Crazy Like a Fox by Rita Mae Brown

Started: 11/27/17
Finished: 12/7/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 271
Genre: Mystery
Grade: DNF
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "As the calendar turns, the crisp October winds bode well for this year's hunting season. But before the bugle sounds, Sister Jane takes a scenic drive up the Blue Ridge Mountains for a board meeting at the Museum of Hounds and Hunting. Brimming with colorful stories and mementos from hunts of yore, the mansion is plunged into mystery when a venerable hunting horn is stolen right out of its case. The only clue, on a left-behind cell phone, is what seems to be a 'selfie' video of the horn's original owner, Wesley Carruthers-decreased since 1954.
"Odder still, Wesley's body was never found. When Sister makes a discovery that may explain his unsolved disappearance, it leads her back to the Jefferson Hunt at midcentury, with her faithful hounds at her side. But as the clues quickly mount, Sister is no longer sure if she's pursuing a priceless artifact, a thief, Wesley's killer...or a ghost. The only certainty is that someone wants to put Sister off the chase-perhaps permanently."
Opinion: I did not finish this-made it more than halfway. Just couldn't get into it even despite the amount of animals and their conversations. The writing and plot were fine. Think that me not being able to finish it is totally me.....not the writing.

Christmas, Present by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Started: 11/21/17
Finished: 11/21/17
Year: 2003
Pages: 132
Genre: Literature
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "A fourteenth wedding anniversary is nothing to sneeze at. Elliott Banner knows, but it's not exactly a landmark year-like fifteen, or twenty, when he plans to take his wife, Laura to Paris. But when a headache on the drive home from their anniversary date-two days before Christmas-turns out to be more than a migraine, he wishes he had celebrated every year as though it were their last."
Opinion: A disappointing average read by Mitchard. I have thoroughly enjoyed her other books but this one fell short. For a more complete review, please check out MyShelf.com

Dance of Death by Dale Hudson

Started: 10/27/17
Finished: 11/16/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 411
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Kimberly Renee Poole, 21, led a double life. The Winston--Salem, North Carolina area housewife and mother was also a topless dancer at a strip club. She craved jewelry, designer clothing and adulterous affairs with both men and women. Brent Poole, her hopelessly devoted spouse, could deny her nothin. But that wasn't enough for Renee. She wanted his money and his life.
"Murder moved from fantasy to reality after Renee Poole began an affair with John Boyd Frazier, a patron at the club where she worked. On the night of June 9, 1998, on the pretext of celebrating their third wedding anniversary, Poole lured her husband to an oceanfront hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. While their young daughter slept in the hotel room, Renee made love to Brent on the deserted beach-then delivered him to Frazier, who shot him dead.
"From the start, police knew Renee's story didn't add up, and the investigation that followed exposed the dark details of how Brent Poole's marriage to his dream woman ended in cold blood."
Opinion: I have always enjoyed Hudson's books and this one is no exception. This shows the complexity of the police investigation and the several court trials that Kimberly and John went through where they eventually were found guilty. Any True Crime fan will enjoy this book.

And Then He Was Gone by Joan Hall Hovey

Started: 10/25/17
Finished: 11/6/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 148
Genre: mystery
Grade: F
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb: woman's husband goes missing, she seeks the truth
Opinion: This is one of the most poorly written books that I have read. It was self-published. There are glaring spelling, grammar and names misused throughout the book. The premise is a great one and could have been well developed but I could not enjoy it due to the many errors-blame it on playing Scrabble with my family and being an avid reader since I was little.

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

Started: 9/21/17
Finished: 10/25/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 400
Genre: mystery/thriller
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "She is the girl with the dragon tattoo-a genius hacker and uncompromising misfit. He is a crusading journalist whose championing of the truth often brings him to the brink of prosecution.
"Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in a contact with a young female superhacker-a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering. Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Salander for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. The secret they are both chasing is at the center of a tangled web of spies, cybercrimimals, and governments around the world, and someone is prepared to kill to protect it..."
Opinion: As a fan of The Girl series, this one fits nicely along with the characters that were originally written/created by another author. Continued strong characterization and an interesting plot that works well with the characters.

