Book Review- Jeffery Deaver- A Maiden’s Grave

Jeffery Deaver- A Maiden’s Grave (Signet 1996) 4.75 Stars

A Maiden’s Grave is the first Deaver book that I have ever read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will likely be reading a lot more of his novels in the future. In this particular novel, Arthur Potter is called to negotiate with a group of hostage takers that have captured a group of deaf students. Being a federal hostage negotiation agent he must fight to get the support of state officials who would rather have control of the situation for political reasons. It does not take long for him to discover that this is no normal hostage taking; things just aren’t as they seem.
A Maiden’s Grave grabbed my attention right from the get go and refused to let go. Once I started reading I simply could not put the book down. The characters had a great depth that helped the reader understand their motives, even if you did not like their actions. The dialogue was realistic and not in the least bit mechanical. I loved the way he described the painted a picture of the setting with words in order to help you know the setup of the area. The plot was gripping; it had twists and turns, making it difficult to predict how it would turn out, even the ending threw in a bit of a twist. One negative I found was a couple of rape scenes that went into a little bit more description than I liked.
Overall this was an excellent novel. A Maiden’s Grave is a recommended read for anyone who loves thrillers, mysteries, or is just a Deaver fan.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Joseph Finder- Paranoia

Joseph Finder- Paranoia (Audio Book-Unabridged) (St. Martin’s 2004) 3.5 Stars

Adam Cassidy hates his job and he bends the rules for a friend. To avoid jail he becomes a cooperate spy for his boss, getting information from Trion. At Trion he becomes a hotshot and flies up the ranks quickly. Suddenly he finds himself in over his head and discovers that everything may not be as it seems.
Paranoia has a great plot that catches your attention and there are several good twists. Although the ending was somewhat predictable, it still caught my attention and some of it managed to surprise me. The characters were strong and clearly Finder put a lot of thought into them. The dialogue was realistic in most parts and not in least bit mechanical. Some parts in the book were not in the least bit believable and I would have liked to have seen more realistic reactions from the people involved (mainly Trion security).
Overall Paranoia was a good book. I recommend reading it to people who like Joseph Finder, or thrillers.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Michael Pennington- Zhena

Michael Pennington- Zhena (ebook) (Hearts on Fire Books 2009) 3.5 Stars

This is a review done upon request by the author. Zhena tells the harrowing tale of Susan Anderson. She seemed to have an almost perfect life, two wonderful children, large home, loving husband, great neighbourhood, and lots of friends. Out of the blue she receives a phone call that changes her life. Suddenly she develops skills that she did not know she had and people are hunting her down. To save her family she must fight and run, all the while trying to figure out what is going on, discovering that she may not be who she thought she was.
I enjoyed reading Zhena. It had a good prologue that caught your attention and drew you in. The plot was clearly well thought out and I loved the lack of fluff that draws a lot of books out. Pennington got right down to the point and continued on with the twists and turns of his novel. I did not like the dialogue in this novel however, as it was far too mechanical. People, especially the children, did not react to situations or responses the way that real people would. Dialogue is an important part of writing; it must be strong and realistic.
Overall this was a good book. I would recommend Zhena to people who enjoy thrillers, action books, adventure, or the books with a touch of the weird.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Robert Louis Stevenson- Treasure Island

Robert Louis Stevenson- Treasure Island (Western Publishing Company 1971) 4.5 Stars

I cannot possibly do a normal book review for this book as I am sure that most of you have read this book or at least know the story. Basically Jim Hawkins, through working at his father’s bar, meets an old pirate, Bill, who is afraid that other pirates will find him, in particular a one legged man. When the pirates locate Bill, Bill gives Hawkins a treasure map before he dies. Treasure Island tells the tale of Hawkins’ hunt for the treasure.
It is a timeless classic that I love. I had read it when I was a child and I enjoyed reading it again. If you have not read Treasure Island I recommend reading it. In my opinion it is a must read, and a must own for everyone’s library.

