-
A simply delicious novel
It’s quite evident that Bob Moyer read this latest Bruno novel with relish. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE PATRIARCH. By Martin Walker. Knopf. 321 pages. $24.95 When Martin Walker concocts a Bruno, Chief of Police novel, he tosses in so many appetizing ingredients — French culture, French history, his love of cooking, Bruno’s love…
-
Elizabeth George back in top form with her new novel
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson A BANQUET OF CONSEQUENCES. By Elizabeth George. Read by John Lee. 18 CDs; 21 ½ hours. $50. Also available in print from Viking. Fans of Elizabeth George’s long-running British detective series starring Inspector Thomas Lynley and company can rejoice. A Banquet of Consequences is the best novel in this series…
-
Hardboiled, served up right
Whether he’s in L.A. with Easy Rawlins or Manhattan with Leonid McGill, Walter Mosley delivers some fine books. Bob Moyer has a great time with the latest. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer AND SOMETIMES I WONDER ABOUT YOU. By Walter Mosley. Doubleday. 272 ages $26.95. What’s happened to the gunsels, the dames, the twists, the…
-
A delicious tale
Crime fiction, the lovely French countryside, a sense of history AND lavish meals – there’s a lot to like in the Bruno books, and Bob Moyer relishes the opportunity to review another book in the series. THE CHILDREN RETURN. By Martin Walker. Knopf. 320 pages. $24.95 ‘To Protect and To Serve.” Police forces around the…
-
X is for ….
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson X. By Sue Grafton. Read by Judy Kaye. Random House Audio. 11 CDS, 13 ½ hours. $45. Also available in print from Putnam. So much for speculation about what Sue Grafton would make “X” stand for in her long-running series of alphabet-named detective stories, dating back to A Is for…
-
Tough going in the Big Easy
It’s always a happy occasion when Bob Moyer returns from one of his journeys ready to tell us about the books he’s been reading. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer DOING THE DEVIL’S WORK. By Bill Loehfelm. Farrar Straus Giroux. 308 pages. $26. In his excellent police procedural series set in New Orleans, Bill Loehfelm pours…
-
Trouble in the Navajo nation
Anne Hillerman is back with her second novel as she builds on her father’s beloved Leaphorn and Chee mystery series. Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson ROCK WITH WINGS. By Anne Hillerman. Harper. 322 pages. $27.99. When both husband and wife work for the Navajo Tribal Police, quality time together can be at a premium. So…
-
Plenty of reasons to read
One danger in a long-running detective series is that the stories might get stale. Bob Moyer finds that the Alex Delaware series may be predictable in some ways, but it’s still worth reading. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer MOTIVE. By Jonathan Kellerman. Ballantine Books. 336 pages. $28. Motive, indeed. After following the adventures of this…
-
Where the fire always burns
Happy New Year, at last! Bob Moyer is back from wherever he’s been when he wasn’t writing book reviews. That’s always cause for rejoicing. Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer THE BURNING ROOM. By Michael Connelly. Little Brown and Company. 388 pages. $28. Harry Bosch has been an L.A. cop so long it’s easy to forget…
-
A step back in time
For 16 novels, Charles Todd has brought us the detective adventures of Ian Rutledge, who returned to police work at Scotland Yard while battling the lingering effects of his time as a British officer in World War I. Now, the mother-son writing team that is Todd brings us a prequel: The newest novel steps back…