Books that won't give you the willies!

I have had trouble finding non-violent, enjoyable audio mysteries lately! I am tired of listing to books that have despicable subjects like snuff films and child abuse. I just want an intelligent mystery book to listen to that develops the characters and has a plot!

Unfortunately, I think that this trend for "shock" is permeating everything that I used to find enjoyable. Take for instance the TV series "Bones". For the last few seasons I have noticed that the gelatinous bodies have been getting more screen time than Temperance Brennan. Why do we need to see a close up of the gross decomposing body for 5 seconds more? Can't we just see the facial expressions of the actors to let us know that it is horrible? Why do the producers and writers have to imprint a gross image in our head? Maybe the story line is lacking or the actors did not come to work that day.

I remember watching the original film noir Cat People and being frightened out of my head. The movie viewer never actually sees the stalking panther, but we heard it and sensed that the person being stalked was frightened out of their gourd! The film maker used the philosophy that what is in our imagination can be more frightening that what actually is seen.

I recently created A Cozy Mystery List for like-minded readers. I like a mystery novel to be long on plot and character development and short on the gross-out factor. There are enough unpleasant things going on in the world today.

From that list, I highly recommend Murder on a Girls' Night Out (Southern Sisters Mysteries). I have read the book and listened to the audio version of this mystery novel and find Ms. George an extremely satisfying author.

Have fun finding a new author.  You might consider the following books for your summer reading:

The Girl in the Green Raincoat

My husband and I really enjoy listening to audiobooks when we are in the car--especially when going on a long road trip. Recently, I got my mitts on The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel.

We thoroughly enjoyed listening to this short novel by Laura Lippman. It was perfect for a road trip: not too distractingly complicated yet has an intriguing plot! This novel was originally written in installments (like Dickens) in the NY Times. Now it is published in book form (and audio) for those of us non-subscribers.

Ms. Lippman is probably one of my very favorite authors and there are many reasons why. First of all, she has a great character in her female detective, Tess Monaghan. Tess definitely rivals Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone whom I absolutely adore. Both fictional women detectives are very likeable and believable, too. Thank goodness there are lots of books in the series that Lippman and Grafton write. FYI: I would recommend that one reads the Tess series in the order written. That is not so necessary with the Alphabet books by Grafton. Both authors' books have gotten better with each addition to the two series.

Lippman also writes novels that are not "Tess" books, too. Most of the books are set in or near Baltimore, Maryland. I have visited there and lived in that part of the USA, so I can identify with locations. I also enjoy reading another Baltimore fiction author, Anne Tyler. Lippman is not Ms. Tyler, but her talent grows with each and every novel she writes. I recently wrote an article on Squidoo about I'd Know You Anywhere that was published this past winter. It is an absorbing story about how a victim of a notorious childhood kidnapping faces the impending death of her abductor. This convicted murderer contacts his only surviving victim and "plays" with her emotions. A great read by any standards. The good news is, there are many more Laura Lippman novels you can read that are equally intriguing!

If you would like to read my review then click Novel Songs from "I'd Know You Anywhere".

Good reading to ya!

A Book to Read on a Lazy, Cloudy Winter Day: Fifty Grand by Adrian McKinty

Today is Friday. The past few days have been a blessing of sunshine which we have used to the max. Planting and playing outside with the grandkids. But today willbe spent inside on the MacBook examining some of my articles on Squidoo. That platform is a passion of mine. I am not a top lensmaster (writer) on that site, but I have passable performance with my lenses (articles or pages).

Some of my best lenses ("best" in my opinion) are not getting the traffic that I would like. One of them is Fifty Grand: a novel of suspense, a review of a book by author Adrian McKinty. The novel is very well written (I think it reads a lot like Hemingway) but, obviously my book review is not up to par. I have made no sales from this lens, so I have not convinced anyone to read Mr. McKinty. That is a shame because I feel that he is one of the best fiction authors writing today.

I originally began reading McKinty because of his connection to Denver, Colorado. When I discovered the novel The Dead Yard, the author was living in the Mile High City. I love that town, so I read the book. I fell in love with the main character, Michael Forsythe and read the "Dead Trilogy" McKinty created using this character as its cornerstone. Read this trilogy in order they were written, please.

After finishing those three mystery books, I read another novel, Hidden River, McKinty wrote before the Michael Forsythe series; it, too, was set in Colorado. Maybe it is not a best seller, but I found it intriguing and well written. It also displayed McKinty's marvelously light, but dark, sense of humor. Here is a summary of Hidden River from the publisher:


The electrifying noir thriller from a major new talent, in which a young Irish ex-cop travels half a world away to investigate the murder of a beautiful girl he once loved, and whose peculiar sexual banter he will later have urgent reason to recall -- if he is to survive.

