Tanenbaum, Robert K.
- Corruption of Blood
1995) Assistant D.A. Butch Karp, Manhattan, is hired to get to the bottom of the Kennedy assasination. Or is he?
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Tey, Josephine
Miss Pym Disposes
1947
I have been reading recently of others’ recommendations of books by this author and selected this one from those available at one of my local library branches. In it, Miss Pym finds herself the guest at Ley’s Physical Training College, where she was to give a lecture on psychology following publication of her popular book on the subject in which she attempted to dispell some of the notions she had read in other texts on the subject. She had intended to stay only one day but was convinced to remain longer, during which time she finds a clue which leads her to believe an accident in the gymnasium may have actually been a murder.
Miss Pym plays her part as the quintessential observer. Her position as an outsider makes her the object of others’ hopes and confidences. Her attempt to inject her own opinion into a disagreement with her old acquaintance, the college principal who invited her, is unsuccessful. As the title suggests, however, it is the course of action agreed upon by Miss Pym which wraps up the mystery after she struggles with her own conscience and feelings about her obligations.
This was a delightful story, and a pleasant read for a summer afternoon’s leisure. The main character’s common sense and wit make her a nice companion for a mystery in a civilized setting. Although I do enjoy the heart-pounding, page-turning, grisly narrative of the modern thriller, a book such as this is a refreshing change of pace with plenty of suspense, an oasis for escape from the sometimes overwhelming pall of the news and fears that color our views as we approach the end of a millennium.
Reviewed 10/30/99.
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Romeo
Elise Title
1996
Bantam Paperback
"Romeo" is the name given to a serial killer by psychologist Melanie Rosen, who works with police at profiling the killer who targets educated and successful women. When she becomes Romeo's fifth victim, her sister, Sarah, baits the killer in an attempt to get him to make a mistake and expose himself. Meanwhile, the investigation turns up more than anyone ever wanted to know about Melanie's secret life. Reviewed 12-13-99.
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Tooley, S. D.
Nothing Else Matters
2000
U.S. & U.K. Editions: Full Moon Publishing Hardcover
This is the second "Sam Casey" mystery. Sam is a police officer who was hospitalized in order to help her deal with the emotional trauma resulting from her involvement in an explosion, problems which are complicated by her abilities to "see" things related to violent acts, and the fact that she is pregnant and not on good terms with her husband, a police officer with the same Agency for which she was working. She has also been suspended from the force, and is suffering from nightmares because of the similarity of these events to the death of her father.
In this book, she gets the opportunity to help resolve a couple of mysterious deaths connected with some counterfeit printing plates, albeit in a private capacity rather than as a police officer, when her special "sight" ability gives her an edge over the police. The actions of the conscience-less killer are tracked alongside the progress of the investigation.
With elements of romance, mystery, and the supernatural, this book sometimes seems to be going in too many directions at once. Despite this, it flowed along well, and I am interested in reading other books in the series. Sometimes it takes a couple books in a series to really get a grip on the characters.
This mystery relies mostly on plot to move it forward. With the activities taking place on various fronts, it teases the reader onward. The book ended with a surprising twist.
If you like the sound of this one, I'd recommend trying
The Good Die Twice
by Lee Driver, also published by Full Moon Publishing. This book also contained elements of mysticism and ESP, as well as American Indian culture. It is the first book in the series and has characters you'd have to try hard not to like!
Added 5-10-00...
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Trevanian
The Summer of Katya
Published 1983
This book is showing out of print, but you can order it from
Half.com.
Just click the link and do a search on the book title or author name.
Perhaps a woman of mystery is not always such a good thing as young Dr. Montjean learns in this psychological thriller.
A young doctor is resigned to spending an internship in a sleepy little town because his school record is less than sterling. Here he will serve under the tutelage of a man whose specialty, "women's problems," gives him the opportunity to discreetly relieve some of his own. Montjean, with few demands on his time, becomes attracted to a mysterious and beautiful young woman whose family lives in virtual isolation, making them the subject of much speculation by town residents.
His infatuation grows, perhaps spurred by the actions of the young lady's mercurial brother, who tries to encourage restraint in Montjean's attentions towards sister Katya by holding out the possibility of violence by the father if he became aware of Montjean's intentions.
This is a very well done psychodrama with a surprising ending. I read this in the wake of two other books concerning misadventures of young men in love: "Sons & Lovers" (D.H. Lawrence) and "The Red and the Black" (Stendhal). These three books together create a fairly frightening view of young love. Perhaps you should encourage your teenaged daughters to read all of them!
I've enjoyed other Trevanian books immensely. Each one has been unique, well researched, and a pleasure to read. This was no different.
Incident at Twenty-Mile
Twenty-Mile, a Wyoming town twenty miles from an arbitrarily chosen surveying point, is home to fifteen residents when, in 1898, a young man arrives to make his home there. No one can understand why he would want to stay in this dying town which barely survives based on weekend trade from a silver mine farther down the rails. Then, in the wake of the newcomer, three strangers arrive and take over.
What follows shows the spine, or lack thereof, of the people in this isolated town as they deal with the assault on their previously quiet way of life. A well-turned tale with realistic characters, this book is a welcome addition to the previous books by this author after a 15 year silence.
Also recommended by this author:
Search for out of print books here.
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Turow, Scott
Also on video: Presumed Innocent, starring Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, Raul Julia, and Bonnie Bedelia.
See also the
Scott Turow page.
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