Despite a bump in the road with 6th Target, James Patterson has picked up the Women's Murder Club Series in 7th Heaven, and it looks like Lindsay is on the brink of yet another emotional dilemma. In this book, Michael Campion, who has a bad heart and happens to be the son of a former governor, disappears, but a tip comes in leading to a potential suspect. At the same time, a series of homes are set afire, robbed, and their occupants killed; these fires appear to be arson or accidental, but the detectives must follow a gruelling set of leads to discover the truth. Meanwhile, Lindsay Boxer continues to live with her FBI boyfriend, Joe, even though she has yet to say yes to his proposal from 6th Target.
***Spoiler Alert***
While this book has a much cleaner plot and the suspense is kept high for most of the book, I don't see the attraction Lindsay has to Rich Conklin, her partner. I know that Patterson is setting it up to be a love triangle with Lindsay caught between two men--her partner and her former FBI boyfriend--but I guess I am partial to Joe. I want to see her happy, and after cheering him on and happily applauding his decision to finally move to San Francisco and quite the FBI to be with Lindsay, I want my happy ending for them. I knew once Jacobi was moved up and no longer her partner, another hunk was moving into her life. I wonder if it is her desire for Conklin or her inability to commit that has her so confused about the men in her life. I gather its a bit of both.
This is one thing I have noticed about Patterson's crime stories--and it bugs me--the main characters who are detectives in police forces never can just have a happy home life. Wives die, marriages end in divorce, partners become lovers, and other activities happen that keep these detectives merely bouncing from bed to bed. I find that disturbing. I would like to see something out of the ordinary from one of his main characters; I would like to see them fall in love, get married, and have families all while remaining on the job and platonic with their partners.
As for the crimes, the Campion case takes a series of twists and turns that even had me baffled for a while, though I finally had it figured. I love the ending to this case, folks. If for nothing else, you should read this book to find out what really happens to Michael Campion. I have to say the conversation with Boxer, Conklin, and Campion's father was the biggest clue to the ending for me. It was a good point in the story to bring it out as well.
The rash of fires in the area among wealthy families was intriguing and the discovery of who Pidge and Hawk really are was captivating. The only question I have for those characters is what sick and twisted world do you live in that setting fires and killing people can be equated with 7th Heaven? Talk about a disturbing title for a graphic novel/manifesto of crime. It makes one wonder how these minds become that twisted to think hey let's set fire to homes, rob them, and kill the couples inside rather than sell this really detailed graphic novel that received rave reviews and become rich ourselves. I think in this instance, I would have preferred a bit more detail into how these criminals came to those conclusions. What motivated them to kill, rather than make money and change their lot in life? Then again, I suppose most cops and prosecutors never find that out even if the perps are arrested.
***End Spoiler Alert****
Also, keep a watchful eye on this book for the newest addition to the Women's Murder Club. The group is growing. Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read that kept my interest throughout. While some parts angered me and there is still no resolution to the Joe, Lindsay, Conklin interactions, I would recommend this crime drama, 7th Heaven, as a must read part of the series, just skip over the 6th Target.
Mar 24, 2008
Mar 20, 2008
April Writer's Conference in Washington, D.C.
On April 5, 2008, I will again be at an all-day conference in Washington, D.C., Conversations and Connections. I cannot wait for another opportunity to network and learn from my peers. It will be great to among creative writers. This is the second, all-day conference in the region. Registration is $45 for an all-day conference.
I may even head out to the readings on April 4th in Rockville.
The first breakout session will have the following:
I am so excited. It gives me something positive to look forward to, and I definitely need it. Maybe it will get my creative juices flowing more as well.
I may even head out to the readings on April 4th in Rockville.
The first breakout session will have the following:
- Crafting the Poem (panelists: Kim Roberts, Eric Pankey, Kim Jensen, Sean Conrey)
- The Business of Getting Published (panelists: Nancy Naomi Carlson, Holly Sneeringer, Mark Drew)
- Finding a Home for Your Brilliant Work: Amy Holman Workshop
- Starting Your Own Independent Press (Ed Perlman)
- The Long Haul: Writing the Novel (panelists: Michael Kimball, Fred Leebron, Carolyn Parkhurst)
- How Can an MFA/MA Help Me? (panelists: Kenra Kopelke, Geoff Becker, David Everett)
- Short Fiction: Process and Craft (panelists: Merrill Feitell, Lalita Norohna, Susan McCallum-Smith)
- Writing Nonfiction (Eric Nuzum, Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson, Lucie Snodgrass, David A. Taylor)
- The Disciplined Writer (panelists: Michelle Brafman, Jen Michalski, Kathy Volk Miller, Tim Wendel)
- Poetic Forms (Ned Balbo)
- The Novella: Form and Potential (Cyndi Reeves)
- Web Markets and Marketing (panelists: Rachel Adams, Thom Didato, Reb Livingston)
I am so excited. It gives me something positive to look forward to, and I definitely need it. Maybe it will get my creative juices flowing more as well.
