73. Watchlist based on an idea by Jeffery Deaver

I read about this book somewhere and thought it sounded really cool. But I got a little nervous once I got Watchlist home from the library -- I always get excited about stuff like this and then I don't like it (case in point: Portland Noir). So I put off reading it for awhile but once I started it, I couldn't put it down!

From the International Thriller Writers, comes Watchlist: two powerful novellas featuring the same thrilling cast of characters in one major suspenseful package. The Chopin Manuscript and The Copper Bracelet are collaborations of some of the world's greatest thriller writers, including Lee Child, Joseph Finder, Lisa Scottoline, and Jeffery Deaver, who conceived the characters and set the plots in motion. The other authors each wrote a chapter and Deaver then completed what he started, bringing both novellas to their startling conclusions. 

In the first novella, The Chopin Manuscript, former war crimes investigator Harold Middleton possesses a previously unknown score by Frederic Chopin. But he is unaware that, locked within its handwritten notes, lies a secret that now threatens the lives of thousands of Americans. As he races from Poland to America to uncover the mystery of the manuscript, Middleton will be accused of murder, pursued by federal agents, and targeted by assassins. But the greatest threat will come from a shadowy figure from his past: the man known only as Faust.

Harold Middleton returns in The Copper Bracelet -- the explosive sequel to The Chopin Manuscript -- as he's drawn into an international terror plot that threatens to send India and Pakistan into full-scale nuclear war. Careening from Nice to London and Moscow to Kashmir to prevent nuclear disaster, Middleton is unaware that his prey has changed and that the act of terror is far more diabolical than he knows. Will he discover the identity of the Scorpion in time to halt an event that will pit the United States, China, and Russia against each other at the brink of World War III?

Summary taken from watchlistbook.com. It took a really long time to type. I wish Colin were here to type for me.

I really enjoyed reading Watchlist. It exceeded all of my expectations. The mysteries each had a solid, thorough backstory and well-developed characters. Switching authors kept the pace way up, and made for a fun read. The only disappointment I felt was a result of the typos I found. More than once, the quotes that indicate who is speaking were misplaced, making for some confusion. Also, I noted a who's instead of whose and a premier instead of premiere. I know that typos happen, but come on. I would think that a book of chapters by alternating authors would require a single, talented editor. (And I think that I would be right!) All in all, it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. And I noted the names of several authors, so I can check out their other work. If you like suspense and mystery, this book is definitely worth checking out!

70. I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

I don't remember checking this book out of the library, but I have a feeling that I wanted a fun, light read to mix in with the rest of that week's books. Reading so many James Pattersons this year (actually, I think this is the third, so it's not "so many") isn't really following the spirit of the project, but I'm trying to give myself a break. Even though I want to try new things and challenge myself, that doesn't mean I have to give up what I already like.

THE BEST - AND SCARIEST! - ALEX CROSS NOVEL SINCE ALONG CAME A SPIDER

YOU CAN'T RUN
Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. ALex vows to hunt down her killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

YOU CAN'T HIDE
The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain - they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

ALEX CROSS IS YOUR ONLY HOPE TO STAY ALIVE
As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable - a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat excitement that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

Summary lifted from the book jacket. Colin typed it up for me because he can't stand my hunt-and-peck typing. You can always tell which of us has typed it because he uses a single hyphen for a dash whereas I prefer the double hyphen. Obviously, neither one of us knows how to create an actual dash in Blogger.  

This is a good installment in the Alex Cross series; it's a solid thriller with a great twist. Patterson is nothing if not dependable for a few hours' enjoyment. However, the "beloved relative" is not someone familiar to audiences. This doesn't make the death any less tragic, but I hate it when the book jacket copy is misleading. Also, the violent crimes were a shade too violent for me. I don't know if the books are getting more graphic or I'm getting more squeamish, but some scenes were off-putting. 

I would say more, but that's really about it. Onto the next!

