Key Lime Pie Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes) by Joanne Fluke

First paragraph in the book:  At precisely eight forty-five on the second Monday morning in June, Hannah Swensen took a number from the deli-style dispenser mounted on a pole next to the secretary's desk and plunked herself down in one of the nondescript chairs in the nondescript waiting room to wait her turn.

From the back of the book:  It promises to be a busy week for Hannah Swensen.  Not only is she whipping up treats for the chamber of commerce booth at the Tri-County fair, she's also judging the baking contest; acting as a magician's assistant for her business partner's husband; trying to coax Moishe, her previously rapacious feline, to end his hunger strike, and performing her own private carnival act by juggling the demands of her mother and sisters.


With so much on her plate, it's no wonder Hannah finds herself on the midway only moments before the fair closes for the night.  After hearing a suspicious thump, she goes snooping - only to discover Willa Sunquist, a student teacher and fellow bake contest judge, dead alongside an upended key lime pie.  But who would want to kill Willa and why?


Now Hannah needs to crank up the heat, hoping that Willa's killer will get rattled and make a mistake.  If that happens she intends to be there, even if it means getting on a carnival ride that could very be her last... 

My quick thoughts:  I just love the lime green colour of the cover!  I have enjoyed visiting Lake Eden for the ninth time!  Yes, as Hannah would say, the Hannah Swensen Mystery series are like cookies, meaning you can have them everyday without ever tiring of them.

Rating:  3/5

Nothing To Envy: Real Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

First paragraph in the book:  If you look at satellite photographs of the Far East by night, you'll see a large splotch curiously lacking in light.  This area of darkness is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.


Synopsis:  North Korea is one of the most repressive and secretive states on earth.  Spying is encouraged, the media is government controlled, Gone with the Wind is a dangerous, banned book.  In the 1990s, famine descended.  Millions of people died, but the regime remained in power.  Through extensive interviews, Barbara Demick has created the first portrait of life in this extraordinary country, weaving together the stories of six ordinary citizens in a gripping and vivid account of adversity and survival in the land of 'Our Dear Leader'.

About the author:  Barbara Demick's coverage of the war in Sarajevo won a George Polk Award and the Robert F Kennedy Award, and was shortlisted for the Putlizer Prize in international reporting.  She is now a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, where she has reported from the Middle East and South Korea.  She is currently based in Beijing.  This book won her the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 2010 and was nominated for the US's most prestigious literary prize, the National Book Awards.

Listen to what Barbara Demick has to say about life in this most reclusive of societies taken from youtube:



If you want to hear a longer version of what Demick has to say about her book, click on the Asia Society where she gave a talk in New York on 7 January 2010 about Nothing to Envy.

My thoughts:  Before this, I had never paid much attention to North Korea but this book has opened my eyes to a country where extraordinary true stories of defection, isolation, hunger, poverty, deaths, false/unfair imprisonments, fear, betrayal, depravity, deprivation, brainwashing, struggles for survival, oppression and many more happened to ordinary people like you and me in the most secretive state on earth.  Above all, I think it is important to realize that it is also a book about hope, freedom and a testament to the incredible power of the human spirit to survive against all odds.  I commend Demick for writing a deservedly award-winning and thought-provoking work of literature in exposing the true face of The Hermit Kingdom.  Every booklover should read this book.


I do not rate works of investigative journalism.

Cherry Cheesecake Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes) by Joanne Fluke

Prologue:  Lake Eden, Minnesota - Wednesday, the Second Week in March.  "Cut!"

Taken from the blurb:  Hannah Swensen and her bakery, The Cookie Jar, bask in the glow of Hollywood glamour when Main Street becomes a movie set.  And although tensions simmer as the cameras roll, no one expects the action to turn deadly...until it's too late...

There's no such thing as privacy in Lake Eden, but Hannah never thought things would go this far.  Everyone has been telling her what to do ever since she got not one but two marriage proposals.  Movie mania soon shoves Hannah's marriage dilemma into the background and even gives her cat a shot at stardom.  The Cookie Jar serves as snack central with Main Street rented out for the week.  She stirs lots of fresh gossip, whipping up treats for cast and crew, including demanding director Dean Lawrence's favorite - cherry cheesecake.

Everything's on schedule until Dean demonstrates a suicide scene with a prop gun that turns out to be all too real.  As filming continues, Hannah sifts through the clues, hoping against hope that the person responsible for Dean's death is half-baked enough to have made a mistake.  When it happens, Hannah intends to be there - ready to rewrite a killer's lethal script with the kind of quirky ending that can only happen in Lake Eden...