May Poetry Event Advanced Notice
The Sound of Words: A Scheme to Rock the Writers Center
Featuring: The Caribbean (a rock band) and 32 Poems Magazine (a poetry magazine)
DATE: Friday, May 9
TIME: 8 PM
LOCATION: The Writer's Center,
4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815
DESCRIPTION
32 Poems Magazine, The Caribbean (an indie rock band), and the Writer's Center join
together to bring you outstanding poetry from Sandra Beasley and
Bernadette Geyer and songs from The Caribbean
Writer's Center
32 Poems
32 Poems BLOG
The Caribbean
LISTEN TO THEIR MUSIC
Featuring: The Caribbean (a rock band) and 32 Poems Magazine (a poetry magazine)
DATE: Friday, May 9
TIME: 8 PM
LOCATION: The Writer's Center,
4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815
DESCRIPTION
32 Poems Magazine, The Caribbean (an indie rock band), and the Writer's Center join
together to bring you outstanding poetry from Sandra Beasley and
Bernadette Geyer and songs from The Caribbean
Writer's Center
32 Poems
32 Poems BLOG
The Caribbean
LISTEN TO THEIR MUSIC
Mar 17, 2008
The Power of Hurricanes
Finally, I finished Isaac's Storm by Eric Larson. I know it has taken me an incredibly long time to finish, and there are several reasons for that; one of which is the first 60 or so pages of meteorological history I had to weed through at the beginning. The second portion was the ending, which dragged on a bit much for me.
The 2005 hurricane season is still fresh in the minds of many Americans even three years later, especially the federal bureaucracy that hindered and still prevents New Orleans from recovering fully. The 1900 storm in Galveston, Texas, faced similar problems, though in relation to the Weather Bureau, which was in its infancy at the time. Political infighting between the Weather Bureau and forecasters in Cuba caused delays in storm advisories and other notices headed for Texas and other regions west of Florida.
There really won't be a spoiler alert for this review because I do not intend to get into the intricacies of the bureaucracy and its failure to alert the residents of Galveston that a major hurricane with winds over 100 mph was headed in a westerly direction. Isaac, who lead the Weather Bureau office in Galveston at the time of the storm, was considered one of the best forecasters in the bureau and he prided himself on his abilities. However, the 1900 storm fooled even him, which to me signals that humans take too much pride in their abilities to realize their own limitations.
Accounts derived from letters, newspaper accounts, and other records make up the bulk of Larson's research, but I think my main problem with the book was the drab writing. I was plugging along slowly because the descriptions did not jump off the page at me as much as I had hoped, even when Larson was recounting the storm's destruction.
I am not a major nonfiction reader by any imagination, though some will intrigue me enough to read them without a problem. This one was a bit tough to get through, taking me over a month to read for a mere 273 pages. If people are interested in the weather, the history of weather and meteorology, and historical accounts, I say pick up this book. Otherwise, steer clear.
The 2005 hurricane season is still fresh in the minds of many Americans even three years later, especially the federal bureaucracy that hindered and still prevents New Orleans from recovering fully. The 1900 storm in Galveston, Texas, faced similar problems, though in relation to the Weather Bureau, which was in its infancy at the time. Political infighting between the Weather Bureau and forecasters in Cuba caused delays in storm advisories and other notices headed for Texas and other regions west of Florida.
There really won't be a spoiler alert for this review because I do not intend to get into the intricacies of the bureaucracy and its failure to alert the residents of Galveston that a major hurricane with winds over 100 mph was headed in a westerly direction. Isaac, who lead the Weather Bureau office in Galveston at the time of the storm, was considered one of the best forecasters in the bureau and he prided himself on his abilities. However, the 1900 storm fooled even him, which to me signals that humans take too much pride in their abilities to realize their own limitations.
Accounts derived from letters, newspaper accounts, and other records make up the bulk of Larson's research, but I think my main problem with the book was the drab writing. I was plugging along slowly because the descriptions did not jump off the page at me as much as I had hoped, even when Larson was recounting the storm's destruction.
