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January 19, 2007

Bookreporter.com Newsletter

January 19, 2007

This Week on Bookreporter.com

Forecast: Blowing Winds, Cold and That Means It's Time to READ!

Bookreporter.com Talks to Deanna Raybourn, Author of SILENT IN THE GRAVE

Now in Stores: BAD BLOOD by Linda Fairstein

New Featured One to Watch Author: Elizabeth Crook, Author of THE NIGHT JOURNAL

Bookreporter.com Valentine's Day Promotion

Now in Stores: SLIVER OF TRUTH by Lisa Unger

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: William Landay, Author of THE STRANGLER

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Steve Berry, Author of THE ALEXANDRIA LINK

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Robert Dugoni, Author of DAMAGE CONTROL

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Frank Turner Hollon, Author of BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE

Featured Romantic Suspense Title: MOST LIKELY TO DIE by Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton and Wendy Corsi Staub

Featured One to Watch Authors: Gayle Brandeis, Hisham Matar and J.G. Sandom

Author Talk: Judith Marks-White, Author of SEDUCING HARRY

This Week's Reviews and Features

Poll and Question of the Week

Quick Links to Features On The Book Report Network
 
Bookreporter.com
Past Reviews
Can't See the Graphics? Read This Newsletter Online
Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight Promotion
Debut Suspense/Thriller One to Watch Promotion
Mystery Mayhem Promotion

Historical Fiction Promotion

One to Watch Promotion
Chick Lit Promotion
Books Into Movies
Bestseller Lists

10th Anniversary Page and Pictures

Forecast: Blowing Winds, Cold and That Means It's Time to READ!

Winter moved in this week, but luckily there were great author and book events to keep my mind off the weather and other things. I was lucky enough to catch Linda Fairstein's appearance Tuesday evening where she gave a fabulous chat and Q&A about her latest book, BAD BLOOD, which is just on sale. As readers know, I really enjoyed this one and Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum gives it a thumbs up review this week. Linda does extensive research and her description of hunkering down in an elevator to plummet below the depths of New York to see the work the sandhogs do was just one example of her diligence to getting the details right.
 
Last evening Jen Krieger and I attended a book party for Judith Marks-White, whose new book SEDUCING HARRY is now in stores. I spent an entire afternoon last summer in my hammock reading an advance copy of this one, and last weekend Jen, who reviews it for us this week, also escaped with it and found it just as much fun as me. There's food, lust, great characters and quick witty writing. Looking for a fun escape? This is it.
 
Right now I am reading Lisa Unger's latest, SLIVER OF TRUTH. I was a huge fan of BEAUTIFUL LIES and thus I am eager to get further into this one. Lisa is going to be at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March, and I am looking forward to seeing her there.
 
Also worth noting this week is Drew Bowling's THE SHADOW OF TOWERS, which is reviewed by Stephen Hubbard. We built Drew's website, and over the course of talking to him, I became more and more impressed. Oh, and he's 21 years old and already published (!) with many more ideas for future work beyond the trilogy that starts with this book.
 
For those of you who love our contests, here's one we know you will not want to miss. We're celebrating Valentine's Day with a contest that includes five baskets of prizes that I had a lot of fun shopping for. Our Valentine's Day Basket features six titles --- DATING UP by J. Courtney Sullivan, THE ESSENCE OF CHOCOLATE by John Scharffenberger, I LOVE YOU, LET'S MEET by Virginia Vitzthum, NOT QUITE A BRIDE by Kirsten Sawyer, SEDUCING HARRY by Judith Marks-White and STEALING HOME by Sherryl Woods. Also included are some irresistible Valentine's Day goodies --- a lilac-scented candle from Illuminations; heart-shaped pink and white sweetheart marshmallows; a silver heart-decorated picture frame; an adorable Valentine's Day-themed Beanie Baby dog; and a dozen Scharffen Berger chocolates.
 
We have a new featured One to Watch Author --- Elizabeth Crook, whose novel THE NIGHT JOURNAL comes out in paperback on January 30th and is both a fascinating historical epic of the Southwest and a searing personal story of one family's coming to terms with its own past. We have 10 advance copies of the book to give away to readers who would like to preview and comment about it. If you are interested, please send your name and mailing address to OneToWatch@bookreporter.com by Friday, January 26, 2007.

