The Murder Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer

First Sentence: Dust flecked with blood, shards of debris and bone, smoke so thick he can’t breathe or see or maybe he’s gone blind; the noise, horrific a moment ago, leveling out to a dull thump, thump, thump in his eardrums until it dissolves into an absence of sound as if the world had exploded and he is the lone survivor.


The Murder Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer
William Morrow, 2008 (ARE)
Crime Fiction (MYS); 390 pgs

I seem to be unable to read Jonathan Santlofer’s books in order. It is my own fault, of course. Fortunately, The Murder Notebook, the second book featuring police sketch artist, Nate Rodriguez, stands well on its own. Having read Colorblind by the same author several years ago, I had kept meaning to read something else by him, however, the time was never right. When this novel was offered on Library Thing’s Early Reviewer Program, how could I resist the opportunity? From the start, I could tell I was in for a wild ride.

Asked to help reconstruct the face of a murder victim that had been burned in an effort to cover up a murder, Nate Rodriguez could not be more eager to put his forensic anthropology skills to the test. However, the recent unsolved murder of a college student has the New York Police Department in a noose that is growing tighter and tighter as the media and public demand resolution. Nate, having assisted the homicide unit in solving a major case not too long ago, is pulled into the current investigation. Both he and his girlfriend, Terri Russo, the leader of the task force to catch the murderer, are reluctant about working together at first, but as events unfold, the two prove to be well matched.

With another man brutally murdered, the stakes grow even higher. The pieces of the puzzle do not seem to fit. With the threat of the FBI getting involved, Terri knows she must search out the answers and fast. The victims seem to have nothing in common and when their killers begin dying as well, the puzzle only grows more complicated.

Nate Rodriguez is settling into himself. He is struggling with guilt and the role he believes he played in his father’s death. He is on the outside, never quite fitting in with the other homicide cops. Nate is stubborn, a characteristic which plays into the fact that he does not give up easily, especially when walls are thrown up to thwart his efforts. Terri Russo has worked hard to earn her position as lead of the task force. She knows her position is precarious in a male dominated field. She takes her lumps and does the best she knows how.

Both characters are complex, and the author appears to have taken great care in making them as authentic as possible. The attention to detail and the descriptions of facial expressions give away the author’s artistic nature. In addition, the artwork throughout the book adds an extra dimension to the novel as a whole as well as to Nate’s character, some of the sketches helping the story along more than others.

Jonathan Santlofer creates an edgy and thought provoking novel. While at times it seems unbelievable, the story is not so far off reality as we may want to believe. The author combines careful research with and an entertaining fictional story. The Murder Notebook lived up to my expectations. It definitely was one wild ride.

Rating: (Good)

Visit the author's website for more information about Jonathan Santlofer and his books.

Medical Mystery Madness Challenge Wrap Up

I jumped at the opportunity to join in on Debi's Medical Mystery Madness Challenge as soon as I heard about it. I went through my TBR collection looking for the perfect books to read. I have so many medical mysteries that it made the final decision difficult, but I finally settled on some older books that had been sitting on my shelves for quite a while. The challenge was to read two or more medical mysteries between July 1st and November 1st.

Medical Mystery Selections:
Brain Dead by Eileen Dreyer
Life Support by Tess Gerritsen
The Society by Michael Palmer
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater


What was my favorite medical mystery novel book of the four I read?

It is such a close call for this one. I am going to have to go with Michael Palmer's The Society, followed closely by Life Support by Tess Gerritsen.

What book could I have done without?

None of the books I read for this challenge turned out to be a disappointment. And while none of them knocked my socks off, each were entertaining, and I came away satisfied overall with my reading experience.

Did you try out a new author for this challenge? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

Three of the authors were completely new to me. Tess Gerritsen was the only author whose work I had read before, and I had only read one of her books before, that being Life Support. I definitely hope to read more by all four of the authors.

What was the best part of the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge?

The best part of this challenge was trying new authors I had been wanting to try for quite a while now. Susan Slater's book had been in my TBR collection since before I began keeping track and Michael Palmer's since 2004.

I also enjoyed visiting the blogs of other challenge participants and learning what other medical mysteries are out there. There are a variety of authors I have yet to try, some I had never heard of before, and even more I have heard of that I haven't yet read. My wish list has been growing by leaps and bounds, not only because of this challenge, but all of them.

Many thanks are due to Debi at Caught Between Worlds for hosting this fun challenge.

