The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

“The Reader is a fascinating and compelling novel about the meeting of a young boy and an older woman that takes place in Germany after World War II.
Michael Berg is recalling his life when he was fifteen years old and how he became physically and emotionally involved with Hanna, a thirty something year old street car conductor. Theirs was a passionate and difficult relationship but they seemed to care for each other very much. At first, the relationship was love making but Hanna became interested in Michael’s school work and learned that Michael had missed a lot of school because of illness but did not seem to care. Hanna told Michael that he could not come to see her unless he studied hard and caught up and further, he was to read his school reading assignments to her. Michael’s school work improved and his self confidence grew. He was able to hide his relationship with Hanna from his family and things went well; reading, loving, talking and some minor arguments but one day Hanna went away.

A number of years later, Michael was a law student attending a seminar on Nazi war crimes; he was assigned to observe a war criminal trial and discovered that Hanna was among those on trial but she refuses to defend herself. Michael followed the whole trial. As the trial unfolded and horrible deeds are discussed and a verdict for all of the defendants is rendered, the reader will remember details and actions of earlier years and will understand Hanna’s dilemma but, perhaps, will not understand Michael’s. This was a great and moving story.

The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver

Astounding and believable story about identity theft on a grand and world wide scale. Lincoln Rhyme’s involvement starts when his cousin is arrested on murder charges and the evidence against him is overwhelming - too perfect for Rhyme .
As the story develops more and more people police and even members of Rhyme’s team find their lives drastically changed; mortgages are suddenly in default, automobiles are suddenly repossessed, bank account balances are either reduced or increased substantially if the person is being set up as a suspect for a financial crime.


A giant information service company, a data mining outfit that maintains personal, financial, legal and intimate records of millions of persons and companies world wide is supposed to be helping Rhyme and his team but they are also being obstructive because the US Government does not wish their role in the company to be known.

The Lincoln Rhyme series has always been first rate;I look forward to Deaver’s next one.
I suppose there is not much we can do about the growing data bases that contain such detailed information about our lives. I believe that the things that happen in the story happen all the time and that our Government enjoys the power that such knowledge gives it.

Immunity By Lori Andrews

A genetic Doctor and scientist investigates the alarming and terrible death of a DEA agent who, suddenly went into spasms while on a stake out in New Mexico. His face and body suddenly started to swell to the extent that he breathing was stopped; the swelling was so severe that the bones in his feet were crushed by his shoes. The Doctor discovers similar deaths throughout the South West and concludes that the deaths are either a natural epidemic that is beginning or a lethal biological weapon being used by terrorists.
Homeland Security is headed by a self serving, dictatorial , political hack who refuses to pay attention to the Doctor’s concern. Later, the source of the disease is found to be in the water supply; someone is contaminating a certain water fountain. As the contamination grows, people begin to become hysterical and the blame shifts to the Native Americans who have been quite vocal lately in demanding more rights.

This is a taught and fast moving thriller; the search for the culprit is hindered by Government bureaucracy but once they discover the person responsible, it is a race to stop him from contaminating a major water supply that could kill millions.
This was a “can’t put it down” story.

The Shadow in The Wind By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This is a wonderful mystery adventure that will capture your imagination and keep your interest throughout the story.
A young man, son of an antique book seller, finds a book in “The Cemetery of Forgotten Books” a little known cache of thousands of books watched over by a friend of his father. The book is “The Shadow of The Wind” by one Julian Carax. Intrigued by the novel, the boy, Daniel, sets out to find other novels written by Julian Carax. He finds that someone has, systematically, been burning every copy of every novel that Carax has written. Daniel’s search begins a quest that leads him to his first love, introduces him to fabulous characters who, at one time, knew Julian Carax, some of them are very dangerous and cruel and others are enchanting. The search involves Daniel in the politics of the day and it unravels questions that Daniel had about his own life.
This was a great novel; the idea of a cemetery of forgotten books was something to savor, the vivid description of Barcelona after the Spanish civil war, the people and the places were so well drawn that you could feel the dampness and darkness of the prisons. I strongly recommend it.

The Darcy's Give a Ball By Elizabeth Newark

A delightful, “gentle joke” in the style of Jane Austen.
I have to admit that I am a pushover for anything relating to the novels of Jane Austen and if the novel has to do with the people of “Pride and Prejudice ” all the more so. This little story takes place many years after Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy married. The Collins have moved to Longbourn (after the death of Mr Bennett),they have five children, The Binkleys have grown children, Carolyn Binkley is still around being obnoxious and the author of this story decided that it is time for all of these characters, nieces and nephews, friends and acquaintances from earlier years get together for fun, conversation and some match making. It was kind of fun to think about what happened to all those people; how they prospered and is they were still alive.
Good effort by Ms Newark!

The Appeal By John Grisham

In a courtroom in a small town in Mississippi a jury has awarded $41,000,000 to a plaintive who is dying of cancer because a large chemical company dumped toxic waste into the town’s water supply. The chemical company is owned by a ruthless Wall Street player who will appeal the verdict because he knows that hundreds more from the town will file suit because the town is being called the worst “cancer cluster” in history. The player, Paul Trudeau, will stop at nothing to assure himself of a reversal of the verdict. This is a fast moving and frighteningly realistic story of how rich and powerful men can get their way by ruining reputations, killing people who do not fall in line and even controlling the politics in connection with the election of the State Supreme Court. “The Appeal” is a good and suspenseful novel.

Scarpetta By Patrica Cornwell

This is the sixteenth novel in the “Kay Scarpetta” series. Ms Cornwell started the series some 20 years ago and her characters and her plots have not aged very well. They are still around; Lucy has her own business and is making a fortune, Benton still does profiling for the FBI and is married to Kay and Marino is still a cop but the original magic does not come through. Kay is out of her element when she is asked to talk to a a suspected murder who is mentally disturbed and locked up in a psychiatric hospital and she gets pretty well involved with the patient who claims he did not do the deed. The scandal press is raking up the thing that happened between Scarpetta and Marino when he went kind of crazy and attacked her so that has to be resolved again but the old linear mystery and the great forensic work that went on in the earlier novels is not there. She disappointed me again.