Love reading excerpts from thrillers, but don't have enough time to hunt them down? What if they came right to your mailbox? We just found a way. Readers are invited to start your day with Booked for Breakfast, an online mystery and thriller book club. Every Monday the Booked for Breakfast Book Club will bring you a different Bantam Dell author and title - and each weekday morning you'll be served (via e-mail) a portion of that book. It only takes five minutes to read the day's selection and by the end of the week you'll have sampled two to three chapters. This month's titles include HIDE by Lisa Gardner, PERSUADER by Lee Child, MISSION FLATS by William Landay and FAITHLESS by Karin Slaughter. Sign up here.

Last week two readers pointed out that I had failed to note the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday as the reason for the long weekend. With both I had some dialogue that led to the blog that you can read here.

The nominees for The Mystery Writers of America (MWA) 2007 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, better known as the Edgars, which honor outstanding writing in fiction, nonfiction, television and film published or produced in the past year, were announced today. The Awards will be presented at the MWA Gala Banquet on April 26th in New York City. You can see the nominees here
 
Also, our Word of Mouth titles are THE CASTLE IN THE FOREST by Norman Mailer and HIDE by Lisa Gardner. To enter, send us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. To make sure other readers will be able to find the book, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). Click here for details.
 
Stay warm. I am hunkering down by the fire with Unger and some other books that have been calling to me from the pile on my nighttable. Have a great week.


Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)


List of titles reviewed and featured on January 19th.

List of titles reviewed and featured on January 12th.

Click here to enter our Word of Mouth Contest.
 

Bookreporter.com Talks to Deanna Raybourn, Author of SILENT IN THE GRAVE

Deanna Raybourn's debut novel SILENT IN THE GRAVE is a historical mystery thriller set in Victorian England, and is the first installment of an intended trilogy. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Norah Piehl, Raybourn recalls what initially inspired the book's plot and explains why she chose to infuse an otherwise dark story with humor and quirky characters. She also describes the best and worst part of 14 years' worth of rejection letters, shares some of the classic novels that have influenced her, and discusses what she hopes readers will learn from her protagonist, Lady Julia Grey.

SILENT IN THE GRAVE by Deanna Raybourn (Mystery)
In a whimsical, wholly original take on the Victorian gothic mystery, first-time novelist Deanna Raybourn introduces readers to the darker side of 19th-century London --- and to a captivating new heroine named Lady Julia Grey, an aristocrat with a wildly eccentric family and a husband she doesn't love. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

Click here to read our interview with Deanna Raybourn and a review of SILENT IN THE GRAVE.
 

Now in Stores: BAD BLOOD by Linda Fairstein

BAD BLOOD by Linda Fairstein (Legal Thriller)
The Hatfields and the McCoys have to take a backseat to the Quillians and the Hassetts, the two feuding families at the center of Linda Fairstein's latest novel. With her ensemble characters --- Assistant DA Alexandra "Alex" Cooper and NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace --- working with their supporting coterie, BAD BLOOD is a riveting and truly interesting read. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

-Click here to read an excerpt from BAD BLOOD.
-Click here to read our review of BAD BLOOD.
-Read more about Linda Fairstein at LindaFairstein.com.

Click here to read more about BAD BLOOD.


 

New Featured One to Watch Author: Elizabeth Crook, Author of THE NIGHT JOURNAL

We are thrilled to be featuring Elizabeth Crook as our newest featured One to Watch author. Seductive and richly told, THE NIGHT JOURNAL, which comes out in paperback on January 30th, is an enthralling tale and establishes Elizabeth Crook as a true literary talent.

We have 10 advance copies of THE NIGHT JOURNAL to share with readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. Interested? Then send your name and mailing address to OneToWatch@bookreporter.com by Friday, January 26th.

-Click here to read a Reading Group Guide for THE NIGHT JOURNAL.

More about THE NIGHT JOURNAL:
Elizabeth Crook's novel is a lavish and transporting tale of a young woman discovering the truth about her family's mythic past.

