Maggie O'Dell Series by Alex Kava

A Perfect Evil by Alex Kava
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I like this series. Kava's Maggie O'Dell is an FBI profiler with a degree in psychology and a troubled childhood. She's new to the FBI and has difficulties getting to know people. Fortunately, her new partner is friendly and outgoing. In this first in the series, Maggie is chasing a dangerous serial killer, who escapes and comes back to threaten her again.

The books are somewhat formulaic, but Maggie, the stories, and the other characters are interesting enough to make me want to read the rest of the series, which I am doing on my Nook.

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I am reading all of this series on my Nook.  They are not very expensive.  Read if you want an entertaining, serial killer novel, with an appealing FBI agent who can't commit to a relationship, this is your series.

Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first time I heard of this book was on the Today show. Since I was leaving on our anniversary vacation the next week, I bought the first one on my Nook. I thought it might be a good vacation book - and it is! To me, it's about two 20-somethings that fall in love, have the typical romantic novel problems (she doesn't trust him, he doesn't trust her)with all the fantastic sex you have when you are first in love. Yes, he's BDSM, she's not. Will she succumb to his needs? or will he succumb to hers? The writing is not terribly sophisticated, but it is certainly an entertaining, erotic romance with a traditional ending if you read all three books - which should be together as one. It's good I could download the other two while on vacation - I loved reading it.

(as far as erotic goes - they have sex - but the descriptions are not explicit.  it's more about her feelings. some people will like and some will not.)

P.S. I'm planning to read it again.



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Hard Driving: the Wendell Scott Story by Brian Donovan (2011)

Never published this post before - but the book is worth reading.


We are at the Fort Wayne Region GASS (Great Lakes Solo Series) autocross event at the War Memorial Coliseum.  The event has been very nicely arranged.  The parking lot is very large, enough for a long course - 80 sec. course.  They had registration and tech offsite last night, and the autocross all on Sunday.  We’ll drive home afterwards.  I’m planning to nap a little so that I can drive all the way home.  John & David can switch off, since they’ll be tired.

We are here because it is asphalt and we are trying to get the car sorted in anticipation of the Porsche Parade autocross event.  David wants to win this very badly.

There are 3 heats, with D & J working 1, running 3 - David’s idea of the best possible combination.  Three is good because you get one heat off to relax, or visit with the other autocrossers.  Spectator area is lined up along the course with Jersey barriers in place, allowing a good view of the course.  Fort Wayne paid for spectator insurance.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street - a nice location.

Took a bit of a tour, following the google-Verizon nav system trying to find restaurants.  Don’t know what the problem is with non-existent restaurants, except they probably had changed names and the data was not up to date.

It is hot & sunny, but not too humid, with a nice breeze.  I am staying comfortable sitting in the back of the Jetta with the rear gate & windows open.

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye

The Gods of Gotham (Timothy Wilde #1)

by Lyndsay Faye (Goodreads Author)

 4.11  ·   rating details  ·  188 ratings  ·  84 reviews

Just read the other reviews.  Faye's story grabs you from the first sentence and doesn't let go.  My only regret is that the library glued down the flaps, covering up part of the map of Manhattan on the inner covers.  Timothy Wilde and his brother Val seem a little bigger than life - orphans after fire took their parents lives.  Val lives by his wits as Party boss - the Democrats.  Wilde is made penniless when southern Manhattan burns to the ground - his savings and his job as bartender up in smoke.  Then they both join the new New York police force - called the Copper Stars for their badges.  
They are both drawn in to the investigation of the death of a child, whose body is brutally mutilated.  Tim rescues a young girl and protects her in his house - while risking his life to discover the villains.


The mystery is deep - involving numerous New York characters.  Faye has all the historical details that make you feel you are there.  I had no idea about the religious hatred of Catholics brought about by the influx of Irish refugees.  With vice and graft the norm, I wonder how any progress was ever made.  I read the book in almost one sitting over a weekend - you just can't put it down.  

And it looks like there are more planned!

Where was I?

I took a wonderful vacation to Hawaii.  I have to recommend it.  We took Norweigan Cruise Line's 7-day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands.  It is the best way to see a lot of Hawaii.  You spend the night on the boat and take excursions, or just tour on your own, each day.  We then spent a few extra days in Kona on the Big Island so that we could go to the top of Mauna Kea to see the observatories.  There are 13 or so different observatories - including one from Japan and one from a French and Canadian consorium.  The mountain is over 13,000 feet - we saw snow!  The road up is a bit rough.  The Saddleback Road to Mauna Kea was built very quickly by the U.S. Army to move materiel across the island during WWII.  It hasn't been improved very much.

Hawaii really has a different culture than the mainland.  I felt like it was more ? than here.  Most people we met that were born and raised in Hawaii were a mixture of races and cultures.  And everyone sounded the same - Hawaiian.

It was a wonderful trip, now back to the books!

Bon Voyage!