(Includes fourteen original dessert recipes for you to try!)

This is book #8 of the Hannah Swensen Mystery series.

Rating:  3/5

The Shanghai Moon (A Lydia Chin/BillSmith Novel) by S J Rozan

First line in the book:  "I'm back."

Synopsis:  In Shanghai, excavation has unearthed a cache of jewelry dating form World War II, when the city was a safe haven for thousands of Jews fleeing Hitler's Europe.  The jewelry was stolen soon after it was found by a Chinese official now believed to be in New York City.  P I Lydia Chin is brought in by her old mentor, Joel Pilarsky, to recover the missing jewels.

But there is more to the story than they've been told:  The Shanghai Moon, one of the world's most sought-after missing gems, reputed to be worth millions, is believed to have been part of the same stash.  Before Lydia can act, there's a murder, Lydia's fired, and her estranged partner, Bill Smith, finally reappears.  Now Lydia and Bill must unravel the truth about the Shanghai Moon - and the events that surrounded its disappearance sixty years ago during the chaos of war and revolution - if they are to find the killer and uncover the long-buried truth.

My thoughts:  I came across this book at the Chapters Indigo bookstore when I was on holiday in Toronto last month.  Chapters Indigo is the biggest retail bookstore chain in Canada.  I am uncertain as to how popular S J Rozan is in the UK because I am ashamed to say I have not heard about her before I went away on holiday to Canada.  Later, after carrying out a Google search of the author, I found out that in the UK, The Shanghai Moon is renamed Trail of Blood.  

As a third-generation Chinese Malaysian (yes, it is complicated!) and now living in my adopted country, I am delighted to read a book about an American-Chinese PI whom I can relate to as well as thrill about the influences of both customs in her life as is the case with most immigrants and naturalized citizens.

What an ingenious plot and so well-written!  One cannot help but notice Rozan's exquisite prose straight away - neither descriptive nor long-winded.  The author has portrayed the ambience of New York City's Chinatown - its people, heritage and customs - and especially the chaotic but poignant history of China and Europe during World War II successfully and realistically.  Her masterful use of dialogue to propel the story forward is superbly carried out particularly the interplay between Lydia and Bill, Lydia and Mary and Lydia and her mom.  The characters are interesting and likeable, the mystery plot is complex and well-planned, the writing is solid, the pace moves along with surprising twists and turns, the self-deprecating Chinese wit/humour is apparent, what more could you want from a good book?  Rozan is definitely a talent to reckon with.  I hope you will pick up this book because it is an entertaining read on so many levels.

The Shanghai Moon is the ninth book in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series.  This is one of those books that relates to me and I am determined to find the time to read the other eight in the series.  Watch this space.

To find out more, check out S J Rozan or you can become her friend on Facebook.

Rating:  5/5

Peach Cobbler Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes) by Joanne Fluke

First paragraph in the book:  "Dick Laughlin just went in!"  Lisa Herman stood behind the café curtains that covered the bottom half of the plate-glass window and peered out across the snow-covered width of Main Street.  "And Barbara Donnelly's right behind him.  She looked this way and I think she saw me, but she still followed Dick inside."

From the blurb:  With The Cookie Jar, Hannah Swensen has a mouthwatering monopoly on the bakery business of Lake Eden, Minnesota.  But when a rival store opens, tensions begin to bubble...
As she sits in her nearly empty store on Groundhog Day, Hannah can only hope that spring is just around the corner - and that the popularity of the new Magnolia Blossom Bakery is just a passing fad.  The southern hospitality of Lake Eden's two Georgian transplants, Shawna Lee and Vanessa Quinn, is grating on Hannah's nerves - and cutting into her profits.

At least Hannah has her business partner Lisa's wedding to look forward to.  Unfortunately, Shawna Lee has finagled an invitation to the reception - and is bringing her Southern Peach Cobbler for the dessert table.  Things go from bad to worse when Shawna Lee and Hannah's sometime-boyfriend, Detective Mike Kingston, are no-shows to the wedding.  When Hannah sees lights on at the Magnolia Blossom Bakery after the reception, she investigates - and finds Shawna Lee shot to death.

Everyone in town knew the Cookie Jar's business was suffering - a fact that puts Hannah at the top of the initial list of suspects.  But with a little help from her friends, Hannah's determined to track down whoever had the right ingredients to whip up a murder...

(Includes 10 original recipes for you to try!)

