Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Bury the lead

is a mystery story that is set in New Jersey. Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who recently inherited a small fortune, and has used at least part of that money to establish a dog rescue operation. Then he gets a phone call from a friend, who is also the owner of the local newspaper; Vince needs his help with a problem. One of his reporters, Daniel, has been contacted by a serial killer and now the police have found Daniel at the scene of the most recent murder. The victim is Linda Padilla,a powerful local woman.

When Daniel turns out to be Vince's son, Andy realizes that things are going to get complicated. Together with his girlfriend Laurie, he begins to investigate the case.

This book was interesting: I enjoyed reading it for the characters.

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Rise and Shine

is the story of two sisters--Bridget and Meghan. Orphaned as little girls, they were raised by their aunt. Meghan married young and became a successful morning news person; she and her husband Evan, a lawyer, have a son named Leo and appear to be the perfect couple. Bridget is still single, an adoring aunt to Leo, and works as a social worker. She has a cop boyfriend named Irving who is older and not wanting to get married, but who loves her.

Meghan is famous and Bridget is used to the ups and downs of being around her sister in public; they have a fairly solid relationship and spend a lot of time together. Then something awful happens: Meghan thinks the microphone is off and utters a couple of taboo words in response to a guest who is acting like a jerk on national TV. About the same time, Evan tells Meghan he wants out of the marriage. Meghan goes to Jamaica to get away from it all.

In the meantime, Bridget tries to carry on, and help take care of Leo, who is a young man by now. Since he's out of school for the summer, she enlists his help as a driver at her social work agency. When Meghan doesn't return, Bridget goes to check on her, and finds her sister transformed. She's lost weight, chopped off her hair, and gotten tanned. She swims miles and miles each day. She also has no interest in returning to her old life.

What finally brings Meghan back to New York is something that I will let the reader discover on her own. However, I found this an engaging book. I liked the characters and was drawn in by Quindlen's description and dialogue. You can find it both the CDbook collection and the Adult Fiction section.

In Cold Pursuit by Sarah Andrews

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Sarah Andrews has written a wonderful series about Em Hansen, a geologist. However,

In Cold Pursuit

, her recent book, features a new character--a young graduate student named Valena Walker. Valena arrives in Antarctica to work with Dr. Emmett Vanderzee, only to find out that he has been arrested in connection with the death of a newspaper reporter the year before. As Valena tries to find out what happened to the reporter, and why her professor has been charged with his murder, she finds herself in awe of the stark beauty of the what the author calls "the last continent."

It turns out that Valena has met Em, and corresponds with her by email. Valena also makes friends with a group of scientists and support people, who are also concerned about the fate of their colleague. Together, they investigate--and then another man dies, and Valena finds herself in danger.

This is a very engaging book -- and a smart one, too. I found myself learning more about the global warming crisis and controversy, as well as its effects on Antarctica. I enjoyed reading about the tight knit group of people who spend time there; however, since the book makes frequent references to snow and ice, very low temperatures, the gear needed to survive in such a harsh environment, and the need to consume food and water in large doses, the reader should beware and grab a snack and a blanket before sitting down with this book!

You can find In Cold Pursuit in the NEW books, with a Mystery sticker on its spine.
You may want to check out Sarah Andrews' website at http://www.sarahandrews.net/. Not only is she a wonderful writer, she is also a geologist herself.

(Photo of the cover of the book was taken from the author's website)

Running Blind by Lee Child

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

The fourth book in the Jack Reacher series,

Running Blind

, by Lee Childs is another great read. As the story begins, Jack has settled down for awhile, living in a house left to him by one of his military mentors, Leon Garber. He has been spending time with Jodie, Leon's daughter, and a hard working young lawyer.

Jack gets picked up by the FBI and coerced into helping with an investigation: several women Jack knew in the military have been murdered and they try at first to blame him, saying that he fits the profile their experts developed. Later, they admit they are wrong but still pressure him to serve as a consultant. Jack has to call upon his own training in the military -- plus call in a few favors from old friends -- to unravel the mystery, even as several more women die.

Some of the side plots, such as an investigation into stolen weapons, and the efforts of the FBI to entrap Jack in a compromising situation with a female FBI agent, are interesting. However, it is the description of the crimes, the investigation, and the depiction of uneasy cooperation between the various law enforcement agencies that really caught my interest.

This is another great read for Lee Child's readers (and for Jack Reacher's fans). You can find it in the Fiction section of the Waterloo Public Library.