Category: 4 1/2 Star Books

The Vanished Man, by Jeffery Deaver

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Cover ImageFinished 6-3-09, rating 4.5/5, mystery/thriller, pub. 2003

This is the 5th book in the Lincoln Rhymes series

Kara asked, “You know what illusion is?”

“David Copperfield,” Sachs replied, shrugging, “Houdini.”

“Copperfield, yes.  Houdini, no – he was an escapist.  Well, illusion’s different from sleight of hand or close-in magic, we call it.  Like…” Kara held up a quarter in her fingers, change from the coffee.  She closed her palm and when she opened it again the coin was gone.

Sachs laughed.  Where the hell had it gone?

“That was sleight of hand.  Illusion is tricks involving large objects or people or animals.  What you just described, that that killer did, is a classic illusionist trick.  It’s called the Vanished Man.”

Chapter 7

Paraplegic forensic specialist, Lincoln Rhymes is back with his girlfriend and partner in crime Amelia Sachs.  This time the NYPD has them working on a case involving a man who proves to be so illusive that he can vanish from a room and be standing right in front of you and you wouldn’t know it.  Based on some evidence they found at the scene, they decided that he was a magician and brought in Kara, an aspiring magician, to help them figure out this killer’s next move. 

This is an over-the-top mystery that has more twits and turns than probably necessary, but every one was exciting.  I never quite got a handle on what the killer was up to and I was surprised right up to the end.  Note that I did mention is was over-the-top.  Many of the twist stretched the limits of believability, but that’s what made this fun for me.

I loved the insights into the world of illusion.  The killer also uses mentalism.  So, if you like the television show The Mentalist you will appreciate this guide to his tricks! 

I also really liked the growing, yet understated relationship between Lincoln and Amelia.  And Amelia’s quest to become a Sergeant really made me root for her in a way that I haven’t in earlier books.

If you like CSI (any of them) this is the series for you!  As always, start at the beginning, The Bone Collector.

Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

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Cover ImageFinished 5-28-09, rating 4.5, fiction, pub. 2003

A lot of people in my own country knew me as a face on a wanted poster.  But is it my own country, I asked myself.  Do I have a country?

It wasn’t until I’d asked myself the question that I realised I already had the answer.  If I did have a country, a nation of the heart, it was India.  I knew that I was as much a refugee, a displaced and stateless person, as the thousands of Afghans, Iranians, and others who’d come to Bombay across the burning bridge; those exiles who’d taken shovels of hope, and set about burying the past in the earth of their own lives.

Chapter 14

This novel is a beautiful, honest, and lyrical love letter to India.  I think before I try to describe the novel I’ll give you some stats about the author.  Roberts is an Australian who became a heroin addict, went to prison, escaped from the Australian prison after two years and made his way to Bombay.  In India he lived in the slums, opened a medical clinic, was imprisoned, worked for the Bombay mafia, and went to Afghanistan to provide weapons during their war with the Soviet Union.  Okay.  Now take all of that information and apply it to Lin, the man telling the story of Shantaram, and you have the basics for the book.  Roberts knows what he speaks.

When Lin arrives in Bombay he is immediately taken in by a guide with a huge smile and even larger heart, Prabaker, a small Indian who gives Lin his name,  Linbaba.  The two men become the best of friends and Parabaker even takes Lin home to his small village where his parents live, where he given the name, Shantaram, which means man of peace.  Once back in Bombay Lin takes up residence in one of the largest slums and with only a basic first aid kit opens up a clinic for the tens of thousands of the slums.  He finds ways to make money on the street before he is eventually befriended by Khader Khan, the don of the Bombay mafia.  Lin begins to look at this man as a father fiigure. 

Even as I’m writing this I know that I cannot really tell you even half of this story.  It’s sheer size, 933 pages, forces me to just give you a few of my thoughts.  I was blown away by the description of India and its people.  Also, he does travel to Afghanistan and its history provides much insight into what is happening there today.  I also loved the writing.  Roberts knows how to tell a story and to tell it well.  The introspection of Lin (and Roberts) will start many a conversation and cause much reflection. 

It is almost a perfect book.  I did feel that the last few hundred pages lost a little of the intensity of the rest of the book, but I’m sure that was probably intended.  Also, Lin felt like a very self-important character.  I don’t think this takes away from the enjoyment of the novel, but it did make me read his story with some question about his genuineness.

