June New Popular Books

The following new books have been added this month to the Popular Reading Collection located next to the circulation desk.   These books and any other titles currently checked out can be placed on hold.
See a staff member at the circulation desk for assistance.

 

Blue Shoes and Happiness, by Alexander McCall Smith
Dark Harbor, by Stuart Woods
Elements of Style, by Wendy Wasserstein
Cage of Stars, by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Beach Road, by James Patterson
Dead Center, by David Rosenfelt
Everyman, by Philip Roth
Full of Grace, by Dorothea Benton Frank
Promise Me, by Harlan Coben



This Month's Great Escapes
by Bill McCleary




The 5th Horseman, by James Patterson

This is the fifth outing for the Women’s Murder Club—the small group of San Francisco women who pool their talents to solve crimes.   The newest member of the group is Yuki Castellano, a lawyer.  She has been following a lawsuit against San Francisco Municipal Hospital by the relatives of a number of patients who were admitted to the hospital with routine problems but ended up dying in the hospital.  The case has drawn Yuki’s attention because the lawyer for the victims is Maureen O’Mara, a Harvard-trained brilliant, fiery redhead.  Although the lawsuit is a longshot, if anyone can win it, it’s O’Mara.  Meanwhile, Lindsay Boxer, the head of the club and a police lieutenant, is investigating more suspicious deaths at the hospital.  Unfortunately, checking in to the hospital is the mother of one of the club members.  I enjoyed this until almost the final chapters, which finished both hurriedly and lamely. 


On the Run, by Iris Johansen

Grace Archer and her young daughter, Frankie, are living a quiet life on a horse farm in rural Alabama.  Quiet, that is, until all hell breaks loose.  Grace, you see, has been hiding out for nine years from a very powerful criminal named Paul Marvot, who is based in Morocco.  After searching for Grace all these years, Marvot has located her and he sends his henchmen to get her.  Grace and Frankie escape and they are once again on the run.  But not for long because Frankie is soon captured—and used as bait to lure Grace to Morocco.  Marvot has a task that only she has the skills for—but what will happen to Grace and her daughter once the task is completed?  Fortunately, Grace has a couple of resourceful guys in her corner, one of them the father Frankie has never known.  This was an entertaining read with likable characters in suspenseful peril. 


False Impression, by Jeffrey Archer

On Fridays The Washington Post used to run full length movie reviews in the Style section and also the Weekend section.  Often you could read two different reviews of the same movie by the various movie reviewers; I loved getting a second opinion from a different reviewer.  But, following the distressing trend these days of dumbing down things, the Post now offers just one review and in the Weekend section it condenses it to about a paragraph.  I guess some knucklehead came up with this bad idea as a way to increase readership—perhaps among the attention-challenged?   Anyway, my point is it’s sometimes nice to get a different take on something.  Case in point—this book.  Getting back to the Post, I happened to glance at the review for this novel and it wasn’t a glowing one.  If I remember correctly, the reviewer objected to the events of 9/11 being used in a novel and that seemed to sour the whole thing for him.  Well, not me.  I enjoyed the book and I think 9/11was integral to the storyline.  On September 10th, Lady Victoria Wentworth is murdered at her country estate outside of London.  Just before her death she thought she had secured the future of her debt-ridden estate by taking out a loan from New York banker Bryce Fenston, using a Van Gogh painting as collateral.  Unfortunately, Lady Victoria is just the latest victim for Fenston, who is scheming his way into a fortune in fine art.  On the case is FBI agent Jack Delaney, who is investigating not only Fenston but also one of his employees, beautiful art expert Anna Petrescu.  Is she good or bad?  Jack will get his answer after a cat and mouse who’s got the Van Gogh follow that cab globe-trotting chase.  Very entertaining!  I’m glad Mr. Archer is finally out of prison and back to novel writing.


Lovers and Players, by Jackie Collins

And now for some sexy froth.  It’s been ages since I’ve read a Collins novel but this one looked good so I gave it a whirl.  Nasty, scheming billionaire Red Diamond, pushing eighty, summons his three sons (by various departed wives) to New York for a family meeting.  Despite being terrorized by Red as they grew up, the three sons have done pretty well for themselves after some false starts.  Max is a real estate developer, Chris is a Hollywood entertainment lawyer, and Jett is a successful model working in Italy.  Reluctantly, they all decide to drop what they are doing and accede to their father’s wishes and attend the meeting—which Red promptly cancels and reschedules at the last minute.  Left to cool their heels for several days, the boys manage to get tangled up in murder and blackmail.  But, even worse, one will fall in love with his brother’s fiancée.  This was entertaining but perhaps a trifle too long.  And, memo to Ms. Collins, the last thing we want in a sexy thriller is a very whiny, very spoiled, very annoying five-year-old.   Would that Red had throttled the little rugrat—I’d have cheered!
 


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Revised May 30, 2006

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