Summer Reading Program!

All you really have to do is three things: Set yourself a reading goal, read, and review books! That’s it. Really. We’ve got both a Myspace and a Blogger account set up, so there’s a way for everyone to participate!

All you have to do is set yourself a reading goal -- how many books you want to finish reading by the end of the summer -- and write little summaries/reviews of what you read.

You pick whatever books you want, post a blog entry stating your reading goals, and then post your write ups after each book. If you want you can even wait to post the write ups 'til near the end of the Summer Reading Program, but I don't recommend it because you have to have everything "turned in" by the last day.

If you're interested, leave a comment here along with the url for whatever site/blog you plan on posting your write ups so we can all read them & see what you're reading. You never know -- someone else might be doing the same book as you, or you might even discover a great new book to check out! I’ll post a link on the side of this blog with your information so everyone can see what you’re reading (and you can see what everyone else is reading!)

Don’t have a Myspace or a Blogger? Comment here with your name, email and goal and I’ll post your reviews for you!

You can sign up anytime, and start reviewing your books beginning May 25!

Blogger Address: http://summerreadingonline.blogspot.com/

Myspace Address: http://www.myspace.com/weirdlibrarian

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Muffin's 14th Book

Poison Study by Maria Snyder

This one was actually someone else's ILL book. I was processing it, and it looked interesting, so I reserved it for myself. I'm glad I did.

Poison Study is set in another world- one of those ones where they have less technology, but they have magic instead. This particular society is a military state, with absolutes. For instance, you kill someone, your life is forfeit. Yelena is in the dungeon awaiting her execution for the murder of a General's son. However, Yelena is given a reprieve on the day of her execution by becoming the official food taster for the Commander (the head of her country). She must learn to identify all the poisons by either smell or taste, and her life is a constant tightrope. Will this meal be her last?
To make matters worse, the General whose son she killed wants revenge, and tried to take it at every opportunity. To make matters even worse, Yelena finds herself smack in the middle of a plot to destroy the Commander.

There's not much of the fantasy in this book, if it weren't for maybe 5 instances of 'magic' it wouldn't be one at all. And they're not flashy bits of magic- no wands, no dragons. Definitely a good read.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Hedgehog 8: Knitting Rules!

Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

I follow Stephanie's blog, Yarn Harlot, with a nearly religious fervor. If she has a post up, everything else in my RSS feed is going to wait until I've gotten through it. Her dry Canadian humor (occasionally poking fun at Americans) and her passion for all things yarn related are always a bright spot during my day.

Recently, as a self-reward for something or other, I purchased all of Stephanie's books. I probably would have had them before if they'd been available in used book stores but, not surprisingly, the knitters who own them hold on to them and are probably more likely to bequeath them to other knitters than to pass them off to dollar bins. (e.g. My Stitch-and-Bitch sneaked home with the-Blonde's-Man-of-Honor about a year ago during efforts for him to learn how to knit. I'm never getting that book back, I might as well just go and get another copy.)

This book is not a basic "how to knit book." Instead it's more of an introduction to the culture of knitting and some basics that the usual how to books make dry enough that one wants to ignore. Stephanie's charm and wit infuses descriptions on making sure you're using the right size needles, figuring out just how obsessed you are with yarn, and helping me not feel guilty that a large chest in the living room has been pretty much taken over by my stash.

After charging through the amusing points of quizzing how willing you are to drag others into the knitting fold, Stephanie offers up some basic patterns and alterations for scarves, hats, socks, shawls, and sweaters. With each one, she takes care to explains the pro's and con's of working on the project. She provides basic patterns, explaining each stage with such clarity that I almost (almost being the key word) am interested in taking on a pair of socks. That's saying a lot-I have little understanding with the fascination of knitting socks. She then offers up variety for these patterns, explaining how to make little changes so you don't get bored and can venture slowly and without risk to trying new things in a comfortable pattern.

It's a delightful book for someone who is already a knitter. Whether or not it would appeal to someone outside the yarn clan, I'm not sure. Her style is engaging though and it's a lovely read for a rainy day like today.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Hedgehog 7: Decaffeinated Corpse

Decaffeinated Corpse by Cleo Coyle

The fifth series in Coyle's enjoyable Coffee House series sees a return from the Hamptons to the lower East side. Manager Clare Cosi is back and trying to ramp up to the world wide introduction of a botanically decaf coffee bean. While I certainly don't drink decaf, I have enough friends for whom caffeine is an evil and I can understand their desire to continue enjoying a strong cup of Joe. Considering some of the weak and yukky regular "coffee" I've had from time to time, at least with a strong cup of decaf I'd get the psychological pick me up.

