Crime Books

As a former Forensic Video Analyst for a law enforcement agency, I can attest that not only is this the most thorough and easy to understand FVA "Course" book that I have ever read and gained the most from, the author is one of the top Forensic Video Analysts in the country, and even the world.
Any one who is interested in this profession, law enforcement and private, must have this book. Even if you already are an FVA professional, this book is an excellant reference source.

Photoshop CS3 for Forensic Professionals is by far the most informative course book for photoshop users. As a college student working towards a criminal justice degree with a concentration in criminal investigations, I highly recommend this book for any professional or student that needs to improve their digital imaging skills. The instructions are easy to understand and the step by step instructions on the companion CD are detailed. After reading Photoshop CS3 for Forensic Professionals and taking the CD course I can honestly say that my imaging skills have been greatly enhanced. This book is an excellent student resource and an invaluable tool for the forensic professional.

Part 1, "The Essentials", is comprised of six chapters. The first two chapters are not specific to Photoshop, and are a must read for anyone interested or involved in the use of digital images within a legal setting. The remaining four chapters provide an important foundation for analysts and investigators using Photoshop.

Part 2, "The Digital Darkroom", and Part 3, "Image Analysis and Enhancement", are detailed instructions regarding Photoshop's settings, filters, and the multitude of related processes to achieve optimum imaging results. Included with the book is a CD-ROM contianing sample images to work with when going through the tutorials, as well as some free scripts and trial plugin's.

I've been using Photoshop for several years now in my Forensic Video workflow, as well as personally for Graphic and Web design projects. This book has already proven to be the single most valuable reference for me pertaining to the use of Photoshop in either setting. It's also probably the smartest investment I've made in quite some time.

Great resource! Is there another in the offing?

This book both improved my workflow and my abilities to enhance images. The pratical exercises hit home the finer points.

I would compare this book to a "Forensic Photoshop" course costing much more, well done!

A lot of work went into this book and it shows. So many of us in this profession are so overwhelmed with casework that we don't have time to publish. I am glad that George found the time to get this out to everyone. Hopefully, this will inspire others to get their ideas in print and help to convince the publishing community that there IS a market for this material.
Great job George!
Cheers,
Jim Hoerricks
[...]

This beautifully written book weaves three stories into one - the story of working class family living and thriving in a simpler time, when neighborhoods served as extended families; the story of the effect that gang proliferation had on city neighborhoods in the 60s and 70s; and the very personal story of a beloved father murdered in front of his wife in the business that he loved. The book puts the many social changes that occurred in the 60s and 70s into human scale, as seen through the eyes of a girl coming to age during these turbulent times. While I didn't grow up in South Shore, I lived in a very similar neighborhood populated with working class people from similarly diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds. For me, reading this book felt like coming home. The pictures painted of the neighborhood and the family life within will resonate in your heart if you're a baby boomer. The murder of the "Pied Piper" and the consequent trial, followed by the destruction of the neighborhood through gang activity is both facinating and incredibly touching, as you witness the innocence of the 50s and 60s being lost forever.

This was a neat book about an icon of the South Shore and more accurately a story of a way of life that has dissappeared. Our family spent many hard earned dollars at Wee Folks over the years and were also merchants in the area (Holiday So Shore Florists). In addition to rekindling many wonderful personal memories of South Shore the book recalls the "innocence" of the 50s and 60s that was "neighborhood" Chicago and which was shattered by the growing violence of the late 60s and 70s. Manny Lazar's murder was truly a turning point in the "death" of a community and a way of life. Thanks to his daughter for retelling this family story that in many ways was about all of our lives.

If you LOVE Chicago's South Shore ....
If you've LIVED thru the 50's and the 60's ...
Or if you just LIKE toys, the retail business with a good story ...
Read this book!

I laughed and I cried as I read the history of Wee Folk's customers personal experiences, a murder trial and the history of my favorite toys, all artfully written by the daughter of Wee Folk's store owners. This would make a great gift for someone who was familiar with Chicago's South Shore neighborhoods.

The whole is truly greater than its enormous parts. This very personal, heart wrenching, heart warming book filled with fascinating history ultimately underscores the importance of respect and forgiveness. Ms. Amster's thorough research into varied areas - from her family origins to gang origins, from the history of toys to the history of the South Shore - amazes me. Caryn Lazar Amster, thank you. Your writing grabbed me and would not let me go. Your parents touched countless lives in such a positive way, by virtue of this book the number grows.

