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(originally posted on June 11, 2007)
Ghelfi bursts onto the thriller scene with the assured and confident voice of a veteran of many such outings. In Alexei "Volk" Volkovoy, we have a hero whose behavior is distinctly Russian even as his actions and emotional makeup can appeal to American readers. Lee Child and Barry Eisler fans should take note of this newcomer.
(originally posted on June 11, 2007)
Perhaps (erm) ironically, this was my most anticipated BEA galley and boy, did it ever live up. A smart girl with a boy haircut, pirates, talking fridges and musical numbers? How could I not love this book? But it more than helps that Kress already knows how to engage the reader with a lively voice and a rollicking story that makes me want to read lots more about Alex and her high-spirited adventures.
(originally posted on June 11, 2007)
I've been searching high and low for a really good YA mystery - they are rarer than you think - and I do believe I've found one in the form of math educator Lichtman's first book for teens. Not only does every chapter have some correlation to an algebra theorem and lead character Tess deals with problems in math, friendship and boys, but the mystery-solving elements are better crafted and explained than many an amateur sleuth book for adults. For math and mystery geeks of any and all ages.
(originally posted on June 11, 2007)
The ending doesn't quite deliver as I expected but the first 200-odd page are about as brilliant as I've read in a while. I could literally feel myself getting lost in Ward's understated yet driven prose that seems to dive so deep into the hearts and minds of her characters and their many, many flaws. It's about forgiveness, about self-acceptance (and the lack thereof) and most important, about how there are no absolutes in life - even about the most horrific subjects.
(originally posted on June 11, 2007)
As I read Wilson's debut novel, a small revisionist part of me wondered what would have happened if, say, Hard Case Crime had published it with a retro-lurid cover. But even though THE INTERLOPER has all the pleasures of a pulp novel, it clearly aims - and delivers - on its more cerebral premise of identity clouding, revenge and dissonance in a way that moves beyond mere entertainment for entertainment's sake. We may squirm as Owen's life spins out of control, but the descent is so gloriously tracked that it's easy to applaud Wilson's efforts.
(originally posted on May 10, 2007)
Of course I am going to pick this - never-before-collected travel pieces by my all-time-favorite writer and personality? How could I not? While some pieces hold up better than others, it's the sheer joy of having Shel's travels from London to Africa to "Hashbury" and back in one volume, complete with extra information from Hef and Mitch Myers, that makes it a must-own.
(originally posted on May 10, 2007)
Goodman's keen eye focuses sharply on the world of scientific research and the result is both brutal and brilliant. No one, not the administrators, scientists, postdocs and lab techs, is unscathed and yet all are presented with utter humanity. INTUITION is almost old-fashioned in feel what with the omniscient narrator, but does Goodman ever pull it off - and really <i>gets</i> the microcosm of scientific academia.
(originally posted on May 10, 2007)
The best way to describe how good this debut is that I didn't just read it in one go, but because I was on the subway, so engrossed in finding out what happened next, I got off at the right stop (thank goodness) and sat in one of the waiting chairs reading furiously until I was done. It's scary, stylish, literate and very well done.
(originally posted on May 10, 2007)
Okay, you say, a coming-of-age novel from a young writer: what's so great about it? Well what's great is that Dolnick tells a good story and really understands the awkwardness of being young and aimless. He doesn't reach beyond his grasp and doesn't overextend himself but still has enough of a voice to suggest greater things in the future. Not every young writer has such a strong grasp of their current self, not their imagined ones.
(originally posted on May 10, 2007)
Burke leaves Samatha Kincaid and Portland temporarily behind to set this novel, first in a new series, in the thick of Manhattan where a killer preys on young women after finding them through an online personals network, and NYPD cop Ellie Hatcher is tasked with finding him. She's likeable, capable and doesn't succumb to any vapors while Burke keeps a nicely tuned amount of tension that builds to a strong finish. Those who like Lisa Gardner and Allison Brennan should pick this book up in July.