I am not a major nonfiction reader by any imagination, though some will intrigue me enough to read them without a problem. This one was a bit tough to get through, taking me over a month to read for a mere 273 pages. If people are interested in the weather, the history of weather and meteorology, and historical accounts, I say pick up this book. Otherwise, steer clear.
Mar 16, 2008
Sharpen Those Fangs...
The second part to the Blue Bloods series, Masquerade, is a whirlwind of revelations regarding the Van Alens and the entire Blue Blood society. I was anxious to get my copy from the library and continue reading about these young vampires and their families. I looked forward to Schulyer's adventure to find her grandfather, Lawrence. However, that journey was short-lived. While I was initially disappointed that the journey started and ended quickly, my disappointment was overcome by curiosity.
***Spoiler Alert***
She finds her grandfather at the behest of her grandmother--a trip that takes her to Venice. She spies people who look like her mother and who remind her of people she should know from her past lives, but disappointments in her quest make her doubt her ability to find her grandfather, who holds the key to defeating the Silver Bloods.
After she finds her grandfather, her disappointment only deepens when he refuses to help her in her quest to uncover the Silver Blood and Blue Blood past and defeat the impending threat to her teenage friends at an elite New York prep school. Returning to New York thrusts her back into the thick of her teenage confusion over Oliver, her conduit and friend, and her crush on Jack Force, who is bound through blood to his sister, Mimi. Schulyer's desire for the unattainable is palatable in this second book in the series--a desire that most anyone who has had a crush on a boy can certainly relate to.
The adventures in this book are even more dire than the first, with the Silver Blood presence even more apparent despite The Committee's denials and entreaties that the Silver Bloods were defeated many centuries ago. Schuyler's coming of age as a vampire is also wrought with risks to herself and her conduit, who soon becomes her familiar---further complicating her feelings for him and his growing love for her.
The intricacies of this world start to unfold quickly in the book, and as you may have guessed Mimi figures in profoundly because after all her rival for Jack's bond is Schuyler. Jack is a character torn between duty and passion, and his actions clearly define his dilemma--stuck between his lifelong, eternal blood bond with Mimi and his passion for the daughter of Allegra Van Alen, Schuyler.
The history of these character's past lives unravels quickly to reveal some shocking connections.
***End Spoiler Alert***
It's a quick read, and held my attention much more than the first book. I was excited to see what would happen next. The end leaves the door wide open for a third book in this young adult series about teenage vampires, and I hope that Melissa De La Cruz does not disappoint. I recommend this book for people who enjoy YA reading and vampires alike. This not a horror series by any stretch of the imagination, not too much gore here. It's more like a commentary on the teenage relationships in high society and coming of age, just with a vampire twist.
***Spoiler Alert***
She finds her grandfather at the behest of her grandmother--a trip that takes her to Venice. She spies people who look like her mother and who remind her of people she should know from her past lives, but disappointments in her quest make her doubt her ability to find her grandfather, who holds the key to defeating the Silver Bloods.
After she finds her grandfather, her disappointment only deepens when he refuses to help her in her quest to uncover the Silver Blood and Blue Blood past and defeat the impending threat to her teenage friends at an elite New York prep school. Returning to New York thrusts her back into the thick of her teenage confusion over Oliver, her conduit and friend, and her crush on Jack Force, who is bound through blood to his sister, Mimi. Schulyer's desire for the unattainable is palatable in this second book in the series--a desire that most anyone who has had a crush on a boy can certainly relate to.
The adventures in this book are even more dire than the first, with the Silver Blood presence even more apparent despite The Committee's denials and entreaties that the Silver Bloods were defeated many centuries ago. Schuyler's coming of age as a vampire is also wrought with risks to herself and her conduit, who soon becomes her familiar---further complicating her feelings for him and his growing love for her.
The intricacies of this world start to unfold quickly in the book, and as you may have guessed Mimi figures in profoundly because after all her rival for Jack's bond is Schuyler. Jack is a character torn between duty and passion, and his actions clearly define his dilemma--stuck between his lifelong, eternal blood bond with Mimi and his passion for the daughter of Allegra Van Alen, Schuyler.
The history of these character's past lives unravels quickly to reveal some shocking connections.
***End Spoiler Alert***
It's a quick read, and held my attention much more than the first book. I was excited to see what would happen next. The end leaves the door wide open for a third book in this young adult series about teenage vampires, and I hope that Melissa De La Cruz does not disappoint. I recommend this book for people who enjoy YA reading and vampires alike. This not a horror series by any stretch of the imagination, not too much gore here. It's more like a commentary on the teenage relationships in high society and coming of age, just with a vampire twist.
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