"Echo Park" by Michael Connelly

Echo Park by Michael Connelly is a fast-paced murder mystery involving conspiracy, deceit, politics, greed and justice. Harry Bosch is a detective in the unsolved case department of the LAPD and is determined to get to bring the killer of Marie Gesto to justice. Her body was never found but his instincts tell him that some rich guy with a bad temper was responsible. The problem was he couldn’t prove it, even after bringing him in for questioning on three separate occasions. Then he finds out that a serial killer has confessed to killing her as well. The only problem is, Harry doesn’t believe it even after talking with him face-to-face. 

Harry confides in Rachel Walling, an FBI agent that he is attracted to, about his suspicions and she helps him in his investigation. They uncover a conspiracy with the killer to get him off. The theme is that everyone has choices which lead to what type of person you become.

I liked the action in this book as well as the insight into the thinking of Detective Bosch all through the book. The suspense and excitement when Harry was with the serial killer during questioning, in the woods and the final confrontation was riveting! You would think it would end there, but it doesn’t. I highly recommend this book if you like criminal law or mysteries and suspense when the good guys win in the end.
(Karen's Review)

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"Dog Boy" by Eva Hornung

You Have To Read This Book!
Dog Boy by Eva Hornung got my interest from page one and kept it!  I flew through this book!  What really makes this book is that the writing is superb!  The book evolves around a 4-yr.-old boy left abandoned by his mom and uncle.  He follows and is befriended by a group of wild dogs.  I’ve never read a book like this before with this kind of story.  Give this book a read.  I think you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review 4/9/10)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Winter Garden" by Kristin Hannah

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah is such a good book!  It is complex, mysterious, fully of secrets, informative, touching, multifaceted, and full of meaning.  I enjoy books about family relationships and this one is one of the best I ever read.  The older sister, Meredith, always tried to please everyone else, and Nina, an adventuresome photojournalist, are sisters with very different personalities but both feel unloved by their mother, Anya, until they learn her background after their father dies.

The father loved his family very much and his dying wish was that his wife and daughters would become close and love each other too.  The author skillfully conveys much about Russian culture and what it is like to live in a war-torn country through Anya’s account of her life in the form of a fairy tale which is a puzzle her daughters eventually piece together. 

I enjoyed reading how the mother and daughters were reconciled and liked the bitter sweet ending.  All the main characters were well developed and the author also gives insight into love and marriage issues through the various characters.  This book shows how strong women can be when it comes to protecting their family.  I found the way the peasants in Russia lived through the war very interesting.  It also shows how the past affects our present life and how relationships improve when we make an effort to really get to know others.  This is a family saga definitely worth reading.   I look forward to reading more of Kristin Hannah’s books, this was my first and I highly recommend it.

Here's what the author says about it:


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Whatcha Reading Wednesday--July 28

Busy Mom's Who Love To Read is sponsoring this so visit there and link up.

This is how "Whatcha Reading Wednesdays" works this week...

Pick up the book you are currently reading. Go to page 100 and type that very last complete sentence on the page.  

If it is a spoiler at all be sure to put **Spoiler Alert** at the top of your comment (like if the selection announces the death of an integral character or something).

Here is mine for this week: 

"You said that after the first two killings he chose victims he could

pull beneath the surface without notice."

 Echo Park by Michael Connelly

"Blacklands" by Belinda Bauer

Blacklands by Belinda Bauer was a bit slow moving I thought for a suspense novel but it did keep my interest.  A 12-yr-old boy named Steven writes to the serial killer in jail to try to find out where the killer buried his uncle Billy who was killed when he was just a boy.  I liked the way the letters were written and how suspense built up to when Steven and the killer confronted each other.  It didn’t end like I expected.  It's good and I recommend it
(Karen's Review 4/18/10)  


Blacklands by Belinda Bauer is awesome!  I finished it in just two days because it was almost impossible to put down.  This book is about Steven, a 12-yr-old boy who wants to find where a killer buried his uncle.  He decides to write to the killer in prison and the letters back and forth between the killer and Steven is very interesting!  This is Belinda Bauer’s first book, but I’ll be looking for the next one--super job!

(Gerard's Review 4/9/10)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?