Where or when (1993) by Anita Shreve

After seeing Sian Richards picture in the literary section of the newsletter, Charles Callahan wrote to her.  She was his first love in high school and he thought there could be no harm in an innocent correspondence.  However, the correspondence resulted in a meeting.  One meeting led to another and then both parties were living a lie with their respective spouses. Parts of this novel rang true, while other situations were unrealistic.  Sian was a more believable character than Charles.  The mechanism of using letters in the book was a good way to keep the plot going.

The mistress (2013) by James Patterson

Ben isn't like most people. Unable to control his racing thoughts, he's a man consumed by his obsessions: movies, motorcycles, presidential trivia-and Diana Hotchkiss, a beautiful woman Ben knows he can never have. When Diana is found dead outside her apartment, Ben's infatuation drives him on a hunt to find out what happened to the love of his life. Ben soon discovers that the woman he pined for was hiding a shocking double life. And now someone is out to stop Ben from uncovering the truth about Diana's illicit affairs. In his most heart-pumping thriller yet, James Patterson plunges us into the depths of a mind tortured by paranoia and obsession, on an action-packed chase through a world of danger and deceit. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

The only thing redeeming about this novel was the character, Ben.  He was delightful, but he had a poor plot and equally poor sub-plots with which to work.  The old Russian/US/blackmail theme is old and tired. Everything does not revolve around the CIA.  Also, Ben's childhood situation was unbelievable, especially the bit about his dad being a spy for the Chinese.  Almost as absurd as his dad killing his mother and casting Ben as the killer.

The last original wife (2013) by Dorothea Benton Frank

Though the story was somewhat cliche and simple in plot, the prose was OK.  Some interesting characters, however they were not fully developed. Not a great read. The review from Goodreads is more of a synopsis.

(Review and photo from Goodreads)

"Leslie Anne Greene Carter is the last original wife among her husband's group of cronies. They've all traded in their first wives-the middle-aged women they long ago promised to love and cherish 'til death did them part-for riper peaches: younger . . . blonder . . . more enhanced models.

Leslie is proud of her status and the longevity of her marriage. Sure the spark isn't quite as bright and sometimes takes a little longer to flame. And it wouldn't be too much to ask if her husband paid just an itty bit more attention to her desires. But there's something to be said for a comfortable and deeply familiar relationship. Or at least she thinks until the day, out golfing with her husband and his friends, she slips into a manhole. And nobody realizes that she's gone.

That one misstep opens Leslie's eyes to the sham her perfect life has become. No longer will she be invisible. No longer will she accept being taken for granted. With the healing powers of South Carolina's lush white beaches, candy-colored sunsets, and fiesty and funny residents, Leslie is going to transform herself and reclaim the strong, vibrant, sexy woman she was meant to be.

The Last Original Wife is classic Dorothea Benton Frank: an intoxicating tale of friendship and love that is as refreshing as a soothing breeze across a golden lowcountry marsh and as invigorating as a dip in cool, salty waters on a sizzling South Carolina summer day."

Dark tide (2012) by Elizabeth Haynes

From the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Into the Darkest Corner comes another page-turning novel of "gripping suspense" (Wall Street Journal).

Genevieve has finally escaped the stressful demands of her sales job and achieved her dream: to leave London behind and begin a new life aboard a houseboat in Kent. Not many people know that she financed her fresh start by working weekends as a dancer at a less-than-reputable gentlemen's club called the Barclay, and she's determined to keep it that way. But on the night of her housewarming party the past intrudes when a body washes up beside the boat, and Genevieve recognizes the victim, a fellow dancer from the Barclay.

As the sanctuary of the marina is threatened, and Genevieve's life seems increasingly at risk, the story of how she came to be so out of her depth unfolds, and she discovers the hard way the real cost of mixing business with pleasure. . . 

Thanks to Goodreads for review (also on book cover)

The redbreast (2000) by Jo Nesbo

Excellent review at http://constantgeographer.com


In this third of the Harry Hole (pronounced Hula) series, Harry is tasked with investigating  neo-Nazis in Oslo.  One of these street skin-heads kills his partner, Ellen, at the instigation of a 'higher-up' in the police force, known on the street as The Prince. However, a particular rifles smuggled in from South Africa becomes the focus of the sleuthing. This leads to a few old men who fought with the Germans against the Russians  during the occupation of  Norway. One man in particular has the much sought after rifle and is planning to use it for no good.

Harry meets Rakel for the first time and their desire for one another is obvious, with both of them proceeding cautiously.  Rakel is compromised by a Norwegian in the diplomatic service, with this situation resolving itself in a very peculiar way.

The detail of the writing of the soldier's lives at the Eastern Front is carefully juxtapositioned against the current day lives of the individuals involved.  I really liked this Jo Nesbo novel.  All parts supported one another in a tight package.  Herr Nesbo shows considerable sensitivity in the way he related his observations of birds to Ellen.

