The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling

The Silkworm: A Cormoran Strike Novel, Robert Galbraith a.k.a. J.K. Rowling. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2014. e-book, 481 pps. 


     This is the second book in the Cormoran Strike series. The Silkworm deals what happened to a guy named Owen Quine who goes missing. Mrs. Quine hires Cormoran Strike, private investigator to find out where her husband is. Husband Owen Quine is an author of sorts who has a reputation for one good book followed by some pretty bad ones. His latest was leaked and bunches of people didn't like what the book was about at all. 

sapphoq reviews says: I liked the first Comoran Strike book and I enjoyed this one too. Here there be fancy publishers and A-list parties, weddings and funerals, and bits of traveling about. For those who enjoy murder mystery fiction as good as Agatha Christie, highly recommended.

The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets by Diana Wagman

The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets, Diana Wagman. Opa-Locka FLA: iG Publishing, 2012. 240 pps.

     I like herps. In fact, I love herps. I have frogs right now. Sometime in my future, I hope to breed snakes. I may have to wait until housemate passes over for that one. Housemate is terrified of snakes. Housemate is not overly fond of frogs either come to think of it. Housemate does not want me to raise hissing cockroaches from Madagascar in the attic either. Le sigh.

     It was only natural that I examine The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets. I read it in one sitting. Book is actually fiction and about a kidnapping. The woman who is kidnapped is a divorcee with a teen daughter, an ex-husband who is in television and has a younger wife now, and a famous mother as well. But the woman herself is ordinary.

     Much to her dismay, the kidnapper has a large reptile living in his kitchen. The chameleon is a male and his name is Cookie. Cookie is large, very large.

sapphoq reviews says: I loved The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets totally and absolutely. All characters were believable. Dialogue was interesting and to the point. The plot moved well. Creepy things happened which indeed gave me the creeps. For those who like fiction crime novels with the feel of Los Angeles, highly recommended.

All He Saw Was The Girl by Peter Leonard

All He Saw Was The Girl, Peter Leonard. Stamford Ct: The Story Plant, 2011. e-book, 250 pps. inc. an excerpt from another book.

     Chip [the rich kid] and McCabe [not rich] are Americans who are attending college in Italy. They wind up in an Italian prison. McCabe is the outspoken one who gets Chip's property back from a sleazy character. First mistake. They get out. A picture of Chip and a picture of McCabe appear in the newspaper with their names inverted.

     Then there is a foxy woman who perhaps becomes far more trouble than she is worth, a couple of kidnappings, car chases, and general chaos.

     Ray from Detroit in the Secret Service comes home to find his wife Sharon up and left him. He tears off to Italy in hopes of finding her and her illicit lover. He finds more than he bargains for.

     The two story-lines converge and some loose ends are tied up. Amusing and well-worth the time to read it.

sapphoq reviews says: A couple of steamy sex scenes so not good for sub-adults or the squeamish. [I found them tastefully done myself]. Excellent book with some humor and lots of action. Well done and highly recommended.

     

Twelve-Step Fandango by Chris Haslam

Twelve-Step Fandango, Chris Haslam. New York: HarperCollins e-books, 2003. 277 pps.


N.B.: Twelve-Step Fandango has absolutely nothing to do with recovery groups who use "twelve steps" in their program. If you are in search of books about recovery, this one is not it. The main character-- an English ex-pat on the run in Spain-- does admit that he'd rather have cocaine than anything else. But there is no recovery here. Look elsewhere if that is your schtick.

     Martin lives in a crumbling sort of castle structure in Andalusia, Spain with other foreigners eeking out a living. The place is drug-infested for sure. There is a small bar on the grounds and a thriving drug trade.

     But all is not well in stoner haven. Martin's girlfriend Luisa is tempermental and difficult to live with. His buddies are junkies. He has no prospects for any sort of future. He cannot think. He makes poor decisions. His decisions puts a lot of people at jeopardy. And, uh there is quite a bit more going on here.

sapphoq reviews says: Chris Haslam has penned a fine first novel. I loved it. There is some violence, dead bodies, car chases. I was transported to Andalusia when reading Twelve-Step Fandango. The book left me wanting to travel to Andalusia. The ending was very satisfying yet left me wanting to hear more about Martin's mis-adventures. For fans of the counter-cultures, highly recommended.

The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo's Calling, J.K. Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith.  New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2013.  e-book, 453 pps.


By now, the grand secret is out and anyone with a computer surely must know that J.K. Rowling wrote a murder mystery under an assumed name.  She was duly pissed when the secret leaked out.  J.K. wanted to know if she could make it as a writer without resorting to her own name.  Truthfully, she has nothing to worry about on that score.  The Casual Vacancy  is more than credible evidence of her writing talent.  The Cuckoo's Calling is further evidence of her versatility as a writer.

