In this novel, we are introduced to Maggie Barnes an empath whose strength increases with each victim she helps get over being touched by an evil that has come down through time to re-enact it’s killing spree.

At first it leaves them alive, but blind. Now it has discovered that leaving them alive leaves it vulnerable to the psychic forces aligning against it and so it begins killing it’s victims after perpetrating unspeakable acts against them.  Unexpected help comes from one of the victims of his first killing spree as well as one of the victims from this spree who miraculously gets her sight back by virtue of transplanted eyes from an accident victim. As Hollis is recovering from the surgery, she begins communicating with Annie, the dead sister of the killer.

This intricately woven tale will keep you intrigued throughout.

Touching Evil by Kay Hooper
Bantam Books 2001
ISBN 0-553-58344-1

Sandra Brown brings us another great read with Ricochet. Set in Savannah, GA, the main character Detective Duncan Hatcher is a complicated mixture of moralist and tough cop. His partner, DeeDee Bowen and he have been trying without success to catch and prosecute a local drug lord named Robert Savitch. Mr. Savitch is nothing if not canny and manages to keep out of the clutches of the law and above prosecution, often by way of one Judge Cato Laird’s rulings in his favor.

The latest encounter with Savitch and Laird have seen Duncan put in jail for two days for contempt after Judge Laird orders a mistrial on the basis of one of the juror’s not disclosing that her son was enrolled in the Police Academy and Duncan’s subsequent loss of composure in the courtroom.

When Duncan and DeeDee are called to the Judge’s home to investigate a homicide, it’s pretty apparent that the story they are given is full of half-truths and outright lies. The Judge’s beautiful wife, Elise Laird has killed an intruder. She cites self defense, but some things just aren’t adding up.

To further complicate the whole case is Duncan’s strong attraction to the beautiful Elise.

Despite his upbringing as the son of a preacher and his adherence to a high moral ground in his dealings with perpetrators and victims alike, Duncan succumbs to his baser self with Elise all the while doubting everything she’s ever told him and knowing he’s likely compromising any case he and DeeDee might bring against the woman.

Ricochet by Sandra Brown
Published by Pocket Books 2006
ISBN: 978-1-4165-2332-1

I’ve read some of Iris Johansen’s work before and greatly enjoyed them, but have not read any of Roy Johansen (who is her son). If this collaboration is any indication of the quality to be found, I’ll have to hunt his books up.

Silent Thunder is one of those books that gets you from the start. Hannah Bryson is a smart and talented naval engineer who has been hired along with her brother, Connor to inspect every inch of the decommissioned USSR submarine the Silent Thunder before it goes on public exhibition.

From the get-go, there are unsettling events that mark this job as one fraught with danger and intrique. When Connor uncovers a cryptic message behind one of the ship’s panels, a firestorm is unleashed which kills Connor and sets Hannah on a search for his murderer.

Along the way, she finds the enigmatic Kirov who sweeps her into his own quest for justice against the evil Pavski.

Silent Thunder by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen
Published by St. Martin’s Press 2008
ISBN: 978-0-312-36800-5

Spare Change is a Sunny Randall novel.

Twenty years ago, Sunny’s father Phil had a series of unsolved murders where the murderer left his victims with a signature of a scattering of coins — never the same coins, but always three of them, he was given the name of the Spare Change killer.

Now he’s apparently resurfaced as victims who exhibit the same M.O. are turning up in all the wrong places and Phil has been brought back out of retirement to head up a task force and asks Sunny to work on it with him. Together the father-daughter team must ferret out who the killer is and stop him.

Sunny comes up with the idea of closing off the area of the last killing and processing everyone present; getting names, addresses, and doing comprehensive investigations of any who fit the profile of the killer. She comes up with several likely suspects and when she personally interviews Bob Johnson, her instincts set off major alarms, but he’s smart and cagey and doesn’t give too much away, so it’s back to careful policework to get him tripped up and caught.

Spare Change by Robert B Parker
Published by The Berkley Publishing Group 2007
ISBN: 978-0-425-22192-1

It must be just my luck to have this run on books authored by Stuart Woods. After the last one which was frankly, pretty awful, I approached this one with some trepidation.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Fresh Disasters is a Stone Barrington novel and this one stays well trenched in New York crime and police work which Mr. Woods seems to have some solid grounding in. Stone Barrington is a well defined character who exhibits a polish that is threatened by the case he’s been assigned to by one of the partners in the firm of Woodman and Weld for whom Stone is dependent upon for his livelihood.

Although he knows that Herbie Fisher is bad news, Stone is hired by Herbie to sue a Mafia boss who has sicced his minions on Herbie and rough him up in the process of trying to collect a gambling debt. Stone knows and has been reminded time and time again that he’s putting his life on the line trying to sue a Mafia boss, but Stone is determined to do his best for his client.

One of the twists of the case send Stone a little romance in the form of a masseuse who then brings her own set of complications to Stone’s life — a jealous ex-boyfriend who murders the lovely Celia. Now Stone is embroiled in getting the crafty murderer caught along with being chased by the Mafia boss’s gangsters.

Almost comical in some places, Fresh Disasters is a fun read.

Fresh Disasters by Stuart Woods
Published by GP Putnam’s Sons 2007
ISBN: 978-0-399-15410-2

Jeffry Tolliver is the Grant County, GA police chief. Sara Linton is the medical examiner and his ex-wife. They are still in love with each other which is complicating their working relationship.

One morning, Sara resolves to talk it out with Jeffrey. That same morning, two young men arrive at the station and begin shooting everyone in sight and take hostage all who are left alive after their initial barrage is over.

