Rosenfelt Does It AGAIN.
351663
I couldn't put it down.  Narrative that rivets the reader with outstanding emotion and a story line that won't let you stop reading.  The dry humor and believable characters mixed with a whodunit keeps you mezmerized.
2412510
I love John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy series. That this book features Gina Roake, another attorney in the firm, is fine with me. When a writer gives satisfaction to as many readers through his Hardy series as Lescroart, he is entitled to deviate from the proven track to investigate another venue of murder and trial. His effort in "The Suspect" is dead-on (uh, pardon the pun).

A very successful surgeon and inventor, Caryn Dryden is found dead in her hot tub by none other than her estranged husband, who knows he is facing divorce. Even though everyone knows that the spouse is always the first suspect, he never worries because he also knows he did not commit the murder.

However, Detective Devin Juhle  never wavers from his investigation of Stuart Gorman, a famous nature and fishing writer, as the killer. After three years of absence from practicing law, Gina is convinced by longtime friend, Jedd Conley, State Assemblyman with rumors of a State Senate race ahead, to take on Stuart's case. Jedd and Stuart are also friends.

Lescroart throws in a number of convincing red herrings, one of which had me following it for the killer. However, in one of the few books where I have guessed the killer early on, Lescroart very casually involves this person in the case.

Although not a traditional page-turner, the story does clip along, flipping chunks of meat along the path to keep our appetite wanting more. It's those darn red herrings that keep us off kilter with interesting possibilities.

I like to learn new things from whatever kind of book I am reading. I cannot say that about "The Suspect."  The story is about common human themes: lust, envy, greed, corruption. There are no deviant characters, just flawed characters who choose wrong paths or others who become ensnared by those choices. Even so, this book is still recommended for an engaging story that ends well.
1288431
Police is the ninth in the Norwegian detective series that features Harry Hole and I think the best one yet.  Hole is a police inspector who has dealt with alcohol and drug problems in his past.  In this story he is recovering from wounds sustained at the close of Phantom the eighth book in the series.  As the story opens a killer is loose on the streets of Oslo.  The core of this mystery is someone is luring police officials to the scenes of old crimes that they have investigated and killing them at that site.  The new victims are murdered in a bizarrely similar way to the old crime victims.  All of the past crimes have not been solved and Harry is called into the investigation because he has been involved in most of these investigations.  Since the victims are now police officers there is lots of emotion on the part of those investigating this serial killer.
There are many familiar characters from earlier Nesbo novels reappearing here.  Mikael Bellman, the corrupt police commissioner, Beate Lonn the forensics and facial recognition expert, Katrina Britt the unstable detective, and  Bjorn Holm Harry's long time partner all have major roles in this story.  The backdrop of Norwegian politics is very much alive in this story as Harry tangles with his nemesis Mikail Bellman.  The mystery unfolds slowly with a number of misdirect ions that keep the reader guessing until the very end of the story. Nesbo has a talent for providing detail to support the feints in his story.
The Nesbo novels are not cozy mysteries, violence is on full display as is unusual physiological behaviors.  While I am usually not a fan of violence in books the plot lines and twists and turns to these stories are very compelling and often cause me to read on long after I should have shut out the light!  Enjoy all of you Harry Hole fans this is a good one!
3895719
It was a great read.  I enjoy anything by David Rosenfelt.  He is one of my favorite writers.  His humor always comes through to make any book great.
2595380
So glad I found this series.  It's good to read and good to listen to.  Protagonist is funny and yet still takes his profession seriously.  Rosenfelt captures characters perfectly.  Write On Mr. Rosenfelt.
4670506
This one kept me guessing almost to the end. I liked the way Rosenfelt varied the formula this time around.
3213695
I have Read all of David Rosenfelt book.  This is a great story that is well written. I swear, Andy Carpenter gets better in every single book. His character is so brilliantly crafted, I feel I know him personally. Thank you Mr. Rosenfelt. I love your literary skills... Please don't stop writing about Andy Carpenter.
1947363
is what we learned to expect from DR's first Andy Carpenter installment, OPEN & SHUT.  Not one to disappoint, Rosenfelt comes through again and has firmly established himself on the top of many reader's lists who are faithful to the genre.  The suspenseful turns are not to be outdone by protaganist, Andy Carpenter's, sharp wit & humor.  I actually found myself laughing out loud a couple of times.  How often does that happen in the average legal thriller?  Rarely ... my point exactly - this is far above average & I hope we can look forward to more from this exceptionally gifted writer!
1214402
Great book.  I've read every David Rosenfelt book and never been disappointed.  Give this author a try and spread the word.  You won't be disappointed!! Great human being too.
4024719
Modesitt has once again written what I have come to expect.  Fast paced but still deep enough to make you think.  Never disappointed in a Modesitt book.
1880983
A prominent heart surgeon's wife is kidnapped in a violent car crash during which her driver is killed trying to defend her. From the first pulse-pounding moments to the last paragraph of Fatal Game, the action never stops and the intrigue continues to fascinate. The doctor, now in prison for allegedly killing his wife pleads his innocence to Jess Kimball, who is skeptical of the doctor's claims but reluctantly begins to review the case. The deeper she looks, the more questions she has. Thus begins a break-neck paced tour of small towns, big cities and rural areas populated with colorful, believable characters and a series of plausible plot twists and developments that keep the reader engaged and guessing page after page.