Life Support by Tess Gerritsen

Life Support by Tess Gerritsen
Pocket Star Books, 1997
Suspense/Thriller; 372 pgs

Completed: 09/24/2007
Rating: (Good)


First Sentence: A scalpel is a beautiful thing.

Reason for Reading: This is my final selection for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge.

From the Publisher: New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen weaves authenticity into another novel of searing medical suspense, as a dedicated woman doctor probes into the cause of a mystifying and lethal outbreak.

The quiet overnight shift at Springer Hospital ER suits Dr. Toby Harper just fine -- until she admits a man in critical condition from a possible viral infection of the brain. The delirious man barely responds to treatment -- and then disappears without a trace. Before Toby can find him, a second case occurs, revealing a terrifying fact: the virus can only be spread through direct tissue exchange. Following a trail of death that winds from a pregnant sixteen-year-old prostitute to her own home, Toby discovers the unthinkable: the epidemic didn't just happen -- someone let it loose . . .

Comments: It was not my intention to pick two books for this challenge which involve the suspicious deaths of the elderly and main characters who are caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s Disease. The similarities between Eileen Dreyer’s Brain Dead and Tess Gerritsen’s Life Support end there. Well, almost. There is a little romance and Dr. Toby Harper is not the type of woman to take anything lying down. She is tough, intelligent and read to defend her good name, whatever it costs. All of which bears a resemblance to the main character in Brain Dead.

Tess Gerritsen certainly has the talent to write a page-turner that is full of suspense. She is also not afraid of tackling serious ethical issues (to give away the ethical issues would give away a major plot point). She succeeded with her novel Harvest, the first book I read by the author, and she does it again with Life Support. Her medical knowledge and research add to the realism of what may at times seem like an unbelievable story--at least a story that a person would rather not believe. The reality of it is just too frightening to consider.

While I did not always agree with Toby’s recklessness, I admire her determination. The strain on her shoulders both professionally and on a personal level as the mystery unfolded was clear and painful to see. The author did a great job of bringing that out in her writing. I wanted very much for Toby to land on top. Dr. Dvorak, the medical examiner, was the perfect balance for the at times high-strung Toby. His reserve and logical manner suited her more assertive flare. The side story, that of Molly Picker the teenage prostitute, pulled at my heartstrings. The poor girl had no one to turn to and was dependent only on her pimp and the kindness of others. Both she and Toby were in a race against time, one for her life and the other in search of the truth.

I was left with a few questions near the end regarding the events as they unfolded, but in general, Life Support is an enjoyable thriller that was both entertaining and compelling. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Favorite Parts: Early on in the novel, just as the trouble is beginning to start, Toby comes home from work, relieves her mother’s hired companion and is planning to go to bed and try and sleep. Instead, she joins her mother in the garden where her mother is pulling weeds. The love and loyalty that Toby feels for her mother could not be more clear in that moment. It was a heartwarming scene.

Another one of my favorite scenes is when Molly and Toby meet. Seeing Molly put her trust in someone and the way Toby responded to Molly gave me a sense of relief for Molly, who I had come to care about quite a bit. Molly suddenly was not so alone in the world.

One of my favorite author's blogs just happens to be Tess Gerritsen's blog and website. Stop in and take a look. She has links to her books and other interesting tidbits you might find
interesting.

Brain Dead by Eileen Dreyer

Brain Dead by Eileen Dreyer
Harper Collins, 1997
Mystery; 406 pgs

Completed: 09/20/2007
Rating: (Good)

First Sentence: The angel of death came at dawn.

Reason for Reading: This is my 3rd selection for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge.

From the Publisher: When trauma nurse Timmie Parker moves from California to her old hometown in Missouri, it seems her hope for turning her life around will finally be realized: She is miles away from her bitter ex-husband, respected and admired by her new coworkers and renewing her ties to her family. Then the bodies begin to pile up.

Elderly patients from Restcrest, a highly regarded and innovative senior citizen care facility attached to the hospital, keep dying in her ER, and Timmie wants to know why. But when she tries to search for answers, she gets caught in a tangled mystery that seems dangerously linked to her new friends and to the welfare of her own father. She finds an ally in Daniel Murphy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who offers her much-needed support. Together, they embark on an investigation that promises to send Murphy soaring to the top of his profession, but which also threatens to suck Timmie into a deadly conspiracy that could cost her not only her job and peace of mind, but also her life.

