Smokin' Seventeen

I just finished the latest Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich and both liked it and disliked it. I liked it because it was very funny, and I found myself laughing quite a bit. I disliked it because Stephanie cheats on Morelli with Ranger while in previous books she wouldn't let herself do this.

Anyway, it was a good, easy, light read.

Down River

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Hart surpasses his bestselling debut, The King of Lies (2006), with his richly atmospheric second novel, which offers a tighter plot, more adroit pacing and less angst. Five years earlier, Adam Chase was arrested for murder, largely on the basis of his stepmother's sworn testimony against him. He was acquitted, but nearly everyone, including his father, still thinks he did it, and Adam's deep bitterness has kept him away from home ever since. Now, at the request of a childhood friend, he's back in Salisbury, N.C., where all the old demons still reside and new troubles await. The almost Shakespearean snarl of family ties is complicated by a very modern struggle between economic progress and love for the land, between haves and have-nots. Throughout, Hart expertly weaves his main theme: that by their freedom of choice, humans are capable of betrayal but also of forgiveness and redemption. This book should settle once and for all the question of whether thrillers and mysteries can also be literature. 150,000 first printing; 15-city author tour. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

My opinion: Another really good book by John Hart. I've read all of his books, and while they are all so good, I think I liked this one the best.

The King of Lies

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Hart's stunning debut, an exceptionally deep and complex mystery thriller, compares favorably to the best of Scott Turow. Jackson Workman Pickens, whom most people call "Work," is a struggling North Carolina criminal defense attorney. Work has wrestled with inner demons for most of his life, especially after the death of his mother and the disappearance of his wealthy father, Ezra Pickens, a highly successful lawyer who took him into his practice. Trapped in a loveless marriage and haunted by poor emotional choices and his sister's psychological trauma, Work finds himself under suspicion when his father's corpse surfaces more than a year after Ezra was last seen alive. Work's quest for the truth behind his father's demise opens old wounds and forces him to face the consequences of his own decisions. Few readers will be able to resist devouring this tour-de-force in one or two sittings—or clamoring for more John Hart.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

My opinion: I really enjoyed this book - lots of suspense (the 2nd by this author that I've read so far).

Tinkers - Book Awards Reading Challenge #4

From Publishers Weekly

Harding's outstanding debut unfurls the history and final thoughts of a dying grandfather surrounded by his family in his New England home. George Washington Crosby repairs clocks for a living and on his deathbed revisits his turbulent childhood as the oldest son of an epileptic smalltime traveling salesman. The descriptions of the father's epilepsy and the cold halo of chemical electricity that encircled him immediately before he was struck by a full seizure are stunning, and the household's sadness permeates the narrative as George returns to more melancholy scenes. The real star is Harding's language, which dazzles whether he's describing the workings of clocks, sensory images of nature, the many engaging side characters who populate the book, or even a short passage on how to build a bird nest. This is an especially gorgeous example of novelistic craftsmanship. (Jan.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

My opinion: this was a good book told from an interesting perspective, but difficult to follow at times.

The Last Child - Book Awards Reading Challenge #3

I finished this book a few days ago and enjoyed it immensely. It is very suspensful and even scary in a few places. It moves a long at a good pace and is quite captivating. I'll have to put other books by John Hart on my list to read.