Thursday Picks
Hi-welcome back! I've just finished the two following books and am ready to share my opinion with you. If you have not read my blog before, I have to admit that I will only read what catches my interest; I have some authors that I buy automatically, and other times I really do judge a book by its cover! I do not have an interest in westerns, war stories, erotica, sci-fi or fantasy, so I will not be reviewing them (although I might include something from these categories in the Future Release section). For now I am going through my pile of unread tried-and-true favorite genres: suspense, mysteries, contemporary women's, romantic suspense, medical or legal thrillers, and some non-fiction such as human interest, nature, biographies, etc.
Top Pick:
"The 37th Hour" by Jodi Compton (mystery writer)
(352 pages) Dell Paperback issued January 2005
"Every cop has at least one story about the day the job found them".
Thus starts Jodi Compton's debut mystery, "The 37th Hour". Sarah Pribek is a county Sheriff's Office Detective in Minnesota, in the early months of marriage to Mike Shilo, a Minneapolis Police Detective. At first glance they seem content in marriage, work and life in general. But they soon realize that they are both harboring troubling secrets from the past. Things come to a head when Shilo is to leave for a 4 month training course with the FBI in Quantico. Sarah goes to visit her partner who is out on leave following a family tragedy and upon returning home, she is hit with the disturbing news that Shilo never made it to his training. Sarah decides to single-handedly investigate her husband's disappearance because she knows that after the 36th hour of a missing person, the trail is said to go cold. She finds more than she bargained for about her husband's strange upbringing and secrets he has kept from her, while she also finds herself involved with emotionally supporting her grieving partner and helping her deal with a murderer on the loose.
This story is not the usual type of mystery read I am accustomed to; first off, there is no romantic component to it; Sarah and Shilo's relationship seem anything but romantic. It is full of flashbacks, characters' ruminations, and setting the stage for future books in this series. There is little emphasis on sex, violence or action, and more on letting information trickle out through repeated flashbacks. I enjoyed the sub-plot of Genevieve, her partner, even more than Sarah's story, though all the characters become entwined through the story.
Though I was a bit disappointed by the ending, I realized there was a sequel (see below) to pick up the loose ends. After finishing the book, I have to say I did enjoy it. Maybe more for the decidedly different, almost depressing, mood of this tale. There is a seriousness to Ms. Compton's style that will keep you involved enough to ride along with it. There are no wisecracks, no quick hops into bed, no quirky pals to lighten the moment. I sense that Ms. Compton perhaps is saying: "This is how life is; deal with it". Even with my mixed feelings about this story I am more than willing to give the sequel a try. Let's just say that I am intrigued enough to want to see what happens next with Shilo's career and Sarah's marriage.
*New Release: "Sympathy Between Humans" by Jodi Compton*
(384 pages) Delacorte Press, hardcover c. March 2005
Review: "Between Sisters" by Kristin Hannah (c0ntemporary women's writer)
(428 pages) Ballantine Books, paperback c. 2003
This is the fourth book that I have read by Ms. Hannah. This was a perfect choice for reading while out on my deck in the late morning sipping iced tea. A foil to the heavy air of the Compton book that I read at night. The story starts out strong with half-sisters Claire and Meghann, who were separated as children, talking about having lost the close bond they used to share. They barely even talk on the phone anymore. Ms. Hannah does not reveal right away why the girls were separated and what caused them to grow into adults with completely different values and lifestyles. Meghann used to play more of a parenting role to her little sister Claire than their frequently absent actress mother or her parade of step-fathers and boyfriends. Meghann is now a high-powered divorce attorney who verbally spars with her therapist and picks up one-night stands to fill the void of no male figure in her life. Claire is a single parent, poor but content with her life, until she meets a dream man. Will her dreams really come true, or is he too good to be true? Will Meghann meet a man who can stand toe to toe with her, and make her learn to trust again? All in all, this is worth picking up, especially if you are looking for something light to read on the commute home, or to grab a chapter between rotating your body for an even tan on the beach. Unless you are in the market for a deep, thought-provoking novel right now, this book should fit the bill for a decent summer read!
