The Printed Page

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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Suspense/thriller ~ The Shimmer by David Morrell (new-to-me author/FSB Associates) (Claimed by Teddyree)

When a high-speed chase goes terribly wrong, Santa Fe police officer Dan Page watches in horror as a car and gas tanker explode into flames. Torn with guilt that he may be responsible, Page returns home to discover that his wife, Tori, has disappeared. Frantic, Page follows her trail to Rostov, a remote town in Texas famous for a massive astronomical observatory, a long-abandoned military base, and unexplained nighttime phenomena that draw onlookers from every corner of the globe. Many of these gawkers—Tori among them—are compelled to visit this tiny community to witness the mysterious Rostov Lights.

Without warning, a gunman begins firing on the lights, screaming “Go back to hell where you came from,” then turns his rifle on the bystanders. A bloodbath ensues, and events quickly spiral out of control, setting the stage for even greater violence and death.

Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights to save his wife. In the process, he learns that the decaying military base may not be abandoned at all, and that the government may have known about the lights for decades. Could these phenomena be more dangerous than anyone could have possibly imagined?

Suspense/Thriller ~ Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain (new-to-me author/LT Early Reviewers program) (Claimed by Carrie)

Gretchen Lowell is still on the loose. These days, she’s more of a cause célèbre than a feared killer, thanks to sensationalist news coverage that has made her a star. Her face graces magazine covers weekly and there have been sightings of her around the world. Most shocking of all, Portland Herald reporter Susan Ward has uncovered a bizarre kind of fan club, which celebrates the number of days she’s been free.

Archie Sheridan hunted her for a decade, and after his last ploy to catch her went spectacularly wrong, remains hospitalized months later. When they last spoke, they entered a détente of sorts—Archie agreed not to kill himself if she agreed not to kill anyone else. But when a new body is found accompanied by Gretchen’s trademark heart, all bets are off and Archie is forced back into action. Has the Beauty Killer returned to her gruesome ways, or has the cult surrounding her created a whole new evil?

Suspense/thriller ~ True Blue by David Baldacci (Hachette) (Claimed by Bree)

Mason “Mace” Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything-her badge, her career, her freedom-and spent two years in prison. Now she’s back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform. But even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows: A vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send Mace back behind bars. Then Roy Kingman enters her life.

Roy is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington. Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm. As they investigate the death, they start uncovering surprising secrets from both the private and public world of the nation’s capital.

Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn-into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.

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What books came into your house last week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Mailbox post or a list of books if you don’t have a blog.

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Read It Forward details

Rising Above it All: How Rambo’s Creator Earned His Pilot’s License By David Morrell, Author of The Shimmer

Readers familiar with my fiction know how much I love doing research. For Testament, I enrolled in an outdoor wilderness survival course and lived above timberline in the Wyoming mountains for 30 days. For The Protector, I spent a week at the Bill Scott raceway in West Virginia, learning offensive-defensive driving maneuvers, such as the 180-degree spins you see in the movies. I once broke my collarbone in a two-day knife-fighting class designed for military and law enforcement personnel.

Two years ago, I began the longest research project of my career. I was preparing to write a novel called The Shimmer, a fictional dramatization of the mysterious lights that appear on many nights outside the small town of Marfa in west Texas. When the first settlers passed through that area in the 1800s, they saw the lights, and people have been drawn to those lights ever since, including James Dean who became fascinated by them when he filmed his final movie Giant near Marfa in 1955.

The lights float, bob, and weave. They combine and change colors. They seem far away and yet so close that people think they can reach out and touch them. In the 1970s, the citizens of Marfa organized what they called a Ghost Light Hunt and pursued the lights, using horses, vehicles, and an airplane, but the lights had no difficulty eluding them.

Because an airplane was used, I decided to include one in The Shimmer. I’d never written about a pilot, and the idea of trying something new always appeals to me. The dramatic possibilities were intriguing. But a minute’s thought warned me about the monumental task I was planning. As a novelist version of a Method actor, I couldn’t just cram an airplane into my novel. First, I would need to learn how airplanes worked so that real pilots wouldn’t be annoyed by inaccuracies. Real pilots. That’s when I realized that it wouldn’t be enough to learn how airplanes worked. I would need to take pilot training.