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas

Started: 10/6/17
Finished: 10/18/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 414
Genre: Horror
Grade: A
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "At the end of a dark prairie road, nearly forgotten in the Kansas countryside, is the Finch House. For years it has remained empty, overgrown, abandoned. Soon the door will be opened for the first time in decades. But something is waiting, lurking in the shadows, anxious to meet its new guests...
"When best-selling horror author Sam McGarver is invited to spend Halloween night in one of the country's most infamous haunted houses, he reluctantly agrees. At least he won't be alone; joining him are three other masters of the macabre, writers who have helped shape modern horror. But what begins as a simple publicity stunt will become a fight for survival-the entity that have awakened will follow them, torment them, threatening to make them a part of the bloody legacy of Kill Creek."
Opinion: The best book I have read so far in 2017. For a more complete review, please look for my review on MyShelf.com

Desert Remains by Steven Cooper

Started: 9/26/17
Finished: 10/5/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 397
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Someone is filling the desert caves around Phoenix with bodies-a madman who, in a taunting ritual, is leaving behind a record of his crimes etched in stone. With no leads and no suspects, Detective Alex Mills sees the case spinning out of control. City leaders want it solved yesterday, and another detective wants to elbow Mills out of the way. As the body count rises, Mills turns to Gus Parker, an 'intuitive medium' whose murky visions sometimes point to real clues. It's an unorthodox approach, but Mills is desperate.
"When Parker visits the crime scenes, he sees visions of a house on fire and a screaming child. What does it mean? He struggles to interpret his psychic messages, knowing that the killer is one step ahead.
"Someone will win this contest, and both Parker and Mills fear it will be the cunning, ruthless killer, who uses the desert as a cover for his brutal crimes."
Opinion: This was a fairly good mystery but slightly predictable. It was well written with good character development.

The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver

Started: 9/10/17
Finished: 9/21/17
Pages:578
Year: 2007
Genre: mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Serving life in maximum security for masterminding the slaughter at a wealthy Carmel family, the unrepentant Daniel Pell may also be linked to another killing, a cold case that will heat up quickly it Kathryn Dance can get the confession she seeks. But when Pell escapes, a harrowing manhunt takes off-and Kathryn will race to uncover the secrets of the past from the lone survivor of Pell's bloodlust a teenager now, the little girl who hid in her bed to save her own life: The Sleeping Doll."
Opinion: A fun murder mystery, true to Deaver's style of writing. His original character, Lincoln Rhyme, pops his head in the story. An interesting twist at the end, which is how Deaver writes and keeps the story interesting.

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan

Started: 9/18/17
Finished: 9/19/17
Year: 2017 (this edition)
Pages: 345
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "When Mordecai Tremaine arrives at the country retreat of one Benedict Grame on Christmas Eve, he discovers that the revelries are in full swing in the sleepy village of Sherbroome-but so too are tensions amongst the assortment of guests.
"When midnight strikes, the partygoers discover that presents aren't the only things nestled under the tree...there's a dead body too. A dead body that bears a striking resemblance to Father Christmas. With the snow falling and suspicions flying, it's up to Mordecai to sniff out the culprit-and prevent anyone else from getting murder for Christmas."
Opinion: This has a very Agatha Christie feel to it-and it should since it was originally written in 1949. Lots of characters who had motive to kill the victim. Enough twists to make it interesting. Overall, if you're a fan of Agatha Christie, you will like this.

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

Started: 8/31/17
Finished: 9/8/17
Year: 2011
Pages: 486
Genre: Literature/Chick Lit
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "A Nantucket getaway may be just what Meredith Martin Delinn needs. Her perfect life has taken a sharp downturn since it's been revealed that her husband, Freddy, cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars. Hounded by the press, shunned by society, and separated from her sons, Meredith has no one to turn to-except her onetime best friend, Constance Flute.
"Although the women have recently been estranged, Connie agrees to bring Meredith along to her waterfront home. A season of retreat becomes a summer of second chances as both women, determined never to let themselves be hurt again, find their resolve tested by a handsome widower and the arrival of a blast from Meredith's past. Gradually Connie and Meredith realize that their hearts may be broken but they're sill beating.
Opinion: A strong book about the power of friendship. Not a lot of romance but enough to fit it into Chick Lit and the romance doesn't take away from the true takeaway of the book-friendship. I will probably check out another Hilderbrand book in the near future.

