FINISHED -

1. "OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS" "A RANGER FOR CHRISTMAS" by Mary Burton (A+++++) The holidays bring painful memories for history professor Marisa Thompson. Agreeing to help Texas Ranger Lucas Cooper solve a case offers the perfect distraction. But as danger threatens, the joy of love has never been more tempting. "A SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS" by Mary Carter (A+++) Reporter Danielle Bright is heading home for the holidays to write up a feature story about Christmas down south - and possibly win back her ex. But Sawyer, the sexy photographer along for the ride, is determined to jingle her bells. "CHRISTMAS IN MONTANA" by Cathy Lamb (A++++) Family is where you go after quitting your job, but Laurel Kelly isn't prepared for the changes at home in Montana - or the fact that her high school boyfriend now owns the family land. But a blue Christmas could be the perfect surprise for a holiday to remember. "UNDER THE MISTLETOE" by Lisa Jackson (A+++++) Megan Johnson's marriage is over - or so she thinks. When her husband Chris lands in the hospital, fighting for his life, she remembers the unexpected joy of their first Christmas together.
2. 'COLD BETRAYAL" by J.A. Jance (Alison Reynolds #10) (A+++++) Ali Reynolds’s longtime friend and Taser-carrying nun, Sister Anselm, rushes to the bedside of a young pregnant woman hospitalized for severe injuries after she was hit by a car on a deserted Arizona highway. The girl had been running away from The Family, a polygamous cult with no patience for those who try to leave its ranks. Something about her strikes a chord in Sister Anselm, reminding her of a case she worked years before when another young girl wasn’t so lucky. Meanwhile, married life agrees with Ali. But any hopes that she and her husband, B. Simpson, will finally slow down and relax now that they’ve tied the knot are dashed when Ali’s new daughter-in-law approaches her, desperate for help. The girl’s grandmother, Betsy, is in danger: she’s been receiving anonymous threats, and someone even broke into her home and turned on the gas burners in the middle of the night. But the local police think the elderly woman’s just not as sharp as she used to be. While Ali struggles to find a way to protect Betsy before it’s too late, Sister Anselm needs her help as well, and the two race the clock to uncover the secrets that The Family has hidden for so long - before someone comes back to bury them forever. "NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES“ by J.A. Jance (Alison Reynolds #10.5) (Joanna Brady #16.5) (A+++++) A semi’s gone over the embankment.” The call wakes Sheriff Joanna Brady in the middle of the night, but what brings her fully alert is the rest of the story. The driver didn’t drift off to sleep and cross the center line—he was shot, multiple times, by someone with serious firepower. And when the truck crashed through the guardrail, its payload wound up scattered all over the road - boxes upon boxes of Legos. Legos that are being tracked by B. Simpson’s security firm to reduce black market sales - and Ali Reynolds is just the woman to get to the bottom of the crime. She has the tech and the intel to follow the money (or, in this case, the Legos), which makes her a valuable asset to Joanna’s team. Soon these two strong women realize that they’re not just sharing a case, they’re kindred spirits - which is paramount, because the killer they’re up against is anything but child’s play.
3. "THE MARRIAGE PRESCRIPTION" by Chisty Jeffries (Sugar Falls, Idaho #5) (book I won in a giveaway on Goodreads) (A+++++) Reviving the doctor's love life...Neurosurgeon Julia Fitzgerald graduated high school at fourteen, whizzed through med school and even became a successful navy captain. Alas, when the subject is romance, she's a dunce. No amount of textbook learning an help her find a date or understand what men really want. When handsome-as-heck contractor Kane Chatterson begins renovating Julia's house, she finds him...distracting. Is it his strong, tanned forearms? His quiet, confident manner? Mr. Sexy Flannel Shirt doesn't have any of the qualities Julia believes she needs in a man. But when he offers to help her find the perfect date, she reluctantly agrees. And as Julia gets schooled in the fine art of love, she realizes that Kane might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
4. "EDGE OF FOREVER" by Sherryl Woods (A++++) Dana Brantley had moved to sleepy River Glen to escape her traumatic past and find the peace she craved. Then a charming ten-year-old interrupted her solitude - and on the boy's heels came his handsome, insistent father. Passionate Nick Verone jeopardized her privacy...and her heart. Nick was intigued by Dana's elusiveness. How could a woman with so much love to give ignore the fires between them? He had to uncover the secrets that haunted her, but he walked a fine line between interest and intrusion. Would the truth push him over the edge and destroy their fragile union?
5. "THE SASSY BELLES" by Beth Albright (Sassy Belles #1) (A++++) Meet the Sassy Bellles - they're strong as a mint julep, sweet as peach cobbler and no mater what, they stick together. There are only two season in Tuscaloosa - football and waiting-for-football. When Lewis Heart, football announcer and voice of the Crimson Tide, vanishes after an impromptu romp with Vivi Anne McFadden at the Fountain Mist Motel, Vivi does what any Southern woman would do: calls her best friend, lake O'Hara Heart, attorney-at-law. With the town gossi0p swirling around them, Vivi and Blake are determined to find out what happened to Lewis and clear Vivi's reputation. Because after all, men may come and go, but the Sassy Belles are forever.
