fun Manhattan romantic romp, Jul 18 2004

When fate throws Nina with the object of unrequited love, moonlight over the Hudson takes hold although Daniel is not quite what she fantasized. As Daniel falls in love with Nina, everything seems perfect except that she begins to wonder if she should tell him the truth about her probe into his life and he ponders how to inform his beloved that he is not Daniel, but his twin Billy.

Though the use of twins feels ancient, fans, especially dog fanciers will enjoy this Manhattan romantic romp. Nina is an interesting protagonist who feels strongly life has passed her by while she walks a motley crew of canines with varying temperaments and personalities. The human secondary characters are a bark short of the dogs, but add angst as Nina cannot help but getting involved. THE DOG WALKER feels like an adult matchmaking for herself. This work feels like Clueless transferred to Manhattan though some of the amusing bite is lost by doubling the age of the star. Still this romantic canine caper is humorous and fun especially for those walking their mutts.

Harriet Klausner

strong psychological suspense tale, Jul 18 2004

At a parole hearing Jimmy fails to show up, Patrick speaks out against him and Nina does all in her power to get the board to let her father go free. Parole is granted and Douglas who swears he is innocent returns to the scene of the crime to find evidence that would exonerate him. Before he can find out anything he is murdered but someone made it look like suicide. With the help of the prison doctor, Nina takes up where her father left off and finds herself in danger from a killer she has known for almost two decades.

Fans of Marry Higgins Clark will want to read THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, the quintessential psychological suspense tale. The Avery clan is a dysfunctional but likeable family who pull readers into their angst laden drama and end up hoping they will recover from the traumas they have endured. Patricia Macdonald is a brilliant writer known for her works of intrigue; her latest novel is definitely her best but this reviewer will probably say that about her next novel too.

Harriet Klausner

excellent alien invastion SF, Jul 17 2004

In Ayers Rock Australia, archaeologist Marsha Kimbrough hopes to salvage her dying career by proving that ancient astronauts came to earth. Her daughter Tricia accompanies her on the trek, but instead of studying cave paintings, they uncover the top of an Egyptian pyramid buried for centuries under the Australian sand.

In Mount Palomar, California, senior astronomer Papalov Darringer announces that millions of meteors are on a trajectory towards earth and will hit within a year. Pappy also states that these "rocks" all appear to be the identical size.

These three events seem to have nothing in common yet they do for what is coming to the earth has not existed on this orb in almost two millennium. The planet, in spite of technical advances, has no defenses unless Jacob, Marsha, and Pappy can find a way to save their species from extinction.

JUMP START grips the reader from the very moment that a depressed Jacob finds that first rib, remains at that pace through the next two discoveries, and then accelerates into a faster than light alien invasion tale. The action-packed story line contains solid key characters as Jacob and Marsha know failure in relationships and at work while Pappy feels every minute of his sixty-eight years. Gary Carter deserves accolades for this Von Daniken meets HG Wells in a modern retelling of George and the Dragon.

Harriet Klausner

exciting Chinese police procedural, Jul 17 2004

Meanwhile the Shanghai New World Group CEO Yu provides Chen with an offer he cannot refuse. He will pay Chen an exorbitant fee to do him a favor by translating a major business proposal into English.

Yu pursues threads that lead nowhere while Chen earns money translating the business documents. Still Chen advises his junior partner on how to proceed. Soon Yu finds out that Yin shared a romance during the Cultural Revolution with Professor Yang Bing. Could someone have silenced the author because of something that occurred when Yin and Yang were together at a time when the Red Guard reeducated or killed the Black (anti worker)?

The third Chen tale is an exciting Chinese police procedural, but somewhat different than that of the two previous novels (see DEATH OF A RED HEROINE and A LOYAL CHARACTER DANCER) as Yu leads much of the investigation. The deep look at modern day Shanghai and brilliantly incorporating Chinese poetry into the love story of Yin and Yang enhance the story line. Though the ending seems soft, perhaps because the rest of WHEN RED IS BLACK is so powerful, Qiu Xialong provides a deep look at how historical events impact the present inside a terrific murder mystery.

