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a bit more exposition in this book, but it didn’t detract from<br />
my enjoyment of the book. If not done in the next book, I<br />
would be disappointed. I like the way the relationship<br />
between Nan and Kissick is being handled.<br />
FUZZY NAVEL by J. A. Konrath (Hyperion,<br />
$25.95). Fifth in the Lt. Jack Daniels police procedural<br />
series. Rating: A- Chicago Police Lt. Jacqueline Daniels<br />
has given in and moved to the suburbs with her ex-cop<br />
mother. She’s called to a sniper shooting, one of three that<br />
happened simultaneously. She doesn’t have time to do her<br />
report when she gets a call from her mother asking her to<br />
come home. Something is wrong, so Jack gets her partner<br />
to cover for her and leaves, promising to be back in a<br />
couple of hours.<br />
When she gets there, she finds her mom being<br />
held prisoner by Alexandra Kork. This really takes Jack by<br />
surprise as she had just had a call that Kork had died in<br />
prison. Jack and others had played a big part in her Kork’s<br />
capture. Now Jack is dismayed to see she’s<br />
free and seeking vengeance.<br />
Complicating a dire situation are<br />
the snipers. They put a tracking device on<br />
Jack’s car and have followed her home to<br />
continue their murder spree. Initially they<br />
were preying on felons, but a rogue member<br />
of the group started shooting the police<br />
called to his crime scene. Now the situation<br />
at Jack’s house has Jack pitted against both<br />
Kork and the snipers. Her partner Herb<br />
comes by to check as the police brass are<br />
demanding she come in for a statement,<br />
and she’s not answering her cell phone.<br />
Knowing Herb’s wife will kill her if Herb is<br />
harmed adds to the pressure on Jack.<br />
This was a thrill-filled ride along<br />
with one of the most intriguing detectives<br />
around. Jack is inventive in dealing with an overwhelming<br />
number of criminals seeking her destruction. Mostly having<br />
to act on her own, she does have a bit of help from her<br />
mom, Herb, Harry McGlade, and Phin. Rambo has nothing<br />
on Jack.<br />
DON’T TELL A SOUL by David Rosenfelt (St.<br />
Martin’s, $24.95). Standalone thriller. Rating: B+ Tim<br />
Wallace is a man grieving for his wife who died in a boating<br />
accident, though one police detective is bent on proving<br />
Tim murdered his wife. So far, he’s unable to find any<br />
proof, but Det. John Novack isn’t giving up. Tim throws<br />
himself into his work. He owns a New Jersey construction<br />
company specializing in buildings that can withstand terrorist<br />
attacks. His partners want him to get out more, and<br />
go out with him on New Year’s eve.<br />
While at their favorite pub, a stranger joins Tim at<br />
a table. The stranger tells Tim a bizarre tale of having<br />
murdered a woman in a small town, and buried her body.<br />
Not sure what to do, Tim reports the conversation to the<br />
police. This opens up a case of trouble for Tim and the<br />
beginning of a bizarre plot, one that took an incredible<br />
amount of planning and precise execution.<br />
Reviews<br />
<strong>Deadly</strong> <strong>Pleasures</strong><br />
47<br />
Tim has some good friends, including his golden<br />
retriever, and with their help, he proves himself. One<br />
friend, a woman who he met at a dog park is particularly<br />
helpful in finding the truth.<br />
While I miss the humor of the Andy Carpenter<br />
series, this was an enjoyable read. The way the plot<br />
unfolded, I wasn’t sure how Tim would be able to pull<br />
everything together in the race for the truth. I’d enjoy<br />
reading more about Tim and Kiley, the golden. I’d even<br />
hope perhaps they could have a play date with Tara and<br />
Andy.<br />
CURSE OF THE POGO STICK by Colin Cotterill<br />
(Soho, $24.00). Fifth in the Dr. Siri series. Rating: A- In<br />
the Laos of the 1970’s Dr. Siri knows life will never be easy<br />
or uncomplicated. Though he had been involved in the<br />
revolution against the Royalists, he is realistic about life in<br />
the newly Communist Laos. As the Coroner, he respects<br />
his patients and tries to help the living. While on a trip to<br />
the country, he is kidnapped by seven<br />
Hmong women. They are nearly all that is<br />
left of their village. The wife of the village<br />
headman has died, and the villagers are<br />
about to set out on an expedition to freedom.<br />
Before they can leave, they want Dr. Siri<br />
to exorcise the Headman’s daughter. The<br />
villagers are convinced Dr. Siri is Yeh Ming,<br />
a powerful Shaman. Dr. Siri doesn’t know<br />
the first thing about being a Shaman, but<br />
luckily, one of the women’s father was a<br />
Shaman, and she helps Dr. Siri with the.<br />
basics.<br />
While Dr. Siri is out of town, the Morgue<br />
is experiencing some excitement. The acting<br />
Coroner is about to begin his examination<br />
of a corpse when nurse Dtui stops him.<br />
She senses something is wrong with the body. She is right,<br />
and they find a bomb planted inside the corpse. Dtui, Mr.<br />
Geung, Madame Daeng, and Dtui’s husband conduct their<br />
own investigation of a plot against themselves and Dr. Siri.<br />
While there is a bit of woo-woo in the series, it is<br />
very well done, especially in the manner Dr. Siri conducts<br />
the exorcism. Cotterill has a love of the people of Laos,<br />
and it shows. What was very interesting to me is his mention<br />
of plants. I tried unsuccessfully to google a few, like the<br />
painful lip bush, they sounded so interesting. Also fascinating<br />
was the look at the Hmong culture and its devastation.<br />
COOL CACHE by Patricia Smiley (Obsidian,<br />
$23.95). Fourth in the Tucker Sinclair series. Rating: B<br />
Business consultant Tucker Sinclair has what many of us<br />
would consider a dream client: a gourmet chocolate shop.<br />
Helen Taggart is the great-granddaughter of a Belgian<br />
Chocolatier, and with his recipes, has opened a shop<br />
catering to the chocoholics in Los Angeles. Tucker stops by<br />
the store and finds a body inside. It’s Lupe Ortiz, the<br />
cleaning woman, lying near a bloody feather.<br />
The evidence doesn’t point to a burglary interrupted,<br />
so Helen may be a suspect. The main suspect is
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