35. The Likeness by Tana French

Remember when I read In the Woods? And it was awesome? Imagine my excitement when Colin told me there was a sequel. Yay! I thought Colin would be eager to read it too, but he felt so burned by the ending of In the Woods that he literally scoffed at me when I brought it up. (So touchy.) I read this book over a Saturday night and Sunday while he was at work, so as not to bother him. I was a little stupid to start reading a mystery while I was home alone on a dark and stormy night (as I am a big scaredy cat) but it was so good that I couldn't put it down.

The Likeness isn't a straight-up sequel. Rob's partner Cassie is the narrator of her own story, which takes place about six months after the events of In the Woods. Cassie's past work as an undercover officer comes back to haunt her when the body of an identical woman is discovered in a remote area in a small town. Cassie's boyfriend, Sam, and her former undercover boss, Frank Mackey, call her to the crime scene. After learning that the woman, who was in no way related to Cassie, was using the fake identity created for Cassie's undercover work years before, Frank decides that they should pretend the woman was only injured instead of killed and that Cassie should infiltrate the dead woman's life to figure out who killed her and why she was using Cassie's fake name. After a week's preparation, Cassie assumes the identity of "Lexie" and movies in with her four roommates. After almost a month of undercover work, "Operation Mirror" comes to a shocking close.

This book was great! A total page turner. I could not put it down. French somehow found a way to make her crazy premise work -- by the end, you don't even remember being doubtful about it. Not only was the mystery engrossing, but the characters were well-developed and totally drew you in. For anyone like Colin who didn't get enough closure at the end of In the Woods, I recommend that you give this one a try. French gives you more answers and closure this time, and the payoff at the end is satisfying and credible.

I felt a personal connection to Cassie. She is the only child of a French mother and an Irish father, and the combination of those heritages gave her a unique appearance. Living in Ireland, she never met anyone who truly resembled her. That makes the discovery of "Lexie" so intriguing -- who is this woman and how is it possible that she look so much like Cassie? My experience is a bit different, but with similar results. I look a lot like my mom, but the shape of my eyes and my tiny nose (there's almost no bridge to it) give me a slightly Asian appearance. More times than I can count, people have mistaken me for Asian or part Asian. We went to a party given by family friends when I was seven years old, and someone remarked what kind people my parents were to adopt a Korean orphan after having two children of their own. (Indeed.) I felt as though I could relate to Cassie and possibly have similar reactions in the circumstances.

If you're in the market for a good mystery, or just a good read, pick up The Likeness. Oh, and I read online that French is writing a third book in this series, with Frank Mackey as the narrator. I'll be first in line.

15. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

I got a notice from the library that a book was being held and when I stopped by, Sworn to Silence was waiting for me on the shelf. I have no memory of putting it on hold and I can't remember when I heard about it or where! I do love a good mystery, so I was excited to get home and read it.

From lindacastillo.com:

Sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community of Painters Mill, Ohio. A young Amish girl, Katie Burkholder, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Murders. In the aftermath of the killings, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence, and for Katie, the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish. Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate Burkholder is back. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate for Chief of Police. She's certain she's come to terms with her past -- until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to name him, she would betray both her family and her Amish past -- and expose a dark secret that could destroy her. 

I really enjoyed this book. It's a page-turner, a fast but not lightweight read. It's a great mystery, with clues dropped in throughout artfully. You can figure out the whodunit, but it's so not obvious that you lose interest or feel stupid for not catching on earlier. Castillo picked a very interesting setting, and provides good exposition on the English and the Amish co-existing. She didn't shy away from the violence; after all, the book is about a serial killer. But I appreciate that those scenes are realistic rather than gratuitously gory. This is no torture porn (a popular trend that I've noticed in movies, and think is reprehensible). I've read that Castillo is an established romance novelist who is now moving into the mystery genre. I would never have been able to guess that her background is in romance -- not that the love interest plotline in Sworn to Silence isn't well done. But overall, it's just such a well constructed mystery that it's hard to believe it's her first one. Apparently, this is the first in a series featuring Kate Burkholder. I'll be very interested to see what's next for the author and the character.

