DEFENDING JACOB by William Landay, 2012.
A 14 year old boy is murdered in a park in a small New England town. The shocking crime rocks the normally peaceful suburban town of Newton, Massachusetts, and the members of the Barber family find themselves involved in it up to their necks.
   Andy Barber's son, Jacob, a classmate of the dead boy, is accused of the crime. Andy, the respected and popular assistant district attorney, is stunned by the accusation, as is his wife, Laurie. As more evidence and facts of the case are revealed, the Barbers' marriage and family begin to crack and crumble. Andy gathers his strength to protect his boy, believing him to be innocent of the deed. Laurie, Jake's mother, comes to realize that perhaps they don't know their son as well as they thought, and recognizes that he could be guilty. And then the secrets--one of which Andy has kept hidden from his own family for many years--keep coming out and tear the family into fragments.
   Landay's keeps the suspense high and the pages turning, with a fast paced narrative that includes some great courtroom scenes and realistic dialogue. His characters are well drawn and believable, he gives an interesting picture of the lives of people involved in a tangled web of accusation, denial, and criminal behavior, and as the secrets are revealed they provide some good surprises.The author's depiction of a town totally stunned by the violent crime and of one family in a heartbreaking crisis is gripping, compelling, and held my interest completely. A great fast read.

SWORN TO SILENCE by Linda Castillo, 2009.

I finished this novel in less than two days. Just could not stop reading, stayed up late at night hurriedly turning pages, and I don't usually do that anymore.
   Set in the Amish country of Ohio during the winter, I got pulled in immediately by the incredibly horrific murder of a young woman. With the discovery of a mutilated body in a cow pasture on a country road, the crime rapidly involves not only local police chief Kate Burkholder, but the entire small community of Painters Mill. The similiarities of the death reminds everyone of a series of murders that occurred locally 16 years earlier by the Slaughterhouse Killer, tremendously brutal incidents that the killer was never brought to justice for. Kate, who survived the terror and ran away from her Amish life to eventually become part of the criminal justice system and return to town as police chief, has a dark secret that involves those murders and the killer. With this new murder, and each one that follows, Kate begins to doubt the events that happened the summer she was fourteen, events that had damaged her whole family and sent her out into the "English" world.
   With only a small police force at her disposal, Kate discovers that she has huge challenges in finding out the truth of the killings, and that there are those who don't believe she is capable of handling the situation, including her own family. As the search broadens and more people become involved, Kate realizes it's only a matter of time before old secrets come home to roost, so she works quickly to discover the truth of these crimes. Help is brought in by members of the town council, several of whom have grudges against Kate. One of these outside cops is John Tomasetti, with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification, a rogue cop with disturbing issues of his own, so overwhelmingly bad that the OBCI is hoping this case will destroy him. Chemistry soon flares between himself and Kate, but although he is attracted to her, he has questions about what she's hiding. And Kate herself wonders if she can trust him? Tomasetti questions her motives and begins some digging on his own. But in a town terror-struck by a serial killer with a penchant for torture and mutilation, getting too close may not be an option for Kate and John. Who is he? What does he want? And why is he back after so long an absence? When Kate is terminated from her position, the game changes and stakes rise. An arrest is made, damning evidence is found, but it doesn't add up in Kate's mind, and her convictions lead her down a dark and frightening trail from which she may not escape.
   Castillo's novel is compelling, taut, intense, chilling, with horribly brutal descriptions and a lightning fast pace. Rapid-fire dialogue, well crafted scenes, a puzzling mystery, a couple of characters the reader cares about, and a truly edge of the seat climax adds up to a satisfying suspense thriller, the first of a series featuring Kate Burkholder. An excellent summer read.

DOUBLE DEXTER by Jeff Lindsay, 2011.

Dexter Morgan is back and in fine form in this sixth novel in the series. Dexter, the professional blood spatter specialist who's always been so careful with arranging his playdates with bad guys to send them into oblivion has been seen in action, but he hasn't a clue who the witness is. And what's worse, someone is pounding cops in the Miami Police Dept. into pudding, and the heat's on his sister, Sergeant Deborah, to find the beast behind the murders ASAP. Dexter, meanwhile, is also having to deal with family matters: his wife Rita is having issues concerning finding a new house for their family and suspiciously imbibing too much wine, Astor is rebelling against braces, and Cody is beginning to need Dex's guiding hand. And then when Dexter realizes that his Witness has become a monster, mirroring himself, and not only that, he has decided to expose Dexter for what he is and kill him, he knows he's in up to his neck in trouble. Dexter is stalked, manipulated, and tormented, knowing all the while that his double is out to do him in. A trip to Key West with his family to attend a home foreclosure auction (at Rita's insistence) leads to a riveting climax that involves not just Dex and the killer, but the kids as well. Lindsay writes with a fast pace and keeps the pages turning--it's dark and witty and wickedly entertaining, if gruesome. Even though Dexter is a horrendous psychopath who murders all these people (but only evilly bad people), he is just so damn likeable, you can't help but root for him. I totally enjoy his banter with his sister (not as much of it in this book, though), his smart comebacks are great, and the whole Cub Scout camping trip episode with Cody was so funny (poison ivy and mosquito bites, anyone?). Some readers have not liked this book as much because Lindsay has made Dexter more human here, but I think this novel adds layers and dimensions to Dexter, Rita, and several other characters, which made it more enjoyable for me. If you haven't given these novels a try, by all means do so, but be warned, Lindsay's powerful mix of black humor and enormously grisly descriptions are not for everyone. I give this one kudos for being a fast read, keeping me totally interested, and for continuing to make Dexter an intriguing character.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP by S. J. Watson, 2011.