I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Our small airport has a flight school: Sierra Aviation. I made an appointment with one of the instructors, Larry Haight, who took me up in a Cessna 172 on what’s called a “discovery” flight. The idea was to “discover” whether I enjoyed the sensation of being in the cockpit and peering several thousand feet down at the ground. Flying in a small aircraft is a much more immediate and visceral experience than sitting in the cabin of a commercial airliner. Even in a Cessna, the canopy is huge compared to the tiny windows on an airliner. The horizon stretches forever.

It turned out that I more than enjoyed the experience. It was exhilarating and fulfilling. I realized that this was something I wanted to do not only for research but also to broaden my life. As a consequence, I eventually earned my private pilot’s license and bought a 2003 172SP. The plane was based near Dallas, and my longest cross-country flight to date (600 miles) involved piloting it from there to Santa Fe. Truly, nothing can equal controlling an aircraft, making it do safely whatever I want while seeing the world as if I were an eagle.

In The Shimmer, I wanted the main character’s attitude toward flying (“getting above it all”) to help develop the book’s theme. The following passage shows what I mean. You only need to know that Dan Page is a police officer. When I started pilot training, I figured that one day I’d be relaxing in the sky, listening to an iPod and glancing dreamily around. As we learn in this section, the actuality is quite different and more substantial.

“Non-pilots often assumed that the appeal of flying involved appreciating the scenery. But Page had become a pilot because he enjoyed the sensation of moving in three dimensions. The truth was that maintaining altitude and speed while staying on course, monitoring radio transmissions, and comparing a sectional map to actual features on the ground required so much concentration that a pilot had little time for sightseeing.

“There was another element to flying, though. It helped Page not to think about the terrible pain people inflicted on one another. He’d seen too many lives destroyed by guns, knives, beer bottles, screwdrivers, baseball bats, and even a nail gun. Six months earlier, he’d been the first officer to arrive at the scene of a car accident in which a drunken driver had hit an oncoming vehicle and killed five children along with the woman who was taking them to a birthday party. There’d been so much blood that Page still had nightmares about it.

“His friends thought he was joking when he said that the reward of flying was ‘getting above it all,’ but he was serious. The various activities involved in controlling an aircraft shut out what he was determined not to remember.

“That helped Page now. His confusion, his urgency, his need to have answers — on the ground, these emotions had thrown him off balance, but once he was in the air, the discipline of controlling the Cessna forced him to feel as level as the aircraft. In the calm sky, amid the monotonous, muffled drone of the engine, the plane created a floating sensation. He welcomed it yet couldn’t help dreading what he might discover on the ground. ”

At one point a character asks Page, how high he intends to fly.

“Enough to get above everything,” he answers.

“Sounds like the way to run a life.”

That’s an important lesson I learned from flying.

©2009 David Morrell, author of The Shimmer

*** My thoughts about Mr. Morrell’s book The Shimmer can be found here.

Title: Twilight of a Queen (5th and final book in the Daughter of the Earth/Cheney of Faire Isle series) Author/website: Susan Carroll (Random House) 480 pages Publisher: Ballantine Books Publication date: July ’09 Genre: Fiction w/historical aspects Would I recommend it: Yes I enjoyed Twilight of a Queen but then I’ve enjoyed every book in this series. A touch of magic, romance and sinister plotting weave a tale around The Dark Queen’s need to destroy those who wish to see her evil doings come to an end. I’m a bit sad that Twilight of a Queen is the last book in this entertaining series though there is plenty of the story line left to start another based on the individual Ariane has chosen to succeed her as the Lady of Faire Isle. Interestingly this is the 2nd book this month I’ve read where Catherine de’ Medici is featured. While she is by no means the central character of this story she is the focal point around which this story is based. Admittedly I did much better this time around finishing this book whereas I DNFd The Devil’s Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis.

Set during the Renaissance in 1588, this sweeping historical novel takes readers back to the home of Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, who must choose a successor to her throne. While the Faire Isle is beset by warring factions that have sprung up around the three rivals for the throne, her arch enemy Catherine de Medici is working desperately to retain her power in France. When Ariane names Lady Jane Danvers as the successor to her throne she instantly becomes the enemy of the Dark Queen herself, Catherine de Medici. The tables are turned on the Dark Queen, however, when the one man she believes can help her retain her powers in France, Louis Xavier, falls in love with Jane.

The once peaceful Faire Isle must prepare itself for The Dark Queen’s fury and her search for revenge.