The story moves comfortably through the week prior to international release of this bean. There is assault, men cheating on women, women cheating on men, two people murdered, and a little fraud in the middle of everything else. An old friend of Clare's ex-husband has created the wonder plant, but his ambitions, sleeping around, and muddy political family history leads to lots of drama. Clare's detective friend Mike Quinn is back on the scene, though without her usual friendly neighborhood patrol, and her flavorful and interesting baristas always keep things sarcastic. Drop in a little dose of the coffeehouse owner, Madame, and you have a cozy book for a rainy afternoon.

This was better than Cosi's last, Murder Most Frothy, nearly had me give up on the series. What probably keeps me coming back most strongly is Cosi's spot on descriptions of Manhattan. Having worked there, particularly in the Chelsea area, Cosi describes the buildings, people, traffic and mood in such a realistic fashion that I'm transported easily back to 14th and 8th, sipping a latte in my own favorite spot. I much preferred being in Manhattan than out in the Hamptons--it was just too glorified. Also, Cosi didn't have Clare fall into bed with yet another man. Even with one of them being her ex-husband, it bothered me that every book there was someone else for pillow time.

She's got another one coming out in 2008 and I'll probably get it through my library. Fun and light reading if you enjoy descriptions of Manhattan.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Hedgehog 6: Mountain Top Mystery

Mountain Top Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Alden's go for a day trip to a nearby mountain and end up stranded overnight when a rock slide breaks the trail down. Said rock slide opens up a cave and a treasure is discovered.

This story is less a mystery than some of her other books. The children are a little older, though Violet is inevitably fragile--which I find a little annoying. With all the running about these kids do, you'd think she'd have developed some health, if not some gumption but she's mild and sweet--always.

Warner speaks of an Indian tribe that used to live in the forest near the mountain, with the two remaining survivors coming together and finding a treasure of French silver as the "mystery" portion of the book. It was a little unbelievable that a young boy of 12 could hitchhike and disappear in and out of camps but considering how Warner started the series, perhaps it's not entirely unreasonable for her imagination.

Has anyone else ever noticed that the Alden children's parents are NEVER mentioned, they never seem to grieve for them, and it's amazingly unclear what they were doing before the first story? These are well educated, nicely brought up children---even assuming they were estranged from their grandfather because of something between the parents and him, why were there no friends of their parents to look after them? Where was their mother's family? How do four children wander off into the night with only one change of clothing and no one notices?

Hedgehog 5: One Night With a Spy

Celeste Bradley was recommended to me by an estimable branch manager friend over crepes one evening. After wading through (yesterday evening's reading) a collection of short stories, I was ready for one of her longer works.

One Night With a Spy is part of a series of called "The Royal Four," which is built around the idea of the King of England having four advisers who tell him the truth and pretty much seem to run the country.

The plot introduces, Julia, a young woman married to a MUCH older man who is part of the Royal Four. In his final years, her husband teaches her about the Royal Four and, following an accident that leaves him mostly incapacitated (it sounds like a stroke), she pretty much takes over. After his death she confronts his confederates to take his place---to their surprise and concern. To evaluate her they send in a very handsome young man who is being groomed to join the four also. However, they didn't plan on an outsider who is also trying to kill her.

Bradley has Julia as a bright and imaginative young woman. She also has her as one of the more sexually frustrated and imaginative widows that I've read in a long time. Before taking on Royal 4 business, Julia wrote copious diaries of fantasies. Considering her experience is supposed to be a man over the age of sixty when he married her, even with a low upbringing (which she had), it seemed a little excessively detailed. Putting that aside, Julia's pretty self-sufficient, and that's nice. She's interested in Marcus, the one sent to spy upon her, but she doesn't let that get in the way of her being a functional person. Fantasies aside, Bradley did an excellent job of moving along a very interesting story.

The fun side note is Julia's upbringing in a traveling fair troupe, which means that her butler likes to hang upside down from the chandeliers and her footmen are acrobats that like to do various stunts. It adds some light humor that is enjoyable.

