MORGAN ST. JAMES - Author, Speaker, Columnist

BOOK REVIEW INDEX

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	A PRISONER OF BIRTH 5 STARS - COMPELLING SPIN ON CLASSIC STORY "A BOOK YOU CAN'T PUT DOWN" By, Jeffrey Archer I actually listened to the audio version, which was extremely well done. It's unabridged, thirteen cassettes, and I couldn't wait to get in my car to listen to the next installment. Think a modern day Count of Monte Cristo, with many added twists. I liked it so much, that I'll read the print version, as well. Two men share a jail cell--one convicted for a murder he didn't commit and the other an aristocrat jailed for a dereliction of duty in the military. Ironically, they look enough alike to be brothers. During confinement, they become close friends. The aristocrat takes it upon himself to teach Danny, an uneducated laborer from the wrong part of London, to read and schools him in the manners of a gentleman. When something unprecedented happens, Danny takes over the identity, assets and freedom via parole, of his friend Nicholas. What happens from that time on, is a tapestry of events, challenges, joys and much more woven so expertly by Sir Jeffrey Archer. I've always been a fan of his writing, and this is no exception. Be prepared to become addicted to this story and keenly interested in what happens to the characters. An excellent read!	NEW 9.7 DISPLAY - GLOBAL
	BOOK OF THE DEAD (KAY SCARPETTA #15) 3 STARS - NOT MY FAVORITE SCARPETTA "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD CROWD?" By, Patricia Cornwell Forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta has embarked upon a new career in this book--starting over in the city of Charleston, South Carolina with a unique private practice. There are many bizarre scenes, not the least of them involving a pompous radio psychologist and gruesome murders. I've been a fan of this series for quite a while, and although I don't always like lots of gory detail, this author knows her way around the morgue. This time, maybe a little too much detail. For followers of the series, there is a point where her boyfriend, Wesley Benton, and the sometimes emotionless doctor seriously consider what the future holds for them as a couple. Sometimes Kay Scarpetta reminds me of Bones--surrounded by so much death that her own emotions are hard to get in touch with. Her niece Lucy is involved in a series of somewhat unbelievable incidents and her old standby Pete Moreno appears to be headed into a complete meltdown. I had somewhat mixed emotions, so I decided to check out the Amazon reviews on this book, and in the process post this one. What I found was very interesting. Either you loved it or you hated it. Relatively little in-between. When I looked at and read many of the reviews I was surprised to find that there were 300 five stars and 216 one stars with a minor amount of 2, 3, and 4. Generally the ratings are weighted in the middle, so that tells me that while there were more favorable than hate it reviews, the middle of the road crowd appeared to strongly take one side or the other. It was an interesting read, certainly not her best and several things did bother me, but it's still a decent read.	6" DISPLAY
	ELEVEN ON TOP 4 STARS - AS ALWAYS, FUN "STEPHANIE PLUM IS AT IT AGAIN" By, Janet Evanovich Janet Evanovich's blundering bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, seems to go through as many cars as jobs these days. Sure that it's time to end her career as a bounty hunter, Stephanie quits her Cousin Vinnie's company and applies for a job at the local button factory. Setting a record, the job lasts about a day. Next stop, the Kan Klean dry cleaners. This also turns out to be disastrous when her latest car gets blown up along with the irascible matriarch of the family that owns the business. Next stop, Cluck in a Bucket. Meanwhile that loveable character Lula has been promoted to bounty hunter, taking over all of Stephanie's open cases. Somehow she manages to draw Stephanie back in as an unpaid assistant and mooches free Cluck in a Bucket to boot. Thanks to Lula, even though she is technically out of the business, bad guys are still chasing Stephanie. She's convinced that a fellow named Sprio is stalking her, but Spiro was supposed to be dead. Enter Ranger, that sexy Latin bounty hunter to the rescue. He hires Steph, effectively removing her from the stream of goofy jobs she has taken, and sets her up in his apartment in his office building so that he can keep an eye on her. Yeah. Right! That doesn't go down too well with her boyfriend, cop Joe Morelli. If you've read other books in the series, you know there's a rivalry between the two. Ranger is like the dream lover... the one you want but are afraid to get involved with. Morelli floats in and out of her life in previous books. You find yourself rooting for her to finally commit to one or the other. They lead the reader on a merry chase that includes feisty Grandma Mazur who always wants to get into the act and considers funeral viewings social events. There are surprises and twists in store, but why ruin it for you by revealing what happens. As always, Evanovich crafts an easy read that makes you want to turn the page.