I recommend this book to everyone.  It has adventure, crime, love, powerful men, war, hugging bears, and people who will touch your heart.  Set aside some time and read it.  Johnny Depp has purchased the rights to the movie and plans on playing Lin (yum!).  This is one of my husband’s favorite books (maybe the very favorite?) and he was hooked from the first line, so I will end this review with the first two lines of the book…

It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.  I realised, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free: free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them.

The Man Who Ate the 747, by Ben Sherwood

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The Man Who Ate the 747 by Sherwood Sherwood: Book CoverFinished 4-21-09, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 2000

It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, watching your best friend eat an airplane.  Some days you suspected he wasn’t all there in the head.  But then, on other days, he was the smartest. most insightful person you ever knew.

Chapter 3

 J.J. Smith is the Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records (a Guinness-like book).  He is your average man who witnesses greatness, but never acquires it.  His last assignment was to verify the world’s longest kiss, 30:45:00, and the couple misses it by 4 seconds.  He is under pressure from his boss to find the next great record or he could be downsized.  As luck would have it he receives an anonymous tip from someone that a man is eating a Boeing 747.  He catches the first plane to a small town in Nebraska.

Wally Chubb has been in love with Willa Wyatt since his ninth birthday and he figures by eating the 747 that crashed into his field he will finally get her attention.  He has made pretty good progress by the time J.J. shows up and he is excited when television outlets show up to record his feat.  He must find help for the black box, but executives from Boeing show up to help him out.  Unfortunately, Willa seems to take no more notice of him than she did before.

Willa knows why Wally is eating the plane, but figures if she ignores him he will eventually stop.  Then this handsome man shows up asking questions and spouting records that he has witnessed all around the world and she is hooked.  Against her better judgement she finds herself drawn into J.J.’s orbit.

I adore this charming  and original love story.  It is full of small town warmth and spirit and it is sure to inspire you, at least a little.  I wouldn’t want anyone to eat a 747 for me, but I had to admire Wally ingenuity.  It’s amazing to find out what foods you can put ground up metal  into.  It should have included a few recipes in the back 🙂

The quirky characters and plot will bring a smile to your face.  This was not at all what I expected, but I cannot recommend it enough.  At only 250 pages it is a quick, worthwhile read.  It’s my favorite book so far this year.

Joy School, by Elizabeth Berg

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Cover ImageFinished 2-17-09, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 1997

This is the thing about strong people: you can mostly be scared of them but sometimes the way they are makes you feel safe.

page 108, hardcover

Katie and her father have moved to Missouri from Texas just as Katie is entering the insecurity and wonder of her teen years.  Her mother is dead, her sister is pregnant, her father is distant, and she is mostly ignored at school.  She thinks maybe the only people who like her are the cafeteria ladies because they always give her seconds.  Then she meets Jimmy, the much older manager of a gas station and her luck seems to be changing.  She begins spending more time with the married Jimmy and even finds a few friends along the way.

Katie’s story covers all of the universal feelings of youth.  Loneliness, awkwardness, confusion, and fear all come together for the perfect storm we call  puberty.  I was touched by Katie and when she was uncomfortable or horrified, so was I  because the memories all came back to me.  She was heartbreak and humor at once.  She had me laughing out loud (her first experience at the drive-in was priceless) and also cringing at her optimistic view of a future with Jimmy.

I love this book.  There is something distinctive about the words Elizabeth Berg chooses and I am immediately engaged.  I recognize myself in her characters and I think you will too.  If you haven’t read her, you should!

This book stands on its own as a wonderful read, but it is a sequel to Durable Goods.  I did not know this until I was finished reading it and it really made me mad.  I think you should read this book, but I also think you should read Durable Goods first (even though I haven’t read it myself!).

Highly recommended.

Watchers, by Dean Koontz

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Cover ImageFinished 1-8-09, rating 4 1/2, fiction, pub.1987

“We have a responsibility to stand watch over one another, we are watchers, all of us, watchers, guarding against the darkness.  You’ve taught me that we’re all needed, even those who sometimes think we’re worthless, plain, and dull.  If we love and allow ourselves to be loved…well, a person who loves is the most precious thing in the world, worth all the fortunes that ever were.”    -Chapter 9

A top secret lab in California has created two new weapons for the US government – a gentle golden retriever and a savage best, both astonishingly intelligent.  One night they both escape and the NSA mounts a search, but before either can be found one is taken in by a lonely man and one begins killing at will.