This book is a must-read. Not only is it the never-before-told story of a murder that changed a community, it is also a chilling account of how the Nation of Islam was formed in Chicago. Beginning on the day of the murder, the author, the daughter of the victim, reveals for the first time the horror of that day. She introduces readers to the victim, Manny Lazar, a beloved toy store owner nicknamed "The Pied Piper of South Shore." Verbatim excerpts from the trial offer real-life courtroom drama. The author's extensive research offers compelling and provocative insight into a murder trial where justice is the ultimate winner. Juxtaposed with the intensity of the crime is the reader's journey back in time to look at Mr. Lazar's merchandising techniques, his creative and fun-filled events at the toystore and his innovative retail strategies. The author also gives readers two bonuses: a catalogue of toys with anecdotal references to delight Baby-boomers, their children, and their parents, and a nostalgic trip, all mapped out, to the diverse neighborhood of Chicago's South Shore. The book's foreward is a loving tribute by actor-singer Mandy Patinkin (Princess Bride, Yentl, Chicago Hope, Broadway) who admired the toystore owner and his wife when Mr. Patinkin was a child and customer. I predict this story will be a major motion picture one day. (I hope Mandy Patinkin stars as the toystore owner, an extraordinary man.)
Carol Owens Campbell

Dan Fesperman has a way of getting into all the characters in his books. The people all feel real. If you want to find out about Guantanamo, this is the book to read.

It goes without saying that a good thriller should be thrilling, and a good mystery should be clever, and this book is both. But so are a lot of other books. The most important thing to me in a mystery or thriller is that it has to have good verisimilitude (realism). This book has it. People behave in realistic ways. The locations are authentic. The plot seems plausible. Even technical things like nautical facts seem well-researched.

I found the book very hard to put down, and was extremely happy to have found a book of this genre that would be exciting but wouldn't ask me to suspend disbelief too much.

The ending was good, although I must admit that I would have to go over the book again to figure out how everything fits together--it does get a bit complicated toward the end and the author could have done a slightly better job explaining. Mercifully, the ending is not far-fetched like those of so many other books of this genre.

This author's style is like that of Le Carre in many ways.

This book was very interesting to me, having worked in the Middle East. So, I liked some of the author's story-telling that centered on Islam. Of course, there were some flaws (thus the 4 stars).

The ending was far-fetched. However, the discription of Guantanamo and the personnel who worked there was good. I liked it.

Remember, it was a story. I wonder how much of it is true?

Fesperman does not disappoint with this one! It is timely, fast moving and exciting. Weaving some current events into a slightly different setting, he has writtern a real thriller! I recommend it highly!

Newly available in trade paper, Fesperman's chilling tale of murder and skullduggery at the insular, claustrophobic detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay remains timely.

A sense of foreboding hangs over the narrative from its start: "On the first day of his transition from captor to captive, Revere Falk stood barefoot on a starlit lawn at 4 a.m., still naively confident of his place among those who asked the questions and hoarded the secrets."

FBI interrogator Falk, an Arabic speaker, has just come from a nearly break-through session with his primary prisoner, a young Yemeni who has been slowly opening up to him. Furious after a CIA officer thoughtlessly interrupted the session, Falk is pacing his lawn when the MPs arrive to enlist his help in tracking down a missing sergeant.

Come morning, the young man's body washes ashore on the Cuban side of the fence, which, given the beach position of his neatly stacked belongings and the normal course of currents, is impossible. The military writes it off as an accident but Falk persists, sure the man was murdered.

The tense, murky atmosphere of turf battles, paranoia, rivalries and distrust heightens as a shadowy trio from Washington arrives (including an old buddy of Falk's). An Arabic-speaking interrogator - the Arabic speakers are universally mistrusted - is arrested and rumors begin to fly.

Falk's attitude toward the place, like his attitude to so much else, is clear-sighted but ambivalent. He vehemently disagrees with harsh interrogation tactics - mostly because he sees them as useless - and had complained about them to the mainland brass, but when nothing was done he backed off.