For more of my reviews check out my website. www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Arthur Slade- Dust

Arthur Slade- Dust (HarperCanada 2001) 3 Stars

Dust takes place in Horshoe, Saskatchewan and mentions many towns and areas that I know all about having been to the places. It even mentions Swift Current, my city. The reason for this is that Arthur Slade is a fellow Saskatchewan author. Dust tells the story of Robert, an eleven-year-old boy whose younger brother disappears one day and strange events start taking place. As more children disappear Robert begins to suspect the truth behind the events, but will any of the adults believe him?
This book had a great beginning and an even better ending; it was the parts in between that I had some problems with. I did like the book overall, but in parts it was hard to follow and a little bit to odd for me. The oddity got to be a little bit too much for me. A little bit weird is okay, I can deal with that, but in some parts it was just too odd to be believable. The dialogue was fairly strong, the characters managing to stay within their age. Character development was strong in the part of the main character, but aside form that I found myself wanting to know more about some characters, trying to understand who they are and the reasoning behind their actions.
Overall it was an average book in my opinion. If you are a teen that is into the weird and wacky, or fantasy, you may enjoy reading Dust.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- John Grisham- The Last Juror

John Grisham- The Last Juror (Dell Publishing 2004) 3.5 Stars

Willie Traynor, a 23-year-old man with dreams and ambitions, moves to Clanton, Mississippi in 1970. He has just bought the town’s newspaper and wishes to make something of himself. A brutal rape and murder shake the town to its foundations. The guilty man just happens to be part of a rich and troublesome family who live apart from the rest of the town, stuck out on an island. Willie Traynor attends the trial and records everything, despite threats from the family. Grisham tells the tale of the trial and the events that transpire after.
They say that this book is supposed to be a thriller, but I would not call it that, a thriller is supposed to grip your attention and make you bite you nails in anticipation. The Last Juror feels more like a drama to me and certainly did not succeed in griping my attention throughout. This novel had a great beginning, a great middle and a great ending, aside from that Grisham included way too many details. Grisham included many sections that had nothing to do with the main part of the story and he could have removed a couple hundred pages in my opinion. He should have stuck to the main storyline more and reworked his detailing. He did however have strong characters, dialogue, and the idea behind the storyline was really great.
Overall I thought that this book was just average for Grisham. I would recommend it to people who are die-hard Grisham fans; otherwise you may not make it through the book.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Agatha Christie- Ten Little Indians

Agatha Christie- Ten Little Indians (also known as: And Then There Were None) (Pocket Books 1966) 3.75 Stars

This is a timeless classic that I loved. I do not tend to enjoy a lot of the older books, but this is one that I did. Ten people receive mysterious invitations to come to Indian Island. When they arrive there is no host and they are informed of why they are there by record. One by one they start dying and they realize that they may not make it off the island alive.
Agatha Christie is infamous for her novels and it isn’t for lack of talent. She has written Ten Little Indians quite well. The characters are given enough background to help you understand the motivating drives behind their actions. The plot was pretty basic, but well done. It was interesting to see how each person was murdered and how it tied into the nursery rhyme. It was also interesting to see how the killer pulled it all off. The ending of course is meant to be predictable and yet I still found that there were a few surprises that I did not see coming. I was a little annoyed by the fact that it jumped from perspective to perspective constantly, although I understand why Christie did it, it just got irritating. I also would have liked to see a bit more depth in the plot, as it did not seem as filled out as it could have been.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves Agatha Christie and mysteries.

For more of my reviews check out my website. www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Iris Johansen- No One To Trust

Iris Johansen- No One To Trust (Bantam Books 2002) 3.5 Stars

Elena Kyler wishes only to protect her son and Sean Galen has been hired to assist her. Rico Chavez wants his son, the son that he never knew existed, but more than that he wants Elena Kyler. She had escaped his grasp once. Can she escape his grasp forever?
Iris Johansen is a talented female author with a knack for writing thrillers. She created believable characters that you couldn’t help but like, although I would have liked to see a little bit more depth to them. The plot was put together well, although it could have been done a little bit better. I was sorely disappointed in the ending though, they spent the whole book building up to the dramatic fight at the end, only to have a short one page fight with very little action involved. It was like blowing up a balloon in the hopes of having a huge ball to play with, only to have it blow up in your face, leaving you empty and sad.
Overall No One To Trust is a pretty good thriller novel. I would recommend this novel to those who like thrillers with a little bit of romance, though the romance isn’t the overall theme.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Black Echo

Michael Connelly- The Black Echo (Warner Books 2002) 4.25 Stars


The Black Echo is the first of the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. In this great novel, Harry Bosch has just been demoted to Hollywood Homicide due to the previous doll maker case, that I don’t think we ever get to read about, feel free to correct me if I am wrong. Bosch gets called in for a possible homicide where the body is found in a tunnel known for the homeless sleeping in. Quickly he discovers that he knows the corpse from his Vietnam days. Quickly he discovers that it is so much more than a simple drug overdose as others suspect. Bosch must go up against enemies in his own department including Internal Affairs who wants to fry him.
I enjoyed The Black Echo novel greatly. I love Harry Bosch as a character. In this novel we get background on a few people to help us understand their motivations or reasons behind their actions, which is great for the reader. I loved the plot as it gripped your attention, although it did have a few slower sections. The dialogue as per usual for Connelly was strong. I did not like how in the end the one criminal involved in the crime explained the crime in detail, even though it could not be used against the culprit. This just doesn’t seem like it would be likely to happen, it was unnecessary information, it would have been better to leave the reader trying to think about how the crime could have been done, leave something for the imagination.
Overall I liked The Black Echo. Connelly is a great storyteller. I recommend this novel to thriller and mystery enthusiasts, or those who just like Michael Connelly.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Judy Blume- Fudge-A-Mania