There is a private dick by the name of Cormoran Strike, a pretty engaged secretary sent over by the temp agency who is known as Robin Ellacott, a dead starlet, the starlet's mysterious brother and tempermental photographer and a street bud, and some other people.  The novel opens with the aftermath created by a pretty model plunging to her death off her balcony and the crowd that assembles afterwards. 

Comoran Strike, the private investigator, has just been booted from his living arrangement with a soon to be divorced wife.  He is in desperate straits and his business is going down the flusher.  The temp secretary arrives in the midst of the mess.  Strike is less than pleased to see her but eventually adjusts to her presence.  Robin proves both resourceful and valuable to his office.  The dead woman's brother shows up and Comoran begins to investigate although the death was already ruled a suicide.  The story unfolds and Comoran, with the help of his trusty temp secretary. solves the crime. 

sapphoq reviews says:  Although some reviewers have complained about the frequent presence of the f-bomb throughout the pages of The Cuckoo's Calling, the fact remains that J.K. has written a book for adults and it is clearly labeled as such.  I found the cursing to be believable.  The characters were multi-faceted and likeable.  The storyline kept my interest.  J.K.'s in-depth descriptions added greatly to the book.  This one's a keeper.  Highly recommended, especially to those who like Agatha Christie and other crime fics.

The Broken Places by Ace Atkins

The Broken Places: A Quinn Colson Novel, Ace Atkins.  New York: Penguin Group, 2013.  e-book, 291 pps.

How to sum this one up:  A fast-paced action crime novel and characters who have great depth.  Yet, there is more to The Broken Places than just that.  There are prisoners and at least one guard on the take.  There's a governor who pardons, a few politicos on the take, a crooked sheriff, a couple of attractive women, and a convict turned humble Jesus preacher, sprinkled with a few family members and a tornado.  The characters were believable, the dialogue was believable, the action was believable.  This is not a novel that stops in the middle.  I read The Broken Places in one sitting.  It was that good.  And yeah, the places described were just the way I remembered them some years back when passing through.  Ace Atkins is at his finest with this one.  His ability to tell a story is clearly illustrated within the pages of The Broken Places.

sapphoq reviews says:  The Broken Places is an excellent story with bits of psychology and some blood and guts woven through it.  I loved it.  From the trailer park to the titty bar, from the remote hunting lodge to the tiny downtown, the sense of place instilled into Ace Atkins' work is integral to the action rather than just another random backdrop.  Ace Atkins captures perfectly societal and familial conflicts while avoiding any sort of preachiness.  I liked this one and will be reading more.  Definitely recommended.

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Double Dexter, Jeff Lindsay.  New York: Vintage Books (Random House), 2011.  paperback, 337 pps.


The book Double Dexter begins darkly with Dexter speaking in a "we" voice as he and his Dark Passenger offs a pedophile clown.  The scene is set.  But someone else is a witness.



Dexter's brother, as a favor to Dexter, offs a bionic police co-worker who has been following Dexter.  A co-worker with bad breath and a pirate mask turns up in the family suite room in Key West unexpectedly.  Dexter's step-son Cody's scout leader turns up to take him and his sister Aster for a spirited adventure to find the sharks.  Rita, Dexter's adoring wife, scores a foreclosed house in an auction.


sapphoq reviews says: Double Dexter is a very satisfying book, complete with compelling information about Cody's growing Shadow and Aster's coming into her own confidence about who she is.  Highly recommended to fans of Dexter who don't object to the books being a bit different from the serialized H.B.O. smash hit.

The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver

Jeffery Deaver, The Broken Window (a Lincoln Rhyme novel). New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. paperback, 596 pps., including Author's Note.

Fans of Lincoln Rhyme and privacy activists are sure to warm up to this novel. The story opens with Lincoln's cousin Arthur Rhymes visiting an attractive woman at her domicile, then she gets brutally murdered. The murderer absconds with her latest collected painting by a minor artist named Prescott. Arthur is unjustly accused of the murder and is sent off to prison. Lincoln is asked to look into the matter.

Lincoln detects a pattern. Underneath the pattern is a giant data collecting corporation and a disgruntled ex-employee. The pattern itself involves several men imprisoned for crimes which they did not commit. The ending involves a piece of historic rock and the healing of the fractured relationship between Lincoln and Arthur. The Author's Note speaks to privacy and identity concerns.

This novel was satisfying and for the most part fast-moving enough to hold my interest. And I liked it. The caveat to watch over one's identity in a time of decreasing privacy is well to heed.

sapphoq reviews says: Recommended for fans of Lincoln Rhymes.