The Printed Page

He Can Only Truly Love Her Once Her Heart Stops

Homicide Detective Taylor Jackson thinks she’s seen it all in Nashville—from the Southern Strangler to the Snow White Killer. But she’s never seen anything as perverse as the Conductor. Once his victim is captured, he contains her in a glass coffin, slowly starving her to death. Only then does he give in to his attraction.

When he’s finished, he creatively disposes of the body by reenacting scenes from famous paintings. And it seems similar macabre works are being displayed in Europe. Taylor teams up with her fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, and a New Scotland Yard detective named James “Memphis” Highsmythe, a haunted man who only has eyes for Taylor, to put an end to the Conductor’s art collection.

Has the killer gone international with his craft? Or are there dueling artists, competing to create the ultimate masterpiece?

Title: The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
Author/website(s): C.W. Gortner (redesigned site which I like)
397 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication date: May ‘10
Genre: Historical fiction
Review book or pleasure reading: Review book
New-to-me author: No
Would I recommend this book: Yes; another great book from this author
Would I read more from this author: Yes
Journal notes: Another book about Catherine de Medici. Was I courting trouble requesting a review copy of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici? I hadn’t finished reading other books about this queen I’d picked up and put down leading me to ponder: a queen I wasn’t interested in or storytelling styles that couldn’t capture my attention? After turning the last page of Confessions I’d say subject matter wasn’t the issue. In the talented storytelling style of Mr. Gortner I found her to be a very compelling individual. Mr. Gortner brings to life Catherine’s struggles to save her family and her kingdom during times of great religious strife. Of all the queens I’ve read about her story is by far the most fascinating. If you enjoyed The Last Queen, as I did, you won’t be disappointed with The Confessions of Catherine de Medici. I’m already looking forward to reading Mr. Gortner’s 2011 release of Princess Isabella, about the rise of the famous Spanish queen and the early years of her reign.

At the age of fourteen, Catherine de Medici, last legitimate descendant of the Medici blood, finds herself betrothed to the King Francois I’s son, Henri. Sent from her native Florence to France, humiliated and overshadowed by her husband’s life-long devotion to his mistress, when tragedy strikes her family Catherine rises from obscurity to become one of 16th century Europe’s most powerful women.

Patroness of Nostradamus and a seer in her own right, accused of witchcraft and murder by her foes, Catherine fights to save France and her children from savage religious conflict, unaware that her own fate looms before her — a fate that will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, her reputation, and passion of her own embattled heart.

From the splendors of the Loire palaces to the blood-soaked battles of the Wars of Religion and haunted halls of the Louvre, this is the story of Catherine’s dramatic life, told by the queen herself.

(The Confessions of Catherine de Medici was provided to me by Quinne at Ballantine Books, a division of Random House. I was not paid and this book is being passed along to the another book blogger through Read It Forward )

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week (checked out library books don’t count, eBooks & audio books do). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

If you’re new to Mailbox Monday welcome! Thank you to everyone who stops by Mailbox Monday. Whether you comment or visit I appreciate your taking the time to drop in.

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Again this year I supported (with your links) Book Wish Foundation’s holiday campaign. Links to Mailbox Monday posts raised approximately $175 or 88 bricks. Thank you everyone!

Book Wish Foundation’s holiday campaign for 2009 asks book lovers everywhere to contribute one of the 5000 bricks we need to build a library for Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad. As of Jan. 30, we have raised 1,073 bricks. Please join the effort, even with a single brick, by visiting: Library Builder

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Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (publicist contact)

Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard: the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father fails ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time – and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago. Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.

The Empty Mirror by J. Sydney Jones (new-to-me author/publicist contact)

The summer of 1898 finds Austria transfixed by a series of brutal murders. When renowned painter Gustav Klimt’s female model becomes the fifth victim, the artist is fingered as the culprit. Klimt’s lawyer Karl Werthen and the famed criminologist Inspector Gross must delve into a nationwide conspiracy in order to acquit the eccentric and unpredictable artiste. With an unmatchable knowledge of Vienna’s history, culture, and politics, J. Sydney Jones introduces a gripping new mystery series set in a cosmopolitan city at the height of its artistic and social importance.

Bellfield Hall: Or, The Observations of Miss Dido Kent by Anna Dean (new-to-me author/publicist contact)

Dean’s promising debut, the first in a new historical series, introduces Dido Kent, a single lady of a certain age who’s not too old to regret she gave up the business of falling in love some years ago. In September 1805, Dido journeys to Bellfield Hall, the country seat of the Montague family, at the request of her niece, Catherine, who’s upset that her fiancé, Richard Montague, has suddenly broken their engagement and taken flight. Soon after arriving at Bellfield Hall, Dido learns of an even more distressing event—the discovery of the body of an unknown young woman in the shrubbery. In the Miss Marple tradition, Dido observes the residents of Bellfield Hall closely, questions the servants, and interviews local shopkeepers. Excerpts from letters the likable Dido writes to her sister further illuminate her sleuthing methods. Several red herrings keep the reader and Dido guessing. Regency fans will look forward to the next installment.