A loner with secrets of his own, Falk knows what it's like to be bullied and manipulated. He thinks his lover Pam, a fellow interrogator, might be the real thing, but also knows it might also just be proximity. Though he left his Deer Isle, Maine, home years before and never looked back, Falk has kept his love of the sea and relaxes best in a boat, which is also the only safe place to have a private conversation.

Fesperman, a journalist who reported on Gitmo for the "Baltimore Sun," captures the feel of a military base on foreign, hostile soil; a place contained by water and fencing, a prison enclosing a prison, a toe of an island bathed in stultifying heat and humidity, with too little to do, no place to go, too few women, and too many secrets.

Though the novel builds to a fabulous crescendo of action at the end, Fesperman relies more on crafty maneuverings, dirty tricks and political double-dealing for suspense. He immerses the reader in this sick, dull and dangerous place and fully allies us with Falk as he picks his way through a growing minefield; eyes wide open in the murk.

Masterfully written, timely and wholly absorbing, this is another winner from a writer who has been delivering thoughtful, insightful, suspenseful novels since he first immersed readers in war torn Sarajevo with homicide detective Vlado Petric in "Lie in the Dark."

I've just begun reading the Lindsay Chamberlain series, and I really am enjoying it. There's a lot about archeology which has always been an interest of mine, and Ms. Connor has a very unique way of bringing back bygone times with the inserts that she spaces throughout the book. In this one we go back to the late 16 Century when the Spaniards were in the US trying to pass on their religion to the savages (as they called the Native American Indians), and also trying to take what wealth they could out of the country. Lindsay goes to a couple of digs and starts unearthing this 400 year old story, but she is also making enemies of her own about a modern-day mystery that is threatening her life. The book kept me guessing throughout, and the mystery was a good one. This is a very worthwhile series.

This second installment of Beverly Connor's Lindsay Chamberlain series is better than the first. The author used a lot of very intricate plotting, but with a very smooth flow within the story. I loved the way Ms. Connor weaves all the "small" details into the big picture. She shows us that if you just look at one or two details, you will miss the whole story. In this story, the author uses all these seemingly unrelated events to put together a wonderful story. Of what life was like when the Spanish was discovering this country. And what greed will do to people both past and present. This is a wonderful series, it has good character development and plots. I have still to get the murderer right! Even the past plot line fools me. I thought I had at least that one figured out. Once again, Ms. Connor tricks the reader into thinking things are as they seem. Again, I recommend this book to you. If you like a bit of history mixed into your mysteries, all the better. You don't have to be a history buff though to enjoy this excellent series.

There must be a reason why Beverly Connor's mysteries starring Lindsey Chamberlain are not as well known as Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta mysteries, but I'll be darned if I can figure it out. They are fantastic reads! I've read all five in the series -- bought two and borrowed three from the library -- and know I must buy the ones I don't have, so I can have the pleasure of re-reading them.

Questionable Remains is my favorite of the series, since it seamlessly blends a modern mystery with one hundreds of years old. The details are fascinating, and Lindsey Chamberlain is a protagonist to celebrate -- she's smart, resourceful, doesn't take any guff from anyone, yet she's not SuperWoman or perpetually angry, like the aforementioned Kay Scarpetta, whom I have grown to dislike intensely.

My only complaint would be that Ms. Connor cannot possibly write as fast as I can read. Next book, please!!

This is the best of the three Connor/Chamberlain books I've read. It is a pleasurable tour-de-force of multiple story lines always clearly related to the main mystery (ah, but which one is that?). There's harassment against expert witness Chamberlain in one murder case, archaeological digs finding inappropriate bodies, Chamberlain's lightly treated forensic investigations of discovered bones and teeth, a terrifying spelunking adventure after uncovery of more suspicious skeletons, and what seem incidental accusations of financial hanky-panky. Finally, an anthropological story of ancient Spanish perfidy among Georgia and Tennessee Indians is a wonderfully oblique commentary on the other mysteries and worth reading alone. Connor keeps all these threads intertwining to press the story(s) forward and drop clues along the way. The forensics, archaeology, and history are convincingly authentic. Her writing is marred only by wooden romantic interest, some bland subsidiary characters (including the villains), and a final outrageous coincidence to wrap up the hunt.