Judy Blume- Fudge-A-Mania (Dell Publishing 1991) 4.5 Stars

This is another classic from my childhood. Fudge-A-Mania is part of the Fudge series, which I love. In this novel, Fudge plans to marry Sheila Tubman, Peter’s worst enemy. Just when he thinks that things couldn’t get any worse, his parents announce their plans to go on holidays with the Tubman’s for three weeks. How will Peter manage to live through the summer?
This book had me laughing in so many places, making it a very enjoyable read. The well-known characters were expertly created once again, coming to life on every page. The dialogue fit the age of the characters in most parts. The plot was not intriguing, but served its purpose, which was mainly meant to be humorous and amusing. There was not a lot of scenic description, but considering it was for middle-readers it wasn’t really needed.
Overall I really loved this book. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh, or an easy read. Children will love this book and I think that most adults will too!

For more of my reviews visit my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Michael Phelps- The Execution of Justice

Michael Phelps- The Execution of Justice (Blue Line Publishing House 2008) 3.75 Stars

For a debut novel, Michael Phelps has outdone himself. The Execution of Justice gives a great in depth look at the life of a police officer. Mike Walsh must try to balance his work life and his home life, which I can only imagine must be extremely difficult for an officer of the law. Hardships hit and long hours at work take place as he goes through case after case, trying to catch the criminals who threaten his city. At the same time he must try to fight off and deal with the tensions that are slowly developing at home.
I found this book to be an insightful read and loved how much I learned about police life. It was very realistic, making it very clear that Michael Phelps has experience in the investigative field. The writing was well done and the characters were expertly developed. I was looking for more of a focused plot meaning that I would have liked to see one case take precedence, with the mention of other cases, but that may be just me.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I recommend The Execution of Justice to anyone who is looking for a good read, looking to learn more about police detectives, or enjoy crime drama.

Thank you Michael for the chance to read this book, I look forward to seeing more of your work!

For more of my reviews got to http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Ken Goddard- First Evidence

Ken Goddard- First Evidence (Bantam 2000) 2.75 Stars

Investigator Colin Cellars is hired to look into the disappearances of 24 people and several cops. In the area is an old friend of his whom he separated from because of a mutual flame. When he finds what he believes is his friend’s body, he quickly becomes a suspect. Nothing is as it seems though.
Generally I do not read science fiction and this book reminded me of why. The unrealistic situations are frustrating to say the least. Of course people who like sci-fi will likely disagree and enjoy this book more than I did. However they are not me and I definitely did not enjoy this novel. It had great and accurate police investigating and the main character was given a full and complete background, which is good, if only the other characters were given the same background, but the other characters were kind of weak. The plot was good for those who like science-fiction, and the dialogue was strong. The setting was given great descriptive paragraphs and I was able to get a good picture of the scenes.
Overall I did not enjoy this novel. I do recommend this book to science-fiction lovers as they will likely love it.

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html

Book Review- Paula Shene- Mandy the Alpha Dog

Paula Shene- Mandy the Alpha Dog (Publish America 2009) 3 Stars

This is good clean book for kids to read, that has an educational factor too. It raises awareness of the terrible way that animals are treated at times by careless owners, breeders, and sellers. Mandy, an older dog, explains to a much younger dog how she was raised and came to be in the home she is now in.
Mandy the Alpha Dog, is hard to place in any particular genre. It has color pictures, which I love because it is different from many other books, the drawings are done by a non-professional artist, which gives it a kind of personal feel. Although not really meant to be put into the picture book category, it also does not have chapters, meaning that it’s not a novel. It was well written, but at times it did sound a little bit too scripted, which kids likely would not notice. I would love to see a better cover though, as people judge books by their cover, (guilty!).
Overall I did enjoy this book. I found it both entertaining and educational. It is a good book for kids age six to ten. Parents would probably enjoy the fact that the book is educational, and may even learn something from it.
I recommend this book to parents looking for a good clean book for their children.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com


Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnappingwww.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html