Review: Mr. Nobody

Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A man lacking identification and unable to speak is found semiconscious on a British beach and immediately draws national press as Mr. Nobody. But when neuropsychiatrist Dr. Emma Lewis is invited to assess him, she discovers he does recall something about her own past that no one else knows.

Very interesting story.

Review: Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, And 3 RVs On Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure

Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, And 3 RVs On Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Terrific book. David and his wife Debbie are moving from California to Maine. No big deal right! Huh, what about their 27 or so dogs?

The logistics of this type of move are mind boggling. Just think about it. How would you do it? Fly? Tractor Trailer Truck? Railway? Cars? No, I don't think so. This was a huge undertaking and the trip had to be very carefully planned allowing for every eventuality.

Just loved this memoir of their cross country trip, intermingled with stories of their individual dogs.

Review: Fair Warning

Fair Warning by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Veteran reporter Jack McEvoy has taken down killers before, but when a woman he had a one-night stand with is murdered in a particularly brutal way, McEvoy realizes he might be facing a criminal mind unlike any he's ever encountered.

Enter the villain nick named "The Shrike". 

Shrikes (/ʃraɪk/) are carnivorous passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of 33 species in four genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as butcherbirds because of their feeding habits.

Jack McEvoy discovers that several women are being murdered in a particular way and then the murders are masked by staging scenes of accidents and suicides. We are given an eye opener into the world of DNA and how it can be used against us.

An excellent read.

Review: Who Let the Dog Out?

Who Let the Dog Out? by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another Andy Carpenter winner. This story opens with a dog being stolen from the shelter. Who would do that and why? What follows is another case that Andy takes on involving diamond smugglers and with a whole new twist.

Review: Sudden Death

Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I STEP OFF THE PLANE, and for the first time in my life, I’m in Los Angeles. I’m not sure why I’ve never been here before. I certainly haven’t had any preconceived notions about the place, other than the fact that the people here are insincere, draft-dodging, drug-taking, money-grubbing, breast-implanting, out-of-touch, pâté-eating, pompous, Lakers-loving, let’s-do-lunching, elitist scumbags.

But here I am, open-minded as always.

This was the opening lines of the book, typical of the style of writing for the series. The banter is entertaining, as always, and the mystery is fun and complex (fun if you don't mind good guys dying).

It was not a simple mystery to solve, and even when it seemed to be mostly solved, there was a sharp twist near the end, and it went off in a wild tangent. 

Always looking forward to the next in the series.

Review: Dog Tags

Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy Carpenter represents a German Shepherd after he has witnessed a murder and is about to be put down in a animal shelter. It turns out that the dog, Milo, and his owner have somehow been put in the middle of something bigger than they anticipated.

A good read.

Review: Unleashed

Unleashed by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another Andy Carpenter winner. In this episode people are being killed and Andy and his associates have to discover what is happening. It starts with a small plane that crashed and a man had died. Eventually they determined that he didn't die due to the crash. Over time different people are being accused and arrested, but it is up to Andy to figure out what is actually happening. Of course there is another golden retriever involved named Crash. Crash was hit by Sam's car, one of Andy's associates and subsequently taken in by Sam who adores him, even to the point of cooking and baking  special food for him.

A good read.

Review: Court of Killers

Court of Killers by William Bernhardt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Quite an entertaining story, but not quite as up to the mark as the first book in the series, The Last Chance Lawyer.

Four men are found baked to death in an oven in an old bakery which is owned by the mayoress of the city. She is brought up on charges and Dan Pike and his firm are hired to defend her.

Its a bit of a dog's breakfast actually and the actual killer is found out in just the last few pages without an actual build up or suspicion of who it might be.

Review: Dear Committee Members

Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Epistolary. Written completely in letters, mostly LOR's, letter of recommendation.
The English department is under attack, literally crumbling after funding cutbacks not to mention a construction crew refurbishing the Economic department’s floor and filling the air with dust, and probably asbestos, to be breathed in by those poor saps unable to scamper off to other environs.

Meanwhile a beleaguered and aging English professor continues to write out letters of recommendation to current and former students looking to parlay their degree into work at the local paintball arena or as unpaid interns. 

It’s wry look at the state of liberal arts education, writers workshops and some inside baseball about the publishing industry. Professor Fitger is an old school grump with a love for the written word but no patience for fools, himself included. A fun diversionary read.

Review: Play Dead

Play Dead by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Andy Carpenter winner. This time Andy is called to see a Golden Retriever that is due for euthanasia and he makes the quick decision to become the dog's lawyer and take it to court. This starts a domino affect when a girl recognizes the dog as belonging to her brother, who is in prison for murder and the dog was believed to have died as well.

A real page turner. Always looking forward to the next Andy Carpenter installment.

Review: New Tricks

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A terrific story. This time Andy is defending a man accused of murdering his father. One of the main issues seems to be a puppy named Waggy, who is quite a lovely handful. While Andy is working on defending the son, Tara is doing double duty with rearing Waggy.

Lori is visiting Andy and during her visit takes a bullet meant for Waggy. Luckily she comes out of her coma and Andy is able to help her recuperate. This horrible incident seems to bring both Andy and Lori to the realization of what really is important and are making new plans for their future.

Review: Dead Center

Dead Center by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy Carpenter is back in the dating scene but with odd results. Meanwhile, Lori, his true love who moved away back to her home town in order receive a promotion has called him to come and defend a young fellow who is charged with the murder of two young girls. Lori doesn't think this young fellow is guilty and wants Andy to defend him. The murders, which quickly multiply are revolved around a small town called Century where the citizens are involved in a type of religious organization that call themselves Centurians. In this organization the people are told from the time they are five years old how their lives will go, who they will marry and when, etc. Andy is interested in this and believes that the murderers are involved in this cult in some way and sets out to discover the truth. 

An excellent read.