The book keeps going back and forth between Sara and Jeffrey’s current situation as hostages and their beginnings as lovers. It’s Jeffrey’s past that is the root of the current situation they find themselves in.

Ms. Slaughter draws out the revelations of the who, what and how in this book in a delightful sprinkling of hints here and there. You really have to be paying attention to everything going on even if it seems irrelevant because she’s going to catch you napping if you don’t.

Indelible by Karin Slaughter
Published by Harper Collins Books 2004
ISBN: 0-06-056710-4

This book was an agonizing read and a disappointment to any who are fans of either of these two characters.

Shoot Him If He Runs is an apparent sequel to Iron Orchid which brought us the infamous Teddy Fay, that CIA agent turned rogue who takes it into his own hands to rid the world of dirty politicians and petty dictators. Teddy faked his own death twice in Iron Orchid, but the aging agent is trying to retire and chooses the island nation of St. Marks.

Unable to stay out of politics, Teddy assassinates the island’s ruthless chief of police, then the corrupt Prime Minister. Holly and Stone are one step behind but fated to still lose Teddy to his prowess as master planner and superb agent.

Shoot Him If He Runs by Stuart Woods
Published by Signet Books 2007
ISBN: 978-0-451-22360-9

Alexandra Barnaby has a natural aptitude for rebuilding car motors. Her brother, Bill likes to drive fast. Two years ago Wild Bill said good-bye to Baltimore and hello Miami; two days ago, he disappeared off the face of the earth. He did it while talking to Alex during a phone call in the middle of the night. The call ended in a woman’s scream and silence.

So, what’s a self-respecting sister to do but head down to Miami to find her errant brother and bring him back into the fold. So Alex hops a plane to Miami and begins her search.

She knows her brother had been working on a boat based out of the Miami marina, and has an apartment nearby so that’s where she heads first. When she arrives, she finds his spare key and lets herself in. She’s faced with the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through the apartment some time recently. Fearing the worst, she heads for the marina and the Flex II to see what she can find out about her missing brother.

It’s at the marina that she runs into Sam Hooker the famous NASCAR driver. Sam’s looking for Bill too because Bill evidently “borrowed” Sam’s boat.

What Alex and Sam find out about what Bill is involved in they are swept up in the international intrigue and danger of sunken treasure that involves Russian weapons and Cuban gold.Foiling foreign agents and corrupt government agents alike is no small feat!

In typical Evanovich style, this tale has all of the trademark innuendo, humor and quirky characters that so delight Evanovich fans.

Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich
Published by Harper Collins Books 2004
ISBN 0-06-058400-9

James Patterson almost invokes a fairy-tale quality with this heartwarming tale of a lonely child grown into an equally lonely woman who finds the love of her life.

Jane Margaux is the daughter of famous Broadway producer, Vivienne Margaux. Jane is a bit chubby at eight and has an imaginary friend named Michael. Michael and Jane share a friendship that will stand the test of time and separation, for when Jane turns 9, Michael must move on to another child in need of an imaginary friend.

Michael tells Jane that she will forget him; that it’s time for their relationship to end. But Jane doesn’t forget Michael even when she’s in her thirties and still alone, the memory of Michael still lingers on.

Now Jane is a successful playwright although she’s still trapped in the shadows of the limelight her mother commands. Michael is between children and he’s feeling things he’s never felt before. He thinks of Jane often and that’s something he’s never done before either. Then he sees her and he’s compelled to meet her. Just to see how she’s grown up and to see if she still remembers.

Jane is feeling more lonely than ever. She’s almost engaged to the leading man in her play — an engagement that her mother is all for, but that Jane is resisting. She doesn’t feel that Hugh truly loves her. Then she meets someone. A handsome, funny, comforting man. He’s perfect. His name is Michael.

Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Published by Hachette Book Group 2008
ISBN 978-0-446-53631-8

When I opened the box of books from Mom, this one had a sticky note on it that read “read first”. Well, I don’t know if Mom knows how much I enjoy this author, but she must, too because there are 3 of them in the box. Since I’m a good daughter, I read this one first

Janet Evanovich brings us another saga in the life of Stephanie Plum, erstwhile bail bond enforcement agent who works for her cousin Vinnie in South Jersey. Stephanie has just about seen it all in the way of bizarre behavior — much of it from her own family members.

She’s involved semi-seriously with a cop, one Joe Morelli and is strongly attracted to her sometimes partner, Ranger. Her normal side-kick is a former lady of the night, generously sized African American named Lula.

Stephanie’s case this time involves one Samuel Singh, a man in America by virtue of a visa bond that Vinnie issued on him and that TriBo Tech paid for. He’s been missing for several days and she and Ranger are assigned to find him and return him to his domicile. Since there was a big write up in the newspaper about the visa bond and how it helped deserving immigrants work in America that prominently featured Vinnie, there’s a lot of pressure on Stephanie and Ranger to find Sam and get him back.

Stephanie begins by interviewing the officers of TriBo Tech, three brothers. She doesn’t find out much and requests that she be allowed to interview the people Sam worked with. A few clues are derived from one of the workers and she’s off to find others that Sam associated with.

She tracks down one guy only to have him shot before her very eyes. Then she starts getting flowers and photographs of other people killed. She’s not sure if it ties into Sam Singh, but Ranger and Morelli aren’t convinced and they attempt to guard her.

But Stephanie isn’t all that easy to guard as they find out. The first one ends up with a broken leg, the second with a concussion. Then Stephanie is snatched from Morelli’s back porch and meets the killer in person.

As always, you’re going to laugh throughout book — sometimes until you cry. That’s Ms. Evanovich’s gift to her readers.

To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
Published by St. Martins Press 2003
ISBN:0-312-99146-0