Looking forward to seeing what else she's written. Back to tormenting the cat with a ribbon....she's much neglected because her mommy is out of town.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Hedgehog 4: Mike's Mystery

Well...look at that. Despite what Muffin kindly told me (see the comments), I had it in my head that I only had until the 15th to finish my reviews.

Alright, I've a few more days and it's time to get cracking. Considering I've read three books since I got home from work this evening, there's obviously some work to do.

Earlier this summer, I had a bizarre desire to re-read the Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. While I sped through all of her books when I was probably between the ages of 8-10, I only read the ones she wrote, and have never been able to get into the more modern versions being published under her name.

Then I went on a reservation binge at work and I'm in the process of rereading all of the original 19 books that Ms Chandler Warner wrote. Starting with Mike's Mystery.

Mike is a character who appeared in the second book in the series, Surprise Island, a resurfaces as a uranium mine. He's a classmate of Benny's and he's loud and just slightly annoying. I realized about half way through the book that he's a lot like some of my kids (at work)--great in small doses and good if you can keep them busy but when they're bored they can drive you to distraction.

Someone is engaged in an attempt to cause problems at the uranium mine and it's up to the children to figure out who is at fault. What makes this mystery a little different from the others is that the Alden children aren't really the central figures--even for Warner. Instead she focuses on this other ten year old (age is my estimation) and let's him be bright enough to determine what's going on and to help bring down the bad guy.

John Carter plays an essential role--and as an adult I remember he seemed a slightly romantic character to me as a child. Then he was this mysterious cool guy who had connections to the FBI and was just always "there" to help with everything. As an adult, I'm not exactly clear on his role. He's definitely around all the time to bail the Alden children out of trouble but how that equals being a jack-of-all-trades for Mr. Alden and being connected to the FBI is a little beyond me.

I'll be plowing through the rest of them--about ten of them came in today for me. :)

Weirdlibrarian's SRP Book 13: Girl, Interrupted

SRP Book 13: Girl, Interrupted
by Susanna Kaysen
169 pgs

I first heard about this via the Winona Ryder film of the same name (which I have yet to see) and when Angelina Jolie (unknown to me, at least, at that time) won an Oscar for her part. Picked the book as an SRP possibility because of this previous awareness, plus someone (Beth, Jennikins?) suggested it. Borrowed Beth's copy, in any case, and here's what I thought.

To those of you unfamiliar with the book (I can't very well speak for the movie or the (un)similarities because I haven't seen it yet), this is the autobiographical tale of a young woman institutionalized in 1967, her official diagnosis: Borderline Personality Disorder.

Kaysen spends the next two years of her life in the McLean Hospital with fellow female 'psychos', each of which seem crazier than herself. The author's main focus throughout the memoir is Am I really crazy?, and it is difficult to really determine, not only for the author, but for her peers, her doctors, the nurses, and the reader as well.

With the vignettes she encloses, Kaysen details the inner workings of mental health in 1967-68, which is a sharp parallel of the 'inside world vs. the outside world' -- a drastically, violently changing world -- and how she could possibly fit in it. That is, if she and her fellow inmates ever fit in it. Parts of the book were rather profound and, I am hesitant to admit, made perfect sense to me personally. For a supposedly crazy person, Kaysen has a firm grip on how things really are as well as perceived. In fact there are few instances throughout the book that sway me to believe she might have been off kilter. The impression on the whole is of a misunderstood girl being shunted out of the way rather than being accepted, forcing her to doubt herself more so than those that disposed of her.

Kaysen's style is demonstrative of interruptions. Not that her thoughts are incomplete; rather it seems she barely had time to jot down her coherent thoughts in between the 10 minute 'checks' by the nurses. The other patients seemed to belong in the hospital more so than the author, but perhaps that was intentional. The only character of true interest is Lisa: a sociopath, violent and manic young woman who repeatedly attempted escape, if only to entertain herself and the others. She reminded me a great deal of a girl I knew in Junior High who was just as wild and crazy.

