Book Reviews # 7 Bad Faith (Sister Agatha Mystery)

Bad Faith
A Sister Agatha Mystery

by

Aimee and David Thurlo

Back cover: "Once she was Professor Mary Naughton, investigative reporter, and free spirit. Now she is Sister Agatha of Our Lady of Hope, a cloistered, financially struggling monastery in New Mexico. As an extern--a nun who handles her order's dealings with the outside world -- she is used to having her faith and newly acquired patience tested. But when popular chaplain Father Anselm is poisoned to death in the middle of Mass, Sister Agatha has to bring all her worldly skepticism and savvy instincts to bear to uncover the truth before scandal and unjust suspicion destroy Our Lady of Hope's future. She's up against a hostile local sheriff, an ex-lover who's never forgiven her for 'abandoning' their life together. She's got no shortage of suspects-with-secrets outside, and inside, the monastery. And she'll have to race the clock to stop one remorseless murderer before there's more hell to pay...."

I'm in trouble because found another new to me author duo and I thoroughly enjoyed the first book I read - "Bad Faith." It is the first in the Sister Agatha Mystery series. I also have the 2nd book "Thief in Retreat" which will be reading soon for Winter Reading Challenge. They also have another mystery series about a female Navajo FBI agent called "Ella Clah" which looks interesting.

Bad Faith is a very interesting read because it is not only about a murder mystery but what day to day life is like in a cloistered convent. I visited a cloistered convent once back when I was a teenager and it was very interesting, quite enlightening. They had many rules to protect the sisters including a dress code for visitors, but that is another story in itself.

Sister Agatha is one of two externs for the convent, which means she is the intermediary for the convent, handling all the outside business for the convent and making sure that nothing disturbs the sisters. When Father Anselmo dies from poison, she does everything she can to help solve the murder, while protecting the sanctity of the convent. In the course of her sleuthing to help solve the murder, she not only has to work with the sheriff, who just happens to be an ex-lover during her wild days, and who couldn't or wouldn't understand why she chose to become a nun.

She manages to uncover one mystery after another - all leading up to discovering who poisoned the priest and why. Was he the intended vicitim all along or was it someone else? What secret is one of the postulant's harboring and will it affect her decision to become a nun. Why do all the computers keep breaking down? Is it bad luck or is someone sabatoging them?

Bad Faith is very well done and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Bookshelf Meme

I've Been Tagged -twice

BethF of Beth Fish Reads tagged me a couple weeks ago and MizB of ShouldBeReading tagged me today for the Bookshelf Meme.

1) The book that's been on my shelf the longest: It would have to be science fiction/fantasy books since that is what I read the most of way back when. My brother got me hooked on the Xanth Series when it came out so I would have to say A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony which started it all.



2) A book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time, etc.) I would have to go with the Xanth book again. Reminds me of my first apartment and the thrill of filling up those bookshelves with science fiction books. I remember the first time I moved, my brother complaining about all the book boxes and how I packed them too heavy. The rule of thumb became: If you personally can't lift them, then they are too heavy.

3) A book you acquired in some interesting way (gift, serendipity in a used bookstore, prize, etc.): I've received a lot of gift books over the years, but I would have to say obtaining my first advanced reader copy, which was "Dark Pursuit" by Brandilyn Collins.

4) A book that’s been with you to the most places: My bible.

5) The most recent addition to your shelves: Find Me by Debra Webb.

I happened across her group blog Murder She Writes the other day. She blogs along with several other authors I like including Roxanne St. Claire, Allison Brennan, and Toni Causey, just to name a few. She was talking about the research she had done for her new book, Find Me and I put it on my wishlist. Well, I was in Save-mart and lo and behold, the book was there. I had to get it.





6 ) A bonus book that you want to talk about but doesn’t fit into the other questions:I signed up to be a Thomas Nelson book review blogger a few weeks ago. I'm excited because yesterday when I checked what books were available, discovered Kiss by Ted Dekker on the list. (clapping hands with glee!)



