Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson

Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson
Warner Books, 2005
Mystery; 304 pgs

Started: 07/29/2007
Completed: 07/30/2007
Rating: (Very Good)

First Sentence: My hand closed over the cold steel in that second between hearing the phone ring and before my eyes opened.

Reason for Reading: This is my fifth selection for the Summer Mystery Reading Challenge.

I cannot help but hesitate when reviewing a book by someone I know. I don’t actually know the author, but she has honored me by reading and commenting here on my blog now and then. Still, it was enough to get me curious to try one of her books. It helps that she writes books in my one of my favorite genres. Still, what if I hated it? What if I couldn’t finish it? As it turns out though, I thoroughly enjoyed Karen Olson’s novel and will definitely be reading more of her books in the future. I can easily see Annie Seymour sliding in as a favorite mystery heroine of mine.

Comments: Annie Seymour is a veteran crime reporter for the New Haven Herald. The last thing Annie wants is to be dragged out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to a crime scene where a young college student has fallen to her death, but duty calls. In an effort to get her story and but with little help from her cop boyfriend, Annie begins her own investigation into the murder of the Yale student, uncovering more than she could ever have imagined. The victim was a high priced escort on the side, but the mystery doesn’t stop there. As Annie gets closer to the truth, following a trail of fraud, prostitution and murder, her own career and life are put on the line.

If that isn’t enough, Annie learns that her mother is mixed up in something related to her investigation, but her mother is remaining close-lipped. Then there is the young reporter, Dick Whitfield, who is dogging on her heels and seems to show up when she least wants him around.

Annie has moxie. She is cynical, rough around the edges, and tenacious in the pursuit of her story. Do not let that fool you, however, because Annie does have heart. Karen E. Olson has created an edgy and intelligent character that quickly earned my respect and had me pulling for her through the entire story.

Karen E. Olson’s Sacred Cows was a satisfying and entertaining story. The author adds a good dose of humor and wit to an otherwise hard boiled and thrilling murder mystery. There’s even a bit of romance for those readers who enjoy a touch of sexual tension between characters. I look forward to reading Secondhand Smoke, the next book in the series, in the future.

Favorite Part: I loved the cows. The idea of fiberglass cows on display throughout the city is quite amusing. My favorite part in particular was when Annie and the Mooster Street cow meet face to face. You’ll understand if you read the book.

I know it’s cliché for the main character to be a favorite, but Annie won me over pretty quickly. Besides that she is a strong female character, I like that she is not pretentious or overconfident. She knows she is good at her job, but it never crossed the line into arrogance. She came across as a real person. And besides, I can’t help but love a character who craves pizza and eats banana splits when a day can’t seem to get any more rotten.

Note about the Author: The author teamed up with several other authors (Lori Armstrong, Alison Gaylin, and Jeff Shelby) to create the First Offenders blog. It is a wonderful and witty blog where the authors talk about all sorts of subjects including writing, current political and social issues, their own lives, and much more. I recommend you take a look. Karen E. Olson also has her own website if you would like to learn more information about her books.

Read what Melody had to say about the book:
Melody's Reading Corner

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong
Bantam Books; 2007
Suspense/Thriller; 480 pgs

Started: 07/12/2007
Completed: 07/14/2007
Rating: (Very Good)


First Sentence: Mary Lee pushed open the shop door.

Reason for Reading: I have enjoyed the author’s Women of the Otherworld series and was curious how she would do outside of the fantasy realm. When I saw Exit Strategy offered up for review through Curled Up With a Good Book, it seemed like too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.

Comments: Author Kelley Armstrong of the Women of the Otherworld series where werewolves, witches and the supernatural walk among humans takes her writing in a new direction with her latest thriller, Exit Strategy, where the main character lives a double life. Nadia Stafford was once a policewoman, carrying on the family tradition. A career breaking incident leads her to an early retirement at which time she decides to run a nature lodge. When it looks like she will lose the lodge like she has lost everything else in her life, Nadia cannot pass up the opportunity to make some quick cash. She hires out as a hitwoman for a mob family.

While this in and of itself may seem farfetched, Nadia’s past lends a helping hand in making her perfect for the job. She is a killer with a conscience but will not hesitate to take her target out. Nadia is not a woman to mess with. She is intelligent, calculating, and hard as nails. Nadia is no damsel in distress that is for sure.

Nadia does hesitate when asked to team up with her mentor Jack with a challenging and deadly target in mind. A serial killer is on the loose and the authorities are nowhere near uncovering the killer’s identity and purpose. It is believed he may be a hitman like Jack and Nadia, which poses its own problem. The serial killer’s killing spree is a threat to business not to mention taking out innocent people. The killer must be stopped. Nadia’s reluctance comes from not wanting to mix with others in her profession as well as for more personal reasons. Secrecy and privacy are of the utmost importance in the life of a hit person and no one wants to be an easy target. Still, there is too much at stake not to get involved, and so Nadia agrees to take on the task.

