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Thru My Looking Glass

3/27/2015

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"There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book."  –Josh Jameson

Josh Jameson's quote hit close to home for me today, on several levels.  I used to feel guilty giving up on a book once I started it. I believed that when an author devotes so much time in sharing his talent with us, it has to be rude to give up in the middle. Because of this, I passed up many books for fear that I would be destined to spend a few miserable days slogging through something that did not pique my interest. Unless I knew that I liked the author or someone I trusted recommended the book to me, I didn't give it a try.

Then one day I was speaking with a friend who was raving about a book that I had recently found somewhat dull.  She loved every page and couldn't wait for the author's next book.  At that moment I realized it is perfectly fine to try a book, find it unreadable and close it before getting to the end.  The author will have many readers who are enthralled with his words, and that will give him the impetus to start his next book.  This same author will be much happier to see me try his book and not like it, then for me to pass it up for fear that I will be "stuck."

Since coming upon that realization, I have jumped into genres that I never before tried, and I have discovered authors that always scared me off when I felt obliged to finish their books. I have this debate with Arthur constantly.  Once he starts a book he says he has to finish it before he will pick up the next book.  I have watched him give up reading for months because he chose the wrong book and refused to pick up another until he finished the one he disliked.  I used to tell my "I hate reading" students that they needed to keep reading the first three chapters of different books until they found the one that called them back to chapter four.  Libraries are great places for a treasure hunt like that one whether you are a child, teenager or an adult.  Learn when to turn the page and when to close the book.

I recently realized that life is much like books, and Jameson's quote can help me figuratively as well as literally.  There are many things that I have tried and continued in my life because " I am not a quitter."  Why?  What is wrong with saying enough...I don't want to do this anymore...and then trying something new and exciting.  When I left the job that I loved because the politics made it impossible for me, it gave me more time to read and the opportunity to write.  When I left the house we built nineteen years ago, it gave me the opportunity to build a different one with new things and the bonus of making new friends.  Closing one door can actually give us many openings and change our perspective on life.

In this week's book, Shady Cross by James Hankins, the antihero, Stokes, encounters something that changes him for the better.  He is faced with the choice of running with enough ill-gotten money to change his life completely, or saving a child he has never met.  You never get to love the man, but you do begin to admire some of his choices.  In One to Go by Mike Pace, Tom Booker is faced with an even more daunting choice.  Save the lives of four young children by killing five other people of his choice.  The alternative is a car crash that kills the four children and adult driver...and oh yeah, one of the children is his daughter.

We all have books to continue with or close...the trick is knowing when to turn that page...or not.

Happy reading,

Beverly

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One to Go by Mike Pace

3/27/2015

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Genre: Paranormal/Thriller
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Since I rarely like a book that takes me into the paranormal arena, I kept passing on this one.  Something made me reach for it on Sunday, and I was a goner.  I kept wanting to know how the heck this story was going to play out. It starts when corporate lawyer Tom Booker promises to take his daughter and her friends to a museum. Unfortunately he leaves work a bit late and knows he will be in trouble with his ex-wife. In a coincidence that can only be accepted by those of us who get lost in our reading, Tom crashes into the minivan driven by his sister-in-law and carrying his daughter and her friends.  The minivan tips over and is about to fall into the Potomac when every movement comes to a halt in front of Tom's eyes. Before he can clear his head he is approached by Chad and Brit, an attractive couple who offer him a choice.  Either the minivan continues to fall and all occupants die, or Tom agrees to kill five people of his choice, and the minivan and it's occupants will be saved.  Chad and Brit are obviously emissaries of the devil who will be making sure that all five of his "kills" end up in hell.

What choice would you make, and if you did choose to save the minivan, could you uphold your part of the bargain?  Tom learns that he must, or one at a time everyone in the minivan will die.  I will say no more about this plot, but I will say that it was well written.  Author Pace keeps us questioning Tom's decisions even as we realize that he has no choice.

Pace's characters did not pull me in as much as I imagined they would, but the story itself captured me and kept me turning pages well into the night. I realized that like Tom, I would
want to exchange a life to keep a person that I love safe, but wanting to do something is a far cry from actually doing it.

If you can allow yourself to get lost in a world where the devil's helpers are preppies and good men are murderers than you have a fun few hours ahead of you.

- Beverly


Publisher - Oceanview Publishing
Date of Publication -December 2, 2014
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Shady Cross by James Hankins

3/27/2015

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Genre: Thriller
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My theme over my last several reviews seems to have centered around what a person would do to save his/her child.  This book asks the question...what would you do to save someone else's child?

