Taboo by Casey Hill

In Taboo, Reilly Steel from San Francisco goes to Dublin to help the forensics team upgrade their techniques. When a young man and woman are found dead in a hotel room, Reilly soon realizes that there's more to it than first meets the eye. As more bodies are found, the police and forensic team determine that have a demented serial killer on the loose, who's determined to put society's taboos on display.

I really enjoyed this book. The author is such a great mystery teller. The details are drawn out slowly so that the reader is compelled to turn the page and keep reading. There are some interesting twists and turns scattered throughout the book. Some of the details were a tad gory or unpleasant to think about, but overall it wasn't too bad. The book was definitely hard to put down.

I love reading books set in countries different from my own. This was set in Dublin, Ireland. A place I'd like to visit one day. I believe this is the first book I've read set in that city, but I may have read one set in Ireland. Regardless, I loved all of the location details.

Besides the main story, the book also contains some surprisingly compelling side stories. There's a possible illness and alcoholic father to contend with. These stories are written in such a way that they didn't feel like filler material. They really added depth to the characters and substance to the story. I was surprised that I found them almost as intriguing as the main mystery. Well done!!

I really liked Riley. She was a strong intelligent woman. Her family history and past events were haunting her, but the author didn't tell us why right away. Like with the mystery, the details were revealed slowly, so it wasn't until closer to the end of the book that the reader got the whole picture. My one complaint about Riley was that she was a bit condescending towards her co-workers. She had more experience than them and was brought to Dublin to bring them up to speed, but her approach made me cringe a few times.

Casey Hill is the pseudonym of husband and wife team Melissa and Kevin Hill.

Highly recommended. I'd definitely read another book by this team.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

For more information about the Hills and the other books, please visit the Casey Hill Books website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster for this review copy.

Taboo by Casey Hill, Simon & Schuster ©2011. ISBN 9780857202390(Uncorrected proof), 409p.

The Death Sculptor by Chris Carter

In The Death Sculptor, a murderer leaves behind a bizarre calling card near the body of prosecutor, Derek Nicholson. The police know that the killer is trying to communicate with them, but it's not readily apparent what the message is. The police are stumped when another body turns up, with an equally disturbing calling card, and they can't find any connection to the first victim. Detective Robert Hunter, together with his partner Garcia and investigator Alice Beaumont, must decipher the message and stop the Death Sculptor.

I loved this book!!! It's creepy and seriously twisted. It's pretty scary to think that Carter was able to come up with something so disturbed. It's definitely not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. The details get quite gory, but fortunately these aren't the main focus. The psychological side to the story is the main attraction. While it's seems tamer on the surface, it can sometimes be just as terrifying as the violence.

There's lots to love about Detective Robert Hunter, the main character. He seems to possess a set of traits perfect for this type of work. He approaches the investigation by trying to get into the mind of the killer and does a lot of analysing. He's a loner, who seems to do little else other than work. He also enjoys a good whiskey, but doesn't drown his sorrows.

Even though it's the 4th book in the Robert Hunter series, it didn't read like part of a series and can be read as a standalone book.

I've read one other book by Carter, One by One. I loved it!!

The author's background is interesting and varied. He started off working for the District Attorney in Michigan on the Criminal Psychology team. Then spent numerous years in LA as a rock band musician before becoming a writer full time.

Highly recommended. I love Carter's work and I hope to read many more of his books.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's UK website.

For more information about the author and his other books, please visit Chris Carter's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster UK for this review copy.

The Death Sculptor by Chris Carter, Simon & Schuster ©2012. ISBN 9780857203007(Hardcover), 496p.

One by One by Chris Carter

In One by One, Detective Robert Hunter in LAPD's homicide special section is contacted by a killer, who has been murdering people and broadcasting their deaths live online. After awhile, the killer turns his murders into a reality show and asks the public for their input. Together with the FBI and others from the LAPD, Hunter has a lot of work if he wants to catch this cunning killer.

This is such an awesome book! I purposely picked it to read at this time because the other books I had been reading were good, but low-action and not that thrilling. They didn't get my heart pumping or have me on the edge of my seat. Well, that certainly changed with this one.

The story starts off with a bang and doesn't let up for one second all the way to the end. The author used short chapters and skipped around the various plot lines telling the story from the various characters points of view, all adding to the suspense. A few times I had to put the book down just so that I could catch my breath.

I loved that the story was presented from many different points of view. I particularly liked the ones from characters on the outer fringes of the story. They were such a surprise because these characters hadn't been mentioned up until that point and were never heard from again, but their points of view were right at home and didn't feel out of place in the story.

The story focuses mainly on Robert Hunter. His biography is amazing, sort of a combination of Superman and a master of all trades. His job is basically his life. I really liked him and can't wait to read more books featuring him. He might be a little too perfect, though, but I'll wait until I've read more books to decide that.

The story felt real and very current. It's probably only a matter of time before something like this happens. I sincerely hope that we as a society are above this, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

My favourite quote from the book mentions my hometown. I love it when it appears out of the blue like this.

The bitter wind that blew from the north made Los Angeles feel like Winnipeg in November. (page 383)

At least it wasn't "Winnipeg in January". ;)

Even though it's the 5th book in the Robert Hunter series, it didn't read like part of a series and can certainly be read as a standalone book. Carter is pretty graphic and gruesome in his descriptions, especially of what's happening to the people who are being killed. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Highly recommended. I have The Death Sculptor on my to-be-read shelf. Because I loved this one so much, I've moved it closer to the top of the pile. Eventually, I hope to read the other books in the series.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's UK website.

For more information about the author and his other books, please visit Chris Carter's website. Chris's biography is a bit eclectic, which I love. He went from a member of Michigan's State District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, to rock musician, to writer.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster UK for this review copy.

