The Harrowing (Alexandra Sokoloff)

Alexandra Sokoloff’s first novel following a successful career in adapting novels and suspense/horror scripts for Hollywood studios met with some success when it was published in 2006, earning her a Bram Stoker Award (horror) nomination.

The Harrowing is a little on the predictable side but an enjoyable read, as Ms. Sokoloff’s writing style is unstilted and flowing, with an easy-to-follow plotline that allows her characters to develop in the reader’s mind’s eye.

Five students at Baird College decide to hang around campus during Thanksgiving vacation, each with an unvoiced reason for disdaining a holiday trip home.

They come together – an unlikely group, each as unique as the other – in the dark, Victorian depths of Mendenhall, where an old Ouija board is found. Should they “play” it? Or not? To no reader’s surprise, they gather ‘round the board and begin their adventure.

Five students. Five students and … and what? The ghost of students past who died horrible deaths? Or something more evil and sinister?

Their discoveries continue to haunt them when the rest of the students return from Thanksgiving vacation. The five cohorts delve deep within themselves, bringing to surface their own prejudices and fears.

Their final confrontation with the Ouija entity is a fiery affair that whets one’s appetite for more stories by Ms. Sokoloff. She’s written two more since – The Price, and The Unseen. And she’s got another one (as yet untitled) on the way in 2010.

She also blogs on Murderati.com.

The Harrowing (2006)

Alexandra Sokoloff

St. Martin’s Press ($21.95)

ISBN-10: 0312357486

Sail (James Patterson)

I’m a big fan of James Patterson; I think you’ve heard me say that before. Well, I’m less of a fan now than I was before.

His book, Sail, is responsible for that. For some reason, Sail didn’t quite resonate with me.

It was more or less fine up until the point where the trial started, and then everything just whizzed by at hyper speed, as though Patterson and co-author Howard Roughan had a dinner to go to and they had to finish the book so they wouldn’t be late. The upshot? Huge gaps galore.

The premise of the story is interesting enough. Katherine Dunne and her three kids are off on a sailing cruise with her brother-in-law Jake – rather, her former brother-in-law, because her ex-husband had died in a boating accident.

The family-yacht cruise is supposed to help bring Katherine and kids together – no small feat, for one son is a druggie and her daughter is self-destructive. Young Ernie seems to be the only child who can hold it together. What it ends up being is a horrible experience for all.

Katherine’s current hubby, a hot-shot egotistical sleazy lawyer, has an agenda that’s made pretty obvious early on, robbing us of suspense and the exercise of trying to figure out who the real villain is whose trying to get rid of the family.

Some of the stuff is pretty incredible (as in “not credible”). A 20-foot shark is scared off by a flare gun … puhleeze! The family finds itself on a desert island … puhleeze! And they are rescued because of a Coke bottle … puhleeze!

There are some twists, but they aren’t anything to get excited about. The one regarding the sleaze ball lawyer and his girlfriend became obvious pretty early on, and the one at the end, I could see coming before it even got underway.

The book took only two and a half hours to read. That’s one reason why I generally like his books – they are page-turners. This time, I was turning pages back to see what it was that I’d missed. And you know what I discovered? I didn’t miss anything because there wasn’t anything there!

I wish Patterson would concentrate on writing more Women’s Murder Club and Alex Cross stories.

Sail (2008)

James Patterson and Howard Roughan

Little, Brown and Company ($27.99 list)

ISBN-13: 978-0316018708

Shadow of Power (Steve Martini)

I didn't get to sleep until 3:45 one morning. Shadow of Power has a way of doing that to you.

The last time I had read from the book was on a plane trip and I put it aside when we got home. I picked it back up when we were traveling again.

I had stopped quite conveniently a quarter ways through before the trial of Carl Arnsberg began. When I started reading again, the trial got underway and I just couldn't put the book down until the end.

Arnsberg had been accused of killing famous and controversial author Terry Scarborough, who has written a book revealing the existence of racial language in the U.S. Constitution. He is being defended by Paul Madriani, the hero of several Martini novels.

Steve Martini writes masterful courtroom scenes, going into the thoughts and strategies of the opposing attorneys, sweeping the reader along for the ride. The incisive cross-examinations of witnesses and off-venue pursuit of defensive material gives powerful insight into courtroom strategy and are an education in themselves.

Every little detail counts, every little verbal misstep can herald a setback in the prosecution's or defense's plans, critical when a defendant’s life is at stake.

There are red herrings, twists and surprises. And at the end, all is revealed.

I'd tell you what happened to Supreme Court Justice Arthur Ginnis and why he is so important to this case ... but THAT you have to find out for yourself.

