Monday, June 30, 2008

In The Face by Lorelei Armstrong

Started: 6/21/08
Finished: 6/30/08
Year: 2008
Pages: 394
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb: There is no printed blurb on the gallery copy that I have. It is about a cop who gets wrapped up in technologically based murders.
Opinion: I'm not thrilled by this book. The beginning was very scattered. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com in upcoming months.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

All I Want to do is Kill by Dale Hudson

Started: 6/8/08
Finished: 6/21/08
Year: 2007
Pages: 480
Genre: True Crime
Grade: A-
Reason for reading: grabbed it out of a TBR box
Blurb (from back cover): "Holly Harvey was a Barbie doll beauty. Sandy Ketchum a dark, troubled soul. Fueled by sex, drugs, and obsession, they swore that nothing would ever tear them apart. Even if it meant killing anyone who got in their way...
"A good and decent couple, Holly Harvey's grandparents Carl and Sarah Collier wanted Holly to stop getting high and seeing Sandy. When the teenagers struck, it was with a depraved savagery few investigators had ever seen before. Dozens of deep, bloody stab wounds were found on each body. The Colliers fought for their lives-but never had a chance against their granddaughter's rage.
"Soaked in blood, Holly and Sandy took off in the Collier's truck. When police arrested them, Holly had a to-do lise written in pen on her arm: 'Kill, keys, money, jewelry.' The girls' lawyers battled furiously for an acquittal. Then it was up to a jury to decide: What price would they finally pay for their love, their rage-and their evil?"
Opinion: Another great true crime book from Dale Hudson. Unlike other true crime stories, this book did not focus on the court proceedings but more on the background of the girls. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

The Phantom of the Opera

Started: 5/29/08
Finished: 6/8/08
Year: 1911
Pages: 270
Genre: Classic
Grade: B
Reason for reading: one of the 1001 books you should read before you die, booksfree.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Filled with the color and theatrical spectacle of the Paris Opera House in the nineteenth century, and the ageless fascination of love transformed into murderous obsession, this classic work of mystery and suspense remains a riveting journey into the dark regions of the human heart. The tale begins as an investigation into the strange stories of an "opera ghost," legendary for making the performers at this great Paris art emporium apprehensive when they sit alone in their dressing rooms or walk alone in the building's labyrinthine corridors. Some even think they've seen the ghost in evening clothes moving in the shadows. But it isn't until the triumphant performance of sensual Christine Daae that a sense of dread begins to pervade the dim backstage areas and subterranean passages of the glorious opera house. Then the Phantom of the Opera begins to strike in an ever-increasing pattern of fear and violence that culminates in the startling disappearance of the beautiful young singer. A story that has captured the imagination of audiences in adaptations for almost a century, The Phantom of the Opera continues to thrill audiences to this day as an unparalleled work of sheer entertainment."
Opinion: I have seen the Broadway musical that is based on this novel. I find that the book is more enjoyable. It is filled with mystery and suspense and just overall fun.