6. "PURSUIT" by Karen Robards (Jessica Ford #1) abridged audio CD (A++++) When rookie lawyer Jessica Ford gets the call from her boss, John Davenport, the senior partner at the illustrious law form for which she works, she can tell he is well on his way to being drunk. He needs Jess to meet First Lady Annette Cooper, for whom Davenport is a personal lawyer, at a Washington, D.C., hotel. Jess is thrilled: This high-profile assignment must mean she's earned her boss's trust and she's on her way to bigger things. But unfortunately, bigger isn't always better. Jess doesn't remember much - only that in the course of the late-night meeting with Annette Cooper, she ended up in the backseat of a car, speeding off into the darkness. All Jess knows is that the car crashed en route, and the other three passengers were killed, including the First Lady. Badly injured, Jess is the only surivor of what is trumpeted around the world as a tragic accident. Although she has no memory about the events leading up to the accident, Jess is still bothered by one question: Was it really an accident? The Secret Service agent on the case, Mark Ryan, gets the feeling that Jess is hiding something. As his suspicions grow, Jess's world starts falling apart. In fact, everyone who might possibly know the details about the First Lady's last few hours starts turning up dead. And then Jess understands: If she remembers that night, she'll be dead too. Terrified and certains that the First Lady's death was no accident, Jess has only Mark Ryan to turn to.
7. "HARD AS IT GETS" by Laura Kane (Hard Ink #1) (new author for me) (A+++++) Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome - pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too. With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees. Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge.
8. "THE WATSON BROTHERS" by Lori Foster "MY HOUSE, MY RULES" (Watson Brothers #1) (A+++++) When Ariel's headstrong ways nearly wreck one of Officer Sam Watson's sting operations - ruining her dress in the process - he offers her a ride to his place to clean up. But Ariel seems to have her own agenda and Sam decides it's time to let her know he'll be calling the shots. "BRINGING UP BABY" (Watson Brothers #2) (A++++++) Two years ago, Gil Watson had a wild night that resulted in a daughter he never knew he had. Now he has a chance to do right by his little girl, even if it means marrying the woman who's been raising her. Fortunately Anabel Truman is anything but another bad decision. "GOOD WITH HIS HANDS" (Watson Brothers #3) (A+++++) As best riends, Pete Watson and Cassidy McClannahan have a "no sex" relationship. It may be a rigid rule, but it works - until Pete decides he wants to push the line and transform himself into the perfect guy he thinks Cassidy wants.
9. "REMAINS OF INNOCENCE" by J.A. Jance (Joanna Brady #16) (A+++++) While cleaning out the house of her deceased mother, who was a hoarder, Liza Machette discovers a fortune in hundred-dollar bills hidden in the book stacks and magazines that crowd every corner. For Liza, a waitress, the money i a blesing - until an older man she's never met before warns her that she's in danger. soon her mother's house iss torched, Liza's apartment is broken into, and her elderly landlady is murdered. Terrified, Liza leaves Massachusettss and nsets off on a perilous cross-country journey that will lead her to Cochise County, Arizona. Sheriff Joanna Brady has her hands full investigating the suspicious death of a developmentally disabiled man found in a cavern. Then another case rocks the department - a shocking murder involving Liza and the money. Now Joanna must solve these two disturbing cases fast, before more innocent blood is shed."THE OLD BLUE LINE" by J.A. Jance (Joanna Brady #15.5) (A+++++) Butch Dixon has been taken for a ride…Not a jump in the car, see the sights kind of ride. He's been taken for everything he has. He's lost his house, his restaurant business, his savings, his car, his best friend, his faith - all to his conniving ex-wife. But that was seven years ago. He picked himself up, left Chicago, and started over in Peoria, Arizona, running the Roundhouse Bar and Grill. He doesn't look back on those bad years; there's no point. Not until two curious cops show up at the Roundhouse. Faith, Butch's ex-wife, has been murdered, and the evidence points to him. Stunned, Butch quickly realizes that the black-hearted woman is going to ruin him again, from her grave. Lucky for Butch, the Old Blue Line, a group of retired - but still sharp and tenacious - former legal and law enforcement coots, have taken it upon themselves, as a favor, to make sure he doesn't cross that thin line. After the dust settles, Butch's life is again upended - when a little red-haired ball of fire, Sheriff Joanna Brady, takes a seat at his bar.
10. "OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS" "A RANGER FOR CHRISTMAS" by Mary Burton (A++++) The holidays bring painful memories for history professor Marisa Thompson. Agreeing to help Texas Ranger Lucas Cooper solve a case offers the perfect distraction. But as danger threatens, the joy of love has never been more tempting. "A SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS" by Mary Carter (A+++) Reporter Danielle Bright is heading home for the holidays to write up a feature story about Christmas down south - and posibly win back her ex. But Sawyer, the sexy photographer along for the ride, is determined to jingle her bells. "CHRISTMAS IN MONTANA" by Cathy Lamb (A++++) Family is where you go after quitting your job, but Laurel Kelly isn't prepared for the change at home in Montana - or the fact that her high school boyfriend Josh Reed now owns the family land. But a blue Christmas could be the perfect surprise for a holiday to remember. "UNDER THE MISTLETOE" by Lisa Jackson (A++++) Megan Johnson's marriage is over - or so she thinks. When her husband lands in the hospital, fighting for his life, she remembers the unexpected joy of their first Christmas together.