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

Started: 8/25/17
Finished: 8/29/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 368
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "On the Eastern Front are all the ingredients to make a monster. This brilliant orphaned child has demons lurking in the chambers of his memory, gouging him with fragments of his hideous past.
"If he can confront the demons in his heart and brain, he can find them in the flesh, hunt them down and achieve a kind of peace.
"A beautiful and exotic woman takes him to her heart, using every weapon and every wile at her command to save him from the dark, to stem the terrible forces unleased by Hannibal Lecter's first taste of blood."
Opinion: Fast paced read with short chapters. Stays true to the Hannibal series. Interesting way that Hannibal became the vicious man that he was. Overall a decent read.

A Taste of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers' Soul

Started: 8/24/17
Finished: 8/24/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 72
Genre: Memoir
Grade: B
Blurb: collection of short stories about how cats have affected people
Opinion: This was just a small collection of stories from the Chicken Soup for the Soul group. My grandmother had given me the book because she knows how much my cats mean to me. These stories were heartwarming.

Iris Grace by Arabella Carter-Johnson

Started: 8/20/17
Finished: 8/23/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 336
Genre: Biographical
Grade: C
Reason for reading: grabbed off the TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Iris Grace is different. From the moment she was born she found the world a strange and terrifying place: she neither smiled nor spoke. The doctors couldn't help, telling her parents she might never be able to communicate-she'd never call them mummy or daddy.
"But then Iris met Thula.
"This special kitten and Iris become instant best friends. They did everything together-painting, playing, bathing, snuggling, sleeping, exploring. And the a miracle happened: Iris said her first words.
"The story of the amazing bond between Iris and Thula is a heartwarming tale of finding hope and happiness in the most unexpected places.
"Because different really is brilliant."
Opinion: I was disappointed in this book. From the description, one would expect to hear about this amazing bond between cat and kid from the second chapter, not halfway through the book. Difficult story about what these parents have struggled with with their autistic child, but I didn't need half of a book to get it.

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Started:8/9/17
Finished: 8/18/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 460
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day's breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother's death When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage's grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can't, and they become companions.
"Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret-one that nobody else in town would ever suspect-and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well. With her own identity suddenly challenged, and the integrity of the closest friends she's ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she's made about her life and her family. When does a moral choice become a moral imperative? And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy?"
Opinion: It is very obvious that Picoult did a lot of research in writing this novel. Very well done, in depth storytelling. There were minor things that bugged me-that's why I gave it a B but it did not take away from the story. If you're a fan of literature or Picoult's other books, you will enjoy this one.

The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais

Started: 8/3/17
Finished: 8/9/17
Year: 2005
Pages: 356
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: grabbed from TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "In an alleyway in Los Angeles an old man, clutching faded newspaper clippings and gasping his last words to a cop, lies dying of a gunshot wound. The victim claims to be P.I. Elvis Cole's long-lost father-a stranger who has always haunted his son.
"As a teenager, Cole searched desperately for his father. As a man, he faces the frightening possibility that this murder victim was himself a killer. Caught in limbo between a broken love affair and way too much publicity over his last case. Cole at first resists getting involved with this new case. Then it consumer him. Now a stranger's terrifying secrets-and a hunt for his killer-give Cole a frightening glimpse into his own past. And he cant' tell if it's forgiveness or a bullet that's coming next..."
Opinion: A decent mystery. An interesting cliffhanger at the end that does get resolved. Enough twists and turns to keep readers interested but not overwhelmed about all of the possibilities.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Started: 7/28/17
Finished: 8/3/17
Year: 2006
Pages: 331
Genre: Biography
Grade: B-
Blurb (from back cover): "In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into a impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K-2. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one by fifty-five schools-especially for girls-in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit."
Opinion: This was a decent story about how someone set out on doing good in a known "bad" part of the world. I vaguely remember hearing about the building of the schools in Pakistan. It is impressive what Greg had to endure to get the schools built and how much the villages helped this American out.

