"Whispering" - Predictable and Lame

Whispering, by Gerrie Ferris Finger is a quick read but also has a rather predictable storyline. Set in 1921, there is a fair amount of history and the setting of the super rich and somewhat liberated women of the time was interesting. The mystery itself was vaguely solved with Cleo Snow being the instigator in asking questions. The romance was somewhat unbelievable, but once it was established it followed a predictable course. If you’re into easy romance stories, this is for you. But I prefer something with a bit more meat and better proofreading.

Exciting New Science Thriller!

Fossil River, by Jock Miller, is a science fiction thriller – the type of book I avoid like the plague. But having received a copy of Fossil River I decided to give it a try. Thought it would help me fall asleep one night. NO WAY! I was awake for hours because I couldn’t put it down. Me? Reading science fiction? Those who know me well would never believe it. Fossil River is set in Alaska’s beautiful Noatak National Park at a time when the United States’ oil is about to run out and difficulties with OPEC causes our energy supply to be on its last legs. May not be too far off, which is scary. In a last ditch effort, the government is determined to tap into a large oil deposit in the midst of Noatak. Unfortunately, as they soon learn, there’s a colony of living fossils equally determined to protect their territory. Yes, dinosaurs! The conflict is deadly. Miller fills his novel with facts and that alone makes the book very interesting to read. But he has intertwined a storyline of a decorated ex-Marine, his Inuit friend, a museum curator, and two teenagers looking for (and finding) adventure. This is a very interesting and exciting book. Read it. You won’t be sorry. But I suggest you don’t read it at night if you need your beauty sleep!

The Butler Didn't Do It!

Darker By Degree, by Keri Knutson and Susan Branham, is a classic “whodunit” mystery. Hint – it wasn’t the butler! Maddie Pryce, lead character and self-made investigator, seems to have everything happen to her or around her. Talk about curiosity killed the cat! Maddie works in an old theatre when she’s not off auditioning for acting roles. The first murder occurs at this historical theatre where she ushers and does a little bit of everything. This is also where her “career” as crime investigator begins and nearly ends. Then a series of murders, break-ins, kidnappings occur all around Maddie. She has a very close encounter with murder herself. But, in the end, she helps solve the mystery and moves on toward a, hopefully, calmer and happier life. But, guessing from her personality, I doubt if her life will ever calm down. Knutson and Branham have written a good story with lots of action. Putting down the book will be the toughest thing for the reader to do. Read Darker by Degree.