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.

Finally watched the flick "Jane Austen Book Club" this past weekend. I've never read the book and I had kind of avoided the movie, but it was recommended by a work colleague whose wife is a confirmed Janeite as worth watching, so I checked it out and brought it home. A decent storyline, interesting characters, good players. Intrigued me that 5 women and 1 man would form a book club to discuss only the 6 books that Jane Austen wrote, and that each book related to their personal lives in some way. All of them had personal issues, and reading and discussing Austen's novels as a group became a form of therapy for them. Kathy Baker was entertaining as the mothering figure, and Amy Brenneman and Maria Bello were good as best friends; but Hugh Dancy was definitely a winsome soul--he's invited to join by Bello as a distraction for Brenneman, but he's really interested in Bello. He's never read Austen but is willing to, and his insights and comments are thoughtful, which surprises the women. His attempts to connect with Bello are very heartfelt and sincere, and indeed are helped along by Austen's works (and his sister, Nancy Travis). The characters that Emily Blunt and Maggie Grace played were less interesting to me, but still watchable. Cool that the group wins others over as Austen fans, too. A good way to spend some time, and you don't have to have read Jane Austen to appreciate the story.

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.

I just finished reading:

DEVIL'S BROOD by Sharon Kay Penman, 2008.
A dense, but wonderfully researched and written entry in a series of novels based on the lives of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. I had read the two previous books, When Christ and His Saints Slept and Time and Chance, and this book was years in the making. It was worth the wait, IMHO. Penman has a knack with bring the era to life, with description (be it beseiging a castle, fighting a battle, or the foods at a banquet), characterization (even of minor personalities), witty dialogue that can make you chuckle, etc. The whole time I was reading scenes between Henry and Eleanor I kept being reminded of the wonderful film, LION IN WINTER, and how great Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn were in those roles. Anyway, I would highly recommend this to any who are interested in these larger than life people and the time period (late 1100's) in general. This novel ends in 1189, and Penman claims she will continue the story with Richard, John, Constance and others from this novel.

Finished reading on 8/12/09:

THE DEVIL'S QUEEN by Jeanne Kalogridis, 2009.

Catherine de Medici's story is told from her childhood in Florence, Italy, to the aftermath of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day in Paris in 1572. The author expertly emphasises the effects of the violence and political unrest in Italy during Catherine's formative years, her belief in prophecies and the occult, and her strained family relations, and how these affect her decision making as a woman and as Queen of France. Her relationships/issues with such notables as Diane de Poitiers (her kinswoman and mistress of Catherine's husband), her bizarre astrologer Cosimo Ruggieri, the famed Nostradamus, the decadent, likeable King Francois I, and other characters are interesting and effectively done. Catherine, long maligned as evil personified, is believably portrayed here as an intelligent but superstitious and tormented woman who took desperate measures through great love for her husband, King Henri II, and for her children and in the hope of averting gruesome disasters. Kalogridis does a great job with creating atmosphere and showing the dark side of Catherine's life; she gives depth and balance to the characters of Margot, Henri of Navarre, Coligny (the Protestant leader), and the emotionally torn Jeanne of Navarre. Plenty of drama, royal intrigue, murder, sex, religious conflict, and violence flow through the novel as easily as the horrible visions of blood Catherine dreams of each night. Lots of period detail, a well paced narrative, and compelling story make this a worthwhile read.

Finished this today, 8/4/09:

ROYAL HARLOT by Susan Holloway Scott, 2007.
If you're into the Restoration period of English history, then this novel about Barbara Villiers and Charles II is a worthwhile read. Full of historical details, personalities of the age, and great events like the Great Plague and Great Fire of London, Scott knows how to hold a reader's interest. Smoothly written and moves at a good pace. Barbara, the main mistress of King Charles Stuart for a number of years, is the main focus of the story, from just before the Restoration until 1672, when the king makes his final break with her and she leaves for France. Scott manages to make a somewhat sympathetic character of a woman normally seen as vulgar, promiscuous, verbally abusive, arrogant, hugely ambitious and grasping. She was all those things, but much more.

I stayed up late last night to finish

SWEETHEART by Chelsea Cain, 2008.

The pages just flew by in this thriller, which is a follow up to Heartsick. I just could not read it fast enough, I was so totally enthralled and wanted to find out the ending. And of course, Cain leaves it open for the next book, which is due out this fall. Storyline concerns Portland, Oregon, detective Archie Sheridan, who is obsessed with the creepiest serial killer ever, Gretchen Lowell, who was caught and imprisoned for life (in the previous book). In return for revealing info on the locations of her murdered victims (some 200 people), she is imprisoned & Archie visits her monthly. Now Archie is trying to put his life together, has sworn off visiting her, and move on. A woman's dead body found in a park gets him involved in another murder case, which ends up being tied to Gretchen, plus reporter Susan Ward, anxious to get notoriety for her crime reporting. Things heat up again when Gretchen manages to escape and threatens the safety of everyone he cares for. Top-notch entertainment, a real thrill ride that keeps moving. I don't read a lot of this type novel, but occasionally they just hit the spot. Cain keeps the plot moving at a pace and delivers the goods so you're not disappointed. If you're into crime thrillers, this is an excellent choice.