Shadow of Power (2008)

Steve Martini

William Morrow ($28.75 list)

ISBN-13: 978-0061230882

Deed to Death (D.B. Henson)

I bought D.B. Henson’s Deed to Death on a whim when I browsed through the “Top 100 Paid” list of Kindle eBooks and found it sitting there at #71. The 99-cent price clinched the deal, and 30 seconds later I had it downloaded to my Kindle.

It’s not too bad a book, and in addition to being an easy read, it keeps you guessing until very close to the end.

Toni Matthews’ life is in a shambles, now that her fiancé Scott Chadwick is dead, an apparent suicide victim (at least that’s what everybody is telling her). The cops think so, her close friend Jill (wife of Mark’s partner Clint Shore) thinks so, even Scott’s best friend, attorney Mark Ross thinks so.

Unable to let it go, Toni begins investigating on her own, her suspicions zeroing in on Scott’s estranged brother, Brian, who has come to town for the funeral. Everything she discovers points to Brian. And everything Brian seems to be doing also leads the reader to believe that he indeed is the killer.

But why? Is it because Brian is contesting Scott’s will and promise to give much of his fortune and his new house to Toni even though they haven’t been married yet? Is it because Brian has hidden a GPS device in her car? Or is it because the author is leading us down a merry path?

Toni’s life is threatened, many shots are fired, and people are killed. Brian insists on his innocence and Toni believes him … and then she doesn’t. And then there’s Gloria. Who the heck is Gloria and why is she saying she and Scott had an affair?

Henson uses Toni’s profession as a real estate agent to take us through some of the procedures and policies followed when property sales take place – both residential and commercial. Think of it as a mini-course in realty. I learned a couple of new things.

Deed to Death will keep you reading through the night.

Deed to Death (1990)

D.B. Henson

Amazon Digital Services (Kindle ebook, $.99)

ASIN: B003J35IUW

The 9th Judgment (James Patterson)

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro make a great writing team; their Women’s Murder Club series is a pure delight. The latest installment – The 9^th Judgment – pretty much will involve everyone who reads it. It sure got me in the guts.

I could feel my stomach turning as I read. Not at the mysterious “Hello Kitty” cat burglar who specializes in heisting expensive jewelry from well-to-do woman, but at the despicable guy who is going around shooting young mothers and their little children.

San Francisco Detective Lindsay Boxer is the center of the story, drawn into the “Lipstick Killer” case (so called because of his cryptic messages written with his early victims’ lipstick). She is also investigating the murder of a former movie star’s wife, killed after the “Hello Kitty” burglar managed to escape from her bedroom.

As it turns out, the two cases are related, although Lindsay never discovers the fact.

Easy reading (as all Patterson novels are), The 9^th Judgment once again brings the Women’s Murder Club together – Detective Lindsay Boxer, reporter Cindy Thomas, medical examiner Claire Washburn, and attorney Yuki Castellano. (One of the original members, deputy district attorney Jill Bernhardt, was killed in the fourth WMC novel, 3^rd Degree.)

It’s interesting that one of the baddies is a likeable character, while the other is totally despicable. The nice one ends up finding happiness, and the horrible one finds only death.

Okay, so when’s the 10^th book coming out?

The 9^th Judgment (2010)

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Little, Brown and Company ($27.99 list)

ISBN-13: 978-0316036276

The 8th Confession (James Patterson)

In his fifth collaboration with Maxine Paetro, James Patterson continues the investigative work of the Women’s Murder Club – four professionals in different fields who share information to facilitate the solving of crimes in San Francisco.

As usual, the book – The 8^th Confession – follows a familiar pattern of at least two or three stories being explored simultaneously. In the side story, assistant district attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting a young woman accused of killing her mother, a trial that ends unexpectedly.

The main story opens with an exploding bus that kills its occupants and bystanders horrifically, then as Det. Lindsay Boxer begins her investigation, segues into a discovery of a man known as Bagman Jesus who has been murdered. Journalist Cindy Thomas follows up, wondering why nobody cares enough about this man who apparently is well-liked among the homeless.

The 8^th Confession goes through the usual Patterson twists and turns, but it isn’t until four-fifths way through the book that we find out what the connection is between the bus explosion, Bagman, and several seemingly impossible murders of high-profile, rich and powerful people.

Throughout it all, personal relationships threaten to break apart the cohesive teamwork of the Women’s Murder Club.

I like the Women’s Murder Club series. The pacing is crisp and informative and the chapters fly by quickly.

The next book in the series – The 9^th Judgment – is soon to be released in hardcover.