Title: The Shimmer Author/website: David Morrell / The Shimmer book 326 pages Publisher: Vanguard Press Publication date: July ’09 Genre: Suspense/thriller/action w/touches of paranormal Would I recommend it: Yes OK so we’re back in familiar reading territory and of course it’s really difficult for me not to like a suspense/thriller/action style story line. I gobble up these type of books and even though David Morrell is a new-to-me author I’m sure this won’t be the last one of his books I read. What I loved most about The Shimmer is Mr. Morrell took documented phenomena known as the The Marfa Lights (Wikipedia link) and wove a story line that kept me entertained start to finish. You have the requisite good guys, the bad guys and then there’s mystery of what’s really going on the with the ‘lights’ and the effect they have on people. Some see the lights while others don’t. The lights bring a music all their own. They give you taste of your desires or your evils. The lights can set you free or make you bleed to dead. The lights can drive you mad or bring a miracle. It all depends on what you believe the lights bring, what you need in your life. And what exactly is the military’s part in all this? Well you need to read The Shimmer and decide for yourself. One of the his characters, James Deacon(?), is a veiled reference to James Dean. The Afterword written by Mr. Morrell is fascinating and yes I did what he did and typed Marfa lights into a search engine and he’s right you get all sort of hits. To read more about Mr. Morrell’s research for The Shimmer check out his post, Rising Above it All: How Rambo’s Creator Earned His Pilot’s License.

When a high-speed chase goes terribly wrong, Santa Fe police officer Dan Page watches in horror as a car and gas tanker explode into flames. Torn with guilt that he may be responsible, Page returns home to discover that his wife, Tori, has disappeared.

Frantic, Page follows her trail to Rostov, a remote town in Texas famous for a massive astronomical observatory, a long-abandoned military base, and unexplained nighttime phenomena that draw onlookers from every corner of the globe. Many of these gawkers—Tori among them—are compelled to visit this tiny community to witness the mysterious Rostov Lights.

Without warning, a gunman begins firing on the lights, screaming “Go back to hell where you came from,” then turns his rifle on the bystanders. A bloodbath ensues, and events quickly spiral out of control, setting the stage for even greater violence and death.

Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights to save his wife. In the process, he learns that the decaying military base may not be abandoned at all, and that the government may have known about the lights for decades. Could these phenomena be more dangerous than anyone could have possibly imagined?

Title: Attorney’s Run (Kindle edition) / Attorney’s Run (Print edition) Author/website: R.J. Jagger File size: 379 KB/Print: 418 pages Publication date: May ’09 Genre: Legal mystery Would I recommend it: Yes with some reservations The reason I recommend Attorney’s Run with some reservations is because I felt some of the story line was far fetched and a bit unrealistic. That said I ended up thinking Attorney’s Run was a decent book and would read more from this author. There are several story lines and characters introduced within a very short time of starting Attorney’s Run – the murder of an executive pilot, the white slavery trade in Bangkok involving American women, a rock climbing hit man and and P.I. willing to hire an inexperienced lawyer to take on a possible high stakes case. I wasn’t sure exactly how the author was going to tie the various story lines together as at times they didn’t seem to mesh but like a jigsaw puzzle all the pieces fit. I was disappointed by the male/female detective team as they spent more time worrying about his relationship with the female P.I. then actually working to solve the pilot’s murder. Of course I’ll make sure to have my imagine turned up on high and not worry about where the story line is headed the next time I read a book by R.J. Jagger.

Fresh out of law school, London Vaughn discovers there’s no room in Denver’s prominent law firms for a middle-of-the-class graduate. While barely making ends meet as a waitress, she encounters a beautiful woman who engages her services irrespective that she has no experience, no office and no reputation. Almost immediately, London and her client are thrust into the deadly throes of a high-stakes international thriller of unimaginable scope.

I’m a very visual person and love beautiful, or interesting, cover art. It entices, and invites, me to stop and take a peek instead of walking right on by. This week’s Cover Attraction is: Title: The Sari Shop Widow Author: Shobhan Bantwal Release date: August ’09

Pungent curry. . .sweet fried onions. . .incense. . .colorful beads. . .lush fabrics. Shobhan Bantwal’s compelling new novel is set on the streets of Edison, New Jersey’s Little India, where a young businesswoman rediscovers the magic of love and family. . .

