The Perfect Home - Daniel Kenitz

The Perfect Home is Daniel Kenitz's newly released novel.

Okay, hands up if you've ever got lost in the 'house' channels. You know, flipping, restoring, decorating and so much more. (I have!)

The Perfect Home is one of those shows. Married couple Wyatt and  Dawn Decker are the perfect hosts. Their show is doing well, but how can they make it better? Wyatt has some suggestions....

And I'm going to leave things there for you to discover what's next. I have to admit it's a darker plot I had imagined. And, that was a good thing.

Kitzen allows each lead to tell their take on what is happening. The narrative switches back and forth between husband and wife. This style of story telling always keeps me reading 'just one more chapter'. There were some really tense sections that I hadn't imagined when I started the book. The author did a great job of keeping the tension and action rising to the final pages. I wonder about the behind the scenes - I'm sure they're not too far from reality. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Perfect Home.

Heartland - Sarah Smarsh

Sarah Smarsh's memoir, Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, was written over the course of fifteen years.

Smarsh 'combed through public records, old newspaper, letters, photographs, and other archives to piece together a family history from the ill-documented chaos that poverty begets.'

Smarsh was born to a teenage mother on the plains of Kansas. Her birth was the next chapter in a story of teen mothers, domestic abuse, inter generational poverty and more. But is also a story of resilience, strength, tenacity and hope for something better.

Smarsh introduces us to the members of her family, with an honest and unadulterated voice. The emphasis is on the maternal members. I have to say, I was smitten by Grandma Betty. She is a force of nature, a rock to her family. Smarsh details her own family history, but also includes how government policies, programs and the economic climate over the years impact the working poor.

Smarsh has written Heartland with asides and ruminations to the child/daughter she will never have. (by choice). I did find this a bit hard to wrap my head around in the opening chapters. It continues throughout the book and although I understand she has broken the pattern and chosen not to raise another generation, it became a bit repetitive and lost it's initial impact.

As I read, I found myself nodding my head, as some of Smarsh's story is familiar to me - snippets of conversation, situations and hurdles to overcome. I always feel privileged to read a memoir, a telling of lives....

"With deepest reverence, thank you to my family for surviving, with humor and dignity, the difficulties that allowed this book to exist. When I asked for their blessing to tell our shared past, they bravely answered yes. Their reasons for standing behind my work, as they sometimes told me: Because it might help someone else, and because it is true."

Thank you Sarah Smarsh for sharing - here's an excerpt of Heartland.

Shoot the Dog - Brad Smith

Brad Smith returns with the third entry in his Virgil Cain series - Shoot the Dog.

Virgil is again just minding his own business, plowing the back forty with a pair of Percherons when some movie folks scouting for locations pull up and offer to rent the horses for their 'Frontier Woman' movie. Well, the taxes are coming due and the soybean crop failed last year, so yeah, Virgil could use the money. But those movie folks are quick to talk and slow to listen. They assume Virgil is the 'half-wit dullard hired hand' that works for Mr. Cain - and he lets them think it. Virgil on the other hand is slow to talk and quick to listen.

There's lots of set up before we even get to the crime, but oh can Smith spin a tale. His tongue in cheek take on the movie industry and celebrity is hilarious. The dialogue, conniving and back stabbing amongst the group is priceless. But when the leading lady ends up dead, Virgil can't help himself. He decides to be on set a little more - he's taken a shine to ten year old actor Georgia - and besides, she likes his horses.

"'So do you follow it, or does it follow you?' Buddy asked.
What?
Trouble.
Virgil smiled and finished the beer."

Virgil is such a great character, from his droll dialogue, the way he thinks, his unerring sense of right and wrong and his decision to act on his principles. A white knight with manure on his workboots.

I love the laid back interactions between Virgil and his lover Detective Claire Marchand. (And I have to admit I'm a little jealous of Claire - Virgil is that laid back, quiet type that is oh appealing.) Claire on her own is just as great a character as Virgil - she's got a great mind and a sharp tongue - her dialogue with suspects cuts like a knife. These characters will appeal to readers of both sexes.

The goal of course it to solve who killed that leading lady, but the whodunnit in Shoot the Dog takes a backseat to the characters. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

Shoot the Dog is another entertaining romp of a read from Brad Smith. Smith has a sly, wry sense of humour that I truly enjoy. Do yourself a favour, pull up a chair on the porch, grab a beer and start from the first book - Red Means Run. You'll be hooked - on Brad Smith, not the beer. You can find Brad Smith on Facebook.