Harriet Klausner

delightful and charming between the great wars mystery, Jul 17 2004

Rich supermarket magnate Joseph Waite hires Masie to find his daughter Charlotte who has a habit of running away from home even if she is thirty-seven years of age. Masie deduces that she left the day she saw in the newspaper that one of her old friends from boarding school was murdered. Two more of Charlotte's former friends die and a white feather is found on or near each murder victim. Masie must find a way to keep Charlotte safe and bait a trap to catch the killer.

Readers will thoroughly enjoy this delightful and charming mystery and find themselves interested in the historical details of England between the wars. The protagonist is not a radical feminist but an independent person who believes that she is as capable as any man in her chosen profession. Although she has known much sorrow, she is a kind-hearted and generous person who cares about people, especially those who are suffering the aftereffects of WWI. BIRDS OF A FEATHER will definitely appeal to fans of great mysteries.

Harriet Klausner

fine Swedish police procedural, Jul 17 2004

Rather quickly Huss and her competent team trace von Knecht's life into the criminal underground of drug dealing and motorcycle gangs. Not long afterwards, the case turns deadly again when a bomb blows up Von Knecht's business office, killing two people. Huss and her squad struggle with finding the specific motive though in some way she knows that von Knecht's underworld and business connections have crossed at a fatal junction making her worry that more killings will follow if they do not stop the unknown perpetrator now.

Ironically, the reader can figure out who the culprit is rather quickly, but that does not interfere with a fine Swedish police procedural. Huss is a delightful protagonist struggling to make it in a world in which male domination is not limited to the men's room. The police force, especially those who work with the heroine, are a wonderful group as their verbal exchanges and professional investigation make for a fine read for sub-genre fans who also can look forward to future translations of Detective Huss' caseload.

Harriet Klausner

excellent future world tale, Jul 16 2004

To prevent another successful assassination during the war he created Ringers, surgically transformed men to serve as Kingston's bodyguards. The system worked and the empire thrived until an assassin was able to slip past the guards and kill the king and take control. The ringers and Kingston scatter and claimants to the empire want the king to stay gone for twenty days for that means he will be officially declared dead with his empire to go to the most powerful claimant. Horracks and his pregnant wife Sari, once bodyguards to the royals, are asked to find the king before the time is up. They do not know that Kingston's illegitimate children and an old enemy working for rival business man want them to fail.

Adam Connell debuts with an excellent future world tale in which business rules and sabotage and assassination is the order of the day. COUNTERFEIT KINGS is not a happily ever after tale but it is a realistic one as business rules the galaxy. There are many villains in Mr. Connell's story that readers will love to hate more than they will love the protagonist, a man who doesn't even know what his best option is in the coming war. Counterfeit Kings is a mesmerizing, action-packed and riveting work of science fiction.

Harriet Klausner

solid ten collection anthology, Jul 16 2004

Harriet Klausner

solid amateur sleuth tale, Jul 15 2004

Before Carl even receives a list of suspects from Dr. Partridge, Police Chief Boss Napier visits him to tell him to back off as the stolen soldiers are linked to a homicide. Someone killed former professor Matthew Hart leaving a toy soldier by the corpse. Partridge knows that Carl needs to stay as far away from the official inquiry as possible, but still gives him the list to begin his interrogation. As he searches for the stolen soldiers, Carl becomes entwined in a murder mystery that could cost him his life hopefully before he makes a fool of himself on the softball field in front of the librarian he likes.

DEAD SOLDIERS is an entertaining academic mystery that will hook readers from the moment Dr. P forces Carl to find her purloined soldiers. Though why Carl feels he had to follow up after the Boss man told him to back off is a mystery unto itself (he has tenure), the link between the miniature and the homicide is intriguing. The support cast is a delight, but Carl is the MVP of this solid amateur sleuth tale.

Harriet Klausner