Comments: After reading Lynne's thoughts of Brain Dead, I was a little worried. I reminded myself that I enjoy books like this in general and had heard good things about other books by the author. Fortunately, my experience with Brain Dead was more favorable than hers had been.

I was not sure how I felt about Timmie at first, but she grew on me fairly quickly. Timmie is definitely the rebel, a woman with her own mind and who jumps into the fray readily. She thinks fast on her feet and can handle just about any crisis that comes her way. Professionally, she’s the best at what she does. She is a bit of an adrenaline junkie, working best when under pressure. Her personal life, on the other hand, is not so well nurtured and cared for—and it shows. She is the mother of a 6-year-old daughter who desperately needs her mother’s attention after her parents’ bitter divorce; the ex-wife of a drug addict who continues to harass her; and the daughter of man suffering from stage 2 Alzheimer’s, a man she is struggling to care for on her own without much success.

I liked Daniel Murphy, Timmie’s sidekick, from the start. He is smart and laid back. Although at first reluctant to get involved, he knows he would not be able to help it. Like with Timmie, getting to the truth is in his blood. He is not a perfect leading man, by any stretch. Like the best of characters, he is flawed, having moved to Missouri to get away from personal demons of his own. Daniel and Timmie balance each other out well.

Just when it seemed that there was too much going on at once, the author begins to bring the story together, fitting all the pieces together and tying up loose ends. It came as no surprise, as I suspected early on what the ultimate motive was. The who did evade me for a while, but I had that figured out long before Murphy and Timmie did.

The novel was full of other interesting characters as well, some better developed than others. Most seemed typecast and two-dimensional. This is definitely a plot driven novel, as most mystery novels tend to be. It picks up speed rapidly near the end although was relatively suspenseful throughout. There was always something going on and it’s a wonder Timmie was able to hold it together for as long as she did. Overall, I enjoyed Brain Dead. It is probably not a book that I will remember a year from now; but in the moment, it was well worth the time spent reading it.

Favorite Part: There is a moment in the book when Timmie lets down her guard with Murphy and shares with him the turmoil she’s been feeling and keeping inside for so long. Her father, so loved by everyone in the community, had a darker side. She struggled with warring emotions: loving him on the one hand and hating him on the other. Although it’s obvious how she feels right from the start of the book, she never fully admits it to anyone until her talk with Murphy. Eileen Dreyer captured the pain and anguish Timmie felt perfectly in that moment.

For information about the author and her books, visit Eileen Dreyer's website.

Miscellaneous: I am struggling with what to read next. I have two review books I need to read, but the book that is calling my name the loudest right this moment is not either one of those two. I hate it when this happens.

The Society by Michael Palmer

The Society by Michael Palmer
Bantam, 2004
Mystery (Medical); 351 pgs

Completed: 08/16/2007
Rating: (Good)

First Sentence: 4,013,864.

Reason for Reading: I came across The Society soon after it was published and added it to my Mystery Guild order back when I still belonged to the club. The novel has set on my shelf for 3 years now (*hanging head down in shame*). It was a perfect fit as my second selection for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge and my final choice for the Summer Mystery Reading Challenge.

From the Publisher: At the headquarters of Boston’s Eastern Quality Health, the wealthy and powerful CEO is brutally murdered. She’s not the first to die—nor the last. A vicious serial killer is on the loose and the victims have one thing in common: they are all high-profile executives in the managed care industry. Dr. Will Grant is an overworked and highly dedicated surgeon. He has experienced firsthand the outrages of a system that cares more about the bottom line than about the life-and-death issues of patients. As a member of the Hippocrates Society, Will seeks to reclaim the profession of medicine from the hundreds of companies profiting wildly by controlling the decisions that affect the delivery of care. But the doctor’s determination has attracted a dangerous zealot who will stop at nothing to make Will his ally. Soon Will is both a suspect and a victim, a pawn in a deadly endgame. Then, in one horrible moment, Will’s professional and personal worlds are destroyed and his very life placed in peril.

Rookie detective Patty Moriarity is in danger of being removed from her first big case—the managed care killings. To save her career, she has no choice but to risk trusting Will, knowing he may well be the killer she is hunting. Together they have little to go on except the knowledge that the assassin is vengeful, cunning, ruthless—and may not be working alone. That—and a cryptic message that grows longer with each murder: a message Grant and Moriarity must decipher if they don’t want to be the next victims.

Comments: Occasionally I read a book that upon finishing, I immediately think, "Gee, that would make an entertaining movie!" This is one of those times. Admittedly, the books I most often have this thought about tend to include intense action sequences. What can I say? I love a good action flick.