Since becoming a widow at age twenty-seven, Anjali Kapadia has devoted herself to transforming her parents’ sari shop into a chic boutique, brimming with exquisite jewelry and clothing. Now, ten years later, it stands out like a proud maharani amid Edison’s bustling Little India. But when Anjali learns the shop is on the brink of bankruptcy, she feels her world unraveling. . .

To the rescue comes Anjali’s wealthy, dictatorial Uncle Jeevan and his business partner, Rishi Shah-a mysterious Londoner, complete with British accent, cool gray eyes, and skin so fair it makes it hard to believe he’s Indian. Rishi’s cool, foreign demeanor triggers distrust in Anjali and her mother. But for Anjali, he also stirs something else, a powerful attraction she hasn’t felt in a decade. And the feeling is mutual. . .

Love disappointed Anjali once before and she’s vowed to live without it-though Rishi is slowly melting her resolve and, as the shop regains its footing, gaining her trust. But when a secret from Rishi’s past is revealed, Anjali must turn to her family and her strong cultural upbringing to guide her in finding the truth. . .

I first saw this cover last week and immediately added The Sari Shop Widow to my WL at Amazon. Then behold the wonders of Amazon and publishing houses this book become available Monday at no cost to Kindle owners. I love my Kindle but there are days when I really LOVE my Kindle and Monday was one of those days. A couple of clicks later and this book was mine all mine for free. I’m thinking it’s going to be part of my Bookation next month. ***

What’s your favorite cover attraction this week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Cover Attraction post.

Title: The Alexander Cipher Author/website: Will Adams 336 pages Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Publication date: March ’09 Genre: Historical/contemporary fiction Would I recommend it: NA (DNF @ page 70) I found once I started reading I had absolutely no interest in the historical aspects of this story.

Apparently everybody hates Daniel Knox, an American archaeologist turned dive instructor who is currently living in Egypt. There’s the nasty Hassan, his rich Egyptian boss, whom Daniel beat up in order to keep him from raping a young woman, and Hassan’s even nastier head of security, Nessim. There’s Gaille Bonnard, the Egyptologist who blames Daniel for the death of her father, and Nicolas Dragoumis, the wealthy industrialist whose own father seems oddly determined to ruin Daniel. Further complicating Daniel’s life is, of all people, Alexander the Great, the Macedonian king who proves that being dead for 2,300 years doesn’t mean you still can’t wreak havoc in people’s lives. After Alexander’s death, in 323 BCE, his body was brought to Egypt in a massive golden funeral carriage; Alexander’s power-hungry general, Ptolemy, stole Alexander’s body for his own purposes, and the funeral carriage vanished. Daniel thinks he knows where the carriage is, but that pales in comparison to a new discovery: artifacts that might point the way to the long-lost body of Alexander himself. All Daniel, a lifelong Alexander scholar, needs to do is keep clear of all the people who are out to get him long enough to solve the mystery.

Title: A Circle of Souls Author/website: Preetham Grandhi 339 pages Publisher: Cedar Fort Publication date: June ’09 Genre: Suspense/thriller Would I recommend it: Yes, add to this one to your summer reading list I know it’s a good book when I’ve read within 80 pages of the end in one day (257 of 339) and I’m too cross-eyed to stay up until the wee, wee hours of the morning and read any more. Taking into consideration that A Circle of Souls is a debut novel for Mr. Grandhi and could use a bit of polishing around the edges the storyline itself will keep you turning pages and entertained. I devoured this one within 24 hours of starting. If Mr. Grandhi’s continues his writing career I will continue to read his books.

The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. With the murderer on the loose, the police desperately look for any clues to lead to his identity. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist in a nearby hospital is also in a desperate search to find the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings s devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope. When these two situations converge, they set off an alarming chain of events. In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.

Title: Widow’s Tale (Kindle edition) / Widow’s Tale (Print edition) Author/website: Maureen A. Miller File size: 310 KB/Print: 316 pages Publication date: March ’08 Genre: Ghost/suspense/romance Would I recommend it: Yes Some of the better books I’ve read this month have been from indie authors discovered by reading samples chapters on my Kindle. From the start this book captured my interest and held it throughout the story. Another one I finished within 24 hours of starting. There is a touch of romance around the edges but it’s a fine ghost/suspense/mystery story. I think the reviewers at Amazon got it right with this one. I didn’t even know it had been had been nominated by the Romance Writers of America for a Golden Heart Award in the Romantic Suspense category until after I finished. It definitely deserves it’s nomination. I will be reading more from this author.

