The Mammoth Book of New CSI, by Nigel Cawthorne

This book reminded me so much of the sorts of books I read as a child (although more gory than those, of course) that it was a little disconcerting to have a case from one of those childhood books get mentioned in passing in the midst of discussing one of the cases in this book.

OJ is in here, as is the OK City bombing, and several other not-as-well-known cases. The discussion of the Jeffrey McDonald case was fascinating. There are several British cases I'd not heard of; not a surprise as this was published in England.

Quite enjoyable.

Running Scared, by Lisa Jackson (on CD ... and paper)

I bailed on this CD near the end simply because I couldn't stand listening to it anymore. But I had to find out how the plot tied up. A little too neatly for my liking. Reminded me why I don't read romantic suspense novels very often. Ugh.

A River In The Sky, by Elizabeth Peters

A bit slapdash, and in Israel. Sort of a prequel to the WWI books. Not her best.

U is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton

Another of the series, which is now up to 1988. This one is about a murder that took place in 1967, so it's REALLY confusing to have two historical periods to keep track of, plus Grafton tells this story from four different points of view. It's mildly confusing, but she did a very good job differentiating all the people, both by description and by name, so it wasn't horrible to follow. More difficult was the story itself; some really unpleasant scenes in the book which have nothing to do with murder but are icky in the extreme.

I loved her detailed description of the Polk and Haines directories. I forget that 90% of the general population doesn't have a clue, but they are such basic tools to me that it was a bit odd to read two LONG paragraphs explaining how they work.

Good book.

Blaze, by Richard Bachman

Interesting combination of noir and "Of Mice and Men." One of those stories that funnels down to the only possible ending.

Runner, by Thomas Perry

LOVE this series!! Glad Jane is back.

Just After Sunset, by Stephen King (on CD)

Some really great stories here (and some that I just didn't quite get). I realized something in the midst of listening to them: King likes happy endings, and he's really an incurable romantic.

Another realization: I'm not a teenager anymore, so the creepy doesn't scare me like it used to. Now, porta-potties....

Go read the book.

Gone, by Lisa Gardner (on CD)

Very good, but COLD!

Reflecting the Sky, by S. J. Rozan

Good mystery, told from Lydia's point of view this time.

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart

I couldn't resist. This just looked fun. It's a bit like "A Wrinkle in Time."

It starts out with a massive test project for kids. We are following Reynald Muldoon, an orphan, who is quite intelligent as he takes a series of very odd and confusing tests, meets some very unusual children, and in one very busy day becomes a secret agent to foil an evil plot to take over the world.

Sounds hokey, but it's REALLY clever. Go, read it. It won't take that long.

Lost, by Michael Robotham (on CD)

Three years ago, Detective Inspector Vincent Ruiz tried to trace a girl named Mickey Carlyle who was kidnapped from her apartment steps. Although a body was never found, a man in her apartment building was arrested and jailed for murder on the strenghth of a bloody towel and lots of pictures of children on his computer. Somehow, Ruiz never was able to put the case behind him.

Then he wakes up in the hospital with a bullet wound in his leg, a missing finger, and anmnesia having been pulled out of the Thames near a blood-covered boat. He was carrying a photo of Mickey Carlyle.

Slowly as his memory returns, he works his way through the previous month, tracing his footsteps and trying to sort out why someone wanted--and still wants--to kill him. In the process, he loses his job, watches a fellow officer's spine get broken by a suspect, prowls the sewers under London, and is forced to admit in court that he never really believed the jailed man really killed Mickey.

Great story, fairly violent, rather unbelievable at points, but good. I've left out the bits about his mother--a WONDERFUL character in every sense!--his childhood and brother, the Nazis, and his psychologist friend with Parkinson's. Lots to chew on in this thriller.

Good Blood, by Aaron Elkins

The Skeleton Doctor travels to Italy and gets himself embroiled in a case involving the local padrone. A VERY convoluted story, but generally not difficult to follow, as long as family relationships are tracked carefully. Interesting, and just generally made me want to go back to Italy for a visit, to explore the northern bits around Lake Como and Milan.

Someday...though I hope I don't find any dead bodies or kidnap victims!!

What the Dead Know, by Laura Lippman

Fascinating book about two missing girls and the woman claiming, 30 years later, to be one of them. It's a suspense/mystery, but not a very deep mystery in the sense that you know how it ends. Sorta. So what did happen to these two girls, and is this woman really one of them, and if so: WHERE HAS SHE BEEN, and why? The creepiest bit is that both girls are about my age, so all the stuff about their childhood...pretty accurate and nostalgic.

A terrifying story finely told.