So you love Crime Fiction?

I do. Well, I guess I do. I never knew there were so many kinds of "crime" books out there. I recently learned about "Hardboiled" crime fiction. Wiki states that "The name comes from a colloquial phrase of understatement. For an egg, to be hardboiled is to be comparatively tough. The hardboiled detective—originated by Daly's Terry Mack and Race Williams and epitomized by Hammett's Sam Spade and Chandler's Philip Marlowe—not only solves mysteries, like his "softer" counterparts, he (and often these days, she) confronts danger and engages in violence on a regular basis."

Hmmm.

I have a Squidoo lens (http://www.squidoo.com/AdrianMcKintyandLeeChild)that features 2 authors with "hardboiled" characters. I find myself recommending the books by Adrian McKinty and Lee Child over and over. I absolutely find their two creations, Michael Forsythe and Jack Reacher, fascinating.

McKinty's series about Michael Forsythe has only three titles (so far), and all are great reads. Begin with Dead I Well May Be. It can be quite violent and unsettling at times, but do not give up. What Michael goes thru is very relevant to why he becomes so "hardboiled".

Jack Reacher is also green around the yolk. Begin reading this series with Killing Floor. It may not answer all the reasons about why Reacher is so tough, but it gives you an inkling. I actually read Echo Burning first. That book got me hooked and I was ecstatic to discover that there were lots of titles in this series. I recently completed the 12th of these novels. I was somewhat disappointed in the book as a whole, but not with the series and Reacher. See my review of Nothing to Lose at (http://www.squidoo.com/nothing_to_lose).

Give these two Hardboiled Authors a looksee.

Book Blogs

Just discovered Book Blogs--seems neat

View my page on Book Blogs

Nothing to Lose by Lee Child

I finished reading Lee Child's 12th Jack Reacher novel a few weeks ago. I spent at least a week writing a lens (page) on Squidoo about it. Go visit Nothing to Lose by Lee Child - the 12th Jack Reacher Book.

The book was pretty good. I am a slow reader, but I finished it in a few days. Jack Reacher is such a compelling creation and I love reading about all the situations he gets stuck in. He is like a troublesome chick magnet! He usually gets a girl and gets a fight as well.

Mostly, I liked the book because it was set in my favorite state, Colorado. I lived there for three years and cannot get back there enough. Lee Child did a wonderful job creating the mood for this Colorado setting with his descriptions of the flat plains to the east of the Rockies.

While surfing the web doing "research" for my Reacher lens, I discovered quite a bit of buzz about a possible movie of one of Mr. Child's books. Who should (or Could) play Jack Reacher. Boy was this fun to contemplate! If you go to my lens mentioned above, you will find the actors I believe would do a bang up job. My personal favorite is Ray Stevenson.

Presenting Lenore: Book Review: Down River by John Hart

Presenting Lenore: Book Review: Down River by John Hart

Found the above review of Down River by John Hart. Just another opinion--I guess I might need to read this book again. I was not as impressed as some.

St. Dale by Sharyn McCrumb

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nice reading. Learned lots of NASCAR trivia so I can relate to my husband. Give this book a try. Even if you are not a racin' fan, you will enjoy it.


View all my reviews.

Be sure to check out Amazon for all the books bySharyn McCrumb.

Dakota by Martha Grimes

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Dakota is a sequel to Biting the Moon. I was hoping that it would be a better read than its predesessor, but was sadly disappointed. I honestly cannot believe that these two books were written by Ms. Grimes who gives us such wonderful English mysteries. The writing style is not as polished in this two book series. However, I must say that Ms. Grimes has indeed made me aware of the tendency of some humans to be cruel to animals. The second book focusus on the meat packing industry - specifically concerning pigs - and I have almost decided to give up eating meat. I skipped several passages because of the unpleasant descriptions of a slaughter house. It is not easy to read about the inhumane treatment of animals. I have decided to research where my meat does come from and the treatment of the animals.



