Strangers in Death by J. D. Robb

Nora Roberts writing as J. D. Robb 355 pages 5 1/2 hours

If I had realized that this was a futuristic novel, I probably would not have read it and missed a really good read. Just had to ignore some of the "droids" and other futuristic implications.

Lieutenant Detective Eve Dallas is the main character in Robb's -IN DEATH series.

I will read the rest of them.

Ford County by John Grisham

Ford County is a collection of short stories by Grisham. 15 pages 2 hours

Grisham takes us back to the site of his first best seller, A TIME TO KILL.

I read the first three short stories: Blood Drive, Fetching Raymond, and Fish Files.

Three very different stories proving that Grisham is a versatile story teller but we already knew that didn't we?

In for the Kill by John Lutz

In for the Kill 477 Pages 7 hours

This is my first John Lutz read. John Lescroart says Lutz is a major talent, I think that I will have to agree with him. This story is about a madman stalking women, killing them and dismembering them. It is a chiller! Will read more of Lutz in the future.

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

325 pages
2 hours 43 minutes

What can you say about Stiefvater's writing except lyrical?  I read Shiver about a year ago and now have read Lament.  Both were lovely teen books with doomed characters, romance and strong female characters.  Add the exquisite writing and you have a winner!

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory 400 pages

The story of the Tudors is told through the eyes of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.  From the age of nine, she knows the only role for a woman in her position is to bear an heir to the throne.  She is married off at age 12 and almost immediately bears a son.  Her husband dies, and she must separate from her son.  Her second marriage is to a pacifist knight.  She later brokers her third union to a turncoat who may be the key to her hopes.  The book is all about the wars between the various families who believe they are the true line to the throne.  Margaret will stop at nothing to see her son become king.  The novel is full of battles, betrayals, and political manueverings.

Intelligence by Susan Hasler 308 pages

I saw Susan Hasler interviewed on C-Span and was impressed with the fact that she was a 21 year veteran of the CIA.  She wrote this first novel as fiction, but in her interview she implied that so many of the events in the novel are based  on her experiences.  For example, when the intelligence analysts bring forth information based on their work, they are told, "The president doesn't want to hear this."  They go back, bring forth infomation that they have less confidence in, only to be told, "The president doesn't want to hear this."  After several repeated attempts, the information is very suspect but is what the president wants to hear as a pretext for going to war.
In this novel, the main character,, Maddie James, and her colleagues are terrorism experts working in a crumbling intelligence agency.  They are certain another big terrorist attack is coming.  They labor through bureaucratic obstacles and come very close to stopping the attack.  The administration tries to pin the attack on Iran despite a lack of evidence - so Maddie and her team try to investigate.
The novel is plot-driven and not very well written, but I enjoyed learning more about how and where the CIA analysts work and the obstacles they face - including trying "to connect the dots" when the page is almost solid with dots.

The Prophet of Yonwood

By Jeanne DuPrau
304pp

This is the third book of Ember, although it is written as a prequel to the first two.  I truly enjoyed reading this book.  It has a muted commentary of what the world could be like if we let one person decide what is best for everyone.  We cannot always put our life into the hands of others.  Also, sometimes, what one person thinks is best for the community could be completely wrong.  Now, I am just waiting for the fourth book to be returned to the library so that I can continue the series.