11. "WILD HEAT" by Lucy Monroe (Wild Fire #1) (A+++++) Sometimes old flames are the hottet of all...In the quaint little town of Cailkirn, Alaska, it's impossible to keep a secret, especially one as juicy as the unexpected return of Kitty Grant. Tack MacKinnon remembers he wild red curls and even wilder spirit - and still feels the sting from when she shattered his heart in college. But there's a pain in Kitty's gorgeous eyes that guts him to the core and Tack is determined to do whatever it takes to see the woman he still loves smile again - even if it means taking on her demons as his own. After fleeing an abusive ex-husband, Kitty decides that the best way to heal her broken heart is to come back home. But she gets a whole new shock when she sees how undeniably sexy Tack has become. More handsome, more muscular, more charming - more everything - he's impossible to resist. Before she knows it, they're reigniting sparks that could set the whole state of Alaska on fire. Yet trust doesn't come easy to Kitty anymore and as things heat up between her and Tack, she can't help but wonder if one of them is going to get burned.
12. "TOUGH LOVE" by Lori Foster (Ultimate #3) (A+++++) She's playing hard to get...to win the MMA fighter of her ultimate fantasies.Vanity Baker loves a good, clean match, but she's not above playing a little dirty. She's wanted Stack "The Wolf" Hannigan from day one. Seems as though the best way to corral the famously commitment-phobic fighter is to insist on keeping it casual. And her plan works - deliciously well - until Stack's past steps out of the shadows. Stack learned early to stay free of attachments. But with sexy, forthright Vanity, he's the one always left wanting more. Then his troublemaking family comes back into the picture, threatening everything Stack cares about - Vanity included. Suddenly he realizes they're much more than friends with benefits. He's ready to go to the mat for her...but will it be in time to protect the woman who's tamed him for good? "BACK TO BUCKHORN" by Lori Foster (Buckhorn Brothers #5.6) (A+++++) For odd-girl-out Zoey Hodge, the best thing about Buckhorn, Kentucky, was leaving it behind. And now she’s back - at least until she can nurse her mother back to health and hightail it out of there anew. But there’s one person she doesn’t mind seeing again. Garrett Hudson was one of the few who was always kind to her. Now he’s a firefighter - still one of the good guys, but with a sexy alpha charm that’s tempting her inner bad girl. In school, Zoey was smart, witty and unafraid to be herself. Garrett fell hard back then, and he’s falling even faster now. As far as he’s concerned, there are all kinds of reasons Zoey should stick around. Her pet grooming business. Her mom. And the chance for him to prove that he can be her real-life hero in every way that matters.
13. "DEATH ANGEL" by Linda Howard (A+++++) (unabridged audio CD) A striking beauty with a taste for diamonds and dangerous men, Drea Rousseau is more than content to be arm candy for Rafael Salinas, a notorious crime lord who deals with betrayal through quick and treacherous means: a bullet to the back of the head, a blade across the neck, an incendiary device beneath a car. Eager to break with Rafael, Drea makes a fateful decision and a desperate move, stealing a mountain of cash from the malicious killer. After all, an escape needs to be financed. Though Drea runs, Salinas knows she can't hide - and he dispatches a cold-blooded assassin in hot pursuit, resulting in a tragic turn of events. Or does it? Left for dead, Drea miraculously returns to the realm of the living a changed woman. She's no longer shallow and selfish, no longer steals or cheats or sells herself short. Both humbled and thrilled with this unexpected second chance, Drea embraces her new life. But in order to feel safe and sound - and stop nervously looking over her shoulder - she will need to take down those who marked her for death. Joining forces with the FBI, supplying vital inside information that only she can provide, Drea finds herself working with the most dangerous man she's ever known. Yet the closer they get to danger, the more intense their feelings for each other become, and the more Drea realizes that the cost of her new life may be her life itself - as well as her heart.
14. "LETTING GO" by Maya Banks (Surrender #1) (A+++++) Josslyn found perfection once and she knows she'll never find it again. Now widowed, she seeks the one thing her beloved husband couldn't give her: dominance. Lonely, searching for an outlet for her grief and wanting only a brief taste of the perfection she once enjoyed, she seeks what she's looking for at an exclusive club that caters to people indulging in their most hedonistic fantasies. She never imagined that what she'd find would be the one man who's long been a source of comfort - and secret longing. Her husband's best friend. Dash has lived in an untenable position for years: in love with his best friend's wife but unwilling to act on that attraction. He'd never betray his best friend. And so he's waited in the wings, offering Joss unconditional support and comfort as she works past her grief, hoping for the day when he can offer her more. When he finds her in a club devoted to the darker edges of desire, he's furious because she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Until she explains in detail what it is she wants. What she needs. As realization sets in, he is griped by fierce, unwavering determination. If she wants domination, he is the only man who will introduce her to that world. He is the only man who will touch her, cherish her...love her. And the only man she'll ever submit to.