My thoughts:  I am absolutely delighted to read the seventh book of this series.  You would think that the storyline and characters would have gone stale and stagnant by now but no, the plot in this book focuses on the protagonist herself  - she is the No 1 suspect of a murder - and it gets better and better!  I thought the story starts off well in the form of a business rivalry between the heroine and her nemesis, Miss Blonde-To-The-Bone and likewise, the ending leaves you wanting for more.  One reason I love this series is that I can happily recommend it to anyone from my 14-year-old daughter to my 91-year-old gran because the language used throughout is light and well-balanced without offending or repulsing anyone.  This series is a great way for us to get back to basics and be with folks that live in a happening place!

Rating:  3/5

Sugar Cookie Murder (A Hannah Swensen Holiday Mystery With Recipes) by Joanne Fluke

First line in the book:  It was a meatball, a really big meatball, and it was rolling out of her closet.

From the blurb:  When it comes to holidays, Minnesotans rise to the occasion - and the little town of Lake Eden is baking up a storm with Hannah Swenson leading the way.  The annual Christmas Buffet is the final test of the recipes Hannah has collected for the Lake Eden Holiday Buffet Cookbook.
The recently divorced Martin Dubinski arrives at the buffet with his new Vegas showgirl wife - all wrapped up in glitter and fur.  His ex-wife, however, seems as cool as chilled eggnog.  And when Hannah's mother's antique Christmas cake knife disappears, its discovery in the décolletage of the new - and now late - Mrs Dubinski puts the festivities on ice.
With everyone stranded at the community center by a blizzard, Hannah puts her investigative skills to the test, using the ingredients at hand: half the town of Lake Eden - and a killer.  Now, as the snowdrifts get higher, it's up to Hannah to dig out all the clues - and make sure that this white Christmas doesn't bring any more deadly tidings...
(Includes over fifty original recipes for you to try!)

My thoughts:  This series has definitely won my heart way back when.  Every book is a page-turner and highly entertaining.  I love the light humour in the book.  Will definitely make a good Christmas gift for family and friends especially during this festive season.  And if you missed it, there are over fifty tempting recipes from entrees to beverages to give you plenty of ideas for a delicious Christmas brunch/lunch.  Take the time to read Sugar Cookie Murder, the #6 book in the series.  I guarantee it will warm your heart and toes in this cold weather!

More recipes can be found on Joanne Fluke's website.

Rating:  3/5

The Keepsake (Rizzoli and Isles thriller) by Tess Gerritsen

First two lines in the book:  He is coming for me.  I feel it in my bones.

From the blurb:  For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston's Crispin Museum.  Dubbed "Madam X," the recently rediscovered mummy is, to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact.  But medical examiner Maura Isles discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse - horrifying proof that this "centuries-old" relic is instead a modern-day murder victim.  When the grisly reamins of two other women are found, it becomes clear to Maura and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli that a maniac is at large.  Now Maura and Jane must unravel a murderer's twisted endgame before the Archaelogy Killer adds another chilling artifact to his monstrous collection.

Check out this youtube video of the trailer made by Ryan White who was hired by Tess Gerritsen to promote The Keepsake:



I found this youtube review of The Keepsake by Roman Griffen (author) and thought it is an innovative way for a blogger or anyone to review a book by speaking about it.  I guess it all comes down to choice.  I might try it myself one day!



Three days ago, the New York Times bestselling author posted an enthralling must-read blog entitled Characters Have Childhoods, Too on Murderati.com

In a recent interview with the University of Oklahoma's Professional Writing Student Program, when asked whether writing her books get any easier than her first endeavours, Tess Gerritsen replied, "No, they're much harder...because you're always trying to satisfy your fans and top your last novel.  It feels like I just keep building higher mountains to scale with every novel."

Well, Ms Gerritsen, as a fan of your books, I think this one has more than satisfied me with its mummified cadaver storyline and I like the fact that you combine and use your knowledge of anthropology, archaeology and medicine in your writing.  When I was on holiday in Aarhus, Denmark in the spring of 2009, I paid a visit to the The Moesgård Museum where I was impressed by The Grauballe Man (scroll down to the bottom) exhibition, not knowing that more than a year later, I would be reading about bog bodies in a book by one of my favourite crime authors.  Gerritsen's ability to tell a story is at its best and she balances both fact and fiction very well.  Her primary and secondary characters are very likeable and leave an impression on the reader, both in their actions, thoughts and dialogue.  There is no let-up in this book - every page is full of suspense and horror and flows smoothly from page to page.  I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it and whole-heartedly recommend The Keepsake.