I really enjoyed the book for all these reasons and simply because I could relate and understand so much. Then the book changed course, deus ex machina you could say, and Kaysen the character lost my sympathy. In a word, she recovered. I wish the ending had been less anticlimactic because then I might have liked it better. As it is, I would recommend it, if only for the first 130 pages.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Hedgehog 3: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

It's the 15th and I said I'd get 15 books recorded by now. That's not going to happen, unfortunately, but I should at least go through a few of the things I've been reading.

In the last couple of days I've been flying through a second reading of

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn

I have to note that it's the only one of Miss Quinn's texts that I do not yet own. I've restrained myself admirably I think.

Julia's most popular series is about a family with the surname of Bridgerton and is often referred to as the Whistledown series. While this particular book does not feature any of the Bridgerton clan, it's in a similarly engaging style.

The heroine, having fallen for her ultimate hero at the age of 10, starts a journal about life at his behest and these journal entries are littered throughout the book. It's somewhat like the collection of interesting words kept by Caroline from To Catch an Heiress. It creates a familiar style that allows more insight into the characters and more of the witty humor that I've come to expect from Julia.

The plot follows a calm path: Miranda meets her best friend's older brother when she is ten and promptly falls in love with him. Jump forward to when he is a widower from an unhappy marriage and she's just coming onto the marriage market and they have their adventure of falling in love.

Miranda is a likable and appealing heroine. She's easily imagined to be pretty without being the "diamond" --as follows par for the course for Quinn. The role of being in the center of society's eye is left for her best friend Olivia--who comes across a little too 16 for her 20 years. Olivia is loud and making mistakes while Miranda is a little more sly in her sarcasm. Miranda has a fall from grace (of course, with the hero) and ends up pregnant. This terminates in a miscarriage but ends up leading to a wedding which greatly surprises his family.

The story rolls along at a smooth and comfortable pace. Quinn is not trying to reinvent the wheel but is providing an enjoyable story that pulls on many of her strengths. Miranda and Turner are believable as people, close enough in age to not be weird (I have issues with 35 year olds who are "young men" falling for just-out-of-the-schoolroom 18 year olds....*shudder*). It's a girl next door story for a man who has been trapped and disappointed in an early marriage.

The pair marries on the sly and I enjoyed the idea of not everyone being prepared for the wedding or even immediately notified of it. They're married for two months before the maternal figure (Olivia's mother) is called down upon their heads to bless the marriage. The final problem is his admission of love for his wife, which only comes with the birth of their first child. It's a little bit forced but understandable that a man severely disappointed is cautious with his heart the second time. It doesn't stop me from wanting to smack him upside the head with the "Duh" stick but that's what these stories are good for.

A very enjoyable addition that will hopefully find a home on my bookshelf soon--much to Roomie's regret.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Muffin's 13th Book

Freak Show by James St. James

This book intrigued me from the get go. The cover is bright pink with a boy dressed in drag on the cover. But it's not just drag. It's Drag - Bright green dress, purple sash, neon green makeup and a crown.

Freak Show is the story of Billy, the young drag queen on the cover, and how he tries to fit in at his uber conservative new high school. Unfortunately for Billy, he doesn't. To Billy, his clothes are the height of fashion, fun, cool, trendy. To everyone else they're weird and flamboyant. On his first day, Billy goes for a pirate theme, because after all, aren't pirates cool? But no one else seems to think so, and so begins a torrent of abuse. Spit balls shot at him, atomic wedgies, tater tots mashed in his hair, everything. Until it pushes Billy too far, and he decides to go for it. If they want shocking they'll get shocking. His plan doesn't exactly go as he wanted it to though.

You can't help but love Billy in this story. He's so pleased with who he is, and is just totally convinced that everyone else should too. He may be a bit stereotypically flamboyant, but it gets the point across.
Definitely a good read.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Hedgehog 2: Thursday Next, First Among Sequels

It was with great anticipation that I daily checked my library's reserve system for the fifth installment of the Thursday Next series. Jasper Fforde's reputation for enjoyable, witty and fast moving texts had it at the top of my "things to read list."

Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

I went into the novel fully prepared to be swept along with the insanity of jumping between a very bizarre version of England in the 80s and classic British literature. Fforde's books to date have been amazing satires and blends of humor with moments of "Oh, right, DUH!" when he sneaks in a reference to a book or poem read while suffering through English Major undergrad with a focus on Shakespeare and Brit Romantics.