Meg Mabry has spent her life with her back turned to her legendary family legacy. In the 1890s her great-grandmother Hannah Bass composed starkly revealing diaries of her life on the southwestern frontier, first as a Harvey Girl at the glamorous Montezuma Resort in New Mexico and later as the wife of brilliant, and often absent, railway engineer Elliott Bass. A generation later, Hannah's daughter, Claudia Bass, a renowned historian known to all as Bassie, staked her academic career and reputation on these vibrant accounts, editing and publishing them to great acclaim, and establishing the Bass family as a pillar in the history of the American southwest.

Click here to read more about Elizabeth Crook and THE NIGHT JOURNAL.


 

Bookreporter.com Valentine's Day Promotion

Valentine's Day is all about love, friendship and sweet things. Our Valentine's Day Basket celebrates the delicious things in life and includes books to put you in a holiday mood.

From the secret to creating the perfect chocolate mousse and finding a man who's worthy of you to a celebration of love among friends and tales of adventures in online dating, from a lying bride to a seductive tale of food and lust, the books in our Bookreporter.com Valentine's Day Basket are sure to satisfy whatever you're craving this Valentine's Day.

From January 19th through February 6th, readers will have the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Valentine's Day baskets. Our Valentine's Day Baskets are sweet, charming and decorated with a polka-dot ribbon. They are filled with one copy of each of our featured books --- DATING UP by J. Courtney Sullivan, THE ESSENCE OF CHOCOLATE by John Scharffenberger, I LOVE YOU, LET'S MEET by Virginia Vitzthum, NOT QUITE A BRIDE by Kirsten Sawyer, SEDUCING HARRY by Judith Marks-White and STEALING HOME by Sherryl Woods. Also included are some irresistible Valentine's Day goodies --- a lilac-scented candle from Illuminations; heart-shaped pink and white sweetheart marshmallows; a silver heart-decorated picture frame; an adorable Valentine's Day-themed Beanie Baby dog; and a dozen Scharffen Berger chocolates.

Click here for all the contest details.
 

Now in Stores: SLIVER OF TRUTH by Lisa Unger

SLIVER OF TRUTH by Lisa Unger (Thriller)
Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon
Ridley Jones is swept into a whirlpool of deceit and danger as she struggles to discover the truth about her dead (or is he?) father and herself in this irresistible and intelligent thriller, a sequel to Lisa Unger's sensational debut novel, BEAUTIFUL LIES.

-Click here to read an excerpt from SLIVER OF TRUTH.
-Click here to read our review of SLIVER OF TRUTH.

Click here to read more about SLIVER OF TRUTH. 
 

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: William Landay, Author of THE STRANGLER

One of our Suspense/Thriller authors is William Landay, whose highly acclaimed MISSION FLATS was awarded the John Creasey Memorial Dagger as the best debut crime novel of 2003. Now, with THE STRANGLER --- hitting stores January 30th --- Landay proves himself a fascinating and complex writer whose terrifying novel will leave readers breathless.

-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE STRANGLER.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
-Click here to read fast facts about William Landay.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE STRANGLER.

More about THE STRANGLER:
Boston, 1963. A city on edge. On street corners, newsboys hawk the shocking headline: KENNEDY IS DEAD. In the city's underworld, a mob war rages. But what terrifies Bostonians most is the mysterious killer who has already claimed a dozen victims, a murderer whose name is indelibly linked to their city: the Boston Strangler. This is the electrifying backdrop of William Landay's magnificent new novel, a story of one Irish-American family, a city under siege, and the long shadow cast by the most infamous killer of his day...

Click here to read more about William Landay and THE STRANGLER.


 

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Steve Berry, Author of THE ALEXANDRIA LINK

Steve Berry truly needs no introduction. An established master of the suspense/thriller genre, Berry is the author of such bestsellers as THE TEMPLAR LEGACY, THE THIRD SECRET and THE ROMANOV PROPHECY. His newest page-turner, THE ALEXANDRIA LINK, hits stores January 30th and will satisfy fans of Berry's distinctive brand of historically-inflected thrills.

-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE ALEXANDRIA LINK.
-Click here to see our advance reader copy winners
-Click here to see Steve Berry's backlist.
-Click here to read fast facts about Steve Berry.