Stokes is not the kind of man who cares much about anyone's child.  He is a small time crook from a small town who is drinking in a bar when we first meet him.  He just got back from being questioned at the local police station.  He tends to be looked at for most breaking and entering type crimes in the area. We find out early on that he owes $100,000 to the local loan shark.  We also realize he has few scruples within the first few pages, when he helps an overly inebriated fellow drinker into a taxi and then sneaks several hundred dollars out of the poor guys wallet before sending him in his way.

On the way home a short time later, Stokes ransacks a wrecked car and finds a dead man and a case filled with $350,000 dollars.  It doesn't take much debate before he grabs the money and starts contemplating what to do with it. It takes a lot more thought when he answers a ringing phone that is mixed in with the money. He hears a young girl's voice asking,  “Daddy? Are you coming to get me? They say if you give them money they’ll let you take me home."

I don't know if the reader or Stokes is most surprised at what follows, but this two bit criminal seems to have a conscience after all. I really enjoyed following his adventures as he goes against his obvious nature to find this kidnapped little girl.  The characters that he meets along the way help strengthen the plot while some complicate his life.  The dialogue helps make this an entirely readable story with a protagonist, who the reader can't help but root for, even though he is definitely not the hero type.

- Beverly


Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - February 24, 2015
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Thru My Looking Glass

3/20/2015

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"Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book." –Author Unknown

I really try to stay away from politics in this blog...really...but the radicals on both ends are driving me crazy.  They are allowing the lobbyists to control their thinking, and that is never a good thing.  In what universe is it a good thing to allow people with concealed handgun licenses to carry guns on public college and university campuses. How could the Texas senate vote overwhelming for a bill that allows just that.

As an educator, mother and thinking human being, I am appalled.  I am not a fan of guns, but I do understand those who want the right to protect themselves in their homes. Common sense must prevail however, and colleges are populated by teens and very young adults.  I am quoting one of many studies when I cite University of Rochester's medical Center:

"The rational part of a teen's brain isn't fully developed and won't be until he or she is 25 years old or so. In fact, recent research has found that adult and teen brains work differently. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the brain's rational part. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. Teens process information with the amygdale. This is the emotional part.

In teen's brains, the connections between the emotional part of the brain and the decision-making center are still developing. That's why when teens are under overwhelming emotional input, they can't explain later what they were thinking. They weren't thinking as much as they were feeling."

Unfortunately, during college years young people experiment with alcohol, drugs and other reckless behavior. Why does anyone (other than those making money selling them) think adding guns to that mix is a good thing?  Yes, I want my children and your children to grow up and live in a world where their freedoms are secure, but I also want our colleges to have the right to protect them so they can stay safe.  That doesn't seem likely if guns are the new campus accessory.

Speaking of guns, Run To Ground, a novel by D.P. Lyle questions which gun was used to kill pedophile Walter Whitiker on the day he is released from prison.  Sometimes things that seem so clear are actually not so clear at all, and Lyle kept me wondering about Tim and Martha Foster, a strong and likable couple, throughout this well written novel.

High Crimes by Joseph Finder, another well written novel, follows the complications of Tom and Claire Chapman, another couple whose complicated lives make for a fascinating read. Claire is a prominent lawyer with the perfect (second) marriage, until she finds out that Tom is actually Special Forces soldier Ronald Kubik.  Suddenly she is defending her husband in a military courtroom where the outcome could be the end of the world they built.

Hopefully, I have given you two good books to read and something to think about this week. If you disagree with me and can tell me why guns on campus make sense, I look forward to your rebuttal in the comments section.

Happy reading,
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High Crimes [Kindle Edition] by Joseph Finder

3/20/2015

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Genre: Legal Thriller
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Every now and again I review a book that was written years ago to introduce an established author I am reviewing on Madderly for the first time. I discovered Joseph Finder many years ago and never get tired of his style of writing.  His latest book will be published and reviewed here in June, so I went back and re-read one of my favorite of his books. I believe High Crimes was first published in the late nineties, with the latest reprint in 2011.  It was made into a movie in 2002, but the book was so much better that I would just stick with reading this one.

Claire Chapman's second husband, Tom, is living a perfect life with her.  He is a money manager, and she is a successful lawyer when it all comes tumbling down.  A routine investigation reveals that before he married her, Tom was a secret service operative for the U.S. Government.  In fact, he had a different name and a past that matches nothing that Claire once believed.  He is her husband though, and she struggles to believe him when he swears he did not take part in a massacre of 87 civilians in San Salvador 13 years before.

Claire decides to defend her husband in a military court for his alleged horrific crimes. Unfamiliar with the workings of a military trial, Claire works diligently to collect evidence  she can use to clear her husband of his charges.  This is a novel, of course, and Claire is a
Harvard professor and top attorney, so the reader can expect her to have her share of "on top" moments in a case she seems destined to lose. Her cross examinations are often spot on, and having a glance into the workings of military justice is a bonus for the reader.