	NO ONE TO TRUST (EVE DUNCAN) 4 STARS-A GOOD ACTION ADVENTURE "ON THE RUN WITH A FIVE YEAR OLD " By, Iris Johansen Elena Kyler is a mercenary assassin who was trained by her own father, and now she's on the run from drug lord Rico Chavez. She's made a deal with DEA agent Forbes to get her out of Columbia with safe haven in the United States and her bargaining chip is the one thing Chavez will risk everything for---even setting foot in the US where he could be captured. What Elena has is his five-year-old son, Barry. He wants little Barry who was not born out of love, but of rape, and he wants Elena dead. Chavez is used to getting what he wants. Elena insisted Forbes come by himself, but he has enlisted the help of soldier of fortune, Sean Galen, despite her protests, and it's a good thing. Chavez's men kill Forbes, leaving Elena depending upon Galen to get her to the States. After a harrowing escape from Columbia they go into hiding along with the former priest who helped raise Barry. But Chavez is on their trail, just as Elena suspected he would be. At first he sends his men, but when Galen and Elena outsmart them, Chavez comes after her himself. That's when it gets wild. After being discovered at a safe house, Galen hides Elena and Barry at a ranch he owns. Although they try to resist it, Galen and Elena fall into an affair and in the process fall in love. Meanwhile, Barry is bonding with Galen's ranch foreman, Judd. Chavez has offered a ransom of millions of dollars for Barry, but Elena turns him down. Then Barry disappears and the chase is on. They think Chavez has taken him but then matters get worse when it's revealed that Judd snatched him to collect the reward. Will Chavez get his son and kill Elena and Galen? Will Barry try to escape from Judd to get back to his mom, or is he perfectly content going on an adventure with his new friend? I personally liked the end better than the very beginning. Once they settled into the cat and dog game I found myself really pushing on to find out what happens, and I won't spoil the ending for you. I thought Barry seemed pretty smart for a five year old, but then there are kids like that. I would say it's worth the read.
	OBSESSION 3 STARS - AUDIO BOOK REVIEW "NOT SURE IT WOULD BE AS GOOD IN PRINT" By, KAREN ROBARDS I listen to audio books very frequently during commutes from a home in California to one in Las Vegas. "Obsession," an eleven CD book by Karen Robards, narrated by Julia Bean, kept me entertained but I wasn't quite sure about some of the plot devices. In a chilling scene, Katherine Lawrence is assaulted and nearly killed in her townhouse in Alexandria, Va. And her friend is murdered. She wakes up in a hospital bed, doesn't recognize herself in the mirror and is tormented by fleeting flashbacks that terrify her. Memory loss is attributed to post traumatic stress syndrome, but she suspects it is something more. Katherine is highly suspicious of her manipulative, controlling boyfriend Ed Barnes who is a mover/shaker in the CIA, but there is really nothing to justify her fear of him in the beginning scenes. I personally would have liked to see some sort of a clue dropped, even if it was heavily veiled. She supposedly loves Ed and therefore it seems implausible that she distrusts the man with such unsupported fear. Carefully crafted subliminal clues would have given the reader a "head slap" moment when the truth is revealed. But then, that's me and it's for you to figure out if that bothers you when you read or listen to the book. After reading some of the other reviews, I am not sure what my reaction would have been if I read the print version. Julia Bean is an excellent narrator and brought many of the situations to the brink of tension...scenes that might have seemed otherwise without all of the character voices. Because I listen to so many audio books, I am acutely aware of the quality of the narrator. They can scintillate the listener, put them to sleep, or make a good book seem bad or vice versa. My sister and I are adamant that the narrator must be skillful with the voices, tone and passion when chosen to record books in our Silver Sisters mystery series. I particularly don't like it when the men's voices are higher than the women's, as frequently happens. I feel Julia Bean is excellent and brings the characters to life. So, what is it about the sexy Dr. Dan who lives in the townhouse next door? Katherine fears he is not what he appears to be. She is extremely attracted to him and distrustful at the same time. Something familiar lurks in the recesses of her impaired memory, but she can't grab on to it. Dan is her savior as they run for her life, but does he have other plans? Can he really be trusted? He reminds her more of someone in one of the alphabet soup federal agencies than a doctor. All in all, Karen Robards takes the reader on an challenging but sometimes unbelievable chase. In the end there is one thing I always like...an unexpected twist ending.
	THE RACE 5 STARS WAR HERO RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT By, RICHARD NORTH PATTERSON FALLS FOR BLACK MOVIE STAR Tthe story of Corey Grace may seem eerily familiar--sort of a composite of John McCain with Barack Obama's demeanor. War hero Corey Grace is both haunted and driven by the fact that he let his friend die in the war because he made a foolish decision. No one knows until he falls for Lexie Hart, a beautiful black movie star. The political race for POTUS is a nasty one (oops, does that sound familiar) with lots of mud slinging, and false accusations. When Corey is about to declare that he is indeed running for president, he must weigh what his love affair will mean to the public. Will it impact his chances and if so, which one will he choose? Lexie also is faced with decisions, because the opposition is sure to dig up the skeletons in her closet. The Christian candidate is triangulating the race and can throw his support in either direction. What a bargaining chip. And what is Corey's deep, dark secret? One that he hopes his parents will never uncover. The Race is a page turner, particularly in view of how nasty the last race for the presidency became in real life. If you like action, romance, political antics and treachery all wrapped up in a neat package, you'll love The Race.