Dust (2013) by Patricia Cornell

Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has just returned from working one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history when she’s awakened at an early hour by Detective Pete Marino.
A body, oddly draped in an unusual cloth, has just been discovered inside the sheltered gates of MIT and it’s suspected the identity is that of missing computer engineer Gail Shipton, last seen the night before at a trendy Cambridge bar. It appears she’s been murdered, mere weeks before the trial of her $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers, and Scarpetta doubts it’s a coincidence. She also fears the case may have a connection with her computer genius niece, Lucy.

At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipton, but she’s covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluoresces brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, D.C. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don’t want the killer caught.

In Dust, Scarpetta and her colleagues are up against a force far more sinister than a sexual predator who fits the criminal classification of a "spectacle killer." The murder of Gail Shipton soon leads deep into the dark world of designer drugs, drone technology, organized crime, and shocking corruption at the highest levels.

With unparalleled high-tension suspense and the latest in forensic technology, Patricia Cornwell once again proves her exceptional ability to surprise—and to thrill. (Review thanks to Goodreads)

Note:  I found the novel boring as Cornell seems to be repeating herself from her other Scarpetta novels:  Benton is the tragic, silent Heathcliff character roaming the moors in search of himself, while Kay is the dutiful woman giving him his 'space' and ensuring that his needs are met. Lucy continues to not improve her character or social skills, inventing another high-tech gadget.  Poor Morino is manipulated and insulted by all.

The Phantom by Jo Nesbo

Praise for Phantom (www.jonesbo.co.uk/reviews.asp)

'Jo Nesbo writes tightly plotted, claustrophobic thrillers with plenty of snow and a brutal yet hopelessly romantic policeman hero with the wonderful name of Harry Hole... they’re also exuberantly, ingeniously gruesome’ Sunday Telegraph

‘Like a Scandinavian police version of the Jason Bourne series... a compulsive20page turner... Nesbo leads us into the murky back-streets of Oslo and a world of drug addiction and smuggling, gang warfare and corrupt officialdom – all of which social context is handled with real skill by the author.’ Independent on Sunday
‘Nesbo wrings out the tension, by turns painful and delicious,with consummate skill’ Sunday Express

‘Nesbo’s extraordinary writing power still mesmerises’ The Times
‘Phantom will maintain Jo Nesbo’s unstoppable momentum’ The Independent

‘A brilliant and incredibly fast-paced race through the violin-ravaged of Oslo to uncover who is at the centre of a drugs rung... ex-alcoholic Hole is dealing with more demons than 24’s Jack Bauer ... Sceptics may argue that crime fiction is too sensationalist and that endings are tied up too neatly but Phantom proves them all wrong.  Once you’ve read the conclusion you’ll agree that Nesbo’s writing is far from predictable’ Stylist 

The girl with a clock for a heart (2014) by Peter Swanson

When George first met her, she was an eighteen-year-old college freshman from Sweetgum, Florida. She and George became inseparable in their first fall semester, so George was devastated when he got the news that she had committed suicide over Christmas break. But, as he stood in the living room of the girl's grieving parents, he realized the girl in the photo on their mantelpiece - the one who had committed suicide - was not his girlfriend. Later, he discovered the true identity of the girl he had loved - and of the things she may have done to escape her past.

Now, twenty years later, she's back, and she's telling George that he's the only one who can help her...Thanks to Goodreads for review, June 15/14.

Standing in another man's grave (2012) by Ian Rankin

John Rebus returns to investigate the disappearances of three women from the same road over ten years. For the last decade, Nina Hazlitt has been ready to hear the worst about her daughter's disappearance. But with no sightings, no body, and no suspect, the police investigation ground to a halt long ago, and Nina's pleas to the cold case department have led her nowhere.

Until she meets the newest member of the team: former Detective John Rebus.

Rebus has never shied away from lost causes - one of the many ways he managed to antagonize his bosses when he was on the force. Now he's back as a retired civilian, reviewing abandoned files. Necessary work, but it's not exactly scratching the itch he feels to be in the heart of the action.

Two more women have gone missing from the same road where Sally Hazlitt was last seen. Unlike his skeptical colleagues, Rebus can sense a connection - but pursuing it leads him into the crosshairs of adversaries both old and new.

Rebus may have missed the thrill of the hunt, but he's up against a powerful enemy who's got even less to lose.



Thanks to Goodreads for review June 20, 2014.

Stella Bain (2013) by Anita Shreve

Stella Bain was nursing wounded soldiers on The Front during World War One when she lost her memory.  In an attempt to find out who she was she travelled to England.  Taken in by a doctor and his wife, she made some progress and when she regained her memory, she returned to America to be reunited with her family.  Complications arose.  She fought for her children and her own life.

An entirely readable story, but predictable and not as insigthful as many of the author's other novels.

Annabel (2013) by Kathleen Winter

"Annabel deals with the birth of an intersex baby in rural Newfoundland in 1968. The baby's parents make the difficult decision to raise the child as a boy named Wayne, keeping his feminine side a lifelong secret in the rigidly defined masculine culture. But as Wayne grows up, he can't entirely ignore the feminine presence in his identity. Annabel is an unforgettable novel about one person's struggle to discover the truth in a culture that shuns contradiction."

(CBC, Canada Reads with Sheelagh Rogers, Jan 15, 2014)