Serena Murphy was losing her mind.

Every night Serena stood on the deck of O’Flanagans Tavern, searching Maine’s rugged coast for a sign of her husband’s body. Though he was pronounced lost at sea, Alan Murphy still haunted her as only his malevolent spirit could. In the loft above her tavern, Serena hears footsteps pace across her living room floor, yet when she turns, no one is there.

Alan would not let a little thing like death stop him from tormenting her. If she could just find his body, surely this torture would stop.

It had been ten years since Brett Murphy saw his sister in-law, although the separation was by design, to avoid temptation. Now Brett was in Victory Cove, not to declare his feelings for Serena, but to discover the truth about his brother’s death. In doing so, he must battle Serena’s ghosts, both real and contrived.

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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Suspense/thriller ~ The Last Ember by Daniel Levin (new-to-me author/Authors on the Web) (Claimed by Tiina)

Lawyer and former classics scholar Jonathan and UNESCO antiquities expert Emili chase a mysterious man known only as Salah al-din, who has been leading an illegal excavation under the Temple Mount and has now appeared in Rome. Jonathan and Emili’s adventures start in the hidden tunnels under the Coliseum and continue across the Roman Forum into the Jewish ghetto and eventually to Jerusalem. Their fast-paced and exciting quest repeatedly finds them seeking clues in ancient maps and manuscripts, and then going underground to follow the trail.

Suspense/Thriller ~ Vanished by Joseph Finder (publicist contact) (Claimed by Shonda)

Nick Heller is tough, smart, and stubborn. And in his line of work, it’s essential. Trained in the Special Forces, Nick is a high-powered intelligence investigator–exposing secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. He’s a guy you don’t want to mess with. He’s also the man you call when you need a problem fixed. Desperate, with nowhere else to run, Nick’s nephew, Gabe makes that call one night. After being attacked in Georgetown, his mother, Lauren, lies in a coma, and his step-dad, Roger, Nick’s brother, has vanished without a trace.

Nick and Roger have been on the outs since the arrest, trial, and conviction of their father, the notorious “fugitive financier,” Victor Heller. Where Nick strayed from the path, Roger followed their father’s footsteps into the corporate world. Now, as Nick searches for his brother, he’s on a collision course with one of the most powerful corporations in the world–and they will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.

Suspense/thriller ~ The The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski (new-to-me author/Authors on the Web) (Claimed by Mari)

Carved into the towering cliffs of central Greece, the Metéora monasteries are all but inaccessible. Holy Trinity is the most isolated, its sacred brotherhood the guardians of a secret that has been protected for centuries.

In the dead of night, the sanctity of the holy retreat is shattered by an elite group of warriors carrying ancient weapons. One by one, they hurl the silent monks from the cliff-top to the rocks below — the holy men taking their secret to their graves….

Halfway across Europe, Richard Byrd fears for his life. He has uncovered the location of a magnificent treasure. But there are those who are dedicated to protecting it, and they will stop at nothing to prevent its discovery.

Hoping to save himself, Byrd contacts two colleagues, Jonathon Payne and David Jones, and begs for their help. The duo rushes to his aid and quickly find themselves caught in an adventure that will change their lives forever.

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What books came into your house last week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Mailbox post or a list of books if you don’t have a blog.

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Read It Forward details

Title: Sworn to Silence (Kate Burkholder Mysteries) Author/website: Linda Castillo 321 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication date: May ’09 Genre: Police procedural Would I recommend it: Definitely! Loved it! I’m already looking forward to reading the next Kate Burkholder mystery. Without giving anything away suspect the person you least expect. Not only did I enjoy the thrill of the chase but Kate’s moral and ethical dilemmas added a punch to the story line. She treads a fine between doing her job and respecting the Amish community. And the dark secret she carries drives her to skirt, and cross, ethical lines. Fans of suspenseful police procedurals will want to add Sworn to Silence to their must read list.