Do read my review of Ice Cold here.

Rating:  5/5

Fudge Cupcake Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery with Recipes) by Joanne Fluke

First two lines in the book:  Hannah Swensen moved to the front of the rectangular box and braced herself.  Although she had no specialized training, she felt like a member of a bomb squad who was preparing to disarm an explosive device.

From the blurb:  For Hannah, life seems to be lacking a certain flavor lately.  Maybe it's the local sheriff's election that's got her down.  For years, Sheriff Grant's been the iron hand in town.  But now, Hannah's brother-in-law Bill is giving the old blowhard the flight of his long, dubious career - and Grant's not taking it well, especially once the polls show Bill pulling ahead.
But before anyone can taste victory, things go sour.  While Hannah's emptying the trash, she makes a very unappetizing discovery:  Sheriff Grant's body in the Dumpster behind the high school where she's teaching her cooking class.  And as if that weren't bad enough, the poor man still has fudge frosting on his shirt from one of her cupcakes.
The number one - and only - suspect is Bill, but Hannah's not swallowing it.  Plenty of people had reason to hate Sheriff Grant.  Soon, Hannah's dishing up scandalous secrets, steaming hot betrayals, and enough intrigue to keep the gossip mill at The Cookie Jar going through several pots of decaf.  And the closer Hannah gets to the truth, the closer she gets to smoking out a murderer with a very nasty recipe for silencing people...
(Includes ten original dessert recipes for you to try!)

Another delectable mystery from book #5 starring the owner of The Cookie Jar and company.  Once more, I have enjoyed catching up with Hannah and her friends.  Hannah seems no closer to choosing between the two men in her life - one comfortable and one thrilling - because "it was hard to choose when she wanted it all"!  Girl, I know the feeling.
I enjoy the light humour in the book and reading about feline wits in the shape and form of Moishe the clever cat!  Family ties and family obligations matter a lot in the Swensen family and when family is involved, there you will find love and warmth and there is no shortage of them in the book.  And with a mystery involved, what more could you want?
On a last note, I must mention that I love the bright and attractive cover designs.  The tempting pictures correspond with the titles and I can guarantee that they are as good as the contents!

Rating:  3/5

Spotlight on Jeffery Deaver, author of the next James Bond novel

Congratulations to Jeffery Deaver who has been selected by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd to write the next adventure of the famous 007 spy.  He talks about it with BBC media correspondent Nick Higham:



There is also an entry on USA Today.

Mr Wong Goes West (A Feng Shui Detective Novel) by Nury Vittachi

Taken from the blurb:  Feng shui master and sleuth CF Wong is experiencing some seriously bad fortune.  After an ill-advised stationery deal puts him in debt to the Chinese mafia and the job that should have saved his bacon ends in murder on the world's biggest and most expensive plane, Wong finds himself heading for his least favourite place - the West - and a most regal assignment.
With his ever exuberant sidekick Joyce in tow, Wong heads off to do a feng shui reading of Buckingham Palace in an attempt to end the Windsors' anni horribiles.  But a bomb on his plane might just cause the wheels to come off the plan.  Quite literally.
Princes, planes, pens and points of compass all collide in the latest adventure of the Feng Shui Detective.

My take:  For the last day of October, notwithstanding Halloween's Day, I thought I would read an Asian book to catch up with my Global Reading challenge which I have been neglecting of late.  Amongst the mountain-high pile of books in my collection, I came across Nury Vittachi slipped in between Sandra Brown and Ian Rankin and picked him out.  I am not sure how long he has been sitting quietly on the window sill waiting his turn.
I read Nury Vittachi's Feng Shui Detective novels years ago except for this particular one, published in 2008.  If you are not into Chinese geomancy/feng shui, this book may either intrigue you or mystify you.  It is certainly amusing to read about non-native speakers of English trying to speak or even understand the most widely spoken language in the world, for example, when you ask someone to do something for you and that person is able to, that person would either say 'yes' or 'sure' or any other forms of the affirmative but for a non-native, they would say 'can' (a literal translation from their own language to English) and at times, would say it twice so it ends up as 'can can'.  One has to live in that environment to understand how the English language has been twisted and turn into a sub-language, a mixture of the native and the foreign.  I still find it extremely fascinating to say the least.
Vittachi certainly has a way with words and has portrayed the ethnic and cultural differences in the modern world with an amusing sensibility.  I absolutely love the collection of oriental wisdom stories interspersed in between the comedy.  They are little pearls of wisdom based on the experiences of life written in ancient Chinese lore.  I almost wish there is a whole book written on them.
Other than the yin and yang, the metaphysics, ch'i or the fifth dimension, Vittachi's writing is highly entertaining, eccentric, witty, funny and makes you laugh out loud.  BBC has dubbed him 'Hong Kong's funniest commentator'.  There you go.  This book is a love it or hate it book.  I do enjoy his humour.