Cursed Travis Cornell was looking for some happiness and found the golden retriever, who he named Einstein because of his human-like intelligence.  Through Einstein he found an equally lonely woman, Nora, and the three became inseparable.  The three found happiness together, but danger lurked because not only was the government still looking for Einstein, so was the beast and a crazy assassin. 

This is the ultimate book for dog lovers.  Einstein was nothing short of a miracle and I fell in love with him, just as you will.  He was playful, a protector, a source of comfort, and also possessed the intelligence to communicate fully with Travis and Nora.  The vision of Einstein lounging on the floor reading novels is one that warms this book lovers heart.  I confess that my dog received a lot of extra love and a few extra treats as I was reading this book.

Koontz writes books that move at lightning  speed, but also have heart, three dimensional characters, and a range of storylines that all move together perfectly.  He can do it all and with this book he does.  In the Afterward of my edition Koontz admits that this is probably his favorite book and that should be recommendation enough.

This is a suspenseful thriller, but also addresses some big issues like good vs. evil and the government playing God.  There is DNA mixing going on right now, but this was written 20 years ago!  This book will entertain you, make you think, and definitely encourage you to look at your dog and wonder how much of Einstein is in there.

This a must read for any dog lover!

How Not To Write A Novel, by Mittelmark & Newman

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How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them--A Misstep-by-Misstep GuideHow Not to Write a Novel. Finished 8-26-08, rating 4.5/5, how-to/writing, pub. 2008

“As a writer you have only one job:to make the reader turn the page.”    page 1

If there is one thing this How-Not-To book does it is to make you turn the page.  You won’t want to stop, really.  This hilarious book focuses on the 200 most common mistakes that unpublished authors make and offers solutions.  It provides examples of the bad writing that it is offering up for ridicule, followed by an explanation and how to fix it (if you want to be published).  Let me provide a couple of examples…

“While it is your job to know a great deal about your characters, it is seldom necessary to share it all with the reader, and by ‘seldom,’ we mean ‘never.’ ”      page 10

“…you should think twice before using an exclamation mark.  If you have thought twice and the exclamation mark is still there, think about it three times, or however many times it takes until you delete it.”      page 111

The book covers all points of your novel from plot and style to dealing with the publishing world.  This is a must have for anyone writing, or even just thinking about writing, a novel.  Every fiction writer will gain insight from this book and be completely entertained along the way.  I found myself laughing out loud more than once, shaking my head at the poor writer being scorned until I came to the next mistake and realized that the poor writer was me.  Highly recommended for all writers of fiction.

“However, if you have perversely refused to use the lessons offered in this book as we intended, and instead avoided each of the mistakes we describe, perhaps you now find yourself a published author.  In that case, our follow-up book, How Not to Make a Living Wage, will be indispensable.”    -the last page

The Coffin Dancer, by Jeffery Deaver

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Cover ImageFinished 8-23-08, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 1998

I am surprised after I loved the first in this series, The Bone Collector, so much that I like the sequel even better.  Quadriplegic forensic specialist, Lincoln Rhymes, is back with his protege crime scene specialist, Amelia Sachs, in an all new and more personal race against the clock to catch a killer.  There is no down time.  From the opening pages where a federal witness is blown to bits while landing his plane to the shocking conclusion I was riveted.

The Coffin Dancer is a hired assassin that has fooled Lincoln before.  A few years earlier the Coffin Dancer, named that because of a tatoo on his arm, had killed two of Lincoln’s techs and Lincoln was still incensed that he had gotten away.  One of the two witnesses that Lincoln must protect is Percey, a woman pilot who has a lot in common with Lincoln.  This closeness sparks Amelia’s jealousy and there is tension between Lincoln and Amelia as they race to catch a killer.

