Patron Reviews

This "Bed and Breakfast Mystery" features Judith who runs a B&B. When her husband Joe's ex-wife, Vivian, returns to town Judith is not happy, especially since Vivian lives on the same block. Then, to make matters worse, Vivian stumbles upon a dead body in her backyard. Although she dislikes Vivian, Judith feels the need to help find out who the dead man is, and who killed him, with help from her cousin and mother. The characters in this series are a bit odd -- the crabby and critical mother, eccentric cousin, and various B&B guests. And although I did not feel drawn in by the characters or their personalities, the mystery is well-crafted and sufficiently entertaining.

This books is from a series featuring cops Lomax and Biggs. As with the previous books in the series, this was terrific. The main characters have such distinct, developed, and interesting personalities, that it is difficult not to get pulled into the story. I laughed aloud many times reading this book. Further, these cops seem to be tasked with the difficult but interesting homicide cases. This case features a serial murderer who kills only those who have gotten away with crimes, and the serial killer leaves a well-crafted scrapbook at each murder. The story seems to move along fairly linearly, but the end features surprising plot twists and turns. I can't wait for the next book!

Oscar is a role play-gaming, science fiction-loving, fantasy-writing teen, whose romantic fantasies and superhero aspirations have little resemblance with his lonely life in New Jersey. Despite years of being ridiculed by classmates for his appearance and lack of social skills, (and belief in a family curse), Oscar never stops dreaming of becoming a great author and finding true love. The story of Oscar's Dominican/American family, (chronicled by his college roommate), is much more than a teen angst novel, however. Interspersed with the stories of Oscar, his sister, his mother, and his deceased grandparents, is a short, but grim history lesson about the brutalities committed by the Trujillo government in the Dominican Republic in the 1950's. The narrator/writer writes in a combination of English and Spanish street talk, and makes many cultural references to role-playing games and fantasy novels that I didn't always understand; still, I enjoyed the style of writing and felt I understood most of the narrative.

This is the 8th Sookie Stackhouse book. Following many dramatic events, Sookie is back home but her boyfriend Quinn is missing. On the plus side, Sookie meets her great-grandfather who turns out to be a powerful fairy. Sookie finds herself once again in the middle of supernatural politics, this time involving the vampires, and learns what has become of Quinn. A fun book with plots twists in all directions.

This is the 5th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. In this book, a sniper has started shooting at shape-shifters in her area. When her close friend is one of the victims shot, Sookie starts trying to figure out who the culprit is. Sookie is also asked to get involved in werewolf politics, which she does but with undesirable results. On top of it all, Sookie deals with a number of supernatural suitors: vampires, a werewolf, and several different types of shape-shifters! This book series features complex characters and interweaving storylines. Very fun!

This is the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Sookie is a telepath living in a small town in Louisiana. Her ability makes her unpopular with many humans, but interesting to vampires and other supernatural beings. In this book, Sookie's vampire boyfriend Bill has been kidnapped and Sookie is asked by Bill's boss to help find him using her telepathic powers. She does so with the assistance of a Werewolf and Bubba (vampire Elvis). Many complications occur as Sookie works to rescue Bill, which she eventually does. Although attractive, young, and desirable to many handsome males, Sookie is a likable heroine with failings and self-doubt. This is a fun series for those interested in this genre.