Of course, I had to request it and should have it in a few days. He also has a new one coming out in April called "Boneman's Daughter" which I am adding to my Pub Challenge list o' books.






If you haven't done this meme yet - then TAG, you are it!


Here are the rules to the meme:
1. Tag 3-5 people, so the fun keeps going! See note above.

2. Leave a comment at the original post at A Striped Armchair, so that Eva can collect everyone’s answers.

3. If you leave a comment and link back to Eva as the meme’s creator, she will enter you in a book giveaway contest! She has a whole shelf devoted to giveaway books that you’ll be able to choose from, or a bookmooch point if you prefer.

4. Remember that this is all about enjoying books as physical objects, so feel free to describe the exact book you’re talking about, down to that warping from being dropped in the bath water…

5. Make the meme more fun with visuals! Covers of the specific edition you’re talking about, photos of your bookshelves, etc.

400th post: Book Reviews # 6 Five In A Row

Five in a Row

By

Jan Coffey

Back Cover: "A Porsche careens out of control in a crowded parking lot. A brand-new SUV smashes through a dealership's plate-glass window. A Mercedes races wildly down a pier before diving off the end onto the deck of a yacht. Then two more wrecks. Witnesses report the vehicles had 'a mind of their own' before each accident. Five in a row can't be a coincidence. Computer guru Emily Doyle has become the single-minded focus of a hacker determined to capture her attention. She recognizes the technology that is being used to gain control of the vehicles--and in some way, she is connected to each of the victims. Ben Colter is the investigator called in by the automakers to find the link. As the casualties mount, Emily and Ben must unravel the puzzle of the seemingly random attacks, as a twisted mind moves from virtual reality to international terrorism."

Five in a row is a romantic suspense thriller. Emily has a secret admirer and he has become obsessed with her. He has developed a way to take control of new cars and make them crash. He is singlemindely trying to remove the people involved in Emily's life - whether from the computer course she teaches on line to her son, whom he thinks stands in his way. He stalks her - watching her both cyblerly and physically. He is biding his time - then she will be his. Ben Colter has admired Emily's computer expertise for years and has tried to hire her many times. He arrives in town as the lead investigator for the automakers and enlists Emily's help. Together they discover, all the accidents lead to her and they try to find the stalker before he kills the one thing in Emily's life she is most passionate about - her son. When the stalker's attention turns to her son, Emily turns into one mad mama bear. Along the way, Emily and Ben are attracted to each other and fall in love.

I finished Five in a Row last night. Very well done with wonderful writing and an interesting storyline with 3d characters. Can you tell I liked it. This is a first time read by anything written by Jan Coffey. Jan Coffey is a pseudonym for the husband and wife writing team Jim and Nikoo McGoldrick. You wouldn't know there are two people who wrote this story. There have been times I've read a book and could tell different people were involved in writing the story. Five in a Row had one distinct voice and stuck with it throughout the story. Highly recommended and I will definitely be reading more stories by the writing duo of Jan Coffey.

Book Reviews # 4 and 5 - Love by Design

Love by Design by Nora Roberts is the release of two classics

Loving Jack

And

Best Laid Plans

Loving Jack: "Somehow her own fictional hero had turned up in person right under her own roof, and now all romance writer Jackie MacNamara had to do was convince stubborn Nathan Powell that happily ever after began at home and in her arms." Loving Jack is a formula romance - they meet, they fall in love, they make love, he can't make a commitment, she leaves, he realizes he can't live without her. The story is a light, enjoyable read.

Best Laid Plans: "She was the sexiest thing in a hard hat that architect Cody Johnson had ever seen, but structural engineer Abra Wilson also had a will as strong as a steel girder--and just about as flexible. But Cody had plans for Abra that not even this spirited beauty could resist." Very well done story. Abra has to work twice as hard as the men to prove herself and she is working on the last project for her boss before she goes solo. Cody is the architect and the two of them butt heads over the design of a resort in Arizona. Cody is attracted to Abra from the start and works hard to get the girl. Someone is sabataging the project and the race is on to discover who. Meanwhile, the animosity fades and attraction grows as they are forced to work together.

Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors so when saw Love by Design in the store, had to get it.





I also completed Fire Dancer by Colleen Coble.

Back Cover: "A Decade ago, Tess Masterson's parents died in a terrible barn fire. Now she's become one of the best smoke jumpers in the business. Though she makes a living jumping out of planes into roaring wildfires, she's never found the courage to face the wounds of her past--or to deal with the anger that flares whenever she encounters Chase Huston. When a serial arsonist known as the Fire Dancer strikes near her old homeplace in Arizona, Tess is forced to examine the past as it relates to the present. How will she confront her own demons while at the same time putting a stop to the terror that has the area in flames?"

This is the first story I have read by Coble. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the characters, but just couldn't get it to the story. It just didn't flow right and I didn't feel emotionally drawn into the story. It felt like something was being left out. Something would happen to one of the characters or one would be caught in a situation and it seemed like instead of dealing with it or talking about it right then and there, it would be ignored and later something would be said about it. The reviews have been all good for this book, so I can only assume it is my perception and the flaws of the characters just didn't sit right with me. I do have a tendency to be analytical and follow a logical course. They spent more time trying to ignore what was happening around them and focusing on things that didn't matter. All was resolved in the end as it is supposed to be. As I write this, I'm realizing I just didn't like the characters and their actions and reactions. Hmm!

I also purchased the first three books in the Aloha Reef Series: Distant Echoes, Black Sands, and Dangerous Depths. They were on sale through christianbooks.com. I'm keeping an open mind.

Weekly Geek 2009 -01

Return of Weekly Geeks

"Weekly Geeks took a break for six weeks to give us time to honor Dewey, regroup and decide how to proceed. It takes a village to keep Dewey's projects going - and that's just what this blogging village (blogage?) is doing.



In the spirit of the amazing community building that Dewey was so good at, tell us about your favorite blogs, the ones you have bookmarked or subscribe to in your Google Reader, that you visit on a regular basis. Tell us what it is about these blogs that you love, that inspire or educate you or make you laugh. Be sure to link to them so we can find them too."

This is my first weekly geeks. I had been followed Dewey and the weekly geeks for some time. Yes, I lurked, but never joined. I am glad to see it is continuing and I'm getting off the fence to join in. For those who don't know how weekly geeks works, you can find out here.

I have a wide variety of blogs that I look at weekly, sometimes daily. They range from home school to book bloggers to mystery and romance writers. Five of my favorite blogs are:

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
For those who have never heard of her, she helps her husband run a cattle ranch, as well as raising 4 children. She writes about anything and everything and is quite amusing.

Murderati - 12 mystery writers talk about mysteries, murder and marketing.

Murder She Writes - a recent discovery and now a daily read. A group of writers including my favorites: Allison Brennan, Debra Webb and Roxanne St. Claire.

Both Murderati and Murder She Writes are great websites for finding out how the authors come up with their ideas, the foibles of writing, the research, plus provide inspiration for aspiring writers.

Mental Multivitamin - I've been reading her blog for 3 years now. She blogs about books, art and life. She has introduced me to several books and authors that I wouldn't normally consider reading. Her motto is "Read - Think - Learn."

Should Be Reading - MizB hosts many challenges, weekly meme's and has read many an interesting book. The first place I learned about novel challenges and have been hooked since.

The Book Lady's Blog - Another recent discovery and now a daily read. She works in a bookstore and has many interesting humorous tales to tell, plus she is a avid reader.

If you want to see the rest of the blogs I read, scroll down the page to All About Blogs section in the side bar.

What blogs inspire you?

Weekly Report #14

We had a good week. I am so pleased to say that James has chosen to join the Cub Scouts. Finally, something he is interested in doing. Every year, after Christmas the Boy scouts come round and pick up our Christmas Tree. And, every year for the past three years we have asked James: are you interested? The answer has always been no.