Fforde's fifth novel in the series went too many ways with too many distractions. The redoubtable Thursday is back. SpecOps has been dissolved, so now they're running it underground with a carpeting business front and she keeps hopping in and out of BookWorld when she's supposed to be on SpecialOps work. Add in two apprentice Thursdays: an evil one from her "first four books" which are nothing like the works Fforde authored and an imaginary fifth book that has a hippie version of Thursday (who is into macrame, etc). Toss in an imaginary child created by Aornis' imagination, a Chronoguard War against itself and two versions of her son Friday and not nearly enough appearances by Mrs. TiggyWinkle and Emperor Zhork. Overall Fforde seemed distracted pulling Thursday six different directions and ending with weak resolutions for everything.

The book is unfocused and lacking a lot of the intelligence of the previous books. Fforde seems to have run out of steam when it comes to inventive and creative names--playing with rather tedious and obvious word plays in stead of subtle digs at Brit lit. The new literary characters introduced are only the Thursdays, which is disappointing. In earlier texts I enjoyed meeting Marianne Dashwood and I really enjoyed Hamlet from the fourth book. This book left me hoping that it was going to get better but ultimately it never did. There were squeamish and stupid moments that weren't worth it and didn't make for a good laugh. All in all it took the better part of a week to read, and that was because I kept setting it down and walking away .

I would still continue to recommend the first books in the series but unless there is some regrouping by Fforde, I doubt I would advise readers go further in the series than book four.

This post has also been published at Hedgehoglibrarian.blogspot.com

Lola's 15th Book

Yay! I reached my goal! Looking over my goals post reminded me that I have yet to read any of the Chronicles of Narnia. Oops. Must read those and give them back!

The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton

The lastest Anita Blake was a lot better than some of the previous ones. She's still having a hissy over sleeping with so many guys, she's still angry at the world, and Richard still has issues with everything in his life. That said, this novel was more like one long therapy session where between fighting the bad guys they talked and argued pretty much the whole time. It wasn't as tedious as it sounds, because it explained some things, and it was nice to see that in some cases they were coming to terms with things.

What I didn't like was that there was way too much going on in this story. There was enough action and drama for 2 or 3 separate novels. The action kept the novel from being only about sex, so I guess that's a plus.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Lola's 14th book

Betrayal in Death by J.D. Robb

Someone is targeting Roarke yet again. Employees are being killed by known contract killer, and it is up to Eve to find out why. The first murder occured in one of Roarke's hotels while they are having a party for an upcoming auction - a celebrity is auctioning off her movie costumes and starting a foundation with the proceeds, so it must be celebrated first. They soon discover that it was timed so that Eve and Roarke would be distracted by the murders and not looking at the crime being plotted.

Betrayal is the theme because there are at least 2 different occurances of someone betraying a loved one for money. I'm trying to remember if there were other instances of betrayal, but I didn't post my review right away so I've already kinda forgotten.

On the character development front, Peabody and McNab hit a snag and Eve plays the part of the friend by listening to Peabody's side. It is rather amusing because Eve is anything but a girly girl, in fact she's more like a guy in many ways, and it pains her to listen to the relationship issues of her friends. I had a lot of fun imaging her fighting back the urge to grimace and cover her ears.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Weirdlibrarian's SRP Book 12: Undead & Uneasy

Undead And Uneasy
by Mary Janice Davidson
272 pgs.

::sigh:: This is the sixth book in the Besty Taylor "Undead" paranormal romance series (and I can't believe the second one I've read this summer. For a quick sum-up, check my past entries for Unead & Unpopular).

Betsy & Sinclair are getting married, despite the fact that they have been vampirically married for almost two years. Just days before running down to the Justice of the Peace to make it official in Betsy's eyes, her father & stepmother die in a car accident. This instantly makes Betsy a mama to her half brother, BabyJon. Almost instantaneously all hell breaks loose and all her friends (humans, vampires, werewolves) go AWOL.

The bulk of the book has Betsy all by her lonesome bitching about being dumped by everybody, until she snaps awake and realizes the disappearances are not coincidental but intentional.

... I'm sorry, but didn't this series start off as humorous vampire porn? Where's the humor? Where's the sex?? Each installment continues to disappoint me, I'm sorry to say. In fact, I'm pretty sure I wrote on my review for book 5 that it was crap & I wouldn't read this one. But then I saw it at work and thought, What the Hell, it's free at least.