Future Releases to be on the look-out for:
"Lifeguard: A Novel" by James Patterson, release date: July 11, 2005
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling, release date: July 16, 2005
"Body Double" by Tess Gerritsen, release date in paperback: July 26, 2005
"Outlander Saga: A Breath of Snow and Ashes" by Diana Gabaldon, release date: Sept. 27, 2005
As always, happy reading...
Top Pick:
"The 37th Hour" by Jodi Compton (mystery writer)
(352 pages) Dell Paperback issued January 2005
"Every cop has at least one story about the day the job found them".
Thus starts Jodi Compton's debut mystery, "The 37th Hour". Sarah Pribek is a county Sheriff's Office Detective in Minnesota, in the early months of marriage to Mike Shilo, a Minneapolis Police Detective. At first glance they seem content in marriage, work and life in general. But they soon realize that they are both harboring troubling secrets from the past. Things come to a head when Shilo is to leave for a 4 month training course with the FBI in Quantico. Sarah goes to visit her partner who is out on leave following a family tragedy and upon returning home, she is hit with the disturbing news that Shilo never made it to his training. Sarah decides to single-handedly investigate her husband's disappearance because she knows that after the 36th hour of a missing person, the trail is said to go cold. She finds more than she bargained for about her husband's strange upbringing and secrets he has kept from her, while she also finds herself involved with emotionally supporting her grieving partner and helping her deal with a murderer on the loose.
This story is not the usual type of mystery read I am accustomed to; first off, there is no romantic component to it; Sarah and Shilo's relationship seem anything but romantic. It is full of flashbacks, characters' ruminations, and setting the stage for future books in this series. There is little emphasis on sex, violence or action, and more on letting information trickle out through repeated flashbacks. I enjoyed the sub-plot of Genevieve, her partner, even more than Sarah's story, though all the characters become entwined through the story.
Though I was a bit disappointed by the ending, I realized there was a sequel (see below) to pick up the loose ends. After finishing the book, I have to say I did enjoy it. Maybe more for the decidedly different, almost depressing, mood of this tale. There is a seriousness to Ms. Compton's style that will keep you involved enough to ride along with it. There are no wisecracks, no quick hops into bed, no quirky pals to lighten the moment. I sense that Ms. Compton perhaps is saying: "This is how life is; deal with it". Even with my mixed feelings about this story I am more than willing to give the sequel a try. Let's just say that I am intrigued enough to want to see what happens next with Shilo's career and Sarah's marriage.
*New Release: "Sympathy Between Humans" by Jodi Compton*
(384 pages) Delacorte Press, hardcover c. March 2005
Review: "Between Sisters" by Kristin Hannah (c0ntemporary women's writer)
(428 pages) Ballantine Books, paperback c. 2003
This is the fourth book that I have read by Ms. Hannah. This was a perfect choice for reading while out on my deck in the late morning sipping iced tea. A foil to the heavy air of the Compton book that I read at night. The story starts out strong with half-sisters Claire and Meghann, who were separated as children, talking about having lost the close bond they used to share. They barely even talk on the phone anymore. Ms. Hannah does not reveal right away why the girls were separated and what caused them to grow into adults with completely different values and lifestyles. Meghann used to play more of a parenting role to her little sister Claire than their frequently absent actress mother or her parade of step-fathers and boyfriends. Meghann is now a high-powered divorce attorney who verbally spars with her therapist and picks up one-night stands to fill the void of no male figure in her life. Claire is a single parent, poor but content with her life, until she meets a dream man. Will her dreams really come true, or is he too good to be true? Will Meghann meet a man who can stand toe to toe with her, and make her learn to trust again? All in all, this is worth picking up, especially if you are looking for something light to read on the commute home, or to grab a chapter between rotating your body for an even tan on the beach. Unless you are in the market for a deep, thought-provoking novel right now, this book should fit the bill for a decent summer read!
Future Releases to be on the look-out for:
"Lifeguard: A Novel" by James Patterson, release date: July 11, 2005
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling, release date: July 16, 2005
"Body Double" by Tess Gerritsen, release date in paperback: July 26, 2005
"Outlander Saga: A Breath of Snow and Ashes" by Diana Gabaldon, release date: Sept. 27, 2005
As always, happy reading...
posted by Riann @ 8:00 AM
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