Good Reads & Views

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
FIC Lahiri

Do you sometimes feel that the name given you by your parents doesn’t fit and impedes your acceptance by your peers? Pulitzer-prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri’s new novel focuses on Gogol Ganguli, son of immigrants from India, the clash between his parents’ customs and those of his friends, and gradual acceptance of his heritage.

The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
FIC Läckberg, Camilla

Läckberg, referred to as “Sweden’s new Agatha Christie” introduces writer Erica Falck who returns to her hometown on the Swedish coast after the funeral of her parents and finds her childhood friend dead of an apparent suicide. Erica envisions a memoir about her beautiful friend and then grows suspicious about the cause of her death. The local police detective has his own suspicions about the case and when they start working together, the truth about the small town and its residents begins to emerge.

Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak
FIC Kozak

Wollie Shelley, manager of a greeting card store, already has a busy life. In order to earn money to buy her own store, she spends most of her evenings going out on dates with a variety of men as part of a radio talk show host’s research project. When Wollie accidentally becomes involved in a Mafia plot, she runs into a highly unsuitable man who turns out to be much more interesting than all of her very suitable dates. This light-hearted caper may appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
YA FIC Korman

Vince Luca has enough trouble: he can’t get a date, his brother makes his life difficult, and his dad is a Mafioso. But when he meets the girl of his dreams, things only get worse. Her father is an FBI agent whose main target is Vince’s dad. The funny adventures of a teen with some interesting problems.

Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein: Book One - Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson
PBK Koontz

Deucalion is an immortal being who has come to the city from Tibet. He stalks and kills those who possess human qualities that he does not, hoping to become more human. Two detectives are on Deucalion’s trail, but the conclusions that Carson is making about the killer are difficult for her partner Michael to believe. This book was to be a television series on USA Network, but when the producers wanted to make major changes to the story, Dean Koontz pulled out of the project. Here is the tale in its original form.

Lightning by Dean Koontz
FIC Koontz

Can a person’s fate be changed? Stephan is Laura’s guardian angel. He appears out of nowhere from a flash of lightning when Laura is in danger. Through his actions, he alters the course of Laura’s life. But is his interference just delaying the inevitable for Laura? Destiny and time-travel are a major part of this suspense-filled story.

Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy L. Klasky
FIC Klasky

When the library Jane works at has budget issues, her salary is reduced, but she is offered housing in a small cottage on the library grounds. She finds a hidden key that unlocks the basement door, finds piles of dusty books, reads part of one out loud, and realizes she is a witch. Now maybe she can get the cute professor to pay attention to her. Fun, magical read.

Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King
FIC King

The nightmares have begun again. Years ago, a teenaged Mary Russell’s family was killed when their car went over a cliff. Now she has returned to settle their estate. But it seems more needs settling than real estate and stock certificates. Because her family’s deaths were only the first in a series, and now someone is shooting at her. Fortunately, Mary was trained by and is now the partner of Sherlock Holmes, who has no intention of losing her. An intelligent mystery with eccentric characters. Great fun, with an assist by Dashiell Hammett as well. The most recent in a series beginning with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice.

The Game by Laurie R. King
FIC King

King’s 7th entry in the Mary Russell series. If you haven’t discovered this series yet, start with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. In this outing, we find Mary and Holmes (yes, Sherlock Holmes, her husband) off to India to track down a British spy – Kimball O'Hara, made famous by Rudyard Kipling’s Kim – an old friend of Holmes who might be dead, held hostage or turned to the other side. The scents and sights of India in the 1920s come alive as we follow the strong-willed Mary into the halls of a maharaja.

Folly by Laurie R. King
FIC King, Laurie R.

Rae, a woman who has teetered on the brink of mental instability for years, moves to a remote island to restore a peculiar, rundown house she inherited from a distant relative. Rae believes she is alone on the island, but increasingly she feels as if she is being watched. As odd, menacing incidents begin to take place, she wonders if the danger is real or if it is only her imagination. A smart, intriguing, psychological novel.