Once again, Dorothea Benton Frank makes the Lowcountry come alive to her readers in her newest story, “Folly Beach”. She takes all the amenities of the South (pecan pie, sweetgrass baskets) and intersperses them with touches of the North in New Jersey, where part of the story takes place. Cate, as the main character, is someone the reader can relate to, her life filled with maternal and spousal issues, yet finding the inner strength to conquer adversity. I recommend this book to any previous Dot Frank readers and new readers will be embraced by her warmth and compassion, as they read through the story lines.
(Review was provided by my wife, who has read all of Dorothea Benton Frank's past novels).

An above average espionage thriller. The reader may sometimes have to suspend belief about how fast the Bricklayer, Steve Vail, and his colleagues can make meaning from the most hidden of clues that no one else can decipher. And while the banter between them sometimes is a bit too much, overall it is a solid read that will have you turning the pages. I will go back and read the first in the series, "The Bricklayer", which I have on the shelf but had not read. US counterterrorism agencies could use a few dozen Steve Vails with his analytical abilities and street sense.

A crime occurs very early in "Man in the Woods", but this is not a police procedural. In fact, the investigative works occurs mainly in the background and is presented in relatively short chapters throughout the book.

What this book is all about are relationships -- man/woman, mother/daughter, brother/sister and the key one -- man/dog and how the crime and its aftermath, along with other life issues (including the highly anticipated Y2K -- the book takes place in late 1999) impacts those relationships. Scott Spencer has a tremendous ability for character development (I had not read his previous novel, "A Ship Made of Paper" in which two of the characters first appeared) and his literary descriptions around even a simple event, like a winter sunset, are exceptional and very visual. Yet one of the most interesting characters is the hapless dog, Shep, who plays a pivotal role throughout and is key to the ending, which will likely leave many a reader speechless. I strongly recommend.

Really enjoyed the book “Beautiful Assassin”. Story keeps reader’s interest with a good blend of World War II history and great character development, especially the heroine, Tat’yana. You feel for her losses and her disdain for Soviet politics. The historical element is well researched (e.g., descriptions of NYC and Washington during the early part of the war compared to the horrors in Sevastopol) and coupled with real characters (the Roosevelts, Stalin, etc.) adds to the success of the story. Title may give a mixed reaction to some, but if they decide to get into the book, they will be rewarded. Recommended.

One of the benefits of an anthology like State-By-State is that it allows you to choose what you want to read in any particular order. The state portraits are varied -- some personal, some historical and all generally informative and interesting. I tended to read first those states that I have a particular interest in and, as the authors stated, there were three writers vying to write about my home state of New Jersey.

Supplementing the articles are statistical information about the subject state and comparative data ranking all states on a particular topic (who knew that Wyoming has the highest gasoline consumption per person).

State-by-State is a good way to spend some time reading about a few of the states, then be able to pick it up again to continue the journey. If I had one quibble with the book it is that I would have liked to have seen a little more background on each of the authors rather than just the sentence or two that is included.

Overall, State-by-State is worth the time and investment.

A far-away place with political intrigue usually makes a good combination for a story and Paul Harris succeeds in his first novel. Harris's descriptions puts the reader right in the middle of Sierra Leone's civil war, with the seemingly casual nature of life and death in the war zone, the perceived invincibility of journalists and allies and foes who are not what they appear to be, Fast-paced, you do want to find out what happens. The ending will likely surprise a majority of readers, but you will feel satisfied with the conclusion upon finishing the book. Recommended.

I really had a hard time getting through "Shoot The Lawyer Twice". The plot was not particularly interesting and the primary characters are not very likable. After a while, the "witty" banter between the lawyers and/or the professors got very tiresome. It is not often that I can't wait to be done with a book, but, unfortunately, that was the case here. Probably the most interesting aspect was the origin of the book's title (an old lawyer joke). For husband/wife legal mysteries where the characters are entertaining and the plots good, try the Paul Levine "Solomon and Lord" paperback series.

Despite being a Yankee fan who is still smarting from the Red Sox coming back from 3 games down to beat NY and then win the World Series in 2004, I gave "Green Monster" a try and really liked it. Thought the mystery was well plotted with a number of surprises and twists along the way. I found the sports theme to be interesting and will probably look from Shedchik's first novel dealing with the Masters as the backdrop. I'd recommend Green Monster to mystery fans. It's a fast read.