City of Dragons by Kelly Stanley (new-to-me author/publicist contact)

Set in San Francisco in 1940, Stanley’s stunning first in a new series introduces a gutsy, independent heroine who isn’t always likable. As the city celebrates the Chinese New Year with the Rice Bowl Party, a three-day carnival to raise money for China’s war relief, PI Miranda Corbie sees Eddie Takahashi, a young Japanese numbers runner, shot dead in front of her on a crowded, fireworks-filled Chinatown street. When the police tell her to forget about Takahashi (Chalk him up to Nanking), the outraged Miranda decides to seek justice on her own. In her quest for Takahashi’s killer, she encounters racism and sexism at nearly every turn. A former escort who’s reinvented herself as a detective, the 33-year-old Miranda isn’t taken seriously by the cops, who enjoy rehashing her past. Stanley (Nox Dormienda) aptly describes San Francisco as a city redolent and glistening with sin and lamplight, forever a girl you didn’t take home to Mother.

The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer (new-to-me author/publicist contact)

Superb new CIA thriller featuring black ops expert Milo Weaver and acclaimed by Lee Child as ‘first class — the kind of thing John le Carre might have written’ In the global age of the CIA, wherever there’s trouble, there’s a Tourist: the men and women who do the dirty work. They’re the Company’s best agents — and Milo Weaver was the best of them all. Following a near-lethal encounter with foreign hitman the ‘Tiger’, a burnt-out Milo decides to continue his work from behind a desk. Four years later, he’s no closer to finding the Tiger than he was before. When the elusive assassin unexpectedly gives himself up to Milo, it’s because he wants something in return: revenge. Once a Tourist, always a Tourist — soon Milo is back in the field, tracking down the Tiger’s handler in a world of betrayal, skewed politics and extreme violence. It’s a world he knows well but he’s about to learn the toughest lesson of all: trust no one.

The Last Child by John Hart (new-to-me author/publicist contact)

Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: happy parents and a twin sister that meant the world to him. But Alyssa went missing a year ago, stolen off the side of a lonely street with only one witness to the crime. His family shattered, his sister presumed dead, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown in a last, desperate search. What he finds is a city with an underbelly far blacker than anyone could’ve imagined – and somewhere in the depths of it all, with the help of his only friend and a giant of a man with his own strange past, Johnny, at last, finds the terrible truth.

Detective Clyde Hunt has devoted an entire year to Alyssa’s case, and it shows: haunted and sleepless, he’s lost his wife and put his shield at risk. But he can’t put the case behind him – he won’t – and when another girl goes missing, the failures of the past year harden into iron determination. Refusing to lose another child, Hunt knows he has to break the rules to make the case; and maybe, just maybe, the missing girl will lead him to Alyssa…

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner (publicist contact) (finished it Sunday night) (Claimed by Jennifer)

At the age of fourteen, Catherine de Medici, last legitimate descendant of the Medici blood, finds herself betrothed to the King Francois I’s son, Henri. Sent from her native Florence to France, humiliated and overshadowed by her husband’s life-long devotion to his mistress, when tragedy strikes her family Catherine rises from obscurity to become one of 16th century Europe’s most powerful women.

Patroness of Nostradamus and a seer in her own right, accused of witchcraft and murder by her foes, Catherine fights to save France and her children from savage religious conflict, unaware that her own fate looms before her — a fate that will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, her reputation, and passion of her own embattled heart.

From the splendors of the Loire palaces to the blood-soaked battles of the Wars of Religion and haunted halls of the Louvre, this is the story of Catherine’s dramatic life, told by the queen herself.

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What books came into your house last week? You have the choice of using inlinkz or Mr. Linky. With inlinkz you can include a book cover if you’d like along with the link to your Mailbox Monday post (clicking on the image takes you to the blog post.) Duplicate links will not count toward the fundraising efforts.

Don’t forget to fill out either inlinkz or Mister Linky or leave a comment with a list of books if you don’t blog. If you’re interested in Read It Forward you will need to leave a comment in addition to filling out a link feature.

• In the “Your name:” box, please enter either your name or your blog’s name.

• In the “Your URL:” box please enter the URL/link that will lead directly to the post you are submitting (also called the permalink). This is not the URL to the blog’s home page.

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Read It Forward details

At the age of fourteen, Catherine de Medici, last legitimate descendant of the Medici blood, finds herself betrothed to the King Francois I’s son, Henri. Sent from her native Florence to France, humiliated and overshadowed by her husband’s life-long devotion to his mistress, when tragedy strikes her family Catherine rises from obscurity to become one of 16th century Europe’s most powerful women.

Patroness of Nostradamus and a seer in her own right, accused of witchcraft and murder by her foes, Catherine fights to save France and her children from savage religious conflict, unaware that her own fate looms before her — a fate that will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, her reputation, and passion of her own embattled heart.