This book is not a "must read", but I was curious about the main character, Andi Oliver, and her history. Too bad I had to spend so much time being taught about the unpleasant aspects of my carnivorous eating habits. The book is not preachy, but I would have preferred reading more about the other characters in the novel. I met a western author, the owner of a diner named May's Long Gone, a guy named Eddie who worked in a seedy motel, Jake Cade who used to work in the slaughter house but quit because the job made him a wife-beater --- wow!



Andi Oliver is worth another book if only because of the people she meets on her journey.


View all my reviews.

Down River by John Hart

Down River by John Hart

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This fiction book is set in the Carolinas with all the flavor of Southern Fried Chicken. Adam was tried and found innocent of murdering a young man five years ago. However, a rift is formed between him and family members, so he leaves town. In his wake are a policewoman lover, a nubile lass, family and troublemaking friends.



I have never read anything quite like this. It reads like a Tennessee Williams (think the movie Baby Doll)wanna be, but is lacking something. I have been hooked by the story and characters, but I am not drawn to get on with the story.



I get the feeling that the author really thinks this novel will be a better movie than a book.



Check out my Squidoo lens for more information about this novel: http://www.squidoo.com/review_...


View all my reviews.

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Evanovich is back on track with this addition to the Stephanie Plum #'d series. Lean Mean Thirteen was a disappointment, but still I still read it. There are so many laugh out loud happenings in 14 that it would give away the plot and ending of the book if one listed them all. But.... just imagine Lula in a bridal gown (skin tight with a 12 foot train, no less!), Stephanie looking like a Smurf, Grandma Mazur as a computer-gamer geek.



Be prepared for four-letter words.


View all my reviews.

Reviews (Mine and Others) of L.A. Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker AUDIO VERSION

Just finished listening to L.A.Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker. It was not the best story I have listened to, but I couldn't wait to get back in the car to follow the adventures of Alison Murietta.

My husband and I kept getting so angry at Suzanne (main female character) and her cop lover. Man, she could make some incredibly stupid choices - stupid to us, that is. The book is read by two people, a man and woman, so listening to the audio was a lot like listening to a radio drama. The reading was extremely well done. I found out in my research that this reading duo is a husband and wife team. They are fantastic!

Here is the plot summary as provided by the publisher on my library's website:

Los Angeles is gripped by the exploding celebrity of Allison Murietta, her real identity unknown, a modern-day Jesse James with the compulsion to steal beautiful things, the vanity to invite the media along, and the conscience to donate much of her bounty to charity. Nobody ever gets hurt - until a job ends with ten gangsters lying dead and a half-million dollars worth of glittering diamonds missing.

Rookie Deputy Charlie Hood discovers the bodies, and he prevents an eyewitness - a schoolteacher named Suzanne Jones - from leaving the scene in her Corvette. Drawn to a mysterious charisma that has him off-balance from the beginning, Hood begins an intense affair with Suzanne. As the media frenzy surrounding Allison's exploits swells to a fever pitch and the Southland's most notorious killer sets out after her, a glimmer of recognition blooms in Hood, forcing him to choose between a deeply held sense of honor and a passion that threatens to consume him completely. With a stone-cold killer locked in relentless pursuit, Suzanne and Hood continue their desperate dance around the secrets that brought them together, unsure whether each new dawn may signal the day their lies catch up with them.

AudioFile Magazine Review

An L.A. Sheriff's deputy with an overburdened conscience falls in love with the witness of a gangland shootout who may be leading a double life as a masked outlaw. This unlikely scenario is made both believable and compelling in the fifteenth novel from T. Jefferson Parker. The reading, performed by real-life husband-and-wife team Susan Ericksen and David Colacci, is performed with sensitivity. As chapters switch between Suzanne's perspective and that of a third-person narrator, Ericksen and Colacci alternate as readers, with the other providing dialogue parts for the opposite sex. Both pairs--Ericksen and Colacci as well as the two lead characters--blend perfectly in this taut thriller about love, greed, and redemption. S.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine .

I downloaded this audio book from my library. If one only has an iPod or iPhone, you will need to purchase the download or the cds from a store.

I give this audio book my seal of approval. Check it out or purchase it for your summer vacation.

Be sure to check out my other review of this audio book on Squidoo.