Category: Books

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz lived up to its promise. It felt like a true Sherlock Holmes story told by his ever faithful Watson. The narrative starts at Baker Street when an art dealer arrives unannounced. His name is Edmund Carstairs and he is being menaced by a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. Holmes agrees to investigate, with the help of his Baker Street Irregulars. It's not long, though, until Holmes and Watson hear of The House of Silk and are drawn into a deeper, deadlier mystery, a conspiracy protected by some of the most powerful men in England. Sherlock and Watson were the characters I've known and loved for years. Watson’s narrative voice is true to the originals, but how much he cared for Holmes really shines through here. He can be a little dull, but he's loyal and trustworthy. Holmes is his usual brilliant self, complete with his idiosyncrasies, vices,...

"Don't look now," John said to his wife, "but there are a couple of old girls two tables away who are trying to hypnotise me." (pg 1) In DuMaurier's novella, Don't Look Now, Venice is an eerie place, a bewildering maze, a place of confusing bridges and canals. John and his wife Laura are on vacation in the city trying to recover from the death of their young daughter, when they meet elderly twin sisters, one of whom is blind and claims to be psychic. Most of the story centers on John, who is dismissive of the psychic's claim to see their daughter with them. But then mysterious events start to occur and I at least was wondering if John was going nuts or really saw what he thought he did - his wife alone in the town with the sisters, a child in need of help. To top it off, there's a killer loose in Venice. In all honesty, I started...

It's been a while since I've read a Grisham novel, but decided to give this new one a go. And I'm glad I did. The Litigators is  not spectacular, but it has a nice, feel good ending. David Zinc, a young attorney, turns his back on his fancy downtown firm, ending up at the small office of Finley & Figg after a day of drinking. Finley and Figg are two street lawyers, ambulance chasers, who seem to specialize in quickie divorces. But Wally Figg has run across their ticket to riches. A class action lawsuit is forming against Varrick labs, a huge pharmaceutical company, because of their cholesterol-lowering drug, Kryox. As Wally sees it, they can scrounge up some clients, joint the suit and just hang on for the ride. Money with little work. Of course, it's not going to be that easy and by the end both Finley and Figg are relying on the inexperienced David. I actually liked Oscar Finley...

Egypt- mysterious, magical, a land of adventure and secrets. The Secret of the Sacred Scarab brings that Egypt to life. Cousins Justin and Adam are thrilled to be visiting Egypt with their aunt and grandmother. Both love adventure and are familiar with the work of James Kinnaird, an archaeologist searching for the tomb of an ancient Egyptian ruler, the Scarab King. Most people think the King is just legend and that the tomb doesn't exit, but Adam and Justin are sure it's all true. Soon after they arrive in Egypt, a street peddler gives them a mysterious scarab, and the adventure begins. They have to use their intelligence to solve the riddle of the scarab and the message that came with it. I read The Secret of the Sacred Scarab with Amber (12), and the story is perfect for tweens. It's kind of an Indiana Jones story for the younger crowd. The boys are smart and working together can survive any situation,...

This month, Mailbox Monday is hosted by Kim at Metroreader. My mailbox, and Kindle, were pretty busy during January. Here's what I added to my to-read stack. A Will to Murder by Hilary Thomson (from the author and Pongid Press) Creative Spirit by Scott Nicholson and the screenplay (Won at the Minding Spot. Thanks, Wendy!) No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie (from William Morrow) Borneo Tom by Tom McLaughlin that came with a cute little bag (from Pump Up Your Book for a blog tour) Shore Excursion by Marie Moore (from Tribute Books for a blog tour) The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen (from Penguin) Henry Wood Detective Agency by Brian Meeks (from Pump Up Your Book for a blog tour) The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality by Gahan Hanmer (from Tribute Books for a blog tour) Snake Skin by C. J. Lyons (Purchased) The Fairy Tale Fiction of Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie edited by Heidi Anne Heiner (Purchased) I also received a couple of beautiful photos of Paris, won from...