I thoroughly enjoyed 'Pieces of Blue' and appreciated the metaphor that the title conveyed. No matter how much one is suffering, at some future time, the skies will show blue again.

The novel is about Lindsey, a woman whose husband has died in an accident in Oregon. After his startup made them crazy rich, it fell apart and Lindsey and her three children lived very meagerly. Once she received the insurance money from her husband's death, she and her family headed to Hawaii where Lindsey had purchased a motel.

The novel is rich with characterization, Hawaiian culture, and family life. At first I thought this was a beach read but it is so much more. It has depth, great narrative and a page-turning story line.

I liked this book very much and was riveted from the beginning. The cross-cultural aspects of the novel were interesting and eye-opening. I appreciated the different perspectives and hoped for a good outcome. At times, I was close to tears, realizing the horrors that one person could endure. The difficulty of marrying outside one's religion in India was explored, along with the tragedy that ensued should this occur. Honor was so good that I immediately ordered another novel by Ms. Umrigar.

This novel is primarily about two boys who are running away because of a crime they committed. It is also about their coming of age and the lives of those searching for them.

Fish and Bread are nicknames for two friends who live in Wisconsin. Bread's father is a brutal man who abuses Bread. One night Fish shoots Bread's father and the boys decide they have to run away.

The novel deals with their adventures, bonding and the struggles they encounter. It also deals with the adults who search for them and their hopes, dreams and love.

I felt that the book would be more interesting for an adolescent reader than it was for me. I could raise interest for the adventures of pre-adolescent boys only up to a point. The character development of the adults was not deep enough to satisfy me. Overall, this seemed more like a YA novel and I believe it would be appreciated more by teens than adults.

This book is very different from Anne Enright's previous novels. It is the story of Katherine O'Dell, a famous Irish actress told from her daughter Norah's perspective and memories. After her mother's death at 59, Norah tries to find out as much about her life as possible. She explores the secrets her mother kept and tries to understand the act of violence that led to her mother's hospitalization in a psychiatric unit. Norah remembers the colorful, loud and fun parties that her mother hosted, along with her mother's heavy drinking and depression as she aged, and parts for her dried up. The book seemed to go on and on with no real center other than the ongoing story of Katherine's life. It became boring after a while.

The chalk man is a thriller about a murder that haunts several young men throughout their youth and into their adult years. It is touted as a psychological thriller but I found it too obtuse and disconnected for it to make a very good impression on me. Basically, the novel starts out as a game between the boys. They use chalk men as their secret code. However, the code leads them to a dead body. As the boys grow up, the code letters continue and lead them to seek an answer as to what really happened all those years ago.

Aviva Grossman is the Monica Lewinsky of South Florida. While she is in college at the University of Miami, she begins an internship with a congressman. The internship leads to her having an affair with the married congressman and she charts the intimate aspects of their affair on her blog. Though her blog is supposed to be about an 'anonymous' person, it is obvious that her lover is the congressman. After being shamed, Aviva changes her name to Jane Young and moves to Maine where she works as an event planner. She has a daughter who she is raising as a single mother. All appears to be going well for Jane until she decides to run for mayor of her small town and her past comes out. I found the dialog trite at times and did not feel much compassion for any of the characters, all of whom seemed to be without much depth.

As the novel opens, the reader is introduced to Oliver who has served time in prison. The police officer who has put him there wants the true story of what transpired. Hence, the rest of the novel. The novel is narrated by Oliver and revolves around seven students who attend Dellecher conservatory where they study Shakespearian theater and acting. There are a lot of allusions to Shakespeare along with quotations from his work. I found the novel plodding and difficult to connect with.

This novel is told from the perspective of young Henry Aster, Jr. who spends his childhood watching his father drink too much and try, unsuccessfully, to write a great novel. Eventually, Henry's father leaves the family. Henry's family live in an unusual and rather unwelcoming house in North Carolina, a home that many think is haunted. I found the characters rather shallow and the short, choppy sentences did not work for me. The narrative meanders and didn't seem to find its way. What I did find interesting is how Henry moves on with his life and in some ways, probably subconsciously, re-enacts aspects of the life his father once chose.

'Hunters in the Dark' is a very noir thriller that takes place primarily in Cambodia. Robert Grieve is an Englishman who is dissatisfied with his teaching career and his place in life. Simon goes to Thailand during his summer vacation and wins $2000 in a casino. He then travels to Cambodia and meets Simon, another Barang (white man). Despite a warning from his cab driver that Simon is not a good man, Robert spends the night at his house and, after carousing with opium and alcohol, finds himself on an outbound boat the next morning. His backpack containing the money is not with him and he is dressed in Simon's dapper clothes. Where is the ship headed and what will happen to Robert? The book explores these questions in a very character-driven and thrilling way.

Sally Hepworth has written a sad book that also made me smile; a page-turner that I wanted to read slowly and savor; an accessible and poignant book.

Anna is in her thirties when she is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease, a genetically based illness that she inherited from her mother. Her twin brother, Jack, does not carry the gene and is spared. However, he is responsible for Anna and the situation tears him to pieces.