Readers who enjoy Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey's tongue in cheek mysteries will enjoy Brad Smith.

Bones of the Lost - Kathy Reichs

There was a time in my reading life where I devoured every 'forensic' novel I could get my hands on - this seemed to coincide with my love of certain television shows of the same ilk. Well, my interest in the TV shows waned and a few of the forensic authors also fell by the wayside. Okay, one of them fell in the ditch.

But not Kathy Reichs. Although I haven't read the last few books, I looked forward to picking up her latest book (#16) to feature forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan - Bones of the Lost. (Yes, she's the basis of the 'Bones' TV show. As is Reichs, who is a forensic anthropologist herself. Which adds a lot to her books!)

Tempe has a set of what may be ancient Peruvian dog bones at the lab waiting to be looked at. They've been confiscated by US Customs from a US war vet who now specializes in the 'import' business.

But, when a young girl, killed by an apparent hit and run, is brought in, she takes precedence. What was she doing in the seedy part of town she was found in? Why did she have a piece of ID from a dead man in her purse? And no ID of her own?

And finally, her ex-husband Pete begs a favour of her - will she go to Afghanistan to look at a set of bones and testify at a military trial. The incentive? It's at the same camp where their daughter Katy is stationed.

Three seemingly disparate cases that Reichs manages to weave together by the final pages.

What keeps me reading this series is the main character. I like her. I don't always agree with everything she says or does, but she's real and believable.  Her co-protagonist Detective 'Skinny' Slidell is not warm and fuzzy, but is a great addition to the series. The two of them are opposites but play off each other well. And Slidell's one-liners were great. Tempe's personal life continues to be in upheaval and gives the character more depth. But love interest Ryan doesn't make an appearance until the final pages. And he arrives with bad news - which may indeed be a set up for the next book.

Reichs has again written a solid mystery, using current topics and headlines to make it time relevant. Solid, but not really new. It seems like I have read this plot line in one form or another already. And maybe that's why it's only a 3.5/5 for me. Because it's solid and somewhat predictable in that we know Tempe is going to solve it all by the end. And this was a bit of a sticky point for me - Tempe seems he** bent on solving everything on her own, damn the torpedoes. She seems to be stepping on detective toes more than using her forensic skills. But hey, it made for good action scenes!

But, that's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did. Bones of the Lost could be read as a stand alone, but I'd recommend starting at the beginning of the series and getting to know the character right from the start.  Read an excerpt of Bones of the Lost. You can find Kathy Reichs on Twitter and on Facebook.

Death of the Demon - Anne Holt

I've gone backwards with Norwegian author Anne Holt. I read the last book featuring Detective Hanne Wilhelmsen first. (my review of 1222) And then going against my usual inclination, I did decide to read her back list, as I quite enjoyed the character.

Death of the Demon is the third in the series and newly released by Scribner.

Agnes Vestavik runs a group foster home just outside of Oslo. A new boy named Olav has just moved in. He's a difficult case, hard to like and hard to get along with. He's large and strong and mercurial........and he doesn't want to be there.

When Agnes is found stabbed to death at her desk, newly promoted Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmson is called to the case along with lead investigator Billy T. Olav has gone missing. But is he the killer? Has he run away? Or been taken? There are a number of other children at the home also capable of violence. There are a large number of staff as well, each with their own secrets. And what about her husband?

Interspersed between Hanne's investigative chapters are the thoughts of Olav's mother. These are quite sad and provide a telling social commentary. Olav's thoughts also trigger an emotional response from the reader.

Holt continues to grow the character of Hanne with more details about her private life being revealed and explored. She is struggling in both her personal and professional lives. Hanne is not always likable, but she is a fascinating protagonist.  Billy T remains a favourite character with this reader - he's larger than life both in stature and personality.

I enjoyed the investigative process, but found one of the crucial deciding clues not as strong as Hanne believed it to be. I could see an alternative explanation. As the investigation marches to the endgame, I was able to suss out the whodunit, but Holt still managed to catch me off guard with an unexpected ending - one I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with.

Death of the Demon isn't my favourite Hanne book, (1222 still is) but was still a darn good read. Read an excerpt of Death of the Demon.

