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