Finder does a great job bringing his characters to life, and I enjoyed getting to know them throughout this complicated story.  Anyone who is a fan of legal thrillers will be captured by this well written book that is difficult to put down.

- Beverly


Publisher - St. Martin's Paperbacks; Reissue edition
Date of Publication - March 1, 2011
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Run to Ground: A Novel by D. P. Lyle

3/20/2015

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Genre: Thriller
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There are just so many plots out there, and so it is the handling of the plot that makes it worth reading. D. P. Lyle kept my interest, even though some of the story was a bit implausible. We quickly find out that  Walter Whitiker is a despicable human being without taking into consideration that he is a pedophile.  Tim and Martha Foster, on the other hand, are hard working, religious people whose lives revolve around their son.  Not difficult to pick out the "bad guy" in the story...or is it.

Everyone is sure Walter Whitiker killed young Steven Foster, but when the judge excludes evidence on a technicality, Whitiker gets three years on a secondary charge and is let out early on good behavior. When he is assassinated on the day of his release it is obvious that the Fosters (who purchased a rifle and subsequently disappeared) are prime suspects.

This does not make the reader or Dub Walker, forensic investigator and police consultant, happy.  Suddenly the good guys are the bad guys and the predator is the victim.  Walker, along with his good friend  homicide detective Thomas "T-Tommy" Tortelli, and his ex-wife,  TV journalist Claire McBride begin following leads to find the truth. This is a page turner that leaves the reader never quite sure about things that should be quite clear.

Dub is a great character to follow, and T-Tommy and Claire help round out the search.  It is amusing to me that so many protagonists in this genre have ex -wives who remain good working friends.  Many of my friends are divorced and would find a trip to the market together, let alone a trip to far off cities, untenable. That being said, these stories wouldn't be quite as much fun without the bickering and support that this subplot brings.

The best friend being a policeman is also an overused devise, but hey...if it works...

I really enjoyed this book and plan to find others that Lyle wrote.  Some might be annoyed at the things that stretch credibility, but it is fiction, and I can look past those things.

- Beverly


Publisher - Oceanview Publishing
Date of Publication - August 7, 2012
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Thru My Looking Glass

3/13/2015

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"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." - Don Marquis

So here it is...5:00P P.M. Thursday, and Arthur (the business end of Madderly) is asking for my blog.  I read my two books, wrote my reviews and sent them in yesterday.  I know full well that we are entertaining tonight, and I will have no time to write later.  What is wrong with me?  I am a procrastinator!!!  Always have been!!!  In high school and college, if a paper was assigned on Monday and due on Friday, I was the one drinking coffee and writing at 3:00 A. M. Friday morning,  To be honest, all of that adrenaline seemed to work for me. My grades were good, and I kept at it until my first year of teaching.  As any teacher will tell you, procrastinating over grading is a no-win situation, and I thought I gave up that nasty habit.

Uh oh...as soon as I left teaching my old habit returned.  Every reader knows how easy it is to pick up a book instead of doing laundry or cooking dinner.  The stack of bills and correspondence that needs tending to keeps calling me...just not loud enough to distract me from a good game of Words With Friends.  Since I love writing, this blog is not usually a problem, but today procrastination took over and here I sit debating whether to write or bake a peach pie for my company.

As you can imagine, the idea for peach pie came from the book, Southern Peach Pie and A Dead Guy by A. Gardner.  The book was so much fun to read, and the recipes made me salivate as I turned each page.  I love the authors who mix food in with their mysteries.  For those of us who are foodie readers, this is a genre that speaks to our hearts. Add a cup of murder and a teaspoon of fire and the mystery is complete.

My other review for this week picks up on last week's theme of what parents do for their children.  Endangered, a novel by C. J. Box, has game warden Joe Pickett trying to find the person who beat up his daughter and left her for dead.  Those of you familiar with Joe (this is the 15th in his series) know that he is not one to anger, and there is obviously nothing that can anger a father more than someone hurting his child. I enjoyed his Wyoming landscape and a story that really held my interest.

Well, off I go to set up dessert.  No peach pie, cobbler or tart will be offered this time. Procrastination and this blog leaves time for a store bought pound cake, ice cream and fresh strawberries.  Actually that sounds pretty yummy right now, and I'll do better next time.

Happy reading,

Beverly

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Southern Peach Pie and a Dead Guy (Poppy Peters Mysteries Book 1) by A. Gardner

3/13/2015

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Genre: Mystery
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Poppy Peters was going to be a ballerina.  She dreamed of it, she trained for it, and her path was a clear one until a back injury got in the way.  Unable to continue dancing, Gardner's heroine decides to follow in Grandma Liz's footsteps and become a pastry chef.  Since this is fiction (and light fiction at that) the reader shouldn't question how she gets accepted into the Calle Pastry Academy in Georgia with very little obvious baking talent.  It is fun to watch this New York ballerina adjust to being a southern pastry chef.  She initially finds the heat unbearable and the kitchen confusing, but with the help of her roommate and a few other people, Poppy begins her road to success.