Ghosthunting Oregon by Donna Stewart

Started: 7/25/17
Finished: 7/27/17
Year: 2014
Pages: 223
Genre: paranormal
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR
Blurb (from back cover): "Join us on a journey to some of the most haunted and fascinating places in Oregon! In Ghosthunting Oregon, author and paranormal researcher Donna Stewart visits more than 30 haunted sites throughout the Beaver State, from Portland to the coast to Columbia River Gorge. All of the places she covers are open to the public, so you can test your own ghosthunting skills if you dare.
"Join Donna as she explores each site, investigating eerie rooms and dark corners, talking to people who swear to their paranormal experiences, and providing you with first-hand accounts. Places you will go to include: Edgefield Manor-where you may encounter one of the many ghosts who were residents of the old poorhouse. Heceta Head Lighthouse-said to be the most haunted lighthouse in Oregon. Shanghai Tunnels-where the ghost of former prostitute Nina may appear and ask you to help her escape. White Eagle Saloon-where guests who stay in the former boarding house rooms do not always sleep alone.
"Ghosthaunting Oregon is a one-stop source for everything that goes bump in the night in the state, regardless of whether you just want to read about the locations or pull out maps and head out to visit them yourself. In addition to chapters on 32 haunted sites throughout Oregon, it includes detailed information on 'Visiting Haunted Sites,' a list of 50 'Additional Haunted Sites,' and useful 'Ghostly Resources.' So buckle up for a Haunted Road Trip that you will never forget."
Opinion: I enjoy the paranormal and learning the history behind alleged haunted sites. This book includes history and personal encounters from the author or people that she has interviewed at the sites. Some I had heard of and have visited (odd feelings at some of them) and some new ones that I had not heard of but now want to check out. If you're a fan of the paranormal and/or want to learn more about some interesting places in Oregon, then I would recommend this book.

The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly

Started: 7/3/17
Finished: 7/24/17
Year: 2013
Pages: 429
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "Mickey Haller gets the text 'Call me ASAP-187,' and the California penal code for murder immediately gets his attention. Murder cases have the highest stakes and the biggest paydays. But when Mickey discovers that the victim was a prostitute he once thought he had rescued, he knows there is no way he'll let this one go. The case is suddenly about more than the guilt or innocence of the defendant-it's about finding out what happened to a woman he cared about. Instead of saving her, Mickey might have been the one who put her in danger.
"Now Mickey must follow his gut instinct directly into a dangerous world of intrigue and double-dealing to get justice for both of her clients, living and dead. As he faces the 'gods of guilt'-the jurors who will deliver the ultimate verdict-he's forced to struggle with his personal demons for a shot at his own redemption."
Opinion: I have read several of Connelly's books and this one is similar to the others-good lawyer mystery. There were several little twists that seemed to be added just because. No real rhyme or reason and that was disappointing. Either they should be been developed or just not added-that's the reason for the B. Still an overall decent read.

The Fall by John Lescroart

Started: 7/6/17
Finished: 7/12/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 425
Genre: Mystery/lawyer/thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from back cover): "A teenage foster child plummets to her death from the overpass above San Francisco's Stockton tunnel. But did she fall...or was she pushed?
"Homicide inspectors focus their attention on a naïve middle school teacher who is also an advocate for foster children. When elements of his story seem to fall apart, Rebecca Hardy, now an associate at her father's law firm, finds herself drawn into the young man's defense.
"As the case rushes forward to trial. Rebecca and her father, attorney Dismas Hardy, find themselves battling not only an aggressive prosecutor and a disinterested police department, but their own client, who insists on going to trail immediately. And when a dying man's last words cast a surprising new light on the evidence and problems develop with a key witness, Rebecca and Dismas begin to glimpse the intricate web that connects a dead teenage foster child to the complex political and judicial machine that runs San Francisco."
Opinion: This was a great lawyer mystery. The court scenes were not overwhelming as some other authors. The mystery had some very interesting twists and turns-one in particular, I wasn't expecting. I would definitely recommend.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Started: 2/2/17
Finished: 7/5/17
Year: 2011
Pages: 849
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR shelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away-a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than fifty years ago when Harry Dunning's father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer.
"Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, is like-like Harry's, like America's in 1963-turning on a dime. Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession-to prevent the Kennedy assassination.
"So begins Jake's new life as George Amberson, in a different world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there's Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in live, every turn is leading eventually, of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful, and where history might not be history anymore.
"Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying."
Opinion: A different type of thriller from King. This one doesn't deal with rabid dogs or haunted cars.  This time it's time traveling and what happens when you change the past. I liked how King incorporated some of the kids from It and made them a part of the story. This was a rather fast-paced book despite it 800+ pages.