From the splendors of the Loire palaces to the blood-soaked battles of the Wars of Religion and haunted halls of the Louvre, this is the story of Catherine’s dramatic life, told by the queen herself.

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Ah what perfect timing for this book to arrive on my doorstep. As I’ve decided to read one historical fiction book for every book I read in another genre The Confessions of Catherine de Medici showed up today right as I was finishing a police procedural. I really hadn’t decided which historical to read next but Confessions solved that little problem. I’ll probably have it read by the time my Mailbox Monday posts pops up on Sunday. And for those of you possibly coveting my copy it already has a new home, sorry.

Title: Judas Kiss (Taylor Jackson, book #3)
Author/website(s): J.T. Ellison
410 pages
Publisher: Mira
Publication date: January ‘09
Genre: Police procedural
Review book or pleasure reading: Pleasure reading
New-to-me author: No
Would I recommend this book: If you love this genre than a resounding yes
Would I read more from this author: Yes, book #4, The Cold Room is sitting on my review shelf right now.
Journal notes: Pleasure reading – no review.

It was a murder made for TV: a trail of tiny bloody footprints. An innocent toddler playing beside her mother’s bludgeoned body.

Pretty young Corinne Wolff, seven months pregnant, brutally murdered in her own home. Cameras and questions don’t usually faze Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson, but the media frenzy surrounding the Wolff case is particularly nasty… and thorough.

When the seemingly model mommy is linked to an amateur porn website with underage actresses and unwitting players, the sharks begin to circle.

The shock is magnified when an old adversary uses the sexy secret footage to implicate Taylor in a murder – an accusation that threatens her career, her reputation and her relationship.

Both cases hinge on the evidence – real or manufactured – of crimes that go beyond passion, into the realm of obsessive vengeance and shocking betrayal.

Just what the networks love.

Clicking on a book cover will take you to its Amazon link

Very good

Very good

Good

Good

OK

DNF @ pg. 102

Very good

Very good

Good

DNF @ pg. 131

A favorite

DNF @ pg. 148

Good

VG/Excellent

Very good

A favorite

A favorite

Good

It was a murder made for TV: a trail of tiny bloody footprints. An innocent toddler playing beside her mother’s bludgeoned body.

Pretty young Corinne Wolff, seven months pregnant, brutally murdered in her own home. Cameras and questions don’t usually faze Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson, but the media frenzy surrounding the Wolff case is particularly nasty… and thorough.

When the seemingly model mommy is linked to an amateur porn website with underage actresses and unwitting players, the sharks begin to circle.

The shock is magnified when an old adversary uses the sexy secret footage to implicate Taylor in a murder – an accusation that threatens her career, her reputation and her relationship.

Both cases hinge on the evidence – real or manufactured – of crimes that go beyond passion, into the realm of obsessive vengeance and shocking betrayal.

Just what the networks love.

Title: Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace
Author/website(s): Kate Emerson
400 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Publication date: February ‘09
Genre: Historical fiction
Review book or pleasure reading: Pleasure reading
New-to-me author: Yes
Would I recommend this book: Probably
Would I read more from this author: Yes
Journal notes: Pleasure reading – no review.

Jane Popyngcourt was brought to the English court of Henry VII as a child to be a companion to his daughters—the princesses Margaret and Mary. With no money of her own, Jane could not hope for marriage, but as she grows into a seductively beautiful young woman, she receives flattering attention from virile young courtiers and even from the handsome new king, Henry VIII, who has recently married Catherine of Aragon. Then a dashing French prisoner of war, cousin to the king of France, is brought to London, and Jane finds she cannot help giving some of her heart—and more—to a man she can never marry. The Tudor court is filled with dangers as well as seductions, and there are mysteries surrounding Jane’s birth that have left her with deadly enemies. She must follow a perilous path in her search for answers and risk even more to have a chance at happiness.

Title: Daughters of Witching Hill
Author: Mary Sharratt
Release date: April ‘10

Daughters of the Witching Hill brings history to life in a vivid and wrenching account of a family sustained by love as they try to survive the hysteria of a witch-hunt.

Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman. Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future. As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic. When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights.

Sharratt interweaves well-researched historical details of the 1612 Pendle witch-hunt with a beautifully imagined story of strong women, family, and betrayal. Daughters of the Witching Hill is a powerful novel of intrigue and revelation.

Jane Popyngcourt was brought to the English court of Henry VII as a child to be a companion to his daughters—the princesses Margaret and Mary. With no money of her own, Jane could not hope for marriage, but as she grows into a seductively beautiful young woman, she receives flattering attention from virile young courtiers and even from the handsome new king, Henry VIII, who has recently married Catherine of Aragon. Then a dashing French prisoner of war, cousin to the king of France, is brought to London, and Jane finds she cannot help giving some of her heart—and more—to a man she can never marry. The Tudor court is filled with dangers as well as seductions, and there are mysteries surrounding Jane’s birth that have left her with deadly enemies. She must follow a perilous path in her search for answers and risk even more to have a chance at happiness.