Jess Kimball is beginning to mature as a character. She is absolutely relentless in her quest for justice and positively human in her emotions. Thankfully, the search for her missing son remains a key component in her make-up, but takes a back seat to the plot and character development. It weaves together the thread running through the books without becoming a distraction.

As Jess matures, so does Diane Capri. Her writing seems to hit a new level of excellence with each new release. The plots are intricate but not overly complex. The characters continue to draw us in with their humanness, their expertise, and savvy. By the end of the book, we have a vested interest in the people Diane introduces us to. Her knack for dropping a believable but totally surprising plot twist into the action places her on the same level as the best of the best.

I received an ARC of Fatal Game in return for an objective review. That being said, I will buy this book again just to have it in my library. I will sit next to Ludlum, Child, Patterson, etc.
2804135
Inspector Knutas is back in action, and so is the journalist Johann Berg, whose relationship with a woman who lives on the Swedish Island of Gotland grows more complex. This time, the series of crimes starts out with the beheading of one of the local Gotland ponies and conrinues with a murder at an archaeological site.  As usual, the island background is strongly drawn, and the setting becomes an important part of the story.  My favorite of this series, so far -- fortunately there are several still waiting to be translated into English.  As I believe I have noted in other reviews, when I visited Gotland, a hotel keeper informed me that there had been one murder there in the past several hundred years.  Ah well, any reader of Scandi crime fiction has to be willing to suspend the will to disbelieve --
4779429
Another terrific Harry Bosch novel. I've read them all and they never disappoint. In this one, an ageing Harry, on the cusp of being forced into retirement, is paired with a young Hispanic detective with a tragic past. The two of them solve two cold cases simultaneously. Please don't retire Harry.
2861236
This was another well-crafted foray into the Castle Guard of Cliff's End, and their investigative team of detective lieutenants. The characters once again grow and change, some for the better, some not. Dark secrets are unearthed, connections discovered that could rock the city-state to its core! If you enjoy fantasy novels, you should like this one. If you enjoy police procedurals, you should enjoy this one. If you really like the intersection of the two, then you can't miss this one.
2562866
Nordic crime novel at its best. This is my second Nesbo novel and won't be my last. If you like detecting e stories this is for you.
1729843
With this volume I have finished reading all eighteen books produced to date in this series. I have found each book to be compelling reading. Volume 13 was another fine effort by Mr Keller. Fully half of the cases discussed were new to me. As usual, Keller was able to build a compact story, complete with the most important details, to have a full grasp of the incidents. One issue I might have is that I have read two of the stories offered here in previous Keller volumes. No mention of the book having repeats was made in the description. All in all, this was another intriguing read.
3549844
David Rosenfelt has written many successful novels featuring a defense lawyer named Andy Carpenter.  There are a large number of similarities in the books: Andy has inherited a great deal of money so he does not have any pressing need nor really want to work.  He loves dogs and his first love is sharing a business with Willie Miller, a man that he saved from execution by the state.  Their business is rescuing dogs, and setting them up with qualified owners.  He is in love with Laurie, who was once with the police, still shares a lot of contacts, and is now married to Andy plus sharing an adopted son.  He maintains an office manned by a secretary who devotes her time to doing crossword puzzles and little else.
  With the above factors appearing in every Andy Carpenter book and all books leading to a trial for a person that Andy must prove innocent in spite of the odds against them what makes them so popular.  What keeps us going back for more.  Surely one thing is the tongue in check approach to the characters.  But most of all are the little changes involved in each novel making them popular with readers, keeping them coming back for more.
  During one of the many lulls in Andy's legal work he and his partner Willie have come up with a plan to train dogs for prisoners in the hope that they will adopt them when released from prison.  Brian Atkins, completing a five year sentence is helping  with a fox terrier named Boomer, and it is hoped that he will adopt the dog upon release.  But, and this is the but that really begins an Andy Carpenter novel.  One day Andy comes to the prison and finds that Brian has utilized Boomer in a unique escape plan.  The next day the man that Brian claimed had framed him is murdered, and the Carpenter brigade finds itself involved with a new client, and the need to keep Boomer.
  David Rosenfelt does it again.  The novel keeps the reader engrossed, and at the end satisfied, and impatiently awaiting the next Andy Carpenter book.  As usual very well done.