Sounds like a good read, doesn't it? I think it is.

When Fifty Grand: A Novel of Suspense was published I was ecstatic! I had high expectations for this read and was not disappointed. Please go check out my Squidoo Lens and give Fifty Grand a thumbs up.

New Patricia Cornwell

Just got the newest Scarpetta book today at the library. I am so hoping that it is good. I was going to take my name off the "Book My Favorites" for Cornwell because I have been VERY disappointed in the last two novels. BUT I read a review of the new one and it sounds like Ms. Cornwell is back on track. We shall see.

Here is a link to the new novel mentioned:Port Mortuary (A Scarpetta Novel)

Have been busy publishing "Holiday Gift Guides" on Squidoo. Need to make one for books. So far I have 8 guides. Here is a link to the collective list for those Holiday Gift Guides: Mickie_G's Gift Guides. Go check them out. There is still time to order online!

Hot off the Book Presses!

I just finished I'd Know You Anywhere: A Novel by Laura Lippman! It reinforces my opinion of Ms. Lippman as being one of the best novelists in the USA! She writes with such ease; I truly believe that she is every bit as good as Anne Tyler. There must be something in the water in Maryland!

I'd know you anywhere is a haunting story that is masterfully and naturally layered. Eliza has a past that is not so "American Dreamy"; she was kidnapped and a witness to a murder during her pre-teen years. Lippman connects Eliza with all those involved with this tragedy with a fine crochet hook. I wish I could think of a better analogy--one that involves pop music, but I cannot. Crochet links strands of yarn without actually meshing them. Each story follows its own line and crosses the others--leading to one finished item.

Lee Child also has a new book, Worth Dying For that I just picked up from the library. I won't tell you what it is about (it is related to the last Reacher novel), but just know that it is set in Kansas. I have enjoyed all of Lee Child's novels in the past and I am looking forward to digging into this one.

This novel remains on my nightstand:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Carl Hiaasen's Newest--Star Island

This book was a hoot. (Hoot is actually the name another Hiaasen book)

 I read the hardback edition as I do not own a Kindle as of this date. I find holding the actual book made of cardboard and paper quite satisfying. On a side note: when in the doctor's office, a lady with a Kindle asked me what I was reading. We got into a discussion of books vs. Kindle. I was surprised at the number of books she had on her device--1000. Imagine that!? I also like the tools that were on the Kindle--like a dictionary.

Similar to Law and Order on TV, this novel is ripped from the headlines. Like all of Hiaasen's novels, there are many plots to keep up with, but the main one centers around the antics of a young, no-talent singing starlet who is a "bad girl" ala Lindsey Lohan (Now, Lindsey does have talent, but she is a "bad girl") or Britney Spears. The no-talent bimbo star is pursued by a greasy, rolly-polly paparazzo who is obsessed with her. He thinks that this young lady will end up like Marilyn (dead) and he will have the money making digital images that will make her and him a legend.

Skink makes a return appearance in this novel. He is the former governor of FL who now lives life as a wild man saving Florida from the money hungry land grabbers who violate the natural beauty and wild life of this tropical paradise. (I wonder what Skink would do to BP executives if he got near them?) Somehow he gets involved with the ditzy, glitzy life of the "bad girl" and much craziness occurs. You will love it.

Easy to read. You will not be wasting you time with this fun book.

Have Not Been Reading, lately.

My Basset Hound, Howie, disappeared on July 3rd. He was scared by fireworks that were being launched (illegally) in our neighborhood. We mistakenly left him outside while we were having dinner at a house nearby. By the time we got home, Howie had escaped the fenced in backyard. We searched the entire neighborhood until midnight, calling him and hoping that he would hear or see us. No luck.

The next day was July 4th and my husband and I spent the day putting up Lost Dog signs. On Monday, July 5th we posted more signs and tried to call vets and shelters. BUT it was a legal holiday and most businesses were closed. Even the newspaper had no one on their classified ads desk. By Tuesday, we were quite depressed and missing that lovable hound dog of ours.

As of today, he has still not returned home, nor have we gotten any legit sightings or replies to our ads or signs.

We live in Shelby County, Alabama. If anyone has seen our basset, please call 205 706-0420. He is a neutered male, tricolor (but mostly black) handsome basset hound.

You can visit the Facebook Page I created for him. Fave it and share it with anyone you know who lives near Hoover Alabama.A Lost Basset Hound named Howie