Hounding the Pavement by Judi McCoy

Hounding the Pavement is Judi McCoy's first foray into the cozy mystery genre and is the start of a promising series. Ellie Engleman is just starting out as a dogwalker in Manhattan, but she's got an edge over the competition in that she can communicate with dogs. When she finds the owner of one of her clientele dead and his prized Bichon missing, she goes on the hunt to find the dog and just maybe solve a murder. Add in an attractive detective and you've got the great chemistry you'd expect from a romance author turned mystery author. I really enjoyed Hounding the Pavement as it is full of humor and Ellie and Detective Sam Ryder are fun to watch as they fight their attraction. Oh, I can't forget Rudy, Ellie's companion dog, whose doggie insight is delightful.


Read If You Like: The Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mystery series by Linda O. Johnston, Yellow Rose Mystery series by Leann Sweeney, and other light-hearted cozy mystery series.

Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb

Yup, already finished this one up. And boy was it good. We actually got some real tension in Roarke and Eve's marriage, but since this is ultimately a romance, they are just stronger in the end for it (come on, you knew that going in). But wow, it's good.

The storyline this time has a well-liked teacher at an expensive private school murdered with poison. Eve has to figure out who on earth would want to kill a man who really does seem to be just an ordinary man.

But added into the fray is the appearance of Magdelena, a woman who left Roarke over a decade ago. She's everything Eve is not, someone who travels with ease through Roarke's world and is a stunning woman, to boot.

It was great to see how Eve and Roarke handle everything (and mishandle). It's the first real trouble they've had in their marriage as far as I can remember. Anyways, if you're a Robb fan, you have to read this one. And the killer....freaky. Although I did figure out who it was early on, just because that was the freakiest thing Robb could do.

Karin Slaughter

Okay, so I've been reading these books for the last two weeks and just loving them. Now I'm on Faithless, which follow Indelible, A Faint Cold Fear, Kiss Cut, and Blindsighted. I've really enjoyed each and every story.

Blindsighted introduces all the main characters. We've got Jeffrey Tolliver, the chief of police; Sara Linton, his ex-wife, pediatrician and part-time coroner; and Lena Adams, the first female officer Tolliver put on the force. There are more, like Sara's family, but these three are really in all the books. Well, mainly Jeffrey and Sara, but Lena also plays a fairly significant part in most of the books.

The rest of the books are really good and we learn lots of stuff about the characters and how events in that book and previous ones have changed them. These characters really do change as the series goes on. I can't wait to see what Faithless has in store. Indelible got into the back story of Sara and Jeffrey, which was fascinating, and the events in Blindsighted are still having a huge impact on Lena (and probably will, what happened to her isn't something one gets over). These are definitely not for the faint of heart, but I never felt like the violence was gratuitous, it just fit the story. Yes, horrifying things happen, but it done really well. Karin Slaughter has become a new favorite author. Love, love, love these books.

So this has been a seriously good glom. After Faithless, I'm not sure if I'll read Triptych right away or not. I know it's a standalone novel, so it's not a must-read right now, but if it's anywhere near as good as these books have been, I will want to read it eventually.

Looks To Die For by Janice Kaplan

Title:  Looks To Die For
Author: Janice Kaplan
Year published: 2007
Why I picked up this book:  ARC came in at work and it looked interesting.  I’m a sucker for getting to read books early.
Do I like the cover?  Eh, it’s okay, but kinda silly.
Is this part of a series?  I don’t think it is, but who knows?
What I enjoyed about the book:  It’s a rather fun, quirky cozy mystery/chick lit.  Set in upper class L.A. society as the wife of a prominent plastic surgeon has to clear his name.  Lots of name dropping, but it worked for the story and didn’t bother me.  Nothing deep here, but as a fun mystery, it worked pretty well.  
What I didn’t like about the book?  Well, it IS a bit shallow, but that’s not really a problem.  So there really wasn’t much I didn’t like.  It’s just what it looks like, a cute, fun mystery.  No blood and guts here.
Is this a new-to-me author and would I read something by this author again?  New-to-me author and I don’t know if I’ll read anything more by this author.  Only if I find something else that sounds interesting.
Am I keeping it or passing it on? I’m passing it on.  I didn’t feel the need to keep it, so back on the shelf it will go.

Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

Title: Blindsighted
Author: Karin Slaughter
Year published: 2002
Why I picked up this book: I’ve been meaning to read some of Karin Slaughter’s books for awhile now. So when I saw this one at work, I put it on my shelf. I’ve been reading it the past couple lunch breaks.
Do I like the cover? It’s not bad, but nothing special.
Is this part of a series? I believe it’s the first in a series starring Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver.
What I enjoyed about the book: I really liked how well the suspense and action was handled. It’s not until the end that you know who the bad guy is. It’s a truly crazy book and I definitely enjoyed it. All of the characters are well done and I can’t wait to read about them in the next book.
What I didn’t like about the book: Nothing, really. It was a fun ride and I’ll definitely be reading more.
Is this a new-to-me author and would I read something by this author again? Karin Slaughter was new to me and I’ll definitely be reading more.
Am I keeping it or passing it on? I’m passing it on. I read it at work and as good as it is, I doubt I’d read it again anytime soon.

The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

PECCAVI

The Latin phrase is scrawled in blood at the scene of the young woman's brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It's a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O'Donnell—Jane's professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.

On tony Beacon Hill, the club's acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan himself exists among us.

With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it's clear that someone—or something—is indeed prowling the city. Soon, the members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own—or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness?

Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced...one whose work is only just beginning.

Long live libraries who get books early and quickly get them on the shelves.

That said, this is another great entry into the Rizzoli/Isles series. I love that along with the crime, we also get a lot of the personal lives of Jane and Maura. I think almost more than the previous books. Things happen that will have some definite impact on future books. And then Tess kills off a character who I was sure wouldn't die. Yeesh.

As much as I loved the book, I didn't quite like it as much as Vanish. I suppose that immediate threat to the main characters wasn't there. That's not to say it wasn't good, because it was, but just that I didn't have that rush that I did for the previous book.

There are actually a lot of unanswered questions at the end of the book. I don't know if they'll crop up in future books, or if we'll be left wondering just how big all this really is. It all makes you think. Which is good.

Now...how long until the next Tess Gerritsen book? I can't wait.