I am pretty sure that most of you already know who Nury Vittachi is and his very original collection of Feng Shui Detective books but if this is the first time you have come across him and want to know more, you can click on The Curious Diary of Mr Jam  or The Writers' Village to find out.

Here is Vittachi talking about the intricacies and idioms of the English language:





Rating: 4/5

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery) by Joanne Fluke

Opening paragraph in the book:  Hannah Swensen was startled awake at four forty-seven in the morning.  Two feral eyes were staring down at her.  She batted out at them and they vanished, leaving an accusatory yowl floating in their wake.

Taken from the book blurb:  The residents of Lake Eden, Minnesota, are planning to paint the town red, white and blue to celebrate the Fourth of July - but the fireworks are already going off at Hannah Swensen's bake shop, The Cookie Jar...

Hannah Swensen thought she'd finally discovered the recipe for a perfect life.  But her sometime beau Norman Rhodes tosses a surprise ingredient into the mix when he phones to tell her he's just bought a house from local drugstore clerk Rhonda Scharf - which he plans to tear down in order to build the dream home he and Hannah designed.  It seems the plan has been cooking for quite some time, and Hannah's shocked.  Especially since her ring finger is still very much bare...

The good news is that the soon-to-be-torn-down house is full of antiques - and Norman has given Hannah and her mother first dibs.  They uncover some gorgeous old furniture, a patchwork quilt...and Rhonda Scharf's dead body.  A little more sleuthing turns up the half-eaten remains of a very special dinner for two - and one of The Cookie Jar's famous lemon meringue pies.  Now it's up to Hannah to turn up the heat - and get busy tracking down clues.  Starting in her very own kitchen...

Includes nine original cookie and dessert recipes for you to try!

My take:  This is the fourth book in the series and for the first time ever, Hannah wasn't the one who stumbled upon a dead body in Lake Eden.  If not her, then who?  Oh yes, Hannah was quite determined not to get herself involved in another murder investigation but was her resolve not to meddle as strong as her resolve to shed the twenty pounds she'd gained over the winter?  Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!  Again, this series makes a great buffer between the serious crime-thrillers that I usually read.

Rating: 3/5

Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride

More and more authors are producing their own book trailers and here is Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride (directed by the author himself and some mates of his):



First line in the book:  Run.  Don't stop.  Keep moving...

Synopsis:  Everyone deserves a second chance...

Martin Knox has served his time, so why shouldn't he be allowed to live wherever he wants?  Yes, he was convicted of the brutal rape and abduction of a sixty-eight-year-old man, but he's seen the error of his ways. Found God.  Wants to leave his dark past in Newcastle and make a new start.

Or so he says.

Detective Sergeant Logan McRae isn't exactly thrilled to be part of the team helping Knox settle into his new Aberdeen home.  He's even less thrilled to be stuck with DSI Danby from Northumbria Police - the man who put Knox behind bars for ten years - supposedly here to 'keep an eye on things.'

Only things are about to go very, very wrong.

Donald Trump's golf course is bringing a mini development boom to the Granite City, and Edinburgh gangster Malk the Knife wants a slice.  Three heavies from Newcastle want a 'quiet word' with DSI Danby about a missing mob accountant.  Local crime lord Wee Hamish Mowat has plans for Logan's future.  And Martin Knox's dark past isn't done with him yet...

My thoughts:  According to the author, "Dark Blood is the sixth book in the Logan McRae series.  The whole thing was inspired by (but not based on) the real life case of Stephen Beech, a sex offender from down south who decided he wanted to live by the sea.  So he ended up in Aberdeen, where he had to be watched 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at a cost of about £200 000 a year.  Obviously Mr Beech wasn't all that popular with the local populace, or press, and I couldn't help thinking it was exactly the sort of reverse-sex-tourism that would make a very interesting kicking off point for a crime novel..."

I have read every single book of the author's and highly recommend them because they are a great read infused with Scottish wit/humour!  Enjoyed listening to the author reading his own book on audio published by Oakhill Publishing Limited.  This review from eurocrime sums up my thoughts on another unputdownable book.  Happy reading!