Jack is a very private person, one whom Nadia knows little about. He is mysterious and a loner. He has always refused to take a partner in the past but for reasons unknown has no qualms about working with Nadia. The two make a perfect team, both intelligent and coming from different backgrounds. Their combined experiences give them an edge, and their loyalty and trust of each other is unfaltering. As their investigation gets underway, Nadia learns things about Jack she never knew before and is taken deeper into the fold of the criminal world where she meets others like herself and Jack. She is not sure who she can trust and prepares herself to be on guard at all times.

Exit Strategy is a perfect suspense novel for the summer. It is fast paced, high in action with a colorful cast of characters that will leave you wondering who you can trust. There is a wisp of romance; however, it takes backseat to the main events in the novel. While suspension of disbelief is a must while reading the book, this is one adventure not to be passed up for readers of suspense thrillers. Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Wendy Runyon, 2007

Favorite Part: I am drawn to strong female characters, and while most have an obvious softer side, Nadia is one badass woman, one of the more serious I’ve come across. She isn’t all toughness, of course, but when it comes to her job she is.

I came to really like Jack. His dialogue took a bit getting used to because he didn’t feel it necessary to use pronouns, but kudos to the author for giving the character that extra definition that helped make him who he is. By the end of the novel, Nadia and I see a deeper side of Jack that perhaps we suspected was always there and yet he keeps so much hidden and inside himself. I look forward to future books in the series (of which I know at least one is planned) in hopes of learning more about this character.

I’m also dying to know more about Evelyn. She wasn’t my favorite character as I found her annoying at times, and yet I find her to be quite interesting. I am sure I haven’t seen the last of her.

Read what Melody had to say about the book:
Melody's Reading Corner

The author's website can be found here.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Perennial, 1999
Fantasy; 250 pgs

Completed: 07/29/2007
Rating: (Very Good)

First Sentence: There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart’s Desire.

Reason for Reading: For years I have been curious about Neil Gaiman’s Stardust but it took the coming of a movie to finally motivate me to read it. This is my first selection for the Saturday Review Challenge.

Comments: What a wonderful story! I had no idea what to expect when I first began reading Stardust other than what the back of the book had to offer (and the recent movie trailer for the upcoming film). I had heard that Neil Gaiman’s writing in this book was quite different from his others, and while I have only read one other book by Mr. Gaiman, I can at least say it was very different from American Gods, which I read earlier this year.

Different is not a mark of better or worse, however. Stardust was delightful and entertaining, while American Gods was darker and more thought provoking. I was reminded of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride in story and in style.

Tristran Thorn lives in the village of Wall at the turn of the Victorian era. Wall is situated next to the wall that separates the land of Faerie from Tristran’s home in the “real” world. Once every nine years, there is a magical fair in which visitors from all over venture past the wall, through a single gate, into the meadow that lies just beyond. At all other times, the gate is guarded to ensure that no one crosses the gate from Wall into the Faerie.

When a star falls from the sky, Tristran promises the lady he loves that he will retrieve it for her in exchange for whatever his heart desires, be it marriage or perhaps simply a kiss. He sets off for the other side of the wall where he will encounter people and creatures of myth and face challenges unlike any other. As it turns out, Tristran is not the only one looking for the star. There are others who seek it out for darker purposes.

Stardust is both a love story and a coming of age story. Uncomplicated in his prose, creating a quick and rather lighthearted story smattered with darkness here and there, Neil Gaiman has fashioned an unforgettable fairy tale that will no doubt remain one of my favorites.

Favorite Part: I liked the hairy little man quite a bit. The book doesn’t go into depth about the characters, which works well for the story and the style in which Gaiman wrote the story. Just the same, I would not have minded learning more about some of the mysterious creatures and beings Tristran encounters along the way.

Miscellaneous: Anjin and I are enjoying the second season of The Wire on DVD. The second season is just as good as the first. One of my favorite characters died in an episode we watched today. I knew it was coming, but it still made me sad.

We also saw the movie Hairspray this weekend, the new musical version, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but then, I am a big fan of musicals. It was very uplifting and definitely worth seeing in the theater.

Death's Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson

Death’s Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead to Tell Tales
by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson
Berkley, 2003
Nonfiction; 304 pgs

Completed: 07/27/2007
Rating: (Good +)


First Sentence: A dozen tiny bones, nestled in my palm: They were virtually all that remained, except for yellowed clippings, scratchy newsreel footage, and painful memories, from what was called “the trial of the century.”

Reason for Reading: After I finished reading Mary Roach’s book Stiff, Andi, a fellow booklover, recommended that I read Death’s Acre. Although it’s taken me a while to get around to it, I finally have. This is my third selection for the Nonfiction Five Challenge.

Comments: I am not sure where my interest in forensic science began. I have long been interested in the psychological aspect of criminal behavior. I always have been drawn to crime mysteries, both in real life and fiction. What makes a person commit a crime? What is going on in his or her head? What motivates the person, spurs them on? Was there something from the past that led the person to do what he or she did? What was the breaking point that pushed him or her over the edge? What was the person thinking before, during and after? All of these questions can be summed up with a simple, “Why?”

