Entombed, by Linda Fairstein (on CD)

Interesting, if a bit of a potboiler, about a team of two police detectives and a DA in New York investigating a series of women who have been attacked and/or raped over a long period of time, as well as trying to figure out who bricked up a woman in the basement of a brownstone. The cases are not related, but one of them revolved around Edgar A. Poe, his stories and his biography. Fun, though a bit cheesy at times. However, it was read by Barbara Rosenblatt, who remains the best female narrator in my opinion, with no one else being even close.

61 Hours, by Lee Child (on CD)

Great book. I knew who the Bad Guy was fairly early, but wasn't sure what the deal was really. And the ending is pretty spectacular.

Little Tiny Teeth, by Aaron Elkins

Set in Peru, this one is about headhunters, drug smuggling, greed, and boating down the Amazon. It's all good till Our Heroes get kidnapped by drug smugglers ... and then released because the leader isn't that bad of a guy after all. Or something.

Still the rest of the story is good. I like Gideon.

High Country, by Nevada Barr (on CD)

I've read this before (in book form), but it was fun to listen to it again. Barbara Rosenblat is so good at reading and imbuing books with life. And I love Anna Pigeon for her forthrightness.

Gym Candy, by Carl Deuker

High school football + steroids = YA problem novel.

Good book, though--Deuker really gets to the heart and brains of athletes. And it's not at all conclusive at the end; what does Mick do after he leaves rehab?

Strangers in Death, by J.D. Robb

Good stuff. Better than anticipated!

Tweak : (Growing Up on Methamphetamines), by Nic Sheff

This has been getting a lot of press. It's very well-written, but I'm up to about page 50 and I'm tired of reading about him blowing hundreds of dollars on meth and heroin and just generally wasting his life. God forbid I ever have to deal with this for real, but I don't think this book is going to be helpful now...or then.

Didn't, and won't, finish. (I am glad he got himself together, and didn't destroy his writing skills or his life.)

Pale Kings and Princes, by Robert Parker

This is an older Spenser novel. Not that any of them are dated in any sense of that word. Somehow, I had missed this one, or maybe I just haven't read through the "canon" completely...

In any case, this takes place primarily in Wheaton, Mass. Spenser has been asked to find out why a young reporter was murdered, and who did it. In the course of events, he finds the police chief remarkably unhelpful (oh, these uptight small-town police chiefs!) and a grocery-store owner with entirely too much money...and paid muscle. Hello, cocaine cartel.

After the police chief, his son, and very nearly Spenser himself are killed, he is pretty clear on the Who question, but not so clear on the specifics of Why. After bringing in reinforcements--Hawk AND Susan--they eventually uncover the whole situation, and then deal with it in the most abrupt, useful, and illegal way possible.

Good story. I do love the way Parker writes.