One by One by Chris Carter, Simon & Schuster UK ©2013. ISBN 9780857203052(Hardcover), 500p.

The Last Good Man by A.J. Kazinski

In The Last Good Man, disgraced policeman Tommaso di Barbera in Venice, has discovered that righteous people, those who are known for their good deeds, are dying all over the world. Each of the bodies has the same mysterious mark. In Copenhagen, Niels Bentzon is also investigating, but he and Barbera don't speak the language. Communicating and passing information is difficult at best. With the help of Hannah Lund, an astrophysicist, a pattern emerges and if she's correct, someone is out to kill the 36 righteous people who, according to the Talmud, protect all of the other people on the Earth. From this pattern they can determine the time and location of the next death. It's up to them to save the last good man.

I loved this book. Although it was over 500 pages, it didn't feel like that at all. The author's use of short chapters and multiple storylines made the story suspenseful and fast-paced. At times I felt breathless just trying to keep up. The whole story was so well thought that there wasn't one dull minute.

The story is translated from Danish. I sometimes worry that translated books, especially ones from faraway places won't be accessible. However, with this one I couldn't have been more wrong. It was awesome!!

The storyline was intriguing. I've heard a little about the Talmud, but nothing at all about the 36 righteous people, who keep the rest of us safe. I thought that it was extremely interesting. To read a little more about the 36 righteous people mentioned in the Talmud, see this Wikipedia entry for Tzadikim Nistarim. The out-of-body experience in the book was also intriguing. Because it was presented as a scientific study, it came across as believable.

The miscommunication or lack of understanding between Bentzon and Barbera added another dimension to the story. Because Bentzon was afraid to fly and unable to travel very far put him in a unique position that the author was able to capitalize on later in the story. I loved Hannah and what she brought to the story. Her expertise in math and science was fascinating. There's one diagram in the book that was supposedly drawn by Hannah. It looked hand drawn which added to its authenticity, but the size made it hard to make out and read. Perhaps if it were larger, it would have been easier to see.

The one weak point in the whole book was the ending. It was exciting and suspenseful until the very end, but the "solution" fell flat. Perhaps it was just too simple for an involved lengthy story like this. It didn't ruin the book for me, I just wish it had ended a little differently.

A.J. Kazinski is a pseudonym of Anders Rønnow Klarlund and Jacob Weinreich. This is their first collaboration. This book was translated from the Danish by Tiina Nunnally.

Highly recommended. I hope these guys write more books.

For more information about this book, please visit Simon & Schuster's UK website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster UK for this review copy.

The Last Good Man by A.J. Kazinski, Simon & Schuster UK ©2012. ISBN 9780857205803(Trade paperback), 522p.

Altar of Bones by Philip Carter

In Altar of Bones, Zoe Dmitroff is entrusted with a centuries old very dangerous secret. Just like those who have come before her, this secret will put her life in danger. As she fights to protect it, others will stop at nothing to attain it. The story spans many years, crosses many countries and touches many lives. Even the rich, powerful and famous are not safe.

I enjoyed this one, but only up to a point. It was a good thriller and had the potential to be great, but it's heavy reliance on action sequences, let me wanting. I kept reading because I wanted to hear about this conspiracy in which "everything you believed is wrong...everything you feared is real". Doesn't that sound good? Maybe I was expecting too much and looked at the book the wrong way. Instead of reading to find out about this conspiracy, I should have just relaxed and read the book for what it was...a good thriller. Maybe.

This book offers up another theory (or theories) surrounding the deaths of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. I found that very intriguing. However, the theory is so out there and such a small part of the book, relatively speaking, I was a little disappointed. I wanted substance, planning, deception, plotting...all the things of a good conspiracy. Maybe there was some of that here, but it got lost. As far as I'm concerned, with a few changes the conspiracy could have been about any two famous people, say John Lennon and John Belushi, or Natalie Wood and Abraham Lincoln. Again, maybe I'm being too hard on the book.

Back to the action scenes for a minute. I like said above, this book is packed full of action scenes. It would probably translate beautifully into a motion picture. In fact, it's almost like it was written with making a movie in mind. While I don't mind some action in my movies, here it was too much. Much of that action/running around/car chases etc. was wasted on me. While putting the characters in jeopardy as they race around the world added suspense to the story, I wanted to get to the part about Kennedy and Monroe.

Having said all of that, there were parts I really liked. The story might not be probable or even plausible, but it certainly was entertaining. I didn't once think about stopping and giving up on it. I loved how the different characters took turns telling part of the stories. It fit with the overall theme and made it interesting and suspenseful. Also, I really liked the two main characters, Zoe and Ry. I liked the tension in their dynamic relationship.

Favourite quote: I liked this quote because every time my husband and I dig in the garden and a plant is really hard to dig up, I say to my husband "I wish that Chinese person holding onto the root would just let go already?"  It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who thinks like that. 

Babe, they're gonna bury it so deep, the only way it'll ever see the light of day again is if some kid in China accidentally uncovers it while digging around in his backyard. (page 312)

Philip Carter is a pseudonym of an internationally bestselling author. I've heard rumours that it's Dan Brown. It certainly could be. The storytelling and conspiracy angle were not unlike The da Vinci Code. Then again, it could also be any one of a half-dozen other writers out there. Anyone have another theory?

Recommended for its thriller aspects.

For more information about this book or to browse inside, please visit Simon & Schuster's website.

I'd like to thank those nice people at Simon & Schuster UK for this review copy.

Altar of Bones by Philip Carter, Gallery Book (Simon & Schuster UK), ©2011. ISBN 9780857202062(ARC), 455p.