Catching up on my favorite series, Part 1

I finished 2009 catching up on some of my favorite series that had new books released in the last year or so. Rather than detailing them individually, I decided to just summarize them in a few posts. I believe I have written about all of these series in the past, so will also link to a previous blog entry for more information.

As I've said in the past, I am definitely a serial reader - I believe you should read a series from the beginning. Most of these books would be fine to read as a stand-alone but are SO much better as part of the series they belong to. So, if they sound interesting to you, search on the author and find the first one in the series and start there. (Of course, I will not be monitoring your reading so if you do it differently, please just don't let me know.)

I was very excited last year to find new-to-me author Michelle Gagnon. Third in her series, The Gatekeeper, is probably my least favorite. But that doesn't mean it's not to be read. I did enjoy it. I think some of the character's angst within the book made me not want to enjoy the book as much, if that makes sense. Here's the summary from MichelleGagnon.com:
From the moment sixteen-year-old Madison Grant is abducted, an unthinkable terrorist plot is set in motion—pitting Special Agent Kelly Jones against her most powerful adversary yet. The kidnapper's ransom demands aren't monetary...they come at a cost that no American can afford to pay.

As Kelly's fiancé, Jake Riley, races to find Madison, Kelly is assigned to another disturbing case: the murder and dismemberment of a senator. At first the two cases don't appear to be related. But as Kelly navigates her way through the darkest communities of America—from skinheads to biker gangs to border militias—she discovers a horrible truth. A shadowy figure who calls himself The Gatekeeper is uniting hate groups, opening the door to the worst homegrown attack in American history.

I rated The Gatekeeper 4 out of 5 stars. (Start with The Tunnels.)


You know you've heard of author Kathy Reichs and her Temperance Brennan series. It's the one that is the basis for the tv show "Bones". It's also based on her life as a forensic anthropologist. She does the kind of things in the books and on the show. Gotta love that! This latest book is quite good, reminding me why I love this series. Summary:
There are 206 bones in the human body. Forensic anthropologists know them intimately, can read in them stories of brief or long lives and use them to reconstruct every kind of violent end. 206 Bones opens with Tempe regaining consciousness and discovering that she is in some kind of very small, very dark, very cold enclosed space. She is bound, hands to feet. Who wants Tempe dead, or at least out of the way, and why? Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...

Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue. Suddenly, Tempe was accused of mishandling the autopsy -- and the case. Someone made an incriminating phone call. Within hours, the one man with information about the call was dead. Back in Montreal, the corpse of a second elderly woman was found in the woods, and then a third.

Seamlessly weaving between Tempe's present-tense terror as she's held captive and her memory of the cases of these murdered women, Reichs conveys the incredible devastation that would occur if a forensic colleague sabotaged work in the lab. The chemistry between Tempe and Ryan intensifies as this complex, riveting tale unfolds. Reichs is writing at the top of her game.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Michael Connelly is such a great writer. I absolutely love Harry Bosch, the main character in 9 Dragons. He has been through the wringer in previous books and this one is no different. However he shows his humanity much more here and I fell in love with him even more. A quick summary from MichaelConnelly.com: From the streets of L.A. to the shimmering skyline of Hong Kong, Harry Bosch must find his missing daughter. The most personal Bosch novel yet.

I gave this 4.5 out of 5 stars.


I will have more of my favorites in a few days.

Review: The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly

I am a HUGE Michael Connelly fan and was very excited to see two books coming out this year! Scarecrow came out over the summer and I read it last week.

Summary: Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paper to write the definitive murder story of his career.

He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent.

Jack is soon running with his biggest story since The Poet made his career years ago. He is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar--and with perfect knowledge of any move against him. Including Jack's.

It had been awhile since I had read about these characters so had to search my brain a bit for the details I remembered. Given my swiss-cheese brain, it was not the easiest thing to do! But I digress.

I enjoyed Jack! He was so believable I wanted to slap him a few times. LOL The other characters are quite fun and pull the book together well. The plot was fun, suspenseful and interesing.

But.

There was something about the book that is keeping me from saying this is one of my top reads of the year. It took me about a week to get through this book. I know that may not sound like a long time, but it is for me for a favorite author in my favorite genre. However, I can't put my finger on it. It was still a good book though and I do recommend reading it, especially if you like Michael Connelly.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: The Brass Verdict by Michael Connolly

I am a HUGE fan of Michael Connolly. I have read every book he's written and just thoroughly enjoy them all! Harry Bosch is one of my favorite characters - he's complex, real, flawed, has a strong sense of right/wrong. Mr. Connolly's stand-alone books are just as fun and exciting as the different series. So when I heard this summer that he had a new book coming out, I was very excited! I tried to win an ARC of the book from various places, but to no avail.

In October, Miriam from Hachette Books hosted an Blog Talk Radio chat with author Michael Connolly. You can listen to it here. I couldn't attend and in my whining about not attending and not being able to get a copy of the book, Miriam took pity on me. She sent me the book! I just love Miriam and Hachette Books!!!

Okay, I want to say the love fest is over. But it's not. The Brass Verdict is as good, if not better, than Mr. Connolly's previous books. In it, we have lawyer Mickey Haller who we met in The Lincoln Lawyer. We also have the best detective, Harry Bosch. The story is written from Mickey's point of view, so it was very neat to read about Harry rather than be in his head.

Here's the summary from Michael Connolly's website: Things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, Haller is ready to go back to the courtroom. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his biggest case yet: the defense of Walter Elliott, a prominent studio executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent's killer may be coming for him next.

Enter Harry Bosch. Determined to find Vincent's killer, he is not opposed to using Haller as bait. But as danger mounts and the stakes rise, these two loners realize their only choice is to work together.

This is definitely a top read for me. The characters are so unique and interesting. The story keeps moving, keeps you on your toes and engaged completely.

I am definitely a serial reader. If you are like me, start with Michael Connolly's first book The Black Echo and start reading. Or if you want a shorter series, you can start with The Lincoln Lawyer. Both series are great. I believe this would also be fine as a stand-alone book. But this is such a great series, I promise you'll then want to go back and start at the beginning.

Go get a copy today!

Rating: 5/5 stars