Michael Palmer has a good reputation as a medical thriller writer, and so I was excited about reading one of his books for the first time. After the first several pages, I began to have doubts, worried that the book would become too preachy about the negatives of managed health care. Regardless of the fact that I agreed with the main character’s concerns regarding the state of the health care system in the United States, I do not care for being lectured when reading a novel. Fortunately, those doubts were soon laid to rest as the story took off at break neck speed. Mr. Palmer sets the political stage quickly and moves on, adding real life anecdotes into the story where appropriate, and returning to the politics only as it suits the story.

Dr. Will Grant is one of those characters that is almost too good to be true--intelligent, charming, charitable, good at heart, and a good surgeon. Never mind that he has a crazy ex-wife and heavy financial burdens. His counterpart in the novel, Detective Patty Moriarity, balances out his gentleness with her toughness. She is the daughter of a colonel of the state police and knows she has to prove that she is qualified for the job on her own merits. She is another one of those strong female characters who I enjoy reading about, one who does not require a man to save her at the end of the day. There is nothing helpless about Patty.

Although I figured out at first glance who was behind the murders, The Society still made for an entertaining book to read. Would Will be able to get out from under the scandal that had been thrust on him? Would Patty be kicked off the case? And what exactly is the motive behind the murders? Is it as clear-cut as the police seem to believe? Or is it something more sinister? When the truth does come out and the motive becomes clear, well, it's horrifying.

Fast placed, intense, and entertaining, The Society had me on the edge of my seat through most of the book. Suspension of disbelief is a must, although the concerns and problems surrounding managed health care today in the U.S. must not be disregarded out of hand.

Favorite Part: There are several strong female characters in this novel, including Susan Hollister, Grace Peng Davis, Patty Moriarity, and Gloria Davenport. My favorite of the bunch is probably Patty, although Grace Peng Davis comes in at a close second. She had a difficult life and even with her most recent troubles, she remained strong and spirited.

The “Doctor Laywer” Augie Micelli was also among my favorite characters. When it came down to it, he came through for his clients.

My favorite scene of the novel is perhaps one of the most unbelievable moments, I’ll be the first to admit. Unfortunately for you, I have to remain mum or else I’d be giving too much away.

Note about the Author: American Visit the author's website to learn more about him as well as his books.

Miscellaneous: My issues of Bookmarks and The New Yorker came in the mail today! Yay! I wonder if I will actually fit reading time in for them. I have a nasty habit of letting magazines pile up . . .

Oh! And best of all, I learned from Kris over at Not Enough Books that I won a copy of Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw in a recent drawing she held. It's the first in a promising new mystery series. I know, I know. Just what I need, to start another series.

The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater

The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater
World Wide Mystery, 1999
Mystery; 252 pgs

Completed: 06/30/2007
Rating: (Good)

First Sentence: The owl winged noiselessly across the moon’s path and settled on a pine bough above his head.

Reason for Reading: I have had Susan Slater’s Ben Pecos mystery series sitting on my shelf for some time now and thought the Summer Mystery Reading Challenge would be a great way to finally dive into the series and try an author I had yet to read before. The Pumpkin Seed Massacre is the first book in the series. This is also my first selection for the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge.

Synopsis: Native American psychologist Ben Pecos reluctantly takes an internship with Indian Health Services, returning to his birthplace and early childhood home. He has been away for a very long time. A mysterious virus claims the lives of several elderly pueblo residents, including his own grandmother, raising suspicion of a possible epidemic. Joined by television reporter, Julie Conlin who hopes the story will advance her career, Ben is asked to look further into the deaths and find the root cause.

Because one of the victims of the virus was the tribal governor, who had been opposed to the construction of a casino, Ben and Julie entertain the notion of possible malicious intent but cannot be sure. After all, why kill so many others if only one person was the target? The pair have their work cut out for them, and it could mean putting their own lives at risk.

Comments: Three years ago, my husband and I took a road trip through the Southwestern part of the United States. Our time was limited, and so it wasn’t quite as leisurely as we might have liked, but we had a wonderful time. One of the states we visited was New Mexico, which I fell in love with instantly. The earth was rich both in beauty and tradition. Susan Slater’s The Pumpkin Seed Massacre took me back to New Mexico, this time to locations I had not visited as well as some that were more familiar.