More about THE ALEXANDRIA LINK:
Cotton Malone retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for the U.S. State Department to lead the low-key life of a rare-book dealer. But his quiet existence is shattered when he receives an anonymous e-mail: "You have something I want. You're the only person on earth who knows where to find it. Go get it. You have 72 hours. If I don't hear from you, you will be childless." His horrified ex-wife confirms that the threat is real: Their teenage son has been kidnapped. When Malone's Copenhagen bookshop is burned to the ground, it becomes brutally clear that those responsible will stop at nothing to get what they want. And what they want is nothing less than the lost Library of Alexandria.

Click here to read more about Steve Berry and THE ALEXANDRIA LINK.
 

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Robert Dugoni, Author of DAMAGE CONTROL

Robert Dugoni, one of our featured Suspense/Thriller authors, has graduated from his Debut Suspense/Thriller status --- where we last featured him for THE JURY MASTER --- and established himself as as a top contender in the genre. His newest work is DAMAGE CONTROL, a thriller about a gifted attorney whose perfect world is torn apart by secrets and a crime only she can solve --- if she can stay alive. The book hits shelves on February 14th.

-Click here to see our advance reader copy winners.
-Click here to read critical praise for DAMAGE CONTROL.
-Click here to read fast facts about Robert Dugoni.

More about DAMAGE CONTROL:
A rising star at her prestigious Seattle law firm, Dana Hill knows all about stress. She pours herself into her work and family with all the energy she has. But her carefully balanced life is about to be turned upside down. First a frightening medical diagnosis forces her to reassess her roles as a lawyer, mother, and wife to a man she suddenly no longer trusts. Then her life is rocked further by the shocking and brutal murder of her twin brother.

As Dana and Logan chase the faint trail of evidence from Seattle to Maui, they threaten the reputation, career, and future of a powerful man who will stop at nothing to protect what he considers his. But for Dana, for whom time has a special meaning, nothing --- not even her own life --- is more important than finding the truth. She has moved beyond fear and beyond anyone's attempts at damage control.

Click here to read more about Robert Dugoni and DAMAGE CONTROL.


 

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Frank Turner Hollon, Author of BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE

One of our featured Suspense/Thriller authors is Frank Turner Hollon, who has written THE GOD FILE, THE PAINS OF APRIL, LIFE IS A STRANGE PLACE and A THIN DIFFERENCE. His latest fascinating and frightening medical thriller is BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE --- now available in stores --- a chilling tale that unfolds in the most unexpected way.

-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE.
-Click here to see Frank Turner Hollon's backlist.

More about BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE:
The pretrial interview sessions between a killer and a doctor create an intricate tale of murder, mercy, and madness.

Joel Stabler takes the life of his beloved brother Danny in what appears to be a mercy killing. When Joel's lawyers assign a psychologist to determine his sanity at the time of the shooting, the full story of the brothers' past --- and long family history of mental illness --- begins to unfold.

Click here to read more about Frank Turner Hollon and BLOOD AND CIRCUMSTANCE.
 

Featured Romantic Suspense Title: MOST LIKELY TO DIE by Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton and Wendy Corsi Staub

We are THRILLED to be featuring MOST LIKELY TO DIE as our newest Romantic Suspense title. A collaborative effort by three New York Times bestselling authors and mistresses of the genre --- Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton and Wendy Corsi Staub --- MOST LIKELY TO DIE (available January 30th) is a thrilling novel about love, revenge and the dark secrets three women hold to a terrifying murder.

-Click here to read a new excerpt from MOST LIKELY TO DIE.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
-Click here to read fast facts about Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton and Wendy Corsi Staub.

More About MOST LIKELY TO DIE:
A Killer Who Gets Away With Murder Once...

It's been twenty years since the night Jake Marcott was brutally murdered at St. Elizabeth High School. It's a night that shattered the lives of Lindsay Farrell, Kirsten Daniels, and Rachel Alsace. It's a night they'll never forget. A killer will make sure of that...

Finds It Easier To Kill Again...

A 20-year reunion has been scheduled for St. Elizabeth's. For some alumni, very special invitations have been sent: their smiling senior pictures slashed by an angry red line...

And Again...And Again...

Three women have been marked for death. Tonight, as the music plays, and the doors of St. Elizabeth are sealed, a killer will finish what was started long ago, and the sins of the past will be paid for in blood... 

Click here to read more about Lisa Jackson, Beverly Barton, Wendy Corsi Staub and MOST LIKELY TO DIE.
 