This is a terrific mystery series. Beverly Connors weaves tales from the present and the distant past together to create an exciting novel. You'll love Lindsay Chamberlain, she is an ambitious, smart woman with an uncanny ability to read a murder scene-even one centuries old. You will not be disappointed in any of the books in this series.

Having grown up in the James Bond era I found the book to be a roller coaster ride of James Bond proportions. It kept me engaged and up late for a couple of nights because I didn't want to put it down. It makes you want to move. For those of us in the chicago area it brings to life experiences and smells and sounds of days past. It awakens the senses. Whether you lived in the communtiy or not, as an african american from chicago you can relate and you were effected by the events of the 70's in chicago.This book tells a story worth experiencing through the vivid visual images conjured up by the author.

In the 1970's, Don Cornelius, the host of a very popular dance show called Soul Train, and a former policeman himself, ended every episode of the program with the optimistic words, "Peace, Love and Soul". On the streets of Southside Chicago, however, there was anything but peace and love. The Black Stone Rangers street gang, still in its infancy, had a stranglehold on the black community. Extortion, drugs and shootings permeated the fabric of everyday life in the black community. The leading cause of death for black males between the ages of 18-25 was murder. And there were more murders in any given year than had occurred during the entire Al Capone era.
Mark Davis does an outstanding job reconsturcting the era and giving us some insight as to what it was like for a working black policeman. Not the hollywood, rebellious, anti-establishment black policeman stereotype, just a hard working stiff trying his best to do the right thing for the right reasons. A guy who has to endure the dichotomy of sometimes being called an "Uncle Tom" by the community he loves while still not being fully accepted by his white brothers in blue. Mark Davis walked that walk, talked that talk, and now, wrote that book. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "Race Traitors". Peace, Love and Soul.

Being a Investigator for over 10 years its about time that a book has looked into the real thoughts and life of a detective instead of another shoot em up. The author gave his charecters real thoughts,feelings and basscally realistic dialouge.About time not only the sensational story of the investigation was told..but the effects that it has on the investigators themselves .refreshing.The book as compelling and demanded the reader to continue reading.For a change the human side of investigators was told.Can't wait for the continuation of this book,the author can't leave us hangng like this! The book was tech. correct both in its description of locations and the tech information concerning the crimes themselves was flawless,I should know!The personal life of the detectives as explored
in a very insiteful way with out becomming a baby moma daddy drama opra wndfrey hug a tree counsel session.This was not a soap opra this was realism accurately depicted.This book also was interesting in its study into the social study aspect of the times...without becomming a dry text book pulpit preaching look at the wrong the world does to create it own monster platform that would have turned off any reader. Obviously there was intensive reasearch done. The struggles the detectives had with their relationships,alcohalism,sleepnessdays,frusrtation with the legal system,prior emotional baggage(pre -cop),were all explored and the author did it in such a way not to debase his charectors. I cannot accurately describe in writing the proper accolades this book deserves if there is any book that needs reading this would be it!

Chicago is being overrun with gangs and they are fighting each other; it's
the Blackstone Rangers against the Devil's Disciples. The homicide rate is
climbing and the victims are black males between the ages of 15 and 24.
Detectives Aristotle Ashford and Myles Sivad are on the job with the Gang
Intelligence Unit. Myles is a bit upset with his partner, Aristotle, also
known as DoubleA, for his seeming hatred of young black men but as they get
deeper into gang territory and more and more young men die, Myles has his
own problems with the job. Will he be forced to break the law to enforce the
law? Eventually, because of their ability to bring gang members to justice,
Myles and DoubleA become targets.

Mark Davis has created a real thriller in RACE TRAITORS. It has suspense,
romance, tension and some interesting political views. It is easy to
identify with Myles and his partner as they travel through the ghettos and
the police stations. It shouts for a sequel. It was a very interesting read
and those who love mysteries will find it very appealing.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

An extremely exciting and suspenseful novel. This book has it all: tension, complex characters, sex, violence, and a moving plot. What really makes this book stand out is the way it is guided by music--Jazz music. The infusion of jazz, which becomes a character itself, is a delightful force in the book. Davis' insights into police procedures seem genuine and authentic--as does his understanding and explanations of gang life. Moreover, his development of the characters' battle with morality and justice--of being true to their people while being officers of the law--make this an experience where you'll find yourself rereading pages. All of this is coupled with Davis' obvious flare for humor and dead-on Chicago lingo. At times, the book serves as a history map of Chicago's South Side and its people. This was a really enjoyable book. I can't wait to read the next one. I look forward to this author becoming a mainstay in this genre.