The author artfully weaved Pueblo Native American belief and superstition into the story. She did so with respect and careful consideration. At various points in the novel, the clash between the old ways and the modern come into play. While traditions must be upheld and respected when the elders in the pueblo begin to die, the need to investigate further through science becomes a medical necessity. There is also the issue of the gambling casino; while some people, particularly the new tribal governor, are eager for the change and the promise of wealth and jobs it may bring, others remain skeptical and are strongly opposed to the changes such a public attraction would bring to their lands.

This is not a mystery where the players are completely unknown. Readers follow the progress of the investigation from several different viewpoints, and so there was not a lot of guesswork needed on behalf of the reader in figuring out who is beind what. Just from the description on the back of the book (not included in my review), so much of the plot is given away, and yet there are still many questions posed in the novel worth getting to the bottom of.

Ben Pecos is a charming main character and Julie Conlin, the television reporter, who also takes part in the investigation holds her own. Her ethical approach alone was enough to earn my respect immediately. My favorite of all the characters, however, would have to be Lorenzo, an elder of the Pueblo Indians. He was an endearing character, and even in his innocence, he pops up in the most unusual places.

Susan Slater not only has written a suspenseful mystery but also has captured her setting in such a way as to remind me of what I loved about New Mexico so much. I will definitely be continuing on with the series.

Visit the author's website for more information about her books.

More Classics, Medical Mysteries and a Taste of the South

Lately I have been feeling like the slowest reader on earth. I do so little reading during the work week and then on the weekend it's a mad dash to make up for lost time with whatever book I am reading.

I am on target with the TBR Challenge and am looking forward to the start of the Nonfiction Five Challenge that will begin next month. I am in the middle of my second book for the Once Upon a Time Challenge and am working through my selections for the Spring Reading Thing and the Reading Through the Decades Challenge. I still have not earned my place as an active participant in the New York Times Notable Books Challenge, but I hope to soon (I know, I know, I keep saying that and actions do speak louder than words . . .). I finished off my last book for the Chunkster Challenge this month, and am glad to now have two challenges under my belt for the year.

Although I made no announcement here on my blog, I had decided to stop signing up for reading challenges for the time being, especially during this busy time of the year when all the books I seem to be able to read are challenge books. While all the challenge books are obviously ones I want to read (why else would I select them?), it is nice to have room for a spontaneous choice now and then.

However, one of my fellow mystery readers, Kathrin (who has been reading mysteries enough for both of us since I seem to be slacking in that area lately), is running the Classics Reading Challenge this summer and into the fall. She was unable to participate in the Winter Classics Challenge but did not want to miss out on an opportunity to read a few classics before the year was out. I had indicated back when she was first considering the idea that I might be interested, and I have since decided to support her in the challenge she's hosting. Her challenge is quite flexible: participants will read 3 to 5 classic novels between July 1st and November 30th.


Classic Selections:
Persuasion by Jane Austen [read]
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle [read]
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde [read]



The last month or so I have been craving a good suspense/thriller novel, and when Debi over at Caught Between Worlds announced the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge, I gave it some thought. Since a lot of my reading seems to be dictated by challenges lately, why not sign up for a challenge reading one of those books I've been craving? This might be the only way I can fit them in! The challenge involves reading 2 or more medical thrillers between June 1 and November 1.


Medical Mystery Selections:
Brain Dead by Eileen Dreyer [read]
Life Support by Tess Gerritsen [read]
The Society by Michael Palmer [read]
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater [read]

And what about Maggie's Southern Reading Challenge, which spans over three months, June through August? I really did plan on staying out of this one. I was actually surprised to discover how few Southern authors are among by TBR collection. It is shameful really. I am sure I will regret signing up for another challenge. I can just imagine my husband reading this and shaking his head, wondering if I will ever be able to make time for him outside of my reading. Challenges are like the snooze button on my alarm - just one more time won't hurt. Hopefully my selections all qualify since I'm kind of going Southern-lite this round (I might be stretching it a bit).

Southern Selections:
Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris [read]
A Garden of Vipers by Jack Kerley [read]
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin [read]

There are many terrific sounding challenges out there that I would love to participate in, but it is not realistic for me to do so at this time. Check out Caribousmom's A Novel Challenge blog for the latest list of reading challenges. You may just find something you would be interested in!

On a different note, I was excited to see Anjin (aka Kira), post about one of our favorite mystery writers, Michael Connelly, on his Bullet Points blog. I love to see my darling husband excited about the books and it's especially nice when we can share an interest in a particular author or book.

Back to my own reading . . .