WICKED CHARMS - Janet Evanovich with Phoef Sutton [Book recommendation]

Book obtained from: Library “new books” shelf

Description: The inside flap tells us that Lizzy and Diesel, the protagonists, are searching for the Stone of Avarice. They want to find it before others do, including Diesel's cousin Wulf. The search involves a treasure map, a ship, and an island.

Plot: The book is a light read and moves quickly. The storyline is somewhat over-complicated in that I got lost in a few places. The end includes a small twist which I didn't see coming but it didn't seem to affect the storyline much anyway. The very end was rather flat.

Characterization: The characters are not as well-developed as they could be, and if a reader hasn't read the previous two Lizzy & Diesel books [which I have], they will feel flat. All of the main characters have some type of special power, which made the story more interesting that it would be otherwise.

Setting: Massachusetts. The descriptions were good, I was able to picture every scene without it being over-described.

Other: This story didn't have the “spark” that the previous Lizzy & Diesel stories had, possibly because it read more like a sequel and not a stand-alone story.

Overall: a fun book altho slightly disappointing. I would read more by this author [and in fact I've read most of her books], altho her newer books are not as good as her earlier books.

Grade: C+

The Chocolate Clown Corpse - JoAnna Carl [Book Recommendation]

Book obtained from: Library “new books” shelf, large print edition

Description: The back cover tells us that Lee Woodyard, the protagonist, owns a chocolate shop. The owner of the shop next door, a clown named Moe, ends up dead. When Moe's widow and children list the clown shop for sale, Lee tours it and finds Moe's widow unconscious inside. Lee attempts to learn who killed Moe and who is trying to kill his widow.

Plot: The book is a light, fun read and moves quickly. The storyline is sufficiently complicated to make for an interesting read, and has several scenes where Lee finds herself in sticky situations, including one scene where Lee extricates herself in hilarious fashion. The end includes a small twist which I saw coming about half-way through the book, well before it occurs. This did reduce the tension somewhat.

Characterization: The characters are reasonably well-developed, although not as much as they could have been. I wanted Lee to succeed, but I wasn't as invested in her success as I wanted to be, possibly because of the reduced tension level, see plot above. Lee's husband is a criminal defense attorney who is appointed to defend the man accused of killing Moe, which made for an interesting sideline.

Setting: Michigan in winter. The descriptions were very good, I was able to picture every scene without it being over-described.

Other: Occasional chapters were followed by a page called “Chocolate Chat,” containing information, history, and trivia about chocolate.

Overall: a fun book. I would read more by this author.

Grade: B

Bye, Bye Love - K.J. Larsen [Book recommendation]

Book obtained from: Library “new books” shelf

Description: The front flap tells us that private investigator Cat DeLuca, of the Pants on Fire Detective Agency, it out running with her beagle when she literally stumbles over a dead body. As she pulls out her phone to report it, she is stun-gunned by the apparent murderer. When the police arrive, the body is gone. Cat “helps” the police find the killer.

Plot: The book is a light, fun read and moves quickly. I read this book at the beach, and it is definitely a beach book. The storyline is sufficiently complicated to make for an interesting read. It was a who-done-it and a why-done-it. I had a vague inkling of the “who” and the “why”, but the ending did surprise me. The end included a high-tension, scary predicament and a satisfying twist.

Characterization: The characters are well-developed. I wanted Cat to succeed, at the expense of her police relatives. I did find the book had a few too many characters that I had trouble differentiating, and at one point I decided not to try to figure out who everyone was. It didn't feel like that detracted from my enjoyment of the story, but of course I don't know if I would have enjoyed it more if I could have kept the characters straight.

Setting: Chicago. The descriptions were very good, I was able to picture every scene without it being over-described.

Other: The book is advertised as similar to Stephanie Plum, and I found that accurate, altho the Plum books do contain more humor.

Overall: a fun book. I would read more by this author.

Grade: B+

SHARK SKIN SUITE - Tim Dorsey [Book recommendation]

Book obtained from: Library “new books” shelf

Description: The front flap tells us that Serge Storm, the protagonist, is a “fixer”, a sort-of paralegal and wannabe lawyer who travels around Florida as a kind of vigilante. Brook Campanella is a new lawyer who is good at representing homeowners against big banks engaging in shady foreclosure practices.

Plot: The book has 2-3 interwoven plot lines, and it did get confusing at times. Certain chapters read like they belonged in a different story entirely. Serge could be really funny, somewhat slapstick at times. The mystery aspect was more of a how-done-it. I did NOT guess the “how”. The trial was more on legal technique rather than questioning the witness, but it was well-done without being too technical for a non-legal reader. The end included a reasonably high-tension predicament and a satisfying twist.

Characterization: The characters are reasonably well-developed, although not as much as I've read in other books. I wanted them to succeed, although except for the trial, I was somewhat confused on the ultimate goal.

Setting: South Florida and several of the Keys. The descriptions were very detailed, in some places somewhat overboard in my opinion. I was able to picture every scene, although sometimes I skimmed over the descriptions.

Other: This book had several interesting minor characters.

Overall: The confusing aspects of this book made it difficult to finish. I'm glad I finished it, because the trial and the end were fun to read. I'm not sure I would read more by this author.

Grade: B-

PAW AND ORDER - Spencer Quinn [Book Recommendation]

Book obtained from: Library “new books” shelf, audio book

Description: The back cover tells us the book is narrated by Chet, the canine partner of Bernie, an Arizona private detective. The team travels to Washington DC to visit Bernie's girlfriend, a reporter working on a big story she won't divulge. A source gets himself killed, and Bernie is arrested. After he's released, he and Chet work to solve the mystery.

Plot: The book is a bit more gritty than my usual “light, fun read,” altho Chet is a really funny narrator. The storyline is sufficiently complicated to make for an interesting read. It wasn't really a who-done-it, because Chet gives the “who” away with something he sees and reports but doesn't know why it's important at the time. The process of Bernie figuring out the “who” as well as the “why” was interesting. The end included a somewhat-high-tension [altho not as scary as many books I read] experience and a satisfying twist. The main problem I had with the plot is that the triggering incident [where the story question began], didn't happen until the end of chapter 4. If Chet wasn't such a funny narrator, I may not have been sufficiently interested to read through the end of chapter 4.

Characterization: The characters are well-developed. Chet is really funny in what he reports as important. He notices all the smells and sounds he encounters, and gives the reader hints of things that Bernie doesn't know about because he doesn't have a dog's keen sense of smell or hearing. I wanted Bernie and Chet to succeed, altho the tension and danger level wasn't as high as I expected from this grittier story.

Setting: Washington DC. The descriptions were very good, I was able to picture every scene without it being over-described.

Other: The narrator, Jim Frangione, took a while to get used to. I heard sharp intakes of breath frequently. In the beginning few chapters, his style kind of grated on me, but as I got used to it, it did get better.

Overall: started too slowly, but the humor carried it to where it really started. I would read more by this author.

Grade: B+