Marissa is erudite, quick, fun, funny, committed to social justice and truth, and and an acute observer of human behavior. Her friend Johnnie Cochran describes her (in the introduction!) as "a prosecutor's prosecutor. She is full of zeal for her profession and possesses an insider's knowledge of the criminal justice system." She's also devoted herself to Buddhism for over 30 years, as well as to the mastery of the culinary arts. All of these elements figure in her very unusual book.

Besides telling three compelling and hair-raising tales, Marissa shares aloud the unspoken rules of the courtroom, and offers appreciative and insightful looks into the lives of law enforcement professionals, and denizens of South Central LA and the gay demimonde of Hollywood.

As a skillful storyteller, she is compassionate without becoming maudlin, and righteous without losing her sense of humor.

I am looking forward to her next book, which I understand is under way!

Marissa has the heart of a warrior. Her stories are classic story telling with spell binding revelations of what the truth is when it comes to crimes and the criminal mind. Her attention to detail, coupled with a sense of the world of the victim, allows the reader to be a prosecutor seeking justice for the people. The criminal procedural aspects of the criminal courts are cleanly explained with no chance of misunderstanding that lawyering is still an art when done with a heart. Marissa injects the calmness of her buddhist philosophy into the psyche of the reader to allow a deeper appreciation of the law and the victim equation.

As a criminal defense attorney, I usually avoid "true accounts" written by prosecutors as they tend to be one-sided, self-serving renditions of cases that could be won by a first year law student. The usual story involves a clear cut case where the District Attorney is representing the forces of right (the good people of the State) while the defense is usually some bad dude who deserves a long vacation in Prison. Of course the good guys prevail and the prosecutor is the hero. Good and Evil, Right and Wrong are clearly defined and everybody leaves happy. Not so with Ms. Batt's book. Besides her personal disappointment at the result of one of her cases, she manages to show that all is not black and white - urban life and particularly the criminal justice system present a myriad of situations where the lines become blurred. Her cases are interesting in that there are victims - individuals who by virtue of their own life choices are often viewed as not deserving of protection by the law and the system. Besides showing the underside of life, Batt also manages to forcefully demonstrate the maxim that "no man is above the law and no man is below it."
A great read, colorful, fast paced and real...I loved it.

...of the L.A. justice system. I won't repeat the other reviews, but two or three things deserve note. First, Johnnie Cochran wrote the introduction...high praise indeed. Second, the appendix - "Twenty-five rules for giving effective testimony" - is interesting reading in itself. Overall, the book is not compelling reading, not forcing you to read it in one sitting, but it's interesting and varied. I consumed it in three sittings if memory serves. The pace is generally good, although I felt the Buddhism dragged a bit, but that was only a couple of instances. So - recommended - *especially* if you are a fan of mysteries set in Los Angeles! I await Marissa Batt's next work with more than a little interest.

What makes this book so compelling is that you get to hear the perspective of the actual prosecutor in the cases described. Through Marissa Batt's words, you get a virtual tour of the way the Los Angeles legal system works, or in some cases doesn't work. You are introduced to characters that actually inhabit Los Angeles, who actually went through the situations described - cases that are so intense and bizarre, they seem unbelievable. Through it all, you get a comprehensive version of the legal system mirroring human lives and decisions, as seen through the eyes of a person who does their job with integrity, intensity, and strength of character. READ THIS BOOK! It is a thorougly enjoyable read though shocking and extremely upsetting at times.

I forget how I was introduced to this book, but I eventually bought it from Amazon. All I can say about The Red Right Hand is it is one of the best thrillers I have ever read.

I will admit I had picked it up then put it down again because I wasn't in the right mood to read it; but once I picked it back up and finished it, I realized the ending alone was worth reading the somewhat slow beginning.

I won't even talk about the plot. To give any details to this book would be unjust to any person who will have the great pleasure of picking it up one day.

Just know you will be knocked over the head by Rogers' denouement.

