The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, by Jan-Philipp Sendker

This novel with the strange title tells quite an unusual story.  After the disappearance of a reputable Manhattan attorney, an old love letter to a Burmese woman is found by his daughter; she then decides to search for her missing father.  The daughter travels to the Orient to a remote village where her father was [...]

Naughty in Nice: a Royal Spyness Mystery by Rhys Bowen

In Georgie’s latest adventure we find the impoverished young aristocrat modeling in a Coco Chanel fashion show in Nice.  Georgie can barely walk through a door without tripping – so complications are sure to occur when she is faced with a runway and  high heels.  If only she hadn’t been wearing the Queen’s jewels!  This [...]

Gun Games by Faye Kellerman

I  enjoyed reading previous Decker/Lazarus novels; the juxtaposition of Decker’s life in his orthodox Jewish family with his job as an LA police lieutenant was a winning combination. Even though this is called a Decker/Lazarus novel, we hardly see the family at all; it mainly focuses on their foster son Gabe Donatti. (I felt as [...]

Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now by Maya Angelou

It’s a pleasure to read these essays written from the heart. A particularly memorable one describes someone visiting her Mama’s store in Stamps, Arkansas who proceeded to complain about everything from the weather to work. Later Mama said to Maya : “Sister, nobody likes to listen to someone who whines and complains… lots of people [...]

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Charlotte “Charley “ Davidson is the Grim Reaper; she helps the departed “cross over.” She is also a private investigator who has helped her policeman father solve cases since she was 5 years old.  In First Grave on the Right, Charley is working with three clients-from-beyond who want their murderer brought to justice. She is [...]

Desert Wives by Betty Webb

Another great Lena Jones mystery by Arizona investigative journalist Betty Webb. Lena, damaged in many ways by her upbringing in foster care, is working undercover to investigate  a case involving a plural marriage sect . Desert Wives is said to present  “a searing expose of contemporary polygamy.”  The New York Times notes: “”If Betty Webb [...]

Desert Noir by Betty Webb

Lena Jones, who was raised in a series of foster homes, is now a private detective in Scottsdale, AZ. In Desert Noir, Lena and her Pima Indian partner Jimmy are investigating the death of wealthy gallery owner Clarice Kobe. Her abusive ex is a suspect, but he is not the only one who had something [...]

The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson

Two sibling lawyers, Reggie and Nigel, rent the famous 221B on Baker Street with the stipulation that they answer the letters addressed to the infamous Sherlock Holmes of that address.  Of course, a mystery involving Sherlock Holmes would be incomplete without his equally famous nemesis, Professor James Moriarty.  Another man, Lord Buxton, threatens Reggie’s love [...]

Good Harbor by Anita Diamant

The author of The Red Tent has written another winner. This story of friendship, loss, and illness is so compelling and real that you will root for these two women that become fast friends and support each other to face their past and present troubles.~Ann

Read My Hips: How I Learned to Love my Body, Ditch Dieting, and Live Large by Kim Brittingham

This refreshing memoir is a tale of a woman who learns to forgive herself and love the person that she is despite the constant bombardment of societal pressures. Battling against the outward image as the ultimate measure of a woman, Ms. Brittingham, fights back with humor and intellect.~Ann