Featured One to Watch Authors: Gayle Brandeis, Hisham Matar and J.G. Sandom

Gayle Brandeis, Author of SELF STORAGE
Gayle Brandeis is a skilled and compelling writer whose wry meditation on love, marriage and friendship --- SELF STORAGE --- comes out January 23rd.

-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from SELF STORAGE.
-Click here to read critical praise for SELF STORAGE.

More about SELF STORAGE:
Set during the year following the September 11 attacks, SELF STORAGE explores the raw insecurities of a changed society. With lush writing, great humor, and a genuine heart, Gayle Brandeis takes a peek into the souls of a woman and a community-and reveals that it is not our differences that drive us apart but our willful concealment of the qualities that connect us all.

Click here to read more about Gayle Brandeis and SELF STORAGE.

***

Hisham Matar, Author of IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN
Hisham Matar's poignant and breathtaking debut novel, IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN, comes out on January 30th.

-Click here to read a new excerpt from IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN:
Libya, 1979. Nine-year-old Suleiman's days are circumscribed by the narrow rituals of childhood: outings to the ruins surrounding Tripoli, games with friends played under the burning sun, exotic gifts from his father's constant business trips abroad. But his nights have come to revolve around his mother's increasingly disturbing bedside stories full of old family bitterness. And then one day Suleiman sees his father across the square of a busy marketplace, his face wrapped in a pair of dark sunglasses. Wasn't he supposed to be away on business yet again? Why is he going into that strange building with the green shutters? Why did he lie?

Click here to read more about Hisham Matar and IN THE COUNTRY OF MEN.


***

J.G. Sandom, Author of GOSPEL TRUTHS
J.G. Sandom is the winner of the Academy of American Poets Prize. With GOSPEL TRUTHS, coming out January 30th, Sandom weaves a compelling tale of corruption, greed and deception.

-Click here to read a new excerpt from GOSPEL TRUTHS.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More About GOSPEL TRUTHS:
They have been drawn into a plot more insidious than anything they could have imagined --- a battle to control one of religion's greatest secrets. For English detective Nigel Lyman, it begins with the suspicious suicide of a corrupt Italian banker in London. For French-born Mariane Soury-Fontaine, it starts with the mysterious disappearance of her lover. And for American mathematician Joseph Koster, the search leads through France's soaring cathedrals to the baffling labyrinths that masons once carefully inscribed in their floors.


Click here to read more about J.G. Sandom and GOSPEL TRUTHS.

Click here to see all our featured One to Watch authors.


 

Author Talk: Judith Marks-White, Author of SEDUCING HARRY

English professor, columnist and freelance writer Judith Marks-White recently published her debut work of fiction, SEDUCING HARRY: An Epicurean Affair. In this interview, Marks-White calls herself a "late-bloomer" whose writing skills only improve with age, and explains why her book --- though characterized as Chick-Lit --- would appeal to both sexes. She also describes her favorite place to write and how those surroundings have worked itself into her book, discusses her organic and self-evolving writing process, and shares how she has managed to juggle writing fiction with teaching and her weekly column.

SEDUCING HARRY: An Epicurean Affair by Judith Marks-White (Fiction)
In this delightful literary romp, award-winning columnist and humorist Judith Marks-White cooks up a delectable soufflé of food, sex and scandal with a dash of murder thrown in. With a delightful cast of uproarious characters, mouthwatering epicurean delights and a romance that turns up the heat, SEDUCING HARRY will satisfy even the most voracious readers. Reviewed by Jen Krieger.


-Click here to read an excerpt from SEDUCING HARRY.
-For more, visit Judith Marks-White's website, JudithMarks-White.com.

Click here to read an interview with Judith Marks-White and a review of SEDUCING HARRY. 


 

This Week's Reviews and Features

THE TOWER OF SHADOWS by Drew C. Bowling (Fantasy)
The world stands on the brink of destruction when an apocalyptic force is released --- and it's up to a handful of rag-tag heroes to find the path to salvation. Debut novelist Drew Bowling, a 21-year-old college student, has written a fast-paced adventure story that marks the beginning of a promising new fantasy series. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.


-Click here to read an Author Talk with Drew Bowling.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE TOWER OF SHADOWS.
-For more, visit Drew Bowling's website, DrewBowling.com.