The mystery genre is not one that I am fond of. I bought this book from the now defunct (sadly) Common Reader catalog because of the name and description. I'm so glad I ordered it because this is one of the very few mysteries I have ever liked. Joel Townsley Rogers was one talented writer! Some of his gooseflesh-raising descriptions have stayed in my mind for years. This book is not only mysterious and suspenseful but downright scary.

Rogers was a much better writer than some of today's authors who think that gore and perversion are the only way to scare readers, and that we can only handle one and a half page chapters or our puny little attention spans will collapse.

They should all have to read this book--so subtle, so creepy. I promise you will never forget the crazed little sawtooth killer--the hair on my arms is standing up as I type--if you buy this book you will not regret it!!!

I read this years ago after one of my favorite authors (Donald E. Westlake) cited it as his favorite mystery novel. I loved it. The book is a constantly-shifting and mysterious narrative that repays a close read. Mystery fans: Find it and read it-- the designation of this book as a "classic" is completely justified!

I found this book by chance at a second hand book sale while on summer holiday about three years ago. The edition was printed in 1975 and by now (after reading over and over) looks rather shabby.

I had never heard of the author before and was merely looking for something to pass the time. It didn't pass much time, because once I started reading I couldn't put it down, and only took me one day to finish.

Joel Townsley Rogers puts you, neé, throws you right in the middle of a first-person account of this murder mystery that unfolds in one day. The story and subsequent mystery slowly unravels as he takes you back in time, revealing the characters and the events leading up to the day in which the story is told.

You start guessing and wondering, painting your own mental images of the characters and surroundings desribed with meticulous attention detail.

There are clues throughout the book, and careful reading is required. Read it again and again, and more clues are revealed.

As far as endings to any book are concerned, they're pretty imprtant, so I won't divulge any details. I will say this though...be prepared!

This is whodunnit to the very end, and even though the ending has never changed in the 7 times that I've read it...I'm reading it again for the 8th time right now.

Enjoy and share

A corpse with a missing hand, sightings of a twisted gnome driving a sleek convertible, the lone hitchhiker on a deserted highway comes straight from a nightmare's central casting. "The Red Right Hand", written in 1945, fresh and jolting in the 21st century, must have absolutely rocked the literary world of its day with this strangely creepy tale of young love gone impossibly wrong. Dr. Harry Riddle finds himself implicated in the murder of Innis St. Erme, a young New York businessman who had set off to New England to elope with his bride-to-be when a roadside picnic takes a terrible turn. Author Joel Townsley Rogers spins this bizarre and eerie tale tightly around a non-linear plot, leading the reader down a hallucinogenic trail of murder and mind games that is sure to confuse and delight - like you're kicking back on a lazy Saturday afternoon a pick up an early "Twilight Zone" episode mid-flight. But by the time its over, you're on the edge of your seat, yet still completely unprepared for the final twists and turns that would leave Hitchcock stuttering. Classic stuff - the best - don't miss this one.

The tremendously powerful and disturbing narrative kept me turning the pages.
It was well written and had the power to shock and disturb.
Full of atmosphere-it combined wit,emotion and elaborate detail to create an absorbing read.

The author combines a sharp wit and rich evocative prose with a sense of on-the-edge-of-your-seat pacing to create a thriller that is not just convincing but thought provoking as well.

This is a terrific psychological thriller.
The author writes without cliches whilst showing a genius for detail.
A good read with a clever plot. The narrative is laced with a unique wit and musing on the minor perplexities of life.
Recommended!

The plot is engaging and fast moving whilst the characters live and breathe on the page.
Disturbingly original!

Weird, witty and proof that Sharrocks is a master of the psychological thriller!

Do you love rock 'n' roll? Do you play air guitar with your favorite tunes? Do you love a good mystery? This is the book for you. Great musicians never waste a note; Deborah Grabien never wastes a word. Even if you didn't answer "yes" to all the questions above, if you love fine writing, this is a book for you.

I spent several years in and around the California rock 'n' roll scene of the late '60s/early '70s, and none of the backstage detail rings false or hollow. The characters don't either; they have their talents and their flaws, their virtues and their vices. It's said that it's never too late to have a happy childhood; it's never too late to grow up, either, and that process is one of several things that make this book a good bit more than a sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll potboiler.

