Maphead by Ken Jennings

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ken Jennings, of Jeopardy fame, writes about his life-long love of maps.  He also talks about development of maps, map collectors, "country collectors", geocacheing, and map rallying - an unusual activity indeed.  I haven't read any of his other books, but his writing is good, and choice of topics interesting.  He goes to a great deal of effort to talk to people interested in the topics he is covering.


Good read for anyone interested in maps for themselves.


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Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow and Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton

There's been quite a gap in my posts because I've been working on my family history this month.  I'm still reading, but not spending as much time reviewing.

Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I very much enjoyed this latest Kate Shugak adventure.  A lively adventure where Kate winds up locked in a container in the hold of a ship about to put to sea.  She does manage to extract herself, with the help of the FBI.  Liam Campbell asks Kate to investigate an airplane crash in the small town where he lives with his wife, who may be involved. The mystery is well-plotted, the villains believable, and Kate is on the top of her game.


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Death of a Kingfisher by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hamish Macbeth is still pining for his ex-fiancee; and he has a new constable who assists the investigation by sitting in front of the station collecting gossip. Hamish is investigating the murder of a kingfisher, then a person, in a beautiful glen. He suspects the neighboring children, who are totally out of control. Their parents arrive, and they are added to the suspect list. Even though the investigation is declared closed, Hamish cannot stop thinking about those children. The more he looks into their past, the more he worries; until they steal a couple of passports and take off for parts unknown.

This is the 28th mystery in the Hamish Macbeth series. I've enjoyed them all, but this one shows an older, sadder Hamish; both because of his personal losses, and the effects of the recession on northern Scotland.

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Kill Switch by Jonathan Greene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Definitely worth reading although I was jarred out of the story a couple of times by awkward dialog. A little of that TV talk getting in there, I think. The plot was intricate and went back to the childhood of the main character, Dr. Clair Waters - in training to become a forensic psychiatrist.

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Gun Games by Faye Kellerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Decker is approached by the mother of a supposed teenage suicide victim to double check that there was no foul play. Meanwhile, the Decker's Catholic teenage foster son begins dating a traditionally persian jewish girl. The two teenagers are deeply devoted, but cannot let her parents find out about their relationship. The boy, Gabe, is approached by a gang of boys in the local coffee shop but stands up to them and they leave. Decker's team starts to unearth some unsettling facts about the suicide. Then another teenager commits suicide. From then on, it's a thrilling ride to the end.

I enjoy Faye Kellerman's Decker and Lazarus series because of the religious underpinnings, the perfect depiction of teenagers in all their angst and glory, and her original plots.

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Exposed by Alex Kava
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I made it four stars because the story is original - it involves innocent people being infected with ebola - the Army biological weapons team and the FBI are trying to figure it out. Maggie O'Dell is exposed and spends several days in isolation, where she meets a tall, handsome army doctor. It's good listening to while driving because it's not too complicated and not too long (only 7 cds).

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Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the best mystery thrillers I've read in a long time. It's somewhat amazing how people's lives intersect, especially in a small place like Bath, England. Zoe Benedict crosses paths with her estranged sister during her investigation of the death of a local teenager. The murdered girl is friends with Zoe's neice. Meanwhile, Zoe's sister, Sally, has begun working for a mysterious wealthy man. As Zoe begins to suspect Sally's employer, a terrible accident occurs, putting both sisters into danger.

The book really brings out how small misunderstandings can lead to long estrangements. The plotting is intricate, and you're still not sure who the real killer is at the end.

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Lost Saints of Tennessee by Amy Franklin-Willis

The Lost Saints of Tennessee: A Novel by Amy Franklin-Willis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Recommended by Dorothy Allison and Pat Conroy, this novel, set in very small town Tennessee, is about Zeke Cooper, a middle-age man having a mid-life breakdown. His ex-wife is remarrying, he is still grieving for his twin brother, who drowned. He knows his young daughters need him, but doesn't know what to do. Drinking a lot, and very depressed he leaves home for what he intends to be his final journey. Only he finds himself back in Virginia where he stayed on the farm of an Aunt and Uncle for awhile. Sometimes getting away is all that is needed.

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