Finally Friday - The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

 I really like Lisa Scottoline's lawyer based novels. But she ventures into some other genres and this psychological thriller, The Unraveling of Julia, is a fun page turner.

Julia Pritzker's husband was murdered in Philly and she's still recovering. Then news arrive from Italy - she's inherited a fortune, a Tuscan villa, and a vineyard.  How? Why?  Julia was adopted and has no biological history. A jaunt to Italy becomes quite the adventure. 

The villa seems haunted. Clues appear to indicate Julia might be related to Emilia Rossi and a Renaissance Duchess - Caterina Sforza. And husband, Mike's murder, no longer seems random. Whoa!

 cover blurb - Before long, Julia fears she's being followed. Events turn deadly, and Julia's search for identity becomes a harrowing struggle for sanity - and survival.  

Solid poolside read with a satisfying conclusion. Scottoline does not  disappoint. 

Book Review - The Late Show by Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly changes gears from old Harry Bosch. This time in The Late Show he introduces us to young Renee Ballard, a tough detective trying to prove herself. She’s been shoved into the midnight shift due to some office politics – punishment for filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor. It’s frustrating, but she’s working hard to do her job and move on. The book leaps into two cases that will keep her busy. First a prostitute is badly beaten and left for dead – a sign of an evil killer at large. Then a nightclub shooting has all the earmarks of gang activity and a possible cop on the inside. Oh the web tangles and Renee has a lot of work ahead of her.

From the cover blurb – As the investigations entwine, Ballard is forced to face her own demons and confront a danger she could not have imagined. To find justice for these victims who can’t speak for themselves, she must put not only her career but her life on the line.

Renee Ballard is an exciting new character and I look forward to reading more of her in Michael Connelly’s books. The Late Show proves to be a page-turner. Fast paced and riveting – everything you want in a crime drama thriller. 

Book Review - A Field of Darkness

I like Cornelia Read’s writing and A Field of Darkness was her first book.  I bought it at a book sale and enjoyed the cop investigation murder mystery thriller.  Madeline Dare was a debutante, now married to Dean (yes, she loves him), but feels stuck in podunk Syracuse. She hates the cold, the town, and wants to escape. Visions of being a real journalist clash with her current life at a small town paper. But, an old mystery resurfaces and it might involve her New York  city cousin, Lapthorne – possible gay bon vivant, or lecherous killer of young girls? You decide?

Old dog tags surface. There’s still someone alive from the local fall fair. Girls were killed, but the killer never found or charged.  Madeline digs deeper and  other girls are dead. Who to believe? Is there a local dirty cop? What about her journalist boss?  Lots of suspects, lots of dirt, and Madeline’s husband Dean is out of town and worried about her. Does she and her best friend Ellis get in too deep? It seems that everyone Madeline is connected with seems to die.  Not looking good for the home team.

A Field of Darkness is well written and pulls together the clues to lead you and Madeline to the killer.  Hope it’s not too late!!

Movie Review Madness - 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane is part suspense/thriller, part fantasy/science fiction. It’s not normally my type of movie, but the previews were intriguing and the movie proved to be good. It starts with a girl (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) packing a bag and leaving her home in distress. Driving down a dark road (never good), there are blinding lights, a swerve, and a blackout. (Uh-oh). She awakens in a room with a broken leg and she’s chained. (More dread).  What happened? Where is she?

Thump. Door opens. Here comes John Goodman (such a good solid actor who’s really excellent here). The girl begs for her life and asks to be set free. He says he can’t . He claims he saved her life, that’s it not safe outside. The world is under attack and he had the foresight to prepare. She has flashbacks to her crash. Some things just don’t add up. And there’s another guy in this bunker (John Gallgher, Jr). He seems a tad dim, but loyal. He vouches for the man – claims he knew to come here to live. Had done work for the preparation and wanted to survive.

The first part of 10 Cloverfield Lane will have you jumping and on edge. You are with the girl as she keeps trying to escape, and yet some things keep her there. Parts of the story make sense, and then something happens to send your heart reeling to panic.  It is very suspenseful and well done.  The final third of the film went over the top for me. I won’t say what happens, but to me it lost its edge. Nonetheless, this is a well-made tight film and worthy of rental. Turn off the lights and hold your breath. You’ll be nervous the next time you drive down a dark lane. 

Book Review: Death Wore White

Death Wore White by Jim Kelly is not new, but it’s a 2008 goodie. From the cover blurb – On a frigid winter night, Harvey Ellis is trapped on a coastal road – stranded by a blizzard in a line of eight cars. Within a few hours, he is dead, viciously stabbed at the wheel of his truck.  Nobody saw this happen and there are no footprints in the snow. Peter Shaw, young Detective Inspector and his partner, old grizzled veteran George Valentine, have to work fast. The crime scene is melting, and the body count is rising as suspects are targeted one by one.  

This whodunit will keep you turning pages and gasping in surprise. For such a small target location, a lot happens and what seems like coincidence at first turns into a highly detailed plan of deception. And to add to the mix Peter Shaw’s father had worked with Valentine. Both went into disgrace after a botched case. Now George is trying to climb up the ladder, and Peter reluctantly seeks to redeem his father’s name.  

The author keeps up the pace and ties up the whole package neatly, without giving away too much too soon. The writing and dialogue are tight, and the characters are well drawn. Death Wore White is a worthy addition to crime fiction.  P. 19 The line of eight vehicles stood as if fashioned in icing sugar, an exquisite model on an untouched wedding cake.

Book Review: Broken Harbor by Tana French

Tana French is Irish and her books are set in Dublin and surrounding environs. That adds a unique style and feel. In the Woods and Faithful Place were superb and now her latest, Broken Harbor, features our favorite brash cop - Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy
Opening paragraph hooks the reader, trust me -  Here's what I'm trying to tell you: this case should have gone like clockwork. It should have ended up in the textbooks as a shining example of how to get everything right. By every rule in the book, this should have been a dream case.

Mick's a top detective with a great closing record, but he's coming off a problem case, been cooling his heels, and now this case should redeem him. He and his rookie partner, Richie, investigate the murder of Patrick Spain and his two young children. Wife, Jenny Spain, is in intensive care. They live in a half built, half-abandoned Irish development with suspicious neighbors, traces of life in empty homes, baby monitors, cameras, and too many small things that aren't explained. Files are erased from the family home computer, and Jenny's sister shares some past history that's problematic.

Police politics and procedures flow and this psychological thriller keeps the pages turning, the clues popping, and you, the reader, guessing. Tana French keeps the dialogue snappy and the plot lines taut. Great pacing and writing in the thriller genre.

Book Review: Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben knows how to ratchet tension quickly. In Hold Tight, he begins with a woman's kidnapping and murder. Then we meet Dr. Mike Baye, his wife, attorney Tia, teen son Adam, and pre-teen daughter Jill - seems like the perfect family. However, the parents are monitoring their son's computer. His behavior's changed and his "best" friend Spencer Hill committed suicide. Adam's uncommunicative. Lots of worry and tension.

Plus Coben has his reader witness another woman's kidnapping and murder. What's going on? Is all of this connected? Should we be worried for Adam, who's gone missing? Yowza!

Harlan Coben writes a tight paced mystery thriller. He throws a lot of balls in the air, keeps his reader guessing, and then slowly catches each ball and shows us more clues. Hold Tight is a very fun quick read. Interesting characters, sharp dialogue, some red herrings, and a taut finish.

I'm not going to say anymore, as I don't want to spoil anyone's read. Just hold tight and grasp at clues!!