When a serial killer strikes bucolic Painters Mill, Ohio, the killer’s signature—Roman numerals ritualistically carved into each victim’s abdomen—matches the MO of four unsolved murders from 16 years earlier. Police chief Kate Burkholder, who’s reluctant to dredge up the past, must keep secret that she knows why the old murders stopped. Not satisfied with the case’s progress, local politicos set up a multijurisdictional task force to assist, including a law-enforcement agent battling his own demons. The added scrutiny and the rising body count threaten to push the chief over the edge.

Title: Vanished Author/website: Joseph Finder 384 pages Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Publication date: August ’09 Genre: Suspense/thriller Would I recommend it: Yes and not just because I’m a fan of this author’s work having read his previous novels. I know I’m in for a good story when I pick up a novel by Mr. Finder. He never fails to entertain me. His story lines keep me guessing as I take a ride around false corners and into dead ends. Things are never quite as black and white as they appear – is Roger only a blackmailer or is he up to a more sinister game? And what does Lauren know about the high stakes gamble Roger’s taking that she’s not telling Nick. Will she confess her dirty laundry before time runs out? As with any good suspense story there are plenty of the secrets to unravel with numerous red herrings to work your way through. I loved the time I spent with Nick as he races to save his brother.

Nick Heller is tough, smart, and stubborn. And in his line of work, it’s essential. Trained in the Special Forces, Nick is a high-powered intelligence investigator–exposing secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. He’s a guy you don’t want to mess with. He’s also the man you call when you need a problem fixed. Desperate, with nowhere else to run, Nick’s nephew, Gabe makes that call one night. After being attacked in Georgetown, his mother, Lauren, lies in a coma, and his step-dad, Roger, Nick’s brother, has vanished without a trace.

Nick and Roger have been on the outs since the arrest, trial, and conviction of their father, the notorious “fugitive financier,” Victor Heller. Where Nick strayed from the path, Roger followed their father’s footsteps into the corporate world. Now, as Nick searches for his brother, he’s on a collision course with one of the most powerful corporations in the world–and they will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.

Title: Wait Until Twilight Author/website: Sang Pak 240 pages (DNF @ page 70) Publisher: Harper Paperbacks Publication date: August ’09 Genre: YA Fiction Would I recommend it: N/A as this book was another victim of my August reading slump; it’s gotten a 4 start rating with 3 reviews so far at Amazon.

Samuel, 16 and motherless, is somewhat of a misfit at school, even though he is driven by a single-minded determination to clear every academic bar placed before him, with room to spare. As he navigates the miniature and large-scale dramas of adolescent life, which intersect, diverge, and explode at a moment’s notice, Samuel could be any teen ripe for a good coming-of-age. Which is what happens, in a way, when he gets involved with a set of malformed infant triplets and their psychotic older brother, who gets his hooks into Samuel, scarring the boy with the realization of his own capacity for horrific violence.

I’m a very visual person and love beautiful, or interesting, cover art. It entices, and invites, me to stop and take a peek instead of walking right on by. This week’s Cover Attraction is: Title: The Veils of Venice (Urbino Macintyre Venetian Mystery) Author: Edward Sklepowich Release date: August ’09

The new Urbino Macintyre Venetian mystery – Long-time Venice resident, literary biographer and reluctant amateur sleuth Urbino Macintyre is helping his friend, the Contessa Barbara, to organize an exhibition of the famous textile designer Mariano Fortuny. Then the Contessa’s cousin, Olimpia, is stabbed to death in a crime of passion. All clues twist back to the Contessa’s relatives, but it is a delicate matter; especially as it is Barbara’s loyal maid, Mina, who is found kneeling beside the body clutching a pair of bloodied scissors . . .

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What’s your favorite cover attraction this week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Cover Attraction post.

Title: The Hidden Man Author/website: David Ellis 325 pages Publisher: Putnam Adult Publication date: September ’09 Genre: Legal suspense/thriller/mystery Would I recommend it: Definitely! I’m thinking that David Ellis will soon be joining my long, ever-growing list of favorite suspense/thriller/mystery authors. I was hooked from the first few pages never wanting at any time to put the book down before I’d turned the last page. I started this book one evening and finished it the next. I was looking for ways to manufacture reading time. Lawyer Jason Kolarich reminds me of two other flawed and redeemed leading men I enjoy spending time with. Most recently Jimmy “Royal” Paine (Paul Levine) and long time friend Det. Harry Bosch (Michael Connelly).