CURRENTLY READING -

1. "Gastien: From Dream to Destiny" by Caddy Rowland (Gastien #2) (reading on a Kindle app on my computer)  
2. "Going Down Hard" by Carly Phillips (book I received from the author in exchange for my review)  
3. "Hard As You Can" by Laura Kaye (Hard Ink #3)
4. "Special Ops - the Mammoth Book of Romance" "Once Burned" by Penny McCall "Cane River" by Rinda Elliott (New Author for Me) "Surrender at Dawn" by Laura Griffin "Into the Night Sky" by Charlotte Mede (New Author for Me) A Kept Man" by Shannon K. Butcher "Russian Roulette" by Rachel Caine (New Author for Me) VeriSEAL" by Marliss Melton "Shoot to Thrill" by Charlene Teglia (New Author for Me) "The Angels of Punishment" by Michele Albert (New Author for Me) "Dark Force" by Cheyenne McCray "Lipstick Spy School" by Gina Robinson (New Author for Me) "Don't Walk Away" by Shiloh Walker "Heat of the Night" by Jordan Summers (New Author for Me) "Overkill" by E.C. Sheedy (New Author for Me) "The Grey Man" by Caitlyn Nichols (New Author for Me) "Good Guys" by Liz Muir (New Author for Me) " Code Word: Storm" by Sydney Croft (New Author for Me) "TAG Team" by Nicola Marsh (New Author for Me) "The Game" by Gennita Low "The Traitor" by Debra Webb (New Author for Me)  

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO

1. "Playing for Pizza" by John Grisham (unabridged audio CD)

After all the angst the past months, I decided to read some lighter stuff and have started a series called Blessings by Beverly Jenkins.  It is a simply heartwarming contemporary series.

I am also reading another series by Chris Knopf.  I think it is right up Vostamos' alley with lots of computer lingo and shinanigans. on the third in series titled A Billion Ways to Die.  

Finished in January:

            Knitlandia - A knitter Sees The World   by: Clara Parkes

            A Fine Balance   by: Rohinton Mistry   (For book club)

            Fortunes Children - The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt  by: Arthur T. Vandeerbilt II

Currently Reading:

           Living Right  by: Laila Ibrahim

Hope to get to in February:

            Atonement  by: Ian McEwan   (For book club)

            Child of the River  by:  Irma Joubert

            For The Love of a Child   by:  Betty Mahmoody

            The Summer Before the War  by: Helen Simonson

Best Boy Eli Gottlieb

Scary Stuff Jane Fiffer

The Good Good Pig    Sy Montgomery

The Dream Lover Elizabeth Berg

Town in a Strawberry Swirl   BB Hayward

In Cod We Trust      Eric Dregni

To a Mountain in Tibet      Colin Thurbron

Currently Reading:

The Genesis Secret by Tom Knox.

