Lori's Book Sense

Welcome to this months edition of Lori's Book Sense.

I hope you enjoy these great titles I've chosen for you this month.

Third Degree by Maggie Barbieri ~ On her way to meet her boyfriend’s parents, college professor Alison Bergeron stops by a coffee shop to steel her resolve. It’s a big event. Not only is it the first time she’s met NYPD detective Bobby Crawford’s entire family, but it’s coming on the heels of a wedding proposal that she has left unanswered so far.Then, as she steps into the shop, a brawl breaks out that ends in the death of Carter Wilmott, a merciless and loathed local blogger. The case couldn’t be any simpler, and Alison witnessed the whole thing, but when Wilmott’s car explodes in the aftermath, what looked to be a crime of passion becomes something far more complicated and maybe even premeditate. With Alison and Bobby involved in the case and with each other, readers are in for a treat. Third Degree, the latest in Maggie Barbieri’s charming mystery series, is one heated mystery with plenty of steamy romance and cunning villains who are about to get burned.

Geez, Alison has a lot on her plate these days. She’s got the murder she witnessed, the harassment of the suspects wife, the beginning of the college semester (you have to love those new students), and her BFF Max who thinks nothing of cutting the screen in Alison’s kitchen to let herself in whenever she wants. Not done yet. She’s got a new roommate named Queen, a Hooters waitress who doubles as a private eye for Max’s new TV show, all while taking college classes.  Then there is the missed period and nausea – hmm…wonder what that’s all about?  Unfortunately there is something mysterious going on with her other BFF Kevin – but I’ll let Alison tell you about that. FINALLY – there is the BIG question. Yes or No?  Does she marry her boy…..Crawford or not?  Only Alison can figure that out for herself.  But first – she may or may not have a murder to solve!?!?! Filled with humor, wit, page turning suspense, and tons of emotion, Third Degree is Maggie Barbieri at her best!  Just don’t give me the Third Degree, because my lips are sealed!

The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly ~  Mickey Haller has fallen on tough times. He expands his business into foreclosure defense, only to see one of his clients accused of killing the banker she blames for trying to take away her home. Mickey puts his team into high gear to exonerate Lisa Trammel, even though the evidence and his own suspicions tell him his client is guilty. Soon after he learns that the victim had black market dealings of his own, Haller is assaulted, too--and he's certain he's on the right trail.

  Step by step, Mickey and his team work through the evidence. Disputing virtually everything the prosecution brings to the table taking us all the way to the stunning, didn’t-see-that-coming conclusion. Michael Connelly deals with an issue that is on the forefront of everyone’s mine today – foreclosures. With the economy struggling, this is something that millions of people are dealing with. He does a great job of explaining things in such a simple manner, that even those not completely familiar with how the process works will be able to understand. It’s great to see the struggles that Mickey continues to have in his relationships with his exes, the growth that Bullock shows as the new associate, and to have Mickey return to the back seat of his Lincoln. The Fifth Witness has more twists and turns than a Halloween corn maze. Michael Connellly will take you for a ride you will never forget.

So Close The Hand of Death by J.T. Ellison ~ It's a hideous echo of a violent past. Across America, murders are being committed with all the twisted hallmarks of the Boston Strangler, the Zodiac Killer and Son of Sam. The media frenzy explodes and Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson knows instantly that The Pretender is back…and he's got helpers.As The Pretender's disciples perpetrate their sick homages—stretching police and the FBI dangerously thin—Taylor tries desperately to prepare for their inevitable showdown. And she must do it alone. To be close to her is to be in mortal danger, and she won't risk losing anyone she loves. But the isolation, the self-doubt and the rising body count are taking their toll—she's beside herself and ready to snap.The brilliant psychopath who both adores and despises her is drawing close. Close enough to touch….

So Close the Hand of Death is the sixth book in the Taylor Jackson series. The book can definitely be read as a stand alone, but to get a deeper understanding of Taylor, her G-man fiance Baldwin, her medical examiner BFF, Sam, and the rest of her team, you should read them in order (All The Pretty Girls,  14, Judas Kiss, The Cold Room, The Immortals). I'm keeping the review as vague as possible to avoid spoilers. If you pay close attention, virtually everything that happens in this story is a clue as to what has happened in the terrifying past, and what's going on in the intense present and the explosive near future. There is no doubt J.T Ellison is a master of her craft. Just when you think you her last book is her best yet, you read the next one.  And you realize just how wrong you were. So Close The Hand of Death is an edge-of-your-seat, white-knuckled, can't-turn-the-pages-fast-enough thriller - that will have you clutching the book as you turn pages almost faster than you can read them - in a desperate desire to find out what happens next.

Until next month......