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

Started: 6/21/17
Finished: 6/27/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 321
Genre: Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Nobody knows that happened to Sarah Cook. The beautiful blond teenager disappeared fifteen years ago, the same night her pare0st were brutally murdered in their suburban Ohio home. Her boyfriend, Brad Stockton-black and from the wrong side of the tracks-was convicted of the murders and is now on death row. Though he's maintained his innocence all along, time is running out. His execution is only weeks away when his devoted sister insists she spied Sarah at an area gas station. Willing to try anything, she hires PI Roxane Weary to look at the case and see if she can locate Sarah.
"Brad might be in a bad way, but Roxane isn't doing so hot herself.  While she's still reeling from the death of her cop father in the line of duty, her main way of dealing with her grief has been working as little and drinking as much as possible. But Roxane finds herself drawn to the story of Sarah's vanishing act, especially when she links the disappearance to one of her father's unsolved cases involving another teenaged girl.
"The stakes get higher as Roxane discovers that the two girls may not be the only beautiful blond teenagers who've turned up missing or dead. As her investigation gets darker and darker, Roxane will have to risk everything to find the truth. Lives depend on her cracking this case-hers included."
Opinion: An interesting mystery. Some decent plot twists which add to the depth. Some details of Roxane's personal life were not needed and did not add to the story. I would recommend this to any mystery fan.

Einstein's Beach House by Jacob Appel

Started: 6/19/17
Finished: 6/21/17
Year: 2014
Pages: 188
Genre: Short Stories
Grade: C
Reason for reading: won book on LibraryThing.com
Blurb: a collection of fictional short stories
Opinion: I'm not an avid reader of short stories but this collection wasn't too bad. One story in particular, I had a hard time distinguishing that it was being told from a female point of view and that bothered me. Overall a decent collection.

Without Mercy by Jefferson Bass

Started: 6/13/17
Finished: 6/19/17
Year: 2016
Pages: 372
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton's latest case proves to be his most bizarre and merciless: A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found scattered in the woods of nearby Cooke County. The victim, a young male under the age of thirty, had been chained, hand and foot , to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his longtime graduate assistant, Miranda, dig deeper to establish his identity, they uncover warning signs that long-simmering hatred is about to explode in violence.
"Then, in the middle of the troubling investigation, the unthinkable happens. Sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield-the most frightening criminal Brockton has ever foiled-escapes from prison, bent on wreaking vengeance. And he's had two decades to prefect his plan.
"Killing Brockton isn't enough. Satterfield wants to make his nemesis suffer first by destroying everything Brockton holds dear: his son, daughter-in-law, grandsons-and even Miranda.
"Desperate to save those he loves, Brockton is torn between the forces that have guided his life and career-the pursuit of justice and the quality of mercy. If he can't reconcile the two, which will Brockton choose in his ultimate moment of truth?"
Opinion: As with the other Body Farm books, this is a great thriller. The story behind the man who was murdered and hung on a tree is an interesting story all within itself. Adding the component of Satterfield adds to it. Definitely well worth the read.

Escape from Dannemora by Michael Benson

Started: 5/10/17
Finished: 5/24/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 207
Genre: True Crime
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing
Blurb (from back cover): "It was one of the biggest crime stories of the decade-two deadly killers, desperate and on the run. After months of planning, Richard Matt and David Sweat cut, chopped, coerced, and connived their way out of a maximum-security prison in the wilderness of upstate New York and managed to elude police for three weeks, sending the region into lockdown. Veteran true-crime writer Michael Benson leads us along the story's every wild path to dig out a tale of adventure, psychology, sex, and brutality. Escape from Dannemora examines the strange case of Joyce Mitchell, the long-time prison employee who had a sexual relationship with at least one of the killers, and who smuggled them tools and aided in the escape, while they cooked up a plan to killer her husband. In the end, Benson looks closely at conditions at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New Tor, a crumbling Gothic pile now under investigation for charges of drug trafficking and brutality.
Opinion: A good read for any true crime fan or anyone who lives near Clinton Correctional Facility. This isn't like most true crime novels since it also includes a strong look at the prison system and its faults.