What Was I Thinking?  58 Bad Boyfriend Stores edited by Barbara Davilman and Liz Dubelman

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly:  A Physician's First Year by Matt McCarthy, just getting started.

Finished:

Wish You Well by David Baldacci.  Needed a small paperback could put in coat pocket & this one fit the bill.  Two young children in 1940 lose their dad in a car accident & mom is in a catonic state from this.  Forced from living in New York, they move to rural mountain life in Virginia with their dad's strong but elderly grandmother. Kids learn value of the rural mountain life.  A kind of hokey court scene at end though.  Just okay in my mind.

Evel, The High-Flying Life of Evel Knievel by Leigh Montville.  I remember Evel Knievel growing up but was too young to really know much about him.  Just that he jumped cars, buses and the Snake River jump.  Reading this book you get to see the real Evel and he was just a terrible kind of guy in most ways.  Really eye opening his faults that really overshadow all his dare devil antics.  

The Wolves by Alex Berenson, next in his John Wells series.  Good book & good series.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.  Tragedy strikes Amy's family & they do terrible job dealing with it.  Amy is high schooler and has to take trip with college guy to get vehicle across country.  Roger college guy, is dealing with his own stuff.  Not a bad read but probably just too young for me, not really my taste.

1. I just finished the entire David Eddings series of trilogies.  That took almost a year off and on.  I wish I could get his stand-alone books at the library for the blind.  I finished City of Lost Souls and started Mockingbird and Witch and Wizard.  As of 2/3/17.

2.  Finished Witch and Wizard/on to First Life.  Am 1/3 through with Blackbird (sorry, not Mockingbird).

3.  Finished Blackbird/on to The Best of Connie Willis.

Judye

Flower Net by Lisa See.

Bless the Beasts and Children by Glendon Swarthout

Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella

Audio:

Dietland

My Reading Life by Pat Conroy.

Wow, I finished 1 book this month and it was Sweeping Up Glass by Carolyn Wall! 

The Conroy I quit on the final disk.

Just finished Asylum in less than a week, loved it.  I don't read much Young Adult fiction but saw this in the bookstore when it first came out and put it on my WL.  I'm now impatiently awaiting its sequel Sanctum.

One i would recommend every women in America read is 'I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced'.  What an eye-opener!  Nujood Ali had a co-writer help her, Delphine Minoui.

Finished this month: 

Funeral Food by Kathleen Taylor--- This series looked interesting since it's set in South Dakota [not many are!!] and that's where I'm from originally so thought I'd give it a try. It's really quite good, the characters are authentic and I can picture the small town of Delphi as a typical small South Dakota town.  Like all small towns everywhere, Delphi has is secrets and problems and Tory Bauer gets caught up in them all; whether she wants to or not.

Keepsake by Antoinette Stockenberg --- Another author I hadn't read and she's a jewel!! Keepsake, Connecticut is a quaint New England town that has tried to forget about a murder that happened 17 years ago, but when the son of the man suspected of comitting that murder shows back up to try to clear his father's name, old memories resurface and people lives are in danger. Great story line and believable characters.

Safe Harbor by Antoinette Stockenberg -- Another great book by this author!  Holly Anderson's 62-year-old father has left her mother for a much younger woman who is a con artist.   Sam Steadman comes to town hunting the woman who has conned his elderly parents out of a valuable painting.  When Holly and Sam meet there's an attraction, but both are leary of getting involved until they team up to bring the woman to justice.  I really like Stockenberg's writing, the dialogue between the characters is so right-on!

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie --- When I posted this book, it came up as a hardcover so I tried to delete the post, but it didn't take. Be aware this is a softcover [paperback] if you want to order it. I really enjoyed this book.  It is a novel but it gives the reader an intimate look at what it was like in China during the Cultural Revolution under Mao when young men with parents from the "intellectual class" [doctors, dentists, poets, authors, professors, etc.] were sent away to be "re-educated" by the peasants living in the countryside. While this is a small book, length-wise, it is well worth reading.