Jack places Anna in Rosalind House, an assisted living facility where, day by day, her cognitive processes decline. However, what no one accounted for was the power of love to surmount this illness. Anna meets a young man close to her age with a type of Alzheimer's different than hers. She loves his dimples and calls him "young guy". They connect deeply and powerfully despite their difficulty communicating in the traditional sense.

With a wonderful supporting cast of characters cheering them on, Anna and "Young Guy" navigate this new chapter in their lives, one that brings them both hope and despair.

Maddy is a social worker who runs groups for battered women. Her husband Ben is a public defender who has a serious anger problem. Everyone in the house is prisoner to Ben's moods. He has broken dishes, punched holes in the wall, and has verged on physical abuse of their three children - Emma is 14, Caleb is 7 and Gracie is 9. Mostly, he screams but his voice is often threatening and bullying.

Ben is driving Maddy in his car when he succumbs to road rage. The car crashes into a tree and Maddy suffers a severe traumatic brain injury and lies in a coma for weeks on end. As Maddy fights for her life, Emma becomes a parental child, Caleb regresses, and Gracie is the silent child who watches carefully to see what is happening now and what the future will bring.

This is a harrowing and well-crafted book about family and personal identity. Told from the differing vantage points of Ben, Maddy and Emma, the reader is taken on a roller coaster of emotions. It is a definite page-turner and difficult to put down.

Lord Doyle isn't really a Lord though he is called Lord Doyle in Macau. He is a crooked lawyer from England who has transplanted himself to Macau in order to gamble away the money that he has embezzled from an elderly English client. Macau is west of Hong Kong, in Mainland China, and this is where Doyle plays his game of choice, Baccarat. For most of the book, he plays in a casino called Lisboa but he travels to other casinos in Hong Kong from time to time. He is nonchalant about the game whether he wins or loses, and, as with most gambling addicts, his luck goes up and down.

Baccarat is a quick card game and a dangerous one. "It is hard for the house to cheat at baccarat, and there is a satisfying instant gratification to its simplicity and relative speed. It kills you quickly." One can see from this quote that there is an element of the masochistic to Doyle's gambling. It is usually a very high stakes game. "When you play it your heart is in your mouth." "That's what I like about it. There's no lingering illusion. Death by guillotine."

Osborne well knows the thinking and emotional realm of the gambling addict. "One is never far enough ahead to quit." There is an obsession, a compulsion to keep on with the playing until the last bit of money is lost. Sleep is foregone, as is often food and relationships. All that exists for the gambler is the bet. As a clinical social worker, I am well aware that the highest rate of suicide for all addictions is that of the gambler. Doyle, in this novel, comes close to suicide on more than one occasion.

Doyle meets a Chinese prostitute names Dao-Ming in Macau when he is down on his luck. She takes him to her home and helps him to recuperate from his losses, his poor health and his days of not sleeping. To repay her, he steals her money. To be fair, however, he is smitten with her. Gambling just does not give him time to look her up.

The book is very depressing. We see gamblers all begging each other for loans which one knows will never be repaid. "We all had a scheme and the pity of it was that none of us knew what the scheme was." Lady luck just can't be beaten no matter how much magical thinking is used. Doyle likes to pick a certain room to gamble in and wear yellow gloves when he plays baccarat. This is not uncommon with gamblers. They all have a shtick that they believe will bring them good luck.

The book is seriously depressing. Watching an addict go deeper into their addiction is a ride through hell and this book reminded me of the movie, Leaving Las Vegas. No matter how much money Doyle wins, it isn't enough. "The reality was that the more money I made, the more trapped I felt. Should I play on and on until doomsday, until I started losing again and balance was restored? This is how a hardened gambler would think. It doesn't matter to him, because what matters is the roller coaster, the wind in his hair, the thrill. He plays until he runs out of money."

This is a novel told from alternating perspectives, primarily those of Helen and her three daughters. Helen was a well-known folk singer in the 1970's who became famous as a feminist who believed that women did not need men. She had three daughters, all from different men, and raised them on her own. Fiona, the oldest, tries to have a perfect life but realizes this is not possible and her marriage is in jeopardy. Ilsa, the middle daughter, is a blocked artist in a marriage that is stifling her. Lianne, a college professor, has finally found the love of her life but is having trouble navigating the art of step-parenting.

I found the book to be somewhat interesting but not well-written. The character development is poor and the reader is told everything rather than seeing it unfold organically. I did not empathize with any of the characters because they did not seem real to me.

This is a beautifully written book. Thomas Christopher Greene has a way with words that hooked me in from the beginning. However, the plot ended up being less compelling than the writing style.

The novel starts off with Arthur Winthrop found wandering naked in Central Park. The police pick him up and he begins to tell the story of his obsession with Betsy Pappas. Arthur is the Headmaster of the Lancaster School, a very prestigious boarding school in Vermont. He becomes obsessed with a transfer student named Betsy and is willing to risk his career on their relationship. It becomes clear, however, that Arthur is not in his right mind and as his story becomes more implausible, the real story unfurls.

I found the denouement not as believable as I would have liked but I loved reading this book. Greene is an author that I have added to my radar.