Lincoln is such a great character because he shows his strength through his intellect and not physical power.  In this second book Lincoln has more electrical gadgets and is able to do more with what he has than he did in the first book.  This is a top rate page turner that does not disappoint.  The twists and turns are many and the writing is taut.  I think this is a don’t miss for thriller fans.  My only recommendation…don’t read this on a plane 🙂

Splendor, by Brenda Joyce

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Cover ImageFinished 8-19-08, rating 4.5/5, romance, pub. 1997

Brenda Joyce’s historical romances are always top notch and this is no exception.  It’s the summer of 1812 in England and Napoleon is on the move across Europe.  The Russian Prince, Nicholas Sverayov, is in London to broker a treaty, but he finds himself the target of malicious gossip.  Carolyn Browne, the daughter of a bookshop owner, is the anonymous columnist that writes about the foibles of the powerful and Nicholas is her latest target.  Nicholas finds her out and begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Nicholas is married to a beautiful woman and while Carolyn knows this she is drawn to him and unable to stop herself from loving him.  Nicholas, for his part, is falling in love with Carolyn too, and offers her the job as companion to his young daughter which she accepts with trepidation.  As war continues, Nicholas must go back to Russia to lead his men to battle and the story moves to St. Petersburg and Moscow.  The setting and the history make the story all that more compelling.

There is no shortage of obstacles for the two of them.  Her father is embroiled in the war, but on the wrong side and her grandmother has entered her life after disowning her mother before Carolyn was born.  Nicholas and Carolyn are two great characters and I was sorry to see their story end.  Carolyn is smart, audacious and witty, while Nicholas is strong, powerful and smart.  If you like romances, especially historicals I think you’ll fall in love with Carolyn and Nicholas and their story.

Four Seasons in Rome, by Anthony Doerr

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Cover ImageFinished 6-19-08, rating 4.5/5, memoir, pub. 2007

Subtitle-On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World

“Too much beauty, too much input; if you’re not careful you can overdose.”  (Winter)

“It is a Metropolitan Museum of Art the size of Manhattan, no roof, no display cases, and half a million combustion engines rumbling in the hallways.”  (Winter)

Doerr won the Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts & Letters and was awarded a year in Rome with a home, an office, and a paycheck.   This memoir is his love letter to Rome, his wife, and his two young boys. 

Anthony, his wife, Shauna, and their six-month-old twins, Owen & Henry, arrive in Rome in the fall.  His first perceptions of Rome took me back to our own trip to Italy in April.  The discussion of the toilets, the crazy traffic, the confusion on how to order and pay, the absence of fat people, and the absolute awe of the history, all made me smile in agreement and remembrance.  Moving into winter there is the visit to St. Peter’s Basilica and watching the Pope being carried by, the five minutes alone in the Sistene Chapel, and seeing the Pantheon for the first time.  The game of bus golf sounds wonderfully fun and just up my alley.  Take a bus (or train) and randomly get off at stops and see what’s there before doing it again.  In the spring the Pope dies and a new one is chosen right in their backyard.  Shauna is hospitalized.  The heat of summer overwhelms them and they take weekly trips out of Rome to Umbria.

My copy is marked with lines and exclamation points that make it easy for me to go back and read my favorite passages (there are many).  I have already gone back and read many of the passages and pages I loved most and I just finished the book yesterday.  He has passages on Rome, on parenting, and on the splendor of life that will stick with you.  I highly recommend this memoir- especially if you love Italy or have had twins.

The Poet by Michael Connelly

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The PoetFinished 5-13-08, rating 4.5/5, fiction, pub. 1996

“It’s lucky no one else knows what our most secret thoughts are.  We’d all be seen for the cunning, self-aggrandizing fools we are.”    Chapter 15

This was a great mystery.  A killer was mutilating bodies after he killed them and then once a detective became obsessed with the case the detective was killed too.  This went undiscovered for many years because the detective’s deaths were ruled suicides.  But reporter Jack McEvoy just lost his twin brother and doesn’t want to believe it was suicide so he sets out to prove it wasn’t.

Once Jack convinces his brother’s partner he sets out to see if he can prove it had been done before.  Jack flies to Washington DC to investigate and inadvertantly opens a FBI task force before he can go public with his own story.  Jack then must force his way into the story and begins his whirlwind journey with the FBI.

This book has it all: grief, revenge, love, murder, guilt, and the chase.  If you love mysteries you cannot go wrong with this one.  This will keep you guessing til the end.  I know Connelly has a current mystery series and I bet when I find the time to read one it will be good too!