And without giving away the ending to Audrey’s story, the little girl snatched from her bed in the dead of night, it was a total surprise. I’m reading along thinking the one logical outcome given the events and it turns out to be something I hadn’t even contemplated.

A little girl, snatched from her bed in the dead of night. They knew who killed her. They couldn’t prove it. 26 years later, her brother Sammy doesn’t care about proof. He only cares about justice. Now, only his childhood best friend, attorney Jason Kolarich, can save Sammy from a life sentence for killing a killer.

To defend Sammy, Jason must do what authorities could not, decades ago—prove the guilt of the pedophile who killed Sammy’s sister. But a mysterious benefactor, “Mr. Smith,” suddenly appears, offering money, resources, even alibis for Sammy’s defense. And he will stop at nothing—threatening the lives of Jason and his family—to control the outcome of the case. As the trial draws near, Jason races against time to save his family from Mr. Smith’s team and his friend Sammy from life in prison, while two crimes, decades apart, converge in a stunning verdict.

Title: The Devil’s Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici (Catherine de’ Medici wikipedia link) Author/website: Jeanne Kalogridis 468 pages (DNF @ page 268) Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Publication date: July ’09 Genre: Historical fiction Would I recommend it: I wouldn’t but then again maybe it’s just a victim of my August reading slump.

Confidante of Nostradamus, scheming mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, and architect of the bloody St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Catherine de Medici is one of the most maligned monarchs in history. In her latest historical fiction, Jeanne Kalogridis tells Catherine’s story—that of a tender young girl, destined to be a pawn in Machiavellian games.

Born into one of Florence’s most powerful families, Catherine was soon left a fabulously rich heiress by the early deaths of her parents. Violent conflict rent the city state and she found herself imprisoned and threatened by her family’s enemies before finally being released and married off to the handsome Prince Henry of France.

Overshadowed by her husband’s mistress, the gorgeous, conniving Diane de Poitiers, and unable to bear children, Catherine resorted to the dark arts of sorcery to win Henry’s love and enhance her fertility—for which she would pay a price. Against the lavish and decadent backdrop of the French court, and Catherine’s blood-soaked visions of the future, Kalogridis reveals the great love and desire Catherine bore for her husband, Henry, and her stark determination to keep her sons on the throne.

Here’s a highlight from Marcia’s Kindle Corner. This book has both print and, of course, Kindle editions. If you want to check out all the books I’m sampling/reading this month be sure and stop by the Corner.

Title: The Walk (Kindle edition) / The Walk (Print edition) Author/website: Lee Goldberg File size: 327 KB/Print: 235 pages Publication date: May ’09 Genre: Fiction Would I recommend it: You betcha! Worth every penny of the $1.99 I paid. Sample size: Ch. 1-2 Price: $1.99 Loved it! It’s a natural disaster thrill ride with the makings of a great movie. But that should come as no surprise because Mr. Goldberg writes scripts for top-rated TV shows. It starts with the BIG ONE in LA (quaking earth) and doesn’t let up. I was immediately drawn into Marty’s utterly devastated world. It was filled with seemingly improbable, and some truly impossible, situations one right after the other. I felt like I was walking beside Marty through the middle of the hell and maybe even beyond. Though events are seriously out of control and looking rather bleak this story has some humorous moments and touching scenes. And you get a whopper of a surprise within the last few pages.

It’s one minute after the Big One. Marty Slack, a TV network executive, crawls out from under his Mercedes, parked outside what once was a downtown Los Angeles warehouse, the location for a new TV show. Downtown LA is in ruins. The sky is thick with black smoke. His cell phone is dead. The freeways are rubble. The airport is demolished. Buildings lay across streets like fallen trees. It will be days before help can arrive.

Marty has been expecting this day all his life. He’s prepared. In his car are a pair of sturdy walking shoes and a backpack of food, water, and supplies. He knows there is only one thing he can do … that he must do: get home to his wife Beth, go back to their gated community on the far edge of the San Fernando Valley.

All he has to do is walk. But he will quickly learn that it’s not that easy. His dangerous, unpredictable journey home will take him through the different worlds of what was once Los Angeles. Wildfires rage out of control. Flood waters burst through collapsed dams. Natural gas explosions consume neighborhoods. Sinkholes swallow entire buildings. After-shocks rip apart the ground. Looters rampage through the streets.