The 8^th Confession (2009)

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Little, Brown and Company ($27.99 list)

ISBN-13: 978-0316018760

7th Heaven (James Patterson)

James Patterson knows a good thing when he sees it. Or should I say his readers know a good thing when they read it. And his seventh book in the “Women’s Murder Club” series is proof of that.

Patterson wrote the first one himself, then teamed up with Andrew Gross for the next two. Books 4 through 8 were co-authored with Maxine Paetro.

The Women’s Murder Club consists of four women: San Francisco Police Dept. inspector Lindsay Boxer, assistant defense attorney Yuki Castellano, medical examiner Dr. Claire Washburn, and San Francisco Register crime reporter Cindy Thomas.

The characters are so well-known (via the books and TV series) that their last names aren’t even mentioned in this novel. By the time we get to this one, we already know who they are. I’m not convinced this is the best thing to do, but heck, it’s HIS book.

As usual in Patterson books, there are two plots working in 7^th Heaven. While Lindsay investigates a series of arsons that kill well-known people in their homes, Yuki defends a young man accused of killing a political writer planning to release a devastating letter written by Thomas Jefferson that exposes their bigotry.

I read 7^th Heaven on a flight back to Honolulu from San Francisco. Patterson’s books are easy reads – most chapters are one two to three pages, so the story develops quickly and moves along at a nice pace, making it hard for you to put the book down.

It’s a fast read. Or maybe it just seems that way because time flies when you read a Patterson book and you just NEED to turn the page.

Now … on to The 8^th Confession.

7^th Heaven (2009)

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Vision ($27.99 list)

ISBN-13: 978-0446536240

Historic Photos of Honolulu (Cliff Kapono)

There’s a sumptuous new coffee table book of Honolulu out, featuring old photographs of the city and its people. When I say old, I’m talking 1850 to 1970, a period of 120 years. Historic Photos of Honolulu was sent to me by the publisher for review, and I finally got a chance to put a couple of free hours together to peruse the work.

There are three keys to a good book of photographs. The first is to select great photographs from the greatest variety of sources. The second is to do extensive research that ties the social and commercial growth of the subject with the selected images. And lastly, the text and captions must be easy to read without sacrificing the importance of the research.

I am pleased to say that Historic Photos of Honolulu succeeds on all three fronts.

The book is printed exclusively in black and white. Yet like the great pre-Technicolor movies, the pictures are perfectly conveyed in this scheme. They benefited by some enhancement, but as the author (Clifford Kapono) says in his preface:

With the exception of cropping images where needed and touching up imperfections that have accrued over time, no other changes have been made to the photographs.

That’s quite a testament to the skills of the old-time photographers and their studio work, and the quality of their equipment and supplies.

There are a few “I didn’t know that” discoveries I made. I didn’t know that the song “Sweet Leilani” as sung by Bing Crosby while filming Waikiki Wedding in 1937 Hawaii won an Oscar for Best Song (Page 151). I didn’t know that the Halekulani is famous to this day for its coconut cake (Page 177).

Many of the pictures were personally nostalgic. I remember staying at the Alexander Young Hotel in 1954 overnight on a trip from Hilo to San Francisco. I remember staying at the Waikiki Biltmore Hotel in 1960 when my father took us kids to Honolulu on Thanksgiving so we could see the “big city” and not grow up to be “country hicks.”

Unfortunately, being a former newspaper editor in Los Angeles and writing professor at the University of Hawaii, I can’t help but be a bit critical of any inconsistencies that pop up in the captioning:

Pages 18-20: Throughout the book, captions on left-hand pages (verso) are flush left, and those on the right-hand pages (recto) are flush right – except on these three pages where somebody lost their focus.

Page 169: The word “further” in the sentence, “As the beach grew in demand, the local people moved further back from the shoreline” should be “farther.”

Page 187: The caption, “Palm trees wave in front of the Castle & Cooke Building in the 1950s” is just stating the obvious. I’ve always believed that pictures speak for themselves and that captions should provide additional information that brings the pictures to life.

Humor, whether intentional or not I don’t know, crept into the caption on Page 133: “This Chevrolet was a popular model of the times; today fancy imports and high-end luxury cars are seen all over Honolulu, most stuck in traffic.”

Actually, that last one is not a criticism, but rather an observation. Kapono does make political, social and cultural observations in his captioning – astutely, skillfully and tastefully. I rather enjoyed discovering these little tidbits.

If you get a chance to read the book, do so. Buy or borrow a copy and wander through it; in the process you will wander through a history of Honolulu, make a few discoveries of your own, and receive an education in Hawaii’s history and growth in the process.

Historic Photos of Honolulu (2008)

Clifford Kapono (Text and Captions)

Turner Publishing ($39.85 list)

ISBN-13: 978-1-59652-499-6