One of those thrillers that just takes hold and won't let you go! Fifty-something Christine Lucas goes to sleep every night, and the next morning discovers all her memories are gone. Totally. She has to begin again each day to piece together her past. She's been told she's an amnesiac due to an accident years before when she was in her twenties. Unknown to her husband, Ben, she's seeing a doctor, who advises her to keep a journal, but recommends hiding it. Writing in it and then re-reading it every day, spurs more feelings and memories--of a child, of having a loyal girlfriend, of publishing a novel. And as more memories come back in dreams and sudden flashes, Chris becomes more aware that everything is not as it seems, that Ben is not telling her the whole truth. Compelled to find out her past, she becomes more determined to discover the truth about her life, but realizes there's an element of danger involved as well, as someone doesn't want her to remember everything--at least not in the way it actually happened. Watson keeps the pages turning with intense writing, high suspense, and an unexpected conclusion. Totally absorbing and riveting.

NIGHT SEASON by Chelsea Cain, 2011.

Another pulse-pounding, page-turning thriller featuring Det. Archie Sheridan and reporter Susan Ward. This time around, the Willamette River is flooding Portland and several drowning victims have been found. Yeah, well, what's unusual about these flood victims that they were poisoned and died before they were put into the river. So another serial killer is stalking people in the city, and first Archie's detective colleague Henry becomes a target, and then Susan unwittingly places herself in the killer's path. Thrown into the mix is the discovery of a missing boy, kidnapped several years earlier and who seems to have a connection to the killer, and a skeleton is unearthed that is sixty years old, dating to an earlier catastrophic flood that wiped out an entire town. So many questions: what kind of poison is being used? Why was Henry targeted? Who is the boy that keeps slipping away from custody? What do the tiny keys that are found on each victim mean? And most of all, who is committing these murders and why? Cain keeps the suspense high, weaves her several storylines together admirably and really kept this reader interested. I didn't even miss the fact that Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell from the previous books is only mentioned in this novel. If you're a fan of crime thrillers, Cain's books (this one is the fourth in the series) are really fast paced and suspenseful. I find them highly entertaining and great reads in between other types of books.

Vampires and Cannibals and Siblings, oh my!

DEXTER IS DELICIOUS by Jeff Lindsay, 2010.
I stayed up till almost midnight finishing this fifth instalment in the Dexter series. This one finds Dexter learning to be a new father to Lily Anne, plus dealing with the return of his psychopathic killer brother Brian and helping his sister Sergeant Deborah Morganwith a horrific case involving murdered victims being eaten and finding a missing teenage girl who could be next on the menu. Loaded with Dexter's dark humor, with enough sex and violence to keep the story moving at a fast pace, this is enjoyable and thrilling. Dexter is such an interesting character in this novel, with his attempts to change himself for Lily Anne, to give up his listening to the his Dark Passenger, and to lead a more human life with Rita and their family. Events conspire against him all through the book, and it doesn't help matters at all that near the end of the book his frustrated sister makes a request that startles even Dexter. The very premise of this series has intrigued me from the beginning, and Lindsay has kept my interest up with each succeeding adventure. I find them generally suspenseful, humorous, exciting, and totally entertaining. With plenty of unresolved issues at the end of this story, I'm looking forward to the next chapter in Dexter's life.

ARK OF FIRE by C.M. Palov, 2009.
Finished this up last night; good read that kept me turning pages. Story concerns a young and beautiful photographer, Edie Miller, who witnesses a murder and the theft of an important artifact called the Stones of Fire. She is hunted down herself but saved by a tall and blond former British Secret Service agent/scholar/author named Caedmon Aisquith, who of course becomes involved with the girl as well as the crime. They discover that a fanatical organization has stolen the aforementioned artifact and are tracking down the companion piece--the famed Ark of the Covenant, with the express purpose of bringing about Armageddon. Clues fall into place, leading them across continents, the body count is high, and time is running out. Definitely feels like a Dan Brown/James Bond/Indiana Jones sort of adventure. Knowing that, it's a fun and fast read, a good book to take along to the airport, beach or on a vacation.