It is impossible not to read books on these topics without venturing into the more hard science aspect of crime. I was fascinated when I first learned that there were people who studied blood spatter patterns and that there were professionals out there that specialized in the minute details of a crime scene, which could be make or break a case. It seemed only natural that my curiosity would spread into other areas related to criminal behavior, such as the evidence left behind. Yet another reason I enjoy reading mysteries, watching the protagonist put together the clues that lead to the resolution of the crime or problem. My own career led me down a similar path in a way. Although I am not in law enforcement, I was an investigator of sorts for several years, gathering information through interviews, studying evidence, all in an effort to form as clear a picture as I could to get to the truth. To a lesser degree today, I still play a part in that process.

I never was able to get into the CSI shows that air on television. Although I have heard that they are fairly accurate (and entertaining), there was something too Hollywood-ish about the shows that turned me off. But put a book in front of me on the subject, and I will devour it, just as I devoured many of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta novels. It was because of Patricia Cornwell that I first learned about the Body Farm in a book with the same title. Ironically, Dr. Bass devotes an entire chapter to Patricia Cornwell, praising her as a person and the interest and attention she brought to the Anthropology Research Facility at the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Bass is a modest and down to earth man, qualities that come through quite clearly throughout the book. He is hardworking, dedicated, readily admits his mistakes, and is eager to learn from those mistakes. It was because of one such mistake that Dr. Bass got the idea to start the Body Farm. He wanted to study decomposition of bodies in relation to time of death. The Body Farm is the only one of its kind in the world, a place where forensic research regarding the dead can take place in a more natural setting. It has proved to be useful both to science and to law enforcement agencies around the globe in solving crimes. Several of those crimes, Dr. Bass himself helped solve.

Death’s Acre is a small look into the world of Dr. Bass’s career as a forensic anthropologist. He discusses well-known cases like the Tri-State Crematorium scandal, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Zoo Man serial murders, a mob hit along with other stories that put his skills to the test. I will not go into detail about each of the cases—you really do have to read them to get the full impact.

This book does require a strong stomach. The author talks at length about the decomposition of human bodies in all of its stages and sometimes the picture he paints is not very pretty. Death’s Acre is an informative book, however, and the strides forensic science has made in recent years are amazing due in a large part to Dr. Bass and other professionals like him.

Favorite Part: For some reason, I was really taken with the story of the ants. During one of Dr. Bass’s earlier excursions, he led a team of anthropologists in search of an Arikara Native American cemetery in South Dakota. He traced the path of the ants to the cemetery, having determined where they would most likely build their homes.

New Phobia Attributed to the Book: Although I have been aware of where flies come from for many years now, after reading this book I have a much stronger dislike for them. I understand their purpose on the food chain, but I’d rather they stay far away from me—while I’m alive at least.

Miscellaneous: While many major advances in forensic science have been made, the state of forensic labs and equipment throughout the United States is in sad shape because of lack of funding and attention. Much of the equipment is outdated or nonexistent. The facilities leave a lot to be desired and there are not enough qualified staff to meet the needs out in the communities. What you see on television in the movies is not often reality. As a result, crimes are going unresolved, victims’ families are left to wonder and fear, and the perpetrators remain on the streets. Author Jan Burke (who I have yet to read) mentioned the Crime Lab Project last spring at the L.A. Times Festival of Books, which began as a group of writers and producers who are interested in improving the conditions of our forensic facilities. Although the project is not mentioned anywhere in Death's Acre, Jan Burke’s words came to mind as I read. If you want to learn more, visit the Crime Lab Project website.

Booking Through Thursday: Best Moustache-Twirling

Who’s the worst fictional villain you can think of? As in, the one you hate the most, find the most evil, are happiest to see defeated? Not the cardboard, two-dimensional variety, but the most deliciously-written, most entertaining, best villain? Not necessarily the most “evil,” so much as the best-conceived on the part of the author…oh, you know what I mean!

I am finding that this is not such an easy question to answer. I read a lot of books with bad guys but rarely do they stand out--at least not at this moment when I most want to remember them. The villians that do catch my fancy are the ones that while evil, have also earned my respect. The authors have created them in such a way that brings them to life, make me feel for them, and despise them all at the same time. The first two are the more obvious ones, and I would not be surprised to see them on quite a few lists.

Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. Hannibal is not only one of the most brillant fictional serial killers but frightening as hell. This is not a man I would want roaming the streets.

Another character who comes to mind is Dexter Morgan from the Jeff Lindsay series. Dexter is a blood spatter pattern expert who sidelines as a serial killer. He is a charming character, and it is easy to forget he is not such a good guy when he only kills human predators who kill and harm innocent people. It never fails that when I start feeling too much of a connection to Dexter, the author, makes sure to remind me just how cold blooded the hero of the novel truly is.

Finally there is the Leanansidhe, Harry Dresden's faerie godmother from Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. Although evil is not the word that comes to mind when I think of this character, Lea certainly is not one I look forward to Harry having to deal with when he gets in a tight spot. She is cunning to say the least, and even though she seems to care about Harry on some level, her intentions are rarely without a cost.

**While I have seen the movie, The Silence of the Lambs, I have not seen beyond the first television episodes for both The Dresden Files (SciFi) and Dexter (Showtime). Someday perhaps. Just not today.**

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!