Blessed Are Those Who Thirst - Anne Holt

I first 'discovered Anne Holt when I read the Edgar nominated 1222 featuring recurring protagonist Hanne Wilhelmsen last year. (and loved it! - my review)

Holt is a Norwegian author and started the Hanne series in 1993. Holt has worked for the Oslo P.D., as a lawyer and a journalist and news anchor as well. This extensive background has added much authenticity to this crime series. The first books featuring Hanne are just being released to North American markets this year. Blessed Are Those Who Thirst is the second in the series.

Oslo Detective Inspector Hanne Wilhelmsen and her colleagues are sweating it out - both figuratively and literally. Oslo is in the middle of a heat wave and crime rate is rising with the thermometer. Hanne is called out to investigate an abandoned shed - covered in blood with a series of cryptic number written on the wall. There's no body and until testing is carried out, no indication it is human blood. Hanne's caseload increases when she is given another crime to investigate - that of a brutal rape. But the rape clearance rate in Norway is appalling. And the victim and her father are aware of that....Then another blood soaked scene and set of numbers is discovered....

I was so enamoured of the middle aged Hanne in 1222 that it was a bit of a shock to encounter a young Hanne. But I enjoyed seeing the beginnings of this character - her interactions with fellow cops, her complicated relationship with her sexuality and her partner. Her initial enthusiasm has not been replaced by the cynicism that will come by 1222. What hasn't changed is Hanne's pursuit of the truth, her keen sense of observation and her dedication to justice.

Holt has two story lines running perpendicular - that of Hanne's investigation and personal life and that of the rape victim and her father. Both are intriguing. but also handled with thoughtful introspection. Holt successfully combines credible plotting with an engaging lead, as well as some social commentary, to produce an excellent read. I did find the translation a little stilted in the beginning, but it certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Now, normally I won't go back to the beginning of a series if I've read the latest. In Holt's case, I will be making an exception. I'm quite taken with this series and will be watching for the next release. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Blessed Are Those Who Thirst.

1222 - Anne Holt

I had never heard of Anne Holt before - she's described as Norway's #1 bestselling crime writer. After finishing her latest book 1222, I can see why - and I will be hunting down her backlist.

1222 features one of Holt's recurring characters - Hanne Wilhelmsen. Hanne is not a stereotypical protagonist. She's wheelchair bound, having been paralyzed from the waist down in a police shoot out four years ago. She's a lesbian, a loner and astute. Oh, and she really doesn't like people at all, even more so since her accident.

'It's having people close to me that I find difficult. I am interested in people, but I don't want people to be interested in me. A very taxing situation. At least it is if you surround yourself with friends and colleagues, and if you have to work in a team - as you do in the police. When I got shot and almost died, I ran out of strength. I was perfectly happy sitting there, all by myself."

Hanne is on a train to see a specialist about her paralysis. When the train derails in a snowstorm high above any settlement, the passengers are forced to take refuge in a hotel at the top of the mountain. Communication is cut off as the storm rages on. And someone else is full of rage as well - a clergy man is found shot. Hanne is recognized and reluctantly conscripted to the team that seems to be taking charge - a lawyer, a doctor, and the hotel manager. The storm is increasing in ferocity - and there's a murderer among them. And what about that extra car on the train - the one with armed guards?

I loved this book so much! The character of Hanne was different, not a by the numbers detective. She somewhat reminded me of Inger Ash Wolfe's Hazel Micallef character. Stubborn, sardonic, irascible and highly observant.

"Like other practised liars, he had stuck close to the truth. As a rule, it's the sensible thing to do, but Adrian had given me a piece of a jigsaw puzzle without realizing that I only needed a fragment of sky to sense the outline of the entire finished picture."

1222 has been likened to Agatha Christie's 'locked room' mysteries. The comparison is quite apt. Hanne herself notes "I thought about Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I immediately tried to dismiss the thought. And Then There were None is a story that doesn't exactly have a happy ending."

Each chapter has a clever title page listing the Beaufort Scale, a wind rating that starts at one and rises to 12, ratcheting up as the tension increases in the hotel.

I truly had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. The hotel is populated with many possibilities. Indeed, the various characters are half the fun of this read. Hanne's unveiling of the perpetrator at the end and her reasoning were right there before me the whole time, but I hadn't seen it.

This was a five star read for me - and a perfect read for a blustery winter day. Get a head start - read chapter one of 1222 now. Releases on December 27, 2011.