This book does have a positive side: I have now officially met my Summer Reading Program 2007 goal of twelve books. Woo. Hoo. How very anticlimatic. I've really been disappointed in my books this summer, only having read two good ones and one great one (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; We Have Always Lived In The Castle). I'm still listening to HP&OotP in the car. I've got a lovely stack of books set aside to read next. Think I might pick up Girl, Interrupted.

... continued on my Myspace page; cut for language ^_~

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Muffin's 12th Book

How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell
(second in the Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III books)
Hiccup the viking is back. And this time he's got to learn how to be a pirate. Things aren't going well for Hiccup when he and his friend Fishlegs discover a coffin. The coffin of Grimbeard the Ghastly, Hiccup's Great-Grandfather. Despite the misgivings of Hiccup and Fishlegs, the viking clan decides to open it. And discover Alvin, the "Poor-But-Honest Farmer." Alvin convinces the vikings that he knows how to discover the lost treasure of Grimbeard, and the vikings are off on an ill-planned voyage will disastrous results.

Muffin's 10th and 11th Books

Meg Cabot- Size 12 is Not Fat & Size 14 is Not Fat Either

Heather Wells is a former Teen Idol. Who now works as an assistant director for an undergrad dorm in New York. All is quiet in Heather’s dorm until a female student is killed. The police and the college president are ready to claim that her death is what it seems- she fell while elevator surfing, Heather knows it’s not true. She embarks on a high scale investigation, and uncovers more then she expected.
In the second book, life is slowly turning back to normal at Heather’s dorm, when tragedy strikes again. A cheerleader’s head is discovered- in the stockpot of the dorm’s cafeteria. Wanting to know who would kill one of her students in such a horrible manner Heather once again turns amateur sleuth.

These books would be a heck of a lot better is Meg Cabot wouldn’t focus so much on Heather’s weight. Through both books she beats the reader over the head with facts about how most women in American society are a size 12-14, and how it’s not fat. Over and over and over. I get it already. It’s nice that the main character isn’t a teeny model, but come on. It’s just as bad to focus on how size 12 ISN’T fat, then follow society’s ideal. It’s annoying as well. I’m a size 12, and I don’t spout off about how it’s not fat all the time. Mention that she’s happy with her weight, and don’t focus on it already. Ok, I'll stop ranting now. :)

Muffin's 9th Book

Casey Daniels – The Chick and the Dead
This is the sequel to Don of the Dead.
Pepper Martin works for the Cleveland cemetery. While working one day, she slipped, fell, and hit her head on one of the ‘resident’s’ headstones. Since then she has a problem- she can see some of the ‘residents’ of the cemetery. And hear them. After her experiences with Gus Scarpetti (see the first book- Don of the Dead), they’ve begun coming to her for help. Didi Bowman is the second ghost who claims Pepper is the only one who can help her. And she won’t leave Pepper alone until she does. The upside? Once she helps them the ghosts are able to move on- and leave Pepper alone. Didi needs Pepper to prove that her famous author sister actually stole the book she is famous for, from Didi. Pepper needs to survive long enough to do some major digging, but are the Bowman sisters’ secrets worth dying over?

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Lola's 13th book

High Noon by Nora Roberts

Since it's her new one and I'm not sure how many of you are NR fans, it will once again be a short review.

Phoebe is a hostage negotiator with the Savannah PD, and Duncan is a local businessman. They met when she talked one of his employees out of committing suicide. Goes to show that you never know when you'll meet someone. The mystery part was good, as always. I was looking in a totally different direction, but that's pretty much par for the course for me. The action wasn't as quick as some of her other romantic suspense novels, and there was a lot of time spent showing how Phoebe does her job. I'm kinda hoping that it was just Ms. Robert's take on hostage negotiation, because otherwise the negotiators are pretty damn condescending. At least that's the way it came across to me.

There were a couple of the usual plot points for a Roberts novel. No one was struggling financially, although there were some emotional issues with family members. The family Loved Duncan, and it was instant mutual love between Duncan and Phoebe's daughter. I don't think I've ever read a Roberts book where the family wasn't too sure about the love interest or the kids were resistant to the thought of their parent hooking up with someone. The people in her world are pretty damn well adjusted.