The only way Ms Grabien disappoints me is that she doesn't write as fast as I can read, and so I spend a good deal of time in unrequited lit-lust. A new book from her presents me with a dilemma -- read it one or two gulps, like a kid with a bucket of ice cream and no witnesses, or take one chapter at a time, like someone who's been given a small box of exquisite chocolate truffles? Either way, it's over too soon, and the pining for the next begins.

I've been reading Ms. Grabien's novels since The Weaver and the Factory Maid. Her characters are always fully developed and nuanced and their feelings and motivations always make the story more interesting. Rock and Roll Never Forgets is no exception. The combination of strength and vulnerability in Bree is part of what makes the story so interesting. I know that JP Kinkaid is the main character, but she seems to drive the story.

I also really liked the descriptions of backstage and the real workings of a megaband. I've only experienced it from the other side of the stage, so it was fun to know what those people you glimpse in the wings are doing.

I read this book in one sitting. It was a quick read, but not fluffy. Kept me guessing until the end. Highly recommend it!

Rock and Roll Never Forgets may market itself as a murder mystery, but really this is a book about love and care and coping. The murder investigation provides the impetus for the revelation of the histories of some deeply developed characters, for the telling of a love story that opens in medias res, and bringing it to pleasing resolution. That said, with the murder investigation as the driving force, the story whips along, never getting bogged down in details - the reader is constantly enticed to turn the page. Grabien nails her settings - she not only knows what it is to be in the scene, she knows to what it is to live in the now, and with the disease of which she writes. It gives the book a literary timelessness. Grabien has crafted that rarest of gems, a murder mystery that you will want to reread even after you know who the murderer is.

Ms. Grabien writes a book with a pounding rhythm without overshadowing the nuances of a delicate and intimate relationship. And that's before the mystery even shows up! It could easily stand on its own as a rock and roll love story, but why stop there if you have the talent to weave a gripping mystery with compelling characters in and around that?

And that's just what Ms. Grabien does, with her typically lyrical turn of phrase. Check [...] for a link to her video and a taste of the style, and check the top of the amazon page for links to inside the book to get a taste of the writing.

The review space offers a choice between written and video, and in this case there is both. This mystery had me guessing at every turn. Grabien's first series (The Haunted Ballad Series) dealt with the past and its affect on today. This series is today, in every way. Hot rock, hot people and a hot plot. The video is at deborahgrabien.com and at youtube. Play it in best quality and loud! Like Rock 'n Roll!!

This book is a great read, and there is more to come!

The Pawn is among the top five books I read this year, so I was anxiously awaiting The Rook. It met my expectations. It was both intriguing and pulse pounding, with the strong characters I loved in The Pawn.

In the sequel to The Pawn, Agent Patrick Bowers finds himself in San Diego in the midst of a serial arsonist investigation. He decides to bring his step daughter Tessa so they can spend some quality time together. During a very interesting dinner, Bowers accepts Tessa's challenge to predict the location of the next fire. They head to a seedy part of town where they encounter a deranged homeless man who turns out to be a key component of their investigation.

I always enjoy discovering how authors develop their characters in a series. Sometimes the characters remain the same, but the best ones grow. Watching Patrick and Tessa has been a joy. I've have loved seeing their often strained and hostile relationship transform into genuine love and acceptance. I've found myself more than once wanting to nudge either Patrick or Tessa in the direction that would bring them closer together. Often times it happens, but like real life, often times it doesn't. While these books are primarily action, suspense, the building of relationships is what makes them incredibly enjoyable to read.

There were some very frightening ideas in The Rook, including Bowers' internal struggles. In a real and brilliant manner, James depicts the dark side in all of us. Little actually separates us from the horrendous people Bowers' pursues. Highlighting the fact, that the heart in each of us is desperately wicked.

I actually liked the story in The Pawn better than The Rook. There were parts that seemed forced and a little too convenient. There are some plot twists, but with one exception, it was pretty obvious what was coming. The characters were amazing. Each character was written with a personality that begged the reader to know them more. I am loving to see Tessa's development.

Overall, The Rook was equal to The Pawn, though I don't think it was better. It's a very solid series and I am anxiously awaiting the next one!

