A Face in the Window by Sarah Graves

One of the very best new series I've found is the "Home Repair is Homicide" by Sarah Graves, featuring Jake Tiptree. Jake (Jacobia) is a former high finance hot shot from New York who was married to a successful surgeon; after he repeatedly cheated on her, Jake divorced him and took their son to a small island in Maine, where she bought a lovely old house in need of repair.

She soon makes friends with Ellie, her neighbor and long time resident of the island; the remark is made that Ellie's ancestors were pirates, and she is a very strong, resourceful and hardworking person. Ellie is married to George, a man of few words who knows how to deal with home repair, critters, and fires with equal competence; he is the local fire chief, among other things. Ellie and George have one child, three year old Lee. Jake and Ellie have become known in the area for their abilities to investigate local crimes, so she has become good friends with Bob Arnold, local police chief. Jake has also since remarried: Wade is Eastport's harbor pilot, and another hardworking person. Her son Sam has grown up a great deal and has recently moved to Portland.

In this book, however, Jake is drawn into her own past as the man who killed her mother is about to stand trial. Even though it has been over 30 years, Jake still remembers the events of that night; she was a small child but recalls details too vividly. She has been asked to write a victim's impact statement, which is shared with the defense--and then Ozzie Campbell goes missing. Jake's father, Jacob, and her longtime housekeeper Bella recently married and are off on a trip. Ellie and George have also gone on a trip, leaving her with three year old Lee. Even her faithful dogs are off at obedience camp, and Wade is away on a job, leaving her and Lee alone in the big house.

When two thugs come to town and kidnap Lee and her teenaged babysitter, Jake realizes that Campbell is behind their disappearance, and decides that it is up to her to get the child back. The story is both a test of her own strength and determination, as well as an opportunity to come to a better understanding of her parents. There is also an interesting subplot about the young babysitter who is taken with Lee, and her efforts to protect her young charge.

Along with her efforts to find Lee and put Campbell back behind bars, Jake has to deal with more home repair challenges. Each chapter opens with one of her tips: for example, "When replacing a broken lamp switch, replace the cord and plug, too."

I love this series for its cast of characters, strong storylines, and wonderful description of life in a small town on the East coast. Having lived in Newport, Rhode Island for eleven years, when I read these books I can shut my eyes and smell the ocean, feel the grit of the sand between my toes, and see the harbor, with the fishing boats down at the dock.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Fat Free and Fatal by G. A. McKevett

I'm recovering from foot surgery, so I have PLENTY of time to catch up on my reading. Fortunately, I made a trip to the library to grab a few of my favorite authors' new books. One of those is by G. A. McKevett--Fat Free and Fatal. It features private investigator Savannah Reid, a southern girl who is no skinny little thing and a former cop now living out in California. Savannah has a group of loyal friends who are characters in their own rights: Dirk, her former partner; Tammy, her computer savvy and health nut assistant; and former federal agents Ryan and John, life partners and still very connected to government sources.

When a celebrity's young assistant is brutally murdered, Dirk gets Savannah on the case, as the woman's bodyguard. Since the assistant was wearing one of her fur coats and getting into her big car, it seems that she was mistaken for Dona Papalardo, her boss. Dona lives in a lavish estate but doesn't seem to get much pleasure out of life; she gained weight and then had controversial weight loss surgery which left her thinner but not well. As Savannah and Dirk investigate, they find several suspects including an ex boyfriend, a clingy best friend, and a former agent. Just as things are heating up on the case, one of Savannah's younger sisters shows up, along with her new husband; they met in Las Vegas and got married rather impulsively, and now think that a honeymoon at Savannah's should prove entertaining.

I love this series for the interesting storylines, likeable characters, and lively writing style. The author does a nice job of satisfying my "sweet tooth" for mystery stories with some humor, a mix of wonderful characters, and conflicts that seem true to life.

You can find Fat Free and Fatal in the WPL mystery section. While you're there, you may want to grab one of the other books in the series.

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

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.

Tripwire by Lee Child

c Waterloo Public Library 2008

Tripwire (1999)by Lee Child is the third book in the Jack Reacher series. When his funds start running low, Jack Reacher finds a temporary job in Florida: by day he's digging pools, and by night he's a bouncer at a local strip club. However, when a private detective starts asking around for him, and then gets killed, Reacher decides he needs to find out who sent the detective and why someone would kill him. His search takes him to a wake in New York state, where the daughter of one of his former military mentors asks for his help.

Once a shy, awkward teenager, Jodie has grown up into a confident, accomplished lawyer. After her father's recent death from cancer, Jodie hired the detective to find Jack. Reacher soon finds himself caught up in completing the task his mentor had been working on before his death--trying to help an old couple still grieving for their son lost in the jungles of Viet Nam. However, the closer he and Jodie get to unraveling what happened to young Victor Hobie, the closer they get to exposing a dangerous man. Early on, several men try to kidnap them. However, it is their boss who is behind the death of the detective--and others. He is a man who seems devoid of emotion, morality, or conscience; he is also a man who has made his fortune off of the stupidity and greed of others.

This is another wonderful read. Beyond telling an interesting story, it gives some insights into the plight of those families still affected by the war in Viet Nam--as well as by the work being done to recover and identify the bodies of soldiers lost in war time.

You can find Tripwire in the adult fiction area of the Waterloo Public Library. You might want to check out the author's website for more details on the series.