Janey and Nean both think that they're the winners of a one million dollar home through a contest on the television. They have the same names and live in the same town - Janine Brown of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Janey works as a seamstress but her true love is cooking. Aside for her Aunt Midge, she is as solitary as people get. "My first instinct is to hide. This is my first instinct in any situation that involves people I have never met. She even gets hives from talking to strangers. She is not that excited at first about winning the house but her Aunt Midge is thrilled.

Nean is involved with an abusive boyfriend, one in a string of losers who are either abusive, drunks, or take advantage of her in one way or another. She is so excited to win the house that she takes the first bus she can to Maine in order to see it.

The book is about these two women and their contest for the home. It is chick-lit in the best sense of the word. The book is catchy and a page-turner. I really enjoyed it.

Ranjit Singh was a revered army officer in India. Through circumstances he could not avoid he was dishonored and decided to leave India and go to the United States. There he took a series of caretaking jobs on Cape Cod. One was for a powerful Senator. Ranjiit gets involved with the Senator's wife and is torn between two women. He is also involved in international corruption which he doesn't really understand. Unfortunately, he finds himself in the middle of it. I highly recommend this book.

Max is a 'perfect' young man. His grades are great, the girls love him, he's captain of the football team, and he doesn't give his parents trouble. There is one great family secret, however. Max is intersex. This book provides a lot of information about intersexuality and it is a wonderful story of Max, his friends and his family. Told from varied viewpoints, we get to know Max and his life. This is a wonderful book, well-written and a page-turner at the same time.

Trudy lives a stable and boring life in Wisconsin. She is planning to marry Ernst but, when when she meets Oskar, she is strongly drawn to him. She decides to marry him instead of Ernst. Together, they go to a light house island in California and Trudy finds out that Oskar is not what he seemed to be. She discovers some wonderful and surprising things on the island.

I was disappointed with the characterizations. They did not run deeply enough for me. Most of the emotional life of this novel rested on geology and not people.

The year is 1649 and England is fraught with political turmoil. Different political parties fight for power and war is raging. The author renders the ambiance of London well - the stench, poverty, turmoil and chaos.

Rachel is a glove maker's assistant and finds out that she is pregnant. She has been having an affair with a married man that already has 14 children. English law states that if a woman kills her child after giving birth, she is to be put to death. After Rachel's baby is born, her boss sees her walking to a deserted area carrying a bundle and follows her. She sees Rachel burying something. The next day, her boss digs up what she finds to be an infant's grave and reports Rachel to the authorities. A trial ensues.

The book is very captivating. My only criticism is that there is too much political information in it, as though the author used her dissertation as the background for the story and added the novel's most interesting aspects - Rachel's pregnancy, her love affair, the trial - as an afterwards. Despite this, most of the book was riveting and I think it deserves a high '4'.

Jo Nesbo, Norwegian mystery writer extraordinaire, has followed up his last novel, The Snowman, with a novel sure to appeal to his many fans. The Leopard is a mystery with more twists and turns than the human mind can fathom. However, as one reads this novel, it all seems clear and even rational. The beastly serial killer has a rationale and only the super-hero, Harry Hole is capable of getting him. Ironically, he turns to his last adversary, The Snowman, for some help.

The novel starts out with the killing of three women in a sadistic fashion using a tool called 'the apple'. It is put into the victim's mouth and if the victim pulls the twine, or if it is pulled by someone else, needles come out of the ball and pierce the sinuses, eyes, brain and mouth of the victim. Not a way anyone would choose to go, that's for sure. The criminal team in Oslo goes to Hong Kong to try to get Harry Hole to return to Norway. In Hong Kong he is entrenched in opium dens, bemoaning the loss of his love, Rakel, and her son Oleg, who left him in The Snowman. Harry returns to Norway to help his team out, only to be ensconced in a political situation that is a mess. There is a group called Krispo, headed by a narcissistic leader, Mikael, who has it in for Harry and his team. The name of the game for Mikael is self-gratification and rewards. He wants to be cheered by his nation as the number one hunter and capturer of murderers, not for the sake of goodness or for the intrinsic desire to be a good policeman, but for hubris. Harry, on the other hand, couldn't much care how he looks to others. He wants the bad guys caught and behind bars.

What transpires as the meat of this novel is that a group of people who visited a ski hut in rural Norway are getting killed off one by one. The page that has the list of who was in the ski hut on the important night in question has mysteriously been torn from the registration book and there are no clues as to where to begin the search. Leave it to Harry, however, to find just one clue, even a little one, to start an investigation going. Not only is there a serial killer loose, but there is no rhyme or reason as to why he is killing these folks.

The book is character driven and the reader gets to know each and every person. There is action galore as well, both inside the minds of the protagonists and in the bullet-ridden trenches of police work. I think that Nesbo has become my favorite Scandinavian crime writer as of this book. He has it all and I fell in head first from page one and didn't come up for air until the end. He is in the same league as Fossum, Larsen, and Mankell. And for those of you who are not familiar with these three, this is a real compliment.

My only regret is that I didn't start out with the first book in the Harry Hole series. I think this would give me a better perspective on his life and who he is. Thank goodness I own these books and can sit down and read them at my leisure.