Steven James does it again with a novel that is nothing short than a mental boxing match with hard hits and spins that leave you down for the count. The funny thing is that you keep coming back to for more, even if that last section you read made your head spin like someone planted an uppercut to the chin.

This is turning out to be my favorite author and series in quite a long time and James is certainly my favorite suspense author since those early days of Koontz. He has this way of putting you right into the action with his intricate descriptions and well researched information that fully plant you into the book like some sort of virtual reality.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a really deep suspense novel that can't be put down and plays out like an epic movie masterpiece in your mind. The only suggestion I have is that you read his first novel "Pawn" first. They don't necessarily have to be read in order, but I will say that you'll get more out of the second one with some prior knowledge. You'll also want to read the first after this novel blows you away and will wish you'd read that one first with the parts that build on each other from the start.

As The Pawn ends, FBI agent Patrick Bowers is learning how to be a dad to his angst-filled step-daughter and recovering from a serial killer's too-close-for-comfort interest in his family. The Rook begins in ever-beautiful San Diego, California, where Bowers and Raven are enjoying some much needed time together. Both are working hard to navigate these new 'family' waters without treading on toes, Bowers being happy to not have cases going on.

But the cases find him. An arsonist case demands Bowers expertise in geo-spatial investigative work and before long Bowers in the midst of one of the most difficult and deeply personal cases of his life. His budding relationships with Raven and Agent Lien-hua teeter on the edge of breaking apart as Bowers deals with his own personal demons. Through these experiences Bowers must learn how to relate to those he cares about and those he would rather see dead.

The reader will find this book difficult to put down. Until they finish it work and school might seem a little dull and any number of daily experiences will begin to take on an air of importance as they wonder how someone like Bowers or Lien-hua would handle themselves. One gets interested in the characters, even the conversations, and finds themselves wondering why the characters would not say or do something that seems relationally smart in that instance. Steven James does a wonderful job of giving the reader the vantage point of one observing from the outside and yet right in the thick of things. Your library would not be complete without this continuation of a promising saga of books by Steven James!

Patrick Bowers is a special agent investigating a series of fires in San Diego, and he's stumped. Lien-hua Jiang, also a special agent with several years experieance as a profiler hasn't seen anything like it either. Every clue they follow seems to lead to a dead end. A homeless man commits suicide, and Patrick, who is the only witness discovers there's an ongoing investigation the police department doesn't want to share with him. Events escalate as Patrick and Lien-hua search for the elusive man known as Shade. They're in a race against time to save the lovely woman who is trapped in a desperate, life-threatening situation.This book is wall to wall suspense. Once I started reading, I hated to put it down. Steven James writes a great story that keeps the reader hooked from page one. If you like suspense, intrigue, and spine-tingling tension, don't miss The Rook

In THE ROOK, Steven James follows up the sensational THE PAWN with another great thriller featuring FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers. Bowers is summoned to San Diego to help solve a string of 14 fires that had been set by an unknown arsonist. Bowers brings his step daughter along because he believes there is really no danger. While at the scene of a fire, Bowers and Tessa witness the dramatic suicide of a homeless person. Then the plot takes off from there. A mastermind named "Shade" recruits an evil ex-con named Creighton Melice to do his bidding. Victor Drake's technological firm is developing a top secret weapon for the government called "Project Rukh." Then there are fires and murders, backstabbing and betrayal, and plenty of twists and turns.

THE ROOK is a complex thriller filled with great characters and a twisting plot. This is one Christian novel that can stand up to the best in the thriller genre, Christian or not. Bowers is still struggling to raise the teenage Tessa, a step-daughter from a marriage that ended when his wife died. Tessa is a smart girl who longs for the family Bowers provides and needs the freedom and trust all teenagers desire. When not on the case, Bowers is having his own feelings about Lien-Hau, another agent on the case.

THE ROOK is full of violence and evil, but beneath it all is a layer of grace and peace. James takes the readers to the limit and then brings them back. This book might be too intense for fans of tamer Christian fictin. At times, the plot might be too comlex. Many times, Bowers takes in the evidence, comes the conclusion that something just isn't right, but doesn't do anything about it until later when it is convenient for the plot. Overall, this is a thrilling, fast paced novel. You'll get your money's worth on this one and I can't wait for the next one.