Stuart Macbride's website is a wealth of information and if you cannot get enough of him, you can also find him on his blog.

Rating:  4/5

Cut and Run (The New Joe Hunter Thriller) by Matt Hilton

First line in the book:  His first waking thought was that his sins had caught up with him.

Taken from the blurb:  Don't look back or you might find the devil on your heels.
 Joe Hunter's devil is Luke Rickard, a killer who has stolen his identity and committed a vicious double murder.  His motive?  Revenge.  His method?  A blade.  His mission?  Kill anyone Hunter holds dear.
It's a deadly duel of wits that takes Hunter from the streets of Miami to the squalid barrios of Colombia to the jungle hideaway of a drug baron.  And brings him face to face with his past.
Revenge is a dish best served cold and Joe must keep a cool head or Rickard will cut and run.
Cut and Run is the fourth high-octane adventure for Joe Hunter, the man whose mission is to rid the world of bad guys.

My take:  Possibly the best of the Joe Hunter series I have read!  Teeth-crunching action and a high body count are still very much the theme of the book as well as the unique style of Hilton's writing with regards to the descriptions of a scene from two different perspectives - the protagonist and the antagonist.

I was actually expecting this book to be roughly the same as the first three books.  However, this time around, it has a new twist in that Joe is being set up by someone from his past and his mission is to find out who the past is and more importantly, avenge the lives of the innocents - his friends and their families.  You cannot find this storyline in the first three books and that is why I think this book brings a welcoming breath of fresh air to the series.

I attribute a lot of the high-octane action in the book to details.  They are so well thought out and written that they conjure up stark and vivid images of bloody wars as well as hit my senses with the metallic smell of blood and cordite.  One is left in no doubt that the author is an expert on firearms, the art of espionage, military tactics and more!  Lastly, I think the cover of the book is cool and I love it!  It depicts Joe's drop behind enemy lines at a place which is already mentioned in the blurb.  I now look forward to book #5 and hope that it is as good as if not better than Cut and Run.  I highly recommend this book and the others in this series.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Matt Hilton by Aaron L Brown taken from International Thriller Writers Inc:

In Cut and Run it is the first time I've really tackled Hunter's history coming back to have a real and fatal consequence in the present.  As a result I had to take a portion of the book back into his military past and to a hit on a drug cartel boss, so had to research what was happening in the country around that time. Prior to writing the book I didn't have that much knowledge of the way that the cocaine industry affected the country and I admit to having been horrified to learn what I did. I was pleased to read recently that much of the background I placed in the book is now in the past and the drug trade there is under better control than before. Hopefully it will mean a better life for many thousands of people.

You can find and 'like' Joe Hunter (Crime Thrillers) on Facebook.

Rating:  4/5

The Mephisto Club (Rizzoli and Isles thriller) by Tess Gerritsen

Opening line:  They looked like the perfect family.

Synopsis:  Can you really see evil when you look into someone's eyes?  In a rundown house, a woman has been dismembered in an act of carnage that leaves veteran cops in shock.  Drawn on the wall, in blood, are ancient symbols, and a mirror-image word in Latin that, translated, says 'I have sinned'.
Then a second woman is found butchered on Beacon Hill, just outside the home of the leader of the Mephisto Club, a secret society dedicated to the study of evil.  On the door have been scrawled yet more ancient symbols.
This is evil that the Boston PD has never encountered before.  And the only way Maura Isles can defeat it is by turning to the people who understand the devil himself.

My take:  In the sixth book of the Rizzoli and Isles thriller series, Gerritsen explores the conjecture that evil exists in this world in the form of evil spirits known as Nephilim ("fallen angels and women mating to produce hybrid monsters") or the Watchers.  They co-exist with members of the human race, walking among us, people who look human but are the farthest from it, people who commit acts of atrocious cruelty, who come out wreaking havoc when society breaks down during turbulent times on earth.

I must say that Gerritsen is a master at story-weaving and this book ticks all the boxes for me.  I marvel at how Gerritsen sprouts out so much information at every turn of the page and yet is able to produce a truly absorbing and cohesive plot.  Because the existence of evil cannot be explained and the tale of Nephilim will probably remain a mystery till the end of time, the conclusion to this book justly reflects that particular myth from The Book of Enoch.  Highly recommended series if you have not already started.

Towards the end of this video, Gerritsen explains why she is interested in evil:









(Audiobook read by Lorelei King published by Chivers Audio Books).

Rating:  4/5 (Excellent read)