Well. This year I didn't ask. I arranged for the tree to be picked up and once James heard the boy scouts would be picking it up, he asked. Father said we would talk to whoever picked up the tree. I asked the young man when he came to the door about the group and he gave me a little info with a phone number to call. Surprisingly on Sunday, he came back with his dad and little brother with an application for the boy scouts. We talked briefly and "dad" says mom is the den mother and she knows everything so talk to her.

Father had an hour long conversation with the den mother and found out they have a den (group of 5 - 6) boys in the neighborhood. We found out the difference between dens and packs. They have den meetings every Tuesday and pack meetings once a month with all the dens. So we went to a den meeting on Tuesday. There were 5 other boys James age, 4 currently part of the group and another little boy trying to make up his mind if he wants to join. (The other little boy, by the way, has asked his mother to home school him - she and Father had a long conversation)

James had a blast!!!!! The boys are all from different schools and very nice. All have older parents like us. The boys embraced James right away and he the same. So today, we will be going out today to buy his cub scout uniform. We are going to start working on him earning all the badges so he can move up with the group to Webelos in May. I am thrilled!!!!!! (as if you couldn't tell)

Also on Tuesday, Father went back to the doctor for a check up on his leg and new x-rays. The x-rays show improvement with the bone growing back together and also forming new bone around the break. Unfortunately I didn't get a copy of the x-rays. They gave him a walking boot cast which is removable and told him to start walking on it which would help stimulate the bone growth.



When we got home, the boot immediately came off and we washed his leg and foot. And being the wonderful, loving, ever so accommodating wife that I am - I rubbed all the dead skins cells off. We discussed and decided he would stay off work for another 4 weeks, since he really can't carry anything at work, yet. We, meaning me, and my technicians are handling things just fine. Father has a couple electronic projects to finish and he will be taking full advantage of the time off to finish them. So between the doctor's visit, the tlc and the cub scout meeting, lessons didn't get done on Tuesday. Which brings me to what we did accomplish.

Proverbs: Worked on Memorizing Proverbs 13:1 "A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke." Sadly, Living Memory didn't arrive this week - Fedex for some insane reason decided it needed to go an even longer route and it traveled to Sacramento, then went back to North Carolina, and now it is winging back to Sacramento. We should have it sometime next week.

Math: Working on Subtracting 5's. Reviewed addition and Father did a bonus lesson with counting money and threw in some simple multiplication and division.

Voyages in English: Unit 4 - working on past and present participles.

Spelling: Lesson 13 completed

Cursive: More review and mastery

Chemistry: Read about Discovering Metals in Chemistry book. Father and James read 3 chapters in Archimedes and The Door of Science: 3 - Alexandria, 4- Archimedes and his lever and 5 - Archimedes and King Heiro's Crown. They also did a water density experiment.

This was a light week because it is normally the week we take off, but since it fell two weeks after our Christmas vacation, we continued. Father actually complained I didn't give them enough to do. Ho Ho Ho - just wait til next week. Then he'll be complaining I gave them too much.

National Delurk Week

Hello, How are you? I'm fine. So what are you up to today?

Did you know it's National Delurk Week. I didn't until today. Do you know how many people have been lurking on this blog. I checked the stats today and was very surprised to find

413 so far this month

Of that amount 307 of you are unique, 222 of you are first time visitors, and 85 are returnee's. That is an average of 45 people per day. Out of the 413, I have a total of 25 comments. So in honor of National Delurk Week, please say hello.

I even challenge you to make it a goal this year and I promise to do the same thing. That for every blog you visit, try to leave a comment. I'm guilty of hit and run, stopping by for a few seconds and zooming off again. It may slow your browsing down a bit, but it will make you stop, read and think about what you are reading. Engage your mind and join in the conversation. It's easy, even for an introvert.

If you are at a loss for something to say, tell me about what book you are reading or the last movie you saw or what subject you enjoy the most.

Thank you to all those who regularly visit and leave comments. Thank you all who visit and read my blog. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to stop by.