Out of the Rain by Debbie Macomber --- 2 books in one, Marriage Wanted and Laughter in the Rain. A quick read typical of Macomber--- man and woman meet, sparks fly along with misunderstandings and quarrels. But as always, love triumphs.  A fun read when you want something light.

C. J.'s Fate by Kay Hooper--- An earlier book by Hooper but still an enjoyable read.  C.J. Adams is tired of her friends trying to fix her up so she takes matters into her own hands and introduces a stranger, Fate Weston, as her lover.  Well-developed characters and quick dialogue.

Out of Range by C.J. Box  --- A Joe Pickett novel. Joe is sent to the Tetons to fill in temporarily for a game warden who has comitted suicide.  When he gets to Jackson Hole things don't add up and he begins to suspect there's more involved in the death of Will Jenson. As always a taut story-line making it a 2:30 in the morning kind of book.

Killing Grounds by Dana Stabenow--- Kate Shugak is working for Old Sam during the salmon run when a body turns up in the bay next to the boat she's on. The dead man is the most hated man in town so there are a lot of suspects. Always a great read.

Long, Lean and Lethal by Heather Graham --- Someone is killing people using Alfred Hitchcock's movie theme murders as their guide and soap star Jennifer Connolly's mother thinks she may be in danger. interesting story-line and characters.

Exceptional Clearance by William J. Caunitz --- I'd never read anything by this author before, but this book made me a fan.  I read this in one day, it was so compelling. As a former member of the NYPD, Caunitz's writing is realistic and very readable. Women are being killed in a brutal and bizarre way and NYPD Detective Lieutenant John Vinda is put in charge of the investigation. I've had to post this book in my unpostable list on my profile page because I don't feel it's up to PBS standards, but it is in very readable condition. I did get it this way from another member. It's free with any order from my bookshelf.

Rekindled by Barbara Delinsky--- 2 stories in one by Delinsky written early in her career. Flip Side of Yesterday and Lilac Awakening. Both quick reads. Of the two I enjoyed Lilac Awakening the most.

A Body to Die For by Kate White --- Bailey Weggins has gone to help a friend who owns a resort/spa and is having problems, but they get worse when Bailey finds the body of a dead massage therapist.  Lots of twists and turns as to who-done-it, and the ending is a surprise. Fun, quick read.

Tracking Time by Leslie Glass --- Talk about dysfunctional families!!! this book is a textbook.  NYPD Detective April Woo is searching for a missing man that most believe has been murdered, but April's instincts tell her he's still alive, she just has to find him. What makes this book so intense are the ones responsible for his disappearance and why they act the way they do, all going back to the dysfunctional family theme. Highly recommended, great series.

Dead Famous by Carol O'Connell --- Detective Mallory is investigating the murders of an FBI agent and 10 of 12 jurors who found a defendant not guilty of murder.  Who is "The Reaper" and why is he killing off the jurors? Intense plot with lots of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.  Another great series.

Currenty reading:  Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd

David Eddings series of trilogies

have you tried the Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake.

Dear Charles,

I have read the first one..  The second one was drudgery.  The third was completed by his wife, wasn't it?  I haven't tackled it after #2.

Please recommend any others similar to Eddings/btw, I have read all of Hobb.  Sometimes I can only get a few audio books in a series, and

of course, I can't complete it.  But I'll try!

how about The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.

Dear Charles,

BARD (the library for the blind) lists quite a few books from this author, but they are for children and none more than 7 hrs.  I am looking for something a  little more challenging - don't mind the 30 hour audio books.

Judye

Violent Crimes: An Amanda Jaffe Novel : Phillip Margolin                        Another good one by this author.

Come and Get Us (BookShots) : James Patterson                                     I really liked this one.

The Christmas Mystery: A Detective Luc Moncrief Story (BookShots) : James Patterson             Just ok.

15th Affair (Women's Murder Club) : James Patterson                                    Good one.

The Games (Private) : James Patterson                                                        I just could not get into this one for some reason.

Family Jewels: A Stone Barrington Novel : Stuart Woods                            Another good one by this author.

Breakdown (Stay Alive, Bk 3) : Joseph Monninger                                      A Children/YA book that I liked.

Monkeys on the Interstate : Jack Hanna                                                     I loved this book by Jack Hanna.  Very humorous.

Stranded : Ben Mikaelsen                                                                       I really liked this Children/YA book about pilot whales.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver. okay. My only problem was the pace was sort of slow for me.

The Third Hill North Of Town by Noah Bly

loved it