Of course her stumbling blocks make for good entertainment.  Her first class is a bit disastrous with an unappealing peach pie, a snooty "professor," and a classmate that seems less than friendly.  As the book progresses we see theft, fire and murder enter into Poppy's world.  She becomes a detective as well as a baker, and I enjoyed this book that was as light as a well made soufflé and equally satisfying for a book of this genre.  We are also treated to some great looking recipes that I am looking forward to experimenting with this weekend.

I am generally not a sweets eater, but I defy anyone to read this and not want a piece of pie. This is a book that can probably be finished in one sitting which is a good thing, because it will give you time to try your hand at something to satisfy those cravings.  I do know that I plan to bring fresh baked cookies and a glass of milk with me when I read the next book in this series.

- Beverly


Publisher -  Gemma Halliday Publishing
Date of Publication - March 4, 2015
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Endangered (A Joe Pickett Novel ) by C. J. Box

3/13/2015

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Genre: Mystery
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It is difficult to keep a character dynamic after fifteen books, but C. J. Box seems to have the knack.  His hero, Joe Pickett, is strong, loyal and likable, and the Wyoming setting is interesting to an East Coast girl like me. His descriptions definitely paint a picture..."the air smelled of dust, sage and blood"...and helps the reader get a real feel for his environment.

Joe is a game warden in Saddlestring, Wyoming, and this case is personal for him. His eighteen year old daughter April left home and joined the rodeo circuit with Dallas Cates. Cates comes from a crazy family, and Pickett doesn't trust him.  When Joe gets the phone call that every parent dreads, the nearby sheriff calling to say that a girl who looks like April was found beaten on the side of the road, he immediately suspects Cates.  While April fights for her life, Joe is determined to track down the person who hurt her.

There are many interesting characters to keep the reader involved.  Box brings back some old favorites, like his best friend Nate Romanowski.  Nate had been arrested in a previous novel because of his involvement in a murder for hire. In this book he is being used as bait for the Feds to catch the billionaire who hired him.  When Nate and April end up in the same hospital, Joe has his hands full.

I love the little bit of nature that the author weaves into his stories and the action that keeps the reader on his/her toes.  If you haven't met Joe Pickett before then you are in for a treat.  For those C. J. Box fans...pull up a chair and enjoy.

- Beverly


Publisher - G.P. Putnam's Sons
Date of Publication - March 10, 2015
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Thru My Looking Glass

3/6/2015

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"I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense."  –Harold Kushner

It is funny how the simplest things do help make sense out of life.  We just got back from the best show we saw all year.  It was held at the Lynn University auditorium, and the stars were the students from my grand-daughter Olivia's school.  It is a private school, and once a year they choreograph a dance number for each grade to perform.  This year there was one extra number. When we entered the lobby, we noticed a number of men...my son-in-law Jimmy among them...were dressed in tuxedos.  The last dance number of the night was performed by 49 brave fathers dancing with their daughters to the song "Dancing With Cinderella." If you aren't familiar with the song, google the lyrics and imagine trying to dance with your six year old daughter in your arms while trying not to melt into a puddle in front of a packed auditorium. Jimmy is a quiet man who would do anything to avoid being the center of attention, yet here he was...dancing in front of everyone because his daughter needed him to at that moment.  Near him was a daddy who had recently broken his leg and shared this dance while in a wheel chair. These men have gotten far enough in  life to realize you do anything for the people you love, and that makes sense to me.

Which brings us to the conflict in Perfect Alibi, a new legal thriller featuring Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez.  Those familiar with the characters know that they were not good as a married couple but make a darn good legal team.  This time author Sheldon Siegel has them doing something for their daughter Grace.  Her boyfriend is accused of killing his father, and Grace is his alibi witness. Daley and Fernandez agree to help, obvious conflict aside, and the reader gets to enjoy another case with this easy to like couple.

What parents do for children is an obvious theme this week, and my second reviewed book, Deep as the Marrow by F. Paul Wilson finds physician, Dr. John Van Duyn, fighting to save his  kidnapped daughter.  The ransom...he must poison the President of the United States in order to free her.  Wilson will definitely capture your attention in this exciting book and have you ask yourself again...how far would you go to save the people you love.

Speaking of people I love, I hope the weather lets up for my northern family soon.  As much as I am trying to convince Michael to move back to Florida, I think weekly snow storms are just a bit much.  On the other hand, look at all the extra reading time that is suddenly made available to those who can't push the snow away from their front door.   So grab some hot chocolate and a good book and forget the snow for awhile.

Happy reading,

Beverly
Click on the book cover to order a title mentioned in today's blog:
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