Bone White by Wendy Corsi Staub

Started: 4/7/17
Finished: 5/9/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 373
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf.com
Blurb (from back cover): ""We shall never tell.' Spurred by the cryptic phrase in a centuries-old letter, Emerson Mundy travels to her ancestral hometown to trace her past. In Mundy's Landing, she connects with long lost relatives-and a closet full of skeletons going back centuries.
"In the year since former NYPD Detective Sullivan Leary solved the historic Sleeping Beauty murders, she-like the village itself-has made a fresh start. But someone has unearthed blood-drenched secrets in a disembodied skull, and is hacking away at the Mundy family tree, branch by branch..."
Opinion: I have to admit that I got lost/confused in the first few chapters. Eventually I caught onto Corsi Staub's writing style (even though I've read other books by her) and enjoyed it. There was an interesting twist to some murders and looking back, I should have caught onto it earlier

Ghost Hunter's Guide to Portland and the Oregon Coast by Jeff Dwyer

Started: 4/20/17
Finished: 5/3/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 268
Genre: Paranormal
Grade: A
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): This comprehensive guide to the haunts and history of Portland and the surrounding areas explores more than ninety spectral sites. From the haunted Heathman Hotel to the restless souls of the Lone Fir Cemetery, from the wailing spirits trapped in the Shanghai Tunnels to the mournful Grey Lady of the Heceta Head Lighthouse, the storied past of the Oregon Coast can still be experienced. Relive the region's days as a series of frontier towns through the Gold Rush, wars, and modern times. This companion to publicly accessible sites includes ghost-hunting instructions and tips, as well as helpful checklists for getting the most of your next supernatural encounter."
Opinion: Saw this book at Powell's and had to buy it since I moved to the Portland area fairly recently and want to learn more about the history. This book contains some interesting spots, some that I was aware of and had some of my own paranormal feelings, and others that I was not aware of and really want to check out. A great book that I will be keeping.

The Drifter by Christine Lennon

Started: 3/23/17
Finished: 3/28/17:
Pages: 350
Year: 2017
Genre: Literature
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): For two decades, Elizabeth has tried to escape the ghosts of her past, tried to erase the painful memories, tried to keep out the terrifying nightmares. But twenty years after graduating from the University of Florida, her carefully curated life begins to unravel, forcing her to confront the past she's tried so hard to forget.
"Elizabeth and her two closest friend, Caroline and Ginny, are having the time of their lives in college-binge watching Oprah, flirting for freebies from Taco Bell, and breaking hearts along the way. But their world is suddenly shattered without warning when a series of horrific acts of violence ravages the campus, changing their lives forever."
Opinion: The characterization of Elizabeth was well done and developed. I found it strange that she would be friends with Caroline based on how Caroline's character was and was nicely told near the end of story where to go and how to get there. I found this more of a literature piece than a thriller. Still well done and I was engrossed.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Started 3/16/17
Finished: 3/20/17
Year: 2015
Pages: 323
Genre: Thriller
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: bookray on Bookcrossing.com
Blurb (from book jacket): "Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She looks forward to it. She's even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life-as she sees it-is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
"And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the loves of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?"
Opinion: My fiance and I had seen the movie first and thought that it was really good. I had been wanting to read the book for a while and got my change. The book is better than the movie and the movie did follow the book pretty well. Definitely some good suspense and a good thriller.

Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Started: 3/3/17
Finished: 3/13/17
Year: 2017
Pages: 292
Genre: mystery
Grade: B-
Reason for reading: review for LibraryThing.com
Blurb (from back cover): "On a warm August night in 1980, six college students are up to no good inside the dilapidated ruins of Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary. It's not long before they realize they are locked in and not alone, and the terrible night ends in tragedy. Years later, one of them-celebrity chef Jon Casey-will finally be charged with murder, but will Jon's old friend Judith Carrigan testify to his innocence? Judith is protecting long-held and hard-won secrets of her own, and to defend her friend, she risks sacrificing the life she has fought to build and losing her husband and son. In any life that contains a before and an after, how is it possible to be one person, not two?"
Opinion: Each chapter is taken from a different character's point of view and it was confusing at times to figure out who was talking. There really is no trial for Casey so the blurb is misleading. There are two stories in one-the murder and then who Judith really is. Judith's story should be one of its own and not included in this book