HOUSE OF MEETINGS by Martin Amis (Fiction)
In 1946, two brothers and a Jewish girl fall into alignment in pogrom-poised Moscow. The fraternal conflict then marinates in Norlag, a slave-labor camp above the Arctic Circle, where a tryst in the coveted House of Meetings will haunt all three lovers long after the brothers are released. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.

DUST: A Richard Jury Novel by Martha Grimes (Mystery)
In this sequel to THE OLD WINE SHADES, Superintendent Richard Jury finds himself drawn into a murder without any clues. How does rich playboy and art patron Billy Maples wind up dead in a trendy North London hotel? And will Jury end his reclusive bachelorhood with seductive police detective Lu Aguilar? Reviewed by Roz Shea.

THE HUNTERS: A Presidential Agent Novel by W. E. B. Griffin (Thriller)
Two brutal murders and millions of missing dollars in the growing UN/Iraq oil-for-food scandal have led Delta Force Major Charley Castillo and his team to an estancia in Uruguay, where, to his shock, the man they are seeking is murdered right before their eyes. Who is responsible? Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.

TRAVELER by Ron McLarty (Fiction)
Jono Riley, an aging part-time actor and bartender, receives a letter from a childhood friend informing him that Marie, the first girl he ever loved, has died in her sleep. This commences an intriguing journey that mixes remembrances of Jono's youth with the unsolved mystery surrounding what was believed to be a random act of violence, but now appears to be a serial shooting. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE by Brian Haig (Thriller)
Dispatched to investigate the suicide of one of Washington D.C.'s most influential defense officials --- an ardent, early supporter of the war in Iraq --- Army lawyer Sean Drummond and his female partner find themselves in the middle of a tug-of-war between Washington's most influential power brokers and his own personal allegiance to the soldiers dying overseas. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

TROUBLE by Jesse Kellerman (Thriller)
Medical student Jonah Stem accidentally stumbles across a murder in progress: a woman is being stabbed to death in the middle of the sidewalk. Without thinking, he rushes in to protect her --- inadvertently killing her attacker in the process. Thrust into the media spotlight and crushed by guilt, Jonah quickly learns that heroism isn't all it's cracked up to be. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

TRAP DOOR: A Home Repair is Homicide Mystery by Sarah Graves (Mystery)
Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree is fixing up her money pit Maine house while also protecting her old friend Jemmy from the local hired killer. But that doesn't stop her from investigating a supposed suicide in this installment of the fresh and sassy Home Repair is Homicide mystery series. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

THE SHADOWKILLER by Matthew Scott Hansen (Thriller)
A nearly eleven-foot-tall, preternaturally strong superprimate begins stalking the mountains northeast of Seattle and leaving an eerie trail of missing people. Tormented by his encounter with a Bigfoot three years earlier, former software magnate Ty Greenwood's past now collides with what he suspects is happening. But this time he doesn't realize that the stakes are far higher. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

STRANGE SON: Two Mothers, Two Sons and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden World of Autism by Portia Iversen (Memoir)
Part memoir and part detective story, this is the powerful story of how two mothers from opposite sides of the world united in an effort to communicate with their severely autistic sons, discovering breakthroughs that challenged prevailing theories about autism. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

Click here to read our reviews and features.
 

Poll and Question of the Week

Poll:
 
How many authors have you met?
 
-Too many to count
-15-25
-10-14
-5-9
-Less than 5
-None

-Click here to answer our Poll.

Question:
Name the 3 authors you most would like to meet.


-Click here to answer our Question of the Week.


As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.

Those of you who wish to send mail to Bookreporter.com, please see the form on the Write to Us page.  If you would like to reach me, please write Carol@bookreporter.com. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.

Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by January 31, 2007 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: BAD BLOOD by Linda Fairstein, DUST: A Richard Jury Mystery, by Martha Grimes, EXILE by Richard North Patterson, SKYLIGHT CONFESSIONS by Alice Hoffman and WHEN DARKNESS FALLS by James Grippando. Last month's winner was Mary from Conroe, TX who won THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE by Philippa Gregory, HANNIBAL RISING by Thomas Harris, NEXT by Michael Crichton, THE RAVENSCAR DYNASTY by Barbara Taylor Bradford and SANTA CRUISE: A Holiday Mystery at Sea, by Mary Higgins Clark.


Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.

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