There’s no power. No running water. No order.

Marty Slack thinks he’s prepared. He’s wrong. Nothing can prepare him for this ordeal, a quest for his family and for his soul, a journey that will test the limits of his endurance and his humanity, a trek from the man he was to the man he can be … if he can survive The Walk.

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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Memoir ~ Bending Toward the Sun: A Mother and Daughter Memoir by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie (new-to-me author/FSB Associates) (Claimed by Missy)

A miraculous lesson in courage and recovery, Bending Toward the Sun tells the story of a unique family bond forged in the wake of brutal terror. Weaving together the voices of three generations of women, Leslie Gilbert-Lurie and her mother, Rita Lurie, provide powerful—and inspiring—evidence of the resilience of the human spirit, relevant to every culture in every corner of the world. By turns unimaginably devastating and incredibly uplifting, this firsthand account of survival and psychological healing offers a strong, poignant message of hope in our own uncertain times.

Rita Lurie was five years old when she was forced to flee her home in Poland to hide from the Nazis. From the summer of 1942 to mid-1944, she and fourteen members of her family shared a nearly silent existence in a cramped, dark attic, subsisting on scraps of raw food. Young Rita watched helplessly as first her younger brother then her mother died before her eyes. Motherless and stateless, Rita and her surviving family spent the next five years wandering throughout Europe, waiting for a country to accept them. The tragedy of the Holocaust was only the beginning of Rita’s story.

Decades later, Rita, now a mother herself, is the matriarch of a close-knit family in California. Yet in addition to love, Rita unknowingly passes to her children feelings of fear, apprehension, and guilt. Her daughter Leslie, an accomplished lawyer, media executive, and philanthropist, began probing the traumatic events of her mother’s childhood to discover how Rita’s pain has affected not only Leslie’s life and outlook but also her own daughter, Mikaela’s.

A decade-long collaboration between mother and daughter, Bending Toward the Sun reveals how deeply the Holocaust remains in the hearts and minds of survivors, influencing even the lives of their descendants. It also sheds light on the generational reach of any trauma, beyond the initial victim. Drawing on interviews with the other survivors and with the Polish family who hid five-year-old Rita, this book brings together the stories of three generations of women—mother, daughter, and granddaughter—to understand the legacy that unites, inspires, and haunts them all.

Memoir ~ However Tall the Mountain: A Dream, Eight Girls, and a Journey Home by Awista Ayub (new-to-me author/publicist contact) (Claimed by Kristi)

A ball can start a revolution.

Born in Kabul, Awista Ayub escaped with her family to Connecticut in 1981, when she was two years old, but her connection to her heritage remained strong. An athlete her whole life, she was inspired to start the Afghan Youth Sports Exchange after September 11, 2001, as a way of uniting girls of Afghanistan and giving them hope for their future. She chose soccer because little more than a ball and a field is needed to play; however, the courage it would take for girls in Afghanistan to do this would have to be tremendous–and the social change it could bring about by making a loud and clear statement for Afghan women was enough to convince Awista that it was possible, and even necessary.

Under Taliban rule, girls in Afghanistan couldn’t play outside of their homes, let alone participate in a sport on a team. So, Awista brought eight girls from Afghanistan to the United States for a soccer clinic, in the hope of not only teaching them the sport, but also instilling confidence and a belief in their self-worth. They returned to Afghanistan and spread their interest in playing soccer; when Awista traveled there to host another clinic, hundreds of girls turned out to participate–and the numbers of players and teams keep growing. What began with eight young women has now exploded into something of a phenomenon. Fifteen teams now compete in the Afghanistan Football Federation, with hundreds of girls participating.

Against all odds and fear, these girls decided to come together and play a sport that has reintroduced the very traits that decades of war had cruelly stripped away from them–confidence and self-worth. In However Tall the Mountain, Awista tells both her own story and the deeply moving stories of the eight original girls, describing their daily lives back in Afghanistan, and how they found strength in each other, in teamwork, and in themselves–taking impossible risks to obtain freedoms we take for granted. This is a story about hope, about what home is, and in the end, about determination. As the Afghan proverb says, However tall the mountain, there’s always a road.

Memoir ~ The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (new-to-me authors/Shelf Awareness)

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala—crazy—but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do.

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What books came into your house last week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Mailbox post or a list of books if you don’t have a blog.

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