In case you're wondering, I tried to avoid giving too much detail about the plot because I think you should go out and get this book to read today! If you like mysteries at all, please give this one a chance. I think you'll be happy that you did.

9. In the Woods by Tana French

This book was recommended to me by Fat Bridesmaid. I'm definitely going to have to read her other suggestions too, because I really liked this one.

I read In the Woods on a Sunday, and after I told Colin about it, he decided to read it too. This post has been on hold for awhile, because there's no way I can write it without spoilers and I didn't want to spoil it for him. So everyone has their fair warning, right?

SPOILERS TO FOLLOW.

This story centers around a young detective named Adam Robert Ryan, who tells us about working to solve a young girl's murder. Rob has a very close relationship with his partner, Cassie, and she knows more about him than any of their colleagues. As a child, Rob was known as Adam to his best friends Jamie and Peter. He can remember almost nothing of their childhood together, nor of the day that they disappeared in the woods by their town and he was found clutching a tree, with blood soaked through his shoes. No trace of Jamie or Peter has ever been found. However, Rob does not consider his story to be especially tragic, and leads his life in relative anonymity. Until the Katy Devlin case lands on his desk. Katy's body is found at the site of an archaeological dig in the town where Rob lived until Jamie and Peter (and Adam) disappeared. Throughout the investigation, Rob and Cassie begin to suspect that something was wrong in Katy's home. Her sisters seem troubled and the detectives focus on the nature of the father's relationships with his daughters. The case takes on a life of its own and Rob and Cassie's friendship begins to dissolve after a night of unexpected passion. After some twists and turns, it's revealed that Katy's older sister Rosalind orchestrated her murder, using a worker from the dig as her patsy. As Cassie was able to suss out, but Rob wasn't, Rosalind was a classic sociopath and had no qualms about eliminating her "uppity" little sister by using her wiles to convince a young man to do her bidding.

Rob tells us the story of working this case after the fact, which is very effective. He's gained some insight and perspective, and alludes to things he could have done differently without giving away the ending. Clues were dropped in subtly throughout the story so that the end surprised you, but didn't come out of nowhere. Had you been paying attention to the right parts, you could have put the puzzle pieces together. I think that's what makes for a great mystery. You can feel as though the author is speaking to you on your level, even if you didn't guess the outcome.

Rob's story is amazing. He has vague bits and pieces of memory of this idyllic childhood with great friends. He knows something terrible and tragic happened to the three of them, but has never been able to remember what. He was sent away to boarding school afterward and his parents moved to another town, so he's never truly had to revisit the events of the past. During the Devlin case, Rob is forced to confront the past, and he comes to terms with the enormity of what he has lost. He has been robbed of his life with Jamie and Peter, and is able to finally realize that and mourn for it.

Let's get to the frustrating part. Although Rob starts to regain some memories of his childhood while working the case (the Devlin father turns out to be a teenager that Rob knew of as a child), he never remembers what happened to Jamie and Peter.

You never find out what happened to Jamie and Peter!

I can understand why the author might have felt it would have been a cop-out to reveal what happened -- she had set up the promise of an unsolved, unsolvable mystery. But when Rob started to piece together things that he hadn't been able to remember, you naturally assume that he'll be able to figure out the events of that day. The two parallel mysteries from Rob's past and present unfold simultaneously, and when you find out what happened to Katy, you naturally assume that you'll find out what happened to Jamie and Peter. You just naturally assume that there will be some sort of pay-off at the end, and you're totally left hanging.

When Colin was about halfway through, he shared a theory with me. He thought that Peter killed Jamie and traumatized Adam on that fateful day, and now killed Katy as an adult. It killed me to not react, because I was thinking that while I enjoyed In the Woods tremendously, I want to read that book!