Bone Box by Faye Kellerman

Started 2/13/17
Finished 3/2/17
Year: 2017
Pages:  414
Genre: Mystery
Grade: C
Reason for reading: review for MyShelf
Blurb (from book jacket): "On a bright and crisp September morning, while walking a bucolic woodland trail, Rina stumbles upon human remains once buried deep beneath the forest floor. Immediately, she calls her husband, Peter Decker, a former detective lieutenant with the LAPD now working for the local Greenbury Police. Within hours, a vista of beauty and tranquility is transformed into a frenetic crime scene. The body has been interred for years and there is scant physical evidence at the gravesite: a youthful skeleton, a skull wound, and long, dark strands of hair surrounding the bones. As Decker and his partner, Tyler McAdams, investigate further, they realize that they're most likely dealing with a missing student from the nearby Five Colleges of Upstate-a well-know and well-respected consortium of higher learning where Rina works.
"And when more human remains are found in the same area, Decker and McAdams know this isn't just a one-off murder case. Short-staffed and with no convenient entree into the colleges, Decker enlists Rina's help to act as his eyes and ears on campus. Winding their way through a dangerous labyrinth of steely suspects and untouchable academics, Decker, McAdams, and Rina race to protect their community from a psychopathic killer still in the area-and on the hunt for a fresh victim.
Opinion: There seemed to be a lot of filler in this book. Lots of meaningless conversation that did not add to the mystery. And for that, I was disappointed. I've read other books by her and don't remember them to be so much filler. The mystery itself was interesting and had enough twists to keep me guessing.

Ghosts Among Us by Leslie Rule

Started: 1/26/17
Finished: 1/30/17
Year: 2004
Pages: 222
Genre: Paranormal
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, the stories of the supernatural in Ghosts Among Us: True Stories of Spirit Encounters will keep you riveted. Macabre and fascinating, Leslie Rule's latest book offers true-life haunting accounts of eerie visitations and paranormal experiences along with artistically shot black-and-white photographs of haunted sites. The personal firsthand reports and chilling full-length stories explore mysterious events across the country-from Nantucket Island to San Antonio to Hollywood-events that the reader will find hard to pass off as mere coincidences.
Opinion: I'm a believer in ghosts as energy just doesn't stop. Some of the first hand stories are more interesting than others. There were several that I wanted to know more about-history of the places, what else has happened to people, etc.

The Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allen Poe

Started: 1/17/16
Finished: DNF
Genre: horror/literature
Grade: no grade
Opinion: I didn't finish this because I was not in the mood. I had read several of his stories and poems in school and on my own years before. Some of the new to me stuff was much more historical in nature. I am still a fan of his but just couldn't get into the stories for some reason.

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

Started: 1/6/17
Finished: 1/16/17
Year: 2003
Pages: 384
Genre: fiction
Grade: B+
Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile
Blurb (from back cover): "This richly imagined novel, set in Hawaii'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place-and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
"Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end-but instead she discovers it is only just beginning."
Blurb: I had heard a lot about this book and finally managed to get a copy and read it. Definitely some heartfelt moments and characters that will stick with me for a while.

Daddy King: An autobiography by The Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr.

Started: 12/29/16
Finished: 1/3/17
Year: 1980 (this edition 2017)
Pages: 202
Genre: Autobiography
Grade: B
Reason for reading: review for Librarything.com
Blurb (from back cover): "Born in 1899 to a family of sharecroppers in Stockbridge, Georgia, Martin Luther King, Sr., came of age under the looming threat of violence at the hands of white landowners. Growing up, he witnessed his family being crushed by the wight of poverty and racism, and escaped to Atlanta to answer the calling to become a preacher. before engaging in acts of political dissent or preaching at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he would remain for more than four decades, King, Sr., earned high school and college diplomas while working double shifts as a truck driver-and he won the heart of his future wife, Alberta 'Bunch' Williams.
"King, Sr., recalls the struggles and joys of his journey: the pain of leaving his parents and seven siblings on the family farm; the triumph of winning voting rights for black in Atlanta; and the feelings of fatherly pride and anxiety as he watched his son put his life in danger at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Originally published in 1980, Daddy King is an unexpected and poignant memoir."
Opinion: Growing up, I always was aware of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for Civil Rights. I found it interesting how much his father did before he continued the movement. I hadn't realized the deep history of the movement and how it influenced the generations to come. A great story to tell and to have heard.