Finished last night:

DEXTER BY DESIGN by Jeff Lindsay, 2009.
This is the fourth of Lindsay's thrillers about Dexter Morgan, the blood spatter analyst who is also a serial killer who hunts down & kills other serial killers. This story involves Dexter in a case of already-dead bodies being mutilated and displayed around Miami in alarming ways; Dexter's cop sister Deborah is stabbed during the investigation; Dexter murders the guy he believes is responsible for the stabbing but is mistaken. Dexter and his family are targeted by the dead man's lover; meanwhile, his sister Deborah has time to mull over certain information about Dexter; and Dexter realizes how close he is to having his true identity revealed by several sources. An interesting plot, snappy dialogue, and good interaction between Dexter and his sister and his wife Rita; however the ending is a little too neat for me. A good read, though, and I still think Dexter is a funny, likable guy.

Finished on 9/8/09:

EVIL AT HEART by Chelsea Cain, 2009.

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, it just flew. This suspense/thriller/chiller has detective Archie Sheridan in the hospital, serial killer Gretchen Lowell on the loose, and dead bodies and body parts everywhere, not Gretchen's handiwork, but possibly a copycat or worse, a Gretchen Lowell cult. All the regulars are here, including Archie's colleague/friend Henry Sobol, and Susan Ward the reporter/journalist. There's plenty of gore, blood, and bizarre situations to give you the creeps, and the finale that involves Archie, Gretchen, and Susan is plenty exciting, plus the stage is set for the next book. A quick, fast paced read, but not quite as satisfying a read as the previous books.

Finished reading 7/3/09:

CITY OF THE SUN by David Levien, 2008.

Swiftly moving thriller about the taking of an 12 year old boy, Jamie Gabriel, while on his paper route one morning. To the police and his parents, he has vanished without a trace. The father, Paul, hires Frank Behr, a p.i. with police connections to track him down and find out what happened to him, as the parents want some kind of closure. Behr, working with the slimmest of clues, begins the hunt. Paul wants to be more involved in the investigation, and Behr and Paul form a kind of uneasy bond and work together to solve the case. The whole investigation leads them down paths no one wants to follow.

The unsavoriness/seaminess of the subject matter could be a stumbling block: it is repellent, but at the same time intriguing and makes for a thrilling story. Definitely a page-turner.

Finished 5/24/09:

THE SERPENT'S TALE by Ariana Franklin, 2008.

Second in the series of novels about Vesuvia Adelia Aguilar, the mistress of the art of death, this time concerning the poisoning of Rosamund Clifford, mistress of Henry II. Adelia is drawn into the mystery by her lover Bishop Rowley, and it falls to her to discover the culprit. Was it Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry's queen, or someone she hired to do the deed? Or someone else? Snowstorms, assorted odd characters all trapped and isolated inside Godstow Abbey, more murders, spies, and intrigue, make for a bizarre and thrilling story.

Finished reading on 3/30/09:

THE KILLER'S WIFE by Bill Floyd, 2008.

I stayed up past midnight to finish this page-turner about a woman who is married to a serial killer for some years without knowing it. When she discovers the truth, she turns him in, sees him tried & sent to Death Row, then takes their young son and moves to the other side of the country, changes their names and starts over. Flash forward: a victim's father tracks them down, the nightmare starts again, including a copycat killer. Fast moving, quick read set in Research Triangle area of North Carolina. Poses the question "how well do you really know the person sleeping beside you?" A good change of pace book for me to read in between things I enjoy more.

Finished 2/7/09:

MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH by Ariana Franklin, 2007.

Great historical fiction thriller. Concerns child murders in Cambridge, England, during the reign of Henry II; Jewish population in town is blamed, revenues to kingdom disrupted. It is King Henry who sends for a "master of the art of death" to come from Sicily to investigate. The master is actually a "mistress", Adelia Ortese Aguilar, a woman doctor who "reads" the dead; she, along with Crusader Sir Rowley Picot, Simon of Naples, and Mansur the Saracen, solve the hideous crimes and unmask the killer. Excellent period detail, well done characters, suspenseful, thrilling story. It was a real page turner for me.

Finished reading:

ON/OFF by Colleen McCullough, 2006.
Not the usual sort of book for McCullough, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's a suspense thriller set in Connecticut in 1965-66, concerns a serial killer. After body parts are found in a freezer of a noted research lab in Holloman, CT, Det. Carmine Delmonico, is assigned to solve these heinous multiple murders. Victims are all young 16 yr old girls who resemble each other and in how they are reared. Gruesome, terrible murders. Lots of suspects, and Delmonico becomes involved with Desdemona Dupre, who works at the institute. Plenty of suspense, red herrings, killings, family secrets, etc. I never guessed who the criminal was, and the twist at the end was a shocker to me.