading Scudder on a frightening grand tour of New York's sex-for-sale underworld — where an innocent young life is simply a commodity to be bought and perverted ... and then destroyed.

RATING:

One of Block's earlier entries in his Matthew Scudder series, SLAUGHTERHOUSE showcases once again why Block is a master in his field. Dark, gritty and at times brutal and horrendous yet it is such a compelling read that you do not want to put it down. Winner of the Edgar Award for "Best Novel".

THE 37TH HOUR by Jodi Compton

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

"On a chilly Minnesota morning, Sarah comes home to the house she shares with her husband and fellow cop, Michael Shiloh. Shiloh was supposed to be in Virginia, starting his training with the FBI. A seasoned missing-persons investigator, Sarah is used to anxious calls from wives and parents. She's used to the innocent explanations that resolve so many of her cases. But from the moment she learns that he never arrived at Quantico, she feels a terrible foreboding. Now, beneath the bed in which they make love, Sarah finds Shiloh's neatly packed bag. And in that instant the cop in her knows: Her husband has disappeared." Suddenly Sarah finds herself at the beginning of the kind of investigation she has made so often. The kind that she and her ex-partner, Genevieve, solved routinely - until a brutal crime stole Genevieve's daughter and ended her career. The kind that pries open family secrets and hidden lives. For Sarah this investigation will mean going back to the beginning, to Shiloh's religion-steeped childhood in Utah, the rift that separated him from his family - and the one horrifying case that struck them both too close to home. As Sarah turns over more and more unknown ground in her husband's past, she sees her lover and friend change into a stranger before her eyes. And as she moves further down a trail of shocking surprises and bitter revelations, Sarah is about to discover that her worst fear - that Shiloh is dead - may be less painful than what she will learn next.

RATING:

Compton's debut novel received great reviews so I was most anxious to read this but found it no where up to all the hype it received. Slow and tedious for the first 100 pages, it picks up after that but all in all is still a huge disappointment.

LAZYBONES by Mark Billingham

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

"The body is found in the grubbiest of North London hotel rooms. Kneeling, naked on a bare mattress, the head is hooded and the hands tied tight with a brown leather belt. And then there's the oddest detail of all: the call from the florist to check arrangements about the wreath ... It's been only ten days since convicted rapist Douglas Remfry was released from prison. Someone knew he was coming out. Someone wanted to hand out some punishment of his own. When a second sex offender is discovered dead, the police believe they have a vicious, calculating vigilante on their hands. But how does the killer lure his victims to their deaths? Who do the victims think they are going to meet in these hotel rooms? And then the police find the letters ..." Detective Inspector Tom Thorne always works best when his emotions are involved in the case, when his anger flares him into action - but he's having trouble finding any sympathy for the dead. It is only as his investigation continues that Thorne finally discovers a victim worth fighting for, a victim whose identity becomes crucial to cracking this most twisted of cases.

RATING:

Third in Billingham's series featuring the multifacted character of Tom Thorne, it's an exceptionally well-written police procedural/psychological thriller. While the killer's identity came a little too soon to me, the last pages are heartstopping.

MEETING AUTHOR BARRY EISLER

I've had the pleasure of enjoying a correspondence with this talented author of the John Rain thriller series for a while now and when I learned he would be signing his newest book, KILLING RAIN, at the Barnes & Noble in nearby Bryn Mawr, PA on July 6th, I knew I had to make every effort to attend and I am certainly glad that I did.

I can tell you that besides being a talented writer, this is a genuinely nice guy. Barry's very personable and charming with a great sense of humor. When he arrived at the store, he made a point of personally greeting and introducing himself to each member of the audience waiting for him. He then proceeded to talk about a various array of subjects and included some very funny anecdotes about fellow writers James Ellroy and Lee Child as well as reading an excerpt from the new book (taking on the characters voices, mannerisms, etc. quite well I might add).

For any of you not familiar with the Rain series (RAIN FALL, HARD RAIN, RAIN STORM and now KILLING RAIN), Barry has created a multi-faceted charismatic half Japanese, half American assassin named John Rain. The books have won critical acclaim and received several awards and nominations. Set in Japan, Barry's fascination in both Japanese and Brazilian martial arts, Western boxing and wrestling are evident as well authenticity for the area from his time spent there while employed for the CIA. I encourage anyone who is looking for a well-written, fascinating take on the mystery/thriller genre to pick up any of his books and should he be appearing at a book signing near you, make a point to stop by and meet him.

RIVER OF DARKNESS by Rennie Airth

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In rural England, slowly emerging from the sorrow of World War I, the peace of a small Surrey village is shattered by a murderous attack on a household that leaves five butchered bodies and no explanation for the killings. Sent by Scotland Yard to investigate is Inspector John Madden, a grave and good man who bears the emotional and physical scars from his own harrowing war experiences and from the tragic loss of his wife and child. The local police dismiss the slaughter as a robbery gone awry, but Madden and his chief inspctor detect the signs of a madman at work. With the help of Dr. Helen Blackwell, who introduces Madden to the latest developments in criminal psychology and who opens his heart again to the possibility of love, Madden sets out to identify and capture the killer, even as the murderer sets his sights on his next innocent victims.

RATING:

Impressive debut novel that received an Edgar Award nomination and rightfully so -- wonderfully written characters and story in a British WWI period suspense thriller. Highly recommended!

RULES OF PREY by John Sandford

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

The haunting, unforgettable, ice-blooded thriller that introduced Lucas Davenport is so chilling that you're almost afraid to turn the pages and so mesmerizing you cannot stop. Louis "Maddog" Vullion is a young attorney . . . and a murderer. He kills for the sheer contest, playing an elaborate game for which he has written terrifying rules. Lucas Davenport, a brilliant games inventor, is going to have to outmaneuver the killer's clever plan--to beat the mad dog at his own deadly craft.

RATING:

I've read several of the PREY series so was thrilled when I found the first and was able to backtrack a bit and read Sandford's debut effort. As always, he does not disappoint and from the